Sneaking His Way into the Multiverse (RWBY Jaune, WC-lite mechanics)

[KinKrow]

"Omigod they're all like that." Tattletale sounded ill.

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"They're himbos, all of them. Even the women, and the children too!"

 

[Misoby]

Yeah, trying to grow in these different worlds without sliding into complete moral bankruptcy (like that guy Jaune killed in the first chapter) and without meta knowledge is going to be slow to start. It's not like Jaune understands who to speak with to gain unlimited power, and he doesn't have any of the incredible snow balling abilities offered by the WC.

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Frankly speaking, the entire WC system is built on meta-knowledge and cheesing. And also on the complete lack of imagination of the authors of the stories.

Hopefully Jaune's sponsor gives him the porn powers for no reason and without explaination. I need Tats to grow increasingly intimidated about Jaune'e growing schlong.

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Eight inches, what the hell!? Yesterday it was seven!!!

 

[Adudefromthesea]

Cat—*stuck in a high place*
Jaune—*locks in*

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Never underestimate a hero's instincts to save cats from high places

 

[Anom1]

"Someone who by all rights was fated to never fly, yet did? Perhaps that was a rarer, and precious, thing." - Chapter 28

All Jaune has is an extendable arm, a hammerspace, and a little more mobility. Sounds pathetic, doesn't it? In most stories, those stuff warrants a single line of mention at most, before the bona fide MC goes on to gain the power to wipe continents off the map.

Jaune has the equivalent of 3 Semblances.

...Well that's certainly a different way to look at it.

A relative way, in place of an absolute way. A personal way. In the bigger scheme of things, in normal power fantasy convention, it's chump change. Trash. A blip upon the ascent to the top. We know what the best powers across all the media franchises are, let's get to it and forget this kiddie stuff.
On a character level, it is power beyond his dreams.

I pasted warnings of what the story will be in my synopsis, in the author's note of the first chapter, and in the text itself. You read it, drew a mental picture of what it means, and the result is based not on the context of the character, but on the knowledge of all the worlds and characters you are familiar with including ones where gods and demons and more roam the land.

I think, that you have fallen deep, deep into the power fantasy, power level hole, and that has warped your perspective without you realizing it. What you consider overcorrection, I consider working as designed.

Starting from the bottom. It's a phrase we are familiar with. MC gets a gamer system and he's starting from the bottom.
It very often does not start from the bottom.
The MC already has ultimate power in his hand with that system, so things have to escalate from there in the narrative to keep the reader's interest. Powers gained must always top the last, because the threats are always above the last. Right out of the gates, we are sprinting to the top.

Does not a man need food? What hero can go to wage war against the gods without toilet paper?
I put forth a theory, bastardized from Maslow's, that the pyramid of power fantasy escalation does not have to start with OP power at the bottom, and proceed to aura farming at the top. That the bottom when referring to 'starting from the bottom' can still have meaning when it is the point where a person is concerned with the basic needs of living, and seek quality of life improvements. Where even the next meal can be something worth fighting for. Once those needs are met, then the person strives to go higher.

Feats. Power levels.
Jaune cut off the head of an Ursa. Dark Souls lets you upgrade a stick to beat up a god. Combined, would this not mean that Jaune's sword can now cut off the head of gods?
Jaune fought one godlike Tier 8 entity. Does that make him a contender among the Tier 8 godlike entities?
The entire way in this arc, I present a world that, on a fundamental level, is different from what the characters have faced. Bursting with life. Evolution taken to a whole new level. I meshed gameplay and lore together so that you may see what the Monster Hunter franchise is about.
But, by putting the label of 'flesh and blood creatures' and 'monsters' on them instead of 'godbeasts' and 'starspawns', they're apparently now of a lower Tier. An arbitrary ranking system shifts the threat that foes pose in the various different settings, creating a scenario where a character that has scratched a higher Tier must now keeping going higher, never returning to a lower Tier, even if context would suggest it is not lower at all and that the settings exist irrespective of each other. In short, power fantasy escalation takes place.

Personal power.
Jaune plays backup to other people, and you consider that a mark of shame, translating it to mean that he cannot survive in more dangerous places, or 'be of use.'
There's an idea that gets thrown around a lot. DPS is king, healers and tanks are trash. What's strategy, can we eat it?
I posit that the ability to connect with others has a value that lies beyond the numbers. Bridging the divide between strangers, bringing them together in a cohesive unit, is a skill that carries forward to multiple challenges.
Look at Monster Hunter. A team turning the tide against a foe Jaune cannot triumph over alone. He watches. He takes notes. A lesson reaffirmed to him piece by piece ever since Beacon, developing towards an epiphany. Is that not a valuable takeaway? Is that not growth?
Not if growth means personal power. DPS is king.

Character growth.
Emotions, principles, outlook. Why is that gained solely through battle?
I walk through the woods, and encountered a sweet songbird by a river stream. For a while, I listened, and once it ended I wished to hear another song. With such hope, I stayed there for an hour on, watching the river stream flow by, carrying with it the fallen leaves of autumn. Yet, in the end, the bird never sang again, no matter how I coaxed it. I didn't know what I felt then as I left the forest, but years later I looked back through all my experiences, beginning with that day in the woods, and thought "My happiest times are within those small moments."
---an example, written on a whim
Character growth is not one and done. It does not fit in a sentence, a paragraph, or a chapter. It is not a writer stating outright that this is what the character learned, he is this sort of person now. It proceeds in starts and stops, sometimes never expressed. Often, it is the character's journey in the entirety that reframes for them the various components in a new light.

This is my question. You say that 'Part of the hero's journey is their own growth.'
Are you thinking in terms of Jaune's growth, or a nebulous mix of genre conventions that establishes a baseline and an expectation in your mind of what growth is?

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So admittedly the way I expressed my critique could have been better. I wrote that at like 2 in the morning and it definitely shows. Also I feel I should note none of this is saying the story is bad, or even that these aspects are terrible. If it was bad I wouldn't read it, let alone take time to respond. So the critiques are more for the points that feel the weakest to me as a reader, and you can disagree. But I do think feedback is important because sometimes what we say (or write) and what people hear (or see) can be different. You as an author have an intent, but I want to give what I get out of the story because it may not match.

To start I feel I should clarify that I am mostly focused on power and the character growing in strength as that is where I feel the story is weakest. I didn't bring up things like his growth as a person through his interactions with Solaire because I don't have anything to add there. So when I talk about his growth in regards to personal power and not say as a friend or leader, its not me saying that personal power is the only growth that matters. I just don't think I need to give any feedback on the other ways he is growing. Personal strength is just the space that feels the weakest, writing wise, and it is important to the story.

That is not my opinion, not me saying "I hate adventure stories and everything should be a power fantasy. Why cant he solo a dragon yet?" Growing in strength is the basis of this story, that is the main plot, that is what you wrote. Personal power and growing stronger is the basis for the actions taken by Jaune. The motivation you gave is "My friends are dying, my home is burning, and I need to gain the strength to save them." So yes personal growth is more than power, and teamwork can be a part of power. But when you make a motivation like that as the driving narrative source, personal power does need to be a major point in the story, it is innately central to the plot and how that character grows. It cannot just be learning to work together, there has to be a point of getting stronger, gaining tools, of preparing to face the invasion he knows is waiting. There has to be growth in regards to personal power.

As for the idea of starting from the bottom, and gaining basic necessities being a form of power, I honestly hadn't thought of it that way. That is a very cool idea that does help to make the whole magical index arc seem less filler like. It is interesting as it adds the element of preparedness. How going on an adventure is more than diving into a dungeon. It is also getting a bag of holding and camp supplies, it is choosing spells and building a forward base. I really do like that. However on the other end to that I do have to point out, that means you have effectively spent two books setting up camp. I do like the idea of building a solid base to start from, but are you sure you needed 150K+ words to do that? Just food for thought there.

That is not helped by the latest fight, and I think I expressed why it was frustrating wrong, so let me see if I can explain better. It is not that I think the sword should be able to behead gods or one shot a tier 8 being. It is more that you undermined one of the only real growth points (power wise, at this point please assume I am saying power wise) that we have gotten. Look at some of what you wrote on it "The first hit he managed got the Rathalos on the snout, and failed to even break the scales.... 'Like, I'm tickling the Rathalos right now'.... Crocea Mors felt more akin a dull knife against the tough flesh of the monster." Can you see how those come across as the weapon just not being good? To be clear I am not saying it needed to cut straight through the tail, but just that there were better ways to get the same effects. Something like "His sword swung across the beasts snout, its edge leaving a gash upon the scales. Unfortunately at this distance his blade simply could not reach deep enough to get its flesh. He would need to get closer to really hurt it, probably far too close," or "Crocea Mors bit into the Rathalos' tail, but for all he loved the sword, it was not a cleaver. It just did not have the top heavy heft of something like an ax, it was not made to hack trough limbs. However it was all he had, so he set to work sawing through as fast as he could." Obviously you would write it differently, but can you see what I am getting at here? The results are the same but the way you say it changes how it appears. What you wrote seems like Crocea Mors just isn't a good enough weapon to really work in this world, like the upgrade and time in Dark Souls didn't actually add much, as opposed to it just not being the right weapon for the job. It is a great longsword but longswords really are not made to delimb elephants, no matter how good they are.

Maybe I am wrong, maybe it is meant to show that the sword still needs a ton of work. But I think that would be disappointing and this is more a show vs tell issue. You told us that Crocea Mors was better than ever, but you showed us a dull blade. That undermines the very upgrade you gave and makes it seem like he is standing in place. I do not think that was the intention, but I do think it was the result. Of course I could be wrong, maybe this was to show how strong the world was that even his upgraded sword was not up to the challenge. I don't think that is the result though, instead of us seeing a strong sword fail against A greater opponent, it is more that the sword seems weak.

Which leads into the idea of coaching expectations and growth being shown. I do see what you mean by the worlds escalating, that the threats are growing bigger and that they need to so as to maintain any tension or drama. Which I think is what you meant when talking about tiers, not entirely sure honestly. That makes a lot of sense, but there is a reason shows bring back old rivals to get stomped on my the now stronger character. If you always have him face off against stuff that is better than him, we will never see him grow. It is like watching a level one fight a level 4 monster, then later watching him at three fight a level nine. You can tell us that he is now three times stronger, but we are just going to see him get his shit rocked. He may be moving, but he will seem to be stationary. It is important to let us see him get better, something I think is missing so far. Maybe not in this arc, but just food for future thought.

Finally on the powers gained so far, I don't think I ever said they were not good enough or needed to be stronger, just that they are all utility. Like none of them actual match his fighting or make him better. It is a series of side grades. And I do see what you are saying about them being semblances, but let's actually take a look at that. A semblance is a reflection of a persons soul, as such they almost always match with and improve that person. Blake is a distraction based hit and run fighter, so her semblance lets her generate shadow clones to confuse her opponent and add maneuverability. It enhances her strength, not just because it is a good ability but because the plays into her build. Yang is an up close brawler, so her semblance absorbs some of that damage to make her punch harder. It matches. My problem isn't that you are giving Jaune weak talents, it is that they are all rogue talents. He is a paladin. I am not knocking the usefulness of some utility talents, but it is all you are giving him. You say more than DPS matters in a game, that is fair. Man is a tank, give him a taunt or a shield or the ability to switch with allies. Just something that actually works with the baseline kit.

