"How are the beasts of the competition faring?"
"They are doing good, sir. Maybe this season, we could see more than a hundred Apex roaming the world if the chance presents, a complete Ruler and not a civilization like in most seasons."
"Really? That's good to hear. Any new mutants or evolved have arisen?"
"Some have already begun the process of evolving. There are mostly mutants for now."
"I see. Anything else of interest?"
"Some new predators are arising in specific sectors and enclosed areas. If you like, we could take the most advanced and put them in the short bets for who kills first."
"Sounds excellent. You can open the Sponsorship Program now. If some of the Limited supports a particular species, we can let them do it at their own risk."
"Anything else, sir?"
"No, that should do it; for now, keep looking at the specimens and make the announcements when you see fit."
"As you command."
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"Mardok, it is time. The Sponsorship Program has opened." — Notified Moraeus.
"Excellent. Let's make Basil more intelligent for now as he has the Curious trait. This trait goes perfectly with intelligence because his instincts will react with objects that can give him mutations. Even if he is little, that lizard has unexploited potential, and Evalyne has not played it very well. Still, I suppose her low Asther reserves is what slows down her advancement."
"You did not say she was terrible at strategies?" — Asked Dusanog.
"For some, she is okay. Evalyne is cunning with no limits at playing with people or me, but making the best decisions for others not so much. She is, without a doubt, a very selfish bitch."
"That, and the one time you tried to fuck with her." —Mentioned Bik.
"That is not why we are here reunited to discuss. And that is not true, you fucking steak."
"Yeah, "sure," Salad."
"Ahem, either way, we want to unlock the potential Basil has in Intelligence, and it's a High one. If we take it to Tier 4, we can make him rationalize like a kid "or the least brutish of our kin." These actions could open many possibilities for him in his surroundings."
"Maybe if we try to make him get control of at least a power. That way, he can explore his Energy Control ability to start practicing. He needs a more significant repertoire of defense and attack patterns. Now, he is just a critter in those caverns." — Mentioned Dusanog.
"This is not a bad idea, but we can't interfere too much because Basil has to seek his path. We still have to talk with Evalyne. She is the one who has to accept the sponsorship." —Replied Moraeus.
"Believe me. Evalyne will accept. From what I get, this is her last chance at getting some Asther to leave this Tier. We don't have this problem like her, but we don't have enough yet to advance."
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Evalyne looked at the monitors looking for things that could help Basil while he was still hibernating. She knew many things and solutions, but the problem resided in that they were solutions for her, she wouldn't have any issues to exit from a situation like the one Basil was, but it was for her, not someone else.
On one of the monitors, an announcement got displayed.
The Sponsorship Program is open. You can have other Limited help you in your competition, at the cost of doing the things they may request from you or your specimens. The parties can discuss these arrangements between them at any time of the season. You can deny some sponsorships if they don't adjust to your goals.
You now have one sponsorship proposal.
"What? I never received one of those in my previous participation so early. Well, not that they helped me advance so much either way." — She said, half closing her eyes and looking at the screen.
"Mardok!? What does he want!?" — She was a centimeter away from pressing "denied" when another Screen with the face of Mardok appeared.
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"I know you want to press the denied button right now, but hear me out first if you're going to win or at least advance in this competition."
"Why should I trust you? I was left beat up in the Pillar Plains by a messenger of yours the last time I did."
"You knew what you were doing when you tried to scam me! that is payment for attempting to escape to another city with my Asther, that I Loaned you!"
"
"I want to help Basil grow. He has potential. I sensed it when I was near you at the shop."
"Yeah, I know he has Potential."
"Not that Potential calibrated with numbers fool, the other kind of Potential, the one that lets you reach this place."
"What?... Ok, let me get this straight, you think he can reach our level?"
"With time, yes."
"Why?"
"Because like you, I want to advance from this hellish Tier. We were Immortals before getting here, and they took it from us without questions. Do you think I like to be called a "Limited" by these fucking automatons? I had power, now I want to get it back, and I can only do that by making the right choices or get myself killed in the arena like one of those desperate idiots that lost every bit of Asther they had. That could be your destiny, only if you keep making the wrong choices."
"... What is your proposal?"
"You need to make Basil more Intelligent. He could best the other beasts if he squeezes that potential he has in intelligence. You know that when a Specimen has potential in one ability, he can train it faster than others, that mixed with his inner curiosity, can grant him many good opportunities. My associates and I can give you ten thousand energy points to make Basil reach Tier four in Intelligence."
"Associates? Well, I expected something like that. You never worked alone."
"Don't deviate from the theme. Each one of us wants the same thing. Will you cooperate?"
"...Ok, but you know the price of items or parts duplicates every two tiers, Right?"
"I am perfectly aware of that. That's why we are giving you so much energy."
"Is not like I will steal it. I won't receive a thing for myself until a year has passed..."
"Well then, this is what you should buy..."
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Basil got up and scanned his cavern for any visitor that could have slipped inside. There was no one, only the still puddle of liquid; some fumes were escaping from it, but nothing else. His first plan for today was to try to eat the capsule. He bit and found resistance; it was more manageable, but still not enough.
He needed teeth more resistant. From this came a question in his humble brain, "Why could I eat rocks like the floaty one but not this shiny one?" He didn't know, but maybe if he ate more strong things, his teeth could become harder too. It was an enigma that gave him a migraine.
Before he could focus, he felt the presence of the creature that brought him the tasty meat. Could it be the creature was coming for its food? This sensation made him enter into a panic, scrambling towards the back of the capsule to hide.
The invisible Drone carried three orbs with specific reagents for the specimen called Basil. There is an order to make itself notable to the individuals but not visible. That way, the weak beasts would hide from it; with this ability, the drone left the gifts on the floor without issue. Finished its delivery, it went towards the void again.
Frightened was the new emotion in Basil's brain. He tried to locate the creature, but Basil tried to calm down after seeing nothing happened to him. Instead of a predator, there were three orbs with objects inside, Which made him doubt, "Why scary thing bring him meat?"
In his curiosity, Basil got near, and the three orbs popped open, revealing their contents. Some golden herbs with a liquid seeping from them, white rocks that glistened with dim light, and a squishy thing still palpitating with an orange color and some veins visible on it. He sniffed each; his instincts told him that he could eat them. The pulsating thing was inviting, almost too much. What could happen if he ate them? He did not know.
He bit the herbs, and as he thought, they were sappy in his mouth but tasted fresh. The rocks were bland in flavor, but they were strangely addictive. The squishy thing was the last, so he touched it with a claw. The thing palpitated faster, like in anticipation.
Basil bit it and got enthralled with the piece of meat, eating it with enthusiasm, using his serrated teeth to rip the flesh until it was gone in his stomach. The orange liquid that seeped from the flesh began to invade his belly, including the other ingredients inside him.
Basil was wriggling in agony the next moment on the floor. The orange liquid was traversing his bloodstream; it brought pain to all his body, but then it reached his brain, and with it, the nervous system; this made him unresponsive and stuck in a paralyzed position. The poor guy felt his bowels deflate from everything that got out of him. Basil was on the floor, his eyes Bloodshot and veins filed with the orange liquid that was by now his blood.
After some hours, Basil got to stand on his four legs again; he needed air. He walked to the cavern entrance when he saw something different, there were some faint lines in every object. he blinked at this sight, and the lines were gone the next moment, "what was that?" He got more questions in that modest brain of his and no answer for it.