The Arcane Craftsman

DISCLAIMER: This story is inspired by RWBY, Solo Levelling, and the great Coer Al'Aran's fanfic "Forged Destiny"! Please enjoy the chapter!

Chapter One: Awakening

"Pah…pah…pah".

Heavy breaths escaped a young boy's mouth as he struggled to lift a heavy blade. His eyes narrowed as he finally pointed it towards them.

"I….refuse!"

BOOM BOOOM. They stepped towards this boy, their very movement sending vibrations up his torso. The boy coughed blood as he struggled to breath, he couldn't feel his legs, his vision swam, but even so he refused.

He refused to give up, as delusional as such thoughts were.

"I'm not dying here!"

The boy would have tried to stand.

If he had any legs to stand with. As his blood pooled around him the boy knew his death was certain. But even so he refused! To die pitifully, to die without even trying, no matter how futile the effort, was something the boy just couldn't do. But even with his iron resolve…the boy knew that this was the end.

After all. He was only a blacksmith. The words that denoted his class were grey and plain. It seemed to burn over his head, a reminder of what he was and how inescapable his fate was.

For a blacksmith shouldn't have been here. This place, this dungeon, was a place for warriors, for heroes! Neither of which, was he. He was barely level fifteen, he had no combat skills, and death was a certainty. But even so this young man stared defiantly at the giants that loomed ever closer to him. The doors in the distance closed with an unearthly snap. The room remained lit with blue torches strewn about, their ghastly light illuminating the demonic grins of the monsters before him.

The boy, one Jaune Arc, locked eyes with a lumbering giant that wore a crown. The start of all this agony. And the one that wore the most vile grin amongst its few cohorts.

"I refuse!" yelled the boy "I refuse to give it to you, you hear me! You won't get any satisfaction from me!"

THUNK!

The boy felt his pain cease as he stared at the spear living in his chest. He was lifted off the ground and slammed brutally into the alter that he was once leaning against. His breathing shortened as his world began to vanish.

"I" grumbled the boy "re….fuse…to die….af…raid"

With the last of his will Jaune locked eyes with the giant king and glared with all the hate he could muster. And with that….

His spark vanished. His eyes began to lose their light and the last few moments of his life briefly touched his thoughts.

-One Hour Ago-

"Here's another one for ya Porter."

Jaune sighed as he shuffled another item into the backpack he wore. Unlike the rest of his party Jaune carried no weapon. He had no armor. He didn't even have a shield. But why would he? He was after all just a Blacksmith. A lowly NPC that carried all the loot and tools for the party.

"Hurry it up man!"

Jaune looked at the guy, but remained silent. It was for the best after all. It wasn't right for an NPC to talk back to a HERO.

Jaune grimaced as he looked around. His eyes noticing all the raw material around him. Material that he could use to really help his father.

"If only they'd let me mine it" thought Jaune "than I wouldn't have to risk my neck coming into these places all the time!"

Jaune noticed a few of the heroes look at him, their eyes inquiring if he was alright. Jaune managed a smile back. While it wasn't unusual for an NPC to be treated…roughly by heroes, it wasn't exactly a common occurrence either. It was nice to know that there were still heroes looking out for him in this place.

"You seem bored."

Jaune focused on the voice and chuckled.

"All this walking isn't exactly a rousing experience."

The girl giggled and shrugged.

"Perhaps. Let me help you with that."

Before Jaune could say anything his body suddenly felt like it was in overdrive. He began to walk in even pace with the party of heroes. Jaune felt his mouth go dry at the realization that he was hit with a skill.

"So that's a REAL skill" mumbled Jaune.

The girl looked at Jaune, confusion written on her face.

"You don't have skills?"

Jaune chuckled.

"What? Of course I do just…none so useful. I mean you hero guys got a ton of useful skills! All I really got are stuff for crafting."

The girl rose an eyebrow.

"Sounds boring. Names Sarah by the way."
Jaune smiled back, happy for the conversation. He noticed that Sarah's class was HEALER. A class well regarded for both its ability to heal and support others. While the girl's name was situated above her own class, most considered it polite not to call another by there name unless introduced.

"Nah" chuckled Jaune "I actually really love what I do. It's just my skills aren't useful in here. Most I could do is heat up some metal or sharpen a blade."

"Is that so? Mind giving this a bit of sharpening?"

Jaune near jumped out his skin as a man handed him a large two handed sword. It was simple in make, but Jaune's eyes gave him all the information he needed.

BROAD STEEL SWORD (Rank:C)

Damage plus 30%

DURABILITY: 340/500

The durability wasn't too bad. But the blade's edge was too dull to cut effectively, regardless of the attack boost it gave.

"Grind" intoned Jaune, his eyes flashing a dull grey.

With a quick brush of his hands the blood and gore upon the blade slid right off. The dents along the edge smoothed over as the blade was sharpened to a perfect degree. Not too much as to be too weak, but just enough to easily cut through an enemy.

The man beside Jaune whistled in appreciation.

"Now that's a handy skill! Makes my life a lot easier, the damn thing usually takes half an hour to sharpen properly. Names Kraine bud, what's yours?"

Above Kraine's head was the class SWORDSMAN. His words, much like Sarah's, were died a brilliant Azure blue. It was the color of heroes.

"I'm Jaune."

"So, what brings you on our little raid Jaune? I understand as a porter you'd want the money but…usually a Labor caste member doesn't put themselves on the roster?"

Porter. Rather than a class the title was a job that referred to a glorified luggage carrier. It was the Porters responsibility to carry non-essential items for the party. They could carry drops, materials, even excess items like potions and what not. Usually this was a position for newly graduated heroes, not NPC's. For small dungeons there was also little need for a Porter, but today Jaune had unexpectedly been sent on a larger dungeon raid than usual. He had accepted the risks in favor of the larger paycheck and so far it was paying off.

"I have…"

The swordsman smiled as he patted Jaune's shoulder.

"I ain't here to pry it out of ya. Sorry for asking bud."

Jaune sighed.

"Its not that bad. Just that…my father is down with sleep."

