"The eastern endless forests of Vale... It only has a few large towns in there, with C-ranked huntsmen and lower-ranked nobility. That's an interesting place for me to be sent to say the least." I spoke softly in front of Lux who had called me into an emergency meeting.
My master sighed and said quietly. "Your talents in creating permanent fortifications are a complete game changer, honestly, Jake. To make a mortar, machine gun, and cannon-filled fortress, it takes you but literally less than a few minutes. But even with a small army of mages, it would take the royal army days if not weeks or even months to do the same."
Which was very true. To make the massive 'fortress' I made back inside the Emerald Forest, due to it not using any magic or highly advanced technology. I was able to put it up within a single sitting.
And since then? My aura stores had more than tripled, I had magical energy. And I could pool the magic, and aura of my teammates together as well to abuse my main ability even more!
"So I assume, I would be facing Mistral's lesser slaver bands right? Hmm, I won't be able to have Pyrrha with me for sure doing this." I muttered at the end with Lux giving me a strong stare.
"Honestly, you shoudn't even think about taking Weiss or Jingliu either... But you are right in that you are being thrown to be a brick wall to the face of the slavers." Luxanna admitted before she took a breath and continued.
"If you can convince Weiss to go with you. Then go right on ahead, as you are allowed to take as many non-conscripted units as you please, as is described by the military orders you received from the Royal Family."
I grunted in understanding. "I get it. I assume that I will still be able to do the Blessing with the Chuch of Light today, right? Or is the Royal family really going to fuck me over?"
Lux snorted, and she leaned in to poke my chest, making my lips twitch as she deadpanned. "They wouldn't dare bully my disciple like that. No, you got until the end of the weekend to gather whatever materials you need, ammo, companions, and other supplies."
I went over the document carrying my military orders, and then at the end I saw the tagline of the reward for my 'forced' conscription. "Barony and a small land allotment within Vale... That's not a bad reward, assuming I even want to leave Beacon." I muttered.
Lux sighed and said somewhat sheepishly. "I wanted to argue for you to be given a Viscount rank at least with how you did the best with the culling of the Grimm during the trial. But the Royal family is trying to stomp down the nobility, and promoting a new commoner more than three ranks is beyond their limit honestly."
I grinned with Lux's face pinched as I sat on my chair with my feet up on the edge of the chair as I asked bluntly. "So, what does this order for me to stop all Mistral advances mean? Am I to kill them all? Capture them? What am I to do with them?"
Lux chewed on her cheek before she exhaled and said coldly. "The easiest thing for you to do. Is to just kill them, destroy their bodies. And then move on..."
She took a breath before she added on. "However, I would suggest doing as little damage to the Mistralian's you fight. If you capture them, you could sell them to the Royal Family as hostages, or if they do die, you can sell their remains to the Royal Family for the Lich Lord, or even gift some of them to Miss Calia."
The reminder of the Litch Sages made me swallow, not to mention how Calia got a bit... Touchy last time we met. But I slowly nodded in understanding as I said.
"So no quarter given huh... That's gonna give me nightmares." I muttered as sure, right now. I had no problem with the thought of killing a bunch of slavers.
But being honest. Still, killing dozens if not hundreds of people was going to weigh on me.
"Cry out all your problems into Artoria's breasts as she mothers you if you need to." Lux said with little sympathy.
Which was fair as Lux has seen... Countless thousands of people dying, as a teacher here at Beacon. And also as the heiress of the Crownsguard, Duke ranked family.
There was a pause before Lux took a breath and said calmly. "I am being serious Jake. If you have issues after killing those Mistral rats... Take comfort in the bosom of one of your retainers. After I had to mercy kill several orphans who were captured by an Abomination, I cried in Mistress Goodwitch's arms for... A long while."
The light in Lux's eye's dulled as she seemingly recalled that memory and what had led up to it. And she took a breath before she continued.
"Now! Beyond just the rats from Mistral, which shoudn't be too dangerous with your fortifications and weapons beating their lower-level martial arts and weapon skills. There is still a large Grimm presence in the Endless Forest." Lux warned me very firmly.
