Mathew

As Mathew rested, he felt the status of his Territory. It had grown, and the new land provided richer energy than the plundered foundation of the Spire. The Spire's output was recovering a final gift from the infant Night Stalker

Sometimes, Mathew worried about its mother's return. Amber told him he was borrowing trouble.

More itching across his Territory clawed at his senses. How does Clare deal with this? He wondered. Taking a deep breath, Mathew lay back on his 'bed.' Clearing his mind was as easy as an effort of willpower. But when relaxing his mental grasp, thoughts returned. Maybe it was his heightened cognition playing some part, but he couldn't still the churning thoughts. When he did force some measure of success, the itching would break him from the moment.

Heigh-ho, Mathew thought. People can get used to anything. I will get used to this.

It took time, but he adjusted. Just like he acclimated to the constant hunger of his magic, he'd adapt again.

This time when he closed the slats on his exoskull to darken his vision, he started to catalog each irritation. In the bramble covered land adjacent to the Bramble Weavers, the standard monsters didn't get the message to stay out of his land. They crossed back into his Territory to poach pods and prey alike. Mathew and the other survivors were in the place to enforce the border he'd have to accept it for now.

Another push into Mathew's Bramble lands. Some great ape looking monster lived against that border. After cataloging all the poachers and invaders, Mathew began to feel a shift in his own weight. The weight of his Territory shifted as the survivors of the Hub moved around. Before everyone grew in power and his weight became a force he could wield their movement was never noticeable.

Lacking fidelity, the sense really only followed Ben and Grant as they went out again looking for survivors. The cycle of chronospheres was getting closer to the peak of dropping people off. Mathew noted that neither Ben nor Grant sent him segments of Alpha spectrum as they traveled outside his border.

The sound of snoring distracted him and he opened the slats to see. Mathew found the noise cuddled up against the stone bars of its cage.

The little guy was kinda cute. Like a pug, ugly cute. Probably a hundred and eighty pounds of bone plating and six legged childishness. With a mane of spikes and a tail of razor blade sharp segments, Mathew was perhaps the only one comfortable getting close to it. That isn't even mentioning the four clawed front limbs.

[Bone Weaver

New race entry into the world library. Made from the corrupted form of a Bramble Weaver, this monster is a new member of a Carrion Beast Hive. 5% progress of symbiosis seed]

Mathew's intelectus determined that the symbiosis seed had to do with the brambles that he stole the original bio-form from. Without having one on had he couldn't scan it for details.

Running up a mental attack spy session, Mathew watched his creation kick its leg sporadically. Sinking into its dream, he enjoyed the portal to a world of innocent comfort. It dreamed of tumbling through sharp vines and spike plants. Mathew saw himself in the beast's dreams. There was reverence, almost deific worship, towards Mathew and his ability to transfer reserves by touch.

That peace was what Mathew was chasing a slice of it was here. Meaningful rest got closer as he sorted all the new messages tapping on the door of his mind. Closing the slats on his exoskull, Mathew embraced the enhanced calm of the darkness.

Waking rested and ready. Mathew made his way back to the caged animal. Still sleeping, it was oblivious to his approach.

"Hint, can you let me into the cage, please?" Mathew asked.

"Yes, co-owner," Hint replied.

Stone bars dropped away, and Mathew stepped into the room with the monster. It was his creation, but that didn't make him certain of its alignment.

"Hey bud," Mathew shook its shoulder gently.

Jumping up, it spun in a circle before orienting on Mathew. Excitedly it pounced against him. Mathew activated sure foot to keep his stance. Its claws found purchase in the joints of his armor, and it lathered Mathew's face with its tongue. Feeling appropriately grateful for his armor, Mathew pushed the new best down.

"No," Mathew commanded. "Down."

Before all four front paws landed, it was once again rising back to put its claws on him. Mathew watched the process happen in a mild slow motion. With mental attack, he gave the command again. It dropped back down and waited excitedly.

Using a combination of mental attack and mental support, he was able to teach it and help it remember what it learned. This power had so much weight, so much room to be abused. When they had spare time and essence, Mathew would make sure everyone got the mental resistance skill with a fair few levels in it.

Some ideas Mathew implanted stuck harder than others. Every time Mathew tried to communicate certain goals, sips of Alpha energy slipped into the skill. Specifically protecting the people and then the Territory. Repeated application drove the feeling into an instinctual response. The result of applying this power over time was that this Bone Weaver became loyal and well disciplined. Having this monster heel at his side without a command made Mathew feel like a proper hound master or whatever they were called.

Still connected to the decision paths of the Bone Weaver's mind, Mathew sought out another survivor. He had to make sure it got along well with more than just himself.

