Mathew

Laying back on his half wall 'bed,' Mathew couldn't help but miss his notebook. He never was much for digital records; a physical hard copy was how he learned to organize growing up. With all the new information, he felt as though he should be taking notes.

"Hint?" Mathew asked.

"Yes, Co-owner?" Hint responded immediately.

"I get that you have some limits on what you can fabricate for me, but is there any way you can think of getting me something to write on?" Mathew said.

"No! Of course not. Totally unrelated, would you like me to furnish you a closet lined with thin tiles?" Hint sounded happy at snapping 'the rules' spine across her metaphysical knee. "Maybe attached by some brittle struts?"

"Thank you, Hint that'll do just fine," Mathew smiled. Oh, it felt good to smile without his exoskull. "Please let me know when it's ready."

After a short wait, Mathew peeled 8 ½ x 11 tiles with even depressions running across them. Narrow spaces made it a stone replica of college rule. Stopping after peeling a hundred away from the surface of his new closet, he got comfortable air sitting next to his bed.

This world sucked, the Transition sucked, but every now and again, there was a silver lining. Air sitting was one of them.

Starting with Sure Foot to lock his feet to the floor, Mathew would ease down to a sitting position. Even with his newfound strength, this would become a distracting or uncomfortable exertion. That was where he designed a solution. Mathew constructed internal bone pins and cogs in his ankles, knees, and hips. Using some Carrion Beast muscle to move the pin back and forth, he had a way to lock his body in a position and unlock it.

Sure it was unnecessarily complicated, and it was just finding a seat. Not really that important. But he was damn proud of it. Behind the uselessness of the exoskeleton locking device was his own growth in problem-solving and acceptance.

Using his bed as a table and sitting on open air, he got to work recording his thoughts. Cutting the soft stone Hint had crafted the tiles from was within his ability. Wielding the hidden blades of his index finger and thumb, he managed to make familiar symbols. Those symbols grew into words and sentences.

Each page he finished writing out gave structured form to his thoughts, transforming a jumbled mess into organized thoughts. It took almost all of the hundred pages to get it all out.

Mathew re-read the last line. Structure a method to manage the mental effects of magic and being transformed.

This problem stumped him.

It was clear that thriving here would require an adjustment period. Even after that, the effects of being modified in body and mind would continuously impact the condition of all survivors. How though? That wasn't defined.

Solving a problem you couldn't define was... well, maybe not impossible but beyond what Mathew could manage. If you can't define a problem, perhaps there isn't one.

This Marcos that Clare mentioned made a lot more sense. Having everyone write down their experiences would be insightful in finding out how people change over time and if it will be a problem. To Mathew, it felt off. His Earth instincts told him that this process was just flailing to grasp what the problem actually was.

They didn't have the time and resources to resolve this, so he put the whole set of worries aside.

Clare's advice on handling Hybrid Sickness may or may not even apply to Mathew. Still, he was curious about what spending energy into the Territory entailed and caused.

This Territory investment felt like something he could use the tear into the unfiltered Alpha Spectrum to access. A bit of speculation that the terminal in his mind was because of the successful ascension and that an unsuccessful one wouldn't have one. If that was right, Clare was using a more natural way to interact with her Territory.

Sending his mind to the boundary between himself and the red energy, it occurred to Mathew that this was all part of the new cognitive organs grafted into him.

Nothing to do with you, Mathew told his smoldering anger, reminding it of its place. His personal rage and sympathetic fury for everyone going through forced mutations belonged to a cold space. Distraction removed, Mathew got back on track.

What was he supposed to send into the Territory exactly? Sending the Alpha energy straight back into the Territory seemed like the exact opposite of staying below the radar. Was there something else within him that he could send out?

Probing himself with his Pooling magic sense, Mathew began to feel something within his Health. Maybe that was it? Clare mentioned the idea beside the idea of self-crafting. Balancing out his monster and human side would come from weakening the monster side.

Opening the vault of his Pooling magic, Mathew directed his intelectus to carefully draw on his Health. One point of magic that did nothing was followed by another, then another. Pressed against his own core, the mass grew to a dozen points before it caused an effect.

