Mathew

This second trial to forge his skills and build how he wanted was a fascinating insight into how gaining skill levels worked. The working theory was that every living thing generated evolution energy that, for people, the system would consume to give or level their skills.

Mathew's first intentional trial to avoid spending this skill energy anywhere but the new skill he was trying to forge, resulting in his Deathbattle chains. This time he kept the energy consumed. It became clear to him that being in a state of constant depletion caused his- soul?- to produce more of this energy.

Too bad the only way to get to this state was by feeding it into a skill he already had. Mathew could imagine how broken a skill to increase skill growth would be. But that would require an excess of skill energy while also draining it.

A tug at his digestion magic told him that Ripper had captured a threat.

Grateful for the refill on reserves, Mathew considered the apparent downside to this intense training. Other than the pain, that was. On top of the cost of regenerating broken bones, his soul organs seemed to metabolize reserves to grow his skill levels.

Brad caught his breath from his last ability attack. Precision strike like Mathew's conditional ambush was a stamina skill. Brad's skill level was pretty high compared to his level, so he could compress minutes of his recovery into a second of explosive activity. Even with his growing endurance.

Selecting a two-handed pick from the tool rack, he circled into Mathew's blind spot. Despite Mathew's efforts to stay distracted, his heightened cognition drew his attention to the whistle of air and the slight grind of bone shards scattered on the floor shifting as Brad twisted his body to power the strike.

Every time he had to fight to stay still. To allow the hit to land. Embracing the pain was unnatural, and no matter how certain his logical mind was, the monster side of Mathew wanted to fight. Until now, Mathew's fight against hybrid sickness was often distant. He worried about being manipulated in subtle ways. This was entirely different.

The edges of a separate mind housed beside his own made itself known. Like a chameleon, the beast's mind blended in beside his own so well that Mathew was oblivious to its existence. Given the Carrion Beast's nature as a mental attack ambush predator, the ability to hide its mind so thoroughly made sense.

Was it really so passive that they had never had significant conflict like this, or is it suddenly stronger? Mathew thought around his fight to hold onto all the control of his body.

Being in control to begin with, his human mind had a significant 'terrain advantage.' Mathew wouldn't have risked Brad's life otherwise.

CRACK

The pick impacted a plate on his spine. Mathew's armor split, tearing the flesh underneath it. Bracing against the beast in his mind was a nice distraction from the supernatural pain Brad's skill delivered.

Go ahead and spend your perks, Mathew mocked himself. What arrogance.

Brad's shocking pain perk would light up his nerves like a Christmas tree. The only way to keep thinking through it was to spend some health to ignore any absence of wholeness. Then Brad's newest perk, lingering pain, would kick in. It would leave an aggressive ache that Mathew couldn't cancel out with health.

Thankfully, after each attack, Mathew's beast side would calm back down. Watching it blend into the background of his mind repeatedly gave Mathew some ideas on how to cloak his own mind.

[New skill awarded: Bone regeneration 20. Bone regeneration 20 overrides bone regeneration 19.]

Mathew had two perk points now and his skill level growth had slowed down quite a bit. At this rate, it would take too long to get to level 25 and get a third perk point.

While Brad recovered, Mathew reviewed his perks. So far, they had confirmed that perks seemed to extend into related themes. While Mathew's perk themes were less ridged than those of others like Harper, he had a distinct direction to pursue.

Regeneration efficiency unlocked temper trap bone. The only throughline he could figure was resources. Temper trap bone replaced a reserve storage perk that he wouldn't need with digestion as his magic. More perks in that line may further improve efficiency or the use of different resources.

During his fight with Clare— a pang of shame rested heavy in Mathew's guts. Pushing past his regrets, he refocused his mind. During the fight he'd selected damage memory and that unlocked repair options.

[Repair options- Modify regeneration to take on different forms]

Looking behind the text showed Mathew how this would be a solution for future crafting. At some point, his infinity bone plan and the growing skill levels of living skeletal armament would make breaking off bones impossible. This would let him regenerate weaker bones or slim them down to supports more thin than living skeletal armament would allow otherwise.

He didn't have any crafting plans for the time being, so he put that perk aside for now.

Finally, healing aura started the perk branch he knew the least about, but with lingering pain digging into his mind, it seemed promising.

[Healing Aura - Bone that isn't regenerating creates a weak healing aura]

Mathew selected the perk and watched the rust color tiger striping his body deepen and spread. Soothing warmth brushed the edges of his lingering wounds. Damaged tissue under his armor began letting go of pebbles of health. It wasn't something he could rely on in the typical fast-paced fight, but for recovering in the downtime between fights, it would put him back in full shape a lot faster.

Mathew rechecked his perk list.

[Bone regeneration ~ perk tier two

Ready regeneration - Bone can store extra reserves for later healing

Temper trap bone - Bone can pool energy for various uses

Repair options- Modify regeneration to take on different forms

Reinforce aura- Intact bone that is not healing with its healing aura will reinforce nearby tissue]

With his last perk point he selected reinforce aura. It didn't seem to do anything. Mathew couldn't tell if that was normal or just because he was still recovering.

