[Bite] dealt 9 damage to you! P-System Log

Shit, shit, shit shit fuck!

Thanks, Origin System. More like Origin Idiot, am I right?

...humor was never my strong suit.

Okay, Parker, focus.

[Bite] dealt 11 damage to you! Hero's Personal Log 001

What the fuck! Okay, I finally figured out how to open this thing.

System, what the fuck?

It says [Magic Missile] in my stats. I have a decently high magic stat.

Where is my magic?

P-System Log

Oh, no no no no.

That wasn't me thinking there.

Was that... was that Jerome? The Origin System said that I was going to be his System, so I guess that's to be expected, but I dunno. I didn't really see that one coming.

[Bite] dealt 8 damage to you! P-System Log

Agh! Okay, this is important!

It looks like the health pool is doing something. This obviously isn't my world--duh, Parker, you're literally a disembodied voice floating around in blue boxes--so I guess that makes sense too. Jerome isn't taking the physical effects of the hits that he should be feeling, and all that's happening is his health is going down.

He... honestly doesn't seem that scared about the wolf that should be straight up mauling him. More annoyed than anything else, really.

Is he annoyed at me?

System Prompt Activate a [Magic Missile]. Mana invested: 10 P-System Log

I UNDERSTAND, OKAY? MAYBE IF YOU'D GIVEN ME A TUTORIAL ON HOW TO DO THIS SHIT, WE WOULDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM!

...okay.

How am I supposed to use magic? I assume the prompt is some pre-programmed stuff from the Origin System, making sure I'm not 100 percent on my own, but it would have been real nice if it could've come with an instruction manual.

I can figure this out. The numb-touch perception sense I've got going is probably the key here. I can tell what's happening and where things are. Sight in a different way from having eyes, I think. And I can identify more information from my surroundings than I could before I died. I can sense the air pressure, little changes in the rustling of the grass, the hairs on the legs of the flies that are flying through the fields...

And that's not to mention the stat sheets that I can just feel, waiting for me to open them.

Wait, I can detect something that wasn't here a moment before.

Uhhh....

[Blazing Spear] cast! P-System Log

Hold on, that wasn't me. I detected the message in the same way that I saw the messages about [Bite] hitting Jerome.

This is someone else, then?

I'm gonna focus my perception just a little more...

Axel Anselton Class Race Level Apprentice Mage Human 9 Stat Current Maximum Mana 113 137 Health 77 77 Skills [Magic Missile lv. 6], [Assess lv. 4], [Fire Resistance lv. 1], [Magic Resistance lv. 1], [Simple Shield lv. 2], [Blazing Spear lv. 2], [Acid Spray lv. 1] Titles [Student] Stat Modifier Total Strength - Magic - Insight - Constitution - [Blazing Spear] cast! P-System Log

Okay! Finally, something is happening! I detected a few abnormalities in the air.

There was a distortion where the new figure came in from. Axel, I think. Not a reincarnator, from the stats, so I guess this is our first natural inhabitant of this world. Apart from the wolf, at least.

Yeah, this is definitely someone from this world. Either that, or he's the most dedicated cosplayer I've ever seen. He has a whole setup with trousers, long-ass leather boots, and a cloak that wouldn't have been out of place at AnimeCon.

More importantly, he cast magic. I have that weird perception thing going, and I caught the spell (or skill, whatever they want to call it) forming. The air... warped, kind of, in a way that ripped apart cause and effect and made my numb-touch go haywire for a moment. I don't know how I'm supposed to influence the world, but this Axel guy has to have a System too, because I assume otherwise he wouldn't have a stat sheet.

That means I have a reference point on what I'm supposed to be doing.

Also, the wolf died. Didn't get a message for that. I sensed it happen, yeah, and I can perceive its dead body there, but I didn't get a direct notification. I got direct notifications for magic in the area as well as effects being applied to Jerome... I suppose I am supposed to be linked to him.

More pressingly, there's a conversation going on right now. I can hear it, but it's like I'm hearing it from every angle all at once at every volume and, well, it's a little discomforting. Still, this sounds important, and I feel like I should record it if I can...

P-System Log [Conversation Jerome-Axel 001]

Unfortunately, after a whole ten seconds of searching, I haven't found a way to create recordings of my perception. I did, however, realize that I can add a tagline to these message logs and look back at them, so that's good.

Nothing to be done about it. I guess I'll just try transcribing it here.

Jerome (oh hell yeah, I can bold shit): Who the hell are you?

Axel: You must be a reincarnator. Master K'lon saw the magic signature flare.

Jerome: Magic signature?

Axel: Oh, you must be new. Haven't you used your, uh, tutorial? I think that's what they're called. Don't you have a guide to our world in your head somewhere?

Jerome: I kind of glazed over a lot of it, to be honest.

Axel: So you're one of those.

Jerome: What do you mean by that?

I'm not going to bother transcribing what they're saying right now. Just imagine that there's a bunch of back and forth with mild insults that I think Jerome is completely missing.

Future Parker is going to hate me, huh.

God(s. I guess. The being that put me here seemed awfully like one, at least.), could I have at least gotten a smarter reincarnator?

Oh. Something's happening now. The weird ripping-in-reality sensation is there again. Another spell?

[Assess] cast! P-System Log [nope nope nope nope]

I don't like that, not at all.

The warping effect is coming towards me. Feels weird. It's probably the clearest thing I've been able to perceive so far, along with the [Blazing Spear] earlier.

I don't want that shit to touch me. Lemme try and...

[Assess] spell blocked! P-System Log [fuck you, Origin]

Oh, for fucks' sake. You can tell me that I blocked the spell, but not how to block it? What kind of useless god are you?

I'm going to have words with the Origin System, whenever I connect to it again. If I do.

But that's not relevant right now. I think I just did something. Something important.

Not quite magic, but I did shape what I feel. Using my not-body to manipulate the not-air and slap that rip apart.

I'm learning.

And it looks like that other guy realized it too.

P-System Log [Conversation Jerome-Axel 001, cont]

Axel: Hail, reincarnator! You must already be proficient in the use of the B System!

Jerome: What do you mean by that? Damn thing can't even listen to activate my most basic skills.

Axel: But you blocked my [Assess] just now! You must be skilled indeed.

Jerome (picture him confused and speaking all weird): I didn't do anything.

Axel: Hmph. If you say so. You said your System was working weird?

Jerome: It's not working. I tried a [Magic Missile] and it just... fizzled.

Axel: Odd. Perhaps Master K'lon can help you? I can escort you to him.

Jerome: Can he fix it?

Axel: Hopefully.

Jerome: Then yes. Take me to him.

Come on! I actually have reference for how magic works now! Gimme a chance, man...

Alright, to be fair, I did sit there and let him get mauled by a wolf. But still!

Wait, I'm still doing this in the conversation log--

Hero's Personal Log 002 Going to meet the village. Hopefully this exposition fairy can be more useful than the last one. [Godkiller] seems to be a really good class for leveling, but I gotta get my System in working order first. Useless piece of shit. P-System Log

...

I resent that.

Guess we're going to the village, though. Yay?

Maybe I'll even figure out how to cast along the way!