Private Hylands Ascent Braving the North with Meat and Metal

[Ueno Mizuki]

225 / 225

+26 HP from AoE Heal (@MAI)
+25 Damage from Buff (@MAI) [Charges: 1/3]

Well, that was easy to understand. A special mode dedicated to supportive abilities? For Mizuki, who mixed all her abilities freely, this was an unusual concept, but it seemed fitting for the magia who had fully embraced the robotic nature of her race. The thought of how that change had occurred still bothered Mizuki, but that conversation appeared to be a dead end.

Although she would remember to ask MAI why she only had a supportive mode for combat.

Right now the focus was on the harpy, who was hell-bent on striking MAI after Mizuki had given her a nasty kick that left her reeling. The luna wolf was still in the air as the feathered assailant closed in on MAI, which did put her in a good position to watch as her companion first moved backwards, then used some kind of rewind ability to teleport back to her original position, flawlessly evading the harpy's talons.

Another wave of energy flowed through the huntress, but rather than filling her with strength she instead felt the pain of the impact with the mountain fade away. MAI hadn't been lying when she said this Cyberangel mode was dedicated towards support, which meant that Mizuki had to do her part by going back on the offence.

The harpy hadn't been sitting still after MAI teleported, frantically flapping her wings to recover from having her prey suddenly disappear in front of her. She'd managed to use her taloned feet to instead land on the path, turning around to glare balefully at MAI, when suddenly a shadow appeared on top of her and quickly grew larger until only the tips of her wings were not covered. Looking up her eyes grew wide, but before she could react a black and white blur smashed into her from above.

After having received MAI's healing and catching herself on the mountain wall Mizuki launched herself once more, this time aiming for the disoriented harpy who was still focused on the magia. Flipping mid-air she'd ended up landing feet-first, planting her furred paws on the harpy's head before gravity and her downwards momentum caused her to crush the green-feathered menace underneath her.

A small cloud of dust and snow billowed upwards from the site of impact, quickly disappearing to reveal Mizuki squatting on top of the harpy's body, the bird-like woman having absorbed the brunt of the impact. Someone from Earth would probably compare the result to a bird crossing a road and getting run over by a car.

You all right?

Pushing herself back upright Mizuki stepped away from the corpse, turning towards it and making a face as she realised what she'd done.

I... might have overdone it a bit.

Rolls

Normal Attack
1d100 (75) + 25 + 20 + 25 + 25 = 170
170 damage
Martial Arts | Ueno Mizuki | 1601

Spoiler: ENEMY SLAIN

Harpy

DC: 60 RETAL: 20​

❰ 0 / 3 ❱

Vertical Combat. On a miss, you risk becoming unbalanced. Roll a Reflex Save DC 35 and roll 1d4 upon failure. (1) You twist your ankle and embarrass yourself, but take 0 DMG. (2) You fall a scary distance, but catch yourself and take 20 DMG. (3) You lose your footing and take 5 DMG while righting yourself in the rocks. (4) Better scramble like an egg before you get folded like an omelette- ooo, too late. Take 45 DMG.

Play Sheet

@MAI

 

[MAI]

‎
‎ ‎ 176 / 190
Protected
‎Play Sheet

The chronomancy-infused aura that allowed MAI to warp herself through time-space quickly dissipated after she was out of the harm's way for the time being, her body shifting and landing back on the path only for the girl to then leap back some more and creating sufficient distance between herself and the harpy. Although, given the enemy's state, she was sure that Mizuki was gonna be able to take her out and make her flee with ease.

Unfortunately, that was not what happened. MAI watched the scene unfold in front of her in befuddlement. They were still playing a game, after all. Even if it was so realistic, enemies were tough. Starcalled were tough. Bodies did not break easily, and even serious injuries could be healed easily with masteries or a bit of a wait.

As the snow in the air cleared, the first thing the Magia spotted was the bright crimson snow that was spreading, spilling toward her. Those golden synthetic eyes of hers, ever curious, wandered up the trail... and froze. Her whole body froze. She could not avert her gaze even when she desperately wanted to. Then, her body began shaking, and she bent forward slightly, hand over her mouth.

