The final bell rang, and chairs scraped against the floor as students filed out of Oobleck's class. Hyunwoo slung his spear across his back after taking it out of the locker , moving with the slow ease of someone who wasn't in a rush. He had the afternoon free, and something on his mind.
Pyrrha's voice from the other day echoed in his memory.
"Your spear already has a Dust chamber... you've just never used it."
Dust. The word still felt foreign. Back home, combat was about skill, muscle memory, and instinct. Weapons were just extensions of the body — not tools that spat fire or ice on command. But if this world had a way to make his spear even deadlier... it was worth understanding.
He made his way down to the docks, boarded the transport to Vale, and let the scenery pass in silence. His hand rested on the spear the whole time, thumb brushing over the faint grooves near the base of the blade. Now that he knew what to look for, he could see it — a small, almost hidden chamber, its cover flush with the weapon's design. No wonder he'd overlooked it.
By the time he reached Vale, the streets were alive with the usual noise — merchants calling out deals, the hum of engines overhead, laughter from café tables. Hyunwoo didn't linger. His eyes swept past food stalls and clothing shops until he found what he needed: DustWorks — Refined Dust & Weapon-Grade Alloys.
Inside, rows of vials gleamed in the light — crimson, cobalt, pale gold, deep violet. Each shimmered with an energy that felt... alive. He approached the counter, and a young clerk with short black hair looked up from organizing stock.
"First time buying Dust?" they asked.
Hyunwoo studied the vials. "First time using it."
The clerk smiled faintly. "Then you'll want to start simple. Fire, Ice, Lightning — easy to handle, less risk of blowing your weapon apart."
Hyunwoo gave a quiet snort at that. "Good to know." He picked up a red vial, feeling its faint warmth against his skin. It was strange, like holding a piece of controlled chaos.
He bought a small selection — nothing excessive — and stepped outside, leaning his spear against a wall. Carefully, he twisted open the chamber and slid one of the vials inside. The mechanism clicked softly, almost like the weapon approved.
For a moment, he just stared at it, weighing the possibilities. Back home, there were no tricks like this. Here... it was a different game
'Maybe I should ask Pyrrha, about how my father use it, she probably knows it since he is her idol.'
Hyunwoo was just about to close the Dust chamber when a familiar voice called out from behind.
"Hyunwoo!"
He turned to see Ruby jogging over, waving with that unshakable grin. Yang was right beside her, casually tossing a shopping bag over her shoulder. Weiss and Blake followed at a calmer pace, each carrying their own purchases.
Ruby stopped in front of him, leaning forward slightly to catch her breath. "What are you doing here? Oh—wait, lemme guess. Weapon upgrades?"
Hyunwoo glanced at the red vial now nestled in his spear and nodded. "Pyrrha told me about this Dust chamber. Figured it was time to try it."
Yang stepped closer with a teasing grin. "About time. I was starting to think you were allergic to Dust or something."
"Maybe I do," Hyunwoo replied, tone even. "Back home, we fought with what we had — no fire or ice coming out of our weapons."
Weiss's brows furrowed slightly. "Then you'll need to be cautious. Dust is powerful, but volatile. Mishandling it can be dangerous for both you and those around you."
Blake added quietly, "Especially if you're not used to channeling it through your weapon."
Hyunwoo smirked faintly. "I'll manage."
Ruby's eyes lit up as she leaned forward to inspect the spear. "Oooh, that's a clean setup! You could totally try mixing Dust types in that chamber—"
Weiss immediately cut in. "Not until he's mastered a single type. The last thing we need is him freezing himself while trying to ignite something."
Yang chuckled. "Now that would be a show."
Ruby gave a sheepish laugh. "...Fair point."
Hyunwoo reattached the chamber cap with a soft click and slung the spear back over his shoulder. "I was going to find somewhere quiet to test it out."
Blake raised an eyebrow. "Quiet? In Vale?"
Weiss smirked. "Good luck with that."
Yang shrugged. "Or you could just come with us. We're grabbing lunch first, then maybe we find a place to let you blow stuff up."
Ruby beamed. "Yeah! Group Dust testing session!"
Hyunwoo hesitated. Normally, he preferred working alone — fewer distractions, fewer risks. But training alongside people who actually knew Dust... that could save him a lot of trial and error.
"...Fine," he said finally. "But I'm not paying for anyone's food."
Yang grinned. "Relax, champ. You can pay me back in entertainment."
Ruby laughed and started leading the way. "Then it's settled!"
___
After lunch, they found an open clearing just outside Vale, far enough from the main streets that no one would complain about stray sparks or scorch marks. The afternoon sun filtered through the trees, catching faint motes of dust in the air.
Hyunwoo set his spear down on the grass and opened the Dust chamber. The red vial from earlier caught the sunlight, glimmering faintly.
Ruby crouched beside him, practically vibrating with anticipation. "Fire Dust! This is gonna be awesome."
Weiss stood a few steps back, arms crossed. "Only if he doesn't set the treeline on fire."
Yang leaned casually against a rock. "And if he does... well, we'll call it an accident."
Blake just sighed softly, though the faint curve of her lips betrayed mild amusement.
Hyunwoo slid the vial into place and locked the chamber with a satisfying click. He tested the spear's balance — still perfect — and stepped to the center of the clearing.
Ruby cupped her hands around her mouth. "Okay! Just... swing at something imaginary first! Don't aim at us!"
Hyunwoo smirked faintly. "Noted."
He drew in a breath, shifted his stance, and thrust forward. The moment his grip tightened, the Dust chamber flared — a burst of heat surged through the weapon, and a stream of fire shot out with the strike, searing the air.
Yang whistled low. "Now that's a first try."
