As always, Giliath demands your power stones!
*****
"Are you sure you aren't pulling my leg here, Young Master?", Lechter still doubted the holographic blue panel he was presently looking at floating before him.
"For the millionth time Lechter, just press the damn button. Tio's already understanding how this ability works.", I retorted. Tio continued to let me ruffle her hair as she cracked a smile at my words.
With a smile from Tio, she enjoyed the head-pat I was presently giving her. Her hair shuffled during this as I saw Tio turn around to look at Lechter. Using her spare hand, she reached outward, and did a V-Sign at him. Lechter frowned seeing Tio do this.
"That's 'cause the kiddo ain't normal! I'm reacting like how a normal person would react to this shit!", Lechter exclaimed, still in disbelief of the blue screen before him.
"In what way are you more normal than Naoto and I, Lechter? You are a walking lie detector.", Tio retorted. "And now that I think about it, you're the only walking lie detector.", Tio continued.
"Is that how you see me, kid?", Lechter frowned again.
"Hahaha! I'm sure Tio's only joking.", I said, shrugging Tio's remark off.
"Young Master, sometimes, you have a bad influence on kids.", Lechter said.
"Oh that's a real hoot coming from you.", I replied, squinting my eyes at him.
Lechter sighed and shrugged his shoulders.
"At the end of the day, I can't really go against you, Young Master. I don't want an earful from His Excellency later.", Lechter sighed.
"Is that Chancellor really part of your family, Naoto?", Tio also doubted. She recalled the photo I showed her while we were on the boat travelling to Nemeth Island a couple years back.
"Yeah. That's right. His Excellency is my father. We don't really have much time to meet nowadays. His work takes precedence, as do my duties as a prince of a country. Do keep this under wraps yeah?", I asked, donning a more serious look. The previous joking mood completely vanished.
"Mmm.", Tio nodded her head.
"How can you tell a state secret with a straight look like that, Young Master? All hell would break loose if that ever got found out.", Lechter asked me.
"Which is why it is your job to protect that secret, right?", I grinned at Lechter.
"Haha! Fair enough.", Lechter grinned back at me. His eyes looked toward the blue screen again. On it read the same text as Tio's screen did, [Would you like to join Gamer Naoto's party?]
"I just have to press this...screen?", Lechter mused.
"That's right.", I nodded.
"Welp, what goes around comes around as they say. Here goes nothing.", Lechter said, reaching his hand out. He pressed yes, and his eyes became startled the moment he heard a notification sound off inside his mind.
"The hell?", Lechter cursed, not expecting to hear something speak directly into him. I was used to it, but for someone like Lechter, having a system was a foreign concept to him.
[Ding! Lechter Arundel has joined Gamer Naoto's Party.]
[Ding! Current Party Members: 3/6.]
[Ding! Lechter Arundel's Current Level: 100.]
"What in Aidios's name is this?", Lechter frowned, seeing his blue panel twist and distort. Just like with Tio's, he saw his own body appear on screen. It even had gear slots like it did for me. It showed whether a combat orbment was presently equipped, the armor slot, the boots slot, and the two accessory slots. Even the weapon slot could be seen on the screen. Some of these slots were presently occupied too. As for Tio, she just had her weapon slot occupied.
"It's you, of course.", I bluntly replied.
"Well yeah, I can see that. Is this what you meant by being able to quantify our actions?", Lechter mused, seeing himself on a status screen.
"Pretty much. At least you aren't a slouch, Lechter. You've been working hard keeping up with your bodyguard duties. I'm sure you've hunted monsters here and there.", I mused, observing Lechter's present Level. It was Level 100, so that meant he put in quite a bit of effort thus far.
"I have. This thing says my Level is 100. And yours is Level 111 as the kid said?", Lechter asked. He glanced my way and saw a blue tag above my head. It read, [Naoto - Level 111.]. And on top of that, above the tag had a little crown icon, signaling that I was the current party leader.
"That's right. You'll be seeing this a lot more. What you presently see can do quite an array of things, but one thing I'll say for now is that the Vermillion Trials set a requirement for me. I have to be at Lv100 at a minimum. Just like how I can gauge a person's strength through this ability of mine, it works vice versa. Certain places I go to judge's my own strength, and will create monsters based on it.", I continued to explain.
"This...judges your current abilities and can create monsters based off of it?", Tio said as tilted her head, showing obvious confusion. I was referring to Quests, Dungeons and such. I didn't want to give the full explanation, they'd just get confused by it more.
"Now that's bogus.", Lechter also nodded his head.
Yet, as if it was responding to Lechter's remark, the three of us suddenly heard a notification sound off inside our heads at the same time. Both Tio's and Lechter's expressions turned weird once they heard this. At least for me, I was used to hearing these notifications. I couldn't help but chuckle seeing how these two are presently reacting.
[Ding! Gamer Naoto has succeeded in forming a party with three or more members. A new type of Quest, Party Quest, has been unlocked.]
[Ding! Party Quest - Hunt Five Abyss Worms has been created for Gamer Naoto's Party.]
[Quest: Hunt Five Abyss Worms.]
-Abyss Worms killed: 0/5.
Rewards: 50,000 EXP, 3 Generation IV Quartz (Random), 1 Generation IV Quartz (Selectable), Tio's Hairpin (Tio/Accessory), Zemurian-Clad Leather Boots (Lechter/Boots)
"You've got to be joking.", Lechter retorted, seeing this Quest message appear before him.
"Trust me, it's no joke. I've received plenty of these Quests, Lechter. I am Level 111 after all. But you still amaze me. You've reached Level 100 just by hunting monsters alone. that feat isn't easy.", I praised Lechter.
"Thanks, I guess?", Lechter responded, scratching his head. I bet he didn't expect me to praise him. I wasn't spitting dry air at him either. I meant it. Only select powerhouses could reach all the way to Level 250.
I mean, you could cheese your way through, reaching Level 250 in Reverie. They added options to increase the monster's level cap by 50 or 100. This sped up the grinding needed to reach all of your characters to Level 250. In the game's Abyss mode, I do believe the final boss in the Reverie Corridor was Level 250. It was quite challenging, unless you knew cheese strategies. You know who I mean. I'm looking at you, Mr. Wind.
I don't know if such functions exist with my Gamer System. It will be interesting to see if the Vermillion Trials place a limiter on my level or stats. The AT Delay function doesn't exist either, considering this is the real world, so I'm sure these trials will be much more challenging, and likewise, much more fun. We won't be able to rob enemies of their turns, unless we inflict them with statuses. Those I know do still exist, considering we have Arts. We could still Burn or Freeze targets to our liking.
This is pure speculation right now. As I thought that, Tio frowned.
"The Levels you two share isn't fair. I'm only Level 1.", Tio frowned with a cute pout.
"Hahaha! You're already becoming a true gamer like I am, Tio. It's simple, you just don't have combat experience. My ability reacted as such, allowing you two to receive an opportunity of a lifetime. You won't be able to get this anywhere else.", I replied with a playful smirk.
"A true...Gamer?", Tio tilted her head to my words. Cute.
"You know, that doesn't have a bad ring to it at all.", Lechter mused.