You sent him to the magic index world and originally it looked like they had a plan to go into the research section to try and get their own new abilities, or at least see if they could. Then you redirected to Accelerator and instead gave him double jump. I am not saying he needed to become a level 5, that is insane, but like a level 2 ability that lets him enrage nearby beasts, or draw attention? Would that not have fit better? It isn't any stronger as a power, but it does feel like meaningful growth in his power, because it makes him better at what he is. I am glad he is so happy with his pseudo flight, but from a plot perspective you cannot say it is actually progressing him or his strength, and yes there is more to a story than just strength. But this story is about him growing stronger. If it was meant to be about the joy and adventure, it could use a very different start point. Its is not about the powers needing to be stronger in themselves or him needing to be a god king by this point. It is about the powers you are letting him get needing to actually progress the main plot at some point. Which in this case is personal power, at least until he save Pyrrha. After that it can be found friends or making their way in the multiverse, skys the limit then. But right now you seem to refuse to allow his personal power to grow in any meaningful way, for him to become a better Jaune that can save his friends.

P.S. Reading the response again I think you took my comment on what he has faced in the original one to mean I think he should be way stronger. That is not it, man got creamed by Accelerator (as well he should). I wasn't saying it made him tier 8 in strength. It was more a comment about gains relative to threats faced. You made the man fight a god and all he got was a fancy toilet. That is messed up man, like facing down a tiger and only getting a lousy t-shirt.

 

[Snarky_Hastur]

To be fair, it seems like Hunters from Remnant all take a few levels of rogue for mobility reasons, and with Jaune able to cut through most anything like it was tissue paper it was the most visible sort of upgrade. Up till now I don't think Jaune has faced anything that just outright resists Crocea Mors this way (Accelerator was a no-sell), so this might be the first instance of Jaune putting points into the tank role.

 

[TheRookIsOnFire]

To be fair, it seems like Hunters from Remnant all take a few levels of rogue for mobility reasons, and with Jaune able to cut through most anything like it was tissue paper it was the most visible sort of upgrade. Up till now I don't think Jaune has faced anything that just outright resists Crocea Mors this way (Accelerator was a no-sell), so this might be the first instance of Jaune putting points into the tank role.

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The elemental resistances will be a godsend too in the wider multiverse. Even beyond the ability to close in on magic casters unimpeded by elemental attacks, an armor upgrade with high-end fire resistance in one setting can often translate into energy and/or laser resistance in another. Even if it doesn't, then lightning resistance will help too. Upgrading the plates' sheer capacity to take a regular hit will always be a good thing, too. All of the above is well within the capabilities of a Monster Hunter's Master Smith.

 

[Party2tehArth]

Yeah his stuff is utility powers but look at what he's been able to do in just one jump with them. Outsider's Arm and the Jump Good boots from Index let him shore up a major weakness (mobility). Now he's a versatile, mobile bruiser. Where before he was pretty much solely a tank. Sure the Arm helped. But now he's got a new dimension of verticality to his combat ability. Not much, but Jaune's able to maximize that kind of small shit.

And it may not seem like he's progressed, but if one were to take a step back and compare his current self to the Jaune of mainline RWBY, even post time skip, I think just those two aspects make him stronger. Plus he's gotten more experience against human enemies with exotic powers and direct combat experience and training from Best Knight.

As for Rathalos and Crocea Mors, I think in comparison to what else it stood against, it makes a bit more sense as to the lack of damage. It tanked bombs, explosives, giant fuck off hammers wielded by characters at least as physically strong as upper tier dark souls characters. So the Rathalos is just a literally built different wyvern. But maybe the author is planning on Andre's upgrades being built upon by the MH upgrades. Also I don't remember if we actually saw any of Andre's upgrades in action.

Keep in mind that was only like, two (major) jumps ago.

His major opponents so far have been the endbringers, the bridge wyvern, (the Rabbit), Accelerator, and the Rathalos. Soon the Deviljro.

Across three major jumps, unless he got like a major upgrade it's sensible he's had to rely of wit and help.

More than combat or being a tank or fighter or anything, Jaune's true strength is friendship leadership. Or maybe that Naruto. So maybe Author is gonna lean on that. Jaune slowly building up a few personal skills and power ups but mostly gathering a party. Or getting the ability to like lead better so to speak. Which is determinant on interpersonal interactions. Which build on self-realization. Which grow from experience. I'm very much spitballing here tho so…

TLDR: though frustration is understandable, hol' up, let 'em cook.

 

[Lopezelpesado]

Who knows, maybe outsider will give him more powers.

I am personally hoping for time stop. I fucking love time powers.

 

[2 Hot Crown Subdues the Sinful]

"They're himbos, all of them. Even the women, and the children too!"

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"Even the cat is a himbo!"

Ngl, Tattletale got dethroned as best girl for our boy. Jaune needs to seal the deal, and get that Palicussy.

 

[sul4ic]

Was rereading when I saw this:

"Ballistic of the Travelers, who may be of interest to you, is more direct." Annoyingly, she did not elaborate further on why he should care about this person. He filed it away to ask later,

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Either Jaune's waiting for the right moment or all of the craziness that followed this snippet made him forget about it entirely, which is understandable lmao

 

[Joe Generic]

Honestly, I kinda want Jaune to recruit the palico, just for the look on Blake's face when he gets back to Remnant with an actual talking cat (girl) to contrast to her, the catgirl.

 

[The Hero named Villain]

*in Soundwave voice*

Palico Blake Superior, Faunus Blake Inferior.

 

[LazyAutumnMoon]

A group of four hiked up a tree root large enough to accommodate two-way car traffic. It was one of the traversable routes mapped out by past Hunters of the Guild, and led all the way to the top of the ancient tree that was more akin to a mountain.

Near the head of the party, Jaune turned over his shoulder—his third time in the last minute—to take in the view. How high were they, now? A thousand feet? More?

His spot offered a spectacular vantage point. There was the forest below, rolling on and on. It gave way to deserts, canyons, then the crags and cliffs of a volcanic land beyond, with crystals the size of buildings rising from the rocks. To his left, far in the horizon and near the sea, he saw a forest of corals, the remnants of an ocean floor in aeons past, exposed aboveground as the seas receded. The reef was yet alive, an explosion of colors in every shade of the rainbow.

Logy had pointed out Astera for him. It's a settlement along the coast. Not that far, but still at a distance where he had difficulties telling the details. There's something like a boat sitting on a rock? Oddly-shaped, was all he could say for sure about Astera.

If he focused, he could spy the tiny, tiny forms of monsters roaming amidst the disparate biomes. They must tower over a man in person, to be visible from here. Some flew in the sky, some raced along the ground. Far away from his adventure, they clashed, and hunted, and lived. What a world he had stumbled upon.

"Hey, hey, whatcha thinking about?"

He turned back to the path. Escha crouched there, the steep incline putting her at eye height. The cat—or felyne, rather, as they were known here—tilted her head in curiosity.

"Just looking," he said. "Everything here is new to me. It's—"

"Amazing? Pretty? Stupendous?"

"Heh. All of that, I think."

Escha broke out in a beaming smile.

A cooing noise arose behind him, choked off midway with a fake cough. Tattletale drew level with the group a moment later, clearing her throat and refusing to meet his eyes.

She had been quite taken by the fluffy furball that talks.

"Quit dilly-dallying, Jaune. We have a timetable to keep."

"Yeah, but, you know…" He added a hop to his next step and rocketed forward, clearing a few yards in one stride. Turning on the heels of his boots, he took a bow, calling back to her, "I think I'm okay on that front."

The slowpoke flipped him off. He smiled and waved at her.

Past her, down in the forest, he caught a flash of sickly green among the greens. The Deviljho, still on its eternal rampage to seek sustenance. Linca and Reyfer should be engaging it right about now, harrying the monster to weaken it while waiting for a sign of their success up here.

That rather depended on them locating the Rathalos, and once more he checked the Olfactory Sensor. The signal strengthened as he pointed the tracker above them, confirming they had a while longer to go before reaching its hiding place. It wouldn't be at the very top, Logy had speculated. The scent of the former apex monster still lingered there, proclaiming for every would-be claimant to the throne that the king of the jungle died in that place. No, they'd be cautious. Staying lower until they developed the strength and arrogance to consider themselves unbeatable.

The first to catch up to him was Escha, who clamored for another look at the screen of the tracking tool. He wasn't sure if she understood what all the data presented on it meant, but he let her see anyway, the felyne meowing in wonder as she directed him to move the device this way and that.

How he recognized it was 'wonder' and not, say, a random meow spoke to the expressiveness of the felyne species. They're… well, they're not pets. Felynes were a sentient people. People who, yes, happened to enjoy scritches. They also liked the same foods that humans ate, slept in houses (though what constituted a house differed in their mind), and even took jobs to get paid. Escha referred to herself as a Palico with the pride that someone would say they were a Huntsman or Huntress.

She enjoyed flying, too, and latched onto his back the next time he rocket-stepped, afterward jumping off to land on a thinner tree root running parallel to the path at waist height. As they waited for the others, she pelted him with questions about anything and everything that she could think of on the wider universe.

"How big do the big monsters get?"

"Massive, sometimes." The Grimm Dragon came to mind. "Although there aren't always monsters at all." Escha blinked in surprise at that, as did Logy who had just joined them. "Some places I've been to have them. Some didn't."

"Places?" Escha asked, confused at first. Then, her eyes opened wide, and she stretched her body to lean closer. "You mean, you've been to more than your world and this one!?"

Jaune replayed their conversations since ascending the tree. "Huh. I guess I never told you. But yeah, my method lets me go to multiple universes. I've visited, what, seven or eight worlds in total now? Hey, Tattletale," he addressed the approaching girl while rechecking his mental count, "how many worlds have we been to?"

"Discounting that one that we spent, like, five minutes inside? Nine for you, eight for me," she answered while gamely waving for them to resume the journey, nevermind her heavy breaths.

"Weird. I counted eight for myself. My world, yours, Dunwall, Undead Burg, bunny cave, Steelport, Academy City, and here. What's missing?"

For a person half a head shorter than him, Tattletale somehow managed to look down her nose at Jaune. The corner of her mouth quirked upward with a hint of satisfaction. "Our apartment is in its own universe."

"That's the one!" he exclaimed, smacking a palm to his forehead. "I keep forgetting since we haven't stepped a single foot outside the room. One of these days, we really need to figure out that teleporter."

"Maybe. I see us affording a new base of operation before that becomes a necessity, so it doesn't matter much to me."

More like she's miffed that all her attempts at getting it to work were stymied and she never wanted to look at the contraption again, but Jaune wasn't going to tell her that.

"Nine worlds…" muttered Escha, still stuck on that bit of news. From her tone, she couldn't believe it.

Meanwhile, Logy focused on the other part of Jaune's revelations. "So monsters aren't common elsewhere. How about that." He wore a thoughtful expression on his face as he strolled along the path, one that had Tattletale raising an eyebrow. Neither chose to comment further, however.

They found their target, as Logy surmised, about three quarters of the way to the top, in a hollow that was better described as a cavern considering they could fit a house, a yard, and a thousand garden gnomes in here—which would be kind of creepy now that he was picturing it in his head. Analogies were hard.

Hiding behind the corner, they peeked inside to see a half-built nest tucked into the depths of the space. The sleeping form of the Rathalos laid atop it.

Escha ducked low to the ground, as if it would make her less noticeable. With utmost seriousness, she warned them, "Be vewy, vewy quiet."

Tattletale nearly woke the monster up then and there by breaking into laughter, clamping both hands over her mouth in the nick of time. She shook with the force of her mirth, eyes closed and face turning a shade of red.

Everyone stared at her.

After a beat, Escha asked, "Why is she laughing?" She looked to Jaune for an answer, and he spread his hands in helpless silence. Nothing had seemed amiss insofar as he recalled, so he could not even begin to guess.

