Chapter 334
The two blobs that remained of the Scourge launched themselves toward Kyle with a series of rapid vine strikes, each blow digging deep furrows into the already damaged trees. Splinters and tree limbs alike fell like rain to the ground below. Kyle activated Identify, relying on the boost from Genesis Engine and his Reflexive Evasion to stay on the defensive while he got a better sense of what the Scourge did.
The first thing he noticed was that the mana pathways coursing through the two forms were absolutely ablaze with power; self-destructively so. It looked as though the creature was using a half-formed boosting skill, and the backlash from using it would be massive. The Scourge already sacrificed nearly all of its body mass, condensing all of its remaining power and energy into the two blobs. With the boosting skill active on top of the condensed form, there was no doubt that this was a last-ditch effort from the plant monster to try and take Kyle down. Even if it succeeded in defeating him, its chances of survival were slim at best.
As he dodged another set of brutal vine attacks, he considered his options. Identify showed him that the Scourge was undergoing a massive boost to all of its attributes, with a major qualitative difference due to the combination. This also slowed down Parasitic Resonance’s effectiveness, and coupled with the lack of understandable anatomy, his other uses of the skill were limited. Kyle sighed. He should have expected that the Scourge would have some hidden cards to play, but he hadn’t prepared for it to give up its size to increase its power. That meant it was time to improvise.
Stepping in closer to one of the blobs, Kyle extended his right hand toward it and activated a compressed Repel. The shockwave rippled all throughout the creature’s body as it was slammed backwards toward the nearest tree. Synaptic Barbs warned him of an attack coming in from behind him on his right, and he activated a quick blast of Repel to knock himself out of harm’s way. The creature launched another thin vine at him, though this one withered away the moment before it struck him.
Giving a mental thank-you to Phaegos, Kyle dashed toward the half that he’d struck with Repel. The best advice he’d received about fighting two-on-one was to fight one at a time. He used a quick activation of Cultivate, focused on a batch of sundew leaves. At the same time, he activated Infuse, adding mana and the concept of Growth to the leaves as they quickly sprouted within the space of the World Tree Seed.
The ripples from his activation of Repel were settling, and the creature launched a chain of high-speed vines at Kyle. This time, Kyle didn’t dodge. The vines struck him with enough force to break skin, trying to bind him as the dark form latched on and flew toward him at incredible speed. Infusing Adaptive Regeneration with Heart of Creation, Kyle charged the healing through his body. Then, just as the dark form touched him, he released the tangle of freshly-grown sundew petals, allowing their mana-infused acid to melt into the writhing mass of the Scourge. Phaegos focused its attention on the vines that were binding Kyle, and with an activation of Repel across his body he broke the withered vines.
With one opponent otherwise occupied, Kyle turned toward the other, accepting a few bard strikes to focus as much power as he could into a Repel the size of his fingertip, then blasting a hole directly through the approaching mass and sending it spinning away with the force of the impact. The power coming through Parasitic Resonance slowed to a trickle, and Kyle sent a mental nudge to Phaegos. Everything good?
This has been quite a meal. The dregs remaining are being burned away, but I don’t mind if we look to end it here.
Kyle sent an affirmation, then started using his overflowing mana reserves to activate Repel time and time again, each blow focused as tightly as Kyle could make, all launched at the same half of the Scourge that he’d just struck. Trees cracked and broke under the assault as Kyle kept his focused attack on the creature, unwilling to give it even a moment to recover. With Genesis Engine active, his barrage was unceasing, and he once again gladly accepted some counterattacks to maintain his pressure.
Soon, he felt the mana signature from this half of the Scourge fade, then dissipate entirely. What remained of its body lost its sheen, turning a dull gray as it stopped moving entirely. C.H.A.D.D. flashed a warning as the other half managed to work itself free of the binding sundew petals, and as he prepared for an attack, it did something unexpected. It began to run away.
No. While he’d certainly accomplished enough for the Resistance to move, leaving this thing alive would only be a disaster down the line. Even now, stranglevine pods were left on trees all throughout the forest. If this thing was able to escape and begin reabsorbing them, in the span of a few years the Scourge would be back, and just as much of a problem as before. Maybe more of one, Kyle thought, realizing that it might even gain some levels from the near-death experience.
He took off after the retreating Scourge, tendrils of Parasitic Resonance at the ready. Even if his absorption was reaching a limit, he could still try to overwhelm its mana cultivation now that its reserves were so low. As he pursued the creature, he made a point to launch blasts of Repel toward any stranglevine pods that the blob was nearing, cutting off easy resource gains. There were plenty of others that he ignored, but for now taking down the remaining body was his goal. After the Resistance reached Er’Mithren, he’d ask the shrikes to come clean out the rest of the pods; work he was certain they would enjoy.
The Scourge made a sharp turn around larger tree in an attempt to shake Kyle, but that decision turned out to be its doom. C.H.A.D.D. calmly projected its trajectory to emerge, and Kyle launched himself in that direction, Parasitic Resonance reaching toward the creature’s oily body, then clamping down and compressing its mana cultivation. Its mana network was odd, feeling more like a series of small, self-contained bubbles than a larger whole. Still, weakened as it was, Kyle was able to force the disparate pieces together, and with a concerted effort with his Willpower, shatter them.
At once, the Scourge’s body turned a dull gray, and then withered, falling to the forest floor below. The ancient C Grade was gone.
