Two weeks passed in the blink of an eye. Although for Jaune, every day had been carved with purpose.
He had played his role well—the quiet, obedient, and unassuming Arc. The dutiful, harmless son. The Arc who did what he was told.
But beneath that porcelain mask, he had been training. Hard.
Not even his mother suspected anything. Her skill which granted her emotional perception—once one of his greatest threats—seemed to slip right past him, now. Jaune wasn't sure how or why, but he was almost certain it was due to his Aura. Like it blanketed more than just his skin—like it wrapped around his mind, his soul and cloaked his true intentions.
The original function of aura acted as a shield to guard one from harm. Perhaps this was a way that it expressed itself. A gift, perhaps. Or maybe a side-effect of his unnatural nature. Either way, it worked. And he wasn't going to question it.
The Grimm in the surrounding forests had become his reluctant teachers. He hunted relentlessly, taking calculated risks, and forcing himself to adapt. He studied their movements, tested new forms, and slowly, steadily grew stronger.
He had hoped to reach level 12 before the deadline but he'd only been able to achieve 11.
Not quite the triumph he'd envisioned… but it was still something. Especially considering the region's Grimm were few and far between. Patrols had killed most of the stronger ones off, and the remaining creatures were always weak—barely enough to scrape any meaningful experience from.
Still, he'd made it work.
The hardest fight had been against a pack of beowolves. They were feral, coordinated, and far more dangerous than the lumbering Ursa he had once fought. The local militia had missed them and Jaune had capitalized on the opportunity to earn exp.
Well, barely.
He'd been forced to rely on his Aura heavily during that encounter—taking hits, timing counters, and eventually, cutting the leader down with a desperate lunge. It wasn't clean or elegant. But he'd won and more importantly, he'd learned.
From that crucible of combat, his exp had spilled over, leveling him up to level 10.
And at level 10, he'd unlocked his first active Skill.
[Cross-Slash]
A burst technique. A forwards striking cross-shaped attack that could be executed in less than a second. The motion was fast, surgically fast—boosting his swing speed and precision for that moment alone. It consumed mana, of course. And Jaune only had enough to use it about four times per fight. Maybe five, if he give it time to regenerate and cut everything else.
Still, the damage it could deal in close quarters was… brutal.
He had also received his first stat in Magic. It was crucial to fuel his new skill.
The moment he had received the magic stat at level 10, mana had appeared within him. It was like invisible stirring whirlpool inside his chest—not physically, but in a strange spiritual way. Like a second heartbeat, invisible and untouchable. His own personal pool that was his link to the mystical laws that governed this world.
He had no idea how to use it outside of activating his new skill.
He tried. He really tried—prodding it mentally, prodding it with Aura, prodding it with every ounce of effort that he could think of. He tried his best to shift or bend it like he did with the energy of his soul. But it resisted. It was slippery and silent.
Almost like it was dormant.
He figured that he'd need the Mana Manipulation passive skill to be able to interact with it properly. That skill was only common to Mages or other type of magic classes. So for now, he left it alone.
That was a future problem. Tonight's problem… was control. The slash cut through the air with a sharp whip.
Then another.
Jaune stood in the center of his room, sweat dampening his undershirt, breathing steady but focused. He couldn't practice outside. There were too many prying eyes. Too many ways the wrong person could see something they shouldn't.
Especially when it concerned his new skill.
But here? With the drapes drawn and the doors locked?
He could train without fear. At least to a degree.
He gripped his longsword tight. The practiced movements flowed steadily—first vertical, then diagonal, then—
[Cross-Slash], he intoned in his mind, activating the skill.
His hands blurred forward in an instant—slash-slash!—forming an X in the air. A faint flicker of blue light followed in its wake, like a tracer of energy caught mid-swing.
It drained him slightly. That little pull from the mana within.
It wasn't dangerous, but it was noticeable. For most close-combat classes, when the ran out of their meagre mana, there would be no consequences. The same was not true for Mage-themed classes. Perhaps it was due to their close connection to their mana, but running out of mana for magic based classes would, more often than not, cause them to lose consciousness.
In a fight, it was deadly.
He took a step back, exhaled, and rolled his shoulders.
Four times tonight. That was it. He had no magic left. Practicing like this was still dangerous, even in secret.
He dropped the blade, point-first onto the wooden floorboard and sat down cross-legged. He then called out mentally in his mind to view his progress.
.
[Swordsman]
[Jaune Arc]
[Level 11]
.
STR: 22
DEX: 33
CON: 22
MIND: 11
MAGI: 1
AURA: 11
.
[Skills]
Sword Mastery(P)
Cross-Slash
.
