The table dimmed again, casting long shadows across the room. Ms. Goodwitch turned toward Jaune with that same composed look.
"You now have a preliminary understanding of what it means to be a member of LUCID, Mr. Arc," she said, her hands folding behind her back. "The System, stats, Runes... you've seen the foundation."
He nodded slowly. "I think I've got a handle on it."
"Good. Then it's time we discuss what comes next. The path of ascension. What it means to rank up… and the weight that comes with it."
With a subtle gesture, she summoned another projection from the table. This one was less abstract than the previous strands of energy. Instead, a full 3D simulation appeared—an animated figure in a neutral stance, gray and faceless, but distinctly human. Floating beside it were three transparent columns labeled: Body, Will, and Aura.
"This is your Dream Vessel," Ms. Goodwitch explained. "It's a representation of your potential self—your capacity to interface with the Dream, and with the Nightmare System. This vessel doesn't exist in the waking world… at least, not at first. But within the Dream, it's your everything."
The simulated figure glowed faintly as its stats began to rise, each category slowly ticking upward from 1 to 10.
"To achieve Rank 1, an operative must first reach 10 points in each of the three core stats. Body. Will. Aura."
Jaune blinked. "That's the minimum?"
"Not simply the minimum. 10 is the maximum that you can achieve in all of your stats. But yes. That's the first requirement."
Jaune nodded. He had wondered what the maximum number for stats were and now he had received his answer.
She tapped the interface again, and a glowing Rune symbol emerged in the air beside the figure.
"The second requirement is to condense your first Rune Skill. As we covered earlier, this costs 100 Rune Fragments and results in a unique skill shaped by your own experiences, desires, and self-image."
The figure in the simulation pulsed with energy. A crimson ripple spread through its body. The interface shimmered, and a message appeared on the projection:
[Rank up available]
"And that," Ms. Goodwitch said, "is the final stage. When both conditions are met—stats and Rune—you'll feel a metaphysical pressure… a pull. Like something beyond the veil is trying to elevate you. And when you allow it, the Nightmare System will initiate the Rank Up process."
Jaune leaned in slightly, watching the glowing figure ascend. As it rose, a surge of energy engulfed it. The rune at its side blazed, growing brighter, more complex in design. The figure's frame widened, muscles subtly defined, its presence far more imposing than before, and its looks were... also enhanced.
"The process is not instantaneous," Ms. Goodwitch warned. "It takes a small amount of time. During the Rank Up, the Rune you created is elevated—enhanced to match the increased capabilities of your Dream Vessel. It evolves alongside you and strengthens with you."
Jaune's brow furrowed. "How many Rune Skills should I have before trying to Rank Up?"
The corner of Ms. Goodwitch's mouth quirked upward, just slightly.
"None of that min-maxing nonsense, Mr. Arc?"
Jaune flushed. "I mean—no. I just… wanted to make sure I wasn't wasting potential."
Her smile lingered for a moment longer before she answered.
"You only need one Rune Skill to Rank Up. And more importantly… your Dream Vessel can only hold one Rune Skill at any given Rank."
That made him pause. "Wait… only one? What if you make another?"
"You can't. Not at the same time," Ms. Goodwitch confirmed. "The vessel only has space for one active Rune Skill per Rank. And the one you use to Rank Up becomes permanently ingrained in your being. You'll never be able to discard it."
She turned back to the war table and brought up a new image. This time, the projection showed a Grimm that resembled an elephant of some sort—twisted, jet-black, malformed, and terrifyingly massive. But above its head, a single rune pulsed. It was simplistic in design, almost crude, yet raw with power.
"The creatures we face in the Dream operate under the same principle. They are bound by the same limitations. Even the most fearsome Grimm are only capable of wielding one Rune Skill per Rank. And like us, they cannot change the ones they've ingrained. However, unlike us, the creatures of grimm do not have the ability to condense a rune at rank 0. It only occurs at rank 1."
"I see... so that's their limit…" Jaune murmured.
"Yes," Ms. Goodwitch said. "But don't mistake that for a weakness. What they do have is focus. Their Rune Skills are extensions of their instincts. Brutal and refined through repetition. And they don't need to think about costs."
He winced. "Okay. Got it."
She returned the interface to the simulated figure.
"Before you Rank Up, you have a final option. You can discard your current Rune—if it doesn't suit you—by imprinting it into an external object. As we discussed earlier, this turns it into a one-time use Rune. It's gone from your vessel but possibly usable in a moment of need."
The projection demonstrated the act. The figure held a glowing sphere that pulsed with Rune energy. It pressed it into a gauntlet. The rune vanished from the figure's body and appeared etched onto the equipment.
