NOVEL FROG Chapter 200
[I DETECT ANOTHER STYXLION, DR. MAYHEW.]
Kyle and C.H.A.D.D. were nearly back to the battlement when the drone made its announcement. Kyle reflexively looked at the body slung over his shoulders. “Has it seen us?”
[I DON’T BELIEVE SO, DR. MAYHEW. THOUGH IT DOES APPEAR TO BE MOVING AWAY FROM OUR LOCATION.]
C.H.A.D.D. highlighted its position on the map, and Kyle watched as it slowly made its way through the labyrinthine tunnels. It was heading toward an area he hadn’t had an opportunity to explore, which piqued Kyle’s interest. On the other hand, he didn’t want to carry the body of his first hunt through the tunnels. Just a quick drop off, then we’ll pursue. 10,000 credits was a substantial paycheck, and Kyle wasn’t about to miss out on it.
“Another beast, Mayhew? If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re determined to bleed every last credit out of the Ma family before you go.”
“It’s nice to see you, too Go’Wree. Now are you going to take the body or not? I’m about to head back out.”
The gate to the battlements opened, and Kyle felt dozens of eyes trained on him. Staffing had increased at the battlement over the past weeks, in preparation for further expansion. Go’Wree had made his displeasure with Kyle apparent, and his opinions were clearly shared by the other guards. Kyle handed off the styxlion corpse to a waiting attendant, who looked at him with a hint of revulsion before walking away with the body.
“I’m struggling to understand why we continue to pay for your luxurious accommodations, when you’re spending most of your time out in the caverns.”
Kyle looked at the larger man, measuring his response. On one level, he understood that he’d made some mistakes in his interactions with the Ma family. The weeks exploring the tunnels and hunting had given him time to reflect, his paranoia having led to some unnecessary abrasiveness.
At the same time, Kyle’s presence was nothing but beneficial for the settlement. He was paid well below Mercenary Guild rates for the exterminations, while also dealing with the roving predators far more effectively than the others would have been able to. Had Go’Wree and his teams attempted the extermination, they would have paid a steep price in blood.
“I understand you’re frustrated. I’ll be out of your hair soon enough.”
“At least make sure you’re back in time for the young master’s banquet. You’re an invited guest, and failure to attend would reflect poorly on the family; particularly if you miss it to chase down a few extra credits.”
Kyle ignored the jab, opting to take the high road. “Understood. I’ll be back in plenty of time.”
Once he and C.H.A.D.D. were out of earshot, the drone piped up. [I DON’T THINK HE LIKES YOU VERY MUCH, DR. MAYHEW.]
“I don’t think he does either, C.H.A.D.D. All the more reason to get the hunting done and get out of here.”
[THE LAST ENHANCEMENT PROVED QUITE SIGNIFICANT. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THIS ONE WILL DO?]
“Not yet, but I’m close. If the next styxlion doesn’t bring me over the edge, I’m certain the one after will.” In addition to taking the next step for his Core of the Parasitic Devourer, Kyle also suspected the next fight would push him to Level 65. Hunting styxlions wasn’t a particularly efficient way for him to gain levels, but slaying over 100 of the creatures had been enough to keep him progressing.
Kyle followed C.H.A.D.D.’s map, moving through the tunnels in the direction they’d spotted their prey. Unfortunately, Kyle had no skill whatsoever when it came to tracking. He would have struggled above ground, but the stony floor coupled with the dim light left him clueless.
“Are you picking it up on your scanners?” Kyle asked.
[I AM NOT, DR. MAYHEW. HOWEVER, THE TUNNEL SYSTEM APPEARS TO NARROW AHEAD. IT IS LIKELY THE STYXLION MOVED FURTHER IN, AND WE COULD CATCH UP.]
Kyle weighed his options for a moment before deciding to continue onward. They hadn’t had an opportunity to map out much of the caverns in the area ahead, and part of him was wary of exploring unknown territory. At the same time, C.H.A.D.D.’s ability to map out the tunnels had proven to be invaluable. He was confident his robotic companion could keep them from getting lost, even if the hunt turned into a prolonged one.
“Do you have enough of my mana to continue with your work?”
[I SHOULD HAVE SUFFICIENT RESERVES FOR A WHILE, DR. MAYHEW.]
“Just let me know when you need me to give you some more.”
Crimson light mingled with the orange as Kyle activated Ignition, dashing ahead down the tunnel ahead. True to C.H.A.D.D.’s words, the tunnel narrowed as he moved deeper and deeper, until it was only a little larger than Kyle himself. It constricted even more, and he nearly turned back before it opened on the other side.
Kyle took one step, then another before stopping, standing on the edge of a large chasm. Orange lights danced over the abyss, easily 50 meters across. Stalactites hung down from the ceiling, making the cavern look like the open maw of a ravenous beast.
He could easily envision a styxlion leaping into the air, then gliding on its bat-like wings across to the other side of the chasm. Alternatively, they could likely scrabble high enough up the wall to jump, grab a stalactite, and then glide down from there. All solutions that Kyle lacked.
“Well, it was worth a look. I know you’re still working on your project; I’m guessing you don’t have the bandwidth to make a bridge across out of bamboo?”
[A BRIDGE IS LIKELY OUT OF THE QUESTION, DR. MAYHEW. IF YOU’RE WILLING TO DRAW A VERY MODEST AMOUNT OF ENERGY FROM THE WORLD TREE SEED, HOWEVER, I SHOULD HAVE ENOUGH EXCESS CAPACITY TO REINFORCE SOME BAMBOO PITONS TO AID YOU.]