Through the hall and up the stairs, its nose let out a constant snuffle as it sampled a world of new smells for the first time. It never held back to investigate more. While he hadn't had pets of his own, Mathew was familiar with most dogs stopping to smell everything if they weren't well trained.

This felt like a life cheat. He could replace a whole dedicated occupation. But it really wasn't all that different from what Harper did with construction. Heck, back in the city, her powers would have replaced one of Mathew's jobs almost entirely.

How advanced are the natives of this world?

Amber had a new work room for her leather crafting, so Mathew stopped by there first. Passing through the doorless passage, he took in the fixtures. A tub of blue liquid next to a drying rack took up the front of his vision. Sweeping his vision further, there was a work table and Amber. Double checking his control, Mathew removed his exoskull with an application of will.

"Do you got a minute? I have a minion I'd like to see how it gets along with humans who aren't, uh, hybrids. Me," Mathew finished awkwardly.

"Sure thing, hoss," Amber drawled extra slowly.

Mathew brought the Bone Weaver in and told it that it was off duty. Not an idea he'd expect an animal to comprehend normally, but when he sent ideas, he could also send all the underlying information. Rest, taking turns holding burdens all of it was transferred in a moment.

"Aren't you just a lovable mess?" Amber's blue eyes glittered as she reached forward.

A tense moment where Mathew pushed his cognition to catch any sudden change passed uneventfully. The Bone Weaver seemed to handle Amber's invasion of its personal space just fine.

She frowned, "Can't quite run my hands through its fur. But I'm getting a hankering for one of these for myself. How big do they get?"

"This one's full grown," Mathew paused. "I think, anyway. So don't worry about it getting too big."

"Nah, bigger is better. I'm looking for a new ride. Don't think I'll be getting no horses round here," She tapped her chin. "I mean, there is grenade antler dear. Maybe something equine is hanging around, but I'd like to get riding between now and then. Raise those skill levels and what not."

Amber's smile faded as she changed subject, "Back on the farm, I got to raise my first batch of piggies. My Mom let me name 'em, but Dad said that I could only name 'em after foodstuff," Amber snorted. "Thought I was being clever naming 'em things like Cookie Crumbles and Angle Cake. Anywho, I learned that no matter how much I love an animal, they don't all get to be pets. So what types of names do these guys get?"

Mathew knew that these creations were going to be defenders. Leaning into the discomfort of putting a fine point on the uncomfortable truth, Mathew sighed, "Something military."

"Soldierboi it is then," The glimmer in Amber's eye got a fraction colder, even while she tried to pet the bone monster.

Looking away, Mathew was drawn to the bath.

Scan.

[Embalming cure

Cheap sanitization and preservation of empowered flesh and associated energy. Curing biomatter in this bath will also help a crafter draw out latent potential

Quality remaining: 71%]

"Harper?" Mathew asked.

"Clare," Amber shrugged. "Says she don't like it none. It's what the Colony used to preserve monster organs before implanting. Regardless of her distaste, she was willing to make a deal."

"Yeah, I don't get that. There aren't really enough people for trade to be necessary," Mathew grasped for the words to his question.

"Oh. It's where she's comfortable. Clare don't like to open up, and she's suffering a whole lot a not being social in too long. So I try to meet her where she's at," Amber gestured to a pile of silk. "Anyway, I don't like talking about people behind their backs. Maybe you oughta find time to talk to her yourself. And not just about the killing and controlling you have to do."

"I'll think it over. I better get going with this making a monster army thing," Mathew waved. "We can talk more at dinner."

"Before you go," Amber caught his arm. "You want anything?"

"Nah. I like being naked," Mathew clinked his gauntlet against his chest plate. "But seriously, others need it more."

Amber let go, "Take care, Mathew; you're just as important as the Carrion Knight is."

"You take care, too," Mathew said. "Come on, Soldier boy."

Pulling its muzzle out of the drying Bramble Weaver hide on the drying rack, Mathews Bone Weaver trotted along after him.

[Mathew Gains Starling ~ Fate Breaker

Otherworld Human/Carrion Beast Hybrid

Carrion Knight 2% to level 10

Health 1752/4310

(2558 crafting damage)

Reserves 4,025]

Looking over his stats, he didn't have enough reserves to make another Bone Weaver. Rough math told him the crafting damage would nearly heal in two days. So that's how long he planned to take it easy.

"Let's go for a walk, Soldier Boy," Mathew sent mental information along with the words. He had no idea how intelligent the beast could get, but if they could understand language well, then everyone would be able to coordinate with them.

