The Games We Play

DISCLAIMER: This story is NOT MINE IN ANY WAY. That honor has gone to the beautiful bastard Ryuugi. This has been pulled from his Spacebattles publishment at threads/rwby-the-gamer-the-games-we-play-disk-five.341621/. Anyway on with the show...err read.

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"Where are we going?" Adam shouted to be heard over the sounds of destruction. Now that I'd mastered Magic Missile, I'd begun using Flares as my new weapon of choice, simply because it was at a high enough level that it'd probably rank up fairly quickly. It's not like I didn't have the power for it—I had enough cost reducers for elemental attacks that I could rain down fire if I wanted to. In fact, that was exactly what I was doing, carpet bombing the Grimm infested city. Though I had a preference for Magic Missiles, given their precision and penetrative power, I couldn't deny that it was a bit satisfying to throw a blast of fire through a window and watch the entire floor explode.

"Outside the city," I answered dryly, not even lifting my voice—Levant ensured that my words still reached his ears. "And there's no need to yell, Adam; I can hear you just fine."

"Yeah?" He growled, absently cutting down an Ursa that stumbled out of a ruined store. It was more a mercy kill then anything, as the intensity of the flames was such that its flesh had begun to melt, dripping from its bones even as it began to smoke. "Well I'm glad, because I can barely hear myself think!"

All at once, the sound of the explosions dulled around him, letting through only the sounds of the Grimm. Everything else was just muted background noise, like distant music.

"Thank you," He snorted, rubbing his ears for a moment. "You couldn't have done that from the beginning?"

I chuckled.

"I won't always be around to shutout the noise," I answered. "Best that you learn to operate in loud situations."

"I can fight just fine while the worlds falling down around me," He replied, rolling his eyes. "I hang out with you, after all. That doesn't mean I enjoy it, though. What would you do if I went deaf?"

"I don't know—fix your ears, maybe?" I suggested, raising an amused eyebrow though I knew he couldn't see it.

"Oh, right," Adam said, sounding chagrined. "You can do that."

I clicked my tongue chidingly and turned back to my work.

Needless to say, everything was on fire and I was completely responsible. Using my Psychokinesis, I'd created three rings of what I called 'firing spheres'—mental constructs that existed only so I could use my Clairsentience to blow shit up. Each ring contained an increasing number of spheres, and fired off an almost steady stream of Flares in a formation I affectionately named 'Rain of Fire.' Long story short, any buildings I flew over or near were quickly reduced to kindling.

The purpose of the formation was two-fold. On the one hand, the low cost and high firing rate allowed by my various skills meant that Flare gained experience at a tremendous rate—but the other had to do with the nature of the skill itself. Each of my elemental attacks was different and had to be used differently. Magic Missile, for instance, had the advantage of defense penetration, meaning it was, effectively, armor piercing. It could pierce right through most enemy's defenses and I was a very, very good shot, so it could do so at great ranges. Flare, meanwhile, lacked that ability, trading it for area of effect. While it wasn't as effective against single target, it could potentially affect several dozen targets at once and its nature as a fire attack made it possible to ignite targets. The downside was that individual targets could, potentially survive, especially those on the outskirts of the effect, and so it needed to be fired with enough overlap that that wasn't possible.

Do that, though, and it was possible to make everything in an area several blocks wide spontaneously evaporate.

And so I flew in a winding course, cheerfully bombing everything in my path as I went while Adam trailed behind me at a goodly distance, occasionally putting down any creatures unfortunate enough to avoid instant death. At the pace I was setting, Flare would rank up in a day or two, if not tonight; it was the highest level elemental skill I had after Magic Missile. After I finished with it, I might move onto my other skills, depending on my need and what else I would to level. Far Slayer was a broad cutting attack that could blow back foes it failed to slice through and Thunderbolt was both quick to generate and able to stun foes, so they might be worth the time. Attacks like Tremblor and Tsunami were more situation, though, being more about changing the battle field or causing massive structural damage—meaning they were most effective against cities, fortresses, and other manmade targets I had little interest in, simply because large amounts of innocent people would wind up as collateral. The more advanced Elements I'd need to play around with so more before making up my mind one way or another.

