The dinner that was spread laid across the long dining table was impressive even by Schnee standards. Courses arrived in smooth succession, prepared with a quiet skill that made everything feel rich. What surprised him was how quickly the atmosphere shifted from formal to almost comfortable.
The massive dining hall felt cavernous at first. Tall pillars rose toward a vaulted ceiling painted with soft, abstract designs that caught the light from crystal fixtures above. The long table could have easily seated dozens, yet only four places were occupied tonight, with Weiss's father not joining in.
Whitley barely touched his food at first.
Instead, his attention stayed fixed on Jaune and Blake, eyes bright with a restrained energy that finally clicked into place for Jaune. That excitement he had sensed earlier was curiosity. Pent up, long starved curiosity.
"So," Whitley said after a few minutes, setting his fork down, "what's it actually like in the Dream Realm?"
Weiss smiled faintly. "Here we go."
Jaune asked. "What do you want to know?"
"Everything," Whitley replied without hesitation. "I've read reports and the like, but I haven't had the chance to actually gain an understanding of the creatures of grimm. Also, Winter doesn't really say much about it when I ask her. Normally, just saying that they are dangerous."
Weiss nodded. "That sounds like her. But, she is very busy after all."
Whitley continued, leaning forwards slightly. "Our Schnee guards are Rank One, but they don't say much. They just stand there and look intimidating. What kinds of Grimm do you actually fight? Are they really as bad as the reports say?"
Jaune glanced at Weiss, then answered honestly. "Worse sometimes. The reports sanitize things. Grimm don't fight like soldiers. They neither retreat nor do they hesitate. Well, sort of. Some of the more intelligent ones do."
"What about the big ones?" Whitley pressed. "Like the Goliaths?"
Blake shrugged. "We haven't fought any Goliaths, yet. They're native to Atlas, rarely found in Vale. Manticores though..."
Jaune nodded. "They're smarter than they look. They hunt in groups and have aerial capabilities. That's what makes them dangerous."
Whitley's eyes widened. "You fought them together?"
"A couple times," Weiss said calmly. "Though I'd prefer not to repeat the experience if given a choice."
Whitley seemed to hang on every word. Jaune could almost see the picture forming in the boy's mind. A world just beyond reach, hidden behind layers of secrecy and responsibility. It made sense now why he was so eager. The Dream Realm was something that hovered around his family constantly, yet never quite touched him.
"It would be interesting to see it," Whitley noted.
Blake shook her head. "Be careful what you wish for."
The conversation drifted naturally after that. Whitley asked about training, about how ranking up felt, about what it was like to feel stronger than a normal human. Weiss answered what she could and Jaune filled in gaps where appropriate. Blake added her own blunt commentary when things sounded too romanticized.
Somewhere between courses, Jaune learned something else.
"My mother isn't here," Weiss said casually. "She's visiting her sister in Cube."
"Cube?" Jaune echoed.
Weiss nodded. "Another major Atlesian city. Smaller than Atlas proper, but still important."
"She'll be back for the ball," Whitley added. "She wouldn't miss that."
Jaune noted the tone. Whatever dynamics existed in the Schnee household, they ran deep and quiet.
Dinner eventually came to a close, the plates were cleared. Whitley looked reluctant as they stood, as if he wanted to keep asking questions long into the night.
"Tomorrow," Weiss said, ruffling his hair slightly. "You'll see enough politics to last a lifetime."
Whitley sighed but smiled. "I'll hold you to it, Weiss."
Back in his room, Jaune finally had space to breathe.
The silence was comfortable. He set his bag aside and drew Crocea Mors and Lux Aeterna from their sheaths, feeling the familiar weight settle into his hands. The room was large enough that he could move freely, and he spent the next half hour running through forms.
When he finished, he was lightly sweating. He cleaned up, took a long shower, then collapsed onto the bed with a satisfied sigh. The mattress was absurdly comfortable. He activated the holo screen built into the wall.
Instead of cartoons or dramas, he switched to the local news.
Atlas's broadcast aesthetic was sleek and polished. The anchor appeared moments later, a woman with sharp features and striking hair dyed in gradients of purple and blue. She spoke crisply, delivering updates on trade routes, technological demonstrations, and security measures with practiced ease.
Jaune watched longer than he expected. It was different from Vale. More restrained and a little more curated.
Eventually, he powered it down.
When it was time, he stepped into the sleeping pod. He was a little curious about it, after all.
The interior adjusted automatically, contours shifting to support his body. It felt strangely comforting. The transition into the Dream Realm was the exact same however, like sinking into warm water rather than falling.
He woke within the Atlas LUCID base.
He stretched, testing his limbs, then stepped out to meet Blake and Weiss.
They agreed quickly to go on patrol.
Approval came faster than expected. Technically, they were exempt, but Atlas command seemed happy to have additional coverage.
They moved through the city's Dream counterpart, streets warped but recognizable. Grimm presence was noticeably lighter. The reason became clear soon enough.
Two centurions stood at an intersection ahead.
These were the newer models that Jaune had seen. Their spider like legs anchored them firmly to the ground. Helmets fully encased their heads, giving them an impersonal, almost ceremonial appearance.
They acknowledged the trio with a brief scan, then continued on their route.
Jaune watched them go. When Jaune first saw them he was both curious and excited that there was robots in the dream realm. But after Weiss explanation on what these things were made of. The only feeling Jaune had was wrongness.
In any case, it now made sense why this patrol route felt quieter.
It didn't stay quiet forever, however.
