Oath of the Survivor

The Eye crashed to the ground, tattered wings no longer able to keep it aloft.  The shuttles were coming around for another bombing run, intent on delivering as much damage as possible.  Kyle was only peripherally aware as time seemed to slow down for him.  He saw four bodies ejected from the ruined shuttle, sharp metal debris spinning towards them as they all descended towards the ground. 

Tendrils of mana lashed out from his body as vines erupted from each arm, courtesy of C.H.A.D.D.  The plant life caught the expedition members as they fell, just as PARASITIC RESONANCE made its connection.  Immediately after the tendrils linked to the doomed survivors, Kyle activated STORM SHELTER.  Not just to surround him, but a unique instance for each of the four. 

Metal that would have meant certain death clattered off the shield like rain off an umbrella.  Kyle theorized it was possible, though he hadn’t had an opportunity to practice before now.  He staggered under the exertion of using the skill in this way, gritting his teeth as he held on.  There was more work to do.  As another rain of explosives fell onto the injured insect, Kyle turned his eyes to the projections C.H.A.D.D. was putting up.  Three of the expedition members had minor injuries from the crash, while one was left relatively unscathed. 

Unfortunately, they all inhaled a significant amount of the neurotoxin.  C.H.A.D.D.’s diagnoses were grim.  Already paralysis set in for the victims, and their bodies simply didn’t have the resilience to fight off the effects for an extended period of time.  Kyle desperately channeled HEAL towards each of them, focusing his attention on their vital organs.  Brain, heart, kidneys, liver, lungs.  Kyle repeated the mantra in his mind as he tried to split his attention into two competing priorities. 

First was the defense.  Channeling regenerative energies into each vital organ to stimulate recovery and prevent destruction from the toxin.  He followed his systematic approach, allowing the tendrils of mana to carry his precise work to each organ in turn.  The second layer was waging war against the toxins flowing through their blood.  He had to eliminate the bulk of the toxin in their bodies before he could leave them, or else they would die.   

STORM SHELTER served to keep the dust at bay, though it wouldn’t last forever.  Already C.H.A.D.D. was wrapping the vines around them for a quick extraction when the skill would be released.  The sound of explosions continued as munitions were dropped again and Kyle strained to keep his process moving.  The toll on Kyle’s mana was incredible.  Fortunately, he could cheat.  Each of the patients he was treating had virtually full mana reserves, and while it wouldn’t be enough to fuel the entirety of the recovery process, he didn’t feel one bit bad about borrowing energy from each of them to keep them alive.

The woman who had escaped with the lightest injuries was the first to stir.  Kyle expected that she had some sort of Warrior class, offering her more resilience than her colleagues.  Soon, her eyes popped open, panicking at the entangling vines.  She seemed about ready to rip them apart, and the distraction nearly caused Kyle to lose focus on the others.  Somehow, miraculously, she seemed to get it.  A moment later STORM SHELTER deactivated, and the vines coiled up, pulling their charges with them.

“You’re the D Grade…”

The woman’s voice was hushed, almost reverent.

“No time for that.  The others should be stabilizing soon, can you handle carrying them somewhere safe?”

She nodded, a serious look on her face.

“Will they be alright?  I’ve got a passive recovery skill, and it’s still done a number on me.”

“You should all definitely see Randolph when you’re back on the flagship.  He’ll be able to help handle any lingering effects.  For now though, you should be out of danger so long as you don’t get near the cloud again.”

She nodded, movements looking stiff as she walked to her companions and lifted them, hefting them over her shoulders.  Kyle withdrew the tendrils of mana and extricated himself from the winding vines.  Another round of explosions rang out, and Kyle felt a buzz on his wrist.  The nav bracelet had a message, and his expression darkened.

EXPLOSIVES HAVE BEEN DEPLETED.  ALL UNITS DISENGAGE.

Kyle knew that this was a victory.  They would resupply and launch another assault soon, with the Eye unable to recuperate between now and then.  Corthian Mining would win the war of attrition.  And Kyle wasn’t satisfied with it.  He understood it was likely due to the influence of the red energy he’d absorbed.  It also didn’t matter.  He would put the creature out of its misery, here and now.