"W-W—" Tattletale struggled to speak, and managed to force the words out in a rush. "We're hunting Wathalos!" She then fell into another fit of muffled snickering.

But they were, though…

Shaking his head, Jaune said, "Okay, Tattletale. You stay here and… and try to snap out of whatever it is that's setting you off. We're going to get closer to the Wa- Rathalos."

Doubling over in renewed laughter, all Tattletale could do was acknowledge him with a thumbs-up, the other hand pointing to the pouch where she kept her phone. Call me.

"Got it," he said.

Once again, the phone hung off of his neck, the soft giggles of his partner filtering through it as he advanced alongside Escha and Logy further into the hollow. They moved with care, avoiding the bones of past meals to reach a better vantage point where they could study the monster.

"Thing's in pretty bad shape," Jaune said.

The Rathalos breathed in laboured gasps, and blood covered the once pristine scales. Gouges littered the body of the monster, ripped by the teeth of Deviljho.

He indicated the misshapen bones on a shoulder, muttering low, "One of the wings looks done for after the flight here. A weakpoint?"

"Don't bank on that," came Tattletale's voice through the line. "The wounds all over it, did they stop bleeding?"

Checking, he noted that, for the most part, yes it has. The copious amounts of blood smeared on its body weren't flowing like he would expect, hardening within the many wounds to form—not quite scales—but something tougher than mere wounded flesh.

"I can see the tail from here, and that's the only part yet to staunch. There are scraps of a recently eaten animal. Eating, and sleeping. Is it… healing?"

Logy nodded, too unfamiliar with phones to realize that Tattletale wouldn't see it. "Bioenergy. It's especially strong in the New World. A few days of hunting, and the Rathalos will be right as rain."

"Then it might decide to fly on a bum wing anyway, since that will fix itself with time. Jaune, I want you to focus on the tail."

"Because it's an open wound?"

"Exactly. The damage is too much for it to come back from. Worsen that, and it'd waste the 'bioenergy' on something it can't fix. Chase it, and don't let up."

"You know, it's sleeping. Unmoving. That's the perfect chance to hit hard. I have a—"

She had already read ahead of his thoughts, being the one to assist in organizing his equipment. "Might not be enough. Those scales could mute the impact. Keep it in reserve for a good opportunity, and whittle the monster down. That's the surest method here."

Conceding the point, he drew his sword, while Logy prepared his gunlance. They moved to opposite ends of the Rathalos.

Escha hovered between them, prepared to aid either one. Despite the felyne-sized sword she held, her position as a Palico was geared more towards support for Hunters. According to her proud explanation, Palicoes fought when times called, but they excelled at gathering materials, applying medicines mid-fight, distracting the foe, and a host of other minor roles that allowed the monster Hunters to perform better on a hunt.

What she didn't know, was that Logy informed him on the quiet that the felyne had a penchant for the material gathering part, often to her own detriment, and if Jaune would please keep an eye out for that problem and pull her out of trouble like he did previous, then the Hunter would appreciate it.

At the mouth of the cave, Tattletale waved to him. He signaled back his readiness. She repeated the process with Logy, presumably receiving a similar reply, and proceeded to hold up a hand, fingers splayed. They lowered one by one in a countdown. As the last fighter curled, Jaune raised his sword, and chopped at the exposed bone of the tail with all his strength at the same time he heard a shell explode on the snout of the Rathalos.

The monster roused with a roar that shook the cavern, and the fight was on.

Jaune used the opening seconds to the fullest, raining blows on the same spot while the Rathalos was still getting its bearings. The tail swung to the side in a bid to escape the pain, and when that did not work a full-body roll followed to carry the monster out of the nest.

He doggedly chased after the Rathalos as it climbed to its feet. Directly in front of the monster, Logy targeted the head, darting in to slam his lance on the cracked skull, disorienting the Rathalos with each careful swing. Jaune timed his attacks with these moments, shaving the bone thinner slice by slice. The monster had lost much of its control on the tail, and so the clumsy retaliatory sweeps of the limb, along with the wyvern's blind kicks behind it, did almost nothing to hold Jaune at bay.

Thus, soon, his persistence attracted the attention of the Rathalos. Seeing it starting to turn, he dashed in the same direction, sticking to the rear of the monster as it pivoted around. Talons raked thin air, leaving a confused monster to search for its prey. A sharp pain on its tail alerted it, as Logy bashed his gunlance against the damaged bone, cracking it further for Jaune to saw off an additional inch with his blade. With a snarl, the monster twisted his way again, leading with a headbutt.

Logy skipped back, but Jaune caught the full brunt of it. The battering ram of a good two tons met his shield to send him flying to the far wall of the hollow, where he slammed against what felt more akin to concrete than wood, the air blasted out of his lungs.

Gravity peeled him off the wall, and he dropped to the ground.

"Are you alright!?" shouted Tattletale through the phone.

Meh.

The pain was fine, he had experienced worse. Except, woozy, he could only answer with incoherent mumbles, laying there as he tried to get his breath back.

Her state of fright was growing, which he didn't like.

Then, a jar filled with a golden liquid smashed into his face, shattering to splash him with the contents. Drops of it hit his tongue, sending a jolt of energy through him that had Jaune sitting upright with a gasp, inhaling a lungful of air.

"WHOOOO!"

Whatever was in that, it felt like he chugged a pitcher of coffee.

A second jar bonked him on the head, this time covering him in green healing potion, likely intended to heal the bruise that the jar-thrower thought they gave him, not accounting for Aura dampening the blows. He wanted to ask the point of giving a person an extra whack before healing them, but he supposed it was the thought that counts, so he raised a thumbs-up toward the culprit, Escha, receiving one back with her paw in acknowledgment. Bouncing up, he scooped his sword off the ground.

In his absence, the Rathalos had focused on Logy, and Jaune capitalized on the chance to rush back into the fray. An application of [Third Arm] dragged him under the monster and out the opposite side, back in his original spot.

One hit on the tail, and the Rathalos shrieked in anger. The source of its pain just wouldn't leave.

Leathery wings spread wide, taking the Rathalos into the air. Its mouth fell open, gasping with each clumsy flap hampered by misaligned bones and torn wing membranes, but sheer stubborn will got it staying aloft. The ceiling of the hollow was high enough that the monster hovered out of weapon reach. Sparks built between its teeth.

Jaune watched carefully for where the fireball would land, prepping his escape methods.

In an odd maneuver, the Rathalos tucked its head under a wing, facing none among the group.

"Jaune! It's coming for you!"

He grinned. Good to know. "Thanks, Tattletale."

"Yea—don't stop moving!"

He had been in motion when he heard her, rocket-stepping to the side as the Rathalos launched its attack. Not quite understanding the why of it, he nevertheless heeded the warning to keep the triggers pressed, zooming across the ground. It was a good thing he did, because the Rathalos had not spat a fireball, but a long stream of flames that criss-crossed after him.

Light taps against the cavern floor adjusted the trajectory of his rocket boots, letting him escape from the path of the flames time and again, yet the sensation of heat remained on his back. In rage, the Rathalos pushed beyond its normal limits, scorching its own throat, weathering the explosive shells Logy shot from below, all to kill him. Smoke and fire began to drift throughout the space, weighing on their breath, obscuring their sight, wood catching alight.

A boomerang smacked the monster on the nose with a thwack, making it flinch. The beam of destruction, thankfully, cut out.

"Hey, red and angry! Pick on someone your own size!" shouted Escha, four paws extended wide to make herself look as big as possible. Mighty meows resounded to intimidate her foe.

Despite the situation, Jaune had to bark a laugh at her boast, and as the Rathalos sluggishly banked around to roast the felyne, he zipped on by to scoop her up and take them both out of harm's way. A fireball landed behind them.

"Thanks for the save," he said, getting a happy nod from the Palico in return. Then, he addressed his phone, "Tattletale, how long is that thing going to stay up there?"

"Forever. It learned that the ground isn't safe."

"Where's Logy with the flashpod, then?"

"He threw one but the Rathalos barely noticed. This smoke is lessening the impact of it."

A modern explosive appeared in his hand. "A flashbang should take care of that."

"And risks wrecking all of you guys' vision. Drag it outside instead," she suggested.

He considered it. Flying monster in the open air, fighting with a cliff on one side? "Nah. Let me think—I got an idea." The flashbang vanished, replaced by a smoke grenade. Activating it, he tossed the explosive over a shoulder, severing line of sight with the Rathalos.

"Am I going to like this idea?"

"Heh. What a silly question."

Answer's obviously no.

Letting the Palico down, he raced out of the smoke. The Rathalos hadn't detected him yet, head swiveling in vain to peer through hazy darkness. Perfect.

What use was waiting, giving it free license to rain fire on them all? If he cannot make it come to him, then he just has to go to it.

A rocket-step propelled him high into the air. Belatedly, he noticed the weight on one of his legs and glanced down to find Escha had followed him, clinging to his knee. She waved a paw.

Grinning, he allowed her mischief, and aimed a hand at the Rathalos. The tattoo on the back of it shimmered. A shadowy limb burst forth. It slapped the Rathalos across the eyes as the monster turned in his direction, latching on and blinding it long enough for him to soar forward.

His boots stomped on the monster's snout, and he used the momentum to walk on, striding over the head before the Rathalos could react. Escha jumped off him to scamper ahead, racing along its back, while he landed to sit at the base of the neck, gripping the spiky scales as the Rathalos began to thrash about.

"Jaune, what the hell are you doing!?" Tattletale yelled, her voice shrill with panic.

"Yeehaw! Call me Cowboy Jaune from now on!"

"Idiot! Idiooot!"

Or that. Either would fit, really. Hahaha!

Seriously, what was in that drink Escha gave him? He wanted more.

The hovering flight of the Rathalos, already shaky, was thrown further off-balance by his presence. Drifting to one side, it beat its wings at a frantic pace to compensate, head twisting to try and bite Jaune's legs. An admirable stretch of the neck that must have strained its muscles to the utmost placed its mouth at an angle to blast a shallow wave of fire, forcing him to duck.

Once the attack ended, Jaune gave a firm shove that pushed him away from the Rathalos. Freed, it did not waste a second, flying clear. Or it tried, at least. Jaune threw [Third Arm] out to snag it by the lower back now, putting him again on the Rathalos to a truly hateful yowl from his ornery mount.

Fed up, the Rathalos banked hard to face the nearest cavern wall. Jaune gained a clearer idea of its plan as the monster accelerated on a direct course for the surface of the ancient, half-petrified wood. Twisting in the air, it aimed to take the collision on its back.

Yeah, no. Getting squished between the two wasn't his idea of a good time.

"Escha! To me!" The felyne scrambled onto him, and Jaune leapt high just before impact.

The tree hollow shook as the Rathalos crashed into the wall, hurting nothing but itself. Talons scrabbled on the wood, finding purchase and a moment for the Rathalos to recover, after which it launched off in flight once more.

If a wyvern could cry, this one might have. Jaune and Escha touched down on the limply-hanging tail, and grabbed tight. The Rathalos gave a violent shake to dislodge them, failing to its extreme frustration.

Jaune accepted a mallet from the Palico, pulled out of a pouch that almost made him suspect dimensional shenanigans with how much she can fit into it. (That, or good organizational skills, which still counted as magic to him in any case.)

Gripping with his legs, he wound back an arm, then swung down with his full strength to strike the chisel Escha had propped into the broken tail section. A sharp crack rang across the cavern, followed by an ear-splitting shriek. The Rathalos went berserk.

The monster veered, and rolled, and flipped in midair, accepting to wreck the muscles and bones of the maimed wing in the process just so that it may rid itself of the two unwanted passengers. Fire spewed every which way in the hope of clipping them.

