System Hunt: Regalia

A Belua’s Nucleus was a round, golf ball-ish thing spotted with many prismatic colours. Its size varied according to Belua but the one in Sam’s hands was as small as a jawbreaker and yet, held the explosive power of a grenade.

“It’s warm,” Sam noted, laid on his stomach with his flame injured back exposed to the nurse hovering around the spa table he had his face poked through.

Despite the pain of third-degree burns on his back, Sam couldn’t help but appreciate the novelty of the table; he’d always seen housewives go to spas for massages and chatter about with their friends on the at their sides.

“I’m guessing that’s a no for skin absorption then, try with your phone.” Alex said, spotless black boots the only part of her he could see before she handed him his phone or more accurately, Regalia.

A cold liquid spritzed over Sam’s back, causing him to recoil as an isolated inferno was born wherever the liquid landed. He hissed, tried to get up but found Alex’s hand pressed on his head, “No squirming, you’ll ruin the growing skin if you fold it while it’s healing.”

He gripped his Regalia and gritted out at Alex, cursing that she couldn’t see the hatred for her and the nurse festering in his eyes, “Easy for you to say, fucking hell, what’s even in that water!”

“It’s not water, it’s a Health Sprite, a necessary item for our war against those monsters. We only use it in the most extreme cases but just about every DSF agent on field has experienced it, myself included.” Alex said, though there was an edge of hurt to her voice she went from pressing Sam’s head down to playing with his hair as his fried off skin regrew inch by inch.

Her fingers at least replicated some form of care he’d attribute to the fine spa table he was laying on, even if the sterile lab environment of the clinic within Gamma Ring was anything but.

“They’re still fighting those fire Belua…” Sam said, bringing the small Nucleus to his phone, “Is it endless?” When Alex dragged him away from Alpha Ring his place was instantly filled by DSF agents mowing down Belua after Belua.

Alex ruffled Sam’s hair and another agonizing spritz came from the nurse, forcing him to shut his eyes, hold his breath and focus only on the sensation of her fingers roaming over his scalp.

“We aren’t entirely sure. We’re following the records left behind from the Crusader years, it’s easy to mistranslate but that’s where we get our threat levels. Lambda is the highest we’ve gotten but General Sir promises that if we keep Alpha Ring dry of Belua the threat level shouldn’t increase.”

She sighed, changed hands and continued poking and playing with Sam’s hair, “That said, there’s a part of the scripture that goes on about the towers being linked, there are twelve in various parts of the world and we can’t do what we’re doing here everywhere. I think that’s why that Jaguar appeared, General Sir places it at threat level Theta at the least.”

Sam counted in his head and muttered with a hint of terror, “That’s a level eight…all the way from eleven.” He could scarcely believe there were seven levels of Belua worse than the two-tailed, fire-slinging giant Jaguar that almost stole his life.

“Yup, now hurry up and try absorbing the Nucleus.” She said, almost scolding by the way she pinched out his hair.

“Ow, okay.” He brought his Regalia to the Nucleus, holding them together in the same hand. “Nothing’s happening…oh no, wait.”

Just as Sam was speaking his Regalia lit up, the screen and even the body became as warm as the Belua Nucleus as a prompt appeared—

[Do you wish to absorb 1 Common Belua Nucleus for a 100 Regalia Points?]

Regalia Points? It really is a game. Sam snorted and Alex crouched by his hands, “What? What is it saying? You know this is just a broken phone in my eyes right?”

Just as he commanded glass all Sam had to do was think his affirmation and the Belua Nucleus sublimed to a gas that his Regalia siphoned instantly, freeing up his hand, “Ha, did you see that? Tell me you saw it turn into mist.”

“Yeah, I did,” Alex said. He couldn’t see her face still but the shakiness in her voice spoke to her awe.

[Congratulations! You’ve absorbed your first Belua Nucleus and have been gifted an additional 100 Regalia Points!]

The prompt faded away and yet again Sam saw a change to his pho-Regalia’s screen. At the bottom there were three icons, the first was a cluster of green sparkles and read; Regenerate. The second was the visage of a muscled man with bronze skin and read; Bolster. The last was literally a glass wall and read; Fortify.

Each had a number underneath them and Sam, going with the idea that this was indeed some game quickly understood they were the cost of each ability. Regenerate cost 50RGP but there was also the approximate symbol before the number. Bolster and Fortify each cost 100RGP with no approximation.

Well, since this is my life now I might as well. Without another moment of hesitation Sam tapped on Regenerate.

[Spend 50RGP to heal all wounds?]

He immediately affirmed and the nurse tending to his back screamed just as a blessed sensation of relief overcame his body, sweeping away all exhaustion and pain from his battle against the fiery Belua.

“Oh my god…his back, it’s…it’s healed!” the nurse baffled, stumbling back into a wall at the miraculous sight.

Sam sat upright and cracked his neck with an assured grin plastered on his face as he watched Alex and the nurse eye him like a freak of nature, which, technically he now was.

“Looks like it works, Alex, save the Health Sprites for your agents, I think I could get used to his.” Sam said as he eyed his Regalia, “So, what now?”

Alex spared a look with the startled nurse who then quickly made herself scarce. When the door shut behind her Alex shook off her surprise and smiled at him, “It really is just as General Sir said, Regalia Wielders…you’re something else. Next? Put on a shirt, we’re going to report back to him but I expect you’re going to be fighting a lot more...what did you call them, ah, Belua. That’s not a problem is it?”

Sam shook his head. Alex had been the one to wake him up from his craven reverie, she knew just as well as he did there was nothing left for him in his old life. It was time he forged a new one and with it, maybe save the world from the Doom Towers and their Belua.

He clenched and unclenched his fists, feeling stronger than he had in years and he hadn’t even used Bolster. “No, in fact, I think I’m looking forward to it now.”