Painlessly three points of Health drew into his bubble and slid away into the reserve his Pooling magic built.

He made an additional intelectus to inspect it.

[Mathew Starling's Health

Structured to Outworlder/Carrion Beast Hybrid Alpha, this Health contains unique essence patterns. Apply to Mathew Starling to refill Health. Use on another before purification risks essence tainting]

Outside of the text, his new mind expansion passed on a filtered experience of feeling captured light. This was why making an intelectus as a separate mind was included in the Transition. Mathew was sure of it. So many new sensations and experiences, some could become overwhelming without that filter. As it was, he had to deal with knowledge in a facts-only manner rather than experiencing.

Mathew's Health was a pale red-orange. While colors weren't his strong suit, he was able to see that the color was a blend of all the colors in his core.

His core had changed over time, gaining a pearl spiral as he became a Hybrid. Later the junction of the two sides of him evolved a rust-red quality. If his Health continued to change, would this stored Health reset him or dilute the changes?

Mathew resigned himself to waiting for more information. As much as he felt curiosity and fear of ignorance hounding him to experiment, his metaphysical Health was too important to risk. Not worth it when answers were behind him being patient and asking.

His thoughts were interrupted by his Territory. Between the interlocked plates that his Reinforcement formed, something foreign crawled. He'd felt this before when monsters from another Territory cut through The Spire to attack one another. Mathew took this as a sign that The Night Stalker's protection was fading.

If the intrusion of a Drull attack brigade was like a trickle of sand being poured down the back of his shirt, this was a wasp flying into a sleeve. This intrusion went beyond mild irritation to inspiring a sense of urgency.

Mathew wondered if this animal instinct was added during the transfer process and only activated now that he held a Territory or if getting the Territory grafted it into him. The irritation grated on his senses again.

"Hint, yellow alert," Mathew said.

"Yes, Co-owner. Ben and Grant are still absent." Hint said. "All others notified."

"Thank you, Hint," Mathew made a grim smile before summoning his exoskull.

Without Ripper or Caustic Resolution, Mathew was offensively limited. Still, his Territory was being invaded. These beasts were taking what was his. Chipping away at the ownership he earned by mortal combat. Mathew was not about to lay around and let that happen.

Checking his Territory interface, he noticed his Territory Reinforcement was lowered to 99.5%. They'd only been in the spire for a few minutes. Either there were a lot of them, or they had some type of backing from their Alpha.

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Maybe he could call for Clare? Did she set up this invasion somehow?

Mathew shook his head. He didn't know enough yet to be drawing any conclusions. Trudging up the corridor, Mathew reached out with his Mental Attack skill.

Gently spying on Amber and Harper's surface thoughts, they were both listening to Hint. Amber went for her bow and alchemical payloads while Harper went to look out the window. It was a shame that Hint had seriously limited vision outside the Hub's walls.

Soon enough, Mathew had climbed the stairs and joined Harper's tawny form at the open window. A half dozen slithering objects drew his attention. Before his eyes could focus and see the details, Mathew's instinctual irritation shifted to anger.

Rejecting these foreign instincts, he tracked the leader with his eyes. His first read was that it was the bastard child of an Alligator Snapping Turtle and a Rattlesnake. Its face started in a vicious beak. With a broad neck transitioning to an armored shell, Mathew couldn't help but wonder how they moved.

Mathew caught a better sight as it stopped to sniff the air. Behind the main body shell, it seemed more like an Alligator with shell plates on top but more flexible on the sides and bottom. With its face so far in the air, he saw the underbelly was segmented like a snake.

Scan.

[Adaraga

Able to live within a diverse range of ecosystems, the Adarage are deft at adapting to the environment of a Territory. The energy saved on not terraforming a Territory can make them stronger than their neighbors but leaves them with less defensive advantage compared to most. Sometimes bred in wholly artificial captivity, so their shells take on the vibrant colors and patterns of their pens.]

"Hey," Harper tapped the back of Mathew's gauntlet.

He'd squeezed the window frame so hard that something was creaking in protest.

"I want them gone," Mathew ground out, forcing his hand to relax its grip. "Thank you."

