The sound of metal grinding on stone penetrated Blake's sleep, dragging him back to consciousness. For a moment, he lay still, letting his senses catalog the situation. Alien metal beneath him, recycled air with a hint of ozone, and the faint hum of the ship's systems. Safe, then. Relatively speaking.

The grinding noise came again. Blake cracked one eye open to find Chimera's avatar perched beside his bed. She had changed what she looked like, making herself more anthropomorphic and gaining hands. She was using those hands to run a whetstone along the edge of a knife absently.

"Really?" Blake's voice came out rough. "You're sharpening an imaginary knife?"

"I find it helps set the mood," Chimera's form shimmered slightly as she looked up. "Technically, I'm rearranging my biomass to work the kinks out of your actual blade and get it back into shape. But hey, a girl's got to keep herself entertained."

Blake pushed himself to a sitting position, moving carefully to test his injuries. The ribs still hurt like hell, but the sharp, stabbing pain had dulled to a more manageable ache. His shoulder protested any sudden movement, but at least it stayed in its socket. Progress.

Blake eyed his companion, fighting back another yawn. "So you're a girl, now? Not just a chimera?" He paused, considering. "Maybe I should work on a real name for you."

"Maybe it would be nice," Chimera said, the words coming out with an unexpected bite that made him raise an eyebrow.

Well shit. He knew a conversational minefield when he saw one. That particular discussion could wait for another day, preferably when he wasn't still recovering from getting his ass handed to him.

Instead, he turned his attention inward, checking the metaphysical side of his injuries. His mana channels, which had felt like someone had taken sandpaper to his spiritual nervous system, had settled into something more manageable. Now they just ached, not unlike the pleasant burn after a solid workout session. Whatever magical mojo Eland had worked into that healing gel, Blake had to admit - the stuff delivered.

"How long was I out?" Blake swung his legs over the side of the bunk, noting someone had removed his boots and jacket while he slept.

"Fourteen hours, give or take." Chimera's avatar disappeared from the desk, reforming closer to Blake. "Which is probably for the best, considering how thoroughly you wrecked your channels yesterday. Though I have to say, the results were... interesting."

Blake grunted as he stood, testing his balance. His body felt heavy, like he was moving through water, but nothing threatened to give out under his weight. He'd worked with worse.

"Food first," he said, already heading for the door. "Then we can talk about interesting."

The corridors were quiet as Blake made his way to the galley, Chimera's presence a constant hum at the edge of his awareness. The ship's systems adjusted lighting and temperature automatically as he passed, compensating for his still-healing state. He'd have to thank Zephyr for that later.

The galley was empty when he arrived, though someone—probably Eland, given the lack of any other options—had left a covered plate waiting. Blake lifted the lid to find what looked like scrambled eggs and some kind of purple fruit he didn't recognize. His stomach growled approvingly.

"So," Chimera said as Blake sat down with his breakfast. "Should we talk about how you went from 'basic spatial manipulation' to 'turning a ferroghest inside out' in the span of about twenty minutes? Because I have thoughts about that. Many, many thoughts."

Blake chewed slowly, considering. The eggs tasted almost right—close enough that his brain accepted them as familiar even if his taste buds noted the difference. "You're the one who helped me figure out the WASP knife trick."

"True, but that was just the concept. The execution..." Chimera's avatar flickered with excitement. "Do you have any idea how many variables you were juggling? The precision required to create a perfectly spherical repulsion field? The mathematical complexity of—"

"I just followed the rhythm," Blake interrupted, taking another bite. "The resonance of the thing's core. It was pushing and distorting everything around it, yeah? The rest was just... instinct."

"Just instinct, he says." Chimera's form rippled with what might have been exasperation. In lieu of continuing the conversation, she let loose his suppressed notifications.

"Here. I've organized these for you." Text scrolled across Blake's vision:

----------------------------------------

Gnosis Gained: Death before Failure, Victory over Survival

You have recognized your deeply rooted belief that survival is a contest, and you fully intend to win or to die trying.

Gnosis Gained: For Every Knife, a Sheath. For Every Gun, a Holster.

You have recognized yourself for the weapon you are—the one you forged yourself into. More importantly, you understand that, like any weapon, you must be contained when not in use.

Spatial Manipulation skill unlocked!

The text shimmered with a faint blue light, followed immediately by:

[ Mastery Increased: Spatial Manipulation| Amateur → Novice ]

[ Mastery Increased: Spatial Manipulation| Novice → Apprentice ]

Spatial Manipulation (Apprentice)

* Enhanced Spatial Awareness

* Perceive subtle spatial changes and distortions

* Make minor adjustments to spatial membranes

* Refined Spatial Control

* Manipulate space around yourself for brief moments

* Gain precise control over spatial distortions

* Spatial Manipulation Abilities

* Teleport short distances

* Create small spatial pockets

* Enhance control of spatial distortions

Blake blinked, the eggs momentarily forgotten as more text appeared:

[Force Manipulation] Skill unlocked!