About a half an hour later, I'd finished my sweeps of the city, taking my time to make sure everything was good and leveled before landing just outside the northern gates of the city.

"This is far enough," I told Adam as I set foot on the ground, cancelling Vimana as I did. For today, I'd be staying mostly earthbound, so there wasn't much point keeping it up.

"Finally," Adam huffed. "I was getting tired of attacking empty air. Is it my turn to have fun now?"

"You were getting experience for all that, so don't whine," I told him as I snapped my fingers and shattered Naraka with a flash of power. When the barrier faded, the sounds of city life rose behind us and the buildings stood tall as if nothing had happened. "But yeah, it's play time now."

"Same as before?" He asked as we began running away from Mistral.

"Of course not," I answered, flashing a smile back at him. "Even if it's only been a few days, it goes without saying that things are different now, right? We've both gotten a lot stronger since then."

"Hmph," He snorted, which did nothing to hide the smirk that crossed his face. "I suppose you're right."

"I'm always right," I said before bowing my head and gritting my teeth as I called upon my power.

Armored Shell (Active) LV1 EXP: 2.29% MP: 400

An ancient skill wielded by warriors the world over. By carefully channeling power through one's armor or clothing, the user of this skill may attune those items to their Aura. So long as this skill remains active, these items are treated the same as the user's skin by techniques and may be mended and empowered accordingly.

All MP skills that enhance the defensive properties of the user's body enhance their clothing the same way.

All MP skills that would normally damage clothing but leave the user's body unharmed no longer damage said items. Skills that are capable of inflicting harm upon the user do so normally.

Healing skills and HP regen is now capable of mending damage to armor, clothing, and accessories.

No such items may be removed while this technique remains active.

Additional 400 MP used per minute.

Releasing a breath and shaking my head, I didn't miss a step even as I felt the changes take hold. Even without consciously willing it to, my Aura expanded over and through my clothes, shielding them as it would my body. I felt the cloth turn to Adamant as I ran, providing another layer of protection, and yet…it didn't feel like armor. I'd long since gotten used to the weight of what little armor I bothered wearing, but even that meager burden vanished. Looking down, I noticed that my clothes weren't flapping against my skin anymore—instead, it was held tightly to my body, the edges of cloth melding so smoothly to my skin that I had to check to make sure my flesh hadn't grown over it. It was a somewhat odd sensation, but…not necessarily a bad one.

But I wasn't done yet.

Cithaeron Hide (Active) LV1 EXP: 2.29% MP: 500

A technique used by ancient Mistrali warriors. By concentrating Aura in one's skin and muscles, the user may increase the strength of their body and allow it to undergo greater strain. By taking advantage of the seemingly denser skin and muscle tissue granted by this ability, it is possible to show feats of tremendous power by pushing the body to its limit. It is even possible to reinforce the heart to beat at rates far beyond the human norm, though this may backfire on the unprepared.

Increase physical durability by 50%.

Increase physical abilities by 30%.

Additional 500 MP used per minute.

"I'll try to save some for you, okay?" I told Adam as I cast a smirk over my shoulder. "Just don't take too long, okay?"

Stampede (Active) LV1 EXP: 10.87% MP: 100

By channeling Aura through specific muscle groups, users of this skill may unleash a powerful charge, breaking through defenses or tossing foes aside.

Increase movement speed by 100%.

Increase charging force by 100%.

My Aura rose around my body in a brilliant white cloak and I left Adam behind before he could give an answer.

Luckily for him, he didn't need to speak to give me the finger.

Pressing on with a laugh, I felt a smile tug at my lips as I raced across the land. I couldn't deny that I loved this, the…speed my power had given me and how it grew in leaps and bounds. As I felt my heartbeat quick, I wanted nothing more than to cast aside all my limitations and just see how fast I could go.

So I did.

