Unlike the previous floors, the laboratory was virtually undamaged. A quick use of Identify showed Kyle inlaid enchantments to prevent mana leakage and reinforce the structure. Outside of a thick layer of dust, the room was in immaculate condition. Rows of metal tables were off to his left, with a series of monitors to his right. Directly ahead, in the center of the room there was a large shard of obsidian contained within a metal and glass sphere.

The device itself was filled with an unidentifiable liquid, in which the shard was suspended. Auric Perception was muted with all the runic inscriptions at play, though he could feel echoes of the energy as he stared at the shard. Fire, earth, and wind affinities were prominent inside the crystal. The longer he stared, the more he thought he spotted traces of other concepts as well.

If he were an Elemental Mage of any of these varieties, he fully expected he could draw significant insights into his skills simply by studying the shard for an extended period. Part of him suspected that was exactly what the researchers here were doing. The oddest part to Kyle, however, was the resemblance of the crystal to the omnipresent dunes of black sand. Were the dunes already present when this civilization fell?

While staring at the suspended stone likely wouldn’t yield any answers, searching the rest of the lab might. “C.H.A.D.D., can you decipher any of the information here?”

[I… AM UNCERTAIN, DR. MAYHEW. MUCH OF THE ANALYSIS AND INFORMATION IS WELL OUTSIDE THE BOUNDARIES OF BOTH MY PROGRAMMING AND RECORDS.]

“Would you be able to store copies and images of everything we come across in the lab?” Kyle asked, not surprised at the drone’s answer. The changes C.H.A.D.D. had undergone allowed for a lot of flexibility, though it was still far more specialized towards organic life than stone and metal.

[CERTAINLY, DR. MAYHEW.]

Unlike the wanton ransacking of the previous rooms, Kyle took his time. The duo organized different types of documents, tablets, and other records. Several smaller samples of the dark glass were sealed away in drawers, which he liberated with quick application of his D Grade Strength. It took them over an hour to finish sifting through the various items in the room, with only the suspended shard left.

“Any idea how to open it up?”

[NONE WHATSOEVER.]

Kyle sighed. There was likely some type of access needed to actually drain the liquid and release the crystal, which Kyle and C.H.A.D.D. did not possess. The documents and reports they reviewed offered no assistance, which meant he would have to do it the hard way. He stacked the documents neatly into his sack, and wrapped one end around his wrist as he grasped the container and activated Ignition.

Kyle most often relied on the mobility and clarity from the skill, using the boosts to support his offensive application of Parasitic Resonance. The significant boost to Strength didn’t mean much when his opponents dwarfed him in size and power. An issue that Kyle didn’t have against the housing for the containment sphere.

With a solid lift, he felt the fasteners give way, releasing the sphere entirely. Lights flashed across the lab, and without hesitation Kyle dashed toward the door to the lower floor, which was now closing. Seeing similar activity across the building, Kyle gritted his teeth as he jumped out the nearest window, nestling the sphere and shard under his left arm.

His right arm grabbed the windowsill on the way down, halting his descent. With the aid of his Covert Dexterity, he scaled the exterior of the building until his feet rested against the sand below. As he got closer, he could feel an odd connection between the shard and the volcanic glass. Faint pulses of energy were released by the shard, and the stygian sand seemed to ripple outward with each. Identify didn’t reveal any of the specifics, and Kyle didn’t want to waste more time than necessary.

