>Current objectives:
-Find your way back to the crossroads.
-Find your way back to Earth.
-Discover what this huge war is about, and how it's threatening to destroy the universe.
-Learn more about the Corruption.
-[x] Find the Kema, who can tell you more about using magic through machinery

>Current inventory
-1 KV-09 Combination assault blade/energy pistol. Modified with the Void Knight Shield
-1 Screwdriver
-1 Adjustable wrench
-Various spare parts
-A pouch of gold coins
-Another pouch with 18 "Calling Crystals"
-10/10 light travel rations
-10/10 full oil can
-10/10 bandages

>Current energy stored
-3 Aether tanks
-2 Void tanks
-1 Apotropeia tank
-0 empty tanks
-12 EP per tank

>Calling Crystal contacts
-Jodo, chief of Yujun village (Palia)
-Rose, interplanetary drifter (Currently on UNKNOWN) (Travelling with Oz, Savvi, and Thorn)
-Jax, Hecatun Way Knight (Currently on UNKNOWN)

>Current known techniques
-Blade Wave (cost:5 EP)
-Charge Shot (cost:3 EP)

"Try once more." The Kema who introduced himself as 'Krenn' urged. You've been at this for about a day now.

You charge Aether into your blade and swing it horizontally, leaving an image of your sword's arc in the air. The image lingers for a moment before rushing forward and striking the rock in front of you, making a nice deep gash in its surface.

"Very good. It seems as though you have mastered the basic principles you reuire to ustilise magic properly through your parts." Krenn states.

It's a fairly simple process. When you charge your weapon, you can imprint an 'algorithm' onto the energy. This can change how the energy behaves as a sort of one shot effect. The first one you learned caued energy to stall outside the barrel of the gun, allowing you to 'stack' three shots into one for a more powerful blast. And now you've learned how to launch energy from your sword by swinging it.

"It's not too hard to get used to." You say. You're not telling the whole truth of course. The Kema don't know about Vicky, who's been doing most of the legwork during these 'magic lessons'.

When you first told the Kema about your 'half mechanical' nature, you were surprised by their curiosity. It was a nice change from the usual 'that's not possible!' that you've been getting from everyone else, but it's gotten a little suffocating. As you have gotten used to the fact that they're robots, you still don't feel entirely comfortable around them.

[1/?]

You sit down and rest for a moment, todays 'lesson' apparently over. "If it is not too much trouble, might I take a look at-" Krenn begins before you cut him off with a hand.

"For the last time, no Krenn. I will not let you go poking around in my head." He looks disappointed, but you have to draw the line somewhere. It was bad enough that they just about disassembled your arm trying to figure out how it works. You DID say they could look at it, but still...

"As you wish, Logan. I shall leave you now, I believe it is time for you to nourish yourself." Krenn says as he heads off back towards town.

You pull out a bit of the travel rations you picked up when you went back to Hovum. Unsurprisingly, the Kema don't have food. That sort of necessitized the trip, and while you were there you decided to pick up bandages and restock on oil as well.

Taking a bite out of the strangely sweet not-quite-jerky, you call up Vicky.

<So how exactly will I learn new algorithms? I can't exactly stay here and study with the Kema forever...
>I believe that what you have learned should be sufficient for me to extrapolate upon. I can create new algorithms during processor downtime, as well as scan other magic as you see it and transform that into a mathematical form.
<How long would that take?
>To create a new algorithm, it will vary depending on how different it is from what you have currently. To scan the magic of others it will depend on how easy it is to convert it into an ordered form.

You consider that for a moment before a new prompt appears.

>You have recieved a message. Would you like me to play it?

>[ ] Not now.

>[ ] Sure.

>>29979059
sure

>>29979059
Sure

>wiritng

<Recieved a message from where?
>From one of your calling crystals. As you cannot read them on your own, I have taken the liberty of integrating them into my messaging capabilities.
<Oh... Well... Play away then.

You're starting to wonder just which of you wouldn't be able to go on without the other.

The message starts and you hear a familiar voice plaing in your ear.

"Is this working? Oz, do your know if it's working?" You hear the crystal being passed off.
"It does appear to be working. Try just talking Rose." The crystal is passed again.
"L-logan, Oz says that you should maybe come to where we are. He said that there's something you might like to see."

The message ends there. Rose was the one talking, but it sounds like Oz is the one who wants you over there.