"Although the higher ranks of Grimm are taking a step back after the mess of the Class Trial. They are still very dangerous... And according to the Grandmaster, Summer Rose, the Transendent Grimm Lahmasu, a weaker Transcendent Grimm, but still well-earning its rank had fled to that area before she lost it."
I nodded slowly as I knew that Transcendent were commonly known as the strongest Grimm there were. But there was still the higher rank that was the Apocalyptic Grimm above the Transendental rank.
"I see... Then Feixiao should be able to deal with that with how she is a Sage at least." I spoke more to myself.
With Lux nodding in agreement as she added on. "Her being there is the only reason I allowed you to go anyway. Having you in front of a Transendental Grimm is just asking for that Grimm to try to eat your soul so it can get your conjuration ability and that... Weird, Backdoor Semblance."
I hummed in agreement before I took a breath and said. "Master, I do have a favor to ask you, though." Then I explained how I learned I could channel other people's aura and magic through my semblance. And how I had started making a very powerful method that would make me much stronger.
But it was going to take an obscene amount of energy to have it created. "So you want me to act as your mana battery? Tsk tsk my disciple you have big guts to ask me that." Lux spoke with a raised eyebrow that was filled with incredulity at my request.
She actually shifted a bit before she hummed and spoke. "I do not mind giving you half my current aura and magic I have currently as I won't be on any battlefield for a few days at least anyway."
She then took a deep breath and spoke seriously. "However, Jake this talent and ability to siphon the magic and aura from others? That is worth capturing some people from Mistral for. Have their limbs removed, and I will pay for Calia to bind their souls and make them into a Flesh Automaton for you to drain."
I swallowed at the demented thought that Lux seriously seemed to be considering and before I could say anything. Lux said calmly. "My disciple, whether it be by the Grimm, or your fellow man. Your rise to power should not be constrained by common morals. If you are going to kill someone... You might as well make use of them, as even I have mastered Necromancy, remember."
"Yes, master," I spoke quietly as I took a heavy breath at the grim reminder of how hardcore Lux was. And then I spoke quietly. "What is the difference between slavery, and making someone a mana battery then?"
There was a heavy pause before Lux spoke calmly.
"The difference is you taking the free will of a common person who has had no conflict with you. In this case, a mana battery would be someone you have already sentenced to death, they are no different then an insect to crush or be used as a material. In either case, whether it be in death or in life they will be used by Calia or the Litch Lord either way Jake."
I didn't exactly have anything to say about that but Lux just exhaled and offered her me her hand. "Now, go ahead Jake. I wish to see this item you wish to make as you use my mana and aura."
Taking Lux's hand, I began creating the Backdoor to her aura and magical stores. I felt her hand tighten around my own as she muttered. "Well, that's something. I couldn't stop you from opening that Backdoor. Just like how even my own master's wards can't pick up your Backdoor's opening as a portal."
And then Lux began pushing a trickle of mana into my own hand, which was then expanded as she watched with a raised eyebrow that turned actually annoyed. As she watched as she drained her mana and aura all to make... A chewed-off fingernail-sized piece of material grows on the jade stick.
"Percentage wise... How much did I help in its completion Jake?" Lux asked in a dull tone as she stared at her hands.
And with a wry smile, I said supportively. "Oh, you did like... Five percent master! Thank you for saving me weeks of effort!"
Lux's face twitched as she muttered darkly. "My mana stores are more than three thousand times denser than yours Jake... What the hell are you even making dammit?"
And after a moment. I said quietly. "A sage grade grimoire, basically. One that's perfectly suited for me."
There was a pause, before Lux chewed on her cheek, before she asked slowly. "Do... Do you want me to ask if my master will help you fuel the creation of it? Having it would help you grow stronger as you make your fortifications and deal with the Mistralians."
I smiled, touched that she would offer to do that. And frankly... I really needed the help making this damned thing!
As from the rate it was going. Unless I devoted literally all my time and effort into this thing, which I couldn't due to my responsibilities. It was likely going to take me... Years to make this jade stick.
As it wasn't just a conduit for the martial arts, and cultivation method within. No the jade stick was a heavenly treasure that would fix my very body so that I would be perfectly suited to cultivating this method.
And this method led directly to immortality, it was a top-ranked cultivation method. Even if it didn't get much of a chance to shine from the series it was from. So it's completely fucking outlandish costs made sense.
