NOVEL WEB Chapter 100
“What do you mean you’re going to have me assessed?”
Kyle frowned and folded his arms.
“You’ve all seen what I can do, and while it may not be much compared to you, I’ve more than pulled my weight.”
“You’re damn right you’re not much!”
Randolph looked like he was about to go on a full-blown rant, though reconsidered at Chester’s withering glare.
“Your abilities aren’t in question, Mr. Mayhew. The assessment is a formal report of an individual’s aptitudes, and is among several other factors that can determine one’s station in the wider universe, and certainly within Collective participant species.” His gaze sharpened as he turned it back to Randolph. “Under ordinary circumstances, this would be completed upon our return to Collective space, and would be accompanied by a hefty fee payable by you. Senior leadership is curious, however, if you might be an asset to Corthian Mining as a whole. We have decided to sponsor your assessment.”
At the last words, Randolph seemed to deflate. Kyle felt tension leave his shoulders that he didn’t realize he’d been carrying. While he didn’t trust the physician, Kyle was well aware of organizational power. Nobody wanted to cross senior management, after all. Silence heavy as an elephant weighed on the room before Randolph finally gestured for Kyle to lie down on a nearby exam table.
“Damn it, Chester. Fine.”
Kyle set his pack and the thankfully quiet drone next to Chester, then rested on the table Randolph indicated. He had to admit, the furnishings were much more comfortable than what he’d been used to in his clinic. As he did, he felt a large amount of mana begin to swirl around the physician, soon covering a sphere surrounding him. For a moment he was worried his was under attack, but a quick glance at Chester’s calm expression put that worry to rest. Soon, the mana began to coalesce around him into a pattern that almost reminded him of when he entered his center. Oops.
Kyle just realized with a start that he hadn’t taken time to meditate since coming back up to the ship. A lot had happened, and in the hustle it had genuinely slipped his mind. He knew that his experience in the rainforest had led to some significant gains, he simply hadn’t taken the time to consolidate them. He was snapped back to the present as the pattern that had swirled around him suddenly collapsed in on him, covering his body in a thin field of mana before being absorbed. Randolph nodded slowly to himself, then placed his palms on the center of a nearby table.
Kyle saw an image of himself slowly come into focus, created from gentle blue light. Next to the image small script was appearing as Randolph studied it and took notes, thick mustache bristling like a hedgehog as he muttered to himself. Finally, nearly ten minutes later, the image faded away as the physician turned to face Kyle. His face carried with it a solemnity and seriousness it hadn’t before, and Kyle realized he was leaning in slightly in anticipation of the man’s words.
“Never easy news to share. You’re broken, kid.”
Kyle froze, immediately thinking about his status as an Arthro-Human Chimera. Did the assessment not work because he wasn’t technically human any longer? Could Randolph even tell? He wasn’t sure if he would give away details he shouldn’t by asking, but he didn’t feel like he had much choice. Just as he was about to open his mouth to speak, Chester did it for him.
“I trust you aren’t trying to make some sort of joke, Randolph. Explain.”
The physician clasped his hands, causing the massive muscles in his forearms to flex.
“I mean that from what the scan tells me that there’s no traditional role for someone like him at D Grade. He’s developed from a Healer base, but the skill overlay only showed one ability that can actually heal somebody else. He has a lot of skills that involve manipulating internal mana, of particular note a boosting skill focused on mobility and Perception. Even then, his attribute overlay shows that he’d be useless on the frontlines of a D Grade battlefield.”
Randolph was visibly getting worked up as he talked, and he took a breath to calm himself before continuing.
“His Vitality, Endurance, Willpower, Intelligence and Perception are all quite good for an early level, but they’re all useless because his skills don’t do anything. The best thing he has is the shield he showed Rochelle’s team. That has no synergy with anything else he has going on, because he can’t hold ground due to a focus on mobility. He’s a disjointed mess, without any effective niche or specialization. Broken.”
At first Kyle wanted to punch the man. Holding himself back, he looked to Chester.
“You know that’s a load of crap, right?”
Chester sighed as he met Kyle’s eyes.
“Mr. Mayhew, this was my suspicion as well. I thought your combination of skills was odd. While it might be effective in some circumstances, it will also be challenging for somebody in your position to find gainful employment. That’s not to say there’s no opportunity, rather that you’ll have to fight harder for them. Regardless, an issue for later.”
Chester stood up and prepared to leave the room.
“Mr. Mayhew, please rest assured that nothing about our arrangement for the duration of the expedition will change. I had a job offer ready if you fit certain criteria, but it would have been for after our return in any event. Good day, gentlemen. Please don’t ruin my sick bay.”
With that he walked out the door, leaving Kyle in the room with Randolph. The burly physician leaned back in his chair, an appraising look on his face.
“You’ve been through the ringer, haven’t you kid?”
Kyle just nodded. Randolph continued.
“I’ve seen it before. You were dealt a lousy hand and had to make choices in the moment. Only future you really had time to think about was your next few weeks instead of the next century.”
Kyle sighed.
“That’s more accurate than you know. If there’s nothing else you need from me, I’m going to leave.”
“Do you know why I called you a waste of a Healer?”
The question caught Kyle by surprise, and he stopped before he could get up.
“I assume it’s because I’m not as good as you are.”
Randolph chuckled, the smile causing wrinkles to form next to his eyes.
“I said it because I thought you intentionally disrespected the path while still using the moniker. Looking you over though, I’ve changed my mind. For your body to have gone through the changes it has… I’m not going to look down on you for doing what you had to survive. You’re welcome in my office any day, Mayhew.”
Kyle was taken by surprise at the Randolph’s words, but decided it wasn’t worth pushing the matter. He stood up and shook the other man’s beefy hand, doing his best to match the smile, even though he hadn’t felt it. This was a lot to take in.
Kyle grabbed C.H.A.D.D. and left the med bay, head swirling. His nav bracelet showed a message, but he ignored it for now. Getting back to his quarters, he sighed as he settled on the floor and tried to enter meditation. His frustration made it much more difficult than it should have been, though soon enough he entered his center and looked at the words that greeted him.
KYLE MAYHEW. ARTHRO-HUMAN CHIMERA (PARASITE), SURVIVALIST. LEVEL 6 (D)
ADAPTIVE ANATOMY – 3/? – ENHANCED CARAPACE, AURIC PERCEPTION, EXOSKELETAL STRENGTH
VITALITY: 349
ENDURANCE: 367
STRENGTH: 143
DEXTERITY: 248
WILLPOWER: 377
INTELLIGENCE: 378
PERCEPTION: 353
FREE ATTRIBUTES: 90
He was surprised to see how many levels he’d gained, and began thinking about allocating his free attributes. He thought about what Randolph said about his attributes, that he wasn’t well-suited to do any one task. While Kyle felt confident that the physician’s assessment missed some of the more unique applications of his skills, he could understand where the man was coming from.
That left him with a few courses of action: he could try to specialize his attributes in the direction he was already moving, he could invest in a different direction, or he could save the attribute points until he had more clarity. Kyle reflected on the options, and ultimately decided to continue on the path he’d been working towards.
While it was true he might be lacking some synergy at the moment, Kyle still had a long way to go in D Grade. He already knew which skill he was hoping to upgrade at Level 20, and had an idea of where to take it. Breathing out slowly, he allocated points to Willpower, Intelligence, and Perception. If they think my path is broken, I’ll just have to carve my own.
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