Inte???ted IdentiDUNGE?NC??E invokeinvokeinvokeinvoke P-System Log

I've spent most of the first couple hours of existence as a System being confused. At this point, I'm not even surprised. It's become pretty clear that when R Beasts enter the picture, the System fucks up.

Aster: The Maplecrest Dungeon Core spends most of its time buried deep beneath the earth of its final room. It should not be exposed.

And exposed it is. It's interesting to perceive, I'll give it that much. It's the first of its kind that I've seen. A perfect sphere, no wider than Jerome's fist. I'm not sure if size or color or whatever corresponds to power, but this one doesn't seem to be very powerful. There's no spare W Inertia left in this room. It was strong enough for me to detect its presence even through the fuzzy blocking effect that the doors had earlier. When it faded, I thought it was just being reduced in intensity to the extent where I wasn't able to sense it through the block anymore, but now there is nothing at all.

Beyond that, the Dungeon Core seems... wrong. I've never seen one before, so I'm not totally sure what they're supposed to look like, but this one's not looking great. Its natural color is a mottled brown, like if someone built a really nice marble out of dirt and mud. Part of it, though, is pure white, and tendrils of that white coloration are seeping through the rest of the Core. Combined with the weird half-red half-blue effect on its stat sheet--not to mention all the errors--that paints a pretty worrying picture. What I should be worried for, I'm not sure, but I don't like it.

Aster seems a lot more worried than she did earlier, though.

Hero's Personal Log 034

There's... no monsters again. Not even a blood trace on the ground from when it died, though maybe the Health aspect of the System prevents that from happening. It's eerily quiet here.

Does this count as clearing the dungeon?

P-System Message Requirements for [Objective] Clear the Maplecrest Dungeon not completed. Please stand by. P-System Log

I don't know why, but I have a bone-deep feeling that something is about to go wrong. Well, not quite bone, but you get the point, future Parker or esoteric mage reading into my memory log.

Aster: No. Why would two scouts be entrusted with a [Fragment]? None should have ever been permitted to cross this deep without being summarily caught and executed.

Ah, there it is. I have no idea what the fuck a [Fragment] is, but for some reason I can sense that she's talking about a [Legendary]-rarity item or skill or something. Maybe it's just something I can understand from context because of some hidden skill I have? Or maybe it's my own [W%M;G,P] kicking in, giving me extra information about shit.

Jerome: What're you talking about?

Aster: This Dungeon Core... can you perceive how it is different?

Jerome: Something is fucked up, yeah. My [Assess] returned jumbled garbage. Was it because it's not powerful enough?

Aster: No. [Greater Assess] would not have returned anything decipherable either. This Dungeon Core has been afflicted by [Corruption].

Jerome: That sounds... not good.

Aster: It is not. It is an exceptionally mana-intensive skill that R Beasts can use the [Legendary]-rarity [Fragment]s to activate.

Jerome: What does it do? And what the hell is a [Fragment]? Do I need to be ready to fight this thing?

Aster: ...this [Fragment] must have been particularly weak. [Corruption] has begun, but even on something as weak as a [Common] Dungeon Core, it has not fully taken. That would explain how it was carried so deeply into the Edge Cities.

Jerome: Can you please slow down for one damn minute and explain? If it's weak, then there's time, right?

Huh. Now that she mentions it, I can very vaguely perceive the aftereffects of some effect here. Not quite mana, not quite W Inertia, but something else entirely.

Focusing harder on the Dungeon Core, I can see that it's got parts that feel normal and parts that hurt to perceive just like the R Beasts were. I feel like I can get kind of an inkling...

Aster: [Fragment]s are pieces of the Eternal King, shed from it and gifted to certain R Beasts. Their size ranges from anywhere from that of the tiniest grain of sand to a piece as large as any wyrm, but their size does not always correlate directly to the power that they hold. These magical elements of the Eternal King grant temporarily incredible abilities and mana capacity to R Beasts that expend them, though how those abilities are chosen, we know not. One of their primary uses is to borrow the Eternal King's power to use the [Corruption] skill that only it can access.

Eternal King is such a long name. I'm just gonna call it the EK.

Jerome: And that skill causes... this?

Aster: No. When used to its fullest extent, [Corruption] can forcibly convert one of us into one of them.

Jerome:

Oh, he paused to give her a look of shock. Awfully nice of him to respond to the exposition like another NPC.

Jerome: Into an R Beast?

Aster: Correct. The skill subsumes our Systems and replaces it with their own. None of our skills have proven able to reverse its effects. Oftentimes, the conversion results in an extraordinarily painful death, but there is a one in a thousand chance...

Jerome: That they can live afterwards?

Aster: That they turn.

Jerome: Oh.

