Chapter 287
Over the next several weeks, Kyle and Arhades canvassed the planet, hunting down C Grade after C Grade. Once the velgian agreed to follow the planned hunting style, their hunting speed only increased, as the threat level of each individual hodag diminished. They’d gotten into a comfortable rhythm, though that was about to change.
“Mr. Mayhew, I believe that this is where we will have to part ways,” Arhades said one evening after a successful hunt.
Taking a moment to swallow the bite of roasted vegetables on his plate, he gave Arhades a questioning look. “Why is that?”
“Slaying the last beast we fought brought me to Level 105. The capstone skill for my class has been selected, and I intend to test it out before we depart this planet. Your assessment before that we lacked the power to instantly slay one of these creatures was correct. Now, I no longer believe that to be the case.”
Kyle raised his eyebrows. “The new skill is that powerful, huh?”
Arhades nodded, his voice carrying no tone of boast. “I’ve yet to test it, of course. However, I feel confident that it will prove quite effective against creatures like these. Moreover, I believe we have reached a point of diminishing returns against the hodags. Compared to the early, explosive growth, we have both stagnated somewhat as the hunts have become progressively easier. Changing that pace may be what I need to eke out another couple of levels.”
Even if Kyle was skeptical that the velgian would suddenly be able to kill a C Grade hodag in a single shot, Arhades was spot on about the diminishing returns. Kyle’s path was tied to survival and overcoming challenges. Squaring up against C Grades certainly helped with that. However, at this point the hunts had become relatively simple. Kyle had experienced some tremendous growth overall, and the last two hodags they’d hunted only resulted in him gaining a single level. Given, he’d also benefitted from another upgrade to his Adaptive Anatomy, but he didn’t need to talk to Arhades about that.
“I take it you’ll be leaving in the morning, then?” Kyle asked.
“I will,” Arhades confirmed. “You, naturally, are welcome to do what you wish. If you would choose to hunt as well, we can coordinate to ensure that we are still somewhat nearby, should one of us need assistance. Otherwise, you are welcome to leave if you find that to be a better use of your time and resources.”
Kyle pulled up the hunting dossier. There were still six C Grade presences remaining, with the last known locations for several of them being relatively close. Since he was currently Level 102, hunting one or two of the creatures alone might be enough to net him the last couple of levels he would need to reach his own capstone skill. And then it’s just a matter of time until I reach C Grade, Kyle thought.
He felt a sense of affirmation and excitement from C.H.A.D.D., and with the drone’s blessing, Kyle agreed. “Then tomorrow we’ll try some solo hunting.” Gesturing to the dossier, he indicated two of the hodags that were in relatively close proximity. “If we take the teleporter, we should be able to get to them by midday.”
“Then it appears we have a plan. Rest well, Mr. Mayhew.”
Before Arhades could leave, Kyle called after him. “Do these creatures strike you as odd?”
“How do you mean?” Arhades asked, turning to look at Kyle.
“C Grades are supposed to be rare, right? Like, one-in-a-billion rare. How do you think so many of these just showed up out of nowhere?”
Arhades crossed his arms as a thoughtful expression crossed his face. “Perhaps, like dragons, these creatures were naturally born with the ability to reach higher grades. C Grade, in this case, as opposed to A Grade. Although, from everything I’ve read on the species, that does not seem to be consistent with current theories. Perhaps the environment here is particularly suited to their growth? That may explain why we’ve seen such a high percentage of the hodag population reaching these levels.”
Thinking back to the shrike matriarch and Ger’Sinh’s flock, Kyle was beginning to form a different theory. “Could these have had a forced evolution? Perhaps been influenced by a Beastmaster?”
“It is possible,” Arhades said. “Although, were that the case, I find it odd that the awakened in question has not been involved, or made themselves known. Raising a creature to C Grade would require immense resources, and I highly doubt that they would simply stand by while their creations were slaughtered.”
Kyle remembered a violet eye. He shuddered. “I hope you’re right,” he said.
Arhades looked at Kyle, an expression of understanding crossing his face a moment later. “Mr. Mayhew, believe me when I say that I understand investment. My seniors within the Alabaster Court – not my uncles, mind you – have invested tremendous resources in my progression.
“Even now, senior members of the Alabaster Court are watching this planet, this system, with interest. One of the failsafes I’ve been gifted for an emergency will notify those guardians of my location, and they will appear right away. Trust me when I say that any outside interference by any other seniors will be fiercely opposed.”
The words provided a reassurance that Kyle didn’t know he needed. He smiled at the velgian, though he could feel a weariness tugging at him. “Thank you, Arhades.”
“You are welcome. Now, rest well, Mr. Mayhew.”
Once C.H.A.D.D. confirmed that Arhades had returned to his room and was out of earshot, Kyle tossed a quick glance over his shoulder. “Can you pull up the scan again?” He whispered.
A moment later, Kyle saw three images of his muscular system appear. The first was an old scan from his time at Central Health, the second was after he unlocked Exoskeletal Strength, and the final image was after his most recent Adaptive Anatomy upgrade; Muscular Compression. As he looked at the differences, he absentmindedly grabbed a pogrit bean, handed to him by C.H.A.D.D., and began to munch.
He felt as if he was starving almost nonstop since he unlocked it, and looking at the scans, it was no surprise. His first upgrade, Exoskeletal Strength, helped his muscles to latch onto his Enhanced Carapace, allowing him to express his physical power significantly more than somebody with a similar Strength score. Muscular Compression, on the other hand, was facilitating the growth of new, tightly-packed muscle fibers. From the initial scans, it looked like his overall amount of muscle was going to increase by nearly a third, once everything was all said and done.
