Mathew

Mathew was watching in horror as the Knight dropped down into the window. Spiriting to the tower as Amber's scream started, Mathew's mind raced for options.

The tower stood as the steeple of a block building sporting a shield sculpture over its door.

The building gave off a sense of strength and security with columns and thick straight slabs reminiscent of a bank. Mathew tried to evaluate it for handholds and purchases for climbing.

Arriving at the wall, he exercised his enhanced strength and agility to wall run onto the overhang of the main door. Pulling himself up the rounded shield, Mathew's full height and reach barely made the height. As he heaved himself up, he began to slip. Throwing out his finger blades for better purchase, Mathew scrambled his legs to drive himself up. Sure foot anchored his effort and launched him atop the sculpture. Faster. He thought.

Feeling both minds enter the radius of Mathew's mental attack skill, he tasked his intelectus with keeping him informed as he climbed.

Two streams of information fed into his mind. The Cripsalid Knight was charging some power by the Emerald blade stabbing through Amber's forearm. Mathew watched Amber pull her Glock only to have it knocked to the tower floor.

Throwing himself up the structure as fast as he could, Mathew channeled conversion. Heat continued to build within his shell. With the heat came the power to drive up the wall faster. Another three stories.

Sadism, a rotten pleasure at inflicting pain funneled with the vision of the monster Knight. Punching his sharp glass fingers into Amber's gut, the monster smiled. "I remember this. This is who I am."

Two more. Hold on Amber. Mathew pleaded.

Amber bit her tongue, drawing a swell of blood into her mouth.

Close enough that he felt he had a chance to influence the monster, Mathew channeled his will into a mental attack. Before he could land it, the moment spiraled out. His improved cognition did not draw the moment out like slow motion but let him follow what happened.

Amber spit into the Knight's eyes.

In a petty rage, he threw her with the strength of a monster.

Looking overhead, he saw her arcing out of the tower. His mind rushed through scenarios. Even if he jumped out and caught her she'd just break against his metal hard body. Turning his eyes from her fall and the ribbon of intestines trailing behind her fall, anger he'd never felt before was born

His will for vengeance igniting within his soul pressed waves into the Alpha spectrum. Crimson chains flowed from within him and through his window to the red ocean. Through that medium, they struck like lighting into the ripple that was the fallen Knight.

[Territory war - Deathbattle - Retreat will be punished.

To the victor goes the spoils]

These rules were governed by Leternum itself and applied to both combatants. The further one retreated, the more health damage they would take. Run away far enough, and death was assured.

That was just fine as he had no intention of turning away. Rising over the last ledge, he found himself in the watchtower with the Knight and one of Amber's severed hands holding her Glock.

His skill missed that detail, but he'd extract payment regardless. The Knight was rubbing at his eyes to no effect. Red blood had been absorbed by the orbs of glass flesh. Amber's gift of blinding the enemy would not be wasted.

Tasking his skill to inflict punishment to the Knight, Mathew drove a conditional ambush into its knee. Attacking the blind foe enhanced the effect as Ripper's tip tore into the knee.

Reacting faster than Mathew, it rotated enough to prevent amputation while moving for a counter. Its once bloody hand slammed into Mathew's exoskull. Again Amber's blood was a gift. Its strike reverberated within its weakened arm and cracks spread within itself from the force of its strike.

Mathew's skill unleashed the first volley of punishment and it rocked backward. Alpha energy tore free from the glass man and extracted health with it.

Advancing, Mathew again drove Ripper into its knee. Cripple the monster, then I can do what I want to.

As its lower leg fell away, Mathew snarled his victory. With its leverage stolen, it couldn't put force behind any attacks. Mathew punched at it. Each strike, they would both crack just a bit. Its face would fracture and his bone gauntlet would. Relying on bone regeneration, he continued.

Something in the Alpha spectrum shifted and Mathew didn't react fast enough. His enemy wrapped chains around both of them. As the chains rose from under his feet, Mathew was defenseless as he and his enemy were thrown from the tower together.

Falling with a smirking mad man, Mathew and the other monster fought to be on top of the landing. With the luck of a well timed mental assault, Mathew rolled to the top before impact. The sound reverberating through his body was like a car crash.

