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Chapter 116: The Idol System. [Release Version]
🕑 Added 2020-11-06 20:36:00 +0000 UTCMelody for today's song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XD-OFP-0H5g
Persona 5's Rivers in the Desert
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<Proficiency requirement fulfilled. [Fear Resistance Lv. 2] evolved into [Fear Resistance Lv. 3]>
<Acquisition requirement fulfilled. [Instruction Lv. 1] acquired>
<Idol System, on! Hello, Hestia, how will your light shine today? Fighting!
- Register Song
- Song List: 0/2>
Register Song.
<To register a song, please choose one of the options below. You will then have to perform your song to its fullest so the System may record it. You may then review the results before completing the registration process.
- Damage
- Buffing>
I should probably do one of each first. I have two song slots open as [Idol] is level one, so I should use this chance to learn as much about this skill as possible.
I was currently inside House Helvas’s mansion’s training basement, one day after my spar with the guild master. Having finally gotten off my lazy butt, I’ve decided it was high time to use the idol system that Aurena specifically made for me. It was another part of my strength; if I wish to fully incorporate music and sound attacks into my battle arsenal, then I must learn how to use this system properly.
Unlike how I first learned to use magic, there was a tutorial. Thanks to that, I was able to grasp what I could do with the system immediately. It also helped that the description for both [Idol] and the Idol System were clear and easy to understand.
<Idol: A skill is given to someone who has become accepted as an Idol by the populace. While the user is performing idol-like actions and others can witness it, all buffs already applied to the user will also affect the audience through the [Music Resonation] buff. The user can share buffs independently, but they will be removed from the user. Depending on the stage of [Music Resonation], others will only receive a certain percentage of the shared effects: 25%/50%/75%/100%. All acoustic-related attacks will be boosted. Access to the Idol System. The skills combined are: [Sacred Amp] [Synergist’s Oath Lv. 10] [Enhanced Auditory Sense Lv. 10] [Singing Lv. 10] [Dancing Lv. 10] [Musician Lv. 10]>
<Idol System: A System made specifically for Idols. Enables the user to register their songs into offensive or supportive abilities. The registration slots are determined by: [Idol Lv.] * 2. Aurena: Don’t try to cheat, Hestia. Only you can see this message>
Its base function was similar to [Synergist’s Oath], which allowed me to give buffs to people. With only a few exceptions like my [Sanctified Blaze], the majority of buffing spells couldn’t be applied to other people, only to yourself the caster; so, if a mage wanted to give his allies buffs, they needed to use [Synergist’s Oath]. It sounds like a great skill, but one downside about it was that it didn’t share buffs, it transferred them. [Idol] was superior since it allowed me to share my buffs with everyone simultaneously, instead of just transferring the effects.
Buffs given through [Synergist’s Oath] also were restricted; only a percentage of the buff was applied depending on the level. Level one would only apply 10%, level two 20%, and so on. Idol was able to circumvent it through the [Music Resonation] buff.
<Music Resonation: A buff applied through the star power of an idol. Whether dancing or singing, any action considered idol-like will apply this buff so long as the recipient witnesses it. Depending on the stage of [Music Resonation], the recipient will receive a certain percentage of all buffs active on the Idol. Minor: 25%/Moderate: 50%/Major: 75%/Critical: 100%>
Through my concert at Carine Village and the tests I performed with Saori and Tasianna, the way to increase the Music Resonation quality was by being more idol-like. The louder my music, the more intense my dance moves, the more spectacular my performance, the higher the quality would go up. I didn’t need to level up [Idol] to give somebody 100% of all my buffs, I just needed to become a better entertainer.
This skill was such a good supportive skill that it made [Synergist’s Oath] look like a beginner one. The only caveat about it was that I could only apply it to people who can see or hear me, and it had to be through an idol performance.
Between boosting my holy and acoustic attacks as well as the buff sharing, this skill was already extremely powerful, definitely worthy of its “unique” status. Then, how would I evaluate it with the Idol System attached to it? Limitless potential. At least, it’s the optimistic viewpoint I want to have for it.