[Third Arm] granted Jaune leverage to stay in place and raise the mallet. Escha wasn't needed anymore, the chisel lodged deep in the crevice formed between the bone. It drove an inch further as he smashed the chisel handle with another strong blow.

The keening wail did not sound like it came from a beast at the top of the food chain. No, in this moment, the Rathalos recognized the truth. It was prey.

A whimper followed the third blow. Defiance, after the fourth, with one last ditch effort to bash them against the tree. Resignation at the fifth, it cannot feel sensations in the tail any longer.

The sixth time that the hammer fell, it gave a cry of loss. The tail snapped, held together by flesh and skin that tore with every movement the monster made, dragged down by the sheer weight. Hot blood poured freely from the wound, no stemming or scabbing this time to alleviate the damage, worsened when Jaune carved into it with his sword.

Escha clambered over him as the tail at last severed from the Rathalos. The sudden absence of the weight, and with exhaustion taking hold after the rampage, led to the monster following after the lost limb in a crashing fall.

Jaune jumped from its back, carrying Escha, slowing his descent on each step with light activations of his boots until they landed nearby.

"Good job, you two!" Logy praised as he regrouped with them. "Come on, it's almost over!"

Almost? Shouldn't it be done?

The Rathalos disabused him of that delusion, slowly climbing to its feet. One wing laid crumpled against its body, damaged beyond use, and a thick line of blood trailed behind the monster. The leg broken by the Deviljho had the bones poking through the skin, but one would not think it mattered with how the Rathalos stomped forward.

"How hardy are these things?" Jaune cried, brandishing his weapons.

This time, the Rathalos abandoned flight. Forsook fire. It charged, relying on pure simple mass. If it could not defeat them by everything else, then it still had this.

The cavern shook with the force of its footfalls. It began slow, laborious, growing faster as it picked up momentum. In the end, a car, a truck, a damn train sped towards the party.

"Uhhh, Tattletale? Plan?"

"Run. Duh."

"Logy?"

"I agree. Run."

"Escha?"

"Are you kidding? Run!"

Jaune spun to the side as the party scattered, swiping his sword along the Rathalos in passing, cutting a shallow scratch.

The Rathalos ran on, crashing into the cavern wall. It had been ready for that, angling to take the impact on a shoulder. One leg kicked off the wall, the entire frame of the monster turning to face them. One stomp, two stomps, three stomps, it was gunning to run them over, as many times as it took. Jaune, especially.

"Alright, I've done this before." It's playing matador. He managed to do that against faster opponents. This was no problem.

The Rathalos made another unsuccessful pass. Jaune scored another meaningless attack.

"These guys are so annoying."

The incredible vitality of this world's monsters necessitated a strategy of striking a weakpoint over and over again, breaking one's way in. Strength, his strength rather, wasn't enough. Precision mattered. Perseverance mattered. Keeping the thing pinned so they could shank it in the soft parts mattered.

"Head or tail, Jaune. Anywhere else is too thick to pierce right now."

"If I could get it to stay still, sure."

On the third charge, he jumped straight up. The Rathalos, sensing a chance, reared its head after him.

A shade from getting eaten, Jaune triggered a rocket blast to flip past the monster. He landed right behind it and, spinning, shoved his sword into the tail stump. Accompanying the bestial shriek, blood spurted from the aggravated wound.

It fell far short of a killing blow. There's nothing important there. The monster would fall in time, but not now.

The Rathalos kept moving, yanking Jaune along until he managed to withdraw Crocea Mors. For a moment, it turned its head to look back at him, and he entertained the hope that he had angered it to the point of engaging him in a direct battle. But no, the monster was committed to its course. It reached the wall, and returned for a fourth pass.

Was it even thinking anymore? Or was it betting on him tiring out first?

Letting slip a sigh, Jaune once more got ready to dodge.

Logy threw a wrench in his plan, planting himself in front of the Rathalos with his shield raised high.

"Logy! What are you doing?" he yelled.

"Steady on," the Hunter said. "I've got a plan."

Jaune skipped to the side, then skipped back, torn between moving out of danger and staying to support his teammate. "And this plan is?" He stumbled as Logy tossed the gunlance to him, and he juggled it alongside his sword and shield, ultimately vanishing the latter pair so he could hold the lance with both hands.

The weapon looked like a mishmash of a giant revolver and a jousting lance. It would fit right in with Beacon if not for the animal skin and bone parts meshed among the metal.

"It's simple. I'll make the fella stay in place. You beat it to death."

"I have many questions."

"Ha! It's too late for that. Here we go!"

Finding its targets stationary at last, the Rathalos opened its jaw wide, and pushed itself to speed up.

Jaune rolled aside. He was the only one who did. Logy didn't move, not even at the last second. Teeth met shield, and the Hunter wedged the thing straight inside the mouth of the Rathalos, his feet carving two grooves as he was pushed backward.

The grooves deepened, then caught, digging no further. One would think that would result in Logy being squashed flat by the massive frame of the monster, yet he held firm, knees bending under the force but refusing to buckle.

"You're kidding me," Jaune said, not quite believing it.

The Rathalos was the one to lose momentum, grinding to a halt. It strove to overpower the Hunter, pressing down with all its weight.

Logy turned, and cheerily called over, "Your turn!"

Right. This wasn't the time to gawk.

"Head or tail, huh?" He cast his gaze between two choices.

He first thought to aim for an eye, or the open mouth. The furious push and pull between Logy and the Rathalos prevented a clear shot. The tail was a death of inches, an arduous bloodletting that would require who knew how long. Tattletale interrupted before he could decide.

"Wait, Jaune, what's that spot on its back?"

Jaune blinked, and flicked his eyes up.

There, near the base of the neck, was a spot devoid of scales, revealing the pink flesh beneath.

It was where Escha harvested the scales in their first encounter with the monster. Her light touch had left little trauma there, and so avoided activating the hardening process that would toughen the affected area.

"I think you've got a winner."

"Yeah. I do, too."

An easy rocket–step dropped him onto the monster's back. It noticed, and attempted to dislodge the shield so it could go after him. Logy put a stop to that by jamming the shield further, locking it between the sharp teeth.

Lifting the lance high, Jaune pointed the tip at the unprotected flesh, and stabbed downward as hard as he could. The bone of the Anjanath, honed to an edge, parted the flesh to slide a few inches deep, provoking a roar from the Rathalos.

Jaune furrowed his brow. The attack hadn't been all that impressive, and he was now considering the idea of swapping to Crocea Mors. The lack of the lance's weight meant he wouldn't achieve the same penetrating power, but the speed of his lighter sword—

"Pull the trigger!" Logy shouted from below.

Checking the handle of the gunlance, he located the item in question. It resembled one that would be found on a regular gun. Reversing his grip to hold the weapon the proper way, he obliged Logy's request.

Boom!

With just a light click, a gunlance shell slammed into the flesh of the Rathalos, right next to the lance tip, striking flesh that had been softened by the first stab. The resulting explosion pushed the lance out.

The Rathalos bucked, nearly throwing Jaune off. Lassoing with [Third Arm] maintained his balance, and he drove the lance into the wound a second time, deeper now. Something clicked as the gun barrel pressed tight against the Rathalos.

Logy called up, "Hit the catch next to the trigger, and pull again! Fullburst!"

Boomboomboomboomboom!

This time, the trigger depressed flat against the handle, and a section of the gun barrel unlocked to unleash the remaining shells in one fell swoop, the explosions combining to blast the gunlance out of the wound. It flew past Jaune, and he strained to keep the lance in his grip while a vibration worked its way up the weapon, up his arm, and thrummed through his whole body. He was standing horizontal, almost, hanging on to the Rathalos like a rappelling mountaineer as it reared back.

Logy, dangling off his shield that was still inside the wyvern's mouth, smashed a flashpod directly into one of its eyes to overwhelm the senses of the Rathalos, blanking out its mind.

During that opening, Jaune stabbed the lance back in the wound, and Logy roared his next order.

"The catch on the other side! Wyrmstake cannon!"

A smaller tube extended, just below the long gun barrel. A sharpened spike rested at the tip, resembling a bayonet. It shot out in a drilling motion, spinning round and round to dig into the Rathalos before setting off in—BOOM!—yet another explosion, this one shattering the layer of bones weakened by the fullburst barrage.

The Rathalos slipped to the ground, on one knee, then the other.

"Brace the lance! Lever at the top!"

Searching for the best stance to do that, he adjusted his grip on the handle, tucking it under his arm. Finding the switch, he thumbed it.

From within the lance there came the sound of fluids racing from one end to the other. It had to be some kind of fuel, because an igniter near the tip of the gun barrel lit a flame. In a flash, Jaune experienced a vision of what would soon follow, and his heart fluttered in anticipation.

"Wyvernfire!"

The Anjanath, long dead, yet breathed again as a jet of flames shot out of the gunlance and straight into the Rathalos, powerful as anything it ever sent at Jaune. White-hot, the intense force was such that it launched the gunlance like a rocket in the opposite direction, taking Jaune with it. He flew in an arc, landing yards away from the Rathalos that was now cooking from the inside.

Lying on the ground, Jaune stared at the cavern ceiling and muttered to himself.

"Oh please, oh please… let me do that again."

Stubbornly, terrifyingly, the Rathalos hadn't died then and there. Crawling, it turned to level a baleful glare at him. Jaune sat up as the monster opened its mouth, seeing the last spark of fire flickering within.

"Yoooou are entirely too much trouble."

Answering the challenge, Jaune summoned a loaded weapon to hand, grunting as the weight settled on one shoulder. He aimed it directly at the mouth of the Rathalos.

But then, the monster reached the limits of its strength. With a final roar, the Rathalos sank down, expiring where it lay.

He took his finger off the trigger. Suspicious eyes studied the monster for one last trick. Finding none, he relaxed and fell flat on his back.

"Alright, guys. Let's get that Deviljho."

Outside, a signal flare screeched into the sky, lighting up in fireworks to alert their colleagues of their successful hunt.

-o-​

A lone tree grew by the coast, and Jaune sat beneath its shade. Nowhere as big as the ancient tree at the center of the jungle, it was mighty in its own right with the trunk wider than he was tall, and perfect for him to rest against while enjoying the seabreeze blown in from the ocean at his back. Next to him lay a pile of assorted knick-knacks, objects from his Pocket he judged would be unnecessary during the next hour and thus removed to make space for things that were. On his other side, Tattletale huffed and puffed, wiped out by the return trek down from the Rathalos nest.

"Have you ever seen anything like it?"

He was referring to the stampede before them, with creatures big and small rushing out of the jungle in a chaotic scramble. Dinosaurs lumbered in packs that split in halves to run along the coast. Monkey-like lizards scampered underfoot, or clung to larger beasts. Above, colorful tropical birds flew in one great flock.

"Nope…" the tired girl replied in a soft voice. Her eyes were shut, head tilted back. "Means that… it's close…"

He could have figured that out for himself. Unless there was a third big monster hanging around the area, it had to be the Deviljho responsible for the mass exodus. Linca and Reyfer were supposed to lead it here to the rendezvous point.

The first faces he recognized weren't them, though. Logy, accompanied by Escha, exited the jungle from a different direction, making a beeline for them. Escha went ahead, zipping across the ground to climb onto Tattletale's lap, where she offered the girl a jar of golden liquid with both hands.

A small smile tugged at Tattletale's lips, and she accepted the jar with a muttered thanks. As she sipped at the energy medicine, her hand rose to brush through the soft fur of the felyne, eliciting a contented purr; Escha wasn't shy about it, pressing her head into the hand.

Somewhat rejuvenated, Tattletale greeted Logy as he neared, "Got what you needed?"

