The light of the distant stars shone down on Eric and his companions, outlining everything with a silvery glow. They were standing on the rooftop of a fire-blackened building, looking down at the wide-open plaza in front of the massive, windowless building that served as the base of the gigantic Statue of Eldehan. Metallic sculpted figures covered with alien, blocky runes and stylized murals depicting scenes of battle and tribute still covered much of the building’s façade, although there were signs of violent impact and maybe even attempts at looting the metal in several areas.

The dozens of abandoned buildings that formed a semicircle at the edge of the plaza were largely intact, but in a peculiar architectural choice, none of them had windows that faced the Statue. The plaza itself was clean and free of rubble or debris, a stark contrast to the neglected and rubble-strewn streets of the Quadrant Eric and his team had to cross to get to the place. They had encountered few signs of the beasts the drone scouts had confirmed were still prowling in the vicinity, most of the creatures apparently aware of the chitterer massacre that the group had perpetrated.

The sheer number of beast sightings that the drones reported had surprised Eric at first, until Osar had explained that many void-beasts would be attracted to the aetheric bleed that a structure such as the Obsidian Moon would give out. Over centuries, as the atmospheric envelope over the Stage deteriorated and more and more new beasts arrived, coupled with periodic sentient arrivals and attempted colonization by various refugee or outlaw groups, the Stage had slowly developed its own self-contained ecology. Now that what was left of the atmosphere was both unbreathable to most humanoid species as well as being barely more than a few meters thick, the Stage had become a void-creature breeding ground with various beasts having strictly delineated territories and areas of control. Luna had explained that restoring the atmospheric envelope that had once protected the Stage from the surrounding void would severely impact most of the beast populations currently living on the surface, making it easier for Eric’s team to clear them out in the future.

Two days had passed since they had defeated the chitterer Behemoth and a killed off a large chunk of the nest’s population, days that Eric and the team had spent recovering, training, and planning for their next mission, which was to enter the Statue’s base and remove its current occupants so Luna’s drones could initiate repairs on the control node housed within the facility. Specifically, they had focused on building team cohesion and communication to reduce the chance of accidents.

They had quickly agreed on a set of hand signs and other non-verbal means to transmit information. They had also kept Eric’s Squad Net ability active as much as possible to maximize its usage gains, aiming to force-level it to increase utility.

Eric had been gratified at the effort and can-do attitude his team was exhibiting and incredibly proud of their progress. Not only had their cohesion increased, but their cooperation and willingness to work together to find solutions to problems was having positive effects on their day-to-day situations.

Cid, with Luna and Osar’s help, had developed a process by which the shit-encrusted treasures they had excavated were allowed to soak in a liquefying solution, softening the foul-smelling casings and hopefully freeing the loot for inspection. Initially, Eric had expressed misgivings about the process, afraid of losing some of their hard-won treasure. Cid had assured him, after the obligatory quip and laughter from Serra regarding his ‘loot’ problem, that since these items had already passed through the chitterer’s digestive system there was little danger that their solution would cause any further damage.

The discussion had then shifted to methods of item creation and repair and Cid had confessed that things on that end were not going as smoothly as he had hoped. The scientist had then proceeded to explain that, as he had feared, the interactions between matter and aether created just enough of a difference from Union-side physics and chemistry that much of Cid’s knowledge was rendered inapplicable to solving problems. He would have to go down the longer, more difficult route of book-learning and trial and error.

To illustrate, Cid had held up a vial of the healing potion solution they loaded onto the battlesuit auto-injectors.

“This is a healing potion,” The scientist had announced. “Theoretically, since we found several crates of them aboard the Punisher under several brand-names, there must be a method to mass-produce the stuff and, since we possess a sample, it should be simple enough to reverse-engineer that process and create our own batches.”

Everyone at the table had nodded, even Osar, who had confessed to knowing next-to-nothing about how the larger Clans and their affiliate corporations produced the magical goods that they did. The big Urgan had confessed to being more familiar with the artisanal methods of production, where experienced alchemist adepts toiled over cauldrons and produced batches of potions, but only in the tens of vials, and certainly not without expending large quantities of expensive or hard-to-find ingredients.

“However, I have since learned that such is not the case,” Cid’s expression could only be described as glum, and he obviously did not like admitting his ignorance, but he had continued talking anyway. “Although several of the books we have contain recipes for a generic ‘healing potion’ it has become apparent through my preliminary experiments that there can be considerable variations in the quality, efficacy, and amount of the final product depending on the ingredients, alchemist’s experience, and even amount and type of aether used in the process!” Cid paused to look at Serra, who nodded at him to continue. “Additionally, Serra and I have learned that a generic healing potion isn’t even that effective!”