A group of Beringels emerged from a collapsed structure further down the street, roaring as they charged.
The fight with his own opponents ended rather quickly.
With Plunder active and Weakness at comprehension layered atop it, his movements felt effortless. He struck with overwhelming force, crushing Grimm bodies with raw strength. Bones shattered and Black ichor splattered across the street. Liquid street.
It was over in moments.
He turned back to help Weiss and Blake but then stopped himself.
Winter's words echoed in his mind.
He deactivated his runes.
Their clash was harder. Weiss's spirit rune was used and Blake moved with her clones like an army, precise and relentless. They struggled, took hits, adjusted, but eventually brought the Grimm down through teamwork and grit.
When it was over, they stood breathing heavily.
Blake wiped sweat from her brow. "Jaune, I appreciate you trying to help us train and all, but next time, lets not do the stand back and let us fight alone, tactic, alright?"
"Um... sure."
Weiss nodded, but smiled faintly. "It's fine, I know Winter told you to do it. But maybe not on patrol routes?"
"I mean... I was, paying attention. My weakness rune at comprehension lets me sort of get a sixth sense when things are too dire. The weakness of all things. You both were fine."
"What?" Blake and Weiss were confused.
"This... nevermind. I'll explain it another time."
The remainder of the patrol passed without incident.
By the time they looped back toward the Atlas LUCID base, the Dream Realm streets felt almost calm, the oppressive pressure that usually clung to patrol routes noticeably lighter. Grimm sightings were sparse, and those that did appear were quickly dealt with by other squads or distant centurion patrols moving with tireless efficiency.
They reported in at the patrol coordinator's station, a streamlined hub filled with softly glowing displays and quiet voices. Their route was logged, their encounters noted, and their performance marked as satisfactory with little fanfare. Atlas ran like a well oiled machine, even here.
Rather than leaving immediately, they headed deeper into the base toward the simulation wing.
Weiss activated the system, selecting a controlled sparring environment.
Jaune rolled his shoulders as the room adjusted.
"All right," Weiss said. "Standard rules. No lethal feedback, just enough resistance to simulate combat pressure."
Blake smirked. "Heh. We'll see. I think Arc needs a little bit of a bruising to his ego."
Jaune smiled faintly. "Oh? Blake's showing her claws?"
The match began almost immediately.
Weiss summoned her first elemental construct, ice forming in sharp crystalline arcs around her. Jaune's passive weakness sense flared instinctively, a perception shift. He saw it before it fully existed. The stress points, instability and the exact moment the construct would anchor itself.
He unleashed his rune.
The ice melted mid formation, collapsing into harmless liquid before it could even be shaped properly. Weiss blinked in surprise and immediately followed with fire, then wind, layering her summons with speed and precision.
None of them lasted.
Jaune moved through the space with unnerving calm, his blades carving through the weaknesses of each construct as if he were cutting threads rather than solid matter. Weiss adjusted tactics, altered angles, increased output, but the result remained the same.
Blake attacked next.
Clones erupted across the room, shadows splitting and weaving as she vanished among them. The room filled with motion, false strikes and overlapping presences designed to overwhelm perception.
Jaune shifted.
His weakness sense was able to pick her effortlessly. Among the swarm of clones, one presence carried a subtle difference in his weakness perception.
He pivoted and struck.
Blake reacted with well, narrowly blocking his blade as she skidded backward. She stared at him, in annoyance.
"I see. So that's what you meant earlier about your weakness sense. You can even pick me out among a group of my own clones. That's not very fair." she muttered.
"Yup." Jaune smirked. "Comprehension is something else."
When he layered Plunder and Weakness together, the gap widened further.
Their movements slowed in his perception, not just physically hindered but read so clearly that every choice felt predictable. He disarmed Weiss twice and forced Blake into defensive maneuvers repeatedly. At the end, the bout without Jaune ever feeling truly pressed.
When the simulation ended, the room returned to neutral.
Weiss rested her hands on her knees, breathing steadily. "That… was very unpleasant."
Blake sat on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. "I really don't like that you can just tell which one is me. Thought, my substitution kind of makes up for that."
Jaune scratched the back of his head. "Sorry. I know it's not exactly fun."
"No," Weiss said, straightening. "It's impressive. Concerning, but impressive. This is the power of a meta rune at comprehension. Feels like fighting Pyrrha all over again."
As they cooled down, Jaune's thoughts drifted.
Pyrrha.
They hadn't sparred again since he had developed Plunder. Back then, she had still been a wall he struggled to climb. Now, he wondered how different things would feel. The thought sparked a quiet anticipation. He wanted to test himself again, not to win, but to understand how far he had come.
Eventually, they left.
The Dream Realm dissolved gently, and Jaune woke to the familiar comfort of the manor room. Sounds filtered through the walls almost immediately. Voices. Footsteps. The distant clatter of preparations underway.
He changed quickly and met Weiss and Blake in the hall.
The manor was alive.
Staff moved with coordinated urgency, carrying decorations, arranging lights, adjusting banners and furnishings. The air buzzed with anticipation, a sense of something large approaching. It felt less like a home and more like a venue preparing to host history.
Weiss glanced around, then sighed softly. "It's only going to get busier from here."
Blake nodded. "Kind of makes you want to escape."
"That's exactly what I was thinking," Weiss said. "Let's head back into Atlas city for a bit. And the military base too. I want to check if Winter has a moment before everything starts tomorrow."
Jaune smiled, relieved. "Sounds good to me."
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AN: Advanced chapters are available on patreon