Chapter 273
“How are you feeling, C.H.A.D.D.?” Kyle asked, looking at the drone on the table.
During his time away, Marcus had taken some liberties to polish C.H.A.D.D.’s metal hull, filling in the areas that been struck by bullets back on Earth. It was quite the facelift, if Kyle said so himself.
[I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS, DR. MAYHEW. MR. KULHAVEY HAS WARNED THAT THERE MAY BE AN EXTENDED PERIOD BEFORE I AM ABLE TO FULLY MAKE USE OF THE COMPONENTS’ POWER, SO PLEASE DO NOT PLAN ON DOING ANYTHING REQUIRING EXCESSIVE EXERTION WHEN WE ARE FINISHED.]
“I was thinking that we’ve earned a vacation. From what I hear, some of the razorpine forests in the Archdrake Supremacy are open for visitation.”
Before the drone could even speak, Kyle felt its excitement through Pack Leader’s Instinct. Razorpines, as the tree name translated, were near the top of C.H.A.D.D.’s list. They were similar to sequoia trees, but they grew out of thick, stony surfaces. When the trees were ready to spread their seeds, the pinecones were shot out like artillery cannons, with a second explosion to further break apart the stone and deposit the seed.
For that reason, the forests were considered to be D Grade environments, and special permissions were typically required to get in. Courtesy of his Courier’s Guild status, and favors owed due to his fight with Ger’Sinh, he’d managed to secure them passage. Ostensibly, he was going to the forest to study the ecosystem and work on his defensive abilities, however he knew there would be plenty of opportunities for C.H.A.D.D. to take some samples during their trip.
[I WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE THAT,] C.H.A.D.D. finally said.
“Good, then it’s settled. Now all you have to do is integrate two more C Grade components, upload whatever programs you need, and we’ll be able to go enjoy the wilderness.”
[THANK YOU, DR. MAYHEW.]
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t also excited to go, so don’t worry about it,” Kyle said. “I’m sure that I’ll be able to get something good out of it, too.”
[NOT FOR THE RAZORPINES. FOR THE PAST YEAR. I WANT TO BE USEFUL, AND YOU SACRIFICED SO MUCH SO THAT I CAN BE. THANK YOU.]
Kyle felt a profound gratitude through their link, and he found his words caught in his throat. How could he not invest in C.H.A.D.D.? They’d been through so much together, and he couldn’t just leave the drone behind.
They were silent for a moment, the quiet only broken as Marcus entered the factory, a gloved hand holding each of the components.
“I’ve got the final pieces here. Some of my best work, if I do say so myself.” Marcus was beaming, the trio of small robots flying around behind him. He looked at the young Courier and nodded. “Kyle, go ahead and begin the infusion process, both at once this time. Try to keep them infusing evenly, if you can.”
“Is there a reason that we need to do both at the same time?” Kyle asked. Working with the World Tree Seed’s mana was always a challenge, and trying to regulate both infusions simultaneously would put tremendous stress on his mana network.
“These components are designed to resonate with one another. Think about them as stand-ins for the dual classes of a C Grade,” Marcus replied.
Kyle stared at the Originator for a moment, Marcus’s expression clearly conveying that he’d explained the reason perfectly. Unfortunately, Kyle still had no idea what the old man meant.
“Let’s pretend for a moment that I don’t understand the comparison,” Kyle offered, a sheepish smile on his face.
“I mentioned before that your classes as a C Grade progress together, didn’t I?” Marcus asked.
“You did,” Kyle confirmed.
“It’s the same principle,” Marcus said, seemingly happy to explain. “These components are effectively two parts of the same whole. One of them is focused on C.H.A.D.D.’s mana absorption, progressively increasing the efficiency with which your drone can absorb familiar energies. The other is focused on regulating mana output, creating iterative systems to improve mana expression through skills and pure manipulation.
“My working theory is that these should allow C.H.A.D.D. to work beyond the sum of these parts. The more effectively it draws in attuned mana, the easier in turn that mana becomes to manipulate. The more that mana is present in C.H.A.D.D.’s environment after using its skills, the more effectively it gets reabsorbed. Even though these are middle C Grade components, the eventual output should be at a level that is relative to upper C Grade.”
Kyle couldn’t help but let out a whistle. He knew that C.H.A.D.D. would be gated in many ways as it acclimated to the upgrades, but if he wasn’t careful, he’d be the one holding the drone back from its progress.
“So if I’m hearing this right, you need these to be infused at a similar rate so that the resonance can start in the best possible condition?” Kyle asked.
“Exactly right. So, do you think you can do it?”
“I’ll give it my best,” Kyle said, an idea forming. “Say, do you think that it would hurt this infusion if I used my boosting skill?”
Marcus considered for a moment, one of his trailing robots pulling out his tablet and entering calculations. After a minute, he spoke.
“So long as you can effectively isolate the mana from your little treasure, I don’t think it would be a problem. We just want to avoid adding too much of your own energy into the mix right now. Of course, C.H.A.D.D. will get plenty of exposure to your mana over time, so some minor contamination shouldn’t cause too much harm.”
Kyle nodded. Ignition would give him a nice boost to handle the World Tree Seed’s energies, though he had one more trick up his sleeve that would help.