>I have the coordinates of the planet they're on set. Would you like to go now?

>[ ] Go now.

>[ ] Say your farewells to the Kema first.

>>29979573
Farewells to the Kema. Get some good vibrations, might help us clear up some issues.

>>29979573
Say goodbye. They were nice enough to teach us magic, we may as well have some courtesy.

>>29979670

>writing

>>29979857
Verily

It didn't sound like they were in any immediate danger, so you might as well take a moment to say goodbye to Krenn and the rest of the Kema. You get up and dust yourself off, finishing the rest of the not-quite-jerky and walking back into the town.

You admire the buildings as your get closer. The style of each one is different, Krenn explained that this is because the Kema take pleasure in building. All of the buildings here are built by those who live in them, and any tools or devices they use were built by them. It's an interesting attitude that you think Earth could use a bit of.

When you enter the village, you're greeted by Krenn. "Hello Logan. I see you have finished nourishing yourself. Would you like to continue learning?" He asks you.

"Unfortunately no. Duty calls elsewhere and I'm afraid I must depart. I figured I'd stop by to say thank you and goodbye first." You say.

"I wish you fortune on your travels. Should you ever come back to Yoi or meet our people elsewhere, I am certain that you shall find friends among them." He says, holding his hand up to wave goodbye.

Something about that last bit bugged you. "Meet your people elsewhere? There are Kema on other worlds?" You ask him. Until now you had never found a race that has colonized other planets.

"Why yes. We orignate from Nenaeda, where we were created by The Forger to watch over the cities of old. But our Lord Kalki has taken us to many worlds, we owe much to him.

Hold on... Lord Kalki? "So... You guys are part of the Kalkarri?" You ask, feeling the nervousness kick in once more.

"Yes." Krenn responds. Seemingly oblivious to the significance of this.

You could ask more. But you can feel yourself beginning to panic again. "W-well. I'll see you around!" You say, waving them a shaky goodbye.

<Coordinates. Now.

You punch in the symbols as they appear, and quickly make and hop into the rift.

[1/?]

File: 1391393832240.jpg-(44 KB, 625x374, Candie.jpg)

44 KB JPG

>>29980367

Within the Void, you begin to calm your nerves. "So much for keeping my shit together..." You say, your words being lost in the empty space.

You didn't mean to be rude to Krenn or the other Kema, but their nature set you on edge. You've gotten used to the sight of robots meaning you're in danger or under attack. You did try to keep calm around them, but the fact that your brain was screaming at you to either 'kill them all' or 'run away' made it very difficult.
The A.I. never did use humans in its actual assaults, only when it had to do something that required a human body. Like infiltration.

You leave off at that, deciding to admire the expanse of nothing-in-particular rather than continue down that train of thought. It's been bad enough that your dreams have been insistent that you relive it all.

Within a few minutes you feel that familiar catch, and out into a new world you go.

<Area scan
>Scanning...

"Oh, you made it!" You hear a familiar female voice say. As you look up to see who it is, you can confirm that it's Thorn. Standing around her are Oz, Savvi and Rose.

"H-hey!" Rose stutters a bit. You can see a faint smile on her face.

"So you really can just come straight to whoever has the crystal. Interesting..." Oz says, looking at you ponderously.

>[ ] Say hi normally.

>[ ] Crack a joke.

>>29980690
crack a damn joke!

>>29980690
>Crack a joke

Also, why did learning they were part of that faction get us that worked up ? I went through the archives and found nothing too incriminating about them.

>>29980800
We know that the Proclamation and the Kalkarri caused the void knight's death, and that they're war is causing corruption.

>>29980982
i have to agree, knowing they are part of the kalkarri just tells us that the kalkarri arent so bad

>>29980800
I think it's because we were already halfway freaked out.
I assume that Kalki is one of the "monsters" that thitu was talking about when we first found her. Learning that they follow him probably didnt help.

>>29980982
Yeah but apparently they're the coalition of gods trying to stop the other faction from spreading the corruption.
Maybe they have another agenda ? But if so then why would he instantly freak out ?
Just seems weird

>Writing

>>29981087
>This guy pretty much has it.

