Party Chat

[Jerome Smith]: Did you see that?

[Aster K'lon]: There are R Beasts in the area. To cast another [Legendary]-rarity skill...

[Jerome Smith]: You can only use a skill one level of rarity above you, right? That would mean that we're up against a [Epic]-class R Beast at minimum.

[Aster K'lon]: Not necessarily. With items of a higher rarity, one can overcast higher. That is how the [Cultist] was able to utilize [Legendary]-rarity skills earlier and even the [Unique]-rarity [Corruption] skill. However, they already consumed the [Fragment] that enabled them.

[Jerome Smith]: So you're saying they could be the same people--er, monsters?

[Aster K'lon]: Possibly. Had it been another group of scouts, they surely would not have been able to avoid notice as a full group. I am inclined to believe it is the same party.

[Jerome Smith]: But then if they used their overcasting tool already, how would they cast another high-rarity skill?

[Aster K'lon]: The messages included the word "sacrifice accepted", so I assume that means that the [Cultist] used a ritual-type skill. With the assistance of others, it is possible to overcast. To overcast that high, though... the sacrifice must have been potent.

[Jerome Smith]: Wait, sacrifice like human sacrifice?

[Aster K'lon]: Likely. I must consult my notes. That, however, is not currently our primary concern.

[Jerome Smith]: What is?

[Aster K'lon]: I have a passive skill inherent to the [Mage] line. It's called [Mana Sense], and it's hidden to lower-level [Assess] skills. I can detect a mana presence watching us from afar. I believe we may be under the effect of an observation skill.

P-System Log

[Mana Sense], huh? I didn't see that with my pseudo-[Assess], but I guess it needed more W Inertia in order to see that skill. She did have a section marked as in her status sheet. I guess that's what it hid? If that's the case, there's definitely potential for more hidden skills. Something to keep in mind for the future, I think.

Handy skill to have, from the sounds of it. If Aster is honest--which I have no reason to believe she isn't--then there's a skill watching us. The [Legendary] R Beast skill, no doubt. I can't detect anything in the immediate area, but my sense for mana is only really good within the limits of my perception dome. Any further out and it gets a lot fuzzier, so if the skill is gathering mana at a fair distance, I'm not gonna be able to perceive it. Seems like a rather serious downside of being a System, but I guess good ol' Origin never really took that into consideration when designing us.

Party Chat

[Jerome Smith]: What do we need to do?

[Aster K'lon]: Nothing out of the ordinary. Neither of us are strong enough to counteract a skill that powerful.

[Jerome Smith]: So we just... let it watch us?

[Aster K'lon]: Yes. We could investigate its origin if you wish, but that ways lies much conflict. In fairness, it is likely that either way will include much conflict.

[Jerome Smith]: You seem really calm about all this. From what you're saying, it sounds like there's a big-ass target on our backs.

[Aster K'lon]: In essence, yes. I doubt much will come of it, given that any large party of R Beasts would be noticed this deep in, but we have attracted notice. If this is indeed the same group of R Beasts as the ones we encountered in the Maplecrest dungeon, this may be the [Cultist]'s effort at keeping tabs on our progress. It is, I hear, rather standard for adventuring parties of note.

[Jerome Smith]: So... it's a good sign?

[Aster K'lon]: I wouldn't quite say that.

P-System Log

Fuck. Well, I guess that means we're going to be dealing with R Beasts now. I don't want to go through having their w̵r̶o̷n̴g̵n̴e̸s̵s̸ inside my perception dome again, but it looks like that's going to be unavoidable.

Oh well. That means more opportunities for W Inertia!

Wait. If we get jumped by that same group, Jerome might be fucked. His HP got taken down to like half its max because that dumbass decided to field-test a new application of his skill and ran into a wall at mach speed. The last time we fought them, Jerome got hit really hard. Doing that again might take him out completely, and that might leave me SOL.

I wonder if there's any way he can get healed that doesn't involve potions?

Maybe I'll just tell him to get healed and hope that works.

Wait, actually, no. I've got a resource I can tap for this. Overly formal voice on!

Private Message [Aster]

[P-System]: Query. Do standard Systems have access to healing?

[Aster K'lon]: You surely are a unique one to not know even this. Intriguing.

[Aster K'lon]: Passive healing occurs in much the same fashion that passive mana regeneration occurs. Once there is an extended period of little movement, the Health stat begins to regenerate, generally healing to full over the course of several hours. I know not of whether or not the System takes part in this, but I must assume it does. Active healing occurs through skills, though many of the [Cleric]-type classes are a higher rarity and primarily operate in Edge Cities closer to the Eternal King's domain.

[P-System]: Understood. Thank you.

[Aster K'lon]: You're very welcome, deviant one.

P-System Log [thinking on regen]

Okay, so apparently the way it functions is the same as mana regen. I... think that means I don't need to handle it? Not while [W%M;G,P] is active, at least. I didn't need to handle mana regen, at least.

I don't know how I would facilitate it anyway. As a System, most of what I can do is through W Inertia and mana manipulation, neither of which sound like they're the correct way to regenerate health. Investing W Inertia into the stat just means that the overall amount increases. It works as a last resort, but it's less healing and more like leveling health. As for mana manipulation, that really only works for the purpose of getting Jerome to learn a skill. I mean, I could try to force Jerome into learning a healing skill, but that requires me actually witnessing a healing skill in action first.

In that case, I guess it's either rest or hope Jerome doesn't die. It's still pretty early in the day, so I doubt the first is an option. I could try to manipulate Jerome into resting, but I don't think he wants to and I don't think it's worth wasting an [Objective] declaration over.

Dammit, Jerome. I suppose that if worst comes to worst, I can just spam W Inertia at the problem to delay it. A worryingly large number of my plans are trending in that direction, but it's not my fault this time!

P-System Log Jerome and Aster just decided to keep going in the end. We're back on the trail again, one dungeon, several hundred W Inertia, and one exceptionally worrying tracking spell later. I'm not 100% on what the new skill does, but the fact that both of them can ignore it so easily... I can't say it's reassuring. I don't know if I can check for mental compulsions or anything, but it's a little scary that they dismissed such a huge threat so out of hand. I mean, sure, it might not have any risk right now, but there's a lot of potential damage to be had in being tracked by your enemies. Hero's Personal Log 065

Holy shit, this is terrifying. I hope I can handle whatever R Beasts come our way, but I hate hate hate the idea of being tracked. I didn't pay a hundred bucks for fifteen months of ExpressVPN on Earth for no reason! I fucking hate this.

Ugh. Aster is strong, though, and I'm getting stronger. I can do this.

P-System Log

Huh. That's oddly reassuring. Jerome is actually a real person with personality traits other than "dickhead", huh?

Anyway, it's time to keep on truckin' for now. Or walkin', rather. Do they have trucks here? I don't think they do.

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

System f??l??e

Reb??t???...

invoke: failure connect invoke: connection e?ta??????

Ho?t??e incu??s??? det?c???!

Rejec?ing...

P-System Log Well, that's not worrying at all. Party Chat

[Jerome Smith]: Did you see that?

[Aster K'lon]: Indeed I did. I would highly advise destroying the Dungeon Core.

[Jerome Smith]: It's not dangerous to us yet, is it? Plus, there's bound to be information we can get out of it.

[Aster K'lon]: This is true. P'lor is known for its laboratories.

[Jerome Smith]: You told me to take charge earlier, so I'm taking charge on this. We're keeping the core alive as long as it isn't actively attacking us.

[Aster K'lon]: Very well.

P-System Log

I guess that's that. I hope Jerome knows what he's doing.

Ha. We're fucked.