Of course, growing that much muscle required food, and lots of it. Any time they were alone, C.H.A.D.D. produced a nearly nonstop supply of pogrits, which Kyle ate by the handful. Kyle expected that, once he fully grew into the skill, that his effective Strength attribute would be half again as powerful. While he wouldn’t be competing with the strongest D Grades out there, any specialized casters would be in for a rude surprise if Kyle ever got into melee range. If it ever comes to that, he thought.
“C.H.A.D.D., how long do you think it will take for the adaptation to be completed?”
[I AM UNCERTAIN, DR. MAYHEW. I BELIEVE IT WILL BE LARGELY DEPENDANT ON HOW MUCH FOOD YOU CONTINUE TO CONSUME. IF YOU WERE TO MAKE A FOCUSED EFFORT TO EAT, PERHAPS TWO WEEKS? AT YOUR CURRENT PACE, SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THREE AND FIVE.]
Kyle nodded, another thought bubbling to the surface. “Say, how much more food do you think I’ll need after the adaptation is done?”
[APPROXIMATELY THIRTY PERCENT MORE, AT LEAST. MAINTAINING THE ADDITIONAL MUSCLE MASS WILL REQUIRE SOME INTENTIONALITY.]
Well, there could be worse drawbacks, Kyle thought, popping another pogrit seed into his mouth. At least C.H.A.D.D. can grow a nearly endless supply. Compared to the still enigmatic Heart of Creation, the upgrade from the hodags was blessedly straightforward. A simple increase to musculature, physical power, and his physical defenses. Nothing more, nothing less.
[DR. MAYHEW, AM I CORRECT IN ASSUMING THAT YOU WILL BE HUNTING TOMORROW?]
“That’s the plan,” Kyle said. “I’m not entirely sure what the approach is going to be, but I think we can figure something out.”
[IF I MAY, DR. MAYHEW, ARE YOU OPEN TO ME ATTEMPTING A FIELD TEST?]
Kyle felt a glimmer of hopefulness from the drone, and he smiled. “I think we can manage that.”
The next morning, Kyle found himself staring at the outskirts of a hodag nest. A squadron of chaddlings stood in front of him, with the ranged variant by his side. I hope you know what you’re doing, C.H.A.D.D., Kyle thought. There was a flash of light, and Kyle knew it was time. As one, the chaddlings advanced, weapons drawn. A low, rumbling growl came from the hodag as it detected the intruders, and it wheeled around to attack them.
A claw swipe destroyed one of the chaddlings as two others sprinted around to flank the beast. Its tail lashed out to knock one of them away, while another was crushed between its jaws with a loud crunch. An explosion shook the air as the ranged chaddling fired a salvo of razorpine seeds, exploding around the hodag’s face with a barrage of needles.
The beast roared as it reared back after the attack, giving the chaddlings the opportunity they were looking for. The remaining acorn-like soldiers surrounded the hodag, a tendril of Parasitic Resonance connecting all of them. The moment the last chaddling was in place, Kyle activated Storm Shelter on all of them. His mana reserves plummeted with the strain of the massive simultaneous activation, but the hodag was trapped. It roared, tearing into Kyle’s barrier with its claws and horns, causing spiderweb cracks to form on it.
He knew the barrier wouldn’t last too long against the hodag’s onslaught, but it didn’t have to. Far above, floating above the battlefield, C.H.A.D.D. released its payload. A massive explosion rang out, and a pillar of crimson and gold descended from the heavens. Kyle recognized the familiar drill-like structure behind the sundew petals, corrosive acids burning into the hodag’s tough hide as it was pierced by a massive wooden pole.
The ground shook at the impact, with several of the damaged Storm Shelter barriers finally breaking under the pressure from the shockwave. The hodag roared in pain, and as the dust cleared, Kyle saw the result of C.H.A.D.D.’s attack. Effectively, the drone had dropped a tree on the beast from the stratosphere, using principles from the razorpines to launch a resilient wooden spear, wrapped in the drill-like lattice from the sundew to weaken its target.
The hodag was in the center of a freshly-formed crater, pinned to the ground by the massive pillar while vines erupted from it, further entangling the beast. It wasn’t long for this world. Kyle extended tendrils of Parasitic Resonance, focusing behind the creature’s eyes. As soon as it built up enough power, he twisted, putting the hodag out of its misery.
The remaining chaddlings took a defensive formation around Kyle as he broke down and reabsorbed as much mana as he could from the construct using Parasitic Resonance. C.H.A.D.D. floated down almost a minute later, and Kyle connected to the drone to funnel as much of the energy as he could back into C.H.A.D.D. and the World Tree Seed.
“What did you think about your test?”
[THE DESTRUCTIVE POWER WAS EVEN GREATER THAN I EXPECTED, DR. MAYHEW. ALTHOUGH IT TOOK LONGER THAN I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO PREPARE IT.]
“Didn’t you say that you had a second one ready to go?”
[NATURALLY, IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY. HOWEVER, AS SUITED AS IT IS AGAINST OPPONENTS LIKE THESE, I REMAIN UNCONVINCED OF ITS UTILITY AGAINST SMALLER, FASTER ENEMIES. IF THE HODAG HAD TRIED TO LEAP OVER YOUR BARRIER INSTEAD OF BREAKING THROUGH, IT MAY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO AVOID THE STRIKE ALTOGETHER. RESULTING IN TREMENDOUS AMOUNTS OF WASTED MANA AND RESOURCES.]
Kyle nodded at C.H.A.D.D.’s explanation, only a little of the mana left to be absorbed. When it was done, the whole remaining construction, along with the chaddlings, were deposited back into the World Tree Seed’s spatial storage. The drone made some interesting points about the drawbacks of the strategy, but looking into the crater left behind, he had to admit that it was one hell of an attack.
“Either way, I think it’s a good thing that we didn’t show this to Arhades,” Kyle said. “I think he’d be jealous.”