Kyle looked out the window of the shuttle at the growing trees, unable to keep the smile off his face. He’d spent the last three weeks on board the Corthian Mining flagship while they made preparations for the next phase of their journey. The wait was longer than expected, and he didn’t realize how much he’d missed seeing his world.

The reason for the delay was due to the complexity of the task before them. It would be an expedition in two parts – first completing a more detailed survey of the area, then dealing with the moth itself. While other expedition teams were sent back to the rainforest after the death of the Endless, Kyle wasn’t invited to join them. Instead, he was allowed to prepare however he saw fit. As before, he found comfort in routine.

Each day went roughly the same – he would spend his first several hours studying anatomy and working basic triage, followed by a sparring session with either Skippy or Duroc, and wrapping up with mana control practice and meditation. He had occasional meetings thrown in where he’d discuss the specifics of the mission with Chester, and he’d met with Benjamin a handful of times to swap stories, but largely things stayed the same.

That, in Kyle’s estimation, was a good thing. He’d gained two more levels through his practice sessions, leaving him on the cusp of upgrading his next E Grade skill. If he’d pushed harder he may have been able to cross that threshold, however he felt that there was more value to be found in shoring up his understanding of mana theory. One thing he’d suspected that Randolph confirmed was that the skill upgrades available to him would be largely dependent on his efforts and practice between each level.

While he was confident the skill he was planning to upgrade would have some good options, he’d rather not run the risk of getting there too soon and having a lousy choice. D Grades were common enough in the broader universe to have many well-documented cases of people unable to meaningfully progress down their paths due to shaky foundations and poorly developed skills. Kyle had no desire to be counted among their number.

Of course, he couldn’t just think of his own progression anymore, could he? The revelation that C.H.A.D.D. had a class was shocking to him, and it only got more bizarre the more he learned. The class was, according to the drone, called ‘Administrator Weevil.’ While he didn’t know all the details yet, from what he could understand, C.H.A.D.D. now had the ability to expand its set of abilities. Its development wasn’t tied to levels in the traditional sense, which created a whole new set of problems that Kyle would have to try and solve.

[GET READY, DR. MAYHEW.]

Kyle sighed and stood up, looking at the approaching treetops as the drone snapped him from his thoughts. While this forest wasn’t nearly as dense as the territory of the Endless, it was no less breathtaking. Verdant spears pierced the sky, massive redwoods dominating the landscape. He wished he had more time to appreciate the view, unfortunately the approaching dragonflies had other thoughts.

C.H.A.D.D. picked up the mana signatures of the creatures, and Kyle’s enhanced senses weren’t far behind. The deep buzzing of their wings grew ever closer, and he got a better look as the crew strapped in tight. Corthian Mining’s scouting teams encountered similar creatures before, and they were ready.

Kyle grabbed a thick wire net in his hand as he looked at the approaching insects. They were each nearly three meters long, with bulbous eyes above their fearsome jaws. They were dangerous monsters with a single, fatal flaw. Throwing the net with practiced ease, it tangled around the wings of the nearest dragonfly. The insect twisted in the air, entangling itself further before it fell to the forest floor below.

So it went with the second, and then the third. As they became more acquainted with the threats in an area, the mining teams had proven incredibly adaptable. The difference between sapient beings and mindless beasts, he mused, watching the careening bodies. The last of the insects approached, seeming totally unbothered by the unexpected descent of its comrades. Kyle reached for another net, then he paused.

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Instead, his hand found its way into a pouch on the side of the C.H.A.D.D.pack. He grabbed one of the items within, and pulled out a small, green pod. It was a small seed pod from a strange type of gourd grown in hydroponics on the flagship. The flesh of the gourd was quite tasty, and in his exploration of the ship he’d stumbled upon where they were being grown.

Grasping it tightly, he activated RESONANCE. The small seed had very little mana of its own, and Kyle connected to it easily. Grow. Infusing energy into the seed, he focused his mind on that simple word. He felt mana draining out of him as the weight in his palm increased, feeling winding vines begin to wrap around him. Opening his eyes, he threw the expanding mass of vines and gourds at the fast-approaching insect.

As with the metal nets before, the vines got tangled in the creature’s wings. It, too, tumbled out of the sky, crashing into the ground. Kyle smiled as he looked at his now-empty hand. It was cost-effective to handle things that way, even if it took some mana out of him. Still, he was happy to get the practice. Possibilities were opening up before him, and he was already getting excited for what was still ahead.

The shuttle landed without incident at the predetermined staging area, and he waved as he disembarked, waving at a familiar face who was approaching.

“About time you all caught up. Good to see you again, Mayhew.”

Rochelle had directed one of the earlier scouting trips, and was the acting captain of the temporary base they’d established.

“Good to see you too, Captain. How’s everything looking?”

She paused to direct some of the others leaving the shuttle, then turned back to Kyle.

“It’s gone better than expected, to be honest. A few different creatures we’ve had to deal with, but the big one hasn’t come close. It seems content to float around the Tree, though it looks like other, weaker variants have also been congregating. Their larvae are becoming a problem.”

Kyle frowned. “How can larvae be a problem? Can’t you just squish them?”

Rochelle shook her head. “For as smart as you are, you can be an idiot. We can’t exactly get close without drawing the big moth’s attention, can we? Awful hard to squish them when you have monsters trying to kill you.”

“Hey, you’re the one who asked for ideas.”

“I didn’t ask for ideas. And if I did, I would have asked C.H.A.D.D. It’s much more agreeable.”

[IT’S TRUE, DR. MAYHEW.]

They both chuckled at the drone’s response, but soon after Rochelle got serious.

“The larvae themselves aren’t the problem. They’re burrowing into the trees and eating them from the inside. The wood in the forest is incredibly mana-dense, and when these larvae start turning into full-fledged monsters we’ll be in trouble. This isn’t going to be like the last time where killing the big boss means we have free reign. Once those little guys hit adulthood the whole area will be a warzone.”

“That does throw a wrench in things. So I take it you’re all ready for me to get started as soon as possible?”

“That’s the plan. Come with me, I’ll break down the specifics.”

Kyle followed Rochelle to her command tent, where a small projector was set up on a utilitarian metal desk. It was showing the area surrounding the largest tree, where several other large trees still stood.

“The big Tree is where we believe we’ll find the best resources, and it’s the one currently being orbited by the largest moth. The others have been severely damaged, and aren’t terribly stable. You’ll want to place the explosive charges here.”

Rochelle gestured to the hologram. With that, small red dots lit up on the trees, indicating optimal locations for the payload.

She continued.

“That should deal with a lot of the larvae, and also start to pin down the moth.”

She pressed several buttons on the console, and it indicated that the fallen trees would obstruct the most common flight paths.

“Once its mobility has been limited, we can move. This will be the most dangerous part for you, because if this is anything like last time you won’t be able to run away. So hold it in position, use that fancy shield of yours, and try not to die.”

Her words were sharp, though Kyle picked up an undercurrent of worry in them. He did his best to put on a cavalier smile.

“I’m expendable, but C.H.A.D.D. isn’t. So I don’t have much choice other than surviving, isn’t that right?”

[YOU COULD ALWAYS LEAVE ME HERE, DR. MAYHEW.]