She didn't even know if she could throw up with this mechanical body of hers, but the reflex certainly was there, regardless of whether it was natural to her current form or carried over from the real world. Backing away, she kept going until her leg slipped a few centimeters off the edge, kicking down rocks and snow. But before Mizuki could do anything, the bot that was still floating next to the girl started going crazy.

"Abnormal rise in stress levels detected. Activating automated defenses."

Its voice was quite unlike its owner's. While MAI's might have had the slightest hint of unnatural reverb to it, the bot spoke in a fully robotic synth, a somewhat distorted male voice. As the command activated, several more drones flew out from under MAI's cloak, assuming a hexagonal pattern in front of the girl with lines of hard light emerging and connecting them all to create half of a sphere.

❰ Directional defense matrix ❱

As if it partly woke MAI up, her eyes fixated on Mizuki. Even if she didn't see the display of violence that took place directly due to all the snow and dust, the cracking sound it made repeated in her head with no sign of stopping. All she could think about was that something sentient was thrown into the void... and what assurances were there that she wasn't next?

With irregular and erratic breathing, her body trembling, and her vision glitching out, she would only keep her distance from the wolf, taking more steps back whenever the other woman would try to approach, even if it meant that she would fall down the cliff-face without her anti-gravity powers being activated.

@Ueno Mizuki

Rolls

Protect (self)
Activated without attack
Magitech | MAI | 1601

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

225 / 225

+25 Damage from Buff (@MAI) [Charges: 1/3]

It was hardly the first time that Mizuki had ended a fight by pouncing on her target, but either she'd underestimated the distance she was falling, the buff MAI had provided her, or the durability of her target. Regardless of the reason, she had to admit that the end result was far from pretty, even by her standards. Lifting one of her feet she sniffed at it, then made a face.

That'll take some effort to clean up... and the waterfall is frozen, too.

When you were scaling the Ascent you didn't exactly have the luxury to take a bath when you got dirty. Your water supply was what you had on you, or if you were lucky you could find a natural basin where meltwater had gathered. There was the waterfall, as Mizuki had mentioned, but truthfully getting too close to that when it wasn't frozen was dangerous: tons of water falling all the way from the top of the plateau to the bottom meant that there was tremendous force threatening to drag you down or rip you apart.

Still, for Mizuki this was unfortunate but not horrific. Harpies weren't considered full-fledged people in the first place, given their lack of civilisation, and she'd long since gotten used to the idea that if something attacked you, you were well within your right to fight back. If it was willing to hunt you it could not complain if it was hunted instead.

But as she looked up from the mess she made at her companion she realised that the same reasoning didn't apply to MAI. The magia was still new to this world, familiar with Earth where everything was much more peaceful, and only after the fact did the luna wolf kick herself for not realising that if she wasn't careful something like this would happen.

...MAI!

She would have taken her time, but when she saw one of MAI's feet threatening to slip past the edge of the path she reached forward to grab the magia. Unfortunately, that meant that she inadvertently made the smaller female step over the edge.

It was one thing to be inattentive, but it was another to be slow. No sooner had MAI begun to fall than Mizuki reacted, crouching down and slamming both hands against the ground. The shield made it impossible for her to grab MAI herself, but she had other methods available to her, even if she rarely relied on them. Bark quickly covered her fingers as they burrowed into the earth, extending further and further at a rapid pace, the luna wolf burning through her stamina to be fast enough.

Mere seconds had passed before the cliffside began to shift, pieces of rock and dirt sliding down the steep incline. A single root poked out of the mountain, followed by a second, and then all at once, interweaving into a huge net directly underneath MAI. It wouldn't be the most comfortable bed, but at least it would be sturdy enough to catch the magia no matter how heavy her synthetic nature might have made her.

Once the net was made Mizuki pushed herself back onto her feet, her arms remaining attached to the ground. Stepping closer to the edge her arms extended, looking more like flexible branches than flesh and blood limbs. Taking a deep breath she looked over the edge, remaining anchored in place for the moment even as her mismatched eyes sought out the synthetic female now resting in what were technically the luna wolf's hands.

Are you all right?!

She'd asked that question before, but since MAI hadn't answered yet she figured she might as well ask again.

Play Sheet

@MAI

 

[MAI]

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‎ ‎ 176 / 190

‎Play Sheet

The fall might have brought MAI's mind back to the present world somewhat, but not to the point where she could have activated her abilities. Mind in chaos, there was simply no way for her to do something as complex as combining her masteries to give herself the ability of flight. Easy enough when mentally well, but much more difficult during such distress.