>>29981118
we really need some more info on these two factions if we are to "SAVE THE UNIVERSE!" from their meddling. a coalition of gods sounds kind of terrifying

>>29981280
Yet it still sound better than a bunch of crazy cultist following a god slayer.
Talk about charybdis and scylla

You put your weapon away and assume a dramatic pose. "Yes, not even the infinite Void could keep me from my dearest Rose." You say with an exagerrated bow towards Rose.

You hold your pose through the silence that follows, you swear you can hear Savvi giggling under her breath.

"W-w-w-w-w-haaaaaaaaaat!!!!" Rose shrieks, rearing up and covering her face with her hands.

"Damnit Logan. Enough with the friggin jokes..." Thorn says, seems like she's lucid enough to see when you're joking this time.

The world you're on looks... corrupted. It's not the same place you were in last time, you can tell by the rockier ground and sparser vegetation.

<Is this Ityri?
>Scanning...

"So, why'd you guys call me out here?" You ask, ignoring the varied receptions to your little joke.

Oz seems to snap to. "Yes! well we-"

You hear a roar in the distance. It sounds incredibly far off, which makes it all the more impressive that you can hear it loud and clear.

"That." Thorn says matter-of-factly. "We called you here to see that."

>What say?

>>29981526
What in god's name is that exactly?

>>29981526
GOODBYE!

>>29981526
And whose charming sister am I being introduced to ?

So this is the future equivalent of poking someone on facebook to show him a picture huh ?

>>29981526
What was that?
What WAS that?!?

>writing

>>29981691
LOL

>This is not Ityri. Would you like me to discern what this planet is called?
<Yes, please.
>Scanning...

So there's more than one corrupted world, you suppose that makes sense. You make a mental note to find out exactly how far the corruption has spread at some point.

But right now... "What was that? It sounded like a death metal scream on a stadium speaker system." That 'what are you talking about?' look again. "I mean... Like a... Loud thing... Answer the question!"

"That was a dragon." Oz says, looking at you smugly.

"A corrupted dragon." Thorn adds. "I got a messenger from my order telling me to come here and get rid of it." She says. She almost looks sad for a second.

>[ ] You don't look too happy about this.

>[ ] Let it slide.

>>29982110
Don't look to happy. We need to understand shit if we're gonna get by.

>writing

"You don't look to pleased about that. What's up?" You ask.

Thorn looks surprised that you noticed, as well as a little angry. "This isn't supposed to be my job. I'm supposed to be exterminating feral dragons, dragons that have actually done something wrong... This one is corrupted, it's only fault is that it lingered here for too long." She says, looking downcast.

Rose slithers up and gives Thorn a hug. This seems to cheer her up a bit, but she still doesn't look happy.

"You guys aren't worried about becoming Corrupted yourselves? I mean, I can cross the Void without any adverse effects, so I'm not too worried. But what about you guys?" You ask, feeling at least a little concerned for your new friends.

"I wouldn't worry too much. It takes longer than a few hours to become corrupted, we should be long gone by then." Savvi says, laughing off your concern.

>I am detecting very large movement in your vicinity.

It sounded like background noise, but now that you're paying attention you can hear it better.

"Wingbeats." Thorn says. "Head up!"

>roll 1d20

Rolled 12

>>29982717
Well, if it's lucid, do we HAVE to slay it? or do they just WANT her to?

Rolled 1

>>29982717
Always with the monster attacks

Rolled 8

>>29982717

>Writing

You raise your head to the skies in time to see the dragon pour purple flames down toward you. You raise your shield up to guard yourself and feel it hum to life as it projects a barrier to safeguard you against the flame.

Then it sputters and dies. Having run out of energy.

The dragonfire closes in, you can feel the heat. You've got to do something!

>roll 1d20

Rolled 13

>>29983047
DEAD END incoming

Rolled 10

>>29983047

Rolled 7

>>29983047

>Writing

You keep the shield above your head, raising your left hand to recharge it.

The shield comes up a second too late, and you feel the flames engulf you for a moment before they're cut off by the barrier activating.

You can faintly smell burning plastic, but you dont have time to find the source now.

It's time for payback.

>Roll 1d20

Rolled 5

>>29983514
> smell burning plastic.

Oh god... is our face melting?

File: 1391403848283.pdf-(281 KB, PDF, RP-COR3.pdf)

281 KB PDF

Rolled 15

>>29983514
Irefuse to die...... hawwk powahhhh

Rolled 15

>>29983514

>writing

You hold your shield up against the onslaught of fire.

<Load Slash Wave into my next charge.