Let’s start with something easy first. Buffing.
<Please confirm once you are ready to perform your song. Dancing is not needed. You must reproduce the melody and the lyrics from start to finish>
The question is... which song should I choose? Does the theme of a song affect the effect of the buffs?
I received no answer from the System. It gave me a tutorial and instruction on how to use the system, but I thought it would be better if it could answer more detailed questions like these. It’s like how math teachers taught you the basics of algebra, but then made you answer some difficult question that required some serious critical thinking. Hello? I’m not even sure why we are using letters instead of numbers now.
I wouldn’t be this worried if it could tell me if I could delete a song from the list or not. It would make me less reluctant to potentially “waste” a song slot…But then again, no risk, no reward, right? Wasn’t my first spell casting attempt filled with failures and failures? An idol should think positively!
The effect doesn’t matter, I just need to see how the system works. Afterward, I’ll level [Idol] up and use the newly acquired slots more efficiently.
I’ve decided on a high-energy, peppy song for the buffing spell. I was considering “Promise” to be my first song, it would be very fitting, but the ballad would cause me to be emotional. The lyrics had a profound effect on me since it retold the struggles I faced on my journey to become an idol. What if, instead of a buff, it caused a debuff due to the earnestness of the song?
So, what sorta high-energy, peppy song should I choose for my test run? There were many choices, ranging from anime, rock, metal, pop, techno, and their many sub-genres. I could either choose one of the songs I’ve already written, or just pick one from Earth. Considering the notification didn’t specify that both the lyrics and melody must be included, shouldn’t I be able to play an instrument-only song?
“Hey, Saori, do you think an anime song or the battle OST of a game would be better for a high-spirited, motivating song?” I asked Saori, explaining to her what I’ve been thinking until now.
Saori stopped her hands, pausing from taking my measurements, as she looked at me with a frown. “…I have never played a game nor have I ever watched a modern anime, Lady Hestia. You know this already.”
Oh yeah, right.
The reason why Saori was addressing me with “Lady” was ‘cause we weren’t alone in the basement. Tasianna, Ellaine, Svena, Josine, and Barathan were all here with us. Technically, everybody already knew the true relationship between Saori and I, so speaking casually with each other was alright. However, Saori wanted to keep it up in front of nobles and their attendants so she wouldn’t slip up in the future and cause a problem.
Anyway, the reason why so many people were currently in the basement was ‘cause of this:
“Haaa, haaa, haaa, haa, haaa.” That was the exhausted voice of Ellaine, panting heavily as her personal attendant Josine was wiping away beads of sweat from her forehead. Similar to why I told Svena about my secret, Ellaine also told Josine so we didn’t always have to exclude her from discussions concerning my party’s secrets, despite not being a top attendant of House Helvas.
I guess she took it to heart when I told her I considered Tasianna more like a friend than a retainer. I might have the princess title, but I had no intention of conforming to the standard and status quo of the nobles.
“Ellaine, don’t forget about hydration. Sweating drains salt and water from your body, so remember to drink! Barathan and Josine, please, make sure she drinks that specially-made drink.”
As part of Ellaine’s training, I decided to increase her physical fitness. It was far too low in my opinion. Yes, she was a mage, but that didn’t mean that she shouldn’t train her body. In the future, Ellaine wanted to hunt monsters and join the mages guild to further develop herself, but this would happen after her graduation at the royal academy.
Even if she wouldn’t need a stronger body now, gaining more Health and Stamina from cardio would benefit her survivability. Fighting monsters requires Stamina even as a mage, as you needed to dodge and run in some cases. If Stamina dropped to zero, [Exhaustion] would be applied, drastically reducing movement effectiveness. I was thinking about her future.
As a result, I had Saori write up a whole training schedule for her, which not only included physical but also mental training. Similar to Saori and me, I wanted Ellaine to not only have a strong mind but also a body. That is my goal ever since she asked me to make her stronger.
For maybe the first time in ages, Saori was able to show her abilities as a former educator as she formed a training schedule for her with Barathan’s and Josine’s help. Aside from magic and physical training, Ellaine also had her responsibilities as the current lady of House Helvas’s Firwood mansion. She had to take care of finances and other documents.