The swordsman and healer both cringed.

"Yikes. So you're working for the cure huh."

Jaune nodded.

Sleep was an uncommon status ailment that could be inflicted upon anyone. There wasn't any warning for the status effect, as it occurred while people were unconscious. At its most basic the inflicted would sleep. The problem was that it lasted forever. Due to how this infliction was not inherently damaging, most cure all skills or remove debuffs didn't work on it. Thankfully a cure had been created many eons ago. Heroes who became inflicted were given free and priority treatment.

The labor and Noble caste had to pay for it.

To Jaune it was unfair, but understandable. The world was always besieged by the Grimm and these dungeons. It was the heroes that kept them at bay. Anything that could keep them away from doing their jobs needed to be removed. But even so it irked him to no end how absurdly expensive the cures were. So expensive that plying his and his father's trade for their entire natural lives would never pay off one dose.

And several were needed for his father's unfortunate situation.

"HEY! FORM UP!"

Jaune's thoughts ceased as he rushed as far away from the party as he could go. He managed to find cover over a few rocky formations and peaked out.

As always, heroes were amazing.

The mages fired their incredible magic, the fighters fought with grace and ferocity, while more agile warriors struck from the shadow and disappeared altogether. It was a chaotic dance of brutal efficiency. Yet, instead of envy Jaune felt…admiration. In his youth he wished to be a hero, a part of him still held on to his childish dream. Yet he also missed the sound of the hammer hitting the anvil. The crimson flakes of metal flying off a heated blade. Perhaps it was his class that made him love the forge so much, that made him hear the ringing of metal like a siren's song. It had been quite a few years since Jaune became a porter. As such he had yet to return to the forge and ply his craft in the same time frame. Instead he was here, picking up drops and watching heroes do their bloody work. This group at least seemed to know what they were doing. It was an illuminating experience for Jaune, showing him the difference between the fantasy in his head and the reality before his eyes.

As usual the heroes made quick work and they moved forward as they butchered their way through the dungeon. They were quick and efficient, as any hero should be, but they also happened to be a lot more coordinated than most and as such Jaune felt safer than he normally would. So, Jaune busied himself with collecting materials and magic cores along the way, ripping them out of the monsters with raw strength. The cores, a form of crystalized energy that could be sold for profit, were usually annoying to get out but Jaune's passive allowed him to superheat his own hands and any metal he touched to extreme temperatures. In this instance, it allowed him quick access to the chest area of all the slain monsters, albeit the heat took longer to build up than on metal.

Golems. Goblins. Even large beasts all fell to the party before Jaune. Eventually Jaune felt a pressure and swallowed nervously. Before the group was a large set of doors. It was unusual to Jaune how easily the group was moving through the dungeon, was this perhaps why?

"I really hope the boss isn't too bad." One hero asked.

"Tell me about it. Its always annoying when they heal themselves or have some stupid rage mechanic" said another.

The group around Jaune seemed calm, which eased his nerves somewhat…but still…what was this anxious feeling?

This is not the first boss room Jaune had ever been in, but this held a pressure Jaune never felt amongst the others…was it perhaps because of the higher rank? Jaune took a deep breath and stilled his nerves. This was not the first boss he had ever faced.

He just hoped it wasn't his last.

They opened the door and formed a line. The armored heroes rushed in, their shields and spells ready for anything. The mages stayed behind as the stealth and assassin types flanked between. To Jaune's limited knowledge the formation was as basic as they came. But even so it stood strong. The room was empty, but Jaune stayed near the door, ready to dive away from the combat if necessary. He noticed an Alter lied in the center with many statues surrounding the room itself.

"ROOOOOOOOOOOOO"

The mage at the front grunted while Jaune tensed his legs.

"The boss is com!"

THUMP.

Everyone stilled as the beast fell from above, dead. There was a smoldering gaping hole in the center of its chest. It looked like a large gorilla with tusks and horns. It should have been a formidable enemy. Yet it here it was dead.

Dead..and the pressure still bearing its unimaginable weight on Jaune's shoulders. Jaune noticed that the center statue's eyes were a smoldering yellow. It had a crown and sat upon a throne. At the its feet was a large tablet of some sort. One of the rogues was already reading it. Jaune swallowed as he made his way to the leader of the party.

"I don't like this" muttered Jaune "we should leave, now. The boss is dead and the gate is going to close soon."

When a boss fell to heroes the dungeon would normally begin to break down and the portal would shut. But Jaune didn't notice the telltale sign of blue cracks appearing amongst the walls. It was all just so unusual. The leader of the party, a lumbering giant of a man in equally giant armor just gave Jaune a cold stare for all his trouble.

"Did I say you could talk?"

Jaune scowled but remained silent. He didn't miss how the man muttered stupid NPC.

"And there it is" thought Jaune.

Jaune looked up and the man's name was Erik, a Knight class. Jaune sighed at the irony of it. For in his childhood, it was Eric's very class that Jaune so aspired to be. While the party all huddled together, discussing plans or what to expect, Jaune payed closer attention to the walls. He noticed ancient writing aligned across the room. Unlike the rest of the dungeon this circuler room was well made. The stone was smooth and of beautiful make. But the statues were grey and cracked….

And their faces unimaginably detailed.

Yet even as the pressure Jaune felt kept building, the young blacksmith couldn't see any enemies.

"I really don't like this" muttered Jaune.

"Should I leave?" he thought "I mean, I can just drop the bag and leave this place. The request committie will protect me in such an instance and I'm sure this guys party won't just throw me to the Grimm…"

THUNK.

Jaune whirled around and noticed that the king statue, seated on a throne and overlooking the entire room, eyes began to glow gold once more and that it's head had tilted down to stare at them. It glowed brighter and brighter….and twisted again to look right at the Swordsman Kriane.

Jaune felt a tingle at the back of his mind. An instinct honed by years of survival within the dungeons. Jaune threw his bag far away and ran. He tackled the swordsman and the healer to the ground. The swordsman Kraine looked at Jaune with immense anger. Jaune felt himself being lifted off the ground by one of the tanks.

