Okay, now where was I?

Ah, yes. Francis is downstairs in the Mutsu Grand Hotel lobby checking an internet stream to see if he illegally wins awards at the Streamies (#BacSweep). And I’m up here in our hotel room checking all my stats and Destiny Cards in order to make sure I am ready for anything that comes my way in the near future.

I’m almost at Rank A, which will give me massive boosts, but I am holding off on that until I can make a spectacle of it, as is the Mystixian way. My last rank-up was unfortunately done quietly, under the supervision of the U.S. government, and was thus a dishonorable way to advance my progression. I will inevitably become an S-Rank hero, the first such in over a millennium, and each important moment shall be marked in the annals of history for the lorekeepers to record forever.

For now though, all my efforts will be spent on making sure my Destiny Cards are as powerful as possible.

As for that Destiny Card roster of mine I have currently:

Download: Rank 5. Absorb 50% of the stats of target for 5 minutes. Cost: 140 LP.

Pickpocket: Rank 6. Use a random Destiny Card from target system user (the card is consumed for them). Cost: 1250 LP.

Time Acceleration. Rank 4. Speeds up time x5 for what feels to you like 5 minutes. Cost: 800 LP.

Skill Check: Rank 1. Examine the variables around you. (There is a small chance that your next action will go exceedingly well or exceedingly poorly.) Cost: 50 LP.

Blaze Up: Rank 3. Creates a flame aura around the user. Cost: 300 LP.

Nature Power. Rank 3. Suck power from all plants in a 5 ft. radius. Cost: 600 LP.

Major Heal: Rank 4. Gain 3,000 LP. Cost: 0 LP.

Dig: Rank 2. Gain the ability to dig through dirt and rock at a rapid pace for 60 seconds. Cost: 739 LP.

Fireball: Rank 1. Shoot a fireball. Cost: 10 LP.

Skill Check: Rank 1. Examine the variables around you. (There is a small chance that your next action will go exceedingly well or exceedingly poorly.) Cost: 50 LP.

Overload Spark: Rank 5. Deal electric damage to each selected target within one mile. Cost: 888 LP.

Indeed, this is not impressive in any way. With the fact I possess [617 DP] at the moment and am not in any immediate worry of health, I can disregard most notions of conservatism and replace all of these as best as I can.

First things first...

Bye-bye, [Download,] [Pickpocket,] both [Skill Check] cards, [Blaze Up,] [Nature Power,] [Dig,] and [Fireball.]

Woosh.

Hello to—thanks to receiving half the cost of discarded Destiny Cards rounding down (except for Rank 1 cards)—11 Destiny Points.

[Total: 628 DP.]

Time Acceleration. Rank 4. Speeds up time x5 for what feels to you like 5 minutes. Cost: 800 LP.

Major Heal: Rank 4. Gain 3,000 LP. Cost: 0 LP.

Overload Spark: Rank 5. Deal electric damage to each selected target within one mile. Cost: 888 LP.

So that leaves me with eight, count them, eight Destiny Card slots to fill.

Let’s start those pulls, then. I’m hoping for something Rank 9 or above!

[Fireball,]

[Fireball,]

[Irrational Force,]

[Double Dip,]

[Skill Check+,]

[Willpower Boost,]

[Major Heal,]

[Reverse,]

...

Okay, I’m cutting most of these before I’ve even really settled on anything. Let’s try this again and get some fresh new uses.

Also, my Life Points are draining quickly from all these draws, so it’s time to use that extra [Major Heal] as well.

Come on and make some good draws!

[Sparkle,]

[Kaio Blast S,]

[Counterspell,]

[Voice Projection,]

[Parch,]

[Clone,]

[Foresight,]

[Foresight,]

[Foresight,]

[Foresight.......]

What in The Goddess’s name is going on with these draws? They’re terrible. My destiny is actively rejecting itself. It refuses to answer the call.

But the call is going to reach in and pull it out.

This goes on for some time, with me drawing more cards and seeing my Life Points drop dangerously low. All the [Minor Heals] and [Major Heals] I’m getting are simply not enough to stave off draw after draw. Although all the discards is really helping me get up in Destiny Points; I’m up to [704 DP] by now.

So I make one last Rank B level-up to make this all work and heal myself fully:

[-40 DP.]

[Total: 644 DP.]

The swooshing, the pretty lights, and...

Level 20!

Strength

307 (+3)

Speed

24

Agility

42 (+1)

Wisdom

101 (+4)

Defense

136 (+5)

Charm

179

Viscosity

109

Deftness

80 (+1)

Charisma

65 (+4)

Manners

10 (-1)

Power

237 (+10)

Sturdiness

141 (+1)

Lots of great stat increases! And a lot of mediocre ones too. But that’s all okay. I’m mostly feeling great about that Life Points restoration. Back up to [25,000/25,000 LP] and energized for it.

I do another round or two of card draws and discards, and my life points drop with each and every draw. A few heals here and there... But the results get better as it goes on. Just like avid gamers say, the odds really do get better the longer you go, because that’s just how probability works.