Current Rank: Amateur

[ Mastery Increased: Force Manipulation| Amateur → Novice ]

* Enhanced Force Detection

* Sense subtle fluctuations and imbalances in force or pressure fields.

* Detect the vector and magnitude of physical forces nearby (e.g., the trajectory of projectiles, shifts in gravitational pull, etc.).

* Develop intuitive awareness of potential energy and kinetic dynamics in a small radius.

* Refined Force Application

* Exert minor force on objects or surfaces, enough to nudge, resist, or shift their state.

* Reinforce your own physical capabilities by subtly manipulating external and internal forces (e.g., slightly augmenting strength or balance).

* Redirect simple linear forces with precision, like deflecting a thrown object or changing its path slightly.

* Force Manipulation Abilities

* Generate controlled bursts of force for propulsion (e.g., brief directional boosts for dodging or leaping).

* Create small localized "force shields" that absorb or redirect minor impacts.

* Amplify or diminish the effect of existing forces acting on an object, such as reducing the weight of a falling object to slow its descent or increasing the push of a strike.

And finally:

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

New Ability Unlocked: [ Kinetic Detonation ]

Description: Channel mana into a focal point to create a sphere of repulsive force. Effectiveness scales with mana invested and spatial manipulation skill.

Warning: High mana cost. Risk of channel strain with extended use.

----------------------------------------

"Well," Blake said, setting down his fork. "That explains a few things."

Chimera's avatar leaned forward, her form rippling with barely contained excitement. "You should have seen the calculations your brain was running during that fight. The way you were instinctively processing multi-dimensional spatial vectors? Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. I mean, you probably shouldn't have been able to do half of what you did without proper training, but..." She gestured vaguely. "Sometimes ignorance really is bliss."

Blake raised an eyebrow. "You're saying I succeeded because I didn't know I should fail?"

"I'm saying you have an incredibly detailed understanding of what you were trying to accomplish. Your attributes really all just came together to just... do the math without actually doing the math." She paused, considering. "Like how a five-square player can catch a fly ball without calculating parabolic trajectories. Except in this case, you're catching tears in the fabric of reality."

Blake picked up his fork again, mulling that over as best he could. The purple fruit turned out to be surprisingly sweet, with a texture like firm mango. "Walk me through the skills. What exactly am I working with here?"

Chimera's avatar shifted, taking on a more professorial stance. "Spatial Manipulation is exactly what it says on the tin—the ability to alter local space-time geometry. At your current rank, you can create minor distortions, enhance existing spatial effects, and maintain better control over abilities like [Unfettered Stride]. The skill synergizes particularly well with our Warp core nature."

She gestured, and a holographic display appeared showing complex geometric patterns. "Force Manipulation is related but distinct. It's about controlling and directing kinetic energy, which often involves spatial components but isn't limited to them. Think of it as the difference between bending space to move something versus actually pushing it."

Blake nodded slowly. "And [Kinetic Detonation] combines both—using spatial manipulation to contain and shape the force before releasing it."

"Exactly!" Chimera clapped her hands, the sound oddly muted. "It's essentially weaponizing the repulsive effect you discovered during the fight. Instead of just pushing things away, you're creating a sphere of concentrated force that expands violently when released. Like a spatial grenade."

"Expensive though," Blake noted, remembering how thoroughly it had drained his channels.

"Hence the warning about channel strain. The more force you try to concentrate, the more mana it costs to contain. Push too hard..." She made an explosive gesture with her hands. "Pop goes the weasel. And by weasel, I mean your mana channels."

Blake grimaced. The memory of that pain was still fresh—like someone had filled his spiritual veins with molten glass and razor blades. "Good to know. What about the skill ranks? Apprentice seems like a big jump for one fight."

"You performed several distinct applications in rapid succession," Chimera explained. "Each successful use provided experience, and the complexity of what you were attempting accelerated the gains."

Blake finished the last of the purple fruit and stood, testing his injuries one final time. The ache in his ribs had settled to a dull throb - manageable with the right breathing. His shoulder still protested any sudden movement, but he could work around that.

"Alright," he said, rolling his neck. "Time to gear up. What's the status on the knife?"

Chimera's avatar flickered. "Fully repaired and ready for action. I reinforced it twice over to better handle spatial distortion. Should prevent any unwanted detonations."

Blake retrieved his boots from his cabin, checking them for damage before pulling them on. His jacket hung by the door, cleaned and mended where the ferroghest's claws had torn through it. Chimera talked a lot, but she also did a lot of her work with a quiet efficiency he could appreciate. He shrugged the jacket on carefully, mindful of his shoulder.

"Meeting's at the plant?" he asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Affirmative. Eland is there already, but you needed your beauty sleep."

Blake ran a quick check on his sidearm, ensuring the action slid smoothly and the magazine was topped off. The weight in his hand felt natural these days, less like a tool and more like a part of him. He slid it back into the holster in one smooth, practiced motion, as natural as breathing.

