P-System Log

The next part of the dungeon was a lot more peaceful than the first path we took, which is kind of weird. Aster said she detected the least mana coming from the leftmost entrance, so the party went there, and it turned out that there was literally nothing stopping them from hitting the second lever? There was a single room with three empty sarcophagi that played a pre-recorded message of some kind, but that shit is all basically the dungeon adding lore for itself. It's not like there's some secret connection between the lore of this dungeon and everywhere else--Arcs and Thron made it pretty clear that the shit we see inside these dungeons is mostly contained to the dungeons themselves.

in the meantime, the rumbling from the entrance hasn't really increased in volume. I was worried that whoever was there would interrupt us halfway through the dungeon and cut off the opportunity. to gain more W Inertia, but it looks like whatever was happening has slowed down. I don't buy Thron's explanation of renovation at all, but I also don't want to risk losing this run. It's been a fun dungeon so far, and I've been able to explore some pretty cool new shit. If we can get loot and W Inertia on top of that, I'd be over the moon. Having to stop that to potentially face an adversary--or worse, embarrassedly explain ourselves to a construction crew--would put a bit of a damper on that.

So for the meantime, it's time to finish this dungeon up.

Party Chat

[Jerome Smith]: That second segment was really anticlimactic. Any info on the third?

[Aster K'lon]: I read many mana signatures. This is likely to be the crux of the dungeon.

[Arcs S'tar]: The last path you take tends to be the hardest. I don't know if this dungeon does it, but I've seen instances before where one of the [Epic] dungeons actually shifted its interior design around while adventurers were inside just so that the hardest path would be the last one.

[Jerome Smith]: Interesting.

[Aster K'lon]: Come. Let us stop wasting time.

P-System Log

This last bit looks a lot less artificial. I think it's still a creation of the dungeon and nothing truly organic, but it definitely resembles a natural cave a lot more now than it did earlier. The path is narrower and more uneven, there's stalagmites and stalactites everywhere, and the walls are nowhere near uniform anymore. The path is muddled up as well.

Thankfully, the party seems to know how to get around. Thron is leading the way, and it looks like he was born to make his way through caves. Is that a dwarf thing? I know that most fantasy dwarves live under mountains and in cave systems and such, but Thron wasn't the only dwarf wandering around the very obviously above-ground city of S'ker. Maybe it's just a proficiency or skill he has?

Whatever the case, they made their way through the first part of the cave just fine. There was a fork at one point with one path leading to a dead end and the other leading to another room just around the corner, and somehow Thron picked the right one without the benefit of enhanced perception like mine. I had to give him some credit for that, at least.

This next room is also less of a dungeon-made structure--at least, it looks less artificial. It's just a wider cavern, but there's... damn. It's glowing purple.

[ASSESS] activating! Nameless Class Race Level Predator Violet Fungus 1 Stat Current Maximum Health 10 Titles [Dungeon Mob] [Fireball] cast! [Fireball] cast! P-System Log Damn, Jerome didn't even get a chance to participate, huh? Arcs just shot two huge-ass fireballs into that place and then absolutely incinerated every last one of those poor fungi. Party Chat

[Thron of the Fallen Skies]: Watch your mana, Arcs.

[Arcs S'tar]: I have potions. It's fine.

[Jerome Smith]: You must really hate those fungi. They're all [Common] class and, like, level 1. Are they really that much of an issue?

[Arcs S'tar]: Once you spend some more time in the field, you'll probably also learn that class isn't everything. If left unchecked, those monsters can become unstoppable.

[Arcs S'tar]: Believe me. You don't want to see it.

[Jerome Smith]: Alright then. Thanks for removing the threat then, I guess.

[Arcs S'tar]: They're weak to fire. Just remember that, and you'll never end up in a bad situation against them.

[Jerome Smith]: There a history there?

P-System Log

No shit, dumbass! Have some tact!

Well, whatever. They didn't continue the conversation, so I think we're good. The room didn't have anything other than the fungi in it, so it's on to the next one. More caving, yay!

Party Chat

[Aster K'lon]: It occurs to me that the number of drops obtained from this dungeon so far have been fairly low.

