P-System Log ok so what the hell is that P-System Log [figuring out new stuff]

Okay, so I clearly didn't get Jerome to learn [Cloud Step]. I think the issue was that I put way more mana in than a [Rare] skill should have, and I also used the same method I've been using to learn combat skills. Since I still used the same general mana structure as what Aster did, the spell I came up with was... vaguely similar? Mist and cloud are pretty similar concepts, at least, and the skill description sounds like it kind of matches what [Cloud Step] does.

That felt like a huge expenditure of W Inertia, though. Let me see how much I lost.

Current W Inertia: 37723

Max W Inertia: 38359

P-System Log

Holy shit, a hundred? At least it wasn't as much as the stat increase, but still...

This skill better be good. I guess I can understand why people level up so slowly, if the Systems need to use this much W Inertia just to buy skills. God(s) fuckin damn.

[Misty Strike lv. 1] Stat Value XP 0/400 Damage 15R10+10 Mana Cost 50 Overcharge Multiplier (max) 1.5 Cost Multiplier 10% Range 30 meters P-System Log Woah, what the fuck? That's strong as hell, wow. Hero's Personal Log 056 An [Epic]-rarity skill? Not what I asked for, but I will one hundred percent take that. I wonder how strong it is. Can I see the stats, System? Please? P-System Log ...he was more polite this time, at least. P-System Message

[Misty Strike lv. 1]

Damage: 15R10+10

Cost: 50 mana

Range: 30 meters

Party Chat

[Jerome Smith]: Holy shit, I just unlocked a super powerful skill.

[Aster K'lon]: I suppose you should thank your System, then. You did not unlock [Cloud Step]?

[Jerome Smith]: [Misty Strike]. An [Epic]-rarity skill.

[Aster K'lon]: Extraordinary. Your system has unprecedented power.

[Jerome Smith]: You don't see all that surprised.

[Aster K'lon]: Your System is abnormal, and it is learning. I am not surprised that it is delivering returns beyond what any normal System can do. It's an incredible achievement, of course, but not too surprising.

[Jerome Smith]: I guess I should give it more credit. Anyway, I'm gonna give it a test run. Get out of the way.

[Aster K'lon]: Manners.

[Misty Strike] activating! P-System Log

Oh, this mana feels way different to control. It's a lot wilder in its movement, and it flows far faster than the lower-rarity skills that Jerome has been using up till this point. Not unmanageable per se, but I'll have to be more careful when Jerome uses this skill. Alright, here we go.

Hmm. That wasn't too fancy. Basically the same effect as [Cloud Step], but instead of instantaneous teleportation, he left a trail of white smoke in his path. I think he might have done it with less of a cast time than Aster did, but apart from the in-between part it wasn't too interesting. I'd imagine that the actual cool part comes when it hits an enemy.

On a different note, good to know that it isn't required to go the full thirty meters, since he dropped out of it right next to Aster, which is... thirty feet is... nine meters? Something like that. It was the same with offensive spells, but this is a whole new type of skill, so ya never know.

Onto the next room! There's actually a passageway between these two that isn't utter shit! I guess this Dungeon Core figured out how to do stairs at some point, because it's a pretty decently carved quarter-spiral set that goes on for a bit to the next room. Finally, some taste!

Party Chat

[Jerome Smith]: This dungeon has been pretty easy so far.

[Aster K'lon]: So it has been. If only you had a guide who could have informed you on its nature before you entered the dungeon, eh?

[Jerome Smith]: Okay, I get it, I get it. I need to listen to you more.

P-System Log

Listen to me more too, dumbass!

...okay, to be fair, I haven't really made any real attempt at communicating with him proactively. As far as he knows, I'm still basically an NPC.

Speaking of NPCs, Aster feels way too fleshed out to be one. Nice to know that this world doesn't run exclusively on game logic. As far as I can tell, everyone we've met has been a real person, which means there's probably less likely we're in a simulation or something. Then again, it could just be a simulation that's more complex than I can perceive, and--

Nope. Cutting that tangent off there. I had it one too many times on Earth, not gonna happen now that I have fun magic powers.