HASTE activated, Kyle made his way towards the location of the last blasts.  His breath caught as he saw the damage, the entire area smashed to rubble by the concussive force of the blasts.  Standing in the middle of the destruction stood the Eye.  Its wings had been reduced to tatters, and for the first time Kyle got a good look at the creature beneath them.  It was a rich brown color, body almost reminiscent of  a large, fluffy wasp.  It had two antennae that reminded him of bird feathers above its jet black compound eyes, and a long proboscis that looked to be tasting the air.  It was still enormous, nearly twenty meters from its head to its abdomen. 

Kyle could see damage to the chitin on its legs, and knew that the creature didn’t have much left in it.  At least, he thought it didn’t.  With a speed that both surprised and impressed him, the moth turned and began to crawl towards the pseudo-world tree.  Kyle was confused, until he found himself blown away by a focused blast of air.  His armor gave off ominous creaks as he flew back.  He barely managed to land on his feet, and focused more intently.  Pay attention, you idiot.  The fight’s not over until it’s dead.  After admonishing himself, he approached again.

“C.H.A.D.D., give me as much warning as you can if it keeps attacking.  I don’t want to land on you by accident if we get knocked down.”

[I AM IN AGREEMENT, DR. MAYHEW.]

And so the duo began their grim advance.  The flattened field between them and the Eye offered little cover, and continuous attacks from the moth ripped apart the earth.  Between Auric Perception and C.H.A.D.D.’s warnings, Kyle only had to activate STORM SHELTER once to block a set of particularly stealthy blasts.  The Eye had managed to launch wide, curving blasts that approached from each side at almost the same time.  Its fine mana control was impressive, though against Kyle’s defensive capabilities it wasn’t enough. 

Closing in on the foot of the tree, Kyle considered his options.  He could try to use PARASITIC RESONANCE to make handholds in the wood, though he expected that would take a lot of effort given the potent mana flowing through the bark.  The surface was likely rough enough that he could climb it normally, though he risked being unable to avoid attacks from the creature.  Kyle remembered seeing one of the shuttles get smashed against it and knew that was something he’d much rather avoid. 

The Eye was crawling slower now, seeming to strain with every movement.  Kyle regarded it as it turned to face him.  The tattered remains of its wings flared out behind it, then suddenly ignited in golden light, seeming to borrow energy from the tree itself.  Kyle felt an enormous surge of energy through Auric Perception, and reacted instantly as STORM SHELTER sprang to life around him.  A tendril of mana connected to C.H.A.D.D., who began insulating the interior of the barrier with a thick wall of vines. 

It won’t be enough.  The energy channeling through the body of the Eye kept building, beyond any individual attack Kyle had seen so far.

[USE THE TREE, DR. MAYHEW!]

The urgency in the drone’s tone left no room for discussion, and Kyle trusted his companion. In his moment of desperation, Kyle extended a tendril to the pseudo-world tree, borrowing from the Eye’s playbook.  He felt a vast energy, and then felt his connection to C.H.A.D.D. weaken as the drone helped him regulate the flow of power.

Kyle wanted to see how C.H.A.D.D. was holding on, but before he could the blast hit.  A beam of pure gold energy smashed into his barrier, shredding his shield like no other attack before.  Kyle drew energy from the tree as he repaired it, his own reserves paling before those of the tree.  Hold!

The barrier continued to crack, the vines against the edge being seared away by the attack.  Still, he repaired the shield.  Hold!

The beam intensified, entire areas around the roots of the tree being incinerated by the heat and pressure.  STORM SHELTER began to break apart.  He felt blood trickling out of his nose and mouth.  The armor was getting uncomfortably hot.  Still, Kyle refused to look away.  Shaping his skill along the framework of the vines, one intention rang true, a testament to his path.  HOLD!

