Chapter 14

Eleonor

She sat on the platform created by the interlacing green tentacles, enjoying the smells that the air brought, inspiring and exhaling slowly. She appreciated the texture of the soil under her feet, sticky and viscous as she appreciated it, the pain nestled in her head making her feel everything stronger, as if the world were more concrete, more colorful.

Although talking about color may be a bit paradoxical at the moment. She thought, smiling, the world being to her for now in a blue hue.

Little one ?

She rose to stretch, taking advantage of the mixture of pain and pleasure that her tetanized muscles provided as she relaxed them with strength, her body shivering a little while waves of addictive sensations ran through each of her fibers.

LITTLE ONE !

She startled and again focused her attention on the dragon in front of her.

Oh, I’m sorry. I got lost in my thoughts again ?

YeS.

Sorry, I gained a new ability and I still have to get used to its effects. She apologized.

A nEw aBiliTy ? Asked the dragon.

She smiled when she saw the curiosity in the dragon’s eyes and explained to him in broad strokes what she had been through, what she remembered anyway, her memory of the rather vague nightmares rather blurry in the end.

IntErEstiNg. ThAt’s proBAblY wHy ThE SyStem gAvE YOU sO mUcH EXperIeNce. Said the dragon shaking his head, more to himself than to the young woman.

What do you mean ? She asked, frowning.

HAVEn’t YOU lOokEd aT yoUr SheEt YeT ? He retorted by lowering his head to its level, looking straight into her eyes, where they should have been at least, and exhaled through the nostrils, making Eleonore’s sprawling hair fly behind his shoulders.

YOU ShOuLd TakE A lOok At iT. He said, winking at her, with a big smile on his face.

O-ok. Character sheet ?

[Eleo?nor?]

[Level : 37 (3%) Available Key Points : 36]

[Ressources :

Health Point: 250/250 Stamina: 250/250]

[Body : 5]

[Mind : 1]

[Soul : 1]

[Natural Armor: 4 ]

[Natural weapons:

Fangs: strength*1 damage (25), pierce-armor 2

Feet and fists: strength*1 damage (25), pierce-armor 1]

[Capacity :

Abyss Eyes Black Hook Armoured storage bags Old Soul Pain Conversion]

Looks like I took 36 levels.

ExTrAoRDinAry, nO ? Said the dragon with enthusiasm.

Ermm. Perhaps ? She answered with uncertainty.

...sO liTTle EnThusiAsm ?

Well, I have to say that since I don’t know what that means, it’s hard to be happy about it. I mean, it must be nice, but I don’t have a reference to compare.

ThErE wAs nO sYstEm In yOuR WoRld Of OrIgiN ? Then asked the dragon, curious.

No.

...InTerEsTing, sO YOU’rE ToTaLly IgnOrAnt Of tHe wAyS Of tHe sYsteM ?

She shrugged as she sat down.

Well, not quite yet. In my world, some games used this kind of system, so I see more or less what everything means, it’s just that they never existed for real so I don’t know what it means to have like, 300 strength for exemple.

Um… OkAy, YOU’rE GoInG To nEeD A liTTle BiT Of EduCatIon. SiT DoWn, It’S GoiNg To bE lOnG aNd bOrIng.

***

The explanation took some time, covering the notion of Key and derived characteristics, classes, modifiers and abilities.

And so 36 more levels is a lot if I understand correctly. Thought finally Eleonore.

Indeed. MaNy InHEriTors NevEr ReaCh ThIs LevEl, DuE To LacK Of rISk AnD AcTions. MONstErs And MYTHS, On ThE OthEr Hand, tEnD To EasilY ExcEEd ThIs LevEl, BecaUse oF thE conStanT fight between ThEM Or JuSt BeCausE ThEy TrY tO SurVIve ThEIr EnviRonmENt. ForTUnatEly, ThE MoNSTeRs DoN’t UsE IteMs, OtheRwiSe ThE InHEriTors WouLd Be DeStroYed QuItE QuIcklY, I ThInK.

Ermm. I’m new here I just remind you. Said Eleanor moving his hands to get the dragon’s attention.