I’m down to [17,555/25,000 LP] but I’ll get that back up in due time. Moreover, I’m back up to [696 DP.]

And here are the spoils of war... My new Destiny Card roster:

Time Acceleration. Rank 4. Speeds up time x5 for what feels to you like 5 minutes. Cost: 800 LP.

Overload Spark: Rank 5. Deal electric damage to each selected target within one mile. Cost: 888 LP.

Double Dip: Rank 3. Doubles the effects of the next Destiny Card you use. Cost: 600 LP.

Inventory Slot: Rank 4. Store an item here to retrieve for future use. Current item: (none)

Inventory Slot: Rank 4. Store an item here to retrieve for future use. Current item: (none)

Cancel: Rank 2. Stop the effects of an ongoing Destiny Card skill you have activated. Cost: 39 LP.

Searing Rush: Rank 3. Triples speed and agility for 3 minutes. Cost: 1115 LP.

Instant Death: Rank 8. Kill target. Cost: 4444 LP.

Irreparable Force: Rank 7. Inertial mass is cut by 625 KG/s for 80 seconds. Cost: 4000 LP.

Time Deceleration. Rank 4. Slows down time x5 for what feels to you like 5 minutes. Cost: 800 LP.

Transmigrated Specter: Rank 7. Summon an expert-level spirit to assist you for ten minutes. Cost: 666 LP.

First, I’d just like to say that it is patently obvious to me now just how much I am actually a [Demigod] when it comes to these high-powered cards. Reality warping, matter alteration... [Adventurers] are NOT supposed to have cards like these, and they make up the bulk of my rare draws. I wish I understood that fact when I was a lowly D-Rank. It’d have helped me greatly to accept my place in the world.

Luckily, [Inventory Slot] is a much more common card for [Adventurers] than other classes, which means I was able to get two of them. Now I just need to find some things to put inside them.

I also must point out a few of these new-to-me cards that are honestly somewhat incredible:

Double Dip: Rank 3. Doubles the effects of the next Destiny Card you use. Cost: 600 LP.

It does nothing on its own, hence the fairly low rank, but in combination with any other Destiny Card, it will create massive bonus effects. Say I used [Perfect Clone] on myself after using [Double Dip.] Instead of the five-day limit that Clone Eryk had, it would be a full ten days. Could the world even survive such a thing as two Eryks for over a week?

In combination with some of these other cards I’ve drawn so far, it seems fairly broken, as well.

Instant Death: Rank 8. Kill target. Cost: 4444 LP.

Is this not completely ridiculous, or what? Why is there such a powerful card in existence? If someone does not use a [Counterspell] or similar effect, the target will simply perish right then and there. That’s ridiculous, which is probably why it costs such an obscene amount of Life Points to activate.

Irreparable Force: Rank 7. Inertial mass is cut by 625 KG/s for 80 seconds. Cost: 4000 LP.

It is remarkably similar to [Irrational Force,] a card I used during the Siege of Santa Barbara in order to speed myself up greatly and travel there from San Fransisco as quickly as possible. And yet, the wording makes all the difference.

[Irrational Force] was Rank 5, and cut inertial mass by 250 KG/s for 60 seconds. This one cuts inertial mass by 625 KG/s for 80 seconds. That will send the spell’s target into super-sonic speeds. I lack the intelligence to even fathom what such a skill can do, but I know that it can create powerful combos, if I can brew them correctly. I will have to discuss this with smarter people here, like The Goddess or Francis.

Time Deceleration. Rank 4. Slows down time x5 for what feels to you like 5 minutes. Cost: 800 LP.

Again, I am not quite understanding of the mathematics and physics part of how this will operate, but I enjoy that there is something that acts as a polar reverse to [Time Acceleration.] Whereas that card can essentially fast-forward the user in time, this one will slow everything down, but keep all mental faculties intact. Honestly, it’s quite wonderful. I must figure out a good use for it.

Transmigrated Specter: Rank 7. Summon an expert-level spirit to assist you for ten minutes. Cost: 666 LP.

Another upgrade card, the plus version of [Transmigrated Spirit.] Ten minutes is a long time for a magical spirit to be able to attack and defend in combat. It’s significantly more useful that way, and I’m excited to use it.

...

...

Well then, I guess that’s that. I’m very satisfied about my upgrades, and I’m excited to rank up to Rank A as soon as I can gather a good audience for that. But for now...

Knock-knock.

Hm?

A knock on the door means it’s not Francis, unless he lost his keys or something. I wonder who it might be...

I open the door, and—

“Hey,” says Julie.

The pink-haired, glasses-sporting woman staring me in the face like a long-lost cousin.

This sure is a surprise. Outside our sparring, we haven’t really interacted much in our time here. In fact, I have the distinct impression that she does not like me at all.

“I apologize,” I say. “Francis is downstairs using a public computer.”

“I came to see you, actually,” Julie tells me. “Want to go out for drinks tonight? Or right now?”

I’m baffled. “Um... Sure?”