Ignition active, Kyle began the long trek back to the starting area. His haul this time was far from disappointing. The region he’d just cleared had over a dozen buildings of similar size to clear, each of which held the promise of treasure. This second layer had at least two other sections he could explore when he’d finished with the buildings, and the heart of the city still lied beyond. This is going to take a while, Kyle thought, feeling the heat of the red sun beating down. I wonder if Jax and Tillienne are dealing with similar issues?

~~~

The atmosphere in the room was tense as the proctors looked on at Tillienne’s final fight. A leonine fighter four meters tall brandished two broadswords, blood matting the fur on his chest as it flowed out from an arrow wound. It was a stark contrast to the small woman in front of him, though she brandished her weapons with grace. The warrior was a mid-tier D Grade criminal, captured after a rampage that devastated over a dozen frontier settlements. He roared, shaking the air before charging the diminutive form of the fae woman.

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Tillienne dodged with grace entirely inconsistent with her condition. She was bleeding from multiple cuts, and one of her four arms had been badly broken in an attempt to block a particularly vicious strike. She held her lance in one hand, and the battleaxe in the remaining two.

The outline of butterfly wings could be seen on her back as she dipped and dodged, lance and axe each finding small opportunities between her opponent’s endless attacks. Each wound only seemed to stoke the leonid’s rage, roars echoing out as his furious assault continued.

Tillienne’s boosting skill was on full display, power blazing to life as both her mana and physical energy burned away. It was a truly impressive display, though Suierrillax knew the fight would be over soon. She had watched Tillienne’s matches over the last six days, and from everything that Suierrillax could see, the fae simply lacked strong finishing moves. While her boosting skill highlighted her impeccable technique and fighting skill, she was focused far more on mobility and technique than raw, instantaneous destruction.

The focus led to an undeniably strong foundation, proven by Tillienne’s rapid progression through the Arena Combat trial. Other than Arhades, she made it the farthest of any other applicant. She cleared the stages consisting of waves of E Grades with ease, and had little more trouble against the early D Grades.

In fact, the previous match was the first time she seemed struggle at all. She’d squared off against an enormous ore turtle, which was content to hide in its shell and bombard the woman with shards of stone and steel from long range. It took Tillienne significantly longer than expected, which is when Suierrillax realized her area of weakness.

The leonid was less durable than the turtle had been, though its natural recovery and ability to ignore the injuries kept it on its feet and fighting. She watched as one of the broadswords clashed with the battleaxe, the force of the impact impressive, even through the screen. The axe was sent flying as the blade twisted, the second sword descending to cleave her in two. You’ve come as far as you can, don’t be foolish, Suierrillax thought.

Tillienne ducked underneath the blow, landing two more shallow stabs with her lance. There was a brief stillness as she locked eyes with her opponent, before she dismissed the lance and raised her hands. “I surrender.”

The leonid snarled, but pressure descended on the arena for a moment before both were whisked away. Even though Suierrillax didn’t miss the disappointment on the woman’s face, the fae had a lot to be proud of. Hers was the last Arena Combat trial still active, and her performance would no doubt lead to many offers from the Guilds. For the trial itself, she made the farthest of any bar Arhades. When coupled with the prowess she demonstrated, she would undoubtedly be a valuable addition to any Guild.

An alert flashed on one of the screens, followed by a series of cheers. Jax Cain’s trial had ended the previous evening, with the young man sustaining a grievous injury. His condition was serious, and the notification let them know that he had stabilized. Suierrillax couldn’t hold back a smile at the news. The young human had really grown on the proctors, and his heroics in Phase Three only magnified their goodwill.

Like Tillienne, Jax also performed admirably, quickly rising to the level where he was holding his position against D Grade forces. His tactical coordination was put on display as his squad rebuffed wave after wave of incoming forces. Even when the enemies took to the sky, the young man adapted flawlessly.

The final opponent that he faced was a D Grade drone with long-distance suppressive fire capabilities. Blasts of crimson thermal energy retaliated against precise arcs of lightning, while mundane arms fire and missiles ravaged the defensive lines that Jax established. Jax was holding his own, until one of his squad members was caught out.

The E Grade soldiers all knew the risks; that’s why they got paid so well. When the drone launched its attack against the exposed soldier, Suierrillax expected that Jax to use the opening to land another attack. Instead, the young man activated his boosting skill and shoved the soldier out of harm’s way, being hit head-on with the thermal lance.

In many ways, Jax made a foolish decision by doing so. The judgment he’d shown was questionable when the mission was put at stake. At the same time, he was just so damn likeable. All the proctors wanted to see him succeed, and hearing news of his recovery raised the attitude in the room noticeably. Suierrillax had no doubt that he’d still get numerous offers, despite his lacking judgment. Nepotism was a powerful tool, after all.

With one notable exception, the other applicants were all wrapping up Phase Three as well. Despite smaller numbers than expected, the performances had generally been quite good. Only a couple of casualties, which was a relief compared to the disaster that was Phase Two. Offers were being generated and sent out, and already proctors were discussing what they would do with their free time when this Practicum ended.

Suierrillax held back, watching the outlier as he added more broken furniture to his cooking fire. Kyle Mayhew had been in his Practicum for over a week, and from the looks of things he wasn’t planning to leave any time soon.

His performance so far left many of the proctors uncomfortable. While everybody loved seeing a young talent rise and succeed despite the odds, it was clear to everybody that Mayhew wasn’t supposed to succeed. The human had garnered far more attention than he should have, and Suierrillax knew that much of it wasn’t positive. The longer Mayhew continued his trial, the more their collective discomfort grew.

She suppressed her smile as she watched him cook, still not having touched the provided supplies. She settled into her chair and continued to take thorough notes. She had a feeling that he still had a long way to go.