Jaune let the glowing panel linger in the air above him. It clearly wasn't perfect.
But this?
This was progress. He'd clawed his way up from the bottom of the combat class food chain. Slowly, bloodied and tired. He could rise further still.
And in just one more day, he'd be gone from Ansel.
He looked over to the small leather pack beside his bed—already half-packed. He would be bringing that as a façade to his other belongings already stored securely in his storage bag.
Jaune leaned back, letting the sword rest across his knees, and dismissed his [Status] window.
"Just a little more," he whispered to himself.
.
.
Later, Jaune made his way to the smithy. The scent of soot and hot metal still lingered in the air by the time he pushed open the door to the forge.
The enchantment-runes along the threshold shimmered slightly in recognition of him—Jade must've keyed him into the entry seal last night. Smart, considering what they were making in secret.
The forge inside was quieter than usual, the enchanted flames in the furnace were banked low now, casting long shadows across the walls. What immediately caught his eye, though, were the two figures hunched over the massive central anvil—one in a leather apron, the other in formal wear that was still far too elegant for a smithy.
Both of them looked exhausted.
Jade had streaks of soot smeared down her neck and her arms were bare, glistening with sweat. Her hair was tied back in a hasty knot that had started to come undone. She looked like she hadn't slept in at least a full day—but the spark in her eyes, the barely restrained grin on her lips, said she was buzzing with pride.
Violet, in contrast, looked no less tired, but significantly more composed. Her usual beautiful braid was intact, if seemingly, a bit frayed at the edges. Her gloves were also stained with the faint shimmer of mana residue—the sigils and script-work having clearly taken their toll on her. She was currently sipping tea from a porcelain cup like nothing was out of the ordinary.
Both of them turned as Jaune entered.
"Well, well," Jade greeted him, stretching her arms over head. "Look who decided to show up. Took you long enough."
"I had to finish training," Jaune said, making his way toward the central anvil. "And I figure that you two might need some extra sleep after the night you pulled."
"Sleep is for the weak," Jade said with a wide grin. "And besides, we're done."
Violet nodded. "We've finished the imbuements hours ago. The stability holds well and the enchantments are integrated finely too. We've even tested the synchronization. They passed."
Jaune's gaze dropped to the anvil.
There, laid neatly upon a thick velvet cloth, rested the fruits of their labor.
A pair of arm bracers and greaves—each forged from deep, shadow-toned metal that shimmered faintly in the forge-light. They weren't gaudy or bulky, but refined. The black sheen wasn't a dull matte or a high polish, but something between—a mirror-like surface that only reflected darkness. Subtle mana lines ran across the surface, faintly glowing with energy, clearly the result of Violet's enchantment work.
"…Wow," Jaune said quietly.
He reached out, fingers brushing along the surface of one of the bracers. The metal was cool, but he could feel something thrum beneath it—like a distant pulse. Alive.
"It's amazing," he murmured. "You two really outdid yourselves."
Jade puffed out her chest. "Damn right we did."
Violet sipped her tea. "Of course we did. We're exceptional."
Jaune chuckled. "I mean it."
As his fingers remained on the bracer, something shimmered faintly before his eyes. The System responded.
.
[Black Mithril Bracers] — (Set 1/5)
+50% Arm Speed
+10 Defense
.
[Black Mithril Greaves] — (Set 2/5)
+50% Acceleration Speed
+10 Defense
.
He stared. Slowly, a grin crept onto his face.
"System-recognized," he whispered, "And an activated a set bonus."
"That's how you know it's the real deal," Jade said proudly. "Only crafts from proper production classes, like me and miss sparkles over there, get recognized. Anyone can hammer metal together or stick runes on junk. But making the System acknowledge your work? That's a whole different league."
Violet tilted her head. "The bracers should help you execute your new skill with more fluidity. The arm speed enhancement is flat percentage bonus. Its a powerful addition that will be of great use to you. Even in the far future."
Jaune blinked. "So…?"
"So," Violet continued patiently, "if you're already swinging fast, it'll push you even faster. Speed begets more speed. Especially for high-execution techniques."
"Hmm... cross-slash," Jaune muttered, nodding. "It'll definitely help."
"And the greaves will help with all manner of acceleration regarding your legs. Sprinting, dodging, strafing. You name it." Jade explained. "Think of it like having supped up legs. You'll move almost as twice as fast as before, which should put you on the level of the other applicants. Hopefully. But maybe your bones might explode first?"
"Jade."
"Kidding. Mostly."
Jaune gave a low whistle. "And the defense… flat +20. That's huge."