[Arcs S'tar]: The trigger-types tend to be like this. Have you never faced one?

[Aster K'lon]: Dungeon variety in my region is significantly more limited.

[Arcs S'tar]: Ah. Well, the loot is almost all going to be at the end.

[Aster K'lon]: Understood.

[Thron of the Fallen Skies]: We're here.

P-System Log

Sure enough, we are. This place has the same design as the empty room from earlier. Three empty sarcophagi and a mana signature buried within one of them that indicates the presence of the final lever.

It's not quite the same, though. Whereas the last room was nearly entirely empty but for that one message, this one is definitively not. I can detect other things lying within the sarcophagi, and the mana is strong.

Party Chat

[Arcs S'tar]: This isn't the endboss. Not enough of a signature.

[Thron of the Fallen Skies]: Endboss is probably stored in the fountain.

[Arcs S'tar]: Is everyone ready? I believe the combat flow will go from miniboss to endboss here with very little time in between.

[Jerome Smith]: A little short on mana, but I should be good.

[Aster K'lon]: I am prepared. Jerome, you can have a mana potion.

Private Message [Aster]

[Aster K'lon]: You have not discovered a way to increase the speed of mana generation?

[P-System]: No. Natural seems to be the fastest at the moment.

[Aster K'lon]: A pity.

[Superior Mana Potion] restored 300 mana! P-System Log Not a perfect heal, but it'll do the job. Time to get this coffin open. Party Chat

[Thron of the Fallen Skies]: I'm going to hit it.

[Arcs S'tar]: Of course you are.

[Relentless Rage] cast! [Brutal Strike] cast! Party Chat [Thron of the Fallen Skies]: No reaction. Going again. [Ethereal Body] triggered! P-System Log Damn, that's a high-rarity skill to start the fight with. That thing just phased right through the sarcophagus, no questions asked. It looks almost like it's a silhouette of a person, like if you removed all the color from someone and then added on some shadowy particle effects on the side. [ASSESS] activating! K Class Race Level Darkstriker Undead 10 Stat Current Maximum Health 400 Titles [Dungeon Mob], [Resurrector], [Reincarnator], [Massacre IV] Party Chat

[Jerome Smith]: That's a fucking midboss?

[Arcs S'tar]: That is far more powerful than it has any right to be. What the hell is happening?

[Aster K'lon]: The ambient mana is acting differently. We should retreat.

[Jerome Smith]: I think we can kill this guy. I dunno about the boss, though.

[Arcs S'tar]: This may very well be the boss. Something is wrong.

[Nightwalk] cast! Party Chat

[Jerome Smith]: Shit, it disappeared.

[Aster K'lon]: The [Common] dungeon was acting up as well. I thought it was a coincidence brought on by Jerome's unique abilities at first, but now...

[Nightwalk] + [Secret Strike] = [Shadowblade] cast! [Shadowblade] dealt 405 damage to you! Party Chat

[Jerome Smith]: FOUR HUNDRED AND FIVE

[Jerome Smith]: I have 37 health left.

[Jerome Smith]: Get the fuck out.

[Aster K'lon]: Oh dear.

[Pendant of the Eagle's Flight] consumed 4 charges! [Nightwalk] cast! P-System Log

shit shit shit shit shit

This is really fucking bad. Bad enough that I think I might need to dip into my reserves again. I wasn't expecting something this strong. The only reason nobody is dead already is because that thing attacked Jerome, who has like three times the health of the rest of the party.

And he's on 37 HP. Once that thing materializes again, it's fucking over.

How much did one W Inertia get me? Like 3 HP? I need enough to survive another hit. To guarantee that, that's 500 HP. I don't know if that was a low or a high damage roll, but I want to err on the side of safety.

Fuck it, I'll spend 200. I've been spending like crazy anyway, and this is necessary.

Jerome Smith (abbreviated) Stat Current Maximum Health 646 1171 P-System Log

Okay, the thing is targeting Jerome. He'll live one more hit.

Now as long as nothing else goes wrong, I can focus on offense.

[H?? WA???F?? ?Y?] And thusly the King cast aside the walls. P-System Log bro