Thankfully Mizuki's quick actions ensured that there wasn't any more damage done to the Magia's body. And even without her gravity manipulation, the girl's body was surprisingly light, only stretching the roots slightly before they returned to their original place and making her bounce a little.

That said, she was still unresponsive, scrambling to get herself into a sitting position, breathing ragged and irregular. Her hands grasped the roots firmly as if she was holding for her dear life. Still shaking, she looked up, her synthetic eyes narrowing as more wind lashed against her face, snowflakes trying to strike at the vulnerable peepers.

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

Mizuki would have expected MAI to be heavier than her frame suggested, given that she was a synthetic lifeform, but it looked like even when it came to weight magia were close to their biological equivalents. Or maybe the astramancer was still using her magic to adjust her weight even if it looked like she wasn't in a state of mind to keep herself aloft.

For now Mizuki just was glad that she didn't have to worry about dropping MAI, although she quickly realised that they still had a problem, and she might have made a mistake. MAI wasn't resistant to the cold, so the luna wolf couldn't wait for her companion to calm down and fly back up. But in her haste Mizuki had dug her fingers into the ground rather than extending her branches down the side of the cliff, so pulling MAI up would be difficult.

Hold on, I'll pull you back up!

Taking another deep breath she pushed herself back up, then took several steps backwards. Burrowing through the earth and creating a net big enough to catch MAI wasn't something she did often, and she'd probably have to find a place to rest after this. For now she had to just push through it. Once she felt something wet beneath her feet she stopped walking, having returned to where she'd turned the harpy into a broken mess.

Clenching her jaws she transformed her feet into roots as well, anchoring herself in place while drinking all the blood the harpy's frail body had to offer, her roots turning a dark red in the process. With her preparations complete the huntress leaned backwards and dug in her heels (or what passed for heels) and began to pull with her arms, muscles going tense all over her body even as veins stood out along her arms all the way to where flesh was replaced by wood.

At first there was no movement, but then there was a rumbling sound, followed by the ground shifting. Emboldened Mizuki pulled even harder, and just like how the roots of a falling tree would churn up the earth her tree arms began to rise up, pushing aside dirt and stone in a move that would probably make this path more treacherous for future travellers.

To protect MAI from the falling debris the roots closed up around her, sheltering the magia inside a wooden sphere which slowly got dragged back up the cliffside. With every bit of progress Mizuki pulled in her tree arms more, until eventually MAI was back on the path and the luna wolf could deposit her back on safe ground, the root cocoon retreating back into Mizuki's arms which turned back into flesh and blood limbs. Returning her feet to normal as well the huntress wiped the sweat from her brow, her breathing now heavy enough that with each exhalation a white cloud escaped past her fangs.

Please... don't do that again.

@MAI

 

[MAI]

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‎ ‎ 176 / 190

‎Play Sheet

It was a good thing that MAI's state started at least partially returning back to normal, allowing the drone by her side to deduce that the protective shield was no longer necessary. It allowed the roots to work as Mizuki intended them to without any risk of retaliation from the Magia's defensive systems. Even if the wolf was much stronger, it would undoubtedly be nothing short of unpleasant under the current circumstances.

MAI herself did not resist any, letting the roots envelop her and drag her up the cliffside where she was released again. Falling onto her hands and knees, remaining in that position as her chest heaved, cold seeping into her bare hands pressed into the snow and stone. She was largely unresponsive to the wolf's words, too. Her synthetic eyes remained as pristine as ever, but the skin around them darkened, almost looking as if she had been crying all day long.

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

Mizuki might have become annoyed at MAI's continued lack of response if she wasn't aware of the fact that the magia was going through some kind of emotional crisis. Instead the luna wolf took several deep breaths in an attempt to regain control of her respiratory system. The sweat she'd wiped from her brow had already become cold on her furred hand, a sign that the temperature was slowly dropping and the weather was getting worse. Glancing down at the dried remnants of the harpy she considered consuming its flesh to regain some of her stamina, but quickly dismissed the thought with a shake of her head as she realised that if MAI saw that it'd make the situation worse.

We should head for shelter.