Under his armored body, the monster broke apart, its mind extinguished.

[Victory - spoils awarded

15% territory authority (local)

.3% share to the Crispalid Knighthood

Power]

[Quest completed - Bounty for the Bountyhunter

See Crispalid Knighthood representative for full pay.

+60% progression to next level.]

As the notification promised, power flowed into Mathew. The Leternum red held within the crimson chains split into blue, rust, and pearl beams of light. Rushing into the core of his health, the power seeped into the material until it began to emit an internal glow.

Mathew could also feel his dominion of more Alpha spectrum on the other side of the tear in his mind. This was distracted when a blue power rocked to his core and saturated the glow with another layer.

Standing, Mathew inspected his own condition. Broken bones had already healed by a fiery infusion of reserves. His health was reserved into injuries throughout most of his body.

[55 Health reserved: body impact trauma]

Until now, he'd been willing to play by ear, the life of 4-2. If it was redeemable he would, if not he'd put it out of its misery just like he'd like done for himself. With his mind-reading, determining the viability of recovery should be within his capacity, at least an informed decision. Now he didn't care. Anything that made such a sadistic monster, on purpose or negligence, should be removed from any world he wanted to live in.

Steeling his mind, Mathew looked around to where Amber was thrown. Amber was propped up against Ben, who sat with his eyes screwed shut. She was alive! Seeing her holding her guts and crying was like a command. Mathew rushed over.

"You're alive!" Mathew wondered.

"Ben caught me." Amber writhed in pain.

"How are you doing?" Mathew kneeled down next to her. "This looks bad."

"Single digit health, so I get to live but this pain isn't going away soon." Amber smiled. "So I'll be just fine."

"Let's get you guys somewhere safe." Mathew looked around before yelling. "Grant! Grant!"

"Please don't yell," Ben whispered.

"Where is Grant?" Mathew asked.

"I don't know," Ben answered while digging at his collar.

After a moment, he withdrew a silver key. "Get us inside."

Ben had been wielding his net ability often and at excessive powers all day. He was paying the price. Catching Amber seemed to have broken what strength he had left. Mathew snatched the key. Now it was his time to pick up after others were injured.

Mathew couldn't even detect Grant within the influence of his mental attack skill. Stuffing that anger down for anther time Mathew started moving them both to the door of the building with the shield over the door. If any place was secure, that one would be.

After jarring Amber several times and eliciting a muffled scream Mathew switched to giving her a princess carry. Ben would just have to walk with support.

Getting to the door, Mathew couldn't see a keyhole. Pushing his will at the tool, he pressed it to the door. In return, the key channeled power into the door. After maybe ten heartbeats, the door opened and he moved the injured and taxed into the entry of the majestic building.

Taking in the interior of balconies and a main stage, he kept his visual sweep fast to only confirm no threats loomed within. Setting them both down gently, he spoke. "I'll be right back."

Re-climbing the outside of the building, Mathew pulled himself back into the crow's nest of the tower. Collecting Amber's Glock and right hand, he threw her quiver over his shoulder. Making his way back down without using the shortcut would have been nerve wracking if not for the bolstering of the Alpha energy.

Arriving at the bottom, he did another check for monsters before re-performing his entry with the key.

They each lay where he left them before. Kneeling before Amber again, he unloaded her things. "I don't know if it'll go back on or anything but here you go." Returning her hand to her possession felt like the lamest thing to say to someone who just had their hand cut off.

Mathew had been lucky enough to never have to learn that much about how healing worked.

Inspecting Ben, Mathew tried to figure out his condition. "Need anything, bud?"

"Just time." Ben grimaced. "Go help Grant finish this, okay?"

Mathew swallowed his anger. "I'll make sure this gets finished."

Before leaving to track down Grant, Mathew checked his status to utilize whatever his gains were. Activating a level up, he felt the power trapped within his health radiate through his body and reverberate. Suffusing his organs and tissues, the power restructured and reinforced each part of him.