This schedule was to help her keep focus and maintain a proper life-work cycle.
“Bwuaaah! This ‘sports drink’ tastes fantastic. Your world produces such fine beverages.” Ellaine drank the cup of pink water with enthusiasm and greed.
A sports drink was a drink filled with electrolytes and energy-high minerals to help an exhausted athlete recover. On Earth, most of them were overpriced sweetened water that only helped a bit, in my opinion. There were a few brands that worked well in my experience, but most of them were scams.
To help Ellaine, who barely did any physical training, I wanted to concoct a sports drink that actually lives up to its name. In the one week I’ve been training her, through trial and error I developed a sports drink recipe that increased training efficiency.
Macula water for its high mana concentration to stimulate her body, crushed fulinoe leaves to get rid of her arcane corruption, and some fragassa juice to give her energy and turn the water pink. The last ingredient was salt, the electrolyte, from a harbor city called ‘Port Annencia,’ located in the Leartiglio duchy south of the Greenveil Duchy.
It was a simple recipe, but it covered all the resources you lost from sweating during training and practice. The price of the ingredients was a bit high according to Ellaine, but making it was easy. I honestly had fun when I made it, feeling the same gratification and sense of success when I used to concoct my toxin vials. Would alchemy feel the same?
After draining the cup empty, she continued her endurance training by running around the basement. She was currently wearing baggy jogging pants and a tank top, which exposed her cleavage and glistening white arms. It was a complete 180 from her noble clothes.
Initially, Ellaine and her attendants were against the clothes, as it was unsightly, but Saori argued it helped her body “breath” more properly than her noble training clothes. The clothes were to make it easier for her body to sweat and feel comfortable during training.
Ellaine eventually relented, but she wanted a jacket to cover up her cleavage. Saori made one for her, but the sweat and heat got to her during training and she eventually threw the jacket away. She looked very much like a girl from Earth now.
While that was going on, Saori, Tasianna, and Svena were taking my measurements. Why? Svena wanted to make more dresses while Saori wanted to make a kimono for me. I could understand the dresses as I only had a single one fitting for noble occasions, but why the kimono? Apparently, it was for our future business, but she didn’t elaborate. How funny that I was being served by three maids; never would I have guessed this back on Earth.
“Lady Hestia, if I could give you my input? A song should be able to inspire whoever listens to you. Without flattering you, your voice is the most impactful part of your songs. I believe it would be wise to use a song that uses its fullest,” Tasianna suggested.
Kuek! I know my singing is better than my dancing, but it never stops hurting when I hear it.
Tasianna’s suggestion was solid. Regardless of my personal feelings, I know I’m a better singer than a dancer. It would be wise to heed Tasianna’s advice…but I wouldn’t be a musician if I only looked at that aspect. I am the daughter of one of the best conductors and violinists on Earth. Instruments are also part of the experience.
I’ve decided! Idol System, start!
<Acknowledged. Please start, Idol>
A clap of thunder rumbled through the basement, catching everybody’s attention. Ellaine stopped running and the two maids and Saori yelped in surprise as they were the closest to me. It was the loud impact of a drum.
The beat then continued with the sounds of a bass, playing as low as it could with every pluck of its strings. Naturally, all these sounds weren’t literally played by real instruments, they were made through [Aerokinesis].
Played at a moderate tempo, the melody eventually incorporated drums into them. As they kept playing, another loud bang woke everybody up again, the thunder vibrating and echoing inside the training room.
