“It’s not like you to keep me waiting, Jarberry.”
The voice was soft, but carried unmistakeable power and authority. Ma’Rin wore a stylish black suit, with a colorful floral robe draped around his shoulders. Silver hair and beard were trimmed close, contrasting with the man’s sharp golden eyes. He sat with his legs crossed at the head of a pitch-black table, an empty setting directly in front of him.
Despite being cloaked, the old man’s gaze was fixed on Jarberry’s exact position. Ma’rin’s Perception skill was one of the few Jarberry had encountered that could see through his stealth, even among B Grades. With a sigh, he deactivated his skill, offering a shallow bow before approaching.
“Things have gotten a little hectic lately. I appreciate the patience.”
“There’s no need for an apology, old friend.” Ma’Rin’s expression softened, smile lines deepening on the sides of his eyes. “Come, sit. It’s been too long.”
“That it has,” Jarberry said. The imp floated up to the large table, hovering before a place setting opposite Ma’Rin. As soon as he stopped moving, the plate in front of him was filled with piles of steaming food. Jarberry could make out the faintly glowing runes that ran along the plate’s rim, and he raised an eyebrow at Ma’Rin.
“That’s a little excessive, don’t you think? Spatially storing your own food when we’re at a restaurant?”
“What’s the point of being in B Grade, if not for the small indulgences?”
“If you insist, I’d hate to be rude.” Jarberry already held an impressive pile of meat on his fork, which he promptly shoved into his mouth. The food was delicious, of course, and more kept filling his plate with each bite he took.
Ma’Rin was far more refined in his dining, though the steaming meats and vegetables disappeared nearly as quickly off the old man’s plate as they did from Jarberry’s. They ate in amicable silence until they were full, with Ma’Rin pulling a bottle out of thin air as the plates disappeared. Two glasses were poured, and Jarberry felt the sharp gaze of the B Grade on him as he swirled his wine. “I hear things have been quite eventful at the Hub since I last visited.”
“Eventful is probably an overstatement,” Jarberry said. “Alabaster Court got a little worked up, though the dust is settling nicely. The next batch of Practicum applicants start soon, and their brat is still the talk of the town.”
“Oh? And here I thought that there was still a great deal of scrutiny on your little monster.”
Jarberry froze mid-sip, and tried not to spill his wine. “I think whatever you heard is wildly overexaggerated,” he finally said. “I just hope Mayhew has proven himself at least a little helpful while you’re getting your teleportation network up and running.”
Ma’Rin snorted. “The brat has cost me over a million credits so far, and if my reports are correct, he’s not done yet. He may turn out to be the most expensive courier Ma Enterprises ever hired.”
Jarberry’s eyes bulged. “He cost you what? The contract’s terms were clear, it should have been less than a quarter million total.”
“That was before my buffoon of a nephew struck a deal with him to do some extermination work. All outside the scope of the original contract, of course. He underestimated just how efficient your protégé would be, I think.”
“If you feel that Mayhew has taken advantage of your family, I’m sure you and I can work something out.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Ma’Rin said with a chuckle. “It’s a good lesson for little Sai, and he’ll have to handle the accounting on his side. But let’s not pretend that the young man is normal. You clearly see potential in him, and from the reports I’ve read I’m inclined to agree.”
Ma’Rin leaned forward, steepling his hands. “Tell me, Jarberry. Do you really think he’ll be able to help you, where so many others haven’t?”
Jarberry sighed, setting down his wine glass. “It’s a long shot, but if he can avoid dying until he gets to C Grade he’s the best bet I have.”
“Then for your sake, my friend, I hope he makes it. If the rumors that reached me are true, I believe his trials have only just begun.”
Jarberry nodded, a somber expression on his face. “So I’ve heard. Still, I think it’s important for him to show that he can protect himself. It’s worth the gamble.”
“It’s not too late for me to warn little Sai, you know.”
“I appreciate it, I really do. But we both know that he wouldn’t learn the lesson he needs if you did.”
Ma’Rin nodded. “Just so. Then let us hope he is up to the task. At the least, I can help cover the fallout. Regardless of the outcome.”
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“Thank you. It’s more than I could ask.”
A sly smile played over Ma’Rin’s face. “Then consider another of my favors paid, old friend.”
~~~
[IT’S GETTING AWAY, DR. MAYHEW.]
“I can see that, C.H.A.D.D.” Kyle growled. “Keep highlighting which tunnel it’s using and I’ll catch up.”
A crimson glow lit up the cavern, competing with the orange light that suffused it. The styxlion was speeding down a smaller tunnel, using its boosting skill to expedite its retreat. Kyle swore as he weaved through stalagmites and pillars in the narrow tunnel, unfamiliarity with the terrain slowing his pursuit.
Unfortunately for the beast, however, there was no overcoming the gap in their attributes. With Ignition active, Kyle gained ground. Slowly, inexorably, he ate away at the distance between them. The occasional volley of needle-like fur was shot toward him, though it wasn’t enough to puncture his skin.
Finally, seeming to realize it couldn’t escape, the styxlion turned and lunged at Kyle. He raised his left arm to block, even as Parasitic Resonance took hold. Fangs dug at his arm while claws scrabbled against his chest. A moment later, the beast fell to the ground, unmoving.