“What do you mean?” Eric had asked, steepling his fingers beneath his chin as he leaned closer.

“Its effect is too diffused, sir,” Serra had answered for Cid, her hands crossed beneath her chest and her expression serious. “Yes, it speeds up healing during battle but much of its efficacy is wasted as it passes through the entire body instead of being concentrated at the site of injury. I also believe that a reliance on such shotgun healing techniques will have a net detrimental effect on the body over time.”

“So, we shouldn’t be using healing potions?” The question had been Osar’s, and the Urgan’s expression was both confused and alarmed.

“Not necessarily,” Cid had replied immediately. “They are extremely useful for emergency battlefield healing and quick fixes, but we would advise having yourself more thoroughly examined by a competent healer afterwards.”

“Which for the moment, means me.” Serra had added, although she didn’t seem very pleased about the situation.

The discussion had then devolved into how to define a competent healer and other matters, which really didn’t resolve anything except have the entire group come to a consensus that they needed to know more about everything, or perhaps gain more access to experts that could teach and help.

Reminded of the contents of his ring, Eric had handed over all he had of Vashanka’s research, notes, and collected books regarding botany, alchemy, and crafting to Cid immediately after the meeting. Eric kept Vashanka’s journals, maps, and most of the dragon-explorer’s library for himself though, intending to read through them as time allowed.

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

< There it is again! >

Serra’s whisper brought Eric back to the present, and he crouched lower as they all watched the creatures that they’d been watching for emerge into the plaza.

Out of the shadow of the dark doorway, easily four meters wide, stalked a beast familiar to everyone on the rooftop. It was a male Sesang beast, moving with cat-like grace and surety, quickly followed by two more. Although these three looked to be a bit bigger than those they had encountered inside the Command Level, what really caught the group’s attention was the fact that the lead Sesang had a rider. From their distant vantage, the creature on the lead Sesang beasts back looked like a teardrop-shaped blob made out of red jelly, with four trailing arms draped over its mount’s shoulders and rump.

Luna’s drones had reported seeing a patrol of Sesang beasts emerging from the base building, though they couldn’t say if it was just a single patrol going out repeatedly or several that rotated through a schedule. Nor had the drones any luck in scouting out the building’s interior: None of the drones that Luna had ordered inside ever returned. Lacking information on the opposition’s numbers, the group had decided to stage an ambush on the daily patrol, then watch if any more came out after. They planned to take down as much of the beasts as possible before making a frontal assault at the base building. It wasn’t a perfect plan, but short of boldly walking up into the building like a bunch of hell-addled fools, they had no other alternative.

As the monster patrol began crossing the plaza, Eric pulled back from the roof edge.

< Take your positions. > He ordered, heading for the back of the building they were on and leaping off, activating his suit’s flight capabilities with a thought. Osar remained behind as the three Terrans hurried to the pre-arranged ambush site, selected from the reports of the drones that Luna had positioned as watchers over the area.

Once clear of the first building Eric activated his Auto Map ability, using it to navigate through the Maze, which was what Cid had labeled the tangle of ruins and collapsed walls behind the intact buildings that surrounded the plaza. The name had fit so well that now the entire team used it.

< Targets have entered the Maze. > Osar’s voice was calm and professional. His task was to make sure none of the patrol’s members made it back into the plaza once Eric and the other Terrans sprang their ambush.

Serra, who was their designated cleaner for this part, was the next to call in. < In position. >

< Ready, Primus. > Cid would be their primary attacker for this exercise, as they had all agreed he needed the experience. Eric smiled briefly; if the scientist was feeling nervous, it couldn’t be heard in his voice.

< Received all. > Eric broadcast as he settled down behind what looked like some sort of crashed vehicle, bracing the Ciquillan lance on top of the pitted metal. The weapon was heavy and unwieldy, but Eric still hadn’t found a better rifle alternative among their arsenal. < Stand-by to action. >

Eric waited then, aware of the subtle hums and purrs from his armor every time he shifted his position slightly. Pig had reported certain synergistic effects associated with increased usage of the D-S suit, most of it related to increased reaction times and automatic adjustments. Osar had surprisingly not been very knowledgeable on the matter, claiming he normally had access only to the cheaper, mass-produced battlesuits, but the ex-Legionnaire had confirmed that some of the more advanced battlesuits were supposed to be user-adaptive, with some rumored to be capable of actually evolving to accommodate their owner’s fighting style and abilities.

