As the light left the shrike alpha’s eyes, Kyle felt himself cross the threshold to Level 70, as well as a torrent of energy stirring in the Core of the Parasitic Devourer. He wanted little more than to step into meditation, but duty called first. The cavern was suspiciously silent, no sounds of combat to be heard from the other chamber.
“C.H.A.D.D., can you tell me if Ver’ah and Hanastrel survived?”
[BOTH APPEAR TO BE ALIVE, ALBEIT INJURED, DR. MAYHEW. THE SHRIKE THEY WERE FACING IS NOT.]
Kyle nodded, satisfied. He would do his best to free Drokh, provide some field triage, and then find time to enter meditation. That proved easier said than done, however. Though the mana empowering the stone was gone, there was still the matter of chipping through the rock to free the unconscious Drokh.
He considered using his forcehammer batons, but settled instead on producing a blade of mana with his left gauntlet; chipping away at the stone with his left hand as he held onto the twisted spikes with his right. As he worked, C.H.A.D.D. broke down the extent of Drokh’s injuries. It was far, far worse than he’d known.
In addition to the missing limb and major puncture wounds, smaller shards of stone had embedded themselves deep within the ogre’s body, shredding muscles and organs alike. There was a particularly dangerous piece of stone that lodged near the heart, just centimeters away from a major artery. That would have been bad enough on its own, but all that was before the damage Drokh caused himself with his boosting skill. Many of the internal injuries were cauterized around the shrapnel, which meant he would need to inflict more trauma to remove them.
C.H.A.D.D. already prepared a makeshift stretcher out of woven vines, and on the drone’s signal Kyle chipped away the final piece of stone, watching from his position on the ceiling as the odd plant construct lowered Drokh gently to the ground before retracting back into the pack. “Your control is really impressive, C.H.A.D.D.” Kyle said, genuine admiration in his voice.
[THE STRANGLEVINES WERE QUITE BENEFICIAL, EVEN IF MY UNDERSTANDING IS YET INCOMPLETE. REGARDLESS, I AM GLAD MY EFFORTS HAVE PROVEN HELPFUL, DR. MAYHEW.]
That might be the politest “I told you so” I’ve heard, Kyle mused as he dropped to the ground. The moment of levity was gone as he evaluated the ogre’s state. The emergency surgery ahead would be delicate, and he took a stabilizing breath as C.H.A.D.D. brought up a projection of the injuries. Channeling mana back into his left bracer, he replaced the large blade with a razor-thin scalpel, and got to work.
His first incisions traced the entrance wounds of the deadliest pieces of shrapnel, while he targeted Healing Impetus beneath and around the impacted tissue to force the projectiles out the way they came. He kept Ignition active, gladly accepting the mild ache from the skill in exchange for the benefit of constantly replenishing his mana reserves. Though it had taken a while, Adaptive Regeneration had built up an incredible tolerance to the strain of his boosting skill, something he appreciated even more seeing Drokh’s condition.
Kyle barely registered as Ver’ah and Hanastrel broke through the stone barring the tunnel, keeping his focus entirely on the dozen or so fragments of stone stuck against the bones of Drokh’s shoulder. He could feel them exchange a look through Synaptic Barbs, then they simply sat and watched.
Nearly an hour later, Kyle deactivated his skill, sitting back on the ground with a loud exhale.
Ver’ah walked up, looking at the pile of bloody stones, then at Drokh’s unconscious body, then at Kyle. “How bad is he?” the troll asked tentatively.
Kyle looked up at him, and gave a tired smile. “He’s stable, but his body’s been through a lot. He overused his boosting skill while he was already injured, and that’ll take some time to heal. I don’t know when he’s going to wake up, but he should be able to recover. After a lot of rest and rehabilitation.”
“And his leg?” Ver’ah asked.
“I’m afraid that’s beyond me. I was able to stop the bleeding, but reattaching an appendage isn’t something I can do. He’ll want to get a rehabilitation plan put together by a healer more familiar with ogre physiology in any event; there’s still some shrapnel to remove, just in less vital areas.”
Ver’ah nodded, a thoughtful look on his face. “Thank you, Courier. You don’t fully understand what you’ve done for us by saving Drokh, but the Resistance owes you a debt.”
“I didn’t help him looking to incur a debt,” Kyle said, weariness spreading through his body. “I’m just glad that we managed to get through. This was a lot tougher than I expected.”
“Then get some rest,” Ver’ah replied. “Hanastrel and I can keep watch over Drokh. With him being out of the fight, we could use the rest before we depart. I imagine that you have other matters requiring your attention.”
Kyle gave him a tired smile. “Thank you, Ver’ah.”
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Both Hanastrel and Ver’ah had been still for quite a while once they settled into the cavern, and Kyle had no doubt that they both gained a level or more from the experience. Now that things had settled down a bit, he was eager to unpack his gains from the encounter as well.
Settling into a corner nearby, Kyle entered meditation, seeing the familiar sigil of his center with the Core of the Parasitic Devourer superimposed, red light roiling more than ever. Focusing on the image, words he’d been waiting to see appeared in his vision.