Logy nodded. "The treetop camp still had a supply of sleep herbs. Took a bit to find the parashrooms, but I fashioned a couple of tranq bombs out of them." He showed them two pink orbs composed of what looked like wadded-up clay. "These will harden in a few minutes, then one good throw can crack them open."

"So that's what they look like… You sure this is enough for a monster?" Jaune asked.

"Two tends to be the amount that affects most species. Any more and it could mess them up when they inhale the fumes, which is a problem if it's a monster we decide to relocate instead of slay."

Tattletale held her chin, studying the bombs. "Things can't be that simple, or the monster hunting gig would end pretty quick. The toxin in those bombs isn't that strong, is it? And really only works when the target is somewhat worn down."

"Exactly," Logy said. "Toss these at the Deviljho now and it wouldn't do a thing. If it's already half-unconscious? Knocks the fella right out for our retrieval crews to move."

That still sounded dead useful to Jaune. A method to shorten battles, to retreat from danger, or, say, to put a dragon in a position for him to strike a decisive blow? Color him intrigued.

"This could have been useful when we fought the Rathalos," he remarked.

Logy pulled a face. "No way, nuh-uh. Guild regulations are clear on that, and I agree with them. Overuse of these when they were first invented bit us in the butt. They're best for the ones we want to capture and nothing else. If we're slaying a monster, we do it right. They have the same reasons to live as we do."

"The responsible slaying of monsters, huh?" Jaune said, musing on the concept. On Remnant, that involved massive firepower, the bigger the better, until the Grimm population of an area hit zero. Although, he had to admit that this universe didn't face the same sort of foes. Monsters here weren't evil, from what he had seen. Vicious, pissed off, and gluttonous, but not evil. And so, for all the tricks and traps that Hunters employed, they gave the monsters a chance to fight for their lives.

Jaune wasn't as sure about that last part, because seeing the trees collapsing in the distance was hitting every alarm button. His instincts screamed at him to either run, or kill whatever was the cause of that.

He jumped to his feet, and recapped, "Step one: Tire it out. Step two: put it to sleep. Got it."

"Shouldn't be too hard," Tattletale chirped, peppier now with the super-coffee she just drank. Brushing off her outfit, she got up and moved to the stretch of sand set further down the coastline, where she had planted the camouflage cloak. Ducking to the other side of it, she vanished in a blink, with her next words coming from his phone. "Good luck, Jaune."

"Easy-peasy," he said, psyching himself up.

His preparations were simpler. They didn't want the Deviljho near the tree—and the knot of vines strung on the branches—just yet. It was a contingency to keep in the back pocket. The area in front of it featured mostly flat ground, with a few outcroppings. That would be their battlefield, and he advanced into the center of the space. The others joined him there, and not a moment too soon.

Their missing members sprinted into the open, arms and legs pumping.

A distance behind them, the Deviljho barreled out of the dense foliage in all its green T-Rex glory. With spittle flying and each step leaving a groove in the dirt, it mounted a charge that none dared stop.

The Hunters have left their mark on it, however. The Deviljho breathed in heavy gasps as it ran, stomach starved of food and growling, with some of the exterior teeth broken, presumably due to Linca smacking it with her hammer. The scorch marks, mud splatters, and unrepentant grins on the two Hunters' faces spoke of a wild time fending off their target. Neither carried worse than superficial wounds, and seemed in fighting shape.

"We dropped a dang cliff on it!" Reyfer boasted upon reaching them.

Logy raised a thumb. "Nice!"

Yet despite that, Devijho survived. Jaune once again marveled at monster physiology. Frankly, this one might be beyond them. Good thing they didn't have to kill it.

And if it could survive a rockslide…

The Hunters drew their weapons, and they along with Jaune fanned out in a loose half-circle, dividing the monster's attention. The tactic was doubly effective on the ever-ravenous Deviljho, now rocked by indecision on which prey to eat first. It'd get to them all, of course, that was never a doubt in its mind, but the choice of appetizer could set the tone for the whole meal.

Lucky Boy Jaune received that honor. He would have liked to attribute that to a magnetic charisma or dashing good looks, except he had the sneaking suspicion it was more because he dressed in a flashy white and red poncho, the colors blaring his presence.

The Deviljho unhinged its jaw, the mouth opening impossibly wide, head lowering until its chin scraped the ground at the perfect height to scoop him in.

"Might want to move there, just saying."

"Yeah, yeah, I will." He summoned a long metal tube, propping it on a shoulder. It was what he would have used on the Rathalos, but never got the chance. "After this. Bets on it surviving a rocket launcher?"

The responsible slaying of monsters called for the most super ethical of weapons.

"...Where are you putting the shot?" Tattletale was game.

Taking a knee, he aimed the rocket launcher. At this distance, and with how big the monster was, he couldn't miss. And there was only one target he could go for, as it blocked the bulk of the Deviljho from sight.

Observing from her hiding place, Tattletale figured out his intentions. "Ah. Dead as a sandwich, then. Bet."

Jaune pulled the trigger. A line of smoke trailed the rocket as it shot straight down the gullet of Deviljho.

The monster jerked its head, swallowing on instinct.

BOOM!

The explosion rocked the Deviljho, sending it stumbling. Its belly distended with the force of the blast, bulging in an almost cartoon fashion. A slip, and the monster struck the ground with a slam that raised tremors below their feet. It laid on its side, twitching, with a column of roiling smoke rising from the open mouth.

In that moment, Jaune became the envy of all the Hunters as they stared at the rocket launcher.

"Sooo, did I win the bet—I didn't!? It's still alive! Holy crap!" Tattletale gasped in realization. "They're a species that eats everything, even trees and dirt. To digest that… The stomach is probably the toughest organ in a Deviljho!"

"Pretty much what I thought," Jaune said. "The thing shrugged off a rockslide."

She scoffed. "There's no way you predicted it would live through this."

He didn't. In truth, he was also hoping with all his might that it dies when he pulled the trigger, capture be damned. Because if it lived, then it was going to be pissed. At him.

The Deviljho rolled onto its stomach. Scarlet eyes locked on Jaune, and the monster growled through its teeth.

A change came over the Deviljho as it laid there. The smoke pouring from its mouth took on a new consistency, thicker and scattering ominous sparks. With a tearing sound, the scaly hide on the back and shoulders of the monster split apart in long seams, the muscles beneath swelling to bulge through the gaps. The exposed flesh pulsed with a red glow, slowly spreading to the head of the monster—at which point Jaune recognized what was happening.

The Deviljho had gotten really, really angry. And that gave it a power-up.

"I might have made a mistake."

Logy laughed good-naturedly. "Don't say that! You did great! Fella may act tough, but that did hurt it badly. See how it's trembling?"

"That's not rage?" Hope sprang in his chest.

Then the other man killed it.

"It's not all rage. There's damage being done inside, where we can't see." Logy pointed with his lance. "So, new plan, everybody. No need to defend yourselves, there's nothing on Deviljho's mind except Jaune. Just focus on attacking."

"And what about me?" Jaune whimpered asked in a calm and collected manner, very much holding out doubts on this strategy.

"You, my friend, will be putting your strange abilities to use, and—"

"Run, Jaune, run!"

"What she said."

Jaune looked at the monster bracing one leg under itself, then the other, before pushing off the ground. The whole time, its gaze refused to stray from him. The red glow had reached the eyes, and the monster growled hoarsely through a scorched throat.

"Oh, joy."

The growl ramped up into a roar, screamed to the sky, as the Deviljho broke into a new charge. Long strides carried it on top of them in a matter of seconds. The head reared, jaw spread wide to let Jaune count the rows and rows of sharp fangs.

"My, what big—"

The head slammed down, crushing the spot he just vacated. Rock and dirt flew high in a spray, some hitting Jaune as he floated in the air.

He tried to calm his breathing, a hand over his thundering heart. "Fast, aren't you?"

A red eye flicked in his direction.

Jaune cleared another hundred yards at a sickening speed, because oh wow can that thing stretch! The monster was standing vertical on tip-toes, the massive jaw clamped shut way past Jaune's previous position, which would be somewhere around the height of the stomach now. Legs tucked into his chest, he looked down, gulping in apprehension at how close that had been.

Then, he put out a hand and summoned the boulder in his Pocket. The size of a person, and many times denser, it immediately dropped, bashing the Deviljho right on the nose to make it go cross-eyed.

His other hand took a picture with his scroll.

Heh. Throwing out most of his stuff to free up room was so worth it.

"Jaune, twenty seconds," Tattletale warned.

Already? Time really flies on rocket boots. Shutting off the power, he fell after the Deviljho. Near the ground, he began rocket-stepping to slow down, angling to land beside his rock while the Deviljho was still shaking off the hit to the face. A tap and it returned to his Pocket, primed for a second run should the opportunity arise.

Meeting the eyes of the Hunters hard at work chipping away at the ankles, he saluted them before escaping ahead of the monster. They went ignored by the Deviljho as it pursued him with single-minded focus, especially since they stayed in place rather than joining the chase.

Logy, in particular, had turned toward the beach and was signaling at Tattletale. A few moments after that, her voice spoke to Jaune from the phone, relaying what the Hunter said.

"Circle around, and come back to them. Do your best to stay low to the ground so their attacks can reach the head. Stunning the monster will make it easier for the tranq bombs to take effect." She continued the explanation as he followed the instruction and banked to the left. "Basically, we want to scramble those brain signals hard before adding the toxin to the mix."

"You make it sound so simple," he said, half-jesting.

The other half was pure adrenaline giving him a case of motor-mouth, because his route allowed the monster to cut on an angle to intercept him, which it did, and he was coming into range. He watched the teeth.

He should have watched the tail.

The shape of the Deviljho lent it an impression that was easy to underestimate. Long, fat, and green…honestly, it looked like a pickle. One would think it clumsy, and lazy. The way it pivoted on the balls of its feet was anything but, resembling the graceful movement of a dance more than anything.

A dancing pickle.

The tail whipped through the air, a solid block covering the height of a double-decker bus at its thickest, and almost as tall as Jaune at the thinnest.

Launching [Third Arm] to pull him, Jaune ducked low in a slide. Not low enough. The tail cracked him on the chin.

Momentum continued to carry him forward. He hit the ground, bounced, hit it again, bounced again. Unable to tell up from down, his attempt at recovery via rockets scraped his face on the earth for a good length, eating dirt the whole way.

Salvation came in the form of abs with him smacking face-first into Linca, who had missed the catch. Rock hard, they were still softer than the monster bones she wore as armor, so he was quite grateful for that.

"Owwww…" he said in thanks.

It was the best he could manage at the moment.

"You did good, Jaune!" Logy praised, slapping him on the back with the others quick to pile on. "You did good!"

"Owwww…" ("Glad to hear it!")

An energy shot from Escha got him standing in time to meet the Deviljho. He waved for the Hunters to split to either side, leaving him alone in the lane. Shadowy wisps wrapped around his hand, and he tapped his heels impatiently, stamping light scorch marks below.

He was beginning to get a grasp on the monster. The speed it can bring to bear meant he shouldn't move early, lest it adjust for the maneuver. Put a lot of distance between them, also a mistake. For the Deviljho, its size was a weapon, and the sweeping blow reflected that. Leave space, and it filled the space.

Evade, but keep within a tight area. That was the key.

The chin of the monster hit the ground, driving a wide groove as the mouth stretched wide.

[Third Arm] extended out. Not to the full extent it could be. Not even half. A long hop's length. A tug, and he turned on his heels to watch the Deviljho brush past, smiling as he listened to the sound of explosive shells and Linca's hammer cracking the monster on the chin—revenge by proxy, he considered it. A step back avoided the wider bulk of the body.

