So, now that we’re train-bound for our ultimate destination of Los Angeles, the three members of the Systemless Squad can finally get a moment’s rest before we’re catapulted into yet another stage of our adventure.

I’ll probably nod off for a hearty nap in a couple minutes, especially since I haven’t slept more than a couple minutes here and there over the past three days. My stamina here is incredibly impressive, surprising even me... but it won’t last forever. The exhaustion is seriously starting to take a toll on my Life Points drain. I’m already down to below 10,000 Life Points, and I just leveled up a couple hours ago.

Actually, I have leveled up quite a lot since I first arrived in Simi Valley. I started at Level 2 in the still-new C-Rank, but now I’ve reached Level 8! That of course came largely due to the injuries I suffered that were much deadlier than most of my previous encounters (not that the Weathermen Boogaloo terrorists were much of fighters when it came to hand-to-hand combat, of course). So even though I am nearly halfway to ranking up yet again, in just four days, it has also reduced my cache of Destiny Points to some very dangerous territories. Well, kind of.

I still have [60 DP] remaining, so that’s exactly two level-ups available. All in all, I have about 50,000 Life Points in total reserve, if I were to gain less than 30 Destiny Points in the next week or two, so it’s not incredibly dangerous so long as Los Angeles proves not to be completely filled with violence and mayhem as the previous three cities in this Amtrak tour have done.

So it is not something to say with anxiety and fear that I “only” gained so many Destiny Points at Simi Valley (not many beautiful sights, not all that many foes to best), because I trust in myself, and more so in Francis’s ingenuity, to carry my system to victory.

Let’s check out the stats I’ve gained since last time I really paid any attention to all this:

Strength

49

Speed

7

Agility

8

Wisdom

9

Defense

23

Charm

15

Viscosity

11

Deftness

20

Charisma

11

Manners

20

Power

69

Sturdiness

11

Nice gains, if I do say so myself. Especially [Power;] that one in particular is incredibly nice.

Also, as is extremely obvious to anyone who was at the Reagan Presidential Library to witness the events, my Destiny Cards have changed considerably as well!

That poor monster loot bag... It was not as tragic a loss as my dear short-lived friend Gimlet, but all of that loot could have been extremely successful if I ever learned the secrets of the Destiny Crafting system. It was all quite useful in the games of deception and intrigue that I was forced to play with the terrorists, but every item I abandoned still fills me with some amount of regret.

Now all I have is... Delta’s suitcase because she didn’t want to carry it. Sigh.

Empathetic Link: Rank 7. Create a Mental Link with a target sentient being. Cost: 5500 LP.

Achievement Hammer: Rank 6. Unlock any Achivement Board reward instantly. Cost: 2600 LP.

Inventory Slot: Rank 4. Store an item here to retrieve for future use. Current item: Suitcase (Size: Large).

Inventory Slot: Rank 4. Store an item here to retrieve for future use. Current item: Bow and arrow (Santa Barbara Royal Inventory).

Inventory Slot: Rank 4. Store an item here to retrieve for future use. Current item: Bow and arrow (Mystix Adventurer’s Guild Outfit).

Perfect Clone: Rank 5. Make a clone for 5 days, Cost: 7600 LP.

Energy Sword: Rank 2. Summon a temporary lightning sword that lasts for five minutes. Cost: 160 LP.

Skill Check+: Rank 5. Examine the variables around you. Choose one; you may manipulate that variable at will. Cost: 869 LP.

Fireball Ultra: Rank 3. Shoot a powerful fireball. Cost: 100 LP.

Yep, that is for certain a Destiny Card roster. Not good, not bad, but most certainly not devoid of options for me if I am in a time of great desperation.

The plethora of high-cost, highly specialized Destiny Cards concerns me, because it implies that the higher a rank I achieve, the more these cards seep into my draws. Cards like [Perfect Clone] and [Empathetic Link] have great uses, to be sure, but they are so specific that they aren’t good in a pinch, and they cost so much in the way of Life Points that they can be a gamble even in optimal times. I could always scrap them for Destiny Points, but... No, I’m too addicted to the cards to do that.

I wonder how many of these cards are the result of ranking up to C in my [Adventurer] class, and how many are my hidden [Demigod] class seeping under the surface of everything I do. Very difficult to know without finding full deck lists, something extremely difficult to come by even back in my home world.

Speaking of learning horrifying truths about myself, though, it’s time for me to take a nap. I can’t keep my eyes open. I don’t know how long I’ll be back on Mystix as a ghost, but I hope it isn’t too dramatic...