The gout ends, and you fire off the rest of your energy at the dragon as it passes overhead.

Then you recharge your energy, loading the algorithm for your new technique with it. You hold steady until you hear it pass close by. To your right you can hear sounds, but it's all null.

There's only one thing you're focused on.

The dragon comes into view, and you let the Slash Wave loose. It sails away towards the beast, slamming into its wing with enough force to throw it slightly off kilter. At the same time you see several shards of ice fly into both wings, the combination of these attacks leaving them in tatters. Unable to fly any longer, the dragon crashes into the ground.

Wasting no time, you leap off and head to where it crashed. You quickly get a clear view of the beast through the scroched trees, and place a targetting bead on its head.

From behind you vaguely hear someone urging you to stop...

>[ ] Finish it off

>[ ] Hang back

>>29984576
Hang back

>>29984624
this

File: 1391406217623.jpg-(154 KB, 512x512, 1391201732785.jpg)

154 KB JPG

Rolled 6

>>29984576
o this day I show mercy

>writing

You stop, shaking your head a bit. Everything around you becomes a bit more focused.

"Logan stop!" You hear Thorn yelling.

"What?" You say, still halfway in your combat mindset.

"Hang back Logan, this is Thorn's job. Let her handle it." You head Savvi say as she comes up next to you. As she does you hear Thorn rush past, brandishing her huge sword.

"Sorry..." You say. "I tend to get a little bit too into things, I guess." You say, sitting down. Looking at your arm, you see that it's lightly burnt. Your clothes seem to be fine, probably something to do with the shield.

Savvi leans forward, looking closely at your face. "You look a little worse for wear..." She says with a look of concern.

You see Oz and Rose come up from behind Savvi. "Crap... Sorry Logan. In all the excitement I forgot to include you in the warding rune an- WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR FACE!" He says, looking absolutely shocked.

"Okay. It can't be that bad." You say, letting some of the annoyance show in your speech.

Oz looks like he's about to retort, but instead he just pulls out a mirror. Looking in the mirror, it really isn't that bad. The edge of the artificial skin just got a little scorched, making the barely noticeable line into a charred-black line down your face.

"I-it's not so bad... How did that happen?" Rose asks.

"Got a little scorched before I could get my shield up, is all." You say. Rose looks... unsatisfied, which confuses you. Until you realize what she meant...

>[ ] Tell her why half your face is weird

>[ ] It's nothing.

>>29985274
Tell her

I'm curious as well.

>>29985314
I will have to agree.

>writing

You touch your face. There's a bad memory if you could remember it. Though you're quite certain that you have enough of those as it is.

"When I was little, I was in an accident." You say. "It came down to a choice between 'let me die' and 'replace all the lost parts'. So all the lost parts were replace."

They all give you an uncomfortable look. You can't really blame them, the 'lost parts' happen to make up a fairly good portion of your body. "So when you lose an arm on your world, they can replace it with one of these?" Oz asks.

"Well, not exactly. These bits are more combat oriented, the parts I had before these were far simpler." You say, that much is true. Your old stuff was also more realistic.

Rose perks up as Thorn approaches. "Damnit man, are you trying to get yourself killed?" She asks, clearly angry that you tried to go after the dragon.

>[ ] I get carried away sometimes...

>[ ] I think I could've handled it.

>>29985765
>>[ ] I think I could've handled it.

>>29985765
I get carried away sometimes...

>>29985765
>[ ] I think I could've handled it.

Rolled 15

>>29985765
I get carried away sometimes

>>29985952
alright take mine away so we can get this moved foreward

>>29985765
We could've handled that

>writing

"I think I could've handled that." You say as you get back to your feet.

"You what?" Thorn says, grabbing you by your collar. "Listen here buddy. Just because you're some fancy Void Knight doesn't mean that you're invincible. I doubt you could've even scratched its scales."

She underestimates you. That hurts. You grab her arm with your left hand and squeeze. "I haven't come this far through all of the things that have wanted me dead to be told what I can't do by someone who doesn't even KNOW me." She lets go of your collar, and you let go of her arm.

"And what if you had been killed." Oz asks, looking at you seriously. "What if the Void Knight's journey came to an abrupt end right here?"

You raise an eyebrow at him. "It didn't. And it wouldn't have."

"But what if it did?" He says, insistant that he get an answer.