The monster dug its talons down to bleed away the momentum, swinging around. To help it locate him, Jaune brought out one of the few firearms he kept on him—there weren't many that still had bullets—and popped off a couple of rounds, the loud noise attracting its attention.

It didn't rush this time, needing two strides to close the distance. The head reared, a familiar tell. Jaune backstepped as the ground exploded before him, one hand raised over his eyes to ward off the spray of debris, then skipped behind Linca to give her room to slap her hammer on the chin again.

Reyfer got his own licks in, eliminating an eye with his bowgun projectiles to elicit a screech. The Deviljho almost lost interest in Jaune at that point, averted with him peppering the other eye with gunfire. The threat of total blindness refocused it real quick, and Jaune had to dodge another chin slam.

A number of exterior teeth were knocked loose with that attack. Jaune wondered if the monster realized.

Linca broke a couple more, and Jaune sticking around to bait the Deviljho soon made him her favorite person in the world as she went to town with her hammer. The massive chin became pockmarked with craters under her hand, faults forming through repeated strikes.

A cheer went up among the party as they witnessed the first of those faults shattering to reveal a softer meat beneath the hard outer carapace.

By this point, the Deviljho hated all of them, not just Jaune. With multiple annoyances scurrying underfoot, it chose to attack every single one at once. Corded muscles flexed as the monster squatted, then leapt upward.

"Scatter!" Jaune and Logy both shouted.

Reyfer was already safely outside range. A sprinting Logy scooped Escha into his arms in passing. Linca dove clear.

Jaune slipped below the now falling Deviljho, dropped his rock there, and blasted his rockets at full power to escape the area.

The Deviljho came down, and one foot landed right on the boulder. Its weight drove the rock into the ground, but not before the monster slipped on the unexpected impediment. Instead of two feet, the entire frame of the Deviljho landed on its side, kicking up an earthquake that had everyone stumbling.

When they regained their footing, it was still lying down. Identical grins grew on their faces.

Jaune pointed at the monster. "Charge!"

The Hunters gladly obliged, rushing in from every direction to unleash their most devastating attacks. To Jaune's eternal jealousy, Logy got the chance to pull off the full breadth of gunlance functions, drilling into the broken gap. A massive bowgun bolt struck the same spot, exploding to widen the wound, helping to prepare it for the third Hunter of the party.

Linca, caught on the opposite end of the monster, ran up an incline with her hammer wound back. Taking a jump, she threw the heavy weapon forward, and followed the momentum to spin round and round in a tight revolution that repeatedly smashed the hammer all along the length of the Deviljho, carrying her ever closer to her target.

From the phone, Jaune heard Tattletale groaning through a headache. She's an odd girl, smart yet sometimes confused by the simplest of concepts.

The final hammer blow slapped the Deviljho in the cratered chin, and with a sudden jerk, the monster relaxed in a boneless stupor.

Red, glowing muscles faded in color, shrinking to fit within the skin.

They had stunned it.

Reyfer called over, "Logy, toss the—"

"Way ahead of you!" The pellets were already in his hand, and the Hunter pitched them at the Deviljho, They shattered against the snout, releasing puffs of pink smoke that the monster inhaled in one breath.

Nobody moved, or made a sound. Six sets of eyes stared hard at the monster, waiting for a reaction.

Just as they began to let their guards down…

It twitched.

"Uh-oh," Logy said, utterly failing to convey the trouble they were in.

With laborious effort, the Deviljho rolled to its feet. It swayed like a drunken sailor, but remained upright. The working eye rolled in their socket, bleary and lost, taking a long time to find the party. Though once it did, it never left them for a second. A rumbling growl rose from its throat, matching the one in the stomach. Hate did not spur it on this time. It was ravenous.

"You didn't exhaust it enough," Tattletale explained, rather unnecessarily.

"Yeah, I think we got that," Jaune said. "What now?"

Logy answered, "Heh heh. That's why we have backup plans. Lead it to the tree!"

They retreated in a disorganized mob, sure in the knowledge that their foe would pursue the snacks on legs that it saw them as. There was little grace in the mighty footfalls now, the Deviljho too groggy to stay on a straight course.

Reaching the tree, they ran beneath the outstretched branches, guiding the monster so that it would travel through the same spot. Jaune rocket-stepped to draw level with the foliage, among the criss-crossing network of vines. Many had been cut free beforehand, with just the two key tree branches that Tattletale identified left intact to support the arrangement.

As the Deviljho passed under him, he swung his sword to sever these last connections. The cords of thick, hardy vines fell onto the Deviljho, and in the subsequent struggle tangled hopelessly around it. Once more, it crashed to the ground.

"Good!" Logy said as Jaune landed beside the Hunters. "Alright, everyone." He cast his gaze across the party, meeting their eyes one by one. "This is it. The finish. Either we exhaust it, and the tranq bomb toxins take effect, or we slay the Deviljho for good. Whichever course it shall be, none could deny that this was our greatest hunt to date!"

Linca, Reyfer, Escha, and Jaune raised their weapons to the sky, and roared their approval.

"Now, let's get that Deviljho!"

No sooner as he said it, a tranquilizer dart flashed by the group, zipping straight into the monster's nostril, causing it to sneeze a glob of mucus. A second dart joined the first. Then another. All were shot with unerring accuracy despite the target twisting and turning in a wrestling bout with the vines.

By themselves, they would do little to a creature of that size. Combined with the toxin already wrecking havoc inside, the flagging strength, and the many blows to the face… they did just enough to push the monster over the edge of unconsciousness.

The red eye blinked. It blinked again, slower. The third time the eyelid fell shut, it did not open.

Slowly, the head lowered to rest on a layer of vines. The Deviljho ceased to struggle.

Snores soon arose.

The people standing over the sleeping monster turned their heads in the same direction. Their gazes landed on a stretch of sand along the coast, where a girl posed with hips cocked and a crossbow held aloft. Smiling sweetly, she greeted them with a wave, wiggling her fingers.

Tattletale stole their kill!

-o-​

The wooden gates opened, allowing passage to the procession.

First through were the lumbering dinosaurs used as beasts of burden, dragging behind them a cart the length of a cargo truck. The Rathalos rested upon the cart, and sunlight cast a rippling shimmer on the red scales to draw the eye.

A second cart trailed the first, and if the last one attracted attention, then this one commanded it. A monster never seen in the New World. A species thought to exist only across the sea. Known as "World Eaters' for their all-devouring hunger, a Deviljho crossed the gates. Alive.

Among the onlookers, a researcher dropped the stacks of thesis papers in her arms, and salivated. A gluttonous Hunter looked at the puny bird drumstick he was eating, then at the legs of the Deviljho, and did the same.

After them came the heroes of the hour. Monster Hunters, and two strangers. A rousing cheer greeted their arrival, and that was how Jaune got his first look at Astera.

More outpost than settlement, Astera was built for function. Built as shelter and defense in one. Beyond all that, it was built—

"Are those ships?"

Logy laughed, and turned around to spread his arms wide.

"Welcome, you two, to Astera! Where ships are houses!"

He hadn't been kidding. The people of Astera ascribed to the idea that anything can serve a second purpose. The multi-level outpost stretched its way up a waterfall, and comprised dozens of ships recycled after completing their voyage to these lands. Hulls and sails formed freestanding roofs to provide shade for the port, in one case with an entire clipper turned upside-down to be raised aloft by ship masts. The floors were made of deck planks, as were the bridges crisscrossing the inlet. Ships rammed into rocks became buildings, move-in ready, stacking one on top of another to create a residential district.

Above the settlement, resting on separate rock spires, there balanced two halves of a ship prevented from collapsing solely by the support beams connecting them.

Tattletale shook her head at the haphazard construction. "It's a madhouse…"

So she judged. That wasn't the impression that Jaune received as he followed Logy and the others through the shipyard, turning every which way to take in the sights. The individual parts may seem messy and chaotic, the many voices and meows merging in a rowdy din, but everyone moved with purpose, whether human or felyne. Running, in cases. Always off to somewhere, a destination on their mind. A thousand different stories, tied to one unified goal.

And that was the Guild. The Research Commision of the New World.

Here, the city never slept. Never stopped advancing.

Reyfer the gunner soon split off from the party to go report their findings, heading to a corner of the outpost where a grizzled old man that looked like he bench-pressed people for fun stood at the head of a table strewn with maps and notes. That old man met Jaune's gaze across the distance, before glancing to Tattletale, keen eyes scrutinizing what did not belong amidst the tableau that was Astera. He then broke into laughter, giving the pair an approving nod.

Jaune got the feeling that this was a man who would very much enjoy hearing about the impending Rath species influx.

Directed onto a platform lift, he marveled at the water-wheel pulley system that carried them to one of the overhead bridges. There was a rough simplicity to it that hid the ingenuity of the Astera locals.

As they stepped off it, Linca bade leave, adjusting the sack of modern firearms on her shoulder while pointing toward the entrance to a nearby building. An orange glow, and heat, emanated from the open doors.

"I will go put in the equipment orders now. That way, they can rush it for when you leave tomorrow." The Hunters had voiced their full confidence that the guns—especially the rocket launcher—and remaining bullets Jaune was leaving behind for them would be more than sufficiently interesting to the smiths to wrangle them that favor. "Final call, you are definitely fine with the shares?"

Jaune nodded. "We can't stick around for the days it would take for the Deviljho to be studied, so it only makes sense you get the parts from it. And I should ask you the same question. The Rathalos—"

"Is one of the many to come," she finished for him, with Logy and Escha humming in agreement. "We will soon be up to our ears in Rathalos gear. The Deviljho is… rare. Very rare. The bones would make for a wonderful hammer." The hammer enthusiast pumped her fists in anticipation.

Faced with her eagerness, he could only chuckle. "Fair enough."

Both sides were getting the best of it, so what was there to complain about?

Well…

After Linca left, Jaune turned to Logy. "I still think it's best we leave now. That portal gets finicky once our reason to be in a world is over."

Logy would have none of it.

"You earned those monster parts, and you earned your rest for the day. That's what a hunt is. If your portal is so smart like you said then it'd know that."

Tattletale facepalmed. "And I told you that's not how it works! A sophisticated program doesn't equate sentience, or understanding!"

The mad shrugged his shoulders. "The portal is in the mosswine grove, right? The retrieval squads are spreading the news around now. Our people going into the forest tonight will check on it. If oddities spring up like you warn us, we'll tell you right away. Otherwise, why worry?"

It wasn't the first time they had this argument, or the fifth. The Hunters had insisted on celebrating. Once they learned that the portal in Dunwall took time to spread, and had started to revert the moment the two of them left that universe, no dire warnings would persuade them from this course.

"Just…" Jaune gave up. "Just don't touch it."

"We're a careful lot, didn't ya know? Now, come on! You need to experience a real meal!"

That was another point of contention between them. The locals had been aghast upon hearing what Jaune considered a proper-sized dinner, let alone Tattletale and her tiny portions. Linca even cried tears of sympathy for the pair.

Jaune would be lying if he said he wasn't tempted. Forget dino nuggies, he could eat dragon meat!

Or, well, wyvern. Whatever. Those counted. If anyone has a problem with it, they can make their objections known, like with his title (proven twice more on this most glorious day!) of dragonslayer.

Heading in the opposite direction of the forge, they arrived at the bustling canteen. Set on an overlook, it allowed a stellar view of the outpost and surrounding lands. That wasn't what caught Jaune's eye.

Cats.

Felyne chefs cooked food in cat-shaped rock ovens carved from the cliff decorated with cat art. One among the chefs stood out, and not for the deference that the others gave him. The brawny felyne had muscles on his muscles, bulging beneath the fur.