"Stupid fucking NPC! What the Fu-"

BZZZT.

Jaune screamed as a yellow burst of energy grazed his back. He fell to the ground clutching his shoulder but not before yelling out a warning.

"HIT THE GROUND!"

Jaune looked to the barbarian and felt his stomach almost empty itself.

For only half of the young woman was still standing. Her legs fell to the ground, no blood leaking from a seared wound. Jaune turned away but the smell alone kept making him nauseous.

"What the hell is going on!" yelled a mage.

Everyone was on the ground, kneeling and shivering in fear save for a few. Thankfully the statue's eyes dimmed and a disgusting smile took its place. The rogue who was reading the tablet had disappeared from where she stood, reappearing before the party, kneeling on the ground.

"The tablet mentioned something about "Worshipping the lord". I think we just entered a trap room."

It was a testament to their experience, or their apathy, for how calmly the leader and this rogue spoke.

"Shit" muttered the Knight "I've heard these places can get tricky. Barb is already dead."

The rogue cursed but quickly focused.

"The next phrase was Praise and give Tribute to the lord."

Jaune looked around and noticed that a number of the statues carried instruments.

"….No" muttered Jaune "That's too obvious".

The rogue turned to him. Her name was Cassandra.

"I thought the same. Everything here is autonomous in some fashion. Not to mention these things simply want to murder us. Anything obvious is likely to get us killed. Not to mention taking too long doing something may also get us killed. I friggen hate this place!"

Everyone nodded and began to quickly discuss what to do. Suddenly a Paladin stood up, sweating and swearing away.

"I'm not dying here because of some stupid hunk of rock! I'm out of here!"

The poor fool ran to the door. The doors that once hung open quickly slammed shut, leaving the young man to pound of the stone doors. He was promptly turned to ash by the king statue. Jaune noticed that its twisted grin just grew even further, a manic light trapped within it's stone eyes.

It gripped his heart, seized his stomach, his legs could barely move and his lungs were barely working. But words kept repeating in his mind. Tribute. Praise. Jaune looked around, his fear causing his vision to swim erratically. But he noticed it quick.

"The statues!" yelled Jaune "ones singing and the other is holding a chest!"

As if responding to Jaune's call the floor beneath these two statues glowed blue. The king began to rise and the soldiers that remained inanimate by its side began to move as well. Cassandra wasted no time running to the chest statue. She grabbed Jaune by the shoulder and was promptly followed by Kraine and Sarah. The four made it to their statue while the others went to the second one.

The Chest statue opened its bounty, while the statue of a singer began to sing. It was an inhuman song. Nearly incomprehensible in sound. Jaune groaned as his shoulder kept bubbling away. The heat from the blast still causing his wound to seamer. Suddenly a relief the likes of which Jaune had never experienced washed over him. Hell, he was pretty sure whatever this was fixed things he didn't even know were broken.

He turned towards Sarah and nodded.

"Thank you."

"No problem" smiled Sarah.

Jaune noticed that her hands were still shaking. Her whole Body was shaking. Kriane was little better;

"I'm gonna get you out of this kid" said Cassandra.

Jaune looked at the Rogue and nodded. The way this woman took charge seemed…practiced. Not a part of her seemed afraid. But Jaune knew that was fake…but damn if it wasn't reassuring.

"Was I wrong about the Knight?"

The Knight was not as good a leader as his class would dictate it would seem. Jaune took deep breathes. His heart was still hammering away but he tried to focus.

"What was the last line?"

Cassandra grimaced.

"Your faith will be tested."

Jaune remembered the Altar near the king.

"It's gotta be the Altar. Faith implies something religious. So its gotta be something with the altar. They're moving so slow and not attacking us now. This whole thing seems timed on something, so might as well see what the Altar wants."

Cassandra chuckled.

"You're a lot smarter than I thought you'd be kid. You and me have been on the same wavelength this entire time. You've been right so far, lets see if it holds up."

Cassandra rushed to the altar, her unusual speed carried her and Jaune there in a brief moment. The kings eyes glowed over them and Jaune's heart hammered ever harder as the thing's sick grin somehow grew even deeper. But that was all. The altar exploded in lights of blue, much like when Jaune pointed out the two statues from before.

The others all began to rush to the Altar. Jaune noticed that there were balls of flame surrounding them and tried to find someway to make sense of it. He turned to Cassandra, trying against all odds to keep his head.

"How…how are you so calm!? I'm nearly feaking out here."

Cassandra looked at Jaune, her eyes peering deep into him.

"Panic leads to misjudgments, misjudgments lead to mistakes, and mistakes lead to death. Panicking in this situation does nothing. You've held yourself admirably Blacksmith."

"It's Jaune."

Cassandra smiled.

"Cassandra. When we get out of here, I owe you a drink."

Jaune chuckled and shook his head. According to the stories, it was the Knights and chivalrous classes that were supposed to be the leaders. Yet it was a rogue that seemed to be the most suited to the task at the moment.

This was made evident by the panicked and crazed expression on the Knight's face. His entourage, a group of six more party members, all huddled within the circle, joined quickly by Kraine and Sarah.

"Now what" growled the Knight.

"Now we wait."

"That's suicide!" yelled the Knight "they're moving closer every second! The doors are open!"

"It's a trick" said Cassandra "A lure to bring us out of this circle."

The doors opened even more. An escape from a situation that had escalated to hell in barely a second flat was now made obvious to the party of heroes plus one. It was only natural that one took it.

A small woman, a mage type class called a Pyromancer, rushed to the doors.

"NO WAIT!" yelled Cassandra.

Jaune gripped his fists. Any second now she'd turn to ash….any second now….

And yet, she never did. She reached past the doors and kept running, never looking back. Numerous others quickly followed, all escaping safely. Jaune noticed that the balls of fire began to rapidly decrease in number.

"They made it out" said Jaune "but the timer decreased the more that left."

Cassandra.

"A sacrificial Altar, a timer that lessens with every person that leaves? What the hell does it want?"

"A Sacrifice"

SHINK.

It took a second.