"Thank you, Brad," Mathew moved for the first time in several hours. "I think more gains will take too long. So let's call it here."

"I could work faster with another level. The changes you've made put your armor at the limits of my ability," Brad said.

Mathew laughed, "I feel like I'm into diminishing returns for my level."

"What do you mean?" Brad asked.

"Huh, maybe you didn't notice," Mathew thought about Brad's experience. "Coming from the transition where skill levels get a boost to the full world of Leternum, skill growth is slower. Higher level skills also grow slower. Outside of building up power over time, the only thing that helps skill levels is having a higher level."

"Thanks, I'll remember that," Brad nodded while gathering up his belongings. Mathew noticed a red rag tied around each of his hands.

Mathew had been too distracted to notice. Each strike from Brad's tools reverberated with a noise so loud they incorporated a silencing barrier. Of course they had reverberated damage into Brad's hands.

Placing his blood-soaked hand on the rack, it disappeared with a wooshing sound of air collapsing.

"When there's time, you'll have to tell me your story. We could all use magic storage," Mathew said.

"It's the title I got from the tutorial. It only lets me store forge related stuff," Brad sighed. "Thank you for the opportunity to get more powerful."

Brad paused as if there was more for him to say before blowing his breath out. "I'm just tired. This isn't what I'm used to."

Me either. Mathew thought.

"Glad to hear it. To be honest, I'd be worried if this didn't seem weird to you. I'd love to stick around, but I've got more things to attend to," Mathew left the torturous chamber crunch over blood stained bone shards.

Maybe it was good for him to get better acquainted with pain. The brutality of the natural world was something he should adapt to.

Climbing the steps out of the basement, Mathew's mental attack could feel a dozen minds. Each one bringing unique skills and many unique magic and classes.

As a species, one of humans' main advantages was that they had such diverse specialization. In this world of supernatural power, this factor was amplified. It would be vital to controlling Territory. Where Mathew's defense build would be weak against the armor-breaking great apes, another survivor would have an effective counter.

A dozen survivors may not have the counter, but when the number grew into the hundreds, they'd have an answer to nearly any problem. At least, that was Mathew's hope. That was why he didn't just invest essence in leveling everyone who chose a class. Having the hundreds or eventually thousands of essence required to counter a threat demanded judicious spending now.

It felt scummy, denying power to others. Some part of Mathew's mind felt like it was making the Hub more of a prison and less of a refuge. That notion wasn't so strong it would change his mind but it was something to keep an eye on.

People from Earth were spoiled, and while most people would change their expectations during an apocalypse, the habits of being dissatisfied would still be waiting under their skin. If Mathew wasn't peaceful about the decision it was only a mater of time until someone more closed off would feel worse about it. Sadly casting Mathew's monstrous bone form as a tyrant was what he expected.

Mathew shook his head and focused on what he could do something about. Conquer the neighboring Territory adjacent to Clare and negotiate with Clare.

Not facing Clare again was a luxury that he wouldn't indulge in. That being said, he felt better prepared now. Some part of him subjecting himself to this tempering process was guilt. Having time to get better acquainted with his Carrion Beast side, Mathew determined it had nudged his elbow in the moment.

Not to say that he was incapable of doing something impulsive, but the quiet part of Clare's mind calling for help triggered an instinct Mathew didn't adequately understand yet.

Until recently, Mathew had thought of the Carrion Beast as a greedy and malicious predator. Delighting in the mental and physical debilitation of its prey. While that was still entirely true, Mathew got blindsided by the benevolent instincts to help their own.

Hive.

He'd have to explore what this meant when things slowed down. For now, he had an angry alpha to negotiate with.

Making to leave the prison fortress, a voice called after him.

"You're leaving already?" Harper stepped past the swinging door of her lab. Behind her, Amber glared at the alchemical contraption. "Give us some more time, and we'll have meaningful armor figured out."

Not again. Mathew thought.

"Like I said last time. I'm going when I'm ready. That is the final answer. Lives are on the line, and your insecurities aren't going to get in the way of saving them," Mathew jabbed his bone-covered finger in the direction of the Warped Swarm Territory.

"My insecurities?" Harper's head bobbed back like she'd been slapped.

"Yeah, working yourself into the ground like every bad thing is your fault. Or as if not stopping every bad thing is your fault," Mathew shrugged to try to soften the delivery.

"That's what you do! You really think I should be doing any less while people like you are literally risking their lives?" Harper's voice dripped with incredulity.

"No, I don't make it about me," Mathew's cognition for once not helping him find his words. "I know you mean the best, what you're trying to do here is make this about you. Make saving others include your work when it doesn't need you. Not this time. I'm going to Clare's first anyway. So you have that long until I fight the swarm, but only that long."

"Uh..." He could feel her fighting with his framing of the situation before setting it aside for later review. "How long will that be?"

"I don't know, hopefully not long," With a slight effort of willpower, Mathew hid his face with his exoskull, signaling the end of this conversation.