She needed to rest, and MAI could also use the opportunity to calm down. The problem was that she wasn't sure if the magia was up for walking right now, which left her with one option. The huntress swallowed, preparing herself for the possibility that her next action would only make matters worse before she approached MAI slowly, a soft crunching of snow accompanying each footstep.

We don't have much time either, so... sorry if this is too much.

Kneeling down she reached out with her arms, scooping the small magia up as if she was weightless. MAI's lack of mass combined with Mizuki's strength meant that it took little to no effort for the wolf, her furred hand gripping MAI's slender shoulder firmly but with a care that betrayed Mizuki's great effort to not harm her companion.

The snowfall was steadily becoming more intense, and the downward winds remained an ever-present threat. Standing up Mizuki scanned the horizon, her mismatched eyes lingering on the clouds before she settled her gaze on the path ahead. By her estimation they could reach the next resting point within ten minutes if she hurried, and with nothing keeping them here she started walking, her powerful legs carrying the both of them forward as the harpy's remains got buried by rubble and snow.

@MAI

 

[MAI]

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‎ ‎ 176 / 190

‎Play Sheet

Even if MAI was distraught, her mind blanking, that didn't mean her body was shut off from the cold. She still felt the biting of the snow her hands were buried in, her attire wet from the tumble she took before. Her core was working overtime in an attempt to keep at least the more vital parts of her mechanical body warmed up, else they would screech down to a halt. Naturally, she could feel that much.

Whether this cold had at least partially snapped her out of it or whether her body started acting on a survival instinct alone, she slowly started getting up. Not quite fast enough for Mizuki, however. The wolfess was able to grab the Magia into her arms and start scaling the mountain much faster than they were before, their energy be damned. It didn't particularly matter how tired they were if they froze to death.

And while she could have been protesting the fact that she was suddenly grabbed by someone else, which did admittedly shock her and made her feel the slightest tad uncomfortable, this wasn't exactly the place or time. Too busy covering her face with her hands to not get lashed by the sharp cold winds, she could only wait for this experience to be over, hopefully as soon as possible.

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

Mizuki did her best to ward MAI from the worst of the cold as they headed up the path, leaving the crumbling edge where the harpy's dried remains would get buried in the snow in no time. The weather was definitely picking up, which meant that they had to get to a sheltered spot soon.

Fortunately this path was one often used by those who wished to brave the Ascent, so even if they came across nobody else this journey they would still feel the presence of distant companions through the things they found along the way. A good example of which was right in front of them after several minutes of upwards climb: in the distant past a small stream of water had run through a crack in the mountainside, slowly hollowing it out until the passage was big enough for a person to fit through. A change in terrain above had diverted the stream, and another traveller had used metal spikes to attach a cover of thick fabric to one side, turning the short tunnel into a small enclosure instead.

Half-walking, half-climbing into the shelter Mizuki would finally set MAI down, the luna wolf herself sitting down as well so she was between MAI and the opening. There wasn't a lot of space, and if either of them tried to stand up they might bump their head, but at least they could rest and recover here.

Feeling better now?

Mizuki's gaze was aimed to the exit of their shelter, mismatched eyes watching as the wind began to blow even harder and the skies were obscured by flurries of white. The cover that shut off the other side of the cave would rustle as it was tested by the weather, for now standing firm even if it rippled and bulged. Remembering MAI's request the huntress would drape her tail across her companion's lap, hoping that at least would serve as some source of comfort for the distraught dronemaster.

@MAI

 

[MAI]

‎
‎ ‎ 176 / 190

‎Play Sheet

With her eyes shielded and eyes closed, there was nothing but sounds and cold until she was suddenly seated down inside of the small cave if it could even be called that. She certainly wasn't about to complain, however. It was warmer than the outside, and they weren't getting buried alive by snow or blown off the cliff face by the powerful winds. Those things alone were victories in this current situation.

Her eyes slowly opened up, and started scanning the area around her, even if there was not much. With so much happening at once, her mind at least had the incentive to move on to something other than the thoughts of death. Mizuki even helped with her tail, which actually managed to get a giggle out of MAI.

"You kept that in mind... even after all that?"

She let out a sigh, but not one of frustration or any other negative feeling. Her synthetic hands rested on the warm fur as the extra appendage did its best to warm the machine girl up. It might have not been as fluffy as the tails of some other beastfolk, but it was nothing short of pleasant still. Especially in a situation like that. And, as usual, the girl treated it with utmost care.

