Chapter 89: Heist
Ryan pulled up his Character Sheet once more. Over the past few days he’d looked at it quite often and had been happy with the incremental progress he was making in raising his Stats. He’d recovered from the ordeal of near fatal dehydration caused by the Desiccator Bees a few days ago and none of the Stats were still impaired. Strength and Dexterity had grown a few points thanks to his repeated practice at the range. Agility and Energy had grown a bit due to his extended scouting expeditions and Dexterity from his trail runs and leatherworking practice.. His non-physical Stats were falling behind slowly but it couldn’t be helped, he was primarily focused on survival and that necessitated a focus on the physical side of things, for now at least. Still, with 40 points available he could redress some of those issues a bit.
Some of the points were earmarked to be allocated Strength to raise the substats to 36 across the board so he’d be able to handle the bow comfortably. That left him with 29 points. Next, he evened out Agility to 34 and added some points to Dexterity. The rest he spread over Memory, Energy Efficiency and Acuity of Perception.
He observed the process with his inner sight. A massive amount of Energy, clearly exceeding his Energy Pool, coruscated through his body, branching, forking, twisting and disappearing. It was doing a seemingly infinite multitude of things at once and even with his increased understanding and practice observing the flows he still gained only the barest hint of what was happening. Cells were destroyed, and rebuilt stronger, better. How it was done escaped him entirely but the improvements were incremental and the cells stayed substantially the same. It gave further credence to the half-baked theory he had shared with Alexis that cultivation and the System used Energy to improve the base closer to an ideal whereas his mutations changed the base model to a hopefully improved one. Eventually he’d need to stay conscious throughout a mutation and observe the effects closer to gather more data.
The changes were painless and over in moments but some of the effects persisted and only lessened in intensity. Another puzzle but Ryan provisionally chalked the latter up to be the reason for the missing disconnect between capability before and after a Stat upgrade. Satisfied he pulled the updated Sheet to the forefront of his mind.
Ryan Alexander Hunter, Exsolutus
Wild Shifter
Soulbonded to Fury
Level
20
Cultivation:
Mortal Realm (high*)
Experience
6254/6290
Energy:
6258/7903
Soulbonded to Fury
Statistics
Strength
Muscle Strength
36(30)
Intellect
Processing Speed
23(21)
36.0
Tendons
36(29)
22.0
Cognitive
19(19)
(29)
Bones
36(28)
(20)
Memory
24(20)
Agility
Muscle Speed
34(31)
Will
Resolve
24(24)
34.0
Nerve Speed
34(33)
21.3
Force
16(16)
(31.7)
Cartilage Friction
34(31)
(20.3)
Focus
24(21)
Dexterity
Muscle Control
27(27)
Energy
Capacity
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
37(36)
26.0
Proprioception
27(24)
35.0
Efficiency
30(25)
(24.3)
Flexibility
24(22)
(33)
Regen
38(38)
Constitution
Resilience
38(36)
Perception
Acuity
35(33)
38.0
Healing
38(37)
28.3
Psy Range
15(15)
(33.7)
Shield
38(28)
(27.7)
Processing
35(35)
Available Points
0
Affinities
Kinetic (macro)
22
Kinetic (micro)
21
Gravitational
71
Soul
39
Space
84
Time
51
Matter
12
Electromagnetic
19
Biological
19
Psychic
32
Skills
Class Skills:
18 listed
(expand)
Profession Skills:
518 listed
(expand)
General:
10821 (listed)
(expand)
Special Skills:
None
Unique:
None
Achievements
First Kill, Sneaky Bastard, David vs. Goliath, Hat-trick, Liberator, Forerunner Founder, Masochist, Two are One,
Traits
Protean, Indomitable
Mutations
Recombinant Omnivore, Enhanced Senses, Bifröst, Quantum Crystal Processing Lattice, Panthera Leo furtim(5)*, Python Sebae crassus(2)*
At Level 20 he was slowly catching up to the stronger members of the Guild but he assumed that stat-wise he was much closer to the strongest members if not the strongest. Thanks to rigorous training and physical exertion over the past few months his physical stats had grown from training as much as from allocation. His cultivation was still the strongest and built on that but he knew that Stephen had surpassed him in Energy Pool size and efficiency due to the demands of the Runesmith’s Profession. As far as he was concerned the improvements granted by the mutations were just the cherry on top.
His gear was up to standard too, finally. The upgraded bow and arrows significantly improved his ability to deal damage to stronger targets. Kitted in supple leather armour that provided at least a modicum of protection while not hindering his mobility in the slightest and actually improved his ability to stealth through the thick bush, Ryan felt ready to take on challenges he had deferred. Such as the one that was waiting for him to come back from the range. Johannes was slouching against a tree with a sheep at his feet while Miguel was incessantly shifting from one foot to another as Ryan approached the teen. The sheep was bleating softly. It was time to keep the promise he had made days before and attempt a heist.
The plans had been made and fine-tuned. Roles had been allocated. Fury had refused to participate with an indignant huff. “I’m not a monkey and see, NO opposable thumbs.” A different approach had been chosen. Johannes had volunteered one of the sheep. Everyone was ready.
Johannes headed along the jeep-track out of the valley while Ryan, with Miguel in tow, headed up the slope to the sundowner lapa of the other lodge. The track up the steep slope was now well trodden and cleared of vegetation thanks to the repeated treks from shift changes for the overwatch and the ascent was quicker and easier than Ryan remembered. Johannes had let them know that he was already in place next to the clearing they had surveyed. The first phase of the plan was completed successfully.