“Is this the fated battle, the light shines ♫
It’s blinding my sight ♫
But I’ve gotta hold on, the stage calls ♫
The cries of a thousand, the flames of war will descend ♫
The carnage of the blazing sun ♫
Blood rain from swords and claws ♫
The strive to pierce the sky ♫
The light that beckons you forth ♫
I couldn’t just stop now, my heartbeats ♫
The show must go on ♫
You cannot silence my voice now ♫
Be dazzled, be humbled ♫
I’m destined for the stars ♫
Prepare for a beatdown, no mercy ♫
Gonna overwhelm them♫
A chance for the spotlight ♫
Don’t regret getting burned to ash ♫
The carnage of the blazing sun ♫
Blood rain from swords and claws ♫
As the music drops, our emotions will run wild ♫
Top the world ♫
The strive to pierce the sky ♫
The light that beckons you forth ♫
The promise to stand fast ♫
Family and Friends ♫
The Will to Fight and Survive! ♫”
As I continued the song, the eyes of everybody present was naturally drawn to me. As an idol, the gazes of a hundred people have already witnessed my singing, so having six people stare while I performed felt like nothing. No, I still appreciated them. I haven’t grown conceited enough to think I’m above a few eyes. My goal is to bring happiness to people with my songs…although, I would lie if I said I wouldn’t enjoy some fame. I am a dreamer, after all.
The positive reception I got from everybody’s entranced state gave me enough motivation to give it my all in the second half of the song. The ends of my mouth curled up and the volume of my voice rang louder.
At first, I did consider the opening songs of an anime; after all, they were designed to raise the energy of the viewer and make them crave the show. It worked similar to a jingle, an iconic little earworm. Then I had an epiphany. What was also iconic but fitted a battle well? That’s right, a boss battle theme. The signature background music for an exciting match against fate and heaven. If a boss battle is worth remembering, so will their theme.
Admittedly, the song was written on the spot. I used my parallel minds and my accelerated thinking skills to think of the lyrics for this new song. But I think it worked out well. My goal was to give my allies a sense of heroism, to rally them forth against their enemies in an unstoppable charge to gain victory. With the haughty and arrogant sounding lyrics, I also wanted to make enemies feel some fear. Music wasn’t just to motivate, it was also there to give people a sense of foreboding, just like a boss battle theme.
So, what was the result?
<You have poured your emotions into the song, granting it more impact. The performance you gave won’t be in vain. The influence of the song will reflect your efforts>
<The recording has ended. Please wait as the System analyzes the song>
<Congratulations. The song has been successfully accepted. You may now give your song a name>
…Yeah, I’m convinced. That’s definitely Aurena’s style of speaking.
Technically, Aurena wasn’t speaking to me, but rather the voice I’ve been accustomed to since the first day of my life was. It was the voice of the Divine System, or System Voice like I liked to call it. It sounded like a woman was speaking but the monotonous nature of its tone made me imagine a robot. It definitely wasn’t Aurena who spoke to me, but I was sure she wrote these lines.
Through the missive and meeting up with her, I caught a glimpse of how she liked to speak. Her voice was serene and filled with care, but her style of speaking was distinct enough when she’s being casual. I was already suspicious when the System said the word “fighting” as an encouragement.
In Korean, there was a word pronounced “hwaiting” which translated into “good luck” or “do your best.” For English speakers, “hwaiting” sounds like “fighting.” The Divine System of Peolynca couldn’t know this word if it hadn’t gotten this information from Aurena, who did look at my memory in the past.
A name…Hmm, let’s stick to simplicity. The Will to Fight and Survive.
<Will you name this song “The Will to Fight and Survive?” Once you confirm, you cannot change the name of the song under any circumstance. Will you still give this song this name?>
Why do I hear disappointment?! Come on, the name isn’t bad! Ja! Ja, this is the name of the song, System Voice!
Maybe I’m being paranoid. The name was good. The name was good.
<“The Will to Fight and Survive” has been registered. Song description and effects will now be generated. You have chosen “Buffing.” You have given the song your all, overflowing it with emotions and images of victory and success. The song was written to promote yourself, both positively and negatively. Your naming sense is creative>
Was that last point necessary?! This is the first time I’ve been burned by the System notification. This is so not unbiased!
At that moment, I made sure to note down that [Idol]’s System Voice is an asshole. Regardless, the effect was tremendous. My eyes widened and my jaw dropped. The reason? It was this notification.