Between one step and the next, Jaune Arc vanished and Jian Bing appeared. Bai Hu rose around me, pushing me faster and faster even as I left all sound of my passage far, far behind. Black spots began to appear on my skin as I allowed my infection to grow and spread, egged on by the zone of Accelerated time I lived in constantly. Soon, plates of white bone began to burst from pitch black skin, pieces melding seamlessly into a greater carapace. The Grimm matter grew around my clothes like some kind of demonic mold, incasing them within my defensive shell, and I sparred a moment to thank my new skill for the money I'd save on clothes from now on.

A moment later, my hands hit the ground and I continued to gain speed. As the muscles in my body shifted in response to my Metamorphosis, running on all fours became as easy as walking—and from there, it was almost effortless to shift to eight legs instead. Bai Hu and I moved with a steady rhythm, one set of limbs smoothly replacing another with each step, and the comet of burning air grew around us, mixing with the light of my Stampede to create an array of shifting colors. In seconds, I was back on the plains, running a scorched trail across the savannah, renewing my Stampede as I caught sight of my prey—a Nemean that had wandered away from its herd.

I Lunged into the air at the last moment and hit the ground on the other side a moment later. The Nemean rocked behind me, the flames clinging to its fur revealing what looked like a giant bullet hole straight through where its spine would be—the remnants of my passage. Casting a quick Flare back to make sure the job was done, I kept moving, Shedding a skin to swiftly approach the nearest of a herd of Boarbatusk and grab it by the back of the neck, dark flesh tearing easily beneath my fingers.

Crushing Grip (Active) LV1 EXP: 5.81% MP: 100

By gathering Aura in the muscles of the hand, users of this skill may greatly enhance the crushing force of their grip, allowing normal men to easily tear apart steel with their bare hands.

Increase crushing force by 300%.

Grasping it tightly by whatever passed as a spinal column within the Grimm, I lifted the creature fully into the air with one hand and then brought it down on the next, splattering dark flesh in every direction. Twisting my shoulders slightly, I ripped out a handful of the beat with a flex of the Tiger's Jaws. At the same time, I reached out in every direction with Psychokinetic teeth, doing the same to the rest of the group in a flash of dismembered limbs and decapitated heads. A Flare burnt the bodies beyond recognition even as it drew attention to its light, and I left them behind with a Stampede. I came across a pack of Beowolves next, likely brought along by the army from last time, and I tore a line through their ranks without slowing down. Once I'd passed cleanly through them, I Shed a skin to appear in the middle of the remaining wolves, crouching on all fours amongst them. Before any of them could react, I lashed out with my tail, scything through limbs as easily as air, and crushed several dozen skulls between the Tiger's Jaws.

Coming to a halt, I cast a glance around to ascertain my target and began to gather power in my hands. It came easily, shaping itself into the form of Gungnir even as my firing spheres began to unleash Flares. At the rate I was going, it was possible—maybe even probable—that the entire savannah would burn, but I didn't care; if it came to that, I'd regrow the plants with my Green Thumb and call it a day. It's not like Mistral used this area for food; it was too filled with Grimm to be worth the bother. Like Vale, it had a large area within the walls dedicated to agriculture and such, aided by the use of Dust. I was free run wild.

So I did, drawing power into Gungnir until it was fully charged and almost losing shape in my hands. The pull on my power was relatively light, eased by my Temperantia.

Temperantia (Passive) LV1 EXP: 66.34%

The control and restraint that holds back the endless hunger of Gluttony; the prudence and sound judgement that allows one to reach the truth. This skill allows one to improve the efficiency of charged attacks.

Halve the MP required for each second of charge time.

Focusing my gaze on the approaching pride of Nemeans, I drew back my hand and flung the writhing spear high into the air. At the apex of its climb, it twisted like a snake, changing direction so as to fall like lightning upon the creature. But when it hit…

Well, it wasn't thunder that shook the plains, but the resulting explosion. The power within Gungnir was unleashed in a flash of white light that was followed by a rising cloud of dust and debris, tearing the Nemean to pieces and slaying seven of its fellows in the process.