Sending a quick message to D’Oillelat to begin the operation, Kyle deactivated Genesis Engine and sat down on one of the larger tree branches. The sky above was clearly visible, with trees all around the battlefield having been broken or knocked over by their fight. Not exactly subtle, he thought, considering the next steps. It would be a little while before the Resistance and the shrikes made it to Er’Mithren. While the city was very unlikely to set up traps along the way, for fear of the Scourge, the rampant destruction and sounds of combat would have almost certainly put the city itself on high alert. He could help deal with that, but didn’t want to start too soon.
So, with those thoughts in mind, he settled in for a quick meditation session. He felt some subtle changes from both classes, and wanted to see his gains. Of almost as much interest was the Scourge’s mana, remnants of which were lingering in his Center, and inside the World Tree Seed.
Closing his eyes, he saw the familiar message.
KYLE MAYHEW. UNION SYMBIOTE. UNBROKEN SURVIVOR. LEVEL 11 (C)
SECOND CLASS: WORLD TREE TENDER. LEVEL 31 (E)
PATH SYNERGY: 97%
DEVOURER’S ANATOMY – ENHANCED CARAPACE (FERRIC AUGMENTATION), AURIC PERCEPTION (SYNAPTIC BARBS), EXOSKELETAL STRENGTH (MUSCULAR COMPRESSION), CEASELESS VITALITY (TENACIOUS VIGOR), INSTINCTIVE INTELLIGENCE (PACK LEADER’S INSTINCT), COVERT DEXTERITY (REFLEXIVE EVASION), UNBREAKABLE WILL (HEART OF CREATION)
VITALITY: 2129
ENDURANCE: 2780
STRENGTH: 858
DEXTERITY: 1578
WILLPOWER: 3316
INTELLIGENCE: 2882
PERCEPTION: 2175
FREE ATTRIBUTES: 274
After some careful consideration, he split the free attributes between Endurance, Willpower, and Dexterity. While Covert Dexterity and Reflexive Evasion were both great enhancements, they offered a less direct benefit than Exoskeletal Strength and Compressed Musculature. Ensuring his body could keep moving and reacting to circumstances quickly was crucial to his survival, and something he could only offset with skills like Repel so much. Of course, if he could upgrade the skill the way he wanted…
Putting those distracting thoughts aside, he focused first on his Center, where the mana from the Scourge was still being absorbed by Phaegos. Just like the creature’s mana network, the mana absorbed almost reminded Kyle of millions of tiny beads; each of them distinct, yet part of a greater whole.
Thank you for the meal, Phaegos said in Kyle’s mind, the voice languid and satisfied.
You’re very welcome, Kyle thought back in amusement. Through their bond, he could tell that the Parasitic Devourer was quite pleased with the energy absorbed from the Scourge. At that moment, an idea occurred to him, and he decided to ask while Phaegos was in a good mood. Say, with the Adaptive Anatomy complete, and the Core having been filled up, what exactly are you doing with the mana?
Other than savoring it? Phaegos clarified, the voice carrying a hint of amusement. I’m stockpiling it to fuel our next advancement. Once we get our directions, that is.
Are you talking about B Grade? Kyle asked. If so, you’ll be waiting for a long time.
Not necessarily, Phaegos replied. By virtue of my awakening alone, we are worthy of contending for more of the forebear’s power. Eventually, we will receive instructions, and we can pursue them further. Until such a time, storing up power would be wise.
Kyle felt himself frown a bit at the thought, and with effort, he felt the pocket of energy Phaegos was creating. If he wanted to, he knew he could access it, though he felt the Devourer’s sincerity in its words. It truly believed that the Progenitor would have something for Kyle to do, and thinking back on his interactions on Earth, he had to admit that there was a precedent. And, if he could get more communication from the Progenitor, he’d be that much closer to getting answers to who was truly behind Earth’s destruction.
Leaving Phaegos to its digestion, Kyle turned his attention to the faint golden glow of the World Tree Seed, where he could already feel C.H.A.D.D. hard at work depositing more of the power drained from the Scourge. Envisioning the World Tree Seed unfolding, his consciousness entered the space Between, where the plants were stored within the Seed. He spotted the broken remnants of the prosthetics he’d used in this encounter, both already being broken down and repurposed with the new sets.
[I APOLOGIZE THAT THESE DESIGNS WERE INSUFFICIENT, DR. MAYHEW. WE WILL NEED TO CONTINUE TO INVEST IN DURABILITY, EVEN IF THE COST IS MORE WEIGHT.]
That should be manageable, Kyle agreed, looking at the endlessly expanding garden stored inside the World Tree Seed. At least, that was how Kyle’s mind perceived the space. Shifting his focus toward the mana that was being absorbed by the seed, his perspective twisted for a moment, until it came upon the numerous chaddlings standing in neat rows.
I take it you have a plan for the archived energy?
[OF COURSE I DO, DR. MAYHEW. THEIR DESIGN WAS BASED OFF OF THE SCOURGE, AFTER ALL. OF COURSE, I WILL NEED QUITE A BIT MORE MANA TO MAKE MY PLANNED UPGRADES…]
The drone trailed off, leaving its intentions clear.
When we get a little while to relax, Kyle promised, though he smiled at the battalions of acorn-like soldiers. For now, though, I think it’s time to put the current models to work.