“Also, any chance your drones would be able to hurt me a bit?”
Marcus stared at Kyle with a raised eyebrow, as Kyle pondered how to describe his Unbreakable Willpower ability. Fortunately, it was C.H.A.D.D. to the rescue.
[DR. MAYHEW POSSESSES A SKILL THAT IMPROVES SOME OF HIS ABILITIES BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF DAMAGE HE HAS SUFFERED. WITH HIS HEALING, IT IS RARELY USED, THOUGH IN THIS CASE THE PASSIVE BOOST COULD BE QUITE USEFUL.]
“How many skills do you have, kid? Wait, don’t answer that. I’ll give you a good blast if it means better odds for the project, but I’m taking the stress test off the schedule until you’ve recovered. And you’re signing a liability waiver.”
The robot manipulating the tablet made some quick motions, and a moment later a notification appeared on Kyle’s nav bracelet, confirming that he indeed asked to be injured on the work site. The moment he signed it, Marcus shook his head again as another of the robots floated near him.
“Prepare yourself, Kyle. This is going to hurt.”
A moment later, there was a flash of heat, and Kyle felt searing pain across his entire body. He gritted his teeth against the pain, falling to his knees in pain. He resisted the temptation to immediately activate Adaptive Regeneration and Healing Impetus, his instincts screaming at him to recover the damage. The attack from the robot was incredibly fast and subtle, with Auric Perception not even noticing the mana gathering before he was struck.
Still, he got the desired effect. He could feel his command of mana improving with every moment, and he met Marcus’s eyes as he struggled to his feet. “Thank you for that. I should be ready in a moment.”
“Good,” Marcus replied. “Because we’re a few minutes behind schedule.”
Kyle activated Ignition, feeling his power spike, allowing his natural vital energy to combat the strain from the skill. At this point, Kyle didn’t need much active healing to counteract the purely physical effects, Adaptive Regeneration having built up quite the tolerance since his Practicum.
Extending tendrils of Parasitic Resonance, Kyle connected to the World Tree Seed, while at the same time grabbing each of the components from Marcus. Closing his eyes, he focused his Willpower on the seed. Golden energy flowed into him, and he forced it through each of his arms. With Identify active, he watched the outpouring of energy into each of the components as they began to fill.
Almost immediately, Kyle noticed a problem. One of the components; he assumed the one tied toward mana collection, was absorbing energy at nearly twice the speed of the other. He swore internally as he redoubled his efforts to control the flow of energy. Of course Marcus didn’t stop to consider how difficult it would be for a D Grade to regulate this kind of energy.
With Identify active, he began to draw energy out of his right arm, circulating it through his body to slow the rate of absorption. At the same time, he tried to push more mana through his left arm, doing his best to make up for the early imbalance in their infusions.
Minutes wore on as Kyle focused on his mana, with Marcus looking on intently. Kyle could feel concern through his bond with C.H.A.D.D., though he was unsure how much of it was due to the state of the infusion, and how much of it was the motes of golden energy that his Core of the Parasitic Devourer greedily consumed. Despite the initial bumps in the process, things were progressing smoothly, up until Kyle felt a spike of pain in his stomach.
A wave of hunger washed over him as he felt the excess mana from the World Tree Seed get consumed. At the same moment, Parasitic Resonance began to draw from the treasure faster than before, a steady stream of golden energy flowing directly into the Core.
“What the hell are you doing?” Marcus asked, his eyes widening in shock and concern.
Kyle groaned in pain, unable to respond as he turned all of his attention back to the infusion process. He knew he’d just crossed the threshold to his next Adaptive Anatomy upgrade, but it couldn’t have come at a worse time. Stupid, stupid, stupid! He should have considered that this could be a risk, but it hadn’t been top of mind as he went from job to job. Now, he was paying the price.
The first step to salvaging the infusions was to stop the bleeding. The components were currently imbalanced as a result of his mana going wild, and Kyle cut the flow of energy down to a small trickle as he refocused on stabilizing his own mana. Avoiding his center, Kyle circulated his mana, slowing it down with each breath.
His mana network was a mess, with globs of slow-moving energy from the World Tree Seed impeding his overall mana flow. With effort, he consolidated the motes of power into his arms, beginning the infusion process once more. Marcus was pacing around the room, goggles back on his eyes as he kept his gaze locked on the components in Kyle’s hands. C.H.A.D.D. seemed to be calming down, and finally the process was back on track.
After nearly an hour, Kyle knew he was close. “Get ready,” he whispered, giving a final push of energy through each arm. Each of his hands held the brightly glowing machines, and the light intensified as his last bit of golden mana flowed into the respective component. Marcus hurriedly took them from Kyle’s grasp and brought them over to the drone, installing both at once. Kyle felt C.H.A.D.D.’s consciousness slip away as energy flooded into all the upgrades, each of them thrumming with resonant power.
Kyle smiled, his own vision beginning to darken. He deactivated Ignition, his arms falling limply to his sides with now-familiar numbness. While not as severe as the backlash from dealing with Zierlan’s energy, he knew that his mana network was strained more heavily than it should have been.
The last thing he heard before he fell to the floor was Marcus muttering to himself as he looked at C.H.A.D.D. “Fine work, kid.”