"Now we're fetching Latch. Everyone will love it if you can fetch by command. Latch is my mace-"

Before too long, Mathew found himself walking the perimeter of his Territory. Most of it was this patrol was clearing a path through the brambles. Thick vines, poison plants, and the occasional prey animal would get caught up in his vine clearing. Digestion magic twined itself into channels in the handle eventually terminating at the inner head of the mace. The control wasn't as good as Ripper had been but Latch did a fine job for Mathew's needs.

The border of the new Territory was at least twenty yards into the thick of the vines. Either Mathew's ownership had been pushed back slowly, or he didn't capture it all the first time. One last option after thinking on it more was that the bramble grew invasively into the neighboring Territory.

It really didn't matter to Mathew. Now that he was establishing a path, he'd hold a line.

Going as slowly as he did and running conversion at a low intensity, he had plenty of magic available when his reserves returned to ten thousand. So he made another Bone Weaver. To save lives, he had to. In some ways, he'd already bitten off more Territory than he could chew. But he still wasn't satisfied yet.

Spending some more willpower, Mathew flexed his mental skills to raise Soldier boy and A.R.T. (Army Recruit Trainee), along with the rest of his efforts.

The strain on his willpower was close to the recovery of his resilience. As his second lowest stat, he was weakest as an endurance caster. It helped that using his magic was easier on his mind than everything else. At least in terms of how much work got done.

[New skill awarded: Mental support 12. Mental support 12 overrides mental support 11]

His entourage made it three-quarters of the way around the brambles before they ran into any disturbance.

The same great ape looking monsters that had invaded before followed along the edge of the Territory matching the patrol step for step. Hooting and slamming their fists together. They most resembled gorillas, but if the crystal growths on their knuckles didn't correct that misunderstanding, then the crown of fire would.

[Noble Wurta

Primate with connections to earth and fire. The supposed offspring of the magma god, Igvor. Revered religiously or commercially harvested for their natural alchemical fists

Color of flames indicates the broadest power level, from a dark red at the weakest to a bright orange at the strongest. Color of the crystals indicates power within a given level]

Was this normal behavior, or were these monsters going to be a problem? Actually, all the monsters where people were transferred in were a problem... or were they? An epiphany hit him.

Mathew had made some assumptions, given that the system classified the powerful beasts as monsters. If these monsters were like great apes, they might not be the man eaters that some other predators would be. Mathew remembered in the forest with the Blade Cat Alpha, it left Amber and himself alone. Going after the higher energy deer. Even as a predator it wasn't the primary threat.

Gaining Territory to save lives was entirely different than just conquering Territory. Maybe they were going about this all wrong. Well half-wrong. He'd have to check with Grant and Ben to see if he was on the right track, but he should target the lands most dangerous to weak humans.

Redirecting his mental attack, Mathew tried to spy on the Wurta mirroring his patrol.

Excitement and fear blended into a cocktail of violent potential. Even though they recognized Mathew as an Alpha, their posturing was not an empty threat. That wasn't what he was looking for, though. Guiding the thoughts of the weakest ape, Mathew tried to follow its memory to learn about the neighboring Territory as a whole.

Wurta Territory was that of high trees with wide branches. In the beast's mind, Mathew experienced sleeping in a nest within the boughs. Eating when hungry and gnawing on a rock when full. The rock came from a crater. Some type of meteor stone, perhaps?

Guiding its thoughts to predators, Mathew felt wet pulp around the crystals of his fist. A constrictor snake had wrapped up a sleeping Wurta in the night. This monster, Mathew's mind rode took it personally. Crushing the life out of the snake with one hand, it pounded away with the other. Each strike breaking down the scales another step. Cracks grew until the armor provided no defense.

Mathew pulled out of the overly vivid memory. If he'd seen right, their attacks worked to reduce defenses. The thought of being beaten out of his armor was a bit unnerving. Even in full armor with new monster hounds he felt naked and alone. Mathew knew that he could focus on leveling up his bone regeneration skill. Actually doing so seemed masochistic. But he was already wishing he'd done so.

The remainder of the patrol left Mathew a bit uneasy. That feeling faded a bit on the last leg of the circuit. Having a manmade path around the Spire provided some comfort to him. It was a fiction, ingrained by a lifetime of living in a civilization safe and sound. The association of manmade structures and safety was intrinsic to his mind.

Huh... maybe we can use this, Mathew thought. The Hub is like a zit on the side of the Spire. If a new survivor happens to see it, they even mistake it for a cave from further away. A tower at the peak would attract anyone looking for civilization. It would be seen from miles away in every direction. This is what we can do while we build up strength and I recover from crafting damage.

Lost in thought, Mathew walked into the Hub's main room to be met by shrill screaming. Sweeping his vision side to side, looking for danger, he mentally commanded his Bone Weavers to find the threat.

Glittering lights drew his attention.