P-System Log

It's not like I'm going to be doing anything different from what I'm already doing. I've already been encouraging Jerome to kill everything and everyone in his way, right? All I have to do is do that even more!

...Franz, are we the baddies?

Nah. So far, we haven't killed or even attempted to kill anything approximating a person. The closest thing that we've had to that are the R Beasts, which I guess could be considered people, but those things are w̶r̴o̶n̶g̷ and d̴e̷s̶e̵r̸v̸e̷ to die.

Oh wait, the bandits. Eh. Let's just... forget about that, yeah?

Besides, morals were never an issue here. Jerome and I have that in common, at least, even if he lacks in so many other ways. No sweat off our backs if we have to kill a whole fuckload of monsters in order to get our way. After all, they're monsters, and Jerome and I both get power from it.

Anyway. Onto the next room!

Or maybe not. Jerome is taking a breather.

Party Chat

[Jerome Smith]: First room is clear. I used around 120 to 130 mana, so I should still have at least 900. More than enough to deal with the rest of the dungeon, I think.

[Aster K'lon]: Given that it is more mana than I have overall, yes, it certainly is.

[Jerome Smith]: How do you even operate, anyway? My [Uncommon] spells are already costly enough, and you've got higher rarity skills than me on average. Don't you have less mana?

[Aster K'lon]: I regenerate mana faster than you. It is a perk of my [Mage] class, a hidden passive skill that most of us in this type of class get. That, however, is not currently the point. Do you have sufficient health remaining to complete the dungeon?

[Jerome Smith]: Lemme check.

Jerome Smith (abbreviated) Stat Current Maximum Health 311 562 Party Chat

[Jerome Smith]: Less than I'd like.

[Aster K'lon]: HP doesn't matter unless you can go down in one attack. 311 is more Health than I have in total as well, and you have already proven yourself to be capable of slaughtering this dungeon's monsters without allowing them to get in a hit first. I believe you should have no issues.

[Jerome Smith]: Yeah, that makes sense. Still, I wish I could regenerate somehow...

[Aster K'lon]: As I've said before, the two primary ways to regenerate your Health are through items and skills. For items, I refuse to use any of my remaining potions on you unless there is no other option left. This is a journey to empower you, not a journey in which you rely on me for everything.

[Jerome Smith]: And skills?

[Aster K'lon]: This too I have told you. The primary group Integrated who can use Health healing skills are [Cleric] types, and while you could attempt to multiclass into one of those classes, the requirements for even a low-rarity class of that type are extraordinarily stringent.

[Jerome Smith]: Hold on, you can multiclass? How come I never got to know this?

[Aster K'lon]: You never asked, Jerome.

[Aster K'lon]: Multiclassing is absolutely possible, but it is highly inadvisable for most.

[Jerome Smith]: So if I multiclassed, I could get the healing spells of a [Cleric], or your [Mage] class's higher mana regeneration rate?

[Aster K'lon]: Yes.

[Jerome Smith]: Then why is it not advised?

[Aster K'lon] Multiclassing does not increase the amount of Experience you gain from battles, so while multiclass adventurers often gain more utility and a wider variety of skills to use, they do it slower, at a rate that makes them fall behind their peers. Except in extraordinary cases, multiclassing is rarely used.

[Jerome Smith]: I am an extraordinary case.

[Aster K'lon]: If you say so.

P-System Log

No way in hell am I letting him multiclass. Having to split my precious W Inertia even further and watching Jerome power up less every time... no thanks. Besides, I can barely manage his one class. I don't even know if it's got any hidden abilities or passives that I'm supposed to be running but haven't. Without a proper instruction manual, I'm already pretty lost on this class. How would I manage another one?

Yeah, I'm just gonna say no.

P-System Message Multiclassing is currently disabled for [Godkiller] Jerome Smith. Party Chat

[Jerome Smith]: Aw man. My System told me I can't multiclass.

[Aster K'lon]: Interesting. Extraordinary in the opposite direction, then.

[Jerome Smith]: Huh?

[Aster K'lon]: Never mind. We should get on with this dungeon.

P-System Log

Yeah, Jerome! Hurry us the fuck up!