"Remember not to confuse that with your Con stat," Violet warned. "The System's Defense stat is special magical. A kind of universal damage reduction. That flat twenty gets applied across your entire form, regardless of what's covered."
"I'm aware, but thank you. This will help me avoid damage…" Jaune started, smiling with a massive grin.
"Everywhere," Jade finished. "Head to toe."
Jaune took a deep breath. "This will change everything."
"It will," Violet said softly. "But we couldn't make more. Not with what we had."
"Sorry," Jade added, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "That chunk of ore barely gave us enough for two pieces. Any more and we'd have diluted the quality."
Jaune shook his head. "No, don't be sorry. This is incredible. Really."
"If we ever find more Black Mithril," Violet continued, "you'll be able to complete the set. A proper full set effect will only manifest at five pieces. Probably something extremely potent, if the quality stays consistent."
Jaune nodded. " Five pieces huh? Too bad it's extremely rare and we can't count on mom and dad to help procure more, after this."
"Well," Violet said, "the sword in the vault will make the third."
Jaune paused to consider it. "The vault sword, huh?"
"It was also forged from Black Mithril," Jade confirmed. "Real pure stuff, too. Back when Dad procured it. Well, if you can… acquire it, it should sync with your armor. System-wise. Good thing I made it that way eh?"
Jaune nodded, still staring at the pieces in wonder.
"Which means," Violet added, "you'll only need two more pieces after the sword. A half-plate and shoulder guards. Or maybe even a cloak with a conductive weave, that is, if you can find a powerful Weaver that can stitch metal into fabric."
"Or maybe into cuisses," Jade muttered, making a face. "Though those are a pain to smith."
Jaune looked down at the armor again. His hand hovered over it, but didn't touch it this time. There was something sacred about it, something final.
"You two didn't just help me," he said quietly. "You armed me. You protected me, even knowing I was leaving."
Violet looked away, uncomfortable. "We didn't do it for gratitude."
Jade grinned. "I did. Praise me more."
"I mean it," Jaune said firmly. "I couldn't have gotten this far without you."
"Jaune," Violet said, her voice uncharacteristically gentle, "you would have. Eventually. Because you're stubborn like that."
"But now," Jade added, "you'll get there faster. And hopefully not die."
"Also that."
Jaune gave them both a small, crooked smile.
"…Did you two level up from this?" he asked curiously.
"Yup," Jade said, stretching her arms behind her back with a yawn. "Forging Black Mithril's high-value stuff. Pushed me to thirty-five."
"Thirty-three," Violet added. "My mana circuits are still tingling from the excess."
"Congrats," Jaune said earnestly.
"You're welcome," Jade said. "Now put it on and let's see how fast you can perform your new skill."
"I'm not breaking anything in here."
"Coward."
Violet sighed. "He's smart. Unlike someone."
Jaune just laughed.
He reached for the bracers and greaves, already envisioning the future that lay ahead—one forged not just from metal, but from the bonds behind it.
Jaune wore the armor and started adjusting to the strange sensation of feeling weight without burden on him. The Black Mithril gleamed faintly under the forge's warm lighting, catching every ember and glinting with an almost predatory sheen. The metal was cold at first, but the moment he slipped the greaves and bracers into place, he felt something like a subtle pulse as if the armor had slotted into his very being.
A system message popped up.
.
Set Bonus (2/5) Unactivated:
.
[Bracers] = +50% Arm Speed, +10 Defense
[Greaves] = +50% Acceleration Speed, +10 Defense
.
Total Defense: +20
.
Jaune exhaled as the window vanished. He flexed his fingers, then his ankles, testing the articulation. The armor moved well, like extension of him no clunky resistance or stiffness. Only smooth movement and the weird sensation of reinforced protection wrapping around his entire body.
"Feels… good," he said, blinking down at the sheen. "Really good."
Jade leaned on the anvil, crossing her arms with a tired but proud grin. Her cheek was still smudged with soot. "That's the understatement of the year," she said. "You're wearing two weeks of my life, thank you very much."
"Two weeks of your life? Please." Violet rolled her eyes as she leaned against the worktable, arms crossed and enchantment tags still tucked into her sleeves. "You spent the first three days just practicing on the other weapon. I did all the delicate work."
"Uh-huh. And who hammered it into shape? Who nearly lost an eyebrow when the forge fire almost backfired?" Jade huffed and jabbed a thumb toward herself. "Me! That's who."
"Because you wouldn't let me use a heat regulation rune. Again." Violet's voice was all disdainful elegance, her nose wrinkled. "You blacksmiths and your obsession with 'feeling the material.' You sound like you're about to propose to it."
"I did whisper sweet nothings to the ingot," Jade said with a smirk. "It responded better than you do when I ask for help."
