AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Quick reminder - I'm traveling this week, will have the next chapter on Thursday mid-day, then back to normal Friday.

~~~

C.H.A.D.D. took a moment to admire its handiwork, which was quite impressive.  The entire cavern had been reinforced with a lattice of stonebloom coated vines, with mana-grown trees acting as pillars to support the structure of the cave.  This doubled as a line of defense, as each of the tree trunks were grown from razorpine seeds, their branches pointing toward the entrance to the cenote above.  If anything undesirable came in, they would be met with a barrage of explosions and shrapnel.

A smaller dome of vines surrounded what C.H.A.D.D. referred to as the treatment zone, with the tops coated with a different type of bark that they’d acquired during Kyle’s practicum.  The trees on the first world they’d visited had a cell structure perfectly designed to shrug off the constant bombardment of hail, while also insulating the trees against both extreme cold and extreme heat.  Exactly the kind of controls C.H.A.D.D. wanted for Dr. Mayhew’s recovery.

Inside the treatment zone, C.H.A.D.D. was also busy growing more artificial organs, a process that became much more efficient now that the time pressure wasn’t as extraordinary.  This allowed Dr. Mayhew’s mana reserves to recover somewhat, which was welcome.  The presence inside C.H.A.D.D.’s companion was still activating the healing skills periodically, which aided the process.

A whisper of hunger came through the bond, drawing C.H.A.D.D.’s attention from additional layers of reinforcement.

[BE PATIENT, PLEASE.  I WILL FIND YOU SOMETHING TO EAT SHORTLY.]

With those words, the drone activated a rarely-used ability, releasing a blast of artificially created pheromones down one of the adjoining tunnels to the cenote.  Between the dossiers on Kertan Six and C.H.A.D.D.’s scans, the drone had confirmed that the insects dwelling beneath the surface were generally quite weak, with the most powerful of them being in early E Grade.  Even so, the drone had a chaddling on standby, just in case.

Satisfied that a treat for the hungry mana thief would be on its way shortly, C.H.A.D.D. turned its attention back to the cavern itself.  In poring over the details surrounding awakened fungal colonies, C.H.A.D.D. discovered that in most cases, after an extermination attempt, they were destroyed with a focused bombardment to ensure they didn’t come back.  While C.H.A.D.D. and Dr. Mayhew were quite a distance from the heart of the colony, the drone didn’t want to take any chances of a cave-in when the inevitable bombardment came.

Calculating a few more weak points in the cavern, C.H.A.D.D. shaped more growth for the trees, creating angled joists to continue to support the ground above.  Considering the pool, C.H.A.D.D. also began to weave a network of vines and bark to shelter the clean water supply from any contaminants that might fall in from the hole above.

On cue, several large insects that reminded C.H.A.D.D. of silverfish came shambling down one of the subterranean tunnels toward the cenote.  The creatures were low E Grade, subsisting almost entirely on the roots of the trees above and the ambient moisture of the underground caverns.  As they mindlessly approached, C.H.A.D.D. felt Dr. Mayhew’s mana stir, and the silverfish each dropped dead.

The presence inside Dr. Mayhew felt a little less hungry for a moment, and the chaddling nearby scooped up the bodies and brought them over to be processed.  They weren’t as nutritionally complete as a pogrit, but they would still provide fine fertilizer to support the plants.  Naturally, C.H.A.D.D. had also cleared out a portion of the cavern to grow pogrit seeds, which the drone was still working on liquifying to feed Dr. Mayhew.

Before any more progress could be made on that project, the drone’s attention was snapped back to the surface as it felt an incredible mana descending.  A moment later, the ground began to shake, and C.H.A.D.D. realize what was happening.  The bombardment has started.  To C.H.A.D.D.’s horror, the attack had far greater mana density than it had expected, the kinetic force far beyond any of the drone’s calculations.

An unacceptable oversight,

C.H.A.D.D. admonished itself.  Fortunately, the drone had overengineered the defenses.  And not just a little.  After all, C.H.A.D.D. had first hand experience with world-ending cataclysms, and found no reason not to prepare for an event of similar magnitude when preparing the defenses.  As the cenote shook and stone cracked, the drone continued its work, primarily focused on Dr. Mayhew’s care.  The tree supports and vines held firm, stabilizing the, as the world shook.

C.H.A.D.D. considered how badly things might have turned out if it hadn’t put in the additional effort to overprepare.  No, as the skies darkened and waves of flame rushed over the surface, C.H.A.D.D. was already thinking about preparations to better support Dr. Mayhew when he got better.  Because he would get better.  If I had been better prepared, we may not have ended up in this mess in the first place.

The drone looked to the large artificial heart and lung, still rhythmically pumping.  They were too large, too delicate to be a long-term solution for Dr. Mayhew.  But C.H.A.D.D. had been thinking long and hard about how to solve that problem, and the answer was becoming clearer by the day.  Once the proof of concept was done, C.H.A.D.D. would work on designing the procedure.  After all, C.H.A.D.D. was already storing the Knotted Vine Core inside the World Tree Seed.  Why couldn’t Dr. Mayhew do the same?