Ha ? Oh YeS, SorrY. WhAt DiDn’t YOU UndErsTanD ?

The things about of Myths and InHEriTors.

Ho, it’s PrEttY SiMplE. ThE InHEriTors ArE ThE SenTienT HuManoids WhO RelY As MuCh On ThEir IntElligEnce As On PoWer To SurvIve, FoR ExAmpLe By CreAtinG TooLs Or WeApons. HuManS ArE InHEriTors , As DwArveS, OrCs, ElveS AnD mAnY oThErs… Myths aRE AlL CrEatUres Of NoBle SenTieNt LiNeaGe tHaT HaRneSS ThEir InNer PoWer, ThE PoWeR Of ThEir BlOOD AnD HeriTage, To DoMinAte, LikE ME. ApArt FrOm DrAgonS, ThEre Are AlSo, FoR ExAmple, PhoEnIx, LeviAthAns, AnD EveN BeHemoThs. MonSters ArE AlL ThOse WhO Are nOt SenTienT EnouGh, PoWerFul, IntelligEnt Or All ThRee ThAt tO BeLongS To OnE Of ThE FirSt CaTegoRies, HoWever It Is NoT Impossible ThAt A MonSter RacE ManAgeS To AscEnd InTo One Of ThE tWo oTherS. ThE OrcS Are A PreTty GoOD ExaMplE, Even If ThEir Case Is A lIttLe SpeCial SinCe It Is ThEir SymbIoTic RelAtionShip WiTh ThE GoblIns ThAt Led TheM To CrEate A CulTure AnD A CiviliZatIon. gOT It ?

Éléonore nodded affirmatively, the classification being quite simple.

And so I am an Inheritor since I am human, is that right ? She asked him to know if she understood correctly.

Fürssähfen gave her a strange look, a mix of incomprehension and skepticism as he frowned with his nonexistent brows.

HuMan,YOU ? No, nO siLLy, I DoN’t KnOw ExaCtlY WhaT YoU Are BuT YOU’rE CleaRly NoT HumAn, mOre LikeLy A Myth I would say. YOU’rE wAY ToO IntrInsically PowErful AnD ToO DiffErenT, ForeIgN, To EvEn reMoteLy Be HuMan.

A silence followed this statement.

Not human… Thought Eleanor for herself, looking down at her hands covered with chitines, long claws at the tips of her fingers, her gaze running down her body, admiring her chest covered with black armor, seeing one of her tentacles that served as her hair sway in front of her head. She looked at her dark, supple and resistant leather that was her skin, her sturdy and clawy feet, her powerful musculature.

Not human anymore… Indeed. I must get used to it, even if deep down I remain the same. She said to herself with a smile that was both sad and full of hope.

And old habits are hard to lose. She thought, realizing that she had moved her head to look at herself even if she only needed to focus on details to see them more clearly than the rest of the sphere around her.

Well, what do I do now with the points to hand out ?

IT DepEnds On wHat YOU WanT To BecOme, Which ClaSses YOU WaNt To AcqUiRe, ThAt KinD Of ThInGs. IF YOU WaNt To BeCome A WarrIor, InvEst IN BodY. FoR A MaGE, InveST In MinD AnD FoR All That Is PrieSthOod or InHeriTor IntEraCtions GoEs RaTheR ToWARds SoUl. HoWeVer ThIS Is BuT ThE OutLine, ThEre ArE lots oF hybRid clAsses Out theRe. HoWeVer, I ThiNk ThAt FoR ThE MomEnts YOU ShouLd tHe mAjoritY oF yoUr poInt into Body, tO IncRease YoUr Hp, YoUr StAmina AnD YoUr ArmoR. IT’s BettEr ThIs wAy iF YOU HOpE To SurviVe AlOnE ArOuND HeRe, AnD I DoN't ThInk YOU WAnT To DiE. In AddItion, YoUr MoDIfiERs NaTurallY PuSh YOU ToWarDs A SpeCiaLIzatIon In BodY.

Ha ? Ah yes, indeed. She said to herself looking again at her Body score and associated characteristics.