That's all it was. A second for Jaune to realize he had hit the ground.

And that he was missing a leg.

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Jaune gripped the stump that was once his left leg, the Knight towering over him.

"JAUNE!"

Sarah rushed to him and tried to heal him. But it would seem her skill only went so far, mearly shutting the wound he had received rather than regrowing his lost limb.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!" yelled Sarah.

Kraine yelled as his sword flashed out to meet the Knights, his blade intent on finding his neck.

"If we need a sacrifice, why not you instead!"
The knight growled back, his eyes alight with twisted survival.

"Each of us is necessary in the world outside, you know this! That timer is already half gone! Those things are going to cover the door soon. If all of us left the circle it will kill whoever was left in the room."

"You don't know that!" yelled Cassandra.

THe knight whirled on her.

"SHUT UP! Like you said it was a sacrificial altar. One of us has to stay behind. Better the NPC than a Hero."

SHINK.

The Knight yelled as a well-used knife found a weak spot in his armor. It was not enough to hamper or kill. But it hurt all the same.

"You disgust me" growled Cassandra "We are heroes! We protect and Serve!"

"HE KNEW THE RISKS!" yelled Erik.

"THE RISKS OF DYING FROM A STRAY BEAST. NOT AS SOME SACRIFICIAL PAWN!"

The knight growled and began to run for the doors. He too like the others was unimpeded.

"Alright" said Cassandra lifting Jaune "We move as fast as we can for the door, got it. No slowing down and if that asshole Erik is right…well I'm down for haunting his ass for eternity."

Jaune knew the joke was attempted to liven their spirits. The Thief moved. No where near as fast as before, her skill likely in cooldown. But as the four moved as one, Jaune noticed that of the fourteen balls of fire that remained, a solid seven immediately extinguished. It was if time slowed down. The idea that these people would die…

SHOVE.

Cassandra hit the ground as Jaune fell back, just barely in the circle. The remained four balls of fire, stalled. One began to flicker out slowly, slowed down by Jaune's desire to stay.

"WHAT ARE….you…." Cassandra saw the flames. Where once fourteen burned brightly, barely four were left.

"Oh god" muttered Cassandra.

Sarah's face twisted in a grimace of despair and regret. Kraine gripped her shoulders and he stared at the Blacksmith.

"Go" muttered Jaune "please. I feel sick just thinking someone like that Knight gets to escape and you guys don't."

Sure enough, the Knight was long gone. Cassandra moved to reach him but Jaune rose his hand. He pointed at the flames, barely two left now.

"Don't forget" muttered Jaune "you owe me a drink."

Cassandra's eyes closed tightly. She turned away from Jaune and grabbed the two other heroes by the shoulder.

"What's your full name?" asked Cassandra.

"Jaune Arc."
"…well met Jaune Arc. Well met."

Kraine threw his sword to Jaune. It clattered helplessly by Jaune's side. The young man gripped it as tight as he could, his leg wound reopened from his fall. No words needed to be said. Jaune knew what the gesture meant. Jaune began to shuffle back to the Altar, he blinked as he watched Cassandra active her skill once more. They disappeared in a wisp of smoke. Jaune could see in the distance the three of them having left. The timer of flames died out and Jaune felt his heart quiver.

No.

Jaune grit his teeth.

He was going to die afraid and terrified?

WHO DECIDED THAT?

The sick grins on the face of that demented King statue pissed him off. It didn't matter that it was likely some demented trap, it didn't matter that it likely had zero sense of self, and it didn't matter that Jaune was terrified to the brim.

They wanted him afraid!

They wanted him to despair!?

WHO DECIDED THAT!?

He would not die afraid! He would not grant this thing the satisfaction! He made his choices; he chose to be here! While that asshat of a knight deserved a blade to the throat that didn't change anything. This was the path Jaune Arc walked and where it led. He would face it head on.

"Pah…pah….pah…"

"I….refuse!"

SLAM!

-Present-

It was dark. Cold. Lifeless.

Jaune couldn't see.

He couldn't hear.

But oddly enough…he felt peace. He felt…

"How interesting. Never had one of your kind here before."

Jaune's felt his world explode into color. The once pitch darkness gave way to what seemed like a cacophony of colors existing against a black canvas. It stilled, revealing what looked like the night sky in all its beautiful glory, stars and all. He whirled around, somehow standing on nothing. He had form and his senses burned back to life.

"Where…the hell am I?"

"In my domain, little mortal."

Jaune turned to the voice and swallowed deeply.

"Oh damn" muttered Jaune.

What stood before him was clearly an attempt of human appearance. It was a female as much as Jaune could tell. But its skin was alabaster, its hair as white as snow, and its eyes were a deep crimson red. Strange living markings spread and danced across her form, an oddly amused smile gracing its face. Jaune noticed that a lot of the words he was seeing above her head were all….giberrish. The letters unorganized and twisted. The only thing he could truly tell, was her name.

SALEM.

"I usually see warriors, scholars, nobles. Each come baring demands. Others would summon me with their requests. These are the people I'm used to seeing. Yet…I have no idea what YOU are."
"I'm….I'm Jaune".

The being chuckled. A sultry sound that sent shivers down Jaune's spine.

"Oh no. Your name is not a mystery. Mearly your designation."

Designation?

Jaune realized quickly what she meant.

"I'm a Blacksmith. A part of the labor caste now…what I'm I doing here miss? What is here even?"

Jaune felt something slither across his brain.

Was he always this open to people?

Salem simply grinned. It was a beautiful but haunting thing. It conveyed her amusement at his words, but her smile was utterly inhuman. Unreadable in her intentions.

"There's no specific reasoning for you to be here. You simply caught my attention. From time to time your species manages to accomplish that. Nothing more. Whether you keep my attention is up to you."

Jaune swallowed.

"I uh…I see. So what are you the…devil or something?"

Salem laughed outright.

"Oh…now that is something I've never been called to my face before. No silly mortal, I am not your idea of a devil. But I am a dealer, when I choose to be."

Jaune grunted. Salem's eyes rose a tad.