"Apologies - This unit caused quite a bit of issues just now..."

Finally calming down and stabilizing enough for her 'unique' behavior patterns to kick in, she leaned toward Mizuki a bit, but stopped just short of resting against the wolf's shoulder.

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

For the moment the two of them could rest and take it easy. While the weather was definitely getting worse and the temperature was dropping they were still in good enough shape that they would be able to endure it. At least, Mizuki was capable of enduring this weather, and she'd make sure to protect MAI from the worst of it.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a surprising sound from the dronemaster, one which made her ears perk up as she turned her head to look at her companion. Giggling wasn't exactly a strange sound in and of itself, but it wasn't something she expected from the magia who'd been talking like a robot.

You did say you wanted to pet it, and it should help you stay warm. (She hesitated for a moment.) I don't know how your energy levels are now, but you can use this opportunity to recharge.

A part of her wanted to explain that for her what had happened so far wasn't that extreme, even if making sure MAI didn't fall off the cliff to her death had been quite important to her. But she didn't know of a way to say that without sounding dismissive, as if killing a harpy and saving a friend was no big deal.

Mizuki's tail was covered in thick fur, not as soft as that of many other beastfolk but perfect for protecting the luna wolf from winter's chill. Even the sharpest winds would have a hard time penetrating such a thick protective layer, and now that Mizuki was resting it on MAI's lap the female magia would also benefit from this, shielding her from the cold and granting additional warmth.

Sounds like you're back to normal. (She remarked as MAI began to speak like a robot again.) Good. I was worried there.

She hadn't expected MAI to apologise, although in hindsight it did make sense. Even if Mizuki was the one who triggered the episode, her companion could still feel like she shouldn't have lost control. Raising a hand the huntress placed it on MAI's head, patting her companion lightly as she continued.

I could have warned you beforehand that journeys in this world can get messy, so I'm at fault as well. I'd forgotten that you're still new to this world. (She shook her head.) Don't worry too much about it. I apologise for letting you see something like that.

@MAI

 

[MAI]

‎
‎ ‎ 176 / 190

‎Play Sheet

"Correct - This unit's emotional state has stabilized enough for all systems to return back to a nominal operational state."

Confirming Mizuki's words, MAI nodded before she stilled her body. The wolf woman did mention energy levels, and as much as the mechanical girl wanted to say that they were just fine, the reality was that her panic did expend a fair bit of energy. Not so much that she was on her last legs or anything of the sort, but enough to be noticeable.

Magia charged the most when they were completely still, so that was the girl's plan. Though her eyes soon quickly opened up again when she felt the rather unexpected touch on her head. She perceived Mizuki as someone rather tough and distant, yet here she was, acting contrary to such an image. And... was this the first time someone had stroked her head aside from her own parents..?

"Statement - This unit hopes that any further conflict can be resolved... more peacefully. Or without a tragic ending."

With that, she closed her eyes. With the warm tail serving almost like a blanket, she almost felt sleepy. Without even realizing it, her body slumped to the side, leaning against Mizuki. Despite the intense cold all around them, she felt comfortable. She also knew that she should have mentioned her... frankly, phobia-like fear of death, but she remained silent. Her overreaction from before probably betrayed some of that already, and she didn't want to think about it anymore.

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

Mizuki didn't know how magia worked, but she was pretty sure that just like other races MAI's emotional outburst would have had an effect on her. Better to use this small shelter to make up for that: with the weather getting worse they'd be better off waiting for a while anyway.

I do really wonder about the way you talk. But as long as you're doing better now that's the important part.

Speech impediments weren't impossible, but for it to make someone talk like a robot unless they were emotional? That would take some getting used to.

It seemed like MAI wished to spend this time resting as much as possible, so Mizuki would for the most part leave her be, keeping her eyes on the world outside their shelter. However, she could feel MAI shifting slightly in response to the wolf's hand stroking her head, the huntress turning her head to face the magia.

I can't make any promises MAI. In this world our safety isn't as self-evident as in the other, and sometimes only a willingness to kill can keep you safe.

That humans could live peaceful lives on Earth was a miracle born from technology. The people of Arcia weren't that far yet, and the creatures that lived in this world were much more dangerous to boot.