I didn't bother waiting for the smoke to clear, but instead followed in the wake of the spear with a jump that carried me high into the air. Landing on the back of a Nemean that had been far enough away to survive the explosion with only heavy burns and a missing foreleg, I reached down to slam my arms deep into the creatures black, holding myself in place. As I did, my Psychokinesis busied itself with grabbing chunks of the creature and tearing them away like a herd of piranhas, giving Bai Hu's skills some exercise. As my power quickly reduced the creature to little more than a screaming skeleton, I tensed slightly, planted my feet, and ripped out a vertebra about the size of my upper body. Lunging away, I landed on the shoulders of the next survivor and repeated the process.

Cracking my neck, I crouched and Lunged straight up, carrying myself higher with a quick activation of my Vimana. Reaching out, Bai Hu extended a set of long, glowing claws that sank into the flesh of the Rukh and pulled me towards it as they shrank again. Grabbing ahold of it, I climbed its leg quickly, circling it as I did, and the tore my way up its white-armored body. As I reached its throat, I tore it open with a flashing claw before crawling around to stand on its head and tear out its six eyes. When it fell from beneath me with a piercing cry and a frantic flap of its wings, I didn't move, choosing instead to hover for a moment. Looking back, I checked on Adam to make sure nothing had happened to him, nodded once in satisfaction, and then shifted my attention elsewhere.

I didn't want to go too far until Adam arrived—I wanted to make sure that I was close enough to interfere if anything went wrong—but I also didn't want to waste too much time. As such, I took a moment to single out any prey that might be worth killing and then allowed gravity to reassert control, assisting it with a Gravity Crash to reach the ground faster. It shattered beneath my feet as I landed, but I simply rolled right into a run, falling to all eight limbs again. Moving quickly, I went further than I ever had before, until the plains gave way to fields of rising, rocky spires.

Though a normal person wouldn't have been able to tell at a glance that that was what they were—each was completely covered in white, bands of thread that resembled spider webs but which a closer look revealed to have more in common with the boney armor of the Grimm. There were holes in the spires and surrounding cliff faces, natural and artificial cave systems that now served as nests for the rulers of this place, and between every surface large enough to allow it, there were webs. Massive, massive webs, the type of things you could use to wrap up cars like they were flies.

Which made sense, because even the smallest of that web's creators were larger then cars. They looked, at a glance, like spiders, but it wasn't hard to see where the unnatural biology of the Grimm took over and made things deviate from the norm. They had too many eyes for spiders; ten at the least and sometimes as many as fourteen. Though they had eight legs, the foremost pair where longer, capped in white, bonelike saws, and their fangs were too large and already dripping with some kind of red and black venom. I'd read reports of what happened to those poisoned by the Arachne. It wasn't pleasant.

But I wasn't interested in them. I cared more about the massive creature in the center of the so-called City of Webs.

Where the Arachne were the size of city buses, Neith—the Grandmother Spider—was bigger than a house. Pure white bone armor was unmarked except for the red hourglass shape on its abdomen. Though small compared to a Goliath, each of its sixteen eyes was the size of a window and its limbs looked wickedly sharp, too say nothing of its fangs. Supposedly, a person bitten by one of the Neith wouldn't die of poison; assuming they managed to survive being bitten at all, the venom would melt a hole straight through human flesh.

It sounded like a good time to me.

I jumped up into the middle of the nearest web, Grimm-bone limbs ignoring the usually adhesive surface. Using my eight limbs to move as if I were a spider, I spun in place and lashed out with the serrated armor of my tail.

Spiraling Strike (Active) LV1 EXP: 11.47% MP: 50

An ability that tears through surrounding enemies with a spinning attack. Attack all enemies in range of a melee attack no decrease in damage.

Stretching my range with a Far Strike and raising the force with a Power Strike, I watched in satisfaction as I dismembered limbs and sent the massive creatures falling. Pulling my firing spheres together with a thought, I began to unleash Flares, burning through flesh and web with equal ease and I began to run up the spiraling staircase made by the creature's webs. As I reached the top, the inner ring of spheres stopped firing and began to glow, color brightening until they were burning spheres of white.

I came to halt at the height of a jump and hovered in the air above the approaching creatures.

"Burn," I said and wished I had a face to smile with.