"Let's not keep them waiting then," Blake said, heading for the door. "We've got plans to finalize."

----------------------------------------

The smell of ozone and hot metal filled Blake's nostrils as he entered the processing plant. Eland stood next to a half-disassembled loading crane, one massive hand gesturing at the exposed hydraulics while Mara and Korrn listened intently. The Stokrine's deep voice carried easily in the cavernous space.

"—which means we can repurpose the actuators to provide additional power to the shield generators, assuming we can get them properly aligned with the—" Eland broke off as Blake approached, his cetacean features shifting into what passed for a smile. "Ah, good timing. We were just discussing resource allocation."

Blake gave Mara and Korrn a quick nod as he stepped into their circle. Mara looked worn but resolute, stray strands of hair slipping loose from her braid, which had been tugged and frayed in some recent scuffle. A fresh bruise darkened her left cheek. Korrn’s cybernetic hand twitched in a restless, automatic gesture, the servos humming softly as he acknowledged Blake’s arrival.

"Show me what we're working with," Blake said, stepping up to the holographic display hovering above a makeshift planning table. The familiar weight of his sidearm pressed against his ribs as he leaned forward, studying the three-dimensional map of Rax's compound.

Mara traced a line along the eastern approach. "Main gate's here, heavily fortified. At least four gun emplacements, probably more we haven't spotted. They've added some kind of energy barrier recently—" She glanced at Blake. "Another 'upgrade' from their patron."

Blake's jaw tightened slightly at the implied question, but he kept his focus on the map. "What about the secondary entrances?"

"Two that we know of," Korrn said, his voice gravelly. "Service entrance here—" He pointed to the north side. "—and an emergency exit through the old processing tunnels. Both watched, but not as heavily as the main gate."

"The tunnels are our best bet," Mara added. "We've got people who worked there before Rax took over. They know the layout."

Blake studied the tunnel system, seeing if he could pick out any details the others might miss. The way certain passages intersected at odd angles, creating natural choke points. Places where the rock had been reinforced, suggesting structural weakness. His mind automatically began calculating angles of fire, fields of view, likely patrol routes.

"These junction points," Eland said, highlighting several intersections. "I can use them to create bottlenecks. Redirect power from the old ventilation systems to generate localized force fields. Not enough to stop someone determined, but enough to slow them down and force them to choose specific paths."

Blake nodded slowly, seeing the strategy take shape. "Funnel them into kill zones. Make them commit to disadvantageous positions." He glanced at the Stokrine. "How long can you maintain those fields?"

"With the power available? Several hours, maybe more if I can splice into their grid," Eland said, his massive fingers dancing over the display as he fine-tuned the parameters. "I’ll stay focused on maintaining the network. If someone comes at me, though, I’ll deal with them."

"You won’t have to worry about that," Blake replied, his tone steady, deliberate. "Your job’s to control the battlefield, and no one else here can do it like you. If someone’s stupid enough to come after you, you handle it. Otherwise, keep them dancing to your tune." He shifted his attention to Mara. "How many can you move into position without raising suspicion?"

"Twenty, maybe twenty-five." She exchanged glances with Korrn. "Good fighters, all of them. People who've lost family to Rax's 'protection.' They'll hold."

"Two days," Blake said. "No more. The longer we wait, the more time Rax has to consolidate his position." He paused, considering his next words carefully. "He's been getting help. Regular drops of advanced tech, combat enhancements, even cultivation resources. Someone's invested in keeping him in power."

The room fell silent as he spoke. Korrn's cybernetic hand clenched into a fist, servos whining in protest.

Blake straightened to his full height, amber eyes scanning the shadows of the processing plant. When he spoke again, his voice carried clearly through the space, meant for ears beyond those present.

"Because some people think suffering makes for better entertainment." His tone held no accusation, just cold certainty. "They want to see how far they can push before something breaks. How much pain they can squeeze out of a situation before it explodes."

He took a step forward, gaze fixed on a point in the middle distance. "So make sure the right people see this. Anyone who wants to see Rax taken out has a day to get me quests. I'll remember who's in our corner."

The words hung in the air like smoke after a firefight. Mara and Korrn exchanged glances, but Eland's expression was that of amusement and pride. The others didn't know the specifics of Blake's encounter with Aureon, though they could probably guess. Eland, however, knew exactly who Blake was talking to.

For a long moment, only the soft hum of machinery broke the silence. Then Blake turned back to the planning table, all business once more.

"Alright," he said, focusing on the map again. "Let's talk specifics. Korrn, I want details on every patrol route, every guard rotation. Mara, we need to coordinate with your people about staging areas and fallback positions. Eland, show me exactly where you can put those force fields and what kind of coverage we can expect."

The others gathered around the display, falling naturally into the familiar rhythm of planning. But Blake kept part of his attention on the shadows, wondering who else might be listening. Wondering what strings would be pulled, what pieces would move on the board in response to his challenge.

The game was changing. Time to see who wanted to play.