But I'll do my best. Animals at least can be scared off, and if we come across something that won't flee we could also run.

Only prideful fools refused to run. Most animals were smart enough to know that sometimes the best answer to danger was to simply head in the other direction. Mizuki glanced back at the blizzard outside before petting MAI some more, feeling the magia now fully leaning against her.

From the looks of it we might be stuck here until the weather dies down. I'll wake you up when we can head out again, so take the opportunity to get some more rest.

Truthfully, if they pushed themselves they could make it through this weather as well, but Mizuki considered this delay a small price to pay if it meant MAI could recharge herself and find some comfort after that breakdown.

@MAI

 

[MAI]

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‎ ‎ 176 / 190

‎Play Sheet

The last time her speech was brought up, Mizuki got angry over how it all happened. That meant MAI wasn't all too happy discussing such topic again... although she would try, now that it was out in the open again.

"Explanation - As mentioned before, a corruption resulting from installation of core matrix belonging to a boss-type enemy. If this is insufficient... this unit believes it might be a balancing feature to offset the intel and trait that were gained in the process."

That was really as much as she herself could tell about the situation. It was embarrassing and awkward at the same time, often making the girl regret her actions... but so far, everyone was more than understanding of her circumstances. Not to mention that the learning trait she had acquired as a result was nothing short of amazing, making her wish that one thing could carry over to the physical world as well. As for the rest...

"Opinion - This unit believes that everyone wants to survive... as long as lethal blow is not delivered and escape route is not blocked, sparing is possible."

The important part was not removing the flight out of flight or fight. Cornered enemy would not have any other option outside of lashing out. Of course, there could be enemies cornered by other circumstances... such as a starving beast that would die of hunger if it did not desperately try to kill them. But in such cased, escape on their sade was indeed always an option.

Actually feeling quite tired after the outburst, MAI stopped fighting her urge to drift asleep in this comfort. With mizuki's endorsement, there was surely no harm in it. And, frankly... the her that was called Andrea could use a bit of a break as well after a panic attack like that. Perhaps get a glass of water at the very least.

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

MAI repeated the explanation that interfacing with the MEME.naught had resulted in her speech being altered. Mizuki's curiosity was more about the fact that such a thing could happen in the first place: accents were the result of upbringing and habit, so the magia's sudden change in speech was rather odd. Still, the luna wolf nodded as the smaller female explained her position.

I still have questions about how such a thing would work, but given the many different ways this world can affect you I guess I'm overthinking it.

People who died often found themselves afflicted with psychological conditions. Sometimes they seemed to be phobias that one could blame on their manner of death, but other times it was clear that this world was actively messing with the Travelers who were forced to respawn.

With animals you can trust them to be smart and turn tail if you threaten them enough, but there's creatures out there that won't be so easily discouraged. After all, there's many people who have something they're willing to fight to the death for.

While MAI wasn't wrong that most things wanted to survive Mizuki had plenty of experience with enemies who would keep fighting until they dropped. Whether it was a lack of self-preservation or something else taking higher priority, the end result was the same.

The huntress rummaged in her pouch and fished out a piece of jerky while MAI dozed off, apparently taking Mizuki's suggestion and logging out for the moment. That meant that Mizuki would be stuck standing guard until the magia logged on again, unless she was willing to carry MAI's unconscious body around. As a rule Travelers didn't touch each other's logged out form without permission, so the caenis wasn't planning to move MAI unless she remained in this state for too long.

For now she'd simply chew on her food, feeding herself the energy her body needed to keep the cold at bay. Her augmented metabolism meant that she had little difficulty warding off the chill and keeping MAI warm, but they'd have to finish this journey before she ran out of supplies. Especially since she didn't have the opportunity to eat that harpy.

@MAI

 

[MAI]

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‎ ‎ 176 / 190

‎Play Sheet

Mizuki would not receive any further clarifications about MAI's manner of speech. Of course, there weren't any more clarifications to give, even if the magia wanted to. She herself had no idea what manner of highly unethical technology the developers utilized to make all of this happen not only to her but to countless other players across the entire game as well.

All that aside, the wolf girl didn't have to wait particularly long for MAI to return back to the world of TerraSphere. In roughly 30 or so minutes, the machine girl's synthetic eyes slowly opened, her body feeling rather heavy even after such a short nap. Or perhaps it was exactly because it was so short. It was hard to tell with these things.