[Mathew Gains Starling ~ Fate Breaker

Otherworld Human/Carrion Beast Hybrid

Carrion Solider 60% to level 5 (quest carryover)

Alpha ascension 32%

Health 622/719

Reserves 4620

Magic digestion:

Digestion points 429/673

Body Total 51 (+11)

Strength 12.7 (+1 mind over body reflection)

Agility 9.9 (+1 mind over body reflection)

Durability 15.3 (+2 mind over body reflection)

Endurance 13.2 (+2 mind over body reflection)

Mind Total 42 (+14)

Willpower 10 (+2 Body mind reflection)

Cognition 8.4 (+2 Body mind reflection)

Resistance 13.5 (+2 Body mind reflection)

Resilience 9.8 (+2 Body mind reflection)

Combat skills

Living skeleton weapon 26(+1)

Bone regeneration 9(+1)

Mental resistance 10(+1)

Conditional Ambush 14(+1)

Mental attack 13(+1)

Mental support 8 (+1)

Crafting skills

Living skeleton weapon 26(+1)

Utility skills

Digestion 29(+1)

Controlled evolution 4(+1)

Scan 8(+1)]

Mathew focused on adjusting to the newfound power, feeling lighter and thinking with a clarity he hadn't ever thought possible. He bounced around from foot to foot. Making adjustments to his motion, rapidly refining his strength to move as he intended.

Doing the mental math to figure out how durable his exoskeleton was still a tedious process he had to fight to stay focused through, but he arrived at the answer in a fraction of the time it would have taken before. Rough math left his bones at 24 times as durable and strong.

Under the influence and wielding his new willpower, Mathew focused on his priorities.

"Amber," Mathew asked. "Do you need anything before I leave?"

"No, hoss," Amber panted through the pain. "I'll be fine."

Taking her at her word Mathew left.

Sealed door to his back, a quick scan showed no monsters had wandered close yet.

Mathew could feel 4-2's wariness through his connection to the Alpha spectrum. You better be afraid! I'm coming for you!

Making his way across the road another time, he navigated to the warehouse quarter. Ducking inside the first door, his mental attack skill told him of a glass monster within the darkness. It was the first mind he recalled he wasn't able to easily read. The skill just slipped over it like water down a duck's back.

Show yourself! Mathew demanded through the Alpha spectrum, hoping to summon those crimson chains again.

Nothing happened at first. As he continued to press, the world near him began to reject stealth. Knowing it was working was just as much an instinct as making it happen.

Within his domain, pressure build. After a minute, his impatience began to grow. A monster being here likely meant Grant hadn't been here. What was he wasting time here for rather than confronting Grant for his sudden disappearance?

To gather poison for ending 4-2. Anger would have its time after protecting those he cared about. Stopping for a moment, Mathew acknowledged that he really did care for them. They were the bonds of struggling side by side but bonds all the same. Right now, he had to find answers and bring a safe place into the world.

So he ground his impatience under his grown willpower and made the world around himself reject stealth. Seconds ticked by, tedious minutes began to stack up. About the time he started growling, an offer from his Carrion Beast side reached out.

It offed mad patience. That of an ambush predator. Accepting the offer, Mathew slid into a better focus. Without spending so much effort on managing the boredom, his capability expanded.

When the glass tentacle beast dropped from the rafters, Mathew was ready with an ambush. This is what he needed to learn to set up. Play to his strengths, make his enemies play his game. Not that he couldn't take a beating and brawl if it came to it but his was the way he should be living when he could.

Walking through the warehouse alone, he inspected the contents of the shelves. Most of the items he glanced over without even an effort to scan. Canisters were his goal. Several were sealed tins of powder. While the ingredients were higher quality than any Harper had managed to synthesize, he was lost with what could be valuable or readily turned into a viable poison.

Instead, he leaned back into the inhuman patience of his beast side and opened crates and containers one at a time. After half an hour, he found himself in a backroom opening crates. It was here he found canisters with a skull and crossbones label.

They put my picture on them just so I'd know I had the right ones, Mathew thought.

Opening one carefully, Mathew scanned the liquid within.

[Kenatoxin

Alchemical toxin acts as an acid to biological material.

Increase skill to learn more]

Holding one canister in each fist, Mathew left the warehouse.

Facing the center of the complex, the center of the territory, Mathew reached through the window in his mind. Grabbing hold of the territory around the Alpha, he let the Carrion Beast within him growl a promise. I'm coming for you and the answers this world owes me!