He took one look at Jaune and Tattletale, and balked.

"Who starved these children!?"

Logy waved his arms in denial. "Nobody did!"

"You lie," the felyne hissed. Slamming his oversized knife on a cutting board, he pointed at Jaune. "He's scrawny." The word carried the sort of horror-struck grief that one used with phrases like 'It's too late for him' and 'what monster would do this.'

Quietly, Jaune flexed his arm, poking at a bicep to check his physique. He wasn't scrawny… was he?

Tattletale gave him an odd look.

"And he wouldn't be, if you fed him, Meowscular Chef," Logy countered. "That's why we're here after our hunt, so that they can bulk up like you're always saying." He leaned over the stone counter, lowering his voice. "Get this. They've never eaten wyvern."

Meowscular Chef (and that has to be a nickname, right?) gasped.

"That girl thinks tomatoes are 'kind of gross.'"

Meowscular Chef fainted into the arms of his assistants.

"Oh, and they said two chicken eggs is enough protein for the day."

That was the final straw. Even the other felynes in the kitchen looked offended. They roared (meowed) a warcry alongside Meowscular Chef, who began shouting orders to his subordinates, screaming about how Jaune and Tattletale were in desperate need of 'gains.'

Logy smiled evilly as he led them to a free table, nabbing two extra seats for their absent members in the process. "My friends, we are eating good tonight! After hearing that, I doubt Meowscular Chef is gonna let any of us leave before the fifth course."

"...Tell me you're joking," replied Tattletale. There's a slight quaver to her voice to suggest she might already know the answer.

Escha, climbing into the seat next to her, lightly patted the girl on the arm and shook her head.

Tattletale paled, while Jaune pounded a fist on the table's stone surface, signaling his acceptance of the challenge.

The open-air canteen was giving him a front row seat to the chefs at work, and his stomach growled at the scene. Slabs of meat heavier than him were being sliced into inches-thick strips, or tenderized into patties. Fire blazed in the rock ovens, and the hearty aroma of grilling fish wafted over the air. Golden grains of fried rice danced merrily in a giant wok.

In no time at all, a feast laid before the party, one that Jaune doubted they could finish, and that's counting Reyfer and Linca who had rejoined them at the table. Then he saw the chefs start on the second course.

Oh, boy.

His first taste of dragon meat, Jaune fell in love. The steak measured thick as his arm, yet was so tender after cooking that it tore with the lightest of bites. It didn't taste like any animal he had ever eaten, boasting a natural spicy tang that paired well with the flagon of honey mead they gave him. Veggies made their way into every dish, so crisp and fresh were they that he could imagine his body swelling with energy for each stalk of carrot or lettuce leaf consumed.

…Exactly like that, in fact. Eating the food didn't weigh on his stomach, didn't bloat him. Rather, it made him feel like he could run a marathon real quick before returning to continue the meal. The flavors seemed to almost sharpen the more he ate, the vividness of the ingredients striking differently on his tongue than minutes earlier.

Tattletale stared as he blazed through the dishes to advance to the second course. When she managed to push herself to the second course, he was on the third. She, and Escha, threw in the towel there. He went for fourths.

The Hunters were on their sixth. Yeah, even he had to take a step back and say 'enough' there.

It was around that point, sitting there snacking on morsels, chatting to the Hunters while listening with half an ear to Escha pestering Tattletale for stories of other worlds, that the thought struck him.

Today was his first true hunt.

No life-threatening ambush that forced him to fight. No complicated mess that he had to untangle. He found news of a monster causing trouble, and gathered a team to chase after it. Bringing it down, he got paid. After a hard day's work, the world became a little safer because of him. It was the life he signed up for.

But what he remembered, what he treasured were the unhurried, lighthearted times. The stroll through the woods, learning of the local fauna and flora. Chatting with Logy and Escha as they climbed a tree that was more akin to a mountain. Taking in the views.

It clashed with the lessons taught at Beacon. There, they pushed the value of speed and expediency, the need to focus on the battle before all else. In time, he would have learned to shut down his thoughts, good or ill, until a Grimm was dead. Nothing mattered but that a Huntsman completed his hunt without delay. The people of Remnant depended on it, each and every day.

Living was for when the job was done.

Here, always, the Hunters lived. Even as they hunted, they lived.

He envied them. Envied that the world did not wish for them to die. That, for all that they struggled, they could exist in harmony with nature. That they laughed because they wanted to, not because they had to. It seemed to him a fairer world.

Perhaps that was why he had let these guys convince him to stay the night.

Pushing a smile to his face, he snatched up a dino drumstick, and took a great big bite of it as he rejoined the revelry, joking with the Hunters and recounting to them tales of his adventures.

Tomorrow was another day. In this moment, as the sun set over Astera, Jaune chose to fool himself for a little while longer.

And dreamt that this was the life he was meant to live.

-o-​

The next morning, Jaune walked out of the forge, having donned his latest set of equipment.

Coming to a stop in front of Tattletale, he spun in place to let her see it from all angles, before spreading his arms. "So? How's it look?"

Tattletale leaned closer, chin in hand, to scan him up and down for a good long while. Afterwards, she rendered her judgement.

"Very samurai. Very…" Her eyes darted to the side, and she waffled for a bit before looking back at him. "Very Japan," she decided.

Jaune beamed. "You like it, then?"

The smile faded somewhat when she refused to answer that question.

Well, he loved it, and that's what mattered. Blended of Rathalos scales and metal plates lined with the wing membrane, wearing it reduced the roiling heat of the forge to a warm breeze for all of him except the exposed face. He was also quite pleased with how the tests of the defensive properties turned out. A heavy sword blow deflected off his arm with barely a scratch to his Aura, whereas before a bigger chunk would have been lost.

Nobody could say the armor set was subtle, of course. The red and black scales rippled in the light, covering him from head to toe—no footwear, as he requested, but the smiths crafted an outer layer that could be attached to his rocket boots. Sharp spikes were placed in strategic places to enable unarmed strikes. A half-visor hid his eyes. Overall, it combined to lend an aggressive image. This armor was forged for battle, not games.

And not for strolling down a modern city street. People in Vale understood a Huntsman's need for a few bits of armor, sure. A few. Manufactured from normal materials. With a giant lizard making up the majority of the outfit, they would be giving him side-eyes the whole time.

"This would probably have to be kept in the Pocket, huh?"

Tattletale nodded. "I'd recommend it. Staying under the radar has worked in our favor so far. Is it hard to put on?"

"Not at all," Jaune denied. "If I hurry, two minutes tops? The armorsmiths added a bunch of little ways they showed me to help speed things up."

"Two minutes? That's pretty good. Unless it's a threat coming out of left field, you can wear regular clothes to blend in and change over when you think you'd need to fight…" Trailing off, she studied him again. "Hey, can you…"

"What?"

"Let's say the armor is in your Pocket. Can you pull it out and have it appear on your body? Instead of in your hand?"

Jaune went to answer, paused, and thought it over.

"I don't know?" was his conclusion. "I've never tried." From the beginning, using his hand just seemed more intuitive.

"Do, then. It could turn two minutes into two seconds," she advised, a pleased smile growing as he nodded. "Now, where's your shiny new whacking stick? I want to see!" Snickering, she made a show of peeking here and there, knowing damn well where it was.

They appeared from thin air. Taking her advice to heart, he had visualized the shield coming to hand with the strap around his forearm, and the result suggested Tattletale may have struck on an interesting idea that very much warranted further exploration.

Similar to Crocea Mors, it was what's referred to as a heater shield, leading Jaune to wonder if perhaps its maker had a sense of humor. A sense of irony, too, seeing as it incorporated parts from the back of the Rathalos, specifically the section just behind the spot he pulverized. Scales colored in red and black traced the shape of the spine, the raised ridge serving to deflect blows to either side.

A heat-resistant heater shield, protecting with materials that couldn't protect its last owner.

It tanked a barrage of explosive shells earlier, though, so he won't complain. The smiths knew their craft.

In his other hand, he held what Tattletale mockingly called his 'whacking stick,' and he hated how apt a term it was. The gunlance was, in essence, exactly that. A big stick that he can deploy in situations where a small stick won't cut it.

He had inquired about an upgrade to Crocea Mors at first. The blacksmith had taken one look at the blade and bopped him on the head with a pair of tongs for asking silly questions. It wasn't possible to smelt metal and Rathalos bone together in a continuous whole. A sword of monster parts would constitute an entirely different sword than Crocea Mors. In the end, a thin strip of Rathalos scales, shaved from the outermost surface layer, wrapped around the handle for a better grip, and that was the furthest extent of changes there.

New fabrication was a simpler matter. Reflecting a sort of Hunter philosophy, the bulk of the lance came from the tail he cut; his achievement, now finding purpose as his weapon. Thicker and shorter than a jousting lance, the part above the handle was divided into two sections.

A lower gun cylinder half, reinforced with the Rathalos materials—cinched with metal supports—to handle the exhaust heat arising from the various incendiary functions contained within, from the explosive shells, to the wyrmstake cannon, to the wyvernfire.

A less complicated and primarily-metal upper half, serving both as a blunt instrument and a casing for the gun barrel, which was hidden under the sole monster part put into it, a lance tip shaped from the main tail spike that blended in with the dark metal.

The weight and balance would take getting used to. Still, it can swing hard, stab well, and go boom. What's not to like?


Red Rook
Universe: Monster Hunter
A lance. It's also a gun.
Long, thick, and hard. With this in hand, one may roar with the might of Rathalos.
Disclaimer: Not intended for use with one's Flame Atronachs.


"Wowee, look who's a proper Hunter now!" called a voice.

Jaune and Tattletale turned to see three monster Hunters stepping off the platform lift near the forge. Logy was the first to reach them, and he observed Jaune's Rathalos gear with approval, the gunlance in particular.

"Metal tip? Nice. I prefer bone, myself, but the Anjanath is better for that. Theirs are denser."

With the expert present, Jaune fell into discussion with the man on the intricacies of the weapon, comparing gunlances.

The gunlance was more finicky than, for example, a hammer. It required taking apart from time to time for maintenance, the way a gun would. Combat-wise, the gunlance and shield combo shared certain principles at the base level with his current sword and shield style, but the disparity in sizes meant he would need to accommodate fighting at a different speed, along with a host of other changes. Logy had a hundred such tips to impart, and Jaune eagerly memorized them.

Soon, though, he had to ask. "Soooo… what's with the barrel?"

Set between Reyfer and Linca, who had carried it all the way up here, it was bursting with plants, fruits, cured meats, potion jars, bug cages, ammunition shells, and various odds and ends.

Logy skipped back next to his teammates, and the trio flourished their hands at the barrel.

"It's our gift for you two!"

"Ain't we awesome?"

"I included my personal stock of Dodogama jerky. It is delicious."

Tattletale narrowed her eyes at the theatrics.

"They're hiding something."

Logy clasped a hand over his heart, wounded. "What? How silly!"

"Wait wait wait," Jaune interrupted, pointing at the barrel. "Where did you get these from?"

"Bought'em, obviously," Reyfer answered. "We weren't about to scrounge them up all in a morning, but the quartermaster stores are always a sure bet for picking things up on short notice."

"Felyne fur…" Tattletale muttered.

Logy said quickly. "Escha helped with it."

Whatever mystery Tattletale was stuck on this time, Jaune didn't know. He was more concerned with the fact that these three spent their money on so much stuff. It couldn't have been cheap.

"I can't take this. I mean, it's necessary supplies that you can use for yourself!"

"That so? You want to give it back?" said Logy. "And what if we say we'll throw it in the harbor first thing? That sounds like a fun idea, don't you think, Linca?"