Kyle’s mind went back to his first skill selection in D Grade, and the foundation of his path: survival through enduring any and all hardships.  That memory formed an intent that infused his shield.  It was battered.  It was cracked.  And it was unyielding.  The beam of energy faded, leaving a wretched-looking dome around him. 

Much of the golden luster of the tree had been spent, siphoned away by the Eye and the man opposing it.  Looking through the ruined remains of his dissipating shield, Kyle saw the giant moth.  It was in terrible condition.  Its wings and antennae had completely burned away, and its body was smoldering.  Jagged, smoldering scars ran across the surface of its body.  Its legs seemed to be unable to hold the bark, and it fell to the ground with a loud crash.  He could feel that it was alive, if barely.  The attack it had used was suicidal, a last attempt to take him out with it. 

“C.H.A.D.D., you okay buddy?”

[YES, DR. MAYHEW.  WE NEED TO GET TO THE MOTH.]

“I’m planning on it.  We’ll finish it off quickly.”

[I DON’T CARE ABOUT THAT, DR. MAYHEW.  IT’S A BUG.  IT HAS THE SEED.]

Kyle frowned at this, not quite following.

“We would have detected a natural treasure, particularly one as powerful as they thought it would be.”

[THE TREE HAS MANY NATURAL TREASURES, DR. MAYHEW.  THIS IS ONE THAT THEY WOULDN’T DETECT.  IT’S ALSO THE ONE THAT I WANT.]

His frown deepened. 

“C.H.A.D.D., this is dangerous.  They aren’t going to just let us keep it.”

[THEY WON’T KNOW, DR. MAYHEW.  THE TREE SHOWED ME.]

“You better know what you’re talking about, C.H.A.D.D.”

Kyle wasn’t sure if he would allow the drone to absorb a treasure at the level the expedition was expecting, but he’d at least take a look.  Wisps of steam still rose for his armor as he moved towards the fallen body of the Eye.  His body ached.  The mental fatigue was even worse than the physical, and he felt like he would be able to sleep for a week.  

Extending the tendrils of PARASITIC RESONANCE towards the creature, Kyle knew it was dying.  The moth seemed to understand this as well, a feeling of resignation making its way through the connection.  It regarded Kyle as he looked at its eyes, and its proboscis moved.  Kyle nearly jumped back, even though he felt no hostility in the movement.  As the long “tongue” of the creature unfurled, he saw a small pinecone glowing with golden light, no larger than the palm of his hand.  He reached towards it, and the moment his skin came into contact, it vanished.

“What happened?  Where did it go?”

[YOU SECURED IT, DR. MAYHEW.  MORE ACCURATELY, I SECURED IT THROUGH THE ACTIVE CONNECTION.]

“I didn’t say you could take it, C.H.A.D.D.”

[YOU IMPLIED IT.  IN ANY EVENT, WHAT’S DONE IS DONE.]

Kyle focused with his Auric Perception, not detecting anything other than his companion from the pack.  The impressions from PARASITIC RESONANCE told a different story, however.  As he was connected to the drone, he could also feel echoes of the power emitted by the seed.

“I can take it back, C.H.A.D.D.  This could get us killed if you’re not careful.”

[I WILL USE THE UTMOST CAUTION.]

A gentle rustling sound brought Kyle’s attention back to the moth.  It didn’t seem angry, just tired.  Furthermore, it seemed to recognize the value of what it had given them, not wanting to leave it behind.  Kyle did his best to convey a sense of gratitude through the connection.

“I’m going to kill it now, C.H.A.D.D.  Then I’m going to be knocked out.  If they find me, and find the seed, you give it to them.  We stored it for safekeeping.  Do you understand?”

[YES, DR. MAYHEW.]

He sighed.  He didn’t trust for a moment that the drone would willingly give up a treasure of this magnitude, and C.H.A.D.D.’s greed was beginning to get problematic.  For now, he didn’t have much of a choice.  With a thought, he snuffed out the last embers of life inside the Eye.  Moments later, a blast of crimson energy entered his body, ushering him to darkness.

~~~

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