Kyle nodded. “Let’s do it.” Immediately after speaking the words, he felt a heavy draw on his mana. It was as if he was struggling against a massive set of gates, only succeeding at opening them the barest crack. Still, it was enough. Golden energy began to flow through, and Kyle held out his hand as the first golden-veined shoot of bamboo was grown.
It looked like a sword, with a sharp end glowing golden, the other side looking like a relatively normal shoot of bamboo. It felt solid, more like he was holding metal than the fibers of a plant. With a decisive movement, Kyle struck the side of the cavern wall with the glowing golden end. It pierced the stone with virtually no effort, and he could hear the gentle sounds of the plant taking root deep in the stone.
C.H.A.D.D. soon produced another, and Kyle took a tentative step onto the first before affixing the second. The bamboo didn’t even flex under his weight, and soon Kyle had a small walkway set into the side of the cave. Kyle set his final piton, then jumped to the cave floor on the other side. A quick activation of Ignition kept his mana reserves fairly well topped off, but mentally he was wearing thin. The strain from manipulating the world tree seed was immense, even for small projects like this.
Even so, Kyle was getting more and more excited about the prospects it presented. Working alongside C.H.A.D.D., they could create some incredible effects. Kyle could envision both offensive and defensive applications, offering more flexibility inside and outside of combat situations. Of course, he’d need to get a lot more powerful before he could fully make use of the seed.
“Do you see the styxlion anywhere?” Kyle asked, a headache beginning to throb behind his eyes.
[I BELIEVE I DETECTED IT AT THE EDGE OF MY RANGE, THOUGH IT DIDN’T STAY IN LONG ENOUGH FOR ME TO CONFIRM.]
Kyle looked at the extensive network of tunnels, and the mark C.H.A.D.D. left to signify the location. With a sigh, Kyle activated Ignition again, and resumed his pursuit. He passed the remains of several of the pill bugs, and soon the styxlion was back on the map.
[DR. MAYHEW, THERE ARE TWO MORE OF THE ROOT SYSTEMS IN THE AREA. I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE STOPPING AT THEM ON THE WAY BACK.]
“We can do that,” Kyle said, eyes fixed on the map as he leapt over stalagmites and through the tunnels. The styxlion seemed to notice his presence once he drew within a couple hundred meters, and the chase was on. As with the one he’d hunted before, the difference in raw attributes with Ignition active proved to be a gulf it couldn’t cross. Kyle’s pursuit took the better part of an hour, but soon he got within range, allowing Parasitic Resonance to do its work.
He felt the core cross its threshold, and immediately afterward felt his entire body begin to itch. Kyle gritted his teeth against the sensation, which only intensified as the moments wore on. As it was growing unbearable, Kyle was hit with a bout of vertigo. What the hell? The space around him felt wobbly, and coupled with the incessant itching it was growing to be too much.
Kyle placed a hand against the cool stone as he slumped to the ground, trying to get his bearings. “C.H.A.D.D., something feels very wrong. What can you tell me?”
[A CURSORY SCAN INDICATES HIGHLY ELEVATED NERVE ACTIVITY, WITH RECEPTORS SPREADING ACROSS YOUR BODY. IT ALSO APPEARS THAT YOUR BRAIN FUNCTION IS ELEVATED.]
“What’s causing it?”
[LIKELY THE NEW MECHANOSENSORY HAIRS ACROSS YOUR BODY, DR. MAYHEW.]
The what? Kyle looked down at his arm, rolling up the sleeve. Sure enough, he could barely make out short, almost barb-like hairs sticking out of his arm. He reached out with his left hand to touch one, and his headache grew as he felt the air around his body shift with the movement. When his finger finally brushed the hair, it felt more like a small spike than normal body hair.
“And you think these ‘hairs’ are sensory receptors of some sort?”
[THAT IS THE MOST CONSISTENT EXPLANATION I HAVE, YES.]
Kyle drew in a deep breath, closing his eyes and trying to understand the foreign sensation. Sure enough, he could feel the flow of air in the cavern, the wall behind him, and even the nearby body of the styxlion. He wasn’t sure how long he sat, breathing deeply, but as time wore on the sensation of vertigo started to recede. Kyle was finally stable enough to enter meditation.
KYLE MAYHEW. ARTHRO-HUMAN CHIMERA (PARASITE), SURVIVALIST. LEVEL 65 (D)
CORE OF THE PARASITIC DEVOURER 20%
ADAPTIVE ANATOMY – 9/? – ENHANCED CARAPACE (FERRIC AUGMENTATION), AURIC PERCEPTION (SYNAPTIC BARBS), EXOSKELETAL STRENGTH, CEASELESS VITALITY, INSTINCTIVE INTELLIGENCE, COVERT DEXTERITY, UNBREAKABLE WILL
VITALITY: 976
ENDURANCE: 1119
STRENGTH: 375
DEXTERITY: 720
WILLPOWER: 1386
INTELLIGENCE: 1386
PERCEPTION: 1045
FREE ATTRIBUTES: 18
Kyle immediately split his free attributes between Willpower and Intelligence, before focusing his attention on the Synaptic Barbs change to his Adaptive Anatomy. No impression came to his mind, though from the name alone he felt that C.H.A.D.D.’s analysis was on the right track.
Kyle was reminded of the Anticipation skill he’d been offered back in E Grade, and couldn’t help but feel that this change to his Adaptive Anatomy was similar. Unlike the skill, however, he wasn’t sure if he could turn this skill off.
He stood on shaky legs, trying to process all the new information his body was taking in from the world around him. The vertigo immediately returned as he started to move, and he settled back down on the ground. This is going to take some getting used to.