Sentinel Controller can lose a level, "downleveling" from 30 Power Units to 29 Power Units

It is possible for a Sentinel Controller to lose a "level", unexpectedly dropping from 30 Power Units to 29 Power Units.

The player u/Jintoboy managed to get a screenshot of this occurring with the local chat log demonstrating the "downlevel":


Here are some guesses at reproduction steps.
1. Start with a Sentinel Controller with 29 Power Units.
2. Equip the Unique Sentinel The Megalomaniac, which has "Empowered Monsters grant (800–1200)% increased Sentinel Power".
3. Enter a high-Area-Level Area with Betrayal active.
4. (Optionally, include other sources of increased Experience gain.)
5. Defeat Monsters to gain Sentinel Power, to level up to 30 Power Units.
6. Activate The Megalomaniac and have it Empower a Syndicate Member.
7. Defeat the Empowered Syndicate Member, interact with it, and choose Release.

The expected behaviour is that the player only ever gains Sentinel Power, never loses it. The actual behaviour is that some scenarios cause a loss of Sentinel Power.


(Brazen speculation follows.) Could this be a signed integer overflow error? Syndicate Members grant some of the highest single-event Experience in the game. If Sentinel Power is keyed off of Experience, and with The Megalomaniac applying up to a 13x Sentinel Power multiplier, could the value of accrued Sentinel Power wrap around to a negative value? If a player's Sentinel Power is capped similar to how Experience is capped, then being at 30 Power Units and receiving any amount of negative Sentinel Power might push the player down beneath the Sentinel Power cap, to 29 Power Units.

Alternatively, could this be unexpected behaviour with the Syndicate Member Release option in particular?

I've had the exact same thing happen to me.
Empowered Syndicate members with The Megalomaniac Sentinel, defeated them and released.