"Sure thing, General," Amber hefted her bow. "They seem reptilian. Think cold will deter 'em?"

Should they risk fighting against these wild animals?

Shooting from the confines of the Hub, they were safe to deal damage without fear of retaliation. Probably? Was he letting the mental influence affect him?

If he couldn't hold his Territory, why was he even thinking about expanding?

All those people who are locked in their bubbles, separated by time and space from this world. They needed room and safety. Mathew chose to live in the margins of risk to make that safe home a reality for them. This was his choice regardless of what the beast inside him wanted.

"I don't want our invaders uncomfortable with the idea of entering the spire. I want them terrified," Mathew made his way to the door. "Get their attention, and when they get here, give me what backup you can."

"Be careful," Harper's brown eyes asked the impossible.

Mathew grunted as he shut the Hub's monster leather door.

With his mental tap he saw images of Amber being led to a second-story archer lookout and Harper directing Hint to close up their windows.

The Adaraga continued to probe the Territory. Given how barren the spire was, Mathew couldn't figure out what they were detecting. Or maybe he was misreading their behavior, and they were just scouting other neighbors. It was a shame they were out of range for his Mental Attack skill. It'd be so very informative to experience how the native wildlife made decisions.

Amber drew back a shaft tipped with sharpened glass beast flesh. Her steady calm conflicted with Mathew's racing heart. A held breath later, and the twang of a bowstring went out.

Tracking the arrow's flight through the air, Mathew thought it was slow. Not slow in an absolute way, but only as fast as a major league fastball. Despite this, it flew true. Its path cut through the air with a whir as the slight drop pulled it into the swampy blue hide.

Acid green blood spilled around the fletched shaft between the neck and shoulder. Watching the bleeder arrow work as intended, Mathew didn't hear a scream or cry. The wounded Adaraga withdrew its head and neck into its body.

Alpha light shined from the rearmost beast. Captured within the Territory Reinforcement, Mathew's senses focused on the offending monster. Whatever process occurred guided the half dozen reptiles in a beeline in his direction, even with the source Adaraga staying in the back.

Here they come! He thought.

Details clarified as they slithered closer. Each of their tails ended a in bulbous mass Mathew had misidentified as a rattle. Mostly made of plates, the tail clubs also had a horizontal ridge of spines. It felt to Mathew like witnessing a living dinosaur.

The threat analysis made Mathew confident they could hurt him with their club tails. Maybe their bite strength was a hazard, but he had no safe way of knowing.

As the first monster crossed into the range of Mathew's Mental Attack skill, he tried digging in. Their resistance was far above that of the glass bio-forms. Still, surface thoughts were scraped away and analyzed.

First, Mathew noted that they were communicating with each other. It was outside his range of hearing, but sharp sounds from their leader guided their assault on the Hub.

Second, they were starving. Mathew had grown to be a connoisseur of hunger. This flavor existed when his magic was stuffed to near full. If he'd had to guess, this wasn't a level of hunger that a person could naturally experience. As a lack of nutrition would dull the senses.

Knowing that they were driven from their home by hunger relieved some worry about the state of the Territory. Letting distractions go, Mathew focused on the imminent fight.

Mathew split his willpower into two intelectus. One for Mental Attack and the other for Conditional Ambush. His conversations with Grant were paying dividends. Sending all of one's willpower into a skill would make it more powerful but result in diminishing returns. As he fueled them, Mathew could tell when he'd crossed that boundary.

So instead, he held back reserves of power.

Matching his predictions to the mental plans of the front two monsters was taxing the limits of his cognition. As they closed in, Mathew took on a boxer's pose.

Muscles locked still as rage and fear mixed into a concoction of violence. Still, his feelings couldn't move him. The planned ambush required he didn't shake up their thoughts by changing their plan now. Without hesitation, the front Adaraga lashed forward.

Another vicious beak trying to pry him away from his life. This had nothing on the baby Night Stalker. That sliver of calm held his nerve until it was time to act.

Timing and significance came together, and the conditions of Conditional Ambush rose to its first peak. At the limits of danger becoming reality, Mathew dodged. Lifting both feet off the ground caused the low bite attempt to skid across his shins. With the lead Adaraga's beak unable to find purchase, it shot forward underneath him.