"But once you initiate the Rank Up," Ms. Goodwitch continued, her tone sharpening slightly, "that window closes. The Rune used in the process becomes permanently tied to your vessel. It becomes the cornerstone of your Rank 1 identity."
Jaune nodded slowly. "So I need to be sure. Really sure."
"Exactly."
The figure on the projection had now completed its evolution. It stood taller, its aura vastly stronger. The three stat pillars beside it had all changed—Body, Will, and Aura now showing 0 instead of 10.
"In the early stages of Rank 1, your Dream Vessel undergoes a dramatic transformation," Ms. Goodwitch said. "Its capacity doubles. Your stats will increase in kind, and your presence within the Dream will expand. You'll be faster, stronger, harder to kill—and capable of feats that defy reality. However, your status window will be reset back to 0. Do not mistake this for an error in the system display."
The simulation shifted again, displaying the figure effortlessly leaping over buildings, deflecting projectiles with a thought, and releasing a burst of energy that cracked pavement.
"And now that your vessel is stronger," she continued, "you gain the ability to condense a second Rune Skill."
Jaune's nodded, showing he understood.
"You can. One per Rank. The rules, however, stay the same: 100 Rune Fragments. The new Rune will not replace the first—it exists alongside it. However…" she paused, "this second Rune is not bound to you until you choose to Rank Up again. Meaning—you can discard it. Just like you were able to before, in Rank 0. If you don't like what you created, imbue it onto an object, and try again."
"So… awakened get one permanent Rune per Rank. But you can still experiment before you commit."
"Correct. That's the true rhythm of our operatives developments. Grow your stats. Earn fragments. Experiment. Discard. Refine. And then commit—when you're ready to advance."
Jaune exhaled slowly, a weight settling over him. "That's a lot to think about."
"It should be," Ms. Goodwitch said. "The power to shape your soul is not something to take lightly."
Goodwitch's expression shifted, her eyes narrowing slightly as the war table dimmed once more.
"We've covered the foundations," Goodwitch started. "But now we need to talk about what lies beyond. Rank 2… and Rank 3."
Jaune blinked, trying to stay focused. The sheer amount of information he had just absorbed was already threatening to overflow from his mind like water from a cracked vase. But he nodded.
"Are they different?" he asked. "From the other ranks?"
Goodwitch gave a sharp nod, then with a flick of her fingers, the table displayed a new figure. This one was nearly identical to the prior Dream Vessel—a gray, faceless humanoid figure—but instead of rising smoothly, its body now pulsed erratically, its aura flickering between stability and collapse.
"Ranking up from Rank 1 to Rank 2," Goodwitch began, "requires more than simply maxing your stats and condensing a second Rune Skill."
The room fell quiet for a breath.
"The basic requirements are still in place: ten points in all three core stats, and a new Rune Skill created using one hundred Rune Fragments," she continued. "However, there is an invisible gate—one that can't be bypassed with repetitional effort alone. The System will not prompt you to ascend until you've met a certain threshold of understanding."
"Understanding?" Jaune echoed, frowning. "What does that mean?"
"Comprehension," Goodwitch corrected, looking at him directly. "A deep, personal grasp of how your Rune Skills function. How they interact with each other, how they affect your Dream Vessel, and—just as critically—how they reshape your perception of reality within the Nightmare."
Jaune leaned forward slightly. "But… how does the system even know that? What counts as comprehension?"
She smiled faintly, not unkindly. "That is precisely the problem. It's subjective. Individual and unique. You and another operative could both create a Rune Skill centered around fire. But your comprehension of what fire means—how it behaves, how it lives and consumes—will differ. The System is... all knowing, in a sense, and it is able to recognize that difference. It will use that personal understanding as the gatekeeper for your ascension."
Jaune's brows furrowed. "So… it's not enough to just use a Rune a lot?"
"No. Again, repetition is not the same as understanding. While it does help, it isn't enough. The System also acts as a mirror—reflecting what you truly know and what you've internalized. If you attempt to Rank Up without that clarity… the sensation of pressure, that call to ascend? It will never arrive."
He absorbed that slowly, his mind flashing to his imagined Rune—whatever it would be. What would it take for him to truly understand it? Not just how to use it, but what it meant?
"And to be clear," Goodwitch added, "you must comprehend both of your Runes. The one from Rank 0 that evolved with you into Rank 1… and the new Rune condensed at Rank 1. Without understanding both, there is no Rank 2."