KYLE MAYHEW. ARTHRO-HUMAN CHIMERA (PARASITE), SURVIVALIST. LEVEL 70 (D)
CORE OF THE PARASITIC DEVOURER 28%
ADAPTIVE ANATOMY – 9/? – ENHANCED CARAPACE (FERRIC AUGMENTATION), AURIC PERCEPTION (SYNAPTIC BARBS), EXOSKELETAL STRENGTH, CEASELESS VITALITY, INSTINCTIVE INTELLIGENCE, COVERT DEXTERITY, UNBREAKABLE WILL
VITALITY: 1024
ENDURANCE: 1174
STRENGTH: 385
DEXTERITY: 750
WILLPOWER: 1492
INTELLIGENCE: 1492
PERCEPTION: 1090
FREE ATTRIBUTES: 18
Without a moment’s hesitation, Kyle split his Free Attributes between Willpower and Intelligence, bringing both above 1500. He took a moment to admire the growth of his attribute pool, then turned his attention to the indistinct gray orbs floating around his center. It’s about time I had a skill selection, he thought. Anticipation building, he focused his attention on the first option.
Repel: The skill was simple, ridiculously so. It looked like it was little more than a channeled and focused blast of force toward a target. The impression Kyle got as he reflected on it was one of denial and rejection. It was the concept of survival through defiance; standing tall against opposition and removing whatever obstacles got in the way. Keeping that in mind, he moved on to the second orb.
Burrowing Claws: This skill had significantly higher complexity, even though it operated on similar principles. Instead of focusing the mana outward in a blast, Burrowing Claws created extremely powerful vibrations around his hands and feet. He could see himself using this to crack through stone, dig into the ground, or even enhance the potency of his unarmed strikes. The concept he felt behind was survival through flexibility, the ability to adapt and be useful in any situation. He wondered briefly how Burrowing Claws would have worked alongside a skill like Multitool, but dismissed the thought. You’ll have plenty more skills to think about down the line, Kyle admonished himself. Focus. With that, he turned his attention on the final orb.
Lockdown: The last offering Kyle had was the most complex by far. He could see his mana spreading out around him, similar to Storm Shelter. Instead of creating a barrier of force, however, he created a domain that rejected mana that was not his own. Concepts he chose were suppressed, sealed away by the might of his Willpower. The concept behind this skill was plain; survival through conquest. By imposing his will on the obstacles in his way, he would strive for even greater heights.
Kyle felt a slow smile crossing his face as he looked the options over once more. His goal was to work on external mana manipulation in order to unlock skills that would benefit from it, and each that was offered fell into that category. What’s more, all of the choices felt like they would synergize with his existing skillset.
As usual, he started with elimination. Burrowing Claws was an interesting skill, and Kyle liked the idea of survival through flexibility. He also had no doubt that he could find opportunities to blend it with skills like Parasitic Resonance to create some devastating effects. Unfortunately, Burrowing Claws did little to fix one of Kyle’s largest weaknesses; his long-range combat.
While he was an annoying target to pin down for most foes, his inability to put pressure on his enemies at longer distances caused him problems. Prepared opponents, such as the mercenaries on Pokke, could find answers to keep him at range and pin him down. Even the tactics Drokh described against the shrike alphas would work well against somebody like Kyle.
Lockdown provided a different answer to that problem. If he could create a domain that was his, could long-range skills even get through? Attempts at containment would become significantly more difficult, and Kyle felt confident that his Willpower would stack up well against most D Grades around his level or beyond. When coupled with Storm Shelter, he could create a zone of almost unmatched protection. Conceptually, it was an order of magnitude more complex than any other skill in his arsenal.
Repel sat on the opposite end of the spectrum. A basic, long-distance blast of force. It was a truly simple skill, but in its simplicity, Kyle saw an incredible amount of potential. He was reminded of when he first selected Resonance back in E Grade. The skill on its own would offer less than Lockdown, or even Burrowing Claws. If he could practice with it, refine it, shape it…
Kyle’s thoughts wandered a dozen different directions, considering possibilities to refine Repel, not just in D Grade, but beyond. That was all the push he needed. Repel would give him a boost in the near-term, and the opportunities he saw were worth exploring. Without further deliberation, Kyle made his selection.
As his vision turned back to his center, he finally turned his attention back to the Core of the Parasitic Devourer. It had calmed somewhat during his meditation, though swirls of crimson energy still pulsed through it with more frequency than he was used to. The cause was clear; his absorption of the shrike alpha’s energy filled more of the core than the rest of the shrikes he killed put together.
Just like with the fish in his Practicum, there appeared to be a qualitative component with stronger variants when compared to their more mundane counterparts. With this push, Kyle felt absolutely confident in unlocking his next Adaptive Anatomy upgrade on the return trip to Er’Mithren. Based on the shrikes’ attributes, he assumed it would relate to Dexterity, but their hunting instinct made Intelligence a viable candidate as well.
Satisfied with his reflection, Kyle exited meditation. He saw Hanastrel and Ver’ah speaking in hushed tones over Drokh’s unconscious body. They stopped when they saw him rise, and waved him over.
“Is it safe for us to carry Drokh?” Ver’ah asked. “We need to get back to the Resistance headquarters, but I don’t want to risk his well-being.”
Kyle nodded. “He should be fine. He’ll definitely want to see a more dedicated Healer, but I don’t see any issues with traveling.”
Without skipping a beat, Ver’ah grabbed the massive ogre, cradling him like a child while Hanastrel took their packs. “Good, because we have a lot of ground to cover.”