Linca nodded with a dead serious expression.

"I…" Jaune paused, searching their eyes. He sighed. "Seriously, guys?"

"Just accept it, Jaune. We thought this over already." A slight smile flashed across Logy's face. "This is a decision everyone agreed would be good."

Reyfer turned to Logy. "I don't know, on second gander, his weak noodly arms might not be able to lift the barrel. Maybe we should get 'im a cart."

Jaune snorted at the joke. Wiping the beginning of a teardrop from his eyes, he affected a playful tone. "Yeah? Did you forget about my magic trick, Reyfer?" He placed a hand on the barrel.

And as the barrel vanished, he did, indeed, see them panicking as they recalled he had the ability to pull his possessions into his Pocket.

"What the—" Jaune stared at the cat that had appeared where the barrel once stood. A felyne, to be specific. "Escha? Why were you in the barrel!?"

"Ehehe…" Escha rubbed her ear with a paw, nervous.

Jaune whipped his head to the three Hunters. "Did you guys know about this?"

"They did," Tattletale confirmed before they could.

The story spilled out from there.

Escha had asked for their help last night, after Jaune and Tattletale went to bed, and the group concocted this plan. Since they intended to put together a parting gift anyway, why not store it all in a barrel? Then rig a false bottom for Escha to hide inside? That way, she could come along through the portal, and go explore other universes!

"I told you that I still don't know if the portal is anything but a one-way trip!" Jaune scolded them.

They didn't get it. Or they did, and didn't care. To the cat, the risk of leaving forever would be worth it for the chance of a lifetime.

Her friends? They were cheering her on, telling her to follow her dream.

"Look, Jaune. Even if she isn't here, we'll know she's doing okay out there, and that's enough for us," Logy explained, pointing to the sky and what lay beyond.

Jaune retorted, "There's a thousand things that could kill us, kill her, during our travels!"

"Are you going to let it happen without a fight?" Linca asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Well… no."

"Then we don't see a reason to worry," Logy said. "Like you told me before, there's not always monsters out there, and I want Escha to experience that kind of place. It's her curiosity that led her to the New World, and now it's leading her to her next destination, with you. And someday, Escha will find her way home, where she'd tell us all about her adventures. This isn't farewell."

These guys…

They were too carefree, too hopeful. Too good.

Appealing to their emotions was impossible, when the strength of their hearts were already guiding their actions.

So, Jaune cheated and turned to Tattletale for help. Her logic would win the day.

Before Tattletale's sharp tongue could cut down the foolish, kind Hunters, Escha leapt upon the girl to hug her around the neck.

"Please, please, please, please, please!" the cat pleaded. "I loved your stories, and I want to hear more about everything! About Aladdin! And Robin Hood! And Sherlock Holmes!"

Pressing close, she let Tattletale feel her fluffy, fluffy white fur, and the soft rumble of her purr.

Tattletale scoffed at the blatant and, frankly, amateurish attempt to sway her mind. Rolling her eyes, she turned Escha around so she could hug the felyne into her chest, the head tucked under her chin.

Then, she looked at Jaune with a slight grimace of embarrassment and defeat.

"...I'm okay with it."

Jaune slapped a hand over his face.

"Alright. Guess that's that. I give up. Escha can come with us."

A cheer went up among the monster Hunters, and he had to smile at just how honest and happy it was. Lifting his head, he continued to speak.

"The rest of you, get over here. I've got a present for all of you, too. A little thing called Aura."

He grinned, as did the Hunters.

"Those monsters won't know what hit 'em."

Universe: Monster Hunter. Location: Ancient Forest.
Event: Rathalos Hunt.
Loot: Red Rook gunlance, Rathalos armor, healing herbs, antidote herbs, sleep herbs, blue mushroom, mandragora mushrooms, might seeds, adamant seeds, flashbugs, thunderbugs, godbugs, bitterbugs, bees, healing potions, energy drinks, antidotes, various potion recipes, food ingredients, whetstones, gunlance spare parts, explosive shells, shell recipes, Meowscular Chef-approved gains, mosswines (x4).

~Ting-a-ling~ Escha the Palico has joined the party!​

---

Author's Notes: After writing this, I kind of want to replay MHW now.
.

Lisa—Jaune, chase that bone!
Jaune—Woof! Woof, woof, woof!
.

Chekhov's abs.
.

The felicitous furry feline finds friendship in the flippant and felonious fox.
.

Of the Monster Hunter weapons:

Longsword—too different a style, for the same result of a sword
Dual blades—ditto, and he dislikes dual-wielders beside.
Greatsword, Insect Glaive, Hunting Horn, Light Bow Gun, Bow, Switchaxe—I'm just not familiar with them.
Hammer—a good option, but the best moves—spin to win!—relied too much on MH logic to translate well.
Heavy Bow Gun—clashes with Jaune's method of fighting.

Then there's the weapons with shields!

Sword and Shield—Redundant. He already has a set.
Charge Blade—We can do a sweet, sweet upgrade for Crocea Mors, but how do those phials even work, lorewise? Is it ripping monster lifeforce out of the flesh it cuts? Would that work on non-monsters? Many questions, few answers.
Lance—Similar in that swing, swing, block lifestyle; different enough that it doesn't replace Crocea Mors. A wonderful choice… were it not for the gunlance with its mechashift aesthetic.
Gunlance—A lance. It's also a gun.

 

[last admiral]

He envied them. Envied that the world did not wish for them to die. That, for all that they struggled, they could exist in harmony with nature. That they laughed because they wanted to, not because they had to. It seemed to him a fairer world.

Perhaps that was why he had let these guys convince him to stay the night.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, sorry about that Jaune. Sorry that your world turn into shit because of a couple's domestic fight and two gods being a twats and gasligthing, and toxic.

 

[BalmundSM]

Finally, we can return to tension filled stories. Don't get me wrong, Monster Hunter are good games but plot were never their strong side, it only exists to push gameplay, not the other way around. I'm just not a big fan of slice of life genre.

 

[MethodicBibliophile]

Looks like they hit the jackpot with that amount of loot! Unfortunately, they are now going to have to get through the most nerve racking part of adventuring; having to decide what they are going to keep, and what they are going to sell for points.

 

[Image]

So, do they have an infinite supply of those items or is it finite? Would suck to run out of things.

 

[Heuristic]

Man, Ruby is going to have a fit when Jaune gets back. Red Rook would definitely get her attention

And it is heartwarming that our Dumb of Ass protagonist gets some friends along for the ride who appreciate him.

 

[Image]

The true treasure was the Friends made along the way. Even if Team RWBY is going to be so screwed in the Head when he gets back. Jax really screwed them.

 

[sul4ic]

Holy shit what a ride. Got sentimental towards the end there, but I'm glad it ended on a happy note.

New party member! And it's a Felyne, so double win! God, Escha's gonna be hard to explain in a lot of worlds and be totally unassuming in others. Can't wait to see her interactions with our duo and other characters.

This world was a blast, and the loot was totally worth it. Jaune and Lisa are moving up, slowly but surely. Can't wait to see what comes next!

 

[Lopezelpesado]

Finally, we can return to tension filled stories. Don't get me wrong, Monster Hunter are good games but plot were never their strong side, it only exists to push gameplay, not the other way around. I'm just not a big fan of slice of life genre.

Click to shrink...

'Slice of life'

*Chapter is mostly Jaune hunting a fecking dragon and a giant mutant T rex*

Im not sure I follow your definition of slice of life.

Man, Ruby is going to have a fit when Jaune gets back. Red Rook would definitely get her attention

And it is heartwarming that our Dumb of Ass protagonist gets some friends along for the ride who appreciate him.

Click to shrink...

I think Ruby will have other things in mind... Like killing Jaune for killing Jax.

All of team rwby was mind wobbled into dumb generic WC companions..... Its really fucked up to think about actually, and will likely be traumatized if Jaune finds a way to undo that shit....

 

[Talimancer2]

Slice of life'

*Chapter is mostly Jaune hunting a fecking dragon and a giant mutant T rex*

Im not sure I follow your definition of slice of life.

Click to shrink...

To be fair there was a lot of slicing involved

 

[last admiral]

The true treasure was the Friends made along the way. Even if Team RWBY is going to be so screwed in the Head when he gets back. Jax really screwed them.

Click to shrink...

Then Jaune should fill in their womb and heart in Jax's place . But better.

Also, Jax didnt even fuck Coco and Velvet, what a vanilla loser.

 

[dasstan]

Then Jaune should fill in their womb and heart in Jax's place . But better.

Click to shrink...

No way, TTxJaune4lyfe

 

[coalface]

No way, TTxJaune4lyfe

Click to shrink...

How dare you, Sundancer all the way.

But just wanted to say that I really enjoyed this chapter, and I hope they wont lose their monster hunter food gains. I will say though, it kinda seemed that Jaune was getting knocked around a lot by the monsters, despite having withstood blows from Leviathan. I might be misremembering the leviathan fight though.

 

[MrSplashy]

I will definitely miss this Monster Hunter World world but unless they come back in the far future maybe MH Rise or something? Probably one where they join a hunt against an Elder Dragon like Alatreon? Having a armor made from that Dragon would boost him along, of course after TT, Escha, and Jaune becomes strong. Speaking of Palico, are they now able to get heals with the Vigorswap Fly or something?

Can't wait to see whats next on their adventure, RWBYVerse?

 

[sul4ic]

I will say though, it kinda seemed that Jaune was getting knocked around a lot by the monsters, despite having withstood blows from Leviathan.

Click to shrink...

Tbf the circumstances are fairly different. With these monsters Jaune may be getting thrown around and beaten more often, yes, but he was fighting with a plan in mind and the knowledge that a team was backing him up the entire time. With Leviathan it was far more dire straits, as he wasn't at all expecting to go and fight some big fuck off monster. Also, he's not nearly trying as hard to fight here as he was with Levi.

Here it was a fight full of thrill. Leviathan was a fight for survival. Mistakes were far more consequential as a result, and he did his damndest to avoid them.

 

[coalface]

Tbf the circumstances are fairly different. With these monsters Jaune may be getting thrown around and beaten more often, yes, but he was fighting with a plan in mind and the knowledge that a team was backing him up the entire time. With Leviathan it was far more dire straits, as he wasn't at all expecting to go and fight some big fuck off monster. Also, he's not nearly trying as hard to fight here as he was with Levi.

Here it was a fight full of thrill. Leviathan was a fight for survival. Mistakes were far more consequential as a result, and he did his damndest to avoid them.

Click to shrink...

That sounds about right, and possibly his semblance was kicking in during the Levi fight.

 

[dasstan]

How dare you, Sundancer all the way.

Click to shrink...

Okay, incredibly valid ship, but do you know what you get when you do cinnamon roll x cinnamon roll? Diabetes.

---

Unrelated to shipping "debates", I'm really curious to see how Tattletale reacts to getting a brute package from eating a good meal. And if the gains are permanent, or if her and Jaune are going to go back to normal (or as normal as aura enhanced people get) after it fully digests.

 

[TheRookIsOnFire]

Okay, incredibly valid ship, but do you know what you get when you do cinnamon roll x cinnamon roll? Diabetes.

---

Unrelated to shipping "debates", I'm really curious to see how Tattletale reacts to getting a brute package from eating a good meal. And if the gains are permanent, or if her and Jaune are going to go back to normal (or as normal as aura enhanced people get) after it fully digests.

Click to shrink...

He gets back to baseline. But his Aura Amp now remembers the shape of Gainz. It knows the certainty of Swole, and craves it. Now if he heals someone for long enough (or from wounds that are just that Dire) they come out looking like a JoJo Stardust Crusaders character.