"Right," Jaune said, running a hand through his hair. "So it's… about learning and internalizing. I think I got it. Soul searching etc."
"A crude way to phrase it," Goodwitch said with a ghost of a smile, "but yes."
She stepped away from the table, heels clicking softly on the floor, before raising a hand again.
"But Rank 2 to Rank 3?" she said, and her voice took on a heavier tone. "That is another matter entirely."
Jaune looked up quickly. "It gets harder?"
She nodded.
"In addition to the standard stat requirement, and a new Rune, an awakened must now comprehend their chosen runes to a level beyond what it was before, and reach a realm that is dubbed as mastery. Rune Mastery. After all three of your runes reach this level of mastery, the awakened must perform a rune synthesis. A fusion of all your accumulated knowledge regarding the three runes you have made. The three Rune Skills will then be forged into a singular one."
The table projection shimmered, and a new glyph appeared: jagged, alien in nature, yet somehow majestic. It glowed with layered hues—three Runes combined into a singular, living symbol.
"This," Goodwitch said softly, "is called a Master Rune."
Jaune's analyzed the information that he was given. Comprehension beyond understanding. Mastery. Then synthesis of all three. "A single Rune made from all three?"
"Precisely. A Master Rune is the apex of personalized power. It embodies every aspect of your development—your strengths, your philosophy and your combat style. The three Runes that had defined your abilities combined into a perfect synthesis of crystalized power."
The projection changed again. This time, it displayed a familiar figure: Professor Ozpin, standing calmly beneath the crimson light of the blood moon. At his side, a radiant sigil hovered—dense and intricate beyond anything Jaune had seen before. The air around it shimmered with quiet, restrained force.
"Ozpin is one of the extremelyfew Rank 3s in the world," Goodwitch said. "His Master Rune is so finely tuned to his will, so complete in its composition, that he can crush most Grimm with nary but a thought alone."
Jaune swallowed hard.
She turned to face him again.
"Each rank carries a title among our operatives. Rank 0s, like yourself, are considered Threat Suppressors. With enough training, they can easily destroy vehicles, flip over trucks, level walls and even destroy massive boulders. You've already seen the early signs of that strength."
He nodded slowly.
"Rank 1s," Goodwitch continued, "to put into perspective, are also known as Building Breakers. A single awakened, operating at full efficiency, can collapse an entire multi-story structure with focused effort. Explosive force, Rune synergy, or overwhelming strength—it varies."
The projection now showed a Rank 1 operative blowing through multiple concrete walls, then hurling a Grimm the size of a truck through a building.
"Rank 2s?" she said, pausing for effect. "We call them Block Breakers."
Jaune blinked. "Blocks? What does that mean?"
Goodwitch looked at him with a quiet stare, as if expecting him to come up with the answer. Jaune didn't really understand, until a thought suddenly struck his mind.
"Wait... city blocks?"
She nodded with a hum of approval.
"Yes. And more than just that. Fortified positions, military-grade bunkers, defensive complexes. A Rank 2 operative is capable of toppling installations designed to withstand siege weaponry with a singular attack. At that point, their presence on the battlefield is considered equivalent to a mobile artillery unit."
He stared at her in shock.
"And Rank 3s?"
She didn't answer immediately. Instead, the table lit up again, displaying a destroyed city. It appeared as if a nuclear bomb had gone off in the area and destroyed all life. A massive crater enveloped the skeleton of the broken remains of what was once a city.
"Rank 3s are called City Crushers," she said quietly. "The Nightmare System does not permit anyone to go beyond Rank 3. Once rank 3 is achieved, you will no longer receive any runes nor will your stats grow anymore, regardless of the amount of grimm that you kill. Whether it is a hard limit or simply the edge of what we can reach… we don't know. But those who achieve Rank 3 are wielders of continent-shifting power. They must be handled with the utmost care and restraint."
Jaune exhaled slowly, his heart thudding in his chest.
"So the higher you go, the more power you get… but the more understanding you need. You can't just brute-force your way up."
"Exactly," Goodwitch said. "The Nightmare system weeds out the reckless. It only elevates those who are ready. Every Rune you condense is another piece of your soul. And at the pinnacle, those pieces must become one."
Jaune looked down at his hands.
.
.
AN: This is the last of the lore chapters for now. Hidden pieces will be disseminated throughout the story later on. I guess, technically next chapter, half of it is still Lore-ish. As for Salem and the like, I have plans for her but I don't want to spoil anything. She'll be pretty important.
No worries, so long as I don't meet a freak accident and die, I should be able to complete this story.
Advanced chapters(up to 10) and character images(free) are available on patreon.