Because of this, Eric had insisted that they all try using the best of the battlesuits they had available, excepting the Ferrario original of course. Serra and Eric had been satisfied with their current suits, leaving Osar and Cid with the pick of their arsenal. Osar, who had at first been reluctant to claim one of the more expensive models for himself, eventually chose a Pearl Signet Sect specialist suit called a Desolator while Cid replaced his old one with a heavy suit-model called a Gadarasi Bastion. Both of them had donned their newly claimed suits for this mission.

They all waited for several minutes.

The first Sesang beast rounded the corner that marked the border of the team’s designated kill-zone, padding silently, its wide triangular head swinging warily from side to side. The long spines on the beast’s shoulders looked deadly in the color-leaching starlight, and the black nothingness of its multiple eyes held a stark savagery that sent shivers running down Eric’s spine.

This was a mature Sesang beast, far above the frail newborn drone he and Serra had killed when they had rescued Osar. Eric could almost feel the menace and killing intent emanating from the beast’s shade-shifting hide.

Eric blinked, switching to his Dragon Sight, noting the tendrils of pulsing, pale red mind aether emanating from the squat creature that rode between the lead Sesang’s shoulders. Where his normal eyes saw only white and grey and black, the Dragon Sight ability made his vision come alive with colors, a rainbow kaleidoscope of diffuse and directed aether.

It took only a few seconds for the small patrol to fully enter the kill-zone.

Eric steadied his breath, took careful aim, and pulled the pain-lance’s trigger.

He had used Imbue Weapon to charge the lance with void aether, and the eye-searing bolt of energy it fired was colored a perfect shade of lavender and blinding white. Moving with preternatural speed, Eric stowed his discharged weapon and smoothly leaped over the vehicle’s chassis, his jump-jets engaging as he streaked towards the enemy.

Moving in perceptive slow-motion Eric watched as his shot took the lead Sesang beast in its throat, its jaws falling open as its torso crumpled inward, as if some incredible unseen force was crushing the Sesang’s body into a tight ball. His dilated sense of reality detected movement to his left, and he inclined his helmeted head slightly to recognize Cid in his modified Bastion suit, his outsized arms extended and spitting forth gouts of short-lived flame.

Cid’s self-manufactured ‘guntlets’ did their job, Eric’s hyper-slowed vision seeing the several hundred rounds of metal ball bearings they were spat out in a slow-moving, expanding cloud of piecemeal death. Thin, watery blood splashed outward as huge ragged wounds appeared on the rippling hide of all three of the surprised beasts, the metal bearings snapping their shoulder spikes and ripping off limbs from their bodies. The blob that had been riding on the lead Sesang’s shoulders moved like slow jelly, throwing itself free of its dying mount.

Helpfully outlined in glowing orange by Pig’s auto-tracking, Eric saw the small creature lash out with blinding speed at Cid with two of its whiplike appendages. Cid spun away, his right guntlet sporting a huge dent as it fired a deflected shot up into the air.

Eric, now moving with incredible speed, touched down on the hard pavement with one armored leg, creating a spreading web of cracks below his boot as he pushed forward, the rune-carved sword appearing in his hand as the tentacled blob reoriented towards him, a bright red spot suspended in its gel-like body pulsing with what Eric interpreted as alarm.

Time slammed back into normal speed as Eric slid past the blob, his sword streaking in a horizontal cut, his boots striking sparks from the ground as his momentum propelled him into the tangled mess of dying Sesang beasts.

< HOLD FIRE! > He bellowed as he crashed into yielding alien bone and flesh, the impact turning him over and spinning him around until he slammed painfully and gracelessly into the front of one of the Maze’s buildings.

Eric blacked out for a moment.

< Nice landing, sir. > Serra’s white and gold armored bulk was standing over him when he came to, finding that he had come to a stop with his legs splayed out on the street before him and the upper half of his body imbedded on the surface of a building wall. < Seems you’d been holding back some special moves. >

< Too funny, Jakobin. > Eric growled, tasting the coppery taste of blood in his mouth. Nothing else seemed to be too damaged though, and he was soon stable enough to take Serra’s extended hand as the slight woman helped him up. Pieces of masonry and stone floated up around him as he straightened, his eyes widening as he saw the carnage they had made of the patrol.

You have killed a juvenile Oroghast

1,500 Gens points have been added to your total

That was a juvenile Oroghast huh? Juvenile probably means there’s either a daddy or mommy Oroghast somewhere inside the base building, right? Eric cleared his throat as he swiped away the notification and nodded to his companions.

< That’s one patrol down… Let’s see if they send out more. >