Anyway, next room!

P-System Log [this dungeon went back to being boring]

And the next room doesn't even have cool puzzles or anything. Nope, it's just a fucking anthill. A whole ass hill of dirt and sand at the center of the room, practically overflowing with ants. Six of them are on the hill itself, but I'm pretty sure there's more inside. The hill feels a little fucky to my senses, though.

Jerome, don't you dare [Assess] those pieces of shit. I didn't actually check to see if [Mass Assess] consumes less mana, but it's still mana anyway. I know you still have a lot of mana, Jerome, but you're a gamer, right? Surely you understand the necessity of saving mana when your ethers--er, they just call them mana potions here--are limited, right?

Party Chat

[Jerome Smith]: I count six of them. Might be more of them inside the hill itself.

[Aster K'lon]: Understood. Would you like assistance, or would you prefer to take the fight yourself?

[Jerome Smith]: I'll call if I need help.

P-System Log [the unthinkable has happened]

That's right, future Parker. I thought about something dumb Jerome could do, and he didn't do it!

Groundbreaking.

Hero's Personal Log 058 Time to test this new skill. I wanna know if it's actually usable in combat. P-System Log

I shit you not, this guy literally just took a single step into the room and started shouting insults at the ants.

I mean, I guess it's working? They're coming to attack him, at least. Jerome counted the six correctly, and now that six has nearly doubled. Five more ants came out of the hill, and now there's eleven of them.

Classic Jerome move, really. It's horrendously dumb but it still somehow works. Kind of. I assume his plan is to try his new skill against these ants.

[Misty Strike] activating! [Misty Strike] dealt 93 damage! [Misty Strike] dealt 99 damage! [Misty Strike] dealt 87 damage! Enemies defeated! Experience rewarded! P-System Log Holy shit, that's a strong fucking skill. Almost fully recouped my W Inertia for getting the skill too, and there's still a lot more ants to go. Jerome just dashed straight through those ants, and where the smoke passed over them, they just fell apart. It looks like a demonic blender passed through the fog that he made. The ants are barely recognizable anymore, though their decimated corpses aren't going to stay for very long. Looks like they're dissipating already. Party Chat

[Jerome Smith]: 93, 99, 87. Damn.

[Aster K'lon]: Worthy of an [Epic] rarity, indeed.

[Jerome Smith]: I'm going to try one more thing with it. If it works, I should be able to get the other eight in one fell swoop.

P-System Log

He's building up mana again. It feels... slightly different, this time? Like he's trying to do the fine manipulation a little more precisely. I'm not sure how to describe it, but it looks like Jerome actually does possess a single useful talent. His innate ability to manipulate mana might be better than mine, not gonna lie.

I should be able to copy it, though. Thanks to my broken perception abilities, I can see the little changes he does and just steal them for my half. Not that he'll ever know I need to put in extra effort. Take more shit for granted, why don't ya?

Anyway. Not the point. Here we go.

[Misty Strike] activating! [Misty Strike] dealt 94 damage! [Misty Strike] dealt 93 damage! Collision with wall dealt 251 damage (reduced by [Misty Strike]) to you! Enemies defeated! Experience rewarded! P-System Log

Oh.

Well, he ran straight through one ant and killed it, then he did an abrupt ninety-degree turn, [Misty Strike]d through another ant, at which point he utterly failed to turn again or stop and ran straight into the wall. Given the speed he was going--high enough that even my enhanced perception could barely see him--and the damage formula, he had better be grateful as fuck that the skill reduced collision damage. If it didn't, he'd probably be dead.

Party Chat

[Jerome Smith]: Ah, so that's why people don't test stuff in the field. I had been wondering why we need to move the Dungeon Core so far.

[Aster K'lon]: I'd say I didn't want to say "I told you so", but that would be a lie.

[Jerome Smith]: Alright, I'll finish this the normal way then. I should be training my other skills anyway.

[Blazing Spear] activating!