Weiss, despite herself, nodded in approval. "Your control seems... adequate. For now."
Hyunwoo spun the spear, letting the flames trail in a sweeping arc before letting them fade. The warmth still lingered in the shaft. He tilted his head, thinking. "Feels different. Like the weapon's alive."
Ruby's eyes sparkled. "You should totally try combining it with movement — like, dash in and spin attack!"
Weiss cut her off. "No. Not until he's comfortable with single bursts. Overuse can cause Dust overload."
Blake added quietly, "And if the chamber ruptures, the explosion won't care if you're ready or not."
Hyunwoo gave a small nod. "Got it." He reset his stance and tried again — shorter bursts, controlled swings, quick thrusts. Each movement left faint scorch marks in the dirt.
Yang smirked. "I give it a week before you're making big explosions."
Ruby grinned. "More like three days!"
Weiss rolled her eyes. "I'm betting on two... if he doesn't injure himself first."
Hyunwoo's mouth twitched upward. "You all seem very confident... in different ways."
Ruby beamed. "That's friendship!"
Blake's quiet laugh barely escaped her lips, but Hyunwoo caught it.
Hyunwoo rotated the spear in his grip, the fire chamber cooling down with a faint hiss. He swapped in a small shard of ice Dust, watching as pale-blue veins of frost raced along the metal.
"Alright... let's see what this does," he muttered.
With a quick twist, the blade flared cold, mist curling off its edge. Then, as he shifted his grip and swung the other end down, a burst of frost erupted from the spearhead's opposite tip. The ground beneath it glazed over instantly, the thin layer of ice catching the afternoon light.
He raised his eyebrows in wonder. "I can make the floor frozen..." His lips curled into a faint smile. "This is a good thing. The strategies I have just got a lot more effective."
Ruby's eyes sparkled. "Ohhh—do you know how many combos we could do with that? Ice trap, speed dash, knockback—"
Weiss crossed her arms, but she was clearly intrigued. "If you can reliably control the spread and timing, it could be... useful. Especially for crowd control."
Yang gave a crooked grin. "Or for making Cardin wipe out in the hallway."
Blake, standing a little behind the others, glanced at the frosted patch and then at Hyunwoo. "You could force enemies into specific positions. Limit their mobility. That's... dangerous, in the right hands."
Hyunwoo tapped the shaft of his spear against his shoulder, eyes narrowing slightly. "Exactly. I've got a few ideas already."
The ice continued to creep outward until Weiss quickly tapped the ground with her own rapier, shattering the frost before it reached her boots. "Just be sure you test those ideas away from the rest of us."
Yang smirked. "Oh, come on, Weiss. What's the worst that could happen?"
Blake deadpanned, "You said that last time and it was worse than expected ."
Hyunwoo slid the ice Dust shard out and replaced it with a crackling yellow crystal. The spear immediately hummed with energy, faint arcs leaping between the twin spearheads.
"Now this," he murmured, giving it an experimental twirl. Sparks scattered in the air before he jabbed forward — a sharp crack echoed, and a bolt of lightning split the air, striking the stone pavement a few meters ahead. The impact left a faint scorch mark and the smell of ozone.
Yang let out a low whistle. "Now that's flashy. I like it."
Ruby's eyes were wide. "That was— That was like— ZAP! You could totally do a spinning attack and—"
Weiss cut her off sharply. "Electric Dust is volatile. Overuse will drain stamina faster than you think. Control, Hyunwoo, not spectacle."
Blake tilted her head, her gaze fixed on the faint electricity still dancing along the shaft. "But it's faster than fire or ice. Less area control... more precision."
Hyunwoo smirked faintly. "Sweet."
Without pausing, he swapped in a swirling purple crystal. The moment it clicked into place, the air seemed to grow heavier. The spear's weight shifted oddly, tugging toward the ground.
Ruby blinked. "Uh... what's that one?"
Hyunwoo planted the butt of the spear against the stone and twisted the chamber. A ripple of force burst outward, and a loose pebble nearby suddenly slammed to the ground as if yanked by invisible hands. Even the air felt denser around him.
Weiss's eyes widened for a moment before she quickly masked it. "Gravity Dust. Rare... and dangerous."
Yang grinned. "Ohhh, that is nasty. You could just pin someone down and—bam!"
Blake folded her arms. "Or crush them if you're not careful."
Hyunwoo rested the spear on his shoulder. "I'm careful enough."
Ruby's mind was already racing. "Ice to trap, lightning to stun, gravity to pin—"
Weiss turned her head toward Ruby, one brow arched. "Why are you making a list? Hyunwoo isn't even in our team."
Ruby froze mid-gesture. "Uh... because it's cool?"
Yang smirked. "Face it, Weiss. You just don't want him stealing your spotlight."
Weiss frowned. "That's not—" She stopped herself, glancing at Hyunwoo, then looked away. "...ridiculous."
Hyunwoo rested his spear on his shoulder, glancing between them. "So," he said casually, "anyone want to spar?"
The question made all four of them pause.
Yang's grin widened instantly. "Oh, I do."
Ruby's head whipped toward her sister. "Yang—"
"What?" Yang shrugged, eyes still locked on Hyunwoo. "He's got a fancy spear, new tricks, and he's asking for it. Sounds fun."
Blake tilted her head slightly. "This place doesn't even have sparring area, Yang."
"Exactly," Yang said. "We improvise."
Weiss sighed. "I have no intention of bruising myself just to entertain you two."
Ruby's eyes darted back to Hyunwoo. "I mean... it could be fun? You know, as long as no one actually gets hurt."
Hyunwoo smirked faintly. "I'll hold back."
Yang cracked her knuckles. "So will I."