Oh indeed. I'd imagine that's not a preferable outcome. Damn.

Aster: The skill did not take complete effect. I believe that the most likely cause of this semi-corrupted state we can witness is an incomplete [Corruption] caused by the [Fragment] running out of power.

Jerome: What should we do with it, then?

Aster: The answer is simple. Kill it.

Map?le??? D????̶̢̜̏̐?̷̱͒?̷̜̱̊e̶͚̔͛?̷̮͉̿r̶͔͎̿?̷͚͌ṙ̶͎̮?̷͕̚o̸̱̼͊͗?̴̜͍̊͗r̵̼̬͒

Sy?t?m in???r?ty 0?%

In?t??te

P-System Log

I'd say that's probably not supposed to happen. If I unfocus my thoughts a little, I can kinda read that as an "Initiate", but the box just cuts off right there and the rest of it is just red. Was that supposed to be "Initiate Defense"? Something along the lines of that?

Whatever it was supposed to be, the [Corruption] blasted it off. Jeez. This shit is insidious. It needs to be removed, but there's still blue here. I know Aster said it wasn't recoverable, but...

Jerome: How do you kill a Dungeon Core?

Aster: The same way one kills most anything. Hit it enough times with great enough power, and it will perish just like any other monster. However its [Resistance]-type skills might protect it, it is ultimately still mortal.

Jerome: You said there's no way to reverse the effect, right?

Aster: With our Systems, yes.

Jerome: But this wasn't a full transformation, and my System is supposed to be different, right?

Aster: Are you suggesting you attempt to reverse it?

Jerome: Yeah. Does your System talk back when you ask it a question?

Aster: It can perform basic responses, correct.

Jerome: Mine seems to possess more intelligence, just like you said it would. Maybe I could have it take a crack at it?

Aster: It could be dangerous. [Corruption] is incapable of spreading without the presence of a [Fragment], but it may attempt to strike at you.

Jerome: I should be fine. It's a [Common] monster, right? Even if affected by an R Beast's skill, I should be able to tank it with my...

Jerome Smith (abbreviated) Stat Current Maximum Health 278 503 P-System Log

Shit, that's getting pretty low.

Jerome: Several hundred remaining HP.

Jerome played it off pretty well, at least.

Aster (under her breath, probably thinking that there's no nosy Systems around here that can detect even the smallest sound): Reincarnators.

Aster (at a normal volume): You may attempt it.

And he's going up to the fist-sized Dungeon Core now. Man, this guy really has zero regard for his own safety. Or mine! [Corruption] might not be able to spread to Jerome, but I have no idea how it's going to affect me! C'mon!

Hero's Personal Log 035 Hey, System, can you try to convert this back? I'm not sure how it's supposed to be done, but you should be able to at least give it a shot, right? P-System Message You will receive significantly reduced rewards for completing your [Objective] if you attempt this. P-System Log

Please say no. I don't want to be forced into risking myself for this thing.

Aster: At least take it somewhere safer. If we remain in the domain of a Dungeon Core and the process goes awry, it will spell our doom.

Jerome: Sure. I'll take it, and we'll go outside?

Aster: Not in Maplecrest. There is no environment safe enough in this village for an activity this dangerous.

Jerome: What do you mean?

Aster: In the Edge City of P'lor, there lies a great laboratory in which an experiment such as this could be safely conducted and its effects recorded. As the [Corruption] has not finished, I believe it should not be too dangerous to carry with us. Carrying a Dungeon Core with us is not considered to be safe, but you were correct in believing that your System can potentially handle it.

No, no, no, not you too! Stop talking about this like it's a done deal!

Jerome: I have no idea what or where that is.

Aster: Then you will need a guide.

Jerome: Can you provide one?

Aster: You, Jerome Smith, are the first [Legendary]-class reincarnator to pass through this Edge City in years. I would be honored to be your guide.

Jerome: I would be pleased to have you.

Hero's Personal Log 036

Let's go! A party member!

Alright, I'm gonna grab the Dungeon Core now. Hopefully, that'll let us out.

Hero's Personal Log 037 Oh, yeah, I just remembered. System, I'm fine with that. I'd still like whatever XP you can get me, but I'm not beyond sacrificing it all to get to the bottom of this. If I'm right, this might provide the key to even more power. P-System Log ...fuck. Map?le??? D????̶̢̜̏̐?̷̱͒?̷̜̱̊e̶͚̔͛?̷̮͉̿r̶͔͎̿?̷͚͌ṙ̶͎̮?̷͕̚o̸̱̼͊͗?̴̜͍̊͗r̵̼̬͒ D???e̶͚̔͛?? c?ear?? [Objective] Clear the Maplecrest Dungeon complete! Rewards (awaiting distribution): XP, Skill XP