Unwilling to let himself be surrounded so quickly, Mathew stomped down on its shell. Activating Sure Foot, he stuck one foot to its shell and the other to the sinuous bulk of its lower trunk.

With the coordination of practiced hunters, a high attack came in on the heels of the low. Robbing motion from his new ride Mathew accelerated away from the swing. This effect blunted the club swing as Mathew blocked it.

CRACK

Enough force rolled from his forearm into his chest to drive him upright, back over top his legs. Mathew didn't break. Two perfect predictions empowered his growing counterattack.

Diving off to the side of the clump of beasts, Mathew limited how many could come at him at once. Focusing on its mind, he set up his prediction and dodge. Keeping in mind how he wanted to chain these together. His dodge had to carry him into another prime engagement.

A few cycles of dodging, and he was getting ready to test out his offense. Then he met his first snag. This beast was just too fast. Even though the monsters were quite alike, their differences expressed themselves in close encounters.

Slimmer and laden with more muscle than armor, this beast contorted with Mathew's dodge. Clamping onto his leg and dragging itself around him like a constrictor.

Without mobility, there was no doubt that plenty of prey would meet their end like this. Breathing out a thick cloud of hunger, Mathew hid himself and his hanger-on in a blanket of inky darkness.

Knowledge from his Digestion magic informed his attack. Aiming his punch at the soft shell of his living shackle, Mathew released his Conditional Ambush. With the satisfying crunch of a single Adaraga's body failing, the power of his punch faded.

Not the explosive power he remembered from the glass beast, but he didn't charge it as many times either. In fact, the speed he stored power put his early efforts to shame.

This is my land! Mathew growled at the interlopers.

His Territory moved. Reinforcement plates that made his Territory his locked tight. Mathew wasn't sure what effect it caused, only that it was an aid.

His Mental Attack intelectus passed over a welcome message. Fear. The monsters of this world were scared.

Powering up his newest skill, Deathbattle Chains, Mathew locked each of the remaining interlopers down. No escape.

Mathew knew his cloud of Digestion magic wouldn't last forever, so he concentrated it on the faces of the Adaraga. Blind pain drove them to dash around, ripping out chunks of their Health. All those who gained too much distance from Mathew were greeted by more bleeding arrows.

The combination proved to be as brutal as hunting on Earth. Without the supernatural aid of Health. Death from blood loss would not be avoided.

Only one monster held up against the combination. The beast leader had its eyes screwed shut and was holding its breath.

That is why they stopped being coordinated! Mathew realized.

Something stirred within the reptile that made Mathew's new instincts uncertain.

Cut off from all senses, it turned to watch him.

Mathew felt it latch onto his Deathbattle Chain skill. Bracing his skill against being broken, he was surprised to find the monster reinforcing it.

Making the first noise he recognized, the leader Adaraga hissed like a racecar.

Locking himself to the splintered rock of the Spire, Mathew took the body slam head-on. Leaking a few Health points from bowing back, he retaliated by throwing the half-ton beast skittering yards down the slope. The reinforced Deathbattle chains dragged Health away as it unspooled from the Adaraga leader forming new links to continue tying them together at the grown distance.

They are all dead. Mathew thought. They just don't know it yet.

Following his thought, the inevitable outcome played out time and again. For the mindless drones that hadn't died yet: racing away drained their Health, and bleeding out was a short affair.

This half-step Alpha bet its life on a king of the hill match against a man who couldn't lose his footing.

Sure its raw power could cause damage to Mathew's frame, but with Bone Regeneration, there wasn't any lasting harm. Charging a Conditional Ambush time and again, Mathew felt himself embodying an ambush more and more.

With a rush of exertion, Mathew unleashed his charged power.

Sinking his fist to his elbow into the center mass of his last enemy, Mathew felt a vicious satisfaction.

Mine! He thought.

Reaching into the Alpha spectrum, he grabbed a bundle of power released by the dying animal. Mine! The Carrion Beast bit into the bundle of red threads. In Mathew's mind and core with the death of one threat the Carrion Beast grew.