Looking into the mirror-like pond and comparing it to C.H.A.D.D.’s projected image, Kyle had to say that he looked better than expected.  Unbeknownst to him, the chaddlings had been trimming his hair and beard from growing too long, and C.H.A.D.D. had put in a lot of work to keep him fed.  He’d certainly lost a bit of muscle mass as a result of his injuries, but his frame still looked lean and strong.

Moreover, the swirling wooden heart of the World Tree Seed melded seamlessly into his flesh at the border of his injury; perfectly fusing with the skin.  Emblazoned on the front, where his left pectoral would be, there was a shallow image of his Path of the Unbroken Survivor.  As he breathed, he could see the seams within the sigil expand and contract slightly, proving to him that his breathing and heartbeat were once again inside his control.

Most notably, however, he could feel the work that C.H.A.D.D. was constantly doing inside the separate space the World Tree Seed had.  He could feel C.H.A.D.D.’s Knotted Vine Core, the ever-expanding and layered creation that empowered the drone’s plant manipulation.  He felt the storage for the chaddlings, with the drone having created nearly a thousand during his recovery, and he felt the stockpile of artificial organs the drone made and set aside, ready for use.

With an effort, Kyle focused on one of the chaddlings, willing it to leave the space.  It took a little while for the mechanics to click, as if he was learning to use a new muscle for the first time.  He could feel a question through his bond with C.H.A.D.D., but the drone quickly understood and let Kyle work.  Slowly, he gained an understanding, and the chaddling appeared in the space beside him.

“That’s not as easy as you make it look,” Kyle said, looking at the acorn-like creature he’d just summoned.

[IT REQUIRES PRACTICE, UNDOUBTEDLY.  I WOULD HAVE NORMALLY RECOMMENDED STARTING WITH SOMETHING SMALLER, BUT YOU DID SPLENDIDLY.]

Feeling C.H.A.D.D.’s pride come through Pack Leader’s Instinct, Kyle fought back a smile.  As accomplishments go, this wasn’t major.  But he also knew that the fact he survived at all made the drone incredibly happy.  It was proof that C.H.A.D.D.’s hard work and diligence paid off.  And I’m not going to put them in that position again, Kyle thought, feeling his mana cycle through the wood on his shoulder; perfectly connected to his system.

He hadn’t used Identify to confirm it yet, but from what he could tell, some of the benefits of his Adaptive Anatomy also applied to the wooden portion of his torso.  He could sense the D Grade aura from the chaddling to his left, and could feel veins of biometal working inside the wood, courtesy of his Ferric Augmentation.  The cells inside the wood seemed to be brimming with life thanks to Tenacious Vigor, and a quick activation of Healing Impetus confirmed that more regenerative power was stored inside the cells, priming them for regeneration.

While it would take a bit of time to adjust to the blurry spots where Synaptic Barbs weren’t present, Kyle knew that he had time.  Looking up at the canopy of leaves and vines blocking the entrance to the cenote, Kyle smiled.  There was a lot to do, but first things first.  He needed a bath.

After he’d filled some gourds with clean drinking water and cleaned up in a partitioned-off section of the cenote, Kyle stretched and looked up to the ceiling of the cave.

“What do you say we go check out the surface, C.H.A.D.D.?”

[I WOULD ENJOY THAT, DR. MAYHEW.]

With his control better than ever before, using Repel to leap up to the canopy was simplicity itself.  It was exhilarating to move, to feel his blood flow, his heart beat.  What worked less well was when he reached to grab a branch to vault beyond the supporting trees, only to remember that he didn’t have a left arm.  He course corrected with a quick application of Repel from where his left shoulder had been, behind the wooden prosthetic, and created enough elevation to grab hold with his right hand.  Still have to get used to that,

he thought.  Despite the setback, his mind was already turning, searching for solutions.  Could he grow a prosthetic arm out of the World Tree Seed?  If so, how would it work?

Setting the questions aside, Kyle finally pulled himself through the net of vines and leaves to look at the surface beyond.  It was heartbreaking.  The sky was still a little hazy, with the stars reduced to indistinct blurs of light.  A dense blanket of ash covered the ground.  The trees and shrubs that made up the lush forests had been almost entirely eradicated, with only a few barren logs left standing, bereft of any foliage.  In the near distance, Kyle could barely make out the shattered ruins of one of the floating settlements which had crashed to the ground.  The devastation of Kertan Six was near-absolute, with a massive crater to the north where the impact struck.

He hoped that people were able to get out before the “purification” C.H.A.D.D. mentioned, because he doubted there was much chance anybody survived on the surface now.  Looking up at the stars one more time, he felt a welling conviction within himself.  It doesn’t have to stay this way.  He wasn’t sure where the thought came from, but Kyle let his instincts take over as his consciousness drifted into C.H.A.D.D.’s archive of different plants and seeds stored within the World Tree Seed.

With a thought, he found information on plants with large, waxy leaves able to trap and clean the air.  He found information on fruiting plants that would thrive in ash, root vegetables that would grow inside the destroyed ground.  He found shrubs and grasses that could handle the shade, growing resilient despite limited light.

He found all of this, and activated Cultivate.  He felt a thrum of energy through his body as more power than should ever have gone through an E Grade skill moved into his prosthesis, and life began to spring forth.  First, seeds, germinating and pouring out in a ratio that he didn’t fully understand.  As they landed, he felt connected to each one, and commanded them to grow.  Some did, though many just crumbled at the overwhelming energy that passed through them.   Still, he looked down at the budding greenery and expanding roots, and couldn’t help but smile.