The second phase would prove more of a challenge. Johannes had already achieved his goals and Miguel and Ryan would need to split up. Ryan scrambled diagonally across the slope to reach the base of the pillar while Miguel headed further up the ridge to get to a higher elevation. “At least he can stay in the open.” Ryan grumbled to himself as he forced himself through the tangled mountainside vegetation. It wasn’t stealthy but the plan hadn’t called for stealth at this stage. Miguel let him know that he had reached his objective while Ryan wasn’t even halfway to achieving his own. It took another frustrating few minutes before he had reached his goal.
Ryan looked up and doubted the feasibility of their plan. The towering rockface ascended to the heavens and promised plenty of tribulation to those foolhardy enough to brave the ascent. Bare sandstone was by far one of the worst rocks to climb on. Choked by vegetation and with mouldy detritus accumulating in larger cracks, the near vertical challenge that Ryan faced was a nightmare. He ground his teeth with impotent frustration and let the other two comrades in crime know that he was beginning the climb.
It was worse than he had feared. Vegetation obscured his sight and he couldn’t pick a line. Holds crumbled away under his grasping hands. Pitons, if he had had any, wouldn’t have been secure either. Grabbing onto weakly rooted shrubs was out of the question entirely, he couldn’t trust his life to the fragile holds. He had to backtrack numerous times. The only silver lining he could see was that the ascent wasn’t vertical. Yet! He should have been swearing a storm from the heavens but instead held silent, trying to be as stealthy as possible. An immeasurable sense of relief suffused him as he emerged from the scrambled vegetation and hit the smooth vertical rockface that posed the last challenge to a successful ascent. Now at least he had an idea of the possible routes he could follow.
Fifteen metres to the east of his position a deep vertical crack zigzagged up the pillar and was the route he had provisionally selected during his past observations. Slowly he shimmied over and jammed his arm in as deep as he could. It got narrower the deeper he went and once he was past his elbow Ryan clenched his hand into a fist. It wedged itself solid and tentatively Ryan started putting his weight on it. The hold held. It would be hell on his arms but he could work with this so Ryan started up the crack. Hand over hand he ascended. Wedge, pull, release. With his entire body weight hanging alternatively from one arm and the next Ryan had never been more grateful for his increased strength. He doubted he would have ever made, nevertheless attempted, the climb pre-Initialisation. It would have been a convoluted and torturous form of suicide.
As he climbed higher and higher the crack became narrower and the climb became easier. At least until he couldn’t wedge a fist into it any more. Ryan considered for a moment and decided to jam his hands in sideways, knuckle up as far as possible and go from there. It would cost him skin and blood and likely strained wrists but he wouldn’t have to go much longer. The overhang of the nest was protecting him from up above and so far he hadn’t been noticed by the mated pair of martial eagles. Ryan deliberated if maybe now it was the time for the distraction before the raptors heard the faint sounds of his approach and came to investigate.
Phase four of the plan commenced swimmingly as Johannes staked the bleating sheep in the clearing and Ryan continued with his ascent. The flapping of massive wings and the accompanying rush of air clued Ryan in moments before Miguel’s message confirmed that the pair was lifting from the roost. Now Ryan was on a timeline. He sped up the narrowing crack until he reached the shallower incline approaching the summit where the ficus tree was deeply rooted into the bedrock. The last couple of paces were a hectic scramble for purchase on the thick roots of the tree but Ryan managed to overcome that obstacle by judicious use of his strength.
The first thing that hit him was the smell. A truly horrendous stench wafted from the scattered pile of scat and offal liberally decorating the base of the tree. His eyes started to water and only a superhuman application of will kept him from adding to the stench. The chirping noises he could hear from the nest reminded him of his objective so he searched for a way into the nest. Ryan quickly ruled out climbing around the outside of the tangled pile of material that had the temerity to be called a nest and elected to use his brawn to brute force a way in through the wall. It worked like a charm but wasn’t silent. The chicks started keening louder and louder in distress as he came closer and Ryan could feel the clock ticking.
“You’ve got incoming.” Miguel’s call was expected but anything but welcome as Ryan forced aside the last branches. A vicious peck drew blood as his hand passed through the wall and with a pained grunt Ryan stepped into the nest. Two of the five turkey-size chicks immediately went on the attack. The sight of the naked bodies covered in sparse fluff charging at him would have been comical if Ryan hadn’t already been intimately acquainted with their scarily sharp beaks. He dodged the charge and grabbed the first offender in a headlock. The talons were scrabbling ineffectually at his armoured torso and with his left hand still in play Ryan chanced going for a double.
His second assailant was somewhere behind his back so Ryan lunged at the chick calmly observing him from the middle of the nest while the other two had scurried away in fright. Without struggle he drew the second chick to his chest and crouched down.
“Get out. Now!” Miguel’s hysteric voice registered against the sudden influx of an enraged shriek threatening to stun him into oblivion. Ryan hugged their prizes to his chest and Shifted. The delay that was caused by transporting two unknown living beings was aeons long as Ryan timed the massive shape stooping at him with a rushing sound not unlike a freight-train approaching through a tunnel. The wrenching sensation of a successful Shift was utter relief and Ryan opened his eyes to stare at the welcome sight of his Dimensional Anchor. The smiley face someone had drawn on his chosen rock winked at him derisively and Ryan swore , not for the first time, to find out who the culprit had been.