So I could only put my hands together and say shamelessly. "Oh great and wonderful master! You spoil your helpless disciple with your care and attentions, what else can this disciple do but worship his wonderful master!"
Lux scoffed but there was no hiding the silly prideful smile that she wore on her 'stern' expression. Then she took a breath and spoke. "So well as you know the breadth of my generosity and pains I go through to support you Jake."
She then took out her scroll and sent a message, obviously to Miss Goodwitch, and then her phone rang with her answering with a simple hello before pausing with an odd expression, and she said. "Ah, Jake you turn around for me. I have to put up a sound barrier as Glynda needs to check to make sure I am not being controlled or some nonsense by telling a passcode."
I nodded in understanding and turned around in my spinning chair.
And then the room was filled with silence, besides the sound of Lux's feet gently tapping the floor as she talked with her master under the cover of a magical shield.
Finally I heard her say with some amusement in her voice. "Jake, go ahead and make a door to her tower in the elevator, if you can. She will control the elevator to take you up to her floor, seeing as you haven't been there yet."
With a shrug, I did so without a flex of my will. A simple wooden door formed beside me, and I asked for clarification. "I can head over now? I won't be smited or anything?"
And my face pinched as Miss Goodwitch's unamused voice in speaker phone replied blandly. "I will not smite you Jake, for you have been invited into my tower. Now do not waste time. As you still have the Baptism to get to later today."
I just stared at Lux who grinned at me, getting into trouble with her strict master, while I mentally screamed at her. 'Why are you on speaker phone!?'
And Lux, knowing my obvious question, just gave me an evil grin as she bade her master goodbye before she hung up as I walked through the back door. Knowing all too well that making Miss Goodwitch wait was even worse than accidentally 'insulting' her.
Coming out of the Backdoor, the elevator automatically began moving so I dismissed the Backdoor as even if it was light on my aura. I didn't want to just leave it there.
The elevator dinged as it opened, and as I came out of the elevator. I was ready to respectfully greet Miss Goodwitch. But as I came out of the elevator, I blinked as three sages were sitting around a table having a tea party of all things.
"Miss Goodwitch, Lady Calia, and Headmaster, I am glad to see you?" I spoke with a bit of confusion with the three sages smiling, especially Ozpin at having obviously surprising me though Goodwitch's smile was just the lightest tinge of amusement on her stern countenance.
"I do hope you would be glad to see us." Ozpin spoke in his cultured and rich tone before he shifted slightly and he added calmly. "So, little Luxanna tells us that you need an infusion of mana and aura to complete a special tool that will help you grow faster, is that correct?"
"Yes sir, that is correct." I said respectfully.
Ozpin nodded and with a flick of his hand a chair appeared and the table itself teleported across the large meeting hall of a room that took up the entire floor. "Very well, take it out and I will see how much I can help you Jake. Call this my own gift of your apprenticeship to my lineage."
Likewise Goodwitch nodded and said with a bit of warmth. "You also helped my own disciple in Morgan with some troubling things. I do not mind giving you a bit of mana I can regenerate in a few hours at most."
Calia on the other hand... She hummed while looking at me with those glowing crimson eye's and she said calmly. "I understand you have been drafted into this upcoming conflict. In return for my own aid... I ask that you take a little treasure of mine, and any bodies of foes that fall around you. You collect their bodies for me and put them into the casket."
Luxanna, despite having many mastery's and grandmastery's in various subject's wasn't a Sage. A Sage's mana and aura was many, many times denser with deeper pools of energy in general.
So for a favor to a Sage that I was going to sell any bodies to anyway. And saving me months, if not years, of labor with her mana infusion? Yeah, that was totally worth it obviously.
I smiled and said respectfully then to Calia. "I was already planning to save any corpses I created for you and your disciples, Lady Calia. Jean was instrumental in how I did the best in the Class Trial after all."
Calia then gave me a cool smile before she nodded both in agreement to what I said. And in agreement to aid me as well.
So the process began anew. I held the Jade Stick treasure in my hand while Ozpin held my other hand and I acted as a lightning rod for the honestly rather painfully dense energies Ozpin had.
