"This isn't getting anywhere!" A white-haired girl punches the wall in frustration. Even with her small stature, the randomly thrown punch contained enough force to leave a dent in the metal shell of the wall. She turned around, looked at a tall, muscular man, dressed in a neat white military suit, and said. "General, let me get in there. I can make him talk. Just give me 10-no! Just give me 5 minutes!"
Ironwood shook his head. He could almost hear the desperation in the young girl's voice, and that's especially why he can't allow her to interrogate the criminal.
"Student Schnee, this is official duty, so please refrain from letting your feelings get into your head." The middle-aged man spoke in a cold, commanding tone; his presence made the young Schnee refrain from any further outbursts. Still, she couldn't help but glare at the young man sitting other side of the one-way mirror. He was practically in reach if she just took a few steps forward; she knew he was the key; if only he spoke, then there was a hope.
Hope of fixing the broken mess, what she called her family. As long as they had proof, a proof they could use against her father, one they could use to force him out of power, there was hope of them recovering. She didn't have delusions that the mess would fix itself into a functioning family once her father got away from the pic. She has long accepted that her home life was beyond saving grace, but that's different for her younger siblings.
Sure, it would never reach the level of a healthy childhood, but at least she wanted them to have at least something to resemble that in whatever degraded level her family could show. The longer she looked at that man's absent look angrier she became. She could feel her eyes watering up. It was almost comical; she had been convincing herself all those years in the academy that her family life was beyond saving, yet a moment a hope appears in front of her that lies have been completely shattered.
General James Ironwood understood what Winter Schnee was feeling right now. It would be a lie if he said he wasn't tempted by all the dirt this young man held for every elite that ever set foot on the city of Atlas. Just a few of those secrets, and there is a possibility that the next day, several Atlas Council members would be apprehended for their corruption.
But that is also why they can't hold this young down with a firm hand, no hardcore integration, no direct violence, the council has been shielding this teal-haired man like he is their son. They found whatever excuse they could to slow down the investigation, from human ethics to even Atlas's budget issues that have been collecting dust without being touched for years.
No one knows how this young man became one of the major players of the criminal underworld of Atlas, who has of web so wide spread almost reached every elite society of this god forsaken, floating dumpster of a city.
But right now, the criminal they were talking about was sitting in the interrogation room with a dazed look. Staring at the ceiling like he was high on something, yet what they didn't know was that the guy they were interrogating had passed away the previous night during his sleep. Perhaps it was his worried customers sent him away, or he had some hidden condition nobody else knew, his soul simply left this world while a brand new soul possessed his body.
'I feel like throwing up.' Simon blinked a few times before finally returning to his senses. The moment he possessed this body, he was bombarded by the twenty-two years' worth of memory. The fragmented, messy amalgam of a memory rush he experienced has sent him into a mentally paralyzed state for almost the whole day.
It felt like watching a movie, but not from the perspective of a passerby, but from a character from it, and also the movie has been made of randomly arranged, varied clips of unrelated scenes. Not only that the brain force the transition between clips smoother, it felt like watching those AI-generated videos.
'But thanks to the memory rush, I can finally recall my original memories.' The memory rush was like a spark, re-igniting his memory line, letting him recall his original memories bit by bit. 'Can't trust the precise knowledge for these new memories, only just for general knowledge.'
[Detected the host has regained his consciousness, successfully took control over the body. The Saturday Adventure System welcomes the host.]
'System, explain to me your functions, we really haven't talked about how to use you in the purgatory.'
[Of course, host, here is the current list of my functions and a basic explanation for their usage:
[Points]: They are negative energies that are generated by sapient beings that originated from you and your actions. Which, by extension, includes when the cause of the emotions is system-originated as well.
[Store]: A Place where you can use to buy [Treasure Chests] and other things. But [Treasure Chests] are primary items; they are key to the system functions so they would be explained separately. While at the beginning it would be empty, once you started opening chests, you could spend points to buy another copy of the thing you drew from the chest in case the original is destroyed, or you need to use a copy for something.
