Every cell in Kyle’s body burned with energy as IGNITION flowed through him. He was moving faster than ever before as he followed the trail from AURIC PERCEPTION and C.H.A.D.D.’s directions. Each step caused the muscles in his body to scream at him in protest, though Kyle simply pushed energy through ADAPTIVE REGENERATION as he continued his race across the plains.

[DR. MAYHEW, ARE YOU SURE THIS IS WISE? THE DAMAGE TO YOUR BODY IS ACCUMULATING FROM USING YOUR SKILL SO LIBERALLY. ATTEMPTING TO FIGHT WHILE INJURED WOULD BE ILL-ADVISED.]

“If the damage is too high, we’ll stop at the edge of your sensor range and I’ll recover before we engage. I’m testing something, and I think we’ll be in a better position than you’d think.”

[I CERTAINLY HOPE SO, DR. MAYHEW. BIRDS WOULD MAKE FOR TERRIBLE COMPANY.]

Kyle just smiled as he focused his attention on the flow of energy in his body. This had been his first real opportunity to push IGNITION since he’d gotten the skill, despite having taken pains to train with it during his studies. Even then, he’d noticed that his recovery skills seemed to improve the longer he had IGNITION active. It was as though his focus was raised to entirely new heights the more strain his body was under.

Instinctively, he knew this was due to Unbreakable Will, the upgrade to his Adaptive Anatomy after fighting the Storm. He theorized it worked as a pseudo-berserking ability: the more damage he took, the more it ramped up the effects of his Willpower. This was the most damage Kyle had taken since that fight, and the level of clarity he was now experiencing was elevated far beyond the norm. ADAPTIVE REGENERATION worked on overtime to soothe and rebuild strained muscles. Surgical application of HEAL mended tears and reduced strain on his organs. As damage accumulated, his ability to recover amplified.

Soon, Kyle hit an equilibrium. The damage from IGNITION could no longer outpace his recovery beyond a certain level, though when he healed beyond that threshold the damage would again take the lead. Kyle felt a dull roar of pain across his entire body, he could feel his heartbeat echoing in his head, yet at the same time his mind was crystal-clear. It was paradoxical in many ways, with the flow of his mana raging like a wildfire, while at the same time moving as precisely as calligraphy.

Soon, he came upon a grisly, though expected sight. First was the mangled body of the dro’khar the caravan leader had been riding. It was torn and shredded, and from the look of things it was clear to Kyle that the flock of birds had eaten much of it. Second, just slightly farther away, was the remains of the caravan leader himself. His staff was splintered, and he himself was crushed into the ground. It didn’t appear that the man had even put up much resistance, as the surrounding area lacked the telltale signs of damage a Mage at his level should have been able to create.

Kyle sighed, but kept moving. While it was unfortunate the man had died, it was an outcome he had brought on himself. If he’d simply been able to put his ego aside, he and his men would likely all still be alive. Instead, due to their loyalty to the hierarchy, they had paid a price in blood. Part of him wondered when he’d gotten so comfortable with death, but he pushed that aside as he pressed onward. Some things weren’t worth dwelling on.

As Kyle continued his pursuit, he noticed a shift in the terrain. The long, swaying grasses had receded, revealing craggy, rocky soil. Looking ahead, he saw stone spires reaching towards the sky, creating a labyrinth. From within, he could feel the distinct presence of the egg he needed to retrieve. From what he could tell, it was no longer moving.

[THEY’VE STOPPED, DR. MAYHEW.]

Kyle nodded, slowing as he navigated around the pillars. Auric Perception revealed something else to him, and he decided to ask C.H.A.D.D. for confirmation. “How many are you detecting?”

[THERE ARE SEVERAL AT THE FRINGE OF MY RANGE, THOUGH THERE APPEAR TO BE HALF AGAIN AS MANY AS ATTACKED THE CARAVAN, DR. MAYHEW.]