And Ozpin... He kept pouring energy into me for a solid twenty minutes with him looking on in some interest as he stared at the jade stick in my hand. Getting ever so slowly bigger, and bigger. Slowly but surely coming to completion.
"My lord... What is this little treasure here? It will require more than five hundred times the mana and aura it takes to form a Sage Tool for a grandmaster." Ozpin finally broke the silence with honest incredulity in his voice.
For a moment, I was worried about my safety for a minute. Having a treasure and being weak was a sin, to say the least.
But fuck it. I needed protection and guidance in many things anyway. So I said with complete honesty. "It's basically a grimoire and body refining treasure that will imbue special knowledge and refine my body to perfectly suit that form of magical practice, and martial arts."
Ozpin tilted his head to the side in thought as I saw Goodwitch frown alongside Calia who actually scowled, and I blinked as she said with some temper in her tone. "Jake... I do hope you aren't being so foolish as to form a Sage's soul like your personified ships. That Sage soul will easily devour your own soul and take over your body if you do that!"
I actually didn't consider it that way. And to be fair, to Calia. I was most well known for making false souls and making ship girls out of them.
"Lady Calia, I apologize. But this, is just what I said, a conduit of knowledge and a body refinement. Unlike a Grimoire, this doesn't have any lingering will that could pollute my mind." I explained with Calia giving me a long stare as though she didn't believe me.
But Ozpin just made a humming noise and said. "In either case. Jake, I would ask that you absorb this if not under my supervision. Then, under Lady Calia's supervision, as should something happen to your soul. She can deal with most issues as can I."
My lips twitched before I said honestly. "I... Yeah, sure, I can promise that. I just need this actually finished, as you so rightfully noted, it's exhaustive energy nature."
Ozpin was silent for a moment before he said with a small smile. "Then I suppose you shall have to finish this soon then. Now let's see how much mana you can take then."
My life then became pain as the mana rushing through my veins doubled, but even through the pain. I dealt with it, not only for the treasure being formed. But also, because I could feel my bodies tolerance to large amounts of mana being raised.
And then when Ozpin got bored, he passed me off to Glynda, and then Miss Goodwitch passed me off to Calia with both of the Sage's clearly recovering their mana and aura at high speed to continue the rotation.
Which honestly almost made me want to cry. As I was just a damned conduit for the extreme amount of mana passing through myself due to three sage's bored curiosity.
Three hours later... I felt like a wrung out sponge, as Ozpin gave a small smile as he spoke. "Us stretching out your mana channels will actually be good for you, during the Baptism Jake. It will allow you to absorb more of the blessing from the God of Light."
I coughed and said with a ragged voice. "Thank you for the favor, headmaster... I am unable to truly show my appreciation currently however."
Ozpin just shook his head and then he said more firmly. "Now, go ahead and absorb that treasure... I am curious as to it's effects to say the least."
With a sigh of mental, and physical exhaustion to say the least, I held the treasure in my hands and then with a mental flex of my will followed by my hands squeezing around the treasure.
It instantly broke apart into the purest gold of ocean sand that burrowed into my skin, making me shiver and shake with my eye's rolling up as my mind shut down at some real agony.
'Its... It's like, it's sanding my bones, muscles, blood, and organs with the divine ocean sand.' I thought blankly as the pain made me lock up. And then I felt Calia's hand on my head, and then her spiritual/mental energy invading my body to investigate what was happening.
"Calia, do not capture his concioussness. The treasure will be sending the information into his mind soon." Ozpin's voice rang out and I heard the necromancer hum before the agony of the swirling sand finally pushed up through my veins running through my heart.
Up into my neck, and then my mind lit up as foriegn memories filled my mind. The memories of Nether Limitless, the cultivator of the Myriad Water Sword Arts. Which was a sword cultivation manual that used water, ice, and spatial laws in it's inception.
Along with the cultivation manual, and it's profound secret's being downloaded into my mind with a clear path all the way to the Divinity Realm, the cultivation method's two main combat techniques were downloaded into my mind as well.
In the Sea Splitting Sword, and the Drifting Snow of 10,000 Miles techniques.
Once the information download in both cases were complete... My mind finally gave up as I was utterly mentally and physically exhausted after all of this.