[Body : 5

Strength Modifier : 5. Overall Strength : 25 Agility Modifier : 4.5. Overall Agility : 22.5 Constitution Modifier : 5. Overall Constitution : 25]

By the way, why are my modifiers so high from the start ? She asked, remembering what the dragon had told her about them.

It MusT Be A rAcial ModiFier. It’S QuiTe NorMal tO HaVe SoMe DerIved ChaRacterIstics FaVoreD By YoUr RaCe, In FaCt HuMans Are AlMost An eXception To ThE RuLe By HavIng A rAcial MoD. oF onLy 1. BuT, WeLL, They’rE GaiNing ClAss LEveLs FasTer To CounTerBalanCe ThAt, So I gUeSs ThAt’s someHow BalAnced, mAyBe. For YoUr InForMatIon, ClAss and RacE ModiFiers MultiPly onE anoTher, They’rE not additive. ThAt’s WhY YOU’ll SeE tHat MosT eLvEs aRe UsiNg mAgic, EvEn onLy ParTiaLLy, BeCausE ThEy StarT WitH A 10 aS thEir MagIc AffIniTY MoDifier. He conscientiously explained to her.

Okay, good to know. She shrugged back.

She then pressed on her Characteristic Points counter, as the dragon had taught her, then on Body.

|Invest points in Body? Yes/No.|

She pressed yes.

|Enter a number: __ |

36.

|Are you sure you want to invest 36 points in Body? Yes/No.|

She pressed yes, and a dazzling pain passed through her body, the young woman letting herself down, overwhelmed by the ecstasy and the feeling of life that it gave her.

HeY LittLe oNe, YOU’Re noT goinG tO fAint Again, Are YOU ?

No, don’t worry. But you could have warned me that investing points did hurt.

WhAt ? DiD YOU JuSt UsE YoUr PoiNts ?

Yes, why ?

HoW mAnY ? He asked without answering her question.

Ermmm… All of them ?

Tsss! I ForGeT YOU’rE NoT FroM HeRe, It’S MY FAulT. NeXt TimE, InveSt tHem GrAduAlly, So YOU Can AdApt To ThE ChAnges. EveN If The OpportuNities To InveSt So ManY PoinTs Will lIkeLy No lOngEr AppeAr, BuT sTay CareFul, It Can Be dAngeRous To dO whaT YOU’Ve dOne, EsPeciaLLy WitH MiNd And Soul. UndErsTOod ?

All right, sorry.

NO, nO, It’S My FaUlt, I DidN’t ExplaiN iT prOpErLy to YOU, just PaY att...

He was, however, interrupted in his warning when Eleonor tried to get up by using her arms, pushing in one go to get back on her feet and flew several metres, falling into the basin filled by emerald water.

“Plouf!”

Ouch ! She thought with pleasure when she collided against the bottom of the hatching pond, trying by reflex to get the head out of the water and jumping again several meters away before sliding against the ground of the cave.

Stop moving ! Said Fürssähfen strongly to try and stop the young woman, successfully.

What is happening to me ? She asked with confusion.

GoOd QuesTion, YOU JuSt PuT 36 PoiNts In BodY, ThaT’s WhAt’s HappeNing To YOU ! Check your strength you idiot !

She did not like the tone the dragon had used but did not take umbrage, preferring to do what he had asked.

[Body :41

Strength Modifier : 5. Overall Strength : 205 Agility Modifier : 4.5. Overall Agility : 184,5 Constitution Modifier : 5. Overall Constitution : 205]

Wow.

IndEed WoW, YoUR Strength Has MoRe ThAn EigHtFolDeD ! ThAt’S WhY YOU’re SuppOsEd To InveSt YoUr PoIntS GrAduAlly. I GuEss ThAt At LeAsT now YOU knOw Why. NoW TrY To GeT Up SlOwLy, ReAllY SlOwLy.

So she did as asked, moving her arms and legs with as little force and speed as possible. She got up quite quickly, her body seemingly weighting nothing.

It feels really weird.