Of course, that also meant that she did not recharge that much yet. She just didn't want to make it seem like she would be gone for a really long time, essentially leaving Mizuki stranded by herself. It was still the wolf girl who was the leader of this small expedition and an expert on the local area, thus being the one to decide how long they would spend here.

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

When MAI returned Mizuki would be more or less in the same position as before, although she'd moved her tail so it now curled around the magia's body from behind with the tip resting on her lap. An observant person would also notice that the tail seemed bigger and fluffier than before, now large enough that despite its longer path it still served as an adequate blanket for the synthetic female.

Mizuki noticed that MAI stirred, turning her head to watch as her companion's eyes opened. Whether subconsciously or consciously she'd kept stroking MAI's head the entire time, setting into a steady and slow rhythm. She'd eaten two strips of dried jerky while MAI was gone, enough to at least silence her stomach even if she'd hopefully find more to eat before the end of their journey.

Welcome back. Feeling better?

She'd wanted to immediately ask about MAI's energy levels, but she was also trying hard to be accommodating for the new Traveler who still wasn't used to this world. That said, she couldn't keep herself from mentioning it for long.

The weather has calmed down again, so once your energy levels are up again we'll be able to resume our journey. We've fallen a little behind schedule, but it shouldn't change much.

@MAI

 

[MAI]

‎
‎ ‎ 176 / 190

‎Play Sheet

"Yes... operational status is nominal."

As the girl stated, she felt her body heat up a bit as her internal machinery became operational once more. Even if she was in the warm embrace of a wolf's tail, the local climate still wasn't exactly all that good for her. Thankfully it wasn't quite cold enough to freeze the oil in her synthetic veins. Once they would get to that point, it'd be confirmed that they bit off more than they could chew.

"Response - This unit's energy levels are sufficient to resume the journey. Energy storage used by magia is much better than anything in the physical world, others do not have to think of us as having equal battery life to a heavily used smartphone."

Frankly, it was more her human self that felt far too comfortable in this position. Like trying to crawl out of a warm bed on a cold early morning, it was nothing short of a herculean task to abandon the warm tail and go back to the open cliffside amidst a light snowfall.

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

Good, good. Better to get moving now that the weather is better again.

She raised an eyebrow at MAI's next words, wondering whether the magia was being snarky or if she genuinely thought Mizuki was treating her the same as some kind of mobile device. Although the comparison was compromised by the fact that battery technology had come a long way in the last decade or so.

Good to know, although it's still good to keep an eye on it. I don't know exactly what it's like with magia, but out in the cold your senses can dull so if you don't regularly check your own status you'll find that you're worse off than you think.

Given that she was blocking the entrance Mizuki had to crawl out of the hole first, withdrawing her tail from around MAI and shrinking it back to its usual size so it wouldn't get in the way. Once she'd made the space she offered to help MAI get out with a hand.

Regardless of whether MAI accepted the assistance or not, the luna wolf would shield her eyes while gazing into the distance once her companion was out of the shelter.

It's about 2 o'clock now, so we've got some hours left before night falls. When it gets dark we'll have to find a place to halt for the night unless you've got dark vision or something. No point in wasting energy on making light when we have to take a break at some point anyway.

@MAI

 

[MAI]

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‎Play Sheet

It was nice that Mizuki cared about MAI's well-being, but the magia girl was quite good at monitoring her own status. That very same drone that accompanied her before, as well as tried to protect her when she became unstable, was summoned once more.

"Reassurance - Monitoring is why the Eye of Beholder is here. No need to worry."

Out of all the pieces of tech that she possessed, this droid was by far the most advanced, even if it didn't look like it at first sight. Directly connected to her, it was essentially the primary command center for all else that she did, as well as a monitoring device for her own body that could call forth emergency measures even if she herself no longer could.

Taking Mizuki's hand, the magia crawled out of the cave and was quickly reminded just how cold it was outside, her cloak once again flapping in the freezing winds. It frankly made her question just how good or bad of an idea this whole journey was... but they were too far along to give up at this point.

"Understood - This unit will keep up with Mizuki and take a break when it becomes appropriate."

@Ueno Mizuki