"Sorry" muttered Jaune "I ain't interested in no wishes."

"Even if I can bring you back?"

"I died" grunted Jaune "and everything has a cost. Besides a doubt something like you even wants to bother resurrecting someone like me."

Salem was now watching Jaune like a hawk, her experession blank and unreadable.
"You do not wish for something. To beg to return, more powerful or better than you were?"

Jaune shook his head. He closed his eyes, a small headache forming. He knew he shouldn't be talking like this…yet…

Salem snapped her fingers.

"Tell me the truth. Your truth and nothing but."

Suddenly Jaune shrugged.

"I already did. I don't desire anything from you. You'd either twist the damn wish or whatever I asked to make my life a living hell, since I think you are the devil, and even if there was no consequence to it I wouldn't take it. I'll live and die by my own two hands! If I can't do it myself than there's no point to it. My life is just that, MINE. I'll live and breathe a craftsman and I'll live and breathe on my own strength. I'm stubborn like that. Of course I want to go back! But…life is what it is. Now take your wishes and FUCK OFF."

Jaune's mouth promptly closed and he felt the hollowest feeling enter his soul. He had a sinking feeling he couldn't control what he said to this creature. But that took a back seat to a far more pressing worry.

"What did I just say!?"

It was like a chime. Melodious but dark. It erupted in a vile laughter that both haunted Jaune's soul and wrecked his body in numerous ways that shouldn't have been pleasant…but oddly were. Salem looked at Jaune as if he was a bauble of some kind, suddenly she was right in his face, or rather chest to face.

"This is simply too new for me!" chuckled Salem "never before have I seen so stubborn a creature as you, so…true to their core…do I make you uncomfortable little mortal?"

Jaune grunted and nodded. Whatever Salem having done to him still having effect. Salem inched closer, her nose almost touching his own, her eyes dark but alluring were sparked with curiosity.

"Am I so terrifying?"

"Yes and the fact your tits are right in my face is giving me a rather awkward boner!"

"OH FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! DAD RAISED YOU BETTER THAN THAT!" thought Jaune.

Jaune felt as if his very sense of self had been overridden by his baser instincts. His eyes locked firmly on the seductive body of the creature before him. It was obvious that this was some sort of God Demon thing. No human woman looked like this but DAAAMN, she was hot. Jaune knew it could read his thoughts on some level. It should have obliterated him for his comments. It should have eaten his soul or something! Instead…she laughed. Salem's laughter echoed throughout the space Jaune found himself in and she suddenly grabbed his face with both hands. Her touch was cool and simultaneously soothing and aggravating. She just continued to chuckle as he twisted his head, inspecting every inch of his face.

"Oh little entertainer, every moment with you has been an unexpected treat! Most of your kind took whatever I had to offer. Some like yourself caught my attention and I wished to see what else they'd show me. Others summoned me through their rituals for their pathetic wishes. Their lives brought me a small amount of amusement. But you!? Ooh little entertainer, you've proven most delightful. I can't help but wonder what amusement you'll bring me!"

Jaune sweated (can he do that when he's dead?) but narrowed his eyes.

"What on earth are you-URK!"

It was an explosion of energy within him. He fell to his knees and his head felt like it was exploding over and over.

"What a little mess you'll make when you return. Awaken young black…no, young Craftsman, I'm eager to see what it is you'll do with this new lease on life. Please be more entertaining than your predecessors, my little entertainer."

Jaune felt like he was being sucked through a hole as he drifted from Salem, his "body" ceased to be as his consciousness faded away. The last thing he heard, was Salem's small laughter. And the words that haunted him slight.

"Also, do not disappoint me, little mortal".

Jaune felt like he had slammed onto something and opened his eyes screaming.

"AHHHHHHHHH!"

The sheets around him fell off and Jaune noticed that he was in a room of white. The nurse before him was shaking in the corner of the room, blabbering about something. Her class, literally Nurse, emboldened in grey let Jaune know she was like him.

Labor Caste.

"I'm….I'm alive" muttered Jaune.

Jaune blinked and shook his head. The nurse got up, screaming about something. Jaune shook his head, his hearing still screwed up.

His vison swam. He could have sworn he was seeing things…because he had a blue box telling him he had mail.

"What the-"

"I see you're awake."

The blue box remained in Jaune's sight, even amongst his growing aggravation for it. He turned to the sound of the noise and noticed an older man in a green suit. He had a wooden cane. The man took a seat at Jaune's bedside and gave him a rather odd attempt at a comforting smile. Jaune quickly noted the man's name and class.

OZPIN

WARLOCK

A hero was here.

"Who…who are you?"

Ozpin smiled.

"We can focus on that later. For now, I'd like to see how you're feeling. You've been asleep for almost a week after all."

Jaune felt his throat almost collapse in on itself. A week!? Ozpin noticed his distress and smiled.

"There's been no complications so don't worry. You have not contracted the sleep."

"Oh thank god" muttered Jaune.

"However…have you noticed anything different?"

"Aside from the random blue box I saw?"

"Pretty sure I'm seeing better than I usually do and I feel…"

"Stronger than you've ever been?"

Jaune nodded.

"Yea. What happened to me exactly?"

Ozpin got off the bed and began to walk around Jaune's room.

"You, Mr. Arc, have undergone what we like to call a Reawakening. Have you ever heard of it?"

Jaune shook his head.

"No. I know about awakening in general but not this reawakening thing. Is it similar?"

"I thought so and yes. However, It's a phenomenon most common to the Hero Caste. Rather than drudge this on with a long lecture let me keep it simple. You have basically awakened once again. As you are aware when one reaches the age of ten, their stats begin to grow."

Jaune nodded in understanding. He remembered when it happened to him. After he blew out the candles on his cake he suddenly felt a rush of energy. His passive and skills became active while his stats became...available for a lack of a better term. It was something everyone went through. It was considered a coming of age for all caste members as it allowed them to finally have the skills acquitted to their class and gave them the ability to earn experience and level up. Much like their age, the level everyone started at with Awakening was ten.