~~~

Kyle’s consciousness drifted about in a void, his few lucid moments being mixed with pure agony, then back to blissful oblivion once more.  Through his bond with C.H.A.D.D. and the Core of the Parasitic Devourer, he felt a mix of deep concern and resolve, though he couldn’t quite wrap his mind around the emotions.  Everything felt foggy, as if his very mana cultivation wasn’t entirely his own.

What he could see, more vividly than ever, was the blazing sigil of his path of the Survivalist.  It was almost tangible to him, and through the haze of his cognition, he felt that he was growing to understand two crucially important aspects of his path.  Growth and steadfastness.  Adaptation and rigidity.  A body that changes, with an immutable soul.

Kyle didn’t know where the words came from, though the quiet voice in his head sounded profoundly like him.  The longer he reflected on his path, on his center, the more the words seemed to encompass everything.  At some point, the crimson energy from the riftwyrm, the Progenitor, began to flow into his vision, standing alongside the blazing image of his path, though no longer overwhelming it.

Growth and Steadfastness.  Adaptation and Rigidity.  His mind drifted to his Adaptive Anatomy, and all the changes he’d seen.  He remembered seeing himself in a mirror back in Albaum, and hating the changes he saw.  Monster.  The thought was instinctive back then.  Natural.  Yet now, he found himself almost looking forward to the enhancements, the changes.  Some of it was a simple pursuit of power, he recognized that.  Still, another, more real part of him knew that his identity wasn’t tied up in the changes.  The people most important to him simply didn’t care.

His mind then drifted to his skills, with Adaptive Regeneration and Storm Shelter coming to mind.  Though the concepts existed across his entire path, no skills embodied them way that these two did.  Adaptive Regeneration allowed him to grow and change, even apart from his Adaptive Anatomy.  It was a skill that saved his life more times than he could count.

Storm Shelter was similar.  It was simple and profound; a basic barrier that was stronger than it had any right to be.  A barrier that refused to break.  It was a skill that stood in defiance of overwhelming odds, meeting the opposition head on.  In many ways, it was a reflection of his own stubbornness.

Kyle felt something inside himself click into place, and as he watched, streams of silver-white light began to trickle from the image of his path into the nodes that represented these skills.  At the same time, he felt a stirring from the Core of the Parasitic Devourer, a mix of approval and building anticipation.  This works for you too, huh?

Kyle thought weakly, gaining more awareness as the concepts seeped into the deepest parts of his soul.

Focusing on his Center, he finally had enough presence of mind to see his status, only to be taken aback at the sheer number of levels he’d gained.

KYLE MAYHEW.  ARTHRO-HUMAN CHIMERA (PARASITE), SURVIVALIST.  LEVEL 122 (D)

CORE OF THE PARASITIC DEVOURER 99%

ADAPTIVE ANATOMY – 14/? – 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: 1491

ENDURANCE: 1997

STRENGTH: 569

DEXTERITY: 1218

WILLPOWER: 2313

INTELLIGENCE: 2234

PERCEPTION: 1565

FREE ATTRIBUTES: 198

A feeling of satisfaction rolled through him as he realized his Endurance would naturally rise above 2000 before reaching C Grade, bringing three of his attributes above that baseline.  He was tempted to add the rest of the free attributes back to Willpower, but something in the back of his head told him that wasn’t right.  Why not?  It was all so difficult to remember.  He knew he liked adding to his Willpower, but as his focus shifted across his attributes, Vitality kept grabbing his attention.

A wave of pain made his focus waver, and only then did vague memories of his fight with Valentine return.  That’s right, I’m hurt, he realized, trying to remember exactly what happened.  It was all so fuzzy, difficult to focus on…  No!

Kyle snapped back to his attributes, the memories gaining clarity.  He should have died – should be dead.  But somehow, he wasn’t.  He survived.