<Custom magic song gained: [The Will to Fight and Survive]>
<Custom magic song [The Will to Fight and Survive] has been perfectly integrated into the System>
<The Will to Fight and Survive: A song created by the Idol [Young Sunfang Dragon, Hestia Atsuko Kargryxmor]. Through images of being a force of destruction and inspiration, this song will rally any allies in the vicinity while demoralizing enemies. All allies affected by [Music Resonation] will receive these effects: Recover from [Exhaustion (Minor)]. Stamina cannot drop to zero. Stamina regeneration will increase while Stamina usage will decrease. Increase Fire and Holy elemental attacks by 10% each. All enemies affected by [Music Resonation] will receive these effects: Become more vulnerable to [Fear] and [Terror] status afflictions. Decrease Wisdom stat by 5%>
W-Wait, wasn’t this a buffing spell?!
Yes, this was supposed to be a buffing song. I know I chose “Buffing” when the prompt came. So, pray, tell me why there was a debuff effect attached to the end of this description? It increases the chance to inflict [Fear] and [Terror], two crowd control effects that I personally experienced before. If you fear something, your morale and attacks would decrease.
But the worst part, or maybe the best part, was the “decrease Wisdom stat by 5%” effect. I and my allies with the [Music Resonation] effect also receive an increase in damage for all fire and holy elemental attacks, not just spells.
Wait, doesn’t this mean [White Flames] would become even stronger?
[White Flames] and the spell I made from it, [Sanctified Blaze], were considered as fire and holy elemental. [Divine Inferno] increased the power of fire spells, while [Idol] and [Venerated Saintess] increased holy spells. All three effects only affected magic.
But this buff? It affected every damage. That meant my spark-dust, my [Hellblade Edge], and [Corrosive Fire]. It was a tremendous buff. Aside from offensive buffs, there was also the Stamina part. Recover [Exhaustion (Minor)] and no Stamina cost while this song is in effect? Crazy. Just Crazy. I can only imagine what a warrior like the guild master could do with this stuff.
That reminds me, I should spar with him again tomorrow.
This has to be my cheat, right? This idol system is such a cheat, what the fuck?!
In the beginning, I thought [Primal Magics] and its current form [True Dragon Lineage], were my cheat skills given to me by the gods. That, plus [Bearer of Kargryxmor’s Blood] and [The Light], helped me acquire quite a lot of magical power. I put in a lot of effort, but I can’t deny these titles and [Primal Magics] accelerated my growth.
But now? What the hell was this broken skill? What the fuck is [Idol]?! An AOE buff and debuff that would last forever as long as I keep on playing the song, which only costs me Mana and one or two parallel minds to keep [Aerokinesis] active. I knew it. Idols transcend bards.
This is just broken…Let’s try it out.
With my new song ready, I sang it. The music began filling the room once again, stopping the cheering and praises I was receiving from everybody.
<[Music Resonation (Minor)] inflicted on [Young Sunfang Dragon, Hestia Atsuko Kargryxmor]>
“Oooooh! What is this?!” Saori exclaimed.
“My body feels so much lighter! Lady Hestia, please continue singing, I need to finish this lap!” Ellaine shouted, continuing her jog around the basement. She has turned into a fitness junkie.
“Wait, what is this? ‘Stamina cannot drop to zero?’ T-This is insane! How is this possible?!” Barathan was massaging his temples as he said that, looking more freaked out at the description of this song. “T-This shouldn’t even be possible for a saint or advance support Job. No, I’m too ignorant. I don’t know enough to make that claim.”
It was mass amazement. Everybody looked at their profiles to confirm the effects of my song. It seemed the description wasn’t lying when it showed me all those effects. It was genuine. It was broken. It deserves a nerf.
…Wait, but that still didn’t answer my question. Why was a debuff attached to a buffing song?
It made no sense. A buff should buff, while a debuff should debuff. That was common sense in games. As Peolynca’s System was similar to video games, I thought this rule would also apply it. Yes, there were attacks and spells which had duel effects, like attacks also including debuffs or crowd controls, or spells that simultaneously(?) buffed and debuffed people. But my problem was this song did both, and I have no idea how I did it.