[Treasure Chests]: Container for the randomized energy of Omniverse. When opened, the energy will take the form of random creation in the omniverse, depending on the energy it contains. The things that come out of the chest are divided into categories of [Items], [Template], and [Entities]. Each chest contains three cards, which would turn into one of three categories, but one chest can generate only two cards of the same category; the remaining card must always be a different category.
[Items]: everything that's external that doesn't originate from the possessor itself is counted as an item. Creatures that come along with the items in special conditions, such as being imprisoned, will be under complete control of the host.
[Template]: It grants the possessor things saved in the template itself; the template could possess anything from a single ability, a piece of knowledge, a certain skillset, to a complete character profile.
[Entity]: Beings that are summoned from across the omniverse, which can range from a local multiverse or macroverse to something that doesn't belong to any worlds or verses that exist simply in the void. They will be completely loyal to you and will be under your complete control, but they aren't mindless slaves. They would follow your every order faithfully, but they could form their own opinions and do it their own way. They could never harbor negative emotions towards you, but the same can't be said about indirect things, such as order or events resulting from your direct action.
[Stats]: It would let you check essentials, such as which world or multiversal cluster you are in, system-originated things in your possession, current points, your abilities, etc.
[Abilities]: Those are powers originating from the host independent of the system influence. The host can gain those by training the in-world power systems, learn from [Entities] you called, or by absorbing [Templates].
[Inventory]: This is where you keep non-system-originated items and [Treasure Chests] due to their special natures. The space inside is essentially infinite, and everything inside it will be stasis-locked, never aging or degrading. To put living beings inside it, you must first make them unconscious.
[Travel]: You can use [Points] to create a new random entry to different worlds, multiverse clusters, etc. Perhaps it would be an alternative world you are in or a completely different one, who knows.
New Functions may become available once you get strong enough.]
'That's a lot of reading to do to get the basic gist.' Simon leaned back into his chair. He is supposed to be arrested under a charge of money laundering, scam, trafficking goods, bribery, etc. Simon Jenkins, the rising kingpin of Atlas, as long as you go to him, there is nothing he can't do for you in Atlas. From money laundering, info dealing, bribery, to even trafficking goods, and even making you popular. Who would guess that this young man, who is called the rising star of the entertainment business, would be such a dark figure, even brave enough to live in the heart of the whole kingdom of Atlas, the flying capital city itself?
'As long as I understood it correctly, that's the case from what I picked up here and there in the memory rush. System, let me see my stats.' Soon, a blue screen appears in front of him.
[Name: Simon Jenkins
System: [The Tuesday Adventure System].
Worlds: [RWBY].
Items: None.
Templates: None.
Entities: None.
Abilities: [All-Speak], [Mind Barrier], [Soul Protection], [Power-Lock], [Blank], [Prodigy].
Inventory: [Beginner Chest].
Points: 1291.]
'Hey system, this system section means I can get more systems for myself? Also, where the hell did those abilities come from? I can understand that points are started being collected from the moment I come to this world, even if most part is currently blurred because of the memory rush.'
[System section for special cases like entities whose powers originate from systems of a kind. A basic example would be [The Gamer System] used by Han Jihan in the world of [The Gamer]; they would work as the secondary systems to enhance your growth or make use of their specialties. As for the abilities, they are the default powers given to you for becoming the host.]
'Han Jihan? That sounds familiar, but I really don't remember anyone by the same name. But you make it sound like he is from a different world from both this one and my original one. '
[You would be correct to assume he is from a different world because he is from a different world. But in your original world, he is quite famous for being a fictional character. Even this one is also a fictional world in your original world. Which is why I kept its fictional name used in your world.]
'Okay, I am confused, so you mean the fictional worlds are real?'
[Yes, the things you call fiction are echoes from distant worlds. Just like planets and stars emit gravitational pulses, the worlds sent a special pulse that can be generally called echoes. A metaphysical informative infrint that spreads through the omniverse. Often caught by beings from different worlds who are sensitive to those infrits, those who you call artists, visionaries, or even lunatics.]
Only then did Simon focus on the name of the world: RWBY. 'Yeah, I think I remember a thing or two... it was about a girl with a big ass scythe. Probably.'
