Oath of the Survivor

Kyle stared up at the sequoia with wonder in his eyes.  The gargantuan tree was beautiful, the bark giving off a gentle glow.  It released an aura that was both awe-inspiring and sorrowful.  It was dying.  Most of the flat, needle-like leaves were orange or yellow with blight, leaving a spare few that retained their verdant green.  While the condition of the tree had been shared by the expedition, even if he’d approached alone, Kyle would have known.  He couldn’t place how, he just… could.  So this is a world tree.

Technically, it was a pseudo-world tree, having not been grown from a true seed.  Still, to Kyle it was incredible.  He had to wonder just how majestic the real thing would be.  According to Rochelle, this was a fairly common occurrence when world-ending catastrophes happened.  If the world was mana-rich enough, somewhere on the planet a pseudo-world tree would grow, and produce seeds that could create the genuine article.  Apparently, the Collective actually had to create a strict ban on world-destroying research when a number of greedy enterprises had tried to make a business out of farming them.

WHUMP

The sound of a colossal wingbeat brought his attention back to the task in front of him.  The Eye was airborne, flying around the tree it called home.  Golden brown scales soon clouded the air above him, descending in a rain of death.  Kyle was tempted to test himself against the toxins, though he decided against it.  Some experiments weren’t worth running unless it became necessary. 

WHUMP

Pulling out the explosive grenade given to him by expedition team, Kyle had a moment of fondness as he remembered his first home-made stink bombs.

“Are you ready, C.H.A.D.D.?”

[ALWAYS, DR. MAYHEW.]

That was all he needed to hear.  He dashed towards the towering remains of one of the trees he’d helped to fell, running up the ruined bark, gaining altitude.  The fallen trunk formed a crude ramp, with its once magnificent branches now tangled against the glowing bark of the pseudo-world tree.  HASTE was active as he ascended, covering the ground at a shocking rate.  He saw the shuttles hanging back, just out of range.  He would signal the starting bell.

“When we get into the cloud, tell me everything you can.  I’m going to try to avoid inhaling if at all possible, but any information about the nature of the toxins from the scales would give us an edge.”

Without waiting for a response, he took a deep breath before running into the fog.

The mana infusing the toxic scales tingled against his skin as he continued to gain distance, though it was minor compared to the clashing auras of the tree and the moth.  Without prompting, C.H.A.D.D. highlighted the direction of the massive insect, in addition to several arcs for his grenade.

WHUMP

Another wingbeat, another layer of floating scales.  If the moth had noticed him, it gave no indication.  Infusing mana into the grenade as he ran, he felt a metaphysical ‘click’ as the explosive fully armed.  Though it was many degrees weaker than the explosives that took down the trees, the little grenade would still pack a wallop.  Trusting the drone’s guidance, he threw the orb.  His lungs were beginning to burn, and as it left his hand he took a breath, inhaling some of the toxic cloud.

Two things happened simultaneously.  Kyle activated STORM SHELTER just as the grenade exploded.  A wave of blue-green light washed over the area as concussive force ripped through the air.  The gently descending cloud of scales from the Eye was blown away, just to be recreated as the creature flapped its wings to stabilize.

Kyle and C.H.A.D.D. were sheltered from the explosion thanks to Kyle’s shield, however with the cloud cleared away, they made for a clear target.  A blade of wind was released as the oversized moth hovered in the air, smashing hard into the barrier.  The bark around him was ripped apart, caught in powerful storm winds.  To Kyle, he may as well have been watching the carnage on a television screen.

A barrage of attacks followed as the Eye turned its full attention to the young man, and the already battered fallen tree was getting worn down further with every strike.  Kyle knew it was time to go before the whole tree gave way; unfortunately, he had another hurdle to overcome. 

The toxin he’d inhaled was certainly worthy of a true D Grade monster.  It was simpler than the other moths, the scales only containing a neurotoxin.  What it lacked in variety, however, it made up for in potency.  The toxin was powerful enough to give his ADAPTIVE REGENERATION a run for its money, and he estimated if one of the E Grades was caught, they’d be paralyzed almost instantly, with major organ failures following shortly after.   

Further, the mana infusing the toxin gave it an annoying stability, binding the toxic elements together tightly with intent.  ADAPTIVE REGENERATION was waging an all-out war in his body against the stubborn invaders, taking back ground one step at a time.  He felt the neuropathy in his fingers and toes begin to fade, and pushed even more into the skill.

Between the powerful wind attacks and the poisonous scales, Kyle saw a deadly synergy.  There were very few living beings that would have a chance against it.  Even a monster like the Endless would likely be nearly powerless – battered by wind and toxic dust, while unable to meaningfully retaliate.  That’s not to say the Endless would lose – just that it didn’t have the tools to win.  Unfortunately for the Eye, that’s where it was disadvantaged against the expedition. 

The giant moth continued to blast at Kyle, oblivious to the danger it was in.  Kyle saw a gleam in the sky behind the creature, and moments later a massive explosion rocked the area.  The Corthian Mining flagship wasn’t designed for air-to-ground combat, however it did have a couple tools to deploy.  The massive shell dropped from orbit was one of them.  It was a tool designed to clear a landing zone, repurposed to be a powerful opening strike against the D Grade insect. 

A cloud of dust replaced the cloud of scales.  Neither Kyle nor C.H.A.D.D. had any issues detecting the aura of the monster beyond, and they knew the fight was far from over.  Deactivating the barrier, Kyle evacuated his position.  He wasn’t a moment too soon, as a blast of wind finally ripped apart the trunk of the tree, causing the whole thing to collapse to the ground. 

Frantically, Kyle sped down the falling trunk.  Even with HASTE, he was too slow.  He heard the wood cracking and splintering beneath his feet, and then there was nothing but air.  He still had nearly a dozen meters between himself and the ground, and knew that was going to be a painful fall.  Turning his head, he saw debris falling towards him from above.  STORM SHELTER wasn’t option – he’d get squished inside his own shield. 

“C.H.A.D.D., now!”

He reached into his pack, grabbing onto a seed while a tendril of mana connected to the drone.  Instantly, thick vines reached towards the ground while roots ran up his arm, forming an umbrella against falling pieces of wood.  The vines functioned as shock absorbers, and Kyle landed lightly on his feet before rushing away from the collapsing tree. 

WHUMP

The dust dispersed as a mighty blast of wind crossed the area, revealing a battered, but very much alive moth.  A cloud of scales began to form around it, and the Eye began to move straight towards Kyle. 

A truly unfortunate decision, given the smaller shuttles lying in wait.  Nearly a dozen vehicles approached as the Eye passed their position, each one carrying mining explosives repurposed as bombs.  As they flew overhead, expedition members dropped their payloads.  The target wasn’t the body of the insect, rather the wings.  They were already tattered from the opening salvo from the flagship, and the chains of explosions ravaged them further. 

That’s not to say that the Eye was out of the fight. Kyle could feel the mana pouring out of the creature, which was clearly holding nothing back.  Focused blasts of wind ripped through the sky as the moth spiraled towards the ground.  One shuttle was hit directly.  Kyle could see the bodies windmilling off towards the horizon, limp.  He knew it was too late for them.  Another shuttle was caught and slammed directly into the wood of the massive tree, the shuttle exploding on impact. 

A third shuttle was clipped, spinning directly towards Kyle and C.H.A.D.D.  The shuttle ripped apart mid-air, exposing the occupants to the toxic air.  Determination gripped his heart, and Kyle sharpened his focus.  Not today.

~~~

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