Kyle sighed as he activated Healing Impetus, the minor wounds on his body sealing in mere moments. The whole hunt left a sour taste in Kyle’s mouth, and at this point he was ready to be done with it. Even early on, it struck Kyle as odd that the creatures seemed hesitant to attack him. As he began his extermination, that behavior became more pronounced.
Kyle had been hunting them for nearly a full cycle, and the styxlions were now trying to avoid him like the plague. Whenever they detected his presence, they ran away. It resulted in many pursuits like the one he’d just completed, and Kyle was getting tired of slaying creatures that went out of their way to avoid a conflict.
This phenomenon turned his last hunt with Ma’Sai into a complete circus, with them having to chase their quarry for the better part of a day before the Deckmaster was able to finish his seal.
Still, he doubted the Core of the Parasitic Devourer would be thrilled about being left partially sated. He couldn’t be sure, but Kyle suspected that the mysterious core had requirements it needed to fill to progress. If it didn’t cross the threshold to a new Adaptive Anatomy, he theorized that it wouldn’t be able to grow any further at all.
While he wasn’t sure what new benefits it would bring, Kyle didn’t want to leave any advantages on the table. So, he’d gone about his work. At least it’s making the planet safer, he thought. The justification was dismissed as soon as it entered his mind. At the end of the day, he was finishing something he started. Over 100 styxlions had already fallen, and he knew there would only be a few more needed before his core would be filled 20%.
[DR. MAYHEW, I’M DETECTING ANOTHER ROOT SYSTEM. I’D VERY MUCH LIKE TO INVESTIGATE.]
Kyle grunted as he hoisted the body over his shoulders. “You’ve got it, C.H.A.D.D. Show me where it is.”
The drone projected a map of the area, with a bright sphere indicating the location of the root network. [WHILE YOU WALK, DO YOU MIND IF I BORROW SOME MORE MANA? THIS PROJECT HAS BECOME MORE DEMANDING THAN EXPECTED.]
With a thought, Kyle opened the connection with C.H.A.D.D., allowing it to draw on his mana reserves. The draw was significant, nearly as much as it took Kyle to keep Ignition active, though without the benefit of drawing in atmospheric mana to replenish his reserves. “Anything else you’re ready to share about your project?”
[NOT AT THIS TIME, DR. MAYHEW. AND YOU’RE CERTAIN THE ADDED WEIGHT ISN’T AN ISSUE?]
Kyle snorted. “I’ve hardly noticed. Once we get back home, we’ll work on making your pack a little more spacious, though. I don’t want you getting too cramped in there.”
[I HAVE NEVER HAD A CRAMP, DR. MAYHEW. AS A REMINDER, I DO NOT HAVE A MUSCULAR STRUCTURE.]
“It’s a figure of speech, buddy.”
[WELL, IT’S AN INACCURATE ONE.]
Kyle smiled as he wound through the tunnels, following C.H.A.D.D.’s map. Soon, he came upon a large chamber, with the root system the drone identified. This was the fourth such formation they’d discovered, and C.H.A.D.D. was particularly interested in how the plants drew nourishment from the surface.
The desolate landscape above seemed devoid of life, but from what C.H.A.D.D. could tell, these root systems somehow converted kinetic energy from the raging storms above into a form of nourishment. The root systems formed a pseudo-web just below the surface, with twisted root structures that resembled shock absorbers leading down to a singular node like the one before him.
More conventional roots dug into the stone of the cavern below, leaving an impressive sight. Rhythmic mana pulsed through the large knot of wood, reminding Kyle of a heartbeat. White pill bugs the size of pigs crossed the network of roots, nibbling at the hardy wood. From what Kyle was able to see, the seeds of the plant were actually present in the roots, allowing the arthropods to spread the seeds deeper into the caverns.
Kyle couldn’t confirm it, but he also suspected that these bugs were the primary prey of the styxlions. The whole ecosystem deeper into the caverns was interesting, and he was looking forward to no longer being a disruption.
[CAN I HAVE THIS ONE, DR. MAYHEW?]
Kyle sighed. At least one of them was looking forward to not being a disruption. “I told you, C.H.A.D.D., you can’t take all of its information. If you can be satisfied with drawing only a little mana, I’ll help.”
[IS 80% CONSIDERED A LITTLE, DR. MAYHEW?]
“You can take 20%. No more.”
[I COULD GROW THE SEEDS MORE EFFECTIVELY IF I TOOK MORE.]
“I think you’re doing just fine with what we’ve got.”
[FINE. 20% IT IS.]
Kyle extended a tendril of Parasitic Resonance toward the thrumming heart of the plant. True to its word, C.H.A.D.D. only drew 20% of the total mana from the plant. It was still a marvel to Kyle that the drone was able to contain so much energy, though he suspected a good amount of it was being fed to the world tree seed.
The year he’d been able to spend gently influencing it with Parasitic Resonance had helped a lot, but Kyle was still very much in the dark compared to his drone companion. C.H.A.D.D. invested an incredible amount of time and energy trying to uncover the seed’s secrets, something its class helped with significantly.
C.H.A.D.D. spent about an hour scanning the root system, while Kyle thought about his next steps. The teleportation network would be up and running in a little over a week, which left him plenty of time to hunt his final styxlions. Ma’Sai was planning a celebratory dinner the night the project was done, and Kyle was looking forward to a relaxing few days before returning home. About time things settled down.