>[ ] I don't need to take this. (leave planet)

>[ ] Answer him

>>29986406
then I get to rest finally...leave world

>>29986406

"Then I guess someone else would have to pick up the job after me. It's not like neither this one nor my former one weren't dangerous."

>>29986406
We don't need to wax hypotheticals with this guy. We saw what he wanted us to see, lets just bigger off.

On another note, how old is logan?

>>29986506
...lets nnot remind him if we die he can...*study* the shield uncontrolled

>>29986406
>[ ] Answer him
Then someone else would finally have to deal with this crap.
Or not. God knows theres enough people breathing down my neck about it or pointing their swords because of it.

>>29986406
Then too fucking bad. Are we done here?

>I'm just gonna do both because I'm tired.

>Writing last post for the night

>>29986406
>>29986506
>>29986570

Add to this, If it's so dangerous, and youre so worried about our well-being, why'd you call us here in the first place? Cuz to be fair, we were there for like a full minute before they almost got us killed, and then proceeded to lecture us about being in danger.

>>29986406
>Answer him.
Don't want to piss off the few friends we have.

>Or the vote could swing right out just as I post.

>writing

>>29986620

Because we've expressed our interest in the corruption and this is clearly a rather spectacular exhibit of it.

>>29986652
Could have called us AFTER the giant dragon attack, just saying

>>29986690

And pass up opportunity to see it still alive.

"The shield would've gone back to the Crossroads and they would've passed it off to someone else. Simple as that. Some of them might even celebrate, they're not all too happy that I have this."

"S-so why do you keep it?" Rose asks.

"What?" You say.

"Why do you keep it if they don't like you?"

You laugh. "Because I'm stranded without the damn thing, and I can't exactly run back home."

<Give me coords to somewhere else. I think I'm done here.

"But surely you could find another place to settle down if you so chose." Savvi says.

You punch in the symbols as they appear.

"Logan. Answer me." Savvi says with a serious tone.

The idea of stopping now repulses you. "Yes. I could settle down somewhere nice. Live a nice, happy life." You pause, stiffening your expression before continuing. "And while I live the good life, the Corruption spreads unchecked. And when it comes to claim the world I chose to live on, I'll be sitting on my hands."

You slice a rift into the air. "No, I think I'll be fighting this one until the end."

As you step into the rift, you add one more thing under your breath. "Whichever end that may be..."

>End of Chapter 9

>I'll be sticking around to answer questions for a few minutes.

>Next thread will probably not be until tuesday/wednesday, depending on my schedule.

>>29987075

Cheers OP, you a good guy.

>>29987>>29987075
>>29987075
I think I am done goodbye

also someone wanted to know our age earlier should answer them

>>29987129
>Thanks for reminding me.

>Logan is 19 atm.

>>29987198

How badly were humans losing the war when Logan left? Were there isolated pockets of resistance, terminator style, or were there larger areas under human control as well?

How did AI rebel anyway? And how susceptible to rebellion were those who served human, like Vicky pre-transformation? Would Vicky withstand attempts by the rogue AI to subvert it in its present state?

>>29987242
>As far as Logan knew, his group was the last. There could've been others.

>The AI was built to manage a certain type of implant. To do so it was given a bit of processing power from each brain the implant was in.

>The theory is that the sudden influx of processing power the AI gained access to as the implant grew in popularity was what allowed it to rebel.

>It did have the ability to interact and subvert other AIs, but that was patched as soon as it was discovered. Even if it could subvert Vicky, it couldn't control anyone this way as it requires that specific implant to do so.

>>29987352
how exactly did infiltration work?

>>29987352

Hue. How could anyone think that sticking something like that into their heads voluntarily was a good idea. Oh well, guess we are stupid that way.

>>29987417

Like in the interlude/dream sequence, I guess. Human body gets completely controlled by its resident AI. Apparently it can't read thoughts, too.

>>29987423
>It was stated in the first intro. The implant was the latest thing, supposed to make things super convenient.

>>29987417
>You mean how did it convert people?

>Its forces would knock 'em out and put the implant in them while they were out.

>>29987075
It feels to me like Logan is becoming more erratic and violent.

Is he slowly losing his mind?

File: 1391416652056.png-(99 KB, 800x800, 1387960049803.png)

99 KB PNG

>>29987523
>Wouldn't you?

>That's all for now. I'll see you all next time!