With that realization, his connection to both C.H.A.D.D. and his Core of the Parasitic Devourer crystalized in his mind’s eye.  He could feel the core straining, pushing to keep Adaptive Regeneration, Healing Impetus, and Parasitic Resonance active.  At the same time, he felt a whole symphony of emotions from C.H.A.D.D., the drone working harder than any time he’d seen before.

Working to keep me alive.

Slowly, his sensation started to come back.  His whole body was in pain, but he felt that, if he tried, he could move his body.  It hadn’t really been used before, but the additional nerve ganglia provided by Ceaseless Vitality still helped nerve signals cross his body without a spine intact.  That’s right, Kyle remembered with horror, suddenly noticing that he couldn’t breathe.

Even though he tried to control it, his immediate panic response was to try and sit up and breathe deeper, which caused a pulling sensation inside his chest as a fresh wave of pain moved through him.  His eyes flew open to see a dark cavern, gentle beams of starlight reflecting on a nearby pool.  A soft, rhythmic sound was coming from his left, and he could see small round shapes shuffling through the darkness.

Before he could turn his head toward the sound, gentle vines reached up and wrapped around him, and a familiar, comforting voice rang out through the cavern.

[IT IS WONDERFUL TO SEE YOU AWAKE, DR. MAYHEW.  HOWEVER, I MUST ASK THAT YOU PLEASE REFRAIN FROM MOVING RIGHT NOW.  I HAVE BEEN WORKING QUITE DILIGENTY ON YOUR RECOVERY, AND I WOULD HATE TO SEE THAT WORK SQUANDERED BY UNNECESSARY JOSTLING.]

Kyle tried to talk, but found his airway obstructed, a mask of leaves on his face.

[I CAN TELL THAT YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, AND I WILL DO MY BEST TO ANSWER THEM.  HOWEVER, THERE IS SOMETHING THAT WILL NEED YOUR ATTENTION SOONER THAN LATER, AS WE ARE ON THE CUSP OF SOME MAJOR DECISIONS.]

Kyle sent a question through their bond, noting with an eerie feeling that his pulse didn’t change at all, despite the stress and shock of his awakening.  The eeriness only magnified as he remembered that his heart had been completely destroyed.

[DR. MAYHEW, WHILE THE MANA THIEF AND I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STABILIZE YOU, THIS IS NOT TENABLE FOR THE LONG-TERM.  WE BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE FOUND A SOLUTION, THOUGH I HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE THAT WE HAD TO WAIT UNTIL THE LITTLE GLUTTON DID SOME MORE EATING.]

That last comment was met with indignation, and hunger from the Core of the Parasitic Devourer.  It was hungry, and it was close to completion.  So close…  Kyle considered the drone’s words, then sent an impression through the bond.  Continue.

[AS YOU ARE RIGHT NOW, YOU WILL BE UNABLE TO MOVE OR FUNCTION WITHOUT ARTIFICIAL ORGANS.  THE MEANS AT MY DISPOSAL CURRENTLY ARE TOO FRAGILE TO BE MOVED ABOUT, AND COULD CAUSE SIGNIFICANT HARM IF THEY ARE NOT SUPPORTED.  FURTHERMORE, YOU WOULD BE UNABLE TO USE MANY OF YOUR SKILLS, AS THEY WOULD ALMOST IMMEDIATELY CAUSE THE ARTIFICAL ORGANS TO FAIL.]

That sounded bad.  Very bad.  Before Kyle could fall into a spiral, C.H.A.D.D. continued.

[HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THERE IS A SOLUTION THAT WILL BOTH PROTECT THE ORGANS, AND ALLOW YOU TO REGAIN SOME FUNCTION.  THE GLUTTON BELIEVES THAT, WHEN IT IS READY TO REACH ITS NEXT STAGE, IT WILL BE ABLE TO HELP WITH THE PROCESS.  AT THE SAME TIME, I WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR THAT THE PROCEDURE WILL BE… UNPLEASANT.]

What is it?  Kyle wondered, his emotions too much of a mess to express clearly.

[YOU NEED SOMETHING RESILIENT ENOUGH TO PROTECT YOU, SOMETHING COMPATIBLE WITH YOUR MANA, AND SOMETHING THAT CAN SAFELY STORE AWAY YOUR ORGANS WHERE THEY WON’T BE EASILY ACCESSED.  DR. MAYHEW, IT IS TIME FOR US TO PLANT THE WORLD TREE SEED.]