[AN IMPRESSIVE START, DR. MAYHEW.  AM I TO UNDERSTAND THAT YOU CREATED THE SEEDS YOURSELF?]

“My skill allowed me to, yes.  I used your archive, I hope that’s okay.  It just felt right.”

[WHY DO YOU THINK THE ARCHIVE EXISTS, DR. MAYHEW?]

“Fair point,” Kyle chuckled.  “I’m still new to the mechanics of growing plants with mana myself, are you up for giving me a lesson?”

[I WOULD LOVE TO, DR. MAYHEW.]

“Good,” Kyle replied.  “Because right now, we’ve got a whole forest to regrow.”

~~~

“Jax!  Hurry, you’ll be late!”

“I’ll be there in a minute, Grayson,” Jax Cain replied, brushing strands of long, dark hair out of his face.  Despite his handler’s protests, he was still staring at the dossier projected in front of him, the twisted irony of the situation running through his head.  He’d done quite a few private security jobs through his Guild, but never before headed to a ruined wasteland.  Never before had to walk the ground where one of his friends died.

“Jax, get moving!” Grayson protested.

With a sigh, Jax stood and made his way to the new teleporter set up inside his family’s estate.  It was a short distance model, which served his needs well.  After all, his family was the client this time.  Soon, he was whisked to his father’s office, where the Cain family patriarch was waiting impatiently.  A couple of the family retainers were standing around the opulent desk, where a projection of the planet Kertan Six was hovering.  They were joined by a projection of a figure shrouded in shadow, and a goblin with thick classes and wispy white hair that gave off a D Grade aura.

“About time you got here, boy!” his father admonished, moustache bristling as he turned his attention to the shadowed figure.  “Excuse my son.  Now, if you’d be so kind as to begin again.”

The voice was garbled, though the words came through clearly enough to understand.  “It has been three years since this planet was purified.  Until recently, there was nothing remarkable about it.  Now, long range scans of Kertan Six indicate unusual and explosive plant growth near the site of the first strike.  It also appears to be accompanied by a resurgence of D Grade auras, despite the planet’s level only being in middle E Grade prior to the strike.”

The voice paused to let that sink in, with the goblin and his father looking with rapt interest.  Jax just shared a look with Grayson, who shrugged.  The shadow continued to talk, adding some much-needed context.

“There is a possibility that we are seeing the emergence of a World Tree on the planet; though this information is inconclusive.  Due to the system being restricted, we have only been able to do long-range reconnaissance.  However, the interests I represent are able to get you an early look, before this information is publicly available.  When the bidding to purchase the planet opens up in a cycle or two, you could acquire it for a small fraction of its value.”

Jax looked at his father, who seemed practically ready to explode with excitement.  “And you would want access to the tree?”

“Not at all,” the shadow replied.  “We simply want access to the records surrounding its emergence, should it truly be taking place.  That data is interesting to us.”

His father looked toward the goblin next.  “Finn’el, are you prepared to visit the planet?”

The goblin’s eyes were huge behind his thick spectacles, and he nodded excitedly.  “Oh, yes.  So long as I have protection, I’ll be fine.”

“Then it’s settled,” the Cain patriarch boomed.  “Jax, get ready to leave immediately.  You’ll be providing security for Finn’el so he can take his readings, and then you’ll be heading back so we can place a bid at the auction.  Play your cards right, boy, and you could end up owning this estate as we move operations to the new acquisition!”

Jax suppressed his sigh as he nodded.  The more his family tried to drag him into their business ventures, the more he appreciated the freedom of taking simple Guild jobs.  Still, family was family.  He looked at the goblin, and offered a smile.  “I look forward to working with you, though you seem like you can handle yourself.”

“Oh, not at all,” Finn’el replied with a chuckle.  “My path is purely academic, I have no combat prowess whatsoever.  If there were only E Grades, perhaps that would be a different matter.  D Grades make me nervous.”

“Jax,” his father said with an admonishing tone.  “This is an incredible opportunity.  For you, and for the family.  A lot of investment went into getting this information.  Go and support Finn’el however you can.  The trip will take over a month, as we can’t just teleport you in with the system restricted.  Use that time to appreciate what you’ve been given.”

Jax really wanted to tell them to go kick rocks, but family was family.  He brushed another errant strand out of his face and nodded.  “Yes, father.”

The shadowy figure raised a hand.  “A final item, before I take my leave.  Should you find any seeds, or other rare resources, do not try to extract them on this mission.  It’s been several years since the market has seen an influx of Pseudo-World Tree Seeds, and any hitting the market now would only raise suspicion.  Suspicion that we don’t want.”

“Understood,” Jax’s father replied with a slight bow.  Turning to Jax and Finn’el, his expression hardened.  “The ship is already prepared.  You leave in an hour.  Don’t disappoint me.”

“Yes, sir,” they said in unison, offering a bow of their own before leaving the room.

Once they were out of earshot, Grayson rolled his eyes.  “You could have at least pretended to be excited.”

“It’s hard to be excited visiting a planet where a friend died.  It’s been three years, Grayson, and Tillienne is still out of sorts.  I’ll go, but that doesn’t mean I have to enjoy it.”