He then focused on his abilities. Abilities are according to the system, are the powers that aren't dependent on him, like Templates, which act more like equipment that can be switched around to mix and win different powersets. 'System, can you go into more detail with my new powers? I wanna make sure I know their exact uses.'
[Right away, host.]
[Ability: All-Speak
Description: Allows the possessor to communicate with all sapient beings, understand, and write in any language that contains meaning.]
[Ability: Mind Barrier
Description: Grants immunity against powers that directly influence the mind that you haven't permitted.]
[Ability: Soul Protection
Description: Grants immunity against all direct influence on your soul that you haven't permitted.]
[Ability: Power-Lock
Description: Protects your powers from being tampered with, copied, altered, and erased without your permission.]
[Ability: Blank
Description: Powers that predict the future cannot account for your actions; clairvoyants that peer into the past or watch over the present cannot search for you; people trying to conjure up information about you using only their power would find nothing.]
[Ability: Prodigy
Description: Grants an exponential growth and mastery boost upon the powers you possess and the ability to learn ones located in your current world or one you have visited before.]
He heard a noise; he thinks it is from what he assumes is the one-way mirror; he was sure he saw it shake a little. 'Yeah, I am not exactly feeling safe here. System, I saw there is a [Treasure Chest] inside my inventory. Can you open it before it is too late?'
Suddenly, a small window appeared in front of him, playing a cutscene of something trying to break free from a chest. Chest jumps around a few times before bursting open, and several energy orbs fly out from inside it, leaving trails of light. Soon, the orbs start landing one after another in front of the screen, turning into cards.
[Entity: Fear Of Lost Teeth
Rank: F
Abilities: [Fear Manifestation], [Limited Bone Manipulation], [Fear Endulgement].
Description: Every sweet-loving child is afraid of going to the dentist, and that fear has taken physical form in Duskmourn: The House of Horror. Every sad incident that has ever happened at the dentist is table, the pain of your teeth being yanked away, it all has manifested into it. Crawling big jaw that carries souls of its victims, its toothy bone mouth waters with every thought of a new set of teeth waiting for it to collect them, located in its victim's mouth.
Note: When it comes closer, its victims could feel their teeth wiggling in their sockets, trying to free themselves from their owners.]
[Item: Blade Of Selves
Rank: F
Description: Holder creates pale phantom copies around themselves. They don't need to communicate, what the holder thought they too thought, allowing them to fight in complete sync with each other. From attacking one enemy from multiple directions to blocking multiple incoming attacks. But remember, only their blades can physically interact with the world, not the phantoms. So don't expect them to be any help except in combat.
Note: Phantoms can't go farther than two meters from their manifestor.]
[Item: Australium
Rank: F
Description: It's a 15kg bar of Asutralium, a rare element that, that contains enormous bio-energy with the right equipment, one could supercharge cells to either grant them a healing factor and enhanced physique or extend their lifespan, allowing the cells to go further than their natural limit. With enough amount, even reviving the dead is possible. Also, it looks like gold also generates very dim light on its own; you could use it to paint your vehicle. Just saying.
Note: You don't get the equipment, just a bar of Australium.]
'Hmm, I don't feel confident in fighting my way through this place.' He could release [Fear Of Lost Teeth] and make it wreak havoc while using this chance to escape, but something is telling him that probably won't work. Besides, this place isn't some medieval fantasy; swords really don't do much against a barrage of automatic rifles.
'I can't buy myself into safety with the info; I still can't distinguish which info is real and which one is edited by my brain in an attempt not to go insane.' His eyes lingered on the last item he drew before refocusing on the one-way mirror. Who knows who is watching him from there, but if there is anything he knows about government and military, then with enough interest, they should be willing to declare a tyrant as a saint.
And something about a probably discovered element that could possibly grant eternal youth tells him it is a pretty good bet for his safety. If not, then he would add a magic artifact like [Sword Of Selves] as an addition.
Worst-case scenario, throw [Fear Of Lost Teeth] and pray the little guy can earn him enough time and points to open the next chest. 'Let's hope we won't reach there.'
___X___
This is roughly seven years before the cannon. If Ironwood is calling Winter Schnee a student wasn't a dead giveaway that it is taking place in the past.