I blinked as soft sounds of conversation filled my ear's and then a more loud retort rang out that brough my sluggish mind more awake. "No! A potato cannon can't be used as a sniper rifle, New Jersey!" I heard Nora arguing.
I opened my eye's fully and with a start, I was shaken slightly with some turbulence. "A bullhead?" I muttered tiredly with my eye's taking in how we were flying over the city of Vale itself.
"Oh Jake you are finally awake. The headmaster said that, you were rather exhausted after a special exercise and test with Lady Goodwitch as well." Pyrrha spoke with a small smile as she was sitting across from me.
Next I saw how Prinz and New Jersey were sitting next to me while I was strapped into the seat. And before I could ask the obvious question. Weiss Schnee who was apparently sitting down the line from the line of seats on the bullhead spoke out.
"We are heading for the Baptism Jake, you should wash your face with some cold water to wake yourself up however. You don't want to make a fool out of yourself in front of the Church of Light after all."
A small curse escaped me as I wanted to cry at how Ozpin was a fucking bully. I got some super technique and cultivation method downloaded into my mind. And now I wasn't even being given a chance to digest it. Before I needed to instantly get blessed by the un-attentive God of Light.
-
Screams rang out in a haunting chorus as flitting forms shot between the houses of a small town built in the valley of two large mountains.
Above the town itself, on a floating airship that had a boxy shape and a large blimp above it to keep it afloat. Several people stood on the railing overlooking the raid of their fellow Mistralians capturing the Valian commoners.
While the few people who had any true fighting skill in the small town had their limbs broken and then swaddled with more than a couple hundred pounds of thick dust forged chains. That prevented any further resistance.
"Look at these wretchs, they scream and cry, but once true warriors or Mistral bring them down. They just wail in the dirt, unwilling to throw their lives away to save their pride." A proud young male voice.
The voice's origin was from the young heir of the Xiao Clan in Xiao Yan, He stood on the edge of the boat with his long blue-tinged black hair trailing behind him as he casually held a massive great sword over his shoulder.
But Xiao Xuner, the lady standing next to her older brother merely hummed in thought before she said calmly. "Some people are cattle to be used in various tasks if not to be just used and consumed. Some others are screaming monkeys unwilling to accept their fate. Brother you know it's rare for people outside of Mistral to rise up out of the Gladiator Pit's."
The Gladiator pit's being Mistral's primary way for slave's and people of ambition to rise above their station. Simply by killing, brutalizing, and otherwise humilating their fellow slaves in often rigged battles. Mistral allowed slave's to, over time, earn their freedom and become true citizens.
Though to say few ever achieved such glory, even for mistralian blooded slaves was the least that could be said. Foreign captured slaves were treated even worse.
Xiao Xuner the younger heiress of the Xiao clan looked at her older brother and said with some interest. "How do you plan to capture Pyrrha, Brother? She is supposed to be in Beacon right now?"
To which Xiao Yan, with a cold smile said blandly. "She, although strong of body and mind. Has a weak heart, making her no better than breeding stock frankly. But that weak heart can be an easy tool. As our spies already told us of who will be stationed in the next zone of our reaping."
A more mature female voice spoke out with Xiao Xuner quickly turning to her, and her brother's mentor in Yun Yun. A Grandmaster tier martial artist and sword master!
"Do not think that just because your target has a mere talent for unrivaled supporting that you will be able to capture him so easily. We have our rules after all, and trying to capture such a talent of Vale will gain the attention of other Grandmasters to say nothing of his own Grandmaster."
Xian Yan scoffed with Xian Xuner sighing as her foolish brother said flatly. "I do not need to capture him. I have no interest in doing so, frankly. I need Pyrrha only to think I killed and had his soul captured, and she will rush over to her fate."
There was a pause as the screaming quickly began dying down as the other warriors of the raiding party finished binding the captured slaves. Then Yun Yun spoke calmly. "Do as you will, a Sage will not stand on the battlefield openly, and I can keep any other Grandmaster of Vale busy while you all flee... Unless it's Fiora the Grand Duelist." Yun Yun, admittedly frankly.
Then the white haired beautiful woman stepped away from the railing and moved to return inside of the airship with her saying with finality. "It's also likely that Pyrrha will be kept within Beacon regardless of her own opinion. So do not hold too high of hopes."