Jaune snorted, catching himself before the laugh broke out fully. "I've missed this."
Violet arched a brow. "You've missed Jade whispering sweet things to metal? You're an odd one"
He shook his head at her words, rolling his wrists to adjust to the feeling of wearing armor. "No! But seriously, though—this feels amazing. The system's recognizing it. And I can even feel the bonus sub-stats when I move."
"Good," Jade said, giving him a once-over with a satisfied nod. "That means you wont hurt yourself."
Violet straightened up, brushing imaginary dust from her sleeves. "We should test the defense."
Jaune blinked. "Test the defense?"
"Yes," she said. "We need to know how much damage your unarmored parts can shrug off with the defense stat, now active."
Jade frowned. "I mean, I could hit him with a hammer—"
"No." Violet turned to her with the expression of someone physically offended. "He's wearing armor, not a bell tower. And I'm not cleaning up the mess after you crack a rib."
Jaune raised a hand. "Hold on. Who's hitting me again?"
Both women looked at him.
"…Me," Violet said, with a distinct lack of enthusiasm. "Apparently."
"You sure about that?" he asked, eyeing her delicate fingers. "No offense, Vi, but you're not exactly a combatant."
"Exactly why this is ridiculous." She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I'm an Enchanter, not a duelist. My idea of a hard day is spellburn, not bloodletting."
"Which is why I should do it—"
"No hammer, Jade!"
"I wasn't going to use the hammer!" Jade scoffed. "I've got a practice sword right here."
"Give it to me." Violet held out her hand like she was asking for something diseased.
Jade handed it over with a smirk. "Try not to faint."
"Try not to melt the next time you use the forge unsupervised."
"Children, please," Jaune muttered, suppressing a smile.
Violet stepped forward, gripping the training sword gingerly as though it were a live snake. "Okay, I'll test this on your shoulder—"
"Actually, try the torso," Jaune interrupted. "I want to know how well it protects the center mass parts."
"You want me to stab you. In the torso." Violet gave him a withering look. "Are you brain-damaged?"
"Not yet. That's what the defense stat is for."
"Ugh." She stepped closer, still frowning. "Fine. But if you scream like a child, I'm walking out."
Jade was grinning now, watching the exchange with visible amusement.
Violet adjusted her stance and raised the practice sword. "Alright. First attempt. No enchantments. Just a clean stab."
She jabbed forward—lightly.
The steel blade bounced off his chest with a thunk. Jaune didn't even flinch.
"No penetration," Violet murmured. "Again."
She struck harder.
Again, nothing.
Then again, harder still. This time Jaune felt a faint pressure, but no pain.
"Still nothing."
Violet sighed, stepped back, and rolled her shoulder.
"Alright. Now I'm actually trying."
"Wasn't that what you were doing before?"
She ignored him. Her next swing came in with a swift snap of her wrist—fast and sharp, seemingly a trained strike, despite her distaste.
Thwack.
It left a faint red mark on his skin but there was still no cut.
"This is getting annoying," she muttered.
"You're telling me," Jaune said with a grin.
Jade chuckled. "Don't hold back. If we're doing this, do it right."
Violet muttered something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like a curse, then squared up again.
"This one's full force."
She moved. Quick as a whip, her arm blurred as she delivered a full-strength slash with all her points of her Strength stat behind it.
At twenty-three, it was about equivalent to Jaune's own.
Crack.
Jaune felt a sharp sting.
He hissed through his teeth as the blade sliced into him an opened a shallow cut across his side. Blood welled, but only slightly.
Jade was the first to speak. "Okay. That was… not bad."
Violet backed away, lowering the blade. "That's about my full strength. Didn't even reach the muscle."
Jaune pressed a hand to his side, inspecting the cut. "I'd say… maybe 33 Strength could get through to the bone."
Violet nodded slowly. "Agreed. That means the +20 Defense from the system is doing its job. That was equivalent to you taking a hit from yourself, right?"
"Which I'm glad we avoided," Jaune nodded. "I'd rather not find out what that feels like in combat."
"Hey," Jade said, grinning. "At least we know it works."
Jaune smiled despite the sting. "Yeah. And with the sword from the vault? I might actually stand a chance out there."
"You will," Violet corrected. "Or you'll embarrass the two of us."
"Heh," Jade added. "You're our little monster now. So yeah... please don't embarrass my craft."
He laughed and looked down at the armor again, letting that truth sink in. He wasn't invincible, not even close—but he wasn't helpless either.
And Beacon was waiting.
But first, the sword.
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AN: This story is my neglected child that is always crying out for me to update it. I pity it.