Well, at least he seemed to take that suggestion to heart. We're moving now, onto the passageway between this room and the next.

...it's a really nice passageway. A proper set of marble spiral stairs, evenly lit with magical torchlight and paintings. The paintings aren't of any scenes that I recognize, and some of them are literally just abstract blobs of color that would totally be classified as "modern art" back in San Fran, but the fact that they're even there is neat enough.

I wonder what the next room looks like.

Party Chat

[Jerome Smith]: What's the next room look like?

[Aster K'lon]: I won't spoil your first S'ker dungeon run for you. You're a [Legendary] class adventurer. You should have no issues clearing it.

[Jerome Smith]: Yeah, but I'm still level 3!

[Aster K'lon]: And far more powerful than anyone else is at that level. Your System truly works miracles.

P-System Log

Aw, thanks, Aster. That reminds me, though. I still haven't given Jerome his rewards.

What was the system I worked out? I'll grant him choice when he levels up, and I'll determine what skill gets how much otherwise, right? That should be fine for this use case.

I think Jerome got like 500ish W Inertia that I didn't actually split up for him. I'm keeping as much of it as I can get away with, since I just recently learned that I need overflow for [W%M;G,P] to do any work. That means I'm going to be reworking my relationship with Jerome.

Hypocritical? Maybe. Going back on my word to myself? Absolutely. It's not like I don't have a history of breaking promises to myself, so this is just one more to add to the pile.

I'll budget... 100? 100 sounds good. If Jerome hits the same number of monsters in the next room as he did in the first, we should easily be able to make all of that back.

50 can go to general XP. The other 50... I'll split that between [Blazing Spear], [Misty Strike], and I guess also [Assess]. Yeah, that sounds good. 20 to the first, 20 to the second, and 10 to the third, since I think he and I both prioritize offensive skills.

Yeah, I'll give Jerome his freedom of choice when it comes to level ups, but this shit is mine to handle.

P-System Log

Alright, I just gave him the W Inertia. All three of his skills are still pretty early on in terms of their progression to the next level, so there wasn't any leveling here. That's fine. There doesn't need to be.

We're in the next room now. This one's interesting. It's a simple maze, one with like 10 foot walls made out of some material that I don't recognize and don't want to appraise.

My perception dome makes me uniquely suited to handling this. I can take a top down view of the place, which makes me feel a lot less lost than Jerome must.

Hmm. I wonder, can I create images in my mind? I should be able to, right? There's a lot of funky shit available to me as a System. Surely drawing is within my capabilities.

Oh, fantastic.

P-System Message

You are currently in a maze. Displaying maze here:

Your location is marked by the circle. In order to complete this maze, turn right-left-right-left-straight-straight-straight-right-straight-right-left-right-straight-right-left-left-right at dead ends and intersections.

Hero's Personal Log 067 Uhhh.... okay, I don't think I can process all that. I'll just go through with the map. I'm not that dumb, I can solve a maze. P-System Log

Ah. I forgot Jerome was, like, an actual sentient human being. He went to a good college and everything. I guess there is some brain in that man after all.

Whatever. Here we go. Some of the place is trapped, I'm pretty sure, and some of it has monsters, so Jerome's definitely not getting out of this one unscathed.

All I have to do is sit back, watch, and make sure he doesn't completely die.

Spike trap dealt 32 damage to you! [Hidden Strike] dealt 12 damage to you! P-System Log Bro. You're a gamer. The chest was fucking bloody. And you went for it anyway? [Assess] activating! Integrated identified: Lesser Mimic [Dungeon Mimic lv. 2] Nameless Overcharged [Magic Missile] activating! [Magic Missile] dealt 66 damage! Enemy deated! Experience rewarded! Strength contest initiated! Strength contest won by [Godkiller] Jerome Smith! Critical hit! Unarmed strike dealt 30 damage! Enemy defeated! Experience rewarded! P-System Log

Ugh, there's so much commentary I want to give... I feel like I'm watching Twitch Plays Pokemon with how uncoordinated and directionless this guy's fighting style is.

Whatever. It's getting the job done.