"Usually" continued Ozpin "a reawakening gives a large boost in stats, much like the one you are aware of…however from time to time more extreme changes can occur."

"Ok. So what happened?"

"I believe it best you see for yourself."

The older man gestured with his hands and suddenly water formed right in front of him. With a clap of his cane hitting the floor the water froze, becoming a makeshift mirror. Jaune's eyes went wide…

And than he started to laugh.

"Oh this is rich" muttered Jaune "come on is this another hero joke on the labor caste? Those get old quick."

Ozpin kept his stoic gaze.

"….oh…." muttered Jaune.

"Normally those who achieve a class up Mr. Arc tend to be happier with the news."

Jaune stared at his reflection and noticed that it had changed.

Jaune

Arcane Craftsman.

The words that were once a dull but dependable grey were now a searing crimson. A tell tale sign of a Prestige Class.

"Mr. Arc you are the first prestige Labor caste to ever exist in recorded history. As such I have come to invite you."

Jaune narrowed his eyes at Ozpin.

"….Invite me to what?"

"To Beacon Academy."

Jaune felt his jaw lose its strength and simply hang. However, responsibility quickly took hold.

"I refuse."

Ozpin sighed and looked at the floor.

"I take it your rejection has to do with your father?"

Jaune gritted his teeth. Ozpin gave a sympathetic smile.

"You've been asleep for a while Mr. Arc but the words above your head were noticeable as you were spat out the dungeon. I did investigate you and your circumstances. It's not every day that a member of the labor caste is in a dungeon after all."

Ozpin got up and walked to Jaune's sole window.

"Mr. Arc I understand you are responsible for your father's care here at the hospital. However, I believe you severely underestimate the value that a Prestige Class has."

Jaune sighed and rubbed his face.

"Just…get to the point please, I have a major headache."

"And a floating bunch of words that are not going away."

"Very well. Beacon Academy will cover the cost of your father's treatment so long as you remain enrolled within it."

Jaune stared at Ozpin.

"….you're not joking at all are you?"

"Mr. Arc, I am always serious. Regardless if your class is useless in combat the fact remains that you are a prestige class. As such by kingdom law you are to be recruited amongst our academies ranks. I would normally give you more time for a decision, however I fear what your….noble may do."

Ozpin had uttered the word Noble with such contempt that even Jaune felt the need to feel disgusted. To be fair he had forgotten his town even had one of those.

"…is it that bad?" asked Jaune "I mean it's just a title above my head. Just because it is red doesn't mean anything."

Ozpin chuckled and turned back to the young man.

"Your particular Noble dislikes change. He is currently being investigated for some…discrepancies we've noticed since our arrival. I know change can be scary, especially the forceful kind. In Beacon we will be studying what exactly your class can and cannot do. It may just be a fancy title like you have stated Mr. Arc."

"Please, just call me Jaune."

"Very well Jaune. It may be a fancy title…but you may also have abilities that extend beyond anything the labor caste can normally produce. For all we know you may be able to craft weapons powerful enough to contend with what may be found in dungeons. We are in unknown waters here Jaune and I am simply trying to help. But I will never lie to you. Your time in Beacon will not be easy. It is a school focused on training the next generation of heroes…there may be a few who feel the inclusion of an NPC isn't right."

Jaune felt his fists clench at the term. NPC. The needs protection Caste. So far Ozpin didn't seem the pretentious type…but first impressions can easily be wrong.

"First that dark lady and now you…my life's is already spiriling out of control."

Ozpin seemed to sweat a little at Jaune's little blurb.

"Ah…so you've met her."

"….Wait are you telling me I wasn't delusional about her?"

"If you mean Salem than no."

Jaune sighed a breath of relief.

"What is she?" asked Jaune.

"Who knows. What we do know is that she appears at random for people near death. Perhaps she's a spirit of some kind that walks the abyss between life and death or maybe even a God. Either way what little we do know about her is that she's a trickster by nature and that her words and intentions have two different meanings. Thankfully you won't have to deal with her anymore."

Jaune rose an eyebrow. Ozpin moved to the door of Jaune's room and gripped the knob, ready to leave.

"She's only ever appeared once to each person that has seen her. Before I leave Jaune…I need an answer."

"…"

Jaune stared at the floating mass of words and than twisted his head to Ozpin. It felt like everything had happened so fast and out of control that it wasn't even funny. One moment he was in a dungeon and the next he wakes up in a hospital bed talking to the headmaster of one of the worlds greatest hero schools discussing his enrollment.

Oh and he was the first Prestige Labor Caste to probably ever exist.

"You'll take care of my dad?"

Ozpin nodded.

"You have my word. The treatments for him are doable and I can assure you he will wake up from his status ailment. The only issue is time. His condition had remained untreated for so long that it will require numerous applications of the cure and time before he regains consciousness."

The same thing the doctors had told Jaune all those years ago when he first starting porting.

"….fine. I'll enroll."

Ozpin smiled.

"Excellent."

"Is there anything I should be aware of?"

"Rules and expectations are revealed during orientation. However, for you in particular the rules are different. We will be studying your class for any abnormalities from the norm. As such we expect that you will be using your class skills on a regular basis and that you will conform to the same standards and expectations of any other students and that includes all classes. If anything you have more work to do."

Jaune gave Ozpin a flat stare.

"You're really selling this for me, ya know that."

Ozpin finally made to leave as he smiled.

"Believe me Jaune when I say this, you will have an unexpected advantage over the other students in quite a few areas."

With that the headmaster left, leaving Jaune to stew in his thoughts.

"Arcane Craftsman huh? Wonder what that's about?"

ALARM!

WOULD YOU LIKE TO CHECK STATUS?

"…what?"

STATUS WINDOW OPENED.

"The hell" finished Jaune.

Suddenly the window in front of Jaune that was filled with words disappeared, revealing what Jaune assumed was a "status window". Suddenly his vision was spammed with more messages causing him to sit up at the edge of his bed.

ALARM!

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR REAWAKENING. YOU HAVE LEVELLED UP THREE TIMES!

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR REAWAKENING. YOU HAVE ACHIEVED A BOOST IN STATS!