“Images of being a force of destruction and inspiration,” was it due to how I structured the lyrics or how I thought about being an imposing boss character while singing it? Or maybe it was both reasons? There was much to test out in the future it seems.
…Wait, was there a chance that there were more options than just damage and buffing songs?
Two options were too little for such a strong skill. It was a unique skill made just for me, after all. Would more options unlock in the future? I couldn’t answer it now, so I’ll have future Hestia deal with it. Now, I had to confirm one thing.
<Songs cannot be deleted>
I knew it.
When an artist debuts their singles, their songs, it was almost impossible to change the name. Once they are released to the public, that was it. Under those rules, it made sense that you couldn’t change their names nor delete them. An ordinary idol on Earth wouldn’t be able to do that.
My cautiousness was rewarded with such a strong song. In the future, I have to be careful with how I write my songs. No more doing it on the spot, it would be too reckless to waste a song slot.
<Custom magic song gained: [Dragon Fire]>
<Custom magic song [Dragon Fire] has been perfectly integrated into the System>
As planned, I also made a damage-based magic song. This time I took almost the whole day to think of the lyrics and melody to make sure I covered everything I wanted this song to do. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as powerful as [The Will to Fight and Survive] but it was decent enough, fitting for a unique skill.
After today, I spent a whole week doing whatever I could to catch up on my training. Using the mansion’s library to research magic, making more custom spells, training with Farron, and discussing my party’s future business with Saori and Tasianna. And, of course, continuing my idol training.
As Saori made a training schedule for Ellaine, it meant that Barathan and Manuela could help Ellaine train according to my wishes. Barathan and Manuela are both combat-proficient, so it wasn’t necessary for me to always supervise Ellaine’s training. I could leave that job to her attendants why I concentrated on my own stuff. And that was baking and cooking.
The planned dinner test was scheduled at the end of this week, so our party had to start figuring out different Earthen cuisine with the help of Peolynca’s ingredients. I wanted to recreate quite a lot of them, not for money’s sake, but for my own selfish reasons. I mean, delicious food makes the world go round.
That also meant that my schedule has finally become so full that I barely had any time for breaks. It felt amazing. Researching established custom spells and then using their logic in the creation of my own was exhilarating. It’s like Master Kush told me, “A magician must also seek more knowledge and wonders.” Istari, the God of Magic and Knowledge, promotes the idea of traveling and learning about new stuff, as it was necessary for a mage to widen their horizon. I finally learned why it was so important.
To create more spells for [White Flames] and [Corrosive Fire] was my goal. I will make those two skills mine. Shiterno gave them to me, so I now have the obligation to usurp his right to call these skills his, by creating more and more custom spells. It would improve my strengths while giving me the right to brag.
But that wasn’t all. Training with Farron was also an important part of this week. I never learned a real weapon ability since I was born, as all of them came from my racial skills. Aside from learning how to fight, I also was given a chance to get a glimpse of the creation of weapon abilities.
Unfortunately, due to this full schedule, we weren’t able to go on any Quests to earn money. Thankfully, Saori was able to keep our budget in check by working at the tailor guild. Her talents and practice until now made her not only an extremely experienced tailor but also a fast one. Nobody in the guild could possibly make as many clothing pieces as Saori, and she was making it all for rich merchants. The money was coming in, but they were drained quickly through our food expenses. Shame.
But these times of normality soon came to an end. Our time in Firwood wasn’t ending, but that didn’t mean we couldn’t go away from Firwood for a prolonged time for some adventure. A Quest arrived at the hunter’s guild and nobody else wanted to accept it.
Was it ‘cause of the money that we accepted it? Was it ‘cause it was the right thing to do to help those people? Was it ‘cause it was the first C rank Quest our party would take since becoming adventurers? Nope. Nope to all those reasons.
There was only one reason why we accepted it.
“Ruins! Ruins from before the kingdom got founded! Hints of the pasts etched into stones that stood for time immemorial. Hestia, we will take this Quest!”
It was ‘cause Saori was a history nerd.
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It was 'cause Saori was a history nerd.
