Jaune Arc was never the strongest, but he had the will and determination to pursue his goal no matter what he faced. Though that all changed when after saving the bully who made his life miserable, he decided to reveal that Jaune faked his way into...
The Lands Between, Liurnia of the Lakes, A few before sunrise
After a grueling day of travel and no rest, Jaune finally returned to his previous place just outside the rear of Stormveil Castle. He spent the rest of yesterday exploring northern Caelid, carefully avoiding the more treacherous southern regions, gaining numerous dragons for his army, and uncovered the second half of the mysterious medallion he possessed. Currently, he was engrossed in studying his map of the surrounding region, illuminated only by a small ball of fire as dawn broke. Though it normally wouldn't have taken him long to decide his next move, the whispers were also present, silently studying the map and conferring among themselves. They deliberated on the most advantageous route for Jaune to take first.
"Have you guys made a decision yet?" Jaune asked, silently hoping they wouldn't steer him toward the lake—he really didn't want soggy boots, especially since they were his only pair, damn it! He exhaled in relief when the whispers finally settled on a course and began to guide him toward the path on the far right. Folding his map and slipping it into his inventory, Jaune followed their lead, descending a cliff and walking along the eastern coast of Liurnia. He traversed the rocky terrain along the highway, sticking to the path the whispers indicated. But, as is often the case in the Lands Between, enemies were always present—in this instance, a mechanical enemy devoid of free will.
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[Marionette Soldiers]
"Marionettes now. I wonder how they are powered?" Jaune said as he observed a group of five, three armed with swords and one wielding two spears, while another with dual bows. They were entirely made of wood and iron, sparking his curiosity about their source of movement and power. The marionette with the bows fired a rapid volley of arrows using its four arms, while the others advanced toward Jaune. He effortlessly dodged the barrage, then delivered a spinning roundhouse kick to one of the sword-wielding marionette's head, destroying it with ease. However, the headless marionette suddenly went berserk, swinging its swords wildly.
"Watch it," Jaune cautioned as he swiftly dodged the swinging swords, carefully observing the berserk marionette soldier. Spotting a gap in its frantic movements, he kicked the berserk marionette toward the archer, causing the flailing marionette to collide with and destroy the archer in a shower of splinters. The damage from Jaune's kick destabilized the berserk soldier further, causing it to break apart entirely from its own frantic swings. The three remaining marionettes raised their weapons menacingly, but Jaune swiftly used his vectors to rip all four of their arms off, then reducing the three of them to scattered scraps.
[You received 635 EXP and 1048 Gold for destroying 5 marionette soldiers]
"Quite intriguing to craft puppets with such shoddy workmanship. I wonder if their berserk tendencies were intentional or just a flaw in their design," Jaune mused before ending that line of thought. Though curious about these automations, he knew he wasn't an engineer and shouldn't concern himself with their inner workings or what might cause their erratic behavior. He pressed on, following the whispers further, passing by crumbling structures until the path split in two. The middle path was littered with broken marionette soldiers and shattered weapons. Further along, Jaune could see soldiers engaged in combat against enemies composed entirely of magic.