A fragment of gloom stuck to him like a splinter. Even body sliding down the spire didn't shake it free. Harper was stuck between recovering from her wounded past and embracing her strong future. Mathew had learned to treat the former gently and later firmly. This in-between left him feeling like he was doing something wrong every step of the way.

Being too gentle would let a recovering person get into bad habits or set into accepting a padded version of life. But too harsh would just weaken trust and slow down recovery.

It didn't help that Clare was, in some ways, more of the same. A more brittle mental wound that would be strong until it broke.

Arriving at the border, Mathew noticed Clare's reinforcement seemed redder than before. It wasn't something he could see, but that was how it felt to his mind.

Like ripping off a bandaid, Mathew steeled himself to knock on Clare's Territory. Heigh-ho.

Knocking his reinforcement against the bubble over Clare's Territory, Mathew could feel the ripples in his mind. Maybe he was still adapting to being an Alpha. Clare had been able to evaluate territories and their strength in a way Mathew couldn't. He hoped it was just a matter of time.

The slight red of her Territory seemed to deepen as he stood there with his eyes closed. At first, he'd thought it was his imagination, but now it was so clear he had no doubt.

"Am I interrupting?" Clare's voice cut the distance between them. Mathew couldn't detect a hint of anger.

Clare stood at the end of a web road clothed in a pure white dress.

Mathew dropped his mask. "No. I was just able to feel your Territory better. It's red and more so wherever you are."

Clare's tinkling laughter loosed a tight knot in Mathew's chest. "Yes, I had thought that was obvious, but I am glad to hear you are improving. I assume you are here regarding my message?"

"Sure am," Mathew answered distractedly. How is she no longer mad at me?

"Right this way then, I have got everything ready," Clare turned around for Mathew to follow her. Mathew found his eyes tracking to her backside. The grafted spider organs were less hidden by the design of this dress.

Stepping up to her, Mathew felt the inflection of a decision point. He could refuse to walk into her seat of power, or he could show trust.

Maybe it was stupid, but he held his arm out for her to take hold of. Knowing that his rash actions were pushed by the instincts of his monster side didn't change the fact that Mathew wanted to fix this situation if he could. For the sake of everyone.

As they walked, Mathew spotted a Warrior Blood Spider larger than the rest. Scan.

[Giddian ~ Lieutenant Warrior Blood Spider

This specimen is empowered by Alpha energy. Its webbing has atrophied as its body has mutated to generate an even more powerful venom. Venom draws vital fluids to a wound and blocks health from preventing bleeding. This variant venom also generates a hemeopermability aura drawing blood through otherwise solid objects]

Mathew felt like the spider was watching him. With its eight eyes and dome-like vision it surly was, but this felt intense. Like it was glaring at him.

"Does having you and that one here weaken your defense?" Mathew asked.

"Not a problem for a bit, but yes. Giddian's antics are growing more onerous. The spider side wants me to kill him and drain his blood," Clare answered.

Walking at their casual pace took a while, but they approached the apparent center of Clare's Territory. Each road evolved from white into a gradual pink that turned a deep red. Finally terminating at a multistory structure of rocks and webs.

Arches and spikes dominated the architecture. With some wafting crimson wisps, it was the manifestation of a fantasy dark fortress.

Passing over a defensive embattlement, the view opened up. At the end of the road was an arch leading to a throne.

"I will get straight to the point. I do not trust you. Nor should I," Clare patted his arm. "Not your fault per se. Though you have done little to engender greater trust. It is a result of your mind control powers."

Mental attack told Mathew that any strong spiders stayed clear of Clare's seat of power.

"That seems to present a problem to the whole treaty thing, doesn't it?" Mathew asked.

"Exactly why this is the first item to be addressed," Clare stopped before the throne. "Just a moment."

She jumped into the ceiling. Even with his improved cognition watching the webs open up and close so smoothly, he hardly saw the wood paneling. It disturbed the stubborn peace he'd forced himself to adopt about coming here. Having decided to put himself at a disadvantage didn't truly make him oblivious to the bad choice.

If there was ever a conflict here, Clare would be able to wrap and bind with the speed of a striking snake.

The roof opened, and a cord dropped down. "Come on up."

"Yeah," Mathew gulped, realizing he'd only tried the most limited uses of his new strength. Sure foot made him feel more comfortable grounded, but superhuman acrobatics were a whole world he should at least dip his toes in. As it was he wasn't sure how much strength to jump up if he even could.

Effortlessly pulling himself hand over hand up the web put a weak smile on his face as the new room opened up.

The room was a city-sized, that is to say small, studio apartment. His eyes swept the room quickly wooden weapon racks, dressers, table, chairs and a luxurious four-poster bed.

Clare sat at the table with a brown parchment in her hands.

Mathew saw a shimmering luster to the otherwise plain pages as he sat.

"This is contract magic. I had been saving it for Doctor Hundle. A way for me to force him to set me free from the hybrid I've become," She took a shuddering breath. "I can not trust you yet. After you sign this, we can work together. Let us talk terms."