YOU’ll GEt uSeD tO It. The AdVanTagE YOU hAve iS ThAt YoUr ReSiStance ShOulD IncrEase MoRe Or LeSs In tHe sAme wAy as your strength dOeS since yOur ConStituTion Mod Is tHe sAme foR boTh of TheM. EvEn If yOu CrAsH YoUrSelF AgAiNsT ThE GroUnd It ShouLdN’T bE A pRoBlEm lIke ThiS. Walk A BIT To TrAin, TrYiNg To StAy On ThE GrOunD If PossIble.

She nodded and began to move gently. The first few steps were clearly not very successful, Eleonor jumping almost every time she tried to pass from one leg to another, putting too much force in her movement. After about ten minutes, however, she began to take the fold, and after half an hour she knew more or less how to walk normally. Happy, she clenched her fist and jumped on the spot, forgetting for a moment her strength, and made a jump of several meters which surprised her.

YeS, ThErE’s StIll WoRk. Said Fürssähfen mentally, more to himself than to anyone else.

Despite the unpleasant comment, the young woman who landed on her buttocks smiled, looking at her character card.

[Eleo?nor?]

[Level : 37 (3%) Available Key Points : 0]

[Ressources :

Health Point: 2050/2050 Stamina: 2050/2050]

[Body : 41]

[Mind : 1]

[Soul : 1]

[Natural Armor: 22 (20,5 +1,5) ]

[Natural weapons:

Fangs: strength*1 damage (205), pierce-armor 2

Feet and fists: strength*2 damage (410), pierce-armor 1]

[Capacity :

Abyss Eyes Black Hook Armoured storage bags Old Soul Pain Conversion]

Yes, she was smiling.

I think I can deal with that, yes. She thought will picturing herself fighting something with this new force.

Maybe I can even start chasing things back to Genesis. She thought, already having a relatively concrete goal in mind.

Mellite

“Click.” Made the button that Rahato had pressed.

“Well, that way we’ll be quiet, even if there are snitches around.” she exclaimed in a satisfied tone.

“You should keep what I’m about to tell you for yourself if you don’t want to be locked up as a lab guinea pig for the rest of your life.” She said, the smile on her face having disappeared in favor of an arid and cold seriousness.

“You.” She pointed at Mellite.

“It is very likely that you were one of Nero’s main experimental subjects. I found traces of biomedical techniques that are only relate to his experiments. If it were up to me, you’d already be in a stasis tank, ready to be autopsied alive and undergo any test I’d consider necessary. However, I cannot do this without reserving the same fate for my dear Syphony, so I’m forced to protect you too. If she dies, I’ll make your life a living hell.” She said with the cold eyes of a professional killer.

Mellite swallowed with difficulty, intimidated and even a little scared by the doctor in front of her.

“I agree.” She finally managed to say, her voice slightly shaking.

“Good. The virus that infects you is a modified and very advanced version of the RV-a1 that was created not to fight the host but to live in symbiosis with it. For what reason, I don’t know. The majority of my analyses are either not conclusive or not complete, I have only vague results and some speculation to give an element of answer. From what I have seen, the virus gives an improved regeneration capability, and also increases the host’s stamina. From now on you’ll have to live together, I don’t want you to be apart, it could create problems since your two virus colony seems to be linked in a way I don’t understand. I’m gonna pull some strings so this incident gets under the rug, and Syphony’s gonna go back to the garrison she belongs to, Silden’s garrison. You will follow her there and Syphony will take care of your military formation and training so that you can join her unit. Well, it’s a good thing a seat was vacated a few days ago. I will transit to my secondary laboratory in Silden, and at least one day a week you will be joining me there so that I can continue to test you, to find out how far this new strain of RV-a1 can take us. Meanwhile tries not to get too much attention, with your increased abilities it could stand out even amongst optimized soldiers. You will leave tomorrow morning in a space shuttle and be dropped into atmospheric reentry pods. Syphony, I think you’ve already done that, haven’t you?”

The concerned person nodded, not daring to interrupt the doctor launched like a train full steam, a cold and bloody train.

“Perfect. You have the rest of the day to explain the maneuver to Mellite.”

“Click.” She had pushed again on the button supposed to prevent them from being spied on, her face and tone suddenly changing.