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR REAWAKENING, YOU HAVE THE APPROPRIATE STATS AND HISTORY TO ACHIEVE A RANK UP! UNIQUE CLASS ARCANE CRAFTSMAN AQUIRED. NEW SKILLS ADDED. NEW SKILL TREES ADDED.

CONGRATULATIONS ON SURVIVING SALEM! YOU'VE LEFT AN IMPRESSION! ADDITIONAL ACCESS TO SYSTEM GRANTED!

MANUAL STAT DISTRUBUTION ENABLED!

MANUAL SKILL POINT DISTRUBUTION ENABLED!

MANUAL SKILL LEVELLING SYSTEM ENABLED!
DAILY QUEST ENABLED!

DAILY REWARDS ENABLED!

STORE ENABLED!

QUEST SYSTEM ENABLED!

QUEST REWARDS ENABLED!

PET/FAMILIER SYSTEM ENABLED!

WARNING. SOME FEATURES HAVE BEEN REMOVED.

TUTORIAL DISABLED!?
AUTOMATIC CRAFTING SYSTEM DISABLED!?

PARTY SYSTEM DISABLED!?

MESSAGE SYSTEM DISABLED!?
RADAR SYSTEM DISABLED!?

Jaune rubbed his eyes as he finished reading what he had been shown. It seemed that this…system as it called itself was run on intent rather than words. Jaune focused his intent on closing the system. Suddenly the words disappeared.

Jaune focused on the opposite and a blank blue screen showed itself.

"hmmm…check status?" wondered Jaune.

Before whenever Jaune wished to check his status, it would simply be a rouge idea in his head. Nothing concrete. Yet, now was a different story. Instead it didn't just give him an accurate numerical value but had shown just how much he had grown due to his reawakening.

JAUNE ARC

LV 15 - LV 17

STR: 25-35(C-A)

CON: 25-35 (C-A)

DEX: 25-35(C)

AGI: 25-35(C)

WIS: 25-42 (C-A) REAWAKENING BOOST!

INT: 25-53(C-A) REAWAKENING BOOST!

CHA: 25-35 (C-B)

RES: 47-84(EX-EX)

HEALTH: 893 AURA: 800 = TOTAL: 1693

MANA: 1200

PASSIVE: STOKE THE FORGE (PRESTIGE)

"Even my passive's different?" wondered Jaune.

PASSIVE: STOKE THE FORGE (PRESTIGE):

Can bring any material to forge appropriate temperature by touching them with your hands. Costs 10 MP per use. (Prestige Effect):Ignite even the air around you and let anywhere you choose become a forge. +15% potency to all crafting skills and +15% chance to increase item grade. Costs 100 MP per use. If used outside of crafting 100 MP per second.

TITLE: UNKNOWN TITLE EQUIPPED

"Apparently I don't know what title is and yet…I have one equipped…that's probably not a good thing. I wonder if there's anything else I should look into?"

ALARM!

WELCOME "PLAYER" THE SYSTEM WILL HELP THE PLAYER'S GROW. FAILURE TO HEED SYSTEM ALARMS AND QUEST ALERTS MAY RESULT IN PENALTIES.

ALARM!

YOU HAVE REWARDS!

"I get rewards?" chuckled Jaune "Seriously what the hell!"

Jaune rubbed his head in exhaustion and just stared at out the window.

"Wherever you are Salem, I hope you think this is funny."

Jaune sighed and focused on the system again.

"Rewards."

Nothing.

"um…activate rewards?"

No response.

"….Access Rewards?"

REWARDS!

YOU HAVE EARNED THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL PASSIVES AS QUEST AND ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS!

"URK!"

Jaune damn near chocked on air as he reread the page over and over again.

"I GET ANOTHER PASSIVE!?"

Jaune quickly looked at the door to make sure no one was watching his freak out. Thankfully Ozpin had closed the door on his way out, but still. Jaune quickly focused on the first set of awards.

YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE SECRET QUEST "Courage of the Weak!"

You alone stood behind as a willing sacrifice to ensure the safety of others within the trick dungeon. For such sacrifice you have earned The Great Spellcaster Kandiaru's blessing!

Temporary Effect. Your body is restored to perfect health.

Passive effect Longevity: All Diseases, Poisons, and Status Effects are healed. Sleeping will explosively increase regeneration ability!

YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE SECRET QUEST "Indomitable Will"

In the face of death you retained your sense of strength. You are truly the incarnation of Indomitable! Nothing and no one can chain you down!

Immunity to all Charisma Checks!

Resistance to bindings (-15% effectiveness of all bindings, physical and magical)

YOU HAVE ACHIEVED THE ACCOMPLISHMENT "Unbreakable Resolve"

Even in death your soul remained your own. You remained unchanged, stubborn as you were in life, for you nothing is impossible. Instead it just hasn't been accomplished yet. Even when faced with the idea of a perfect wish, you rejected it, preferring to accomplish everything with your two hands …seriously how stubborn are you!? You have achieved a special bonus tailored just for you due to that unshakable resolve…you stubborn dick.

+25% potency to all crafting.

+25% to combat efficiency when you equip title.

TITLE: SOLO PLAYER.

YOU HAVE ACHIEVED THE ACCOMPLISMENT "Into The Abyss!"

You have stared into the Abyss and the Abyss has stared back into you…No literally. You must have balls of steel for you have stared at the actual embodiment of the abyss and have earned her attention! Do not disappoint, little entertainer. You have unlocked a unique variation of the INSPECT skill.

Inspect: Thanks to the sight given to you by the Abyss you see more than just the basic information of an object. You see that which remains hidden from others and can also garner hints for certain items!

Salem's entertainment: +38% chance for rare quests and situations (Good Luck Sucker)

Jaune stared at the screen and shook his head. Most of them were good. Save for a couple of rewards that seemed geared towards combat, Jaune found himself excited to test the limits of these new abilities. Although….there was one thing.

"This system is kind of a dick" muttered Jaune.

ALARM!