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He had a decision to make. Each step closed the distance on his targets, and Kyle knew he would catch up before long. The wiser decision would likely be to stop, focus on recovery, and attack once he was fresh. However, one thought persisted in his mind as the mana raged through him: what would it be like to fight in this state of focus?

~~~

“His trial is over, there’s really no point in allowing it to continue. He’s just throwing his life away.”

Suierrillax watched with interest as the senior proctors – a skrell and a goblin - debated the future of the human applicant. The second phase for him had really gone off the rails, and now his delivery was all but over. The caravan leader had been killed, and the ebon pterix had secured the package and begun to head back towards their nest.

While it couldn’t be entirely attributed to his actions, ultimately the rules were clear. Kyle Mayhew had failed. The young man’s foolhardy attempt at rescue spoke to poor judgment, and while he was certainly talented, there was little reason for the proctors to allow this to continue. All he was likely to do was get himself killed, which would be a shame.

Suierrillax had noted some of his most noteworthy achievements for senior management, particularly as a support player. He could retake the Practicum again, likely pass, and be a major asset to whichever guild he joined. There was no reason to let him die now. The conversation between the senior proctors was heating up, and she turned her full attention back to them.

“I’m telling you, it’s not that simple. He’s still actively choosing to pursue, which effectively means this is part of the same combat. The rules clearly state that applicants are not to be rescued, nor are we to interfere if they’re participating in the same combat.”

“That’s a technicality and you know it! Damn green-skins and their damn rules. Look, any other applicant whose package was destroyed was failed, and allowed to leave. This is the same thing.”

“It isn’t because he still has a chance to recover the package! It isn’t damaged.”

“YOU’RE NOT LISTENING! If it was Arhades maybe he’d have a shot, but from what we seen, Mayhew has a damn supportive class! He’s not geared for combat!”

Now that was something Suirrillax disagreed with. While Mayhew was certainly weaker than the velgian, she couldn’t help but feel like he was being sold short. Despite his questionable actions in Phase One, she didn’t believe that the man was stupid – far from it. He’d fought against the ebon pterix before, and seemed to have a good understanding of what he was up against. From what she’d seen, she doubted that he would pick a fight he didn’t think he could win.

The goblin was growing increasingly frustrated, baring pointy fangs at the Skrell as her ears flushed a darker green. “The regulations exist for a reason! If we stepped in and erased the consequences for every applicant who made a foolish decision, there wouldn’t be any point in doing the Practicum in the first place! You’re a proctor, you’re supposed to follow the letter of the law! It’s your JOB!”

The skrell seemed to deflate a bit at that, and when he spoke his voice was softer. “I know it’s our job. It’s also our job to help ensure the guilds have a great pipeline of talent. The outcomes this time aren’t good, you know that. We have less than twenty applicants who actually managed to succeed this time around, and there’ll likely be far less who finish Phase Three. I just don’t want to see more promising talent die.”

Suierrillax had to admit, that was sound reasoning. Phase Two had been rocky from the start, with an abnormally high number of deviations from their models. To an extent, that was expected when dealing with differently affiliated groups, however they were well past the norm. Several applicants had been killed during their attempts, which was always a loss to the guilds, in terms of both credits and future talent.

Again, however, she couldn’t help but think they were missing crucial factors. If they didn’t both outrank her by two steps, she would have pointed out that Mayhew had outperformed expectations with the first engagement, which likely led to the deviation in the first place. Suierrillax really wanted to see what came next, and failing the young man now just felt premature to her. Still, she had her own career to think about. Overstepping her place wouldn’t be wise, so she would simply have to let it get sorted out.

Suierrillax’s hopes sank as the goblin who was arguing to let the Practicum continue seemed to falter for a moment, appearing to be moved by the other skrell’s words. The goblin seemed about to speak, when she and the skrell she was arguing with both perked up. Suierrillax shivered as she felt the whisper of a C Grade aura float through the room, then focused on the two senior proctors. That meant the guild liaisons were involved, and they were individuals Suierrillax wanted nothing to do with.

While the proctors technically had authority to pass or fail individuals, nobody wanted to move against the guild liaisons, nor the power they represented. Both visibly paled as a message of some sort was relayed, and they shared a look before departing, leaving Suierrillax with her screen. The Practicum would continue.