“I hope you will adapt well to our way of life. Take good care of Syphony,my dear.” She said with a maternal smile, her hand resting on Mellite’s.

"Oh, Syphony, the other members of your team are worried, you’ll be able to surprise them. Say hello for me, will you?"

New nod of Syphony.

“Thank you, you’re lovely. Come on, pshit pshit, I have work to do,go see somewhere else if I’m there.” She said to them with a playful tone, the smile still stuck on her face.

Syphony got up immediately, dragging a Mellite still so much in shock that she did not begin to walk until after her mate almost made her fall, making up for it by using Syphony’s arm.

***

"What was that?"

“We’ll talk about it when we get to my cabin, alright ?” Syphony replied with a heavy look at Syphony.

“All right.”

The silence regained its rights for one or two minutes, broken by Mellite who could no longer take it.

“So you’re part of a team ?” she asked, trying to find something she could talk about in public.

A small smile was painted on Syphony’s face, quickly replaced by a sad expression.

“Yes, I have a team. I am part of the Sil-12 recon unit, with five other members. More like four, now, until you’re trained.”

“Four.” She stopped and took the shoulder of her mate with a hand.

“You lost someone ?” she asked Syphony, looking into her eyes, now that she had stopped.

“The recon mission in which I saved you went wrong. Our main scout, Eric, died in an ambush by the infected.”

She said softly. Mellite then took the young fighter in her arms, trying to console her as she could. She stayed like that for a minute or two. Syphony’s head on her shoulder, not paying attention to the rare person taking a curious look at them as they passed by them.

“Thank you, it’s better.” The soldier finally said, extricating herself from the embrace of her companion.

“There is more of it where it comes from, if you need it.” Mellite added, looking tenderly at Syphony, who nodded before starting again.

***

They soon arrived at a door in front of which the fighter stopped, passing her wrist in front of the chip reader to open it. The room was not very large, four bunk beds embedded in the metal walls, a door leading surely to a shower on the wall opposite to the one through which they entered.

“It’s not the height of luxury, but we’re only staying for a day. You’ll see, my house is better.” Syphony said, sitting on one of the mattress.

“This part is surely intended for the rest of the rotating engineers, we are quite close to the Valkyries’ hangars if I remember the plans that John once showed me.” She added as an explanation for Mellite.

Indeed. You can’t afford to lose space in a space station. She said to herself while shaking her head and shuckling.

“Valkyries ?” she asked Syphony.

“Modular combat robots, like heavy air support, that sort of thing. I admit I don’t really know much about the field, I’m not a pilot, sorry.” She replied by rubbing her head, embarrassed that she could give only this amount of meagre information to her companion.

“Don’t worry, I’ll have time to search and learn about the objects of my curiosity.” Mellite answered soothingly, before taking Syphony back in her arms.

The young fighter accepted with surprise, giving back her embrace to Mellite.

”To what do I owe the pleasure ?” she asked.

“I don’t know. I think you need a hug, that’s all. You try to hide it, but it shows that you are sad to have lost Eric. I don’t like to see you sad, that’s all.” replied the eighteen-year-old.

They let themselves be rocked by the breath of the other for a while, until Mellite got up.

“Yosh ! I feel a little sluggish and tense, I’m going to take a shower. Is that alright ?” she asked Syphony.

“Yes, go ahead, I’ll have one later.”

“Perfect !” exclaimed Mellite, undressing in part here so as not to have to do it in the narrow space of the bathroom.

Just in bra and panties, she turned to Syphony.

“And if you want to join me in the shower, you can.” She said with a suggestive smile while winking at her mate who began to blush and turn red like a rising sun.

She finished undressing and began to run water along her body, the heat of which relaxed her when, after a few minutes, she felt a hand caressing her back. She turned, surprised, and found herself face to face with Syphony, naked, who was dominating her by her 180 cm, twenty centimeters more than herself.

“I received an invitation, miss. May I join you?” She asked in a gallant tone, what Mellite reacted to by taking her by the arm and pulling her towards herself. One could say, to describe the rest, that feats of dexterity were exchanged along all the lips of the two young women, the heat and wetness of the shower blithely competed by those of Syphony and Mellite.