Daily Quest "The Road to Becoming Strong" has been started. All the greatest heroes start off with training! Complete the accomplishments to earn daily rewards and stat points! Please note that daily training requirements are randomize. The higher the level of the player, the greater the work-out difficulty.

"The Road to Becoming Strong" (Day 1)

50 Push Ups.

50 sit-ups

50 crunches

50 squats

Completion time remaining: 8hrs.

POSSIBLE REWARDS: Good Fortune Box, Status Recovery, 3 stat points, or all the above!

WARNING!

Quest must be completed within the time limit or a penalty will be doled out. So please, ignore the quest. Just this once.

"Well fine" muttered Jaune.

There was no way in hell Jaune was going into a penalty zone just after he got out of that hell hole dungeon. Without a sound Jaune dropped to the floor and began to do some push-ups.

ALARM!

Pussy.

Jaune growled.

"Turn System Off."

SYSTEM SHUTTING DOWN. ALERT AND ALARM SYSTEM ENABLED.

"Huh…so I control the system…but the system controls me. God, what the hell is with this situation?" spoke Jaune.

Thankfully the blue see through box was gone. So that was a win in Jaune's book. But even so, Jaune continued to work out. One part was due to simple fear for whatever this system considers her a penalty. The other was curiosity. The rewards that were listed…one of them were three stat points. Did that mean he could, theoretically, grow limitlessly?

After he finished his pushups, which had grown increasingly harder than it should have for some reason, Jaune just chuckled.

"Don't be ridiculous" muttered Jaune "no one levels infinitely…that's….that's just stupid!"

However as he chuckled to himself, Jaune swore he heard a dark feminine chuckle echo throughout his room. For what Jaune had yet to realize was that his story was not what he thought it may be.

It was not just the story of a craftsman pushing the boundaries of what was deemed possible. Nah it was the story of adventure and circumstances. Of a man fixing his family, of a man finding love in the most unusual way, and the tale of a legend that would span across all of time.

It was the story of a man…who was Salem's little entertainer.

DO NOT DISSAPOINT, JAUNE ARC.

Chapter end.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey guys this is the start of a new story, let me know what you think in the review section! For now this story is taking the #2 spot in priority after Ultimate Weapon, as such it will always be updated, AFTER, the Ultimate Weapon has been updated. Unless circumstances change this of course. Just to let you know for future chapters if Jaune has any improvements that are statistically listed in the chapter, they will instead be revealed here! As a practice round so to speak, here's a list of Jaune's current skills and as a treat two other Skill trees available to him! Also just to ease and remove some speculation, Salem is not the main antagonist of this story! I've decided to go a completely different direction that Al'Aran's Forged Destiny story.

ALERT!: For those of who wondering what the fuck EX is, it is not an OP growth rate. It is simply to denote a growth rate that is not measurable. For isntance in one level he can gain a whopping 20 stat increase. Another level he could possibly gain 0. EX is just something that is not measurable, that's all XD. As a fair warning for all new readers, due to the discrepancies that was noticed for stats early on, this information repeats itself through out the current chapters. It will be removed as of chapter 7 of this story. (This info was created as of March 2020)

Stat growth parameters!

A= 5-10

B= 5-7

C= 5

D= 2-4

E=1-2

EX: who knows

POSSIBLE STAT GROWTHS! (These do not apply to Jaune but other hypothetical classes

S= 15-20

S+=20-30 (EXTREMELY RARE DOUBT IT WILL EVER BE USED)

PASSIVES:

STOKE THE FORGE (PRESTIGE)

Can bring his body to forging temperatures and ignite any materials. This includes the air around him as well! Activation cost: 10MP Non-Crafting Cost: 100MP per Second

THE GREAT SPELLCASTER'S BLESSING!

Longevity: All Diseases, Poisons, and Status Effects are healed immediately. Sleeping will explosively increase regeneration ability!

TITLES:

? (Currently equipped)

SOLO PLAYER

When player is fighting solo, gain +25% increase in combat effectiveness.

Salem's Entertainer

ALWAYS ACTIVE: +38% chance for rare quest, rare quest drops, and unusual situations. The mythical luck stat has been increased! Good luck you poor bastard.

BONUSES:

+25% potency to all crafting.

Skills:

GRIND:

Sharpen a weapon to a perfect degree

Cost: 10MP per use.

REINFORCEMENT (NEW) LV1:

Fill in the structural gaps of an item, strengthening it. When used on item, increases durability. When used during crafting, increases potency of item by 10%.

Cost: 250MP per use.

STRUCTURAL GRASPING LV1:

Intuitively understand the structural integrity of an item. Use in conjunction with Reinforcement to increase it's effect. Effect increase 5%

QUENCH LV1:

Quench an item to cool temperatures. Strengthens items by 5%.

Cost: 20MP per use

ENCHANTING LV1:

Imbue your items with enchantments! Enchantments must be learned before skill can be used. Currently can use 25% of an enchantments power.

Cost: None. All Enchantments have their own costs and materials.

RUNE SIGHT:

Instantly record any and all runes you see. This skill is passively active. All enchantments are made up of individual runes.

Rune Crafting LV1:

A Unique Class Skill. Rune Crafting allows for the creation of unique enchantments. As the player experiments and grows his knowledge of crafting and runes it is possible to create powerful enchantments and even bind a weapon to one user!

Skill Trees:

Blacksmith (Advance):

Your overall skill in this tree allows for the creation of up to C Rank weapons and armor and you are not limited by any design. Advance your skills to increase the overall performance of any skill tree. +40% to all weapon and armor creation. Can learn Advanced and below blueprints for any weapon or armor.

Tailor (Beginner):

Tailoring skill is that of just a beginner! You can create E-D rank level equipment. All skills for this class are locked within the skill tree. Must be learned. Is limited to simple blueprints.

Enchanter (Intermediate):

You have barely begun your journey as an Arcane Craftsman. Magic is in your blood and fire is the means of creation! The knowledge bestowed upon you by Salem as given you a boost within this skill tree. Is limited to C Rank enchantments. +10% to all enchantments.

Alchemist:

Create an Alchemic item to begin this skill tree