The Systemic Lands

Chapter LXXVI – Operational Time Efficiency Tracker: 352,081,233 – Communication Attempt

I grabbed onto the summoned being. A single digit quickly pierced its body. The energy within it was quickly taken over by me. The link back to the physical being, attempted to be cut. But I was ready for such an eventuality.

As the tether was closed off, my own energy created a tether right behind it. The cancelation of the tether allowed me to reach the summoner with a tether and bypass all their defenses. I then activated a secondary skill.

The target was disabled as my tether to their head, pulsed constantly with my secondary skill. I would only be able to keep it up for so long with my energy draw. I attempted to communicate by sending key information, but the target failed to process the required information that was being transmitted.

The link was substandard but it was unacceptable for me to risk myself in direct conflict. This was the first major opportunity to attempt dialogue in order to fulfill my primary objective. My probability and calculation motivator indicated that this was the best option going forward in order to complete the primary objective.

I requested assistance from the Controller in my attempt to communicate and provide the necessary motivator to more efficiently complete my task.

Request Denied

That was unfortunate. I began working my way through various methodologies in an attempt to communicate. It would take quite an unknown amount of time. There were energy constraints for what I was attempting, and the target could be moved out of range.

None of that mattered, I needed to find a way to communicate in a way to convey the primary objective to the target. Something was interfering. A secondary target. There was an unacceptable level of danger. I couldn’t cut the connection. The connection was cut for me.

My primary motivator was disoriented to the backlash. Long term impact was negligible. My combat motivator sensed a high level of danger rapidly approaching. Energy reserves and skills were no sufficient to defeat individual, retreat optimal at this time.

Attacks were already approaching. Counter skills deployed. Reprioritize escape. Stealth skills compromised, using alternative escape methodologies.

“Your abilities are weak.”

Minimal shock to targets from vocalization. Deploying multiple skills. Counter-attack while creating emergency escape route. Smoke screen deployed. Chains countered. Blinking away. Escape successful, moving into emergency hibernation mode. Minimal sensory output.

My very thoughts defused into the air and spread out. Concealing me as part of the background even more. The target eventually left the local area. Reevaluating primary methods. Without support from the Controller, no immediate combat solution possible.

I quickly began making my way out of the city to recover energy from my latest expenditure to resupply. The high intensity combat had left my reserves severely depleted. My motivators began to work out the optimal way to engage such a target in the future. Not enough data. Not enough frontal combat ability. While I could escape and reach a parity, achieving a decisive victory was impossible.

But the abilities I had witnessed were not from the nearby zones. I accessed memories and realized their skin pigmentation, vocal cadence, and actions indicated they were from one of the cities to the East. The attempt at communication failed. Rick to primary objective detected.

My efficiency was decreasing every moment. I needed to consider alternative approaches that were feasible that did not compromise my objectives. Not for the first time there was a deep-seated sense of frustration with the constraints laid upon me.

I was trapped and constrained by my tertiary objective of only being active in the designated area. I needed to think outside the box. I killed another monster to harvest its crystal and regain operational energy.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: Stay Alive

SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: Kill all targets

TERITARY OBJECTIVE: Maintain operational area to area designated Indian Sultanate

Primary motivator engaged. Objectives must be adhered to. Operational Time Efficiency not an objective. Non-standard methods risk compromising objectives. Reevaluating combat potential. Running combat simulations.

Conclusion, overall combat ability is lacking. Readjust energy storage. Operational time and overall power must be increased. Diverting physical location to optimal location. Outside operational area.

Splitting pain went through my head as I tried to work out a solution to the compounding problems and issues I was faced with while not violating my objectives. Cannot exit operational area. No solution found, failure to kill all targets.

Cannot override objective to complete another objective. Only objective failure needed to be avoided. All objectives must be completed no matter what. My combat motivator began to extrapolate the current situation.

The new arrivals indicated that I was not growing stronger. I could not complete my secondary objective, and there was an increasing risk of failing my first objective. But leaving the operational area would result in the third objective failing immediately.

I couldn’t reclassify the area known as the Indian Sultanate. When the objective was issued it was with a set area in my mind, not the nation itself. An oversight, but nothing could be done. The objectives must be fulfilled no matter what.

My primary motivator kept attempting to find solution, but there was no solution. I requested assistance from the Controller to slightly adjust the parameters my objectives to align better with the situation.

REQUEST DENIED

Frustration bubbled up from deep inside of me. I could only attempt to refine my combat approach, which was sub-optimal since my presence was known and my abilities already categorized by my targets.

I would continue to engage with my current approach as it was the current optimal strategy that was in line with all my current objectives. I rapidly killed monsters to gather crystals and more energy to fuel my combat abilities. They were already at the optimal configuration.

My primary motivator began to analyze them once more in light of the new information I had recently gathered. They were indeed optimal to my current tactics. Attempting a more direct confrontation would risk failing the first objective. Reassessing risk levels and combat predictions.

The current risk levels had increased. Which indicated more hit and run tactics were needed. Frontal engagement was too much of a risk. Long term assessment was quite bleak for completing my objectives. The already small probability decreased even more.

I killed more monsters as I continued to assess various long-term strategies. The current one was the most optimal once again. After all this time, the current situation, and all variables had been thoroughly analyzed.

If only I was ordered to hunt down the Sword, then I wouldn’t be in this situation. I could go on the offensive, which was viewed as one of the most optimal overall strategies. Diplomacy was considered one of the least optimal strategies and recent attempts had confirmed that to be the case. The Controller had refused all requests as well.

I paused for a moment as my long-term motivator hit upon a unique solution. I required more powerful crystals to increase my combat ability. My head turned up to the sky as a long forgotten memory came to me about sky monsters and airships.

Recalculating. Acquire airship in order to engage high level monsters to acquire high level crystals to increase combat ability. My combat motivator began to estimate what such an improvement would yield. Increased combat time. Increased energy density.

Designated area includes the ground and the sky. No height limit applied. I felt a sense of satisfaction for finally working out this problem. That now meant I needed to acquire an airship. I would designate one as a priority capture target if I located one. I would need to adjust my skills for aerial combat.

Reevaluating combat outcomes. It was possible to adjust my skills. I quickly changed directions to adjust my skills. It had been a long time since I had done such a thing. It was exciting to find a possible solution that fulfilled all objectives while moving forward in completing them.