Chapter 6

Even old people Troll

The boy reaches the bridge and starts to make his way across. A good 50 feet (15 ¼ meters) is between him and the opposite side with the clearing and at least 6 feet up from the river. He puts his boot on top of the ‘bridge’ to see if it is sturdy enough for him.

“Crreeeeeeeeek…”

It just barely supports his weight. He starts making his way across, walking as if he is on a tightrope.

He gets 10 feet across before he notices a long 20 ft. black shadow moving under the water heading towards him.

“Shit…”

He starts moving a bit quicker, quick enough to move across the ‘bridge’ but not quick enough to fall over from being unbalanced.

The black shadow starts following him and suddenly disappears beneath the river.

~Not good~

He starts scrambling towards the other side. He doesn’t get more than 5 feet before—

CRASH!!

The ‘bridge’ becomes torn in half by the black shadow that had been chasing him. He falls down with the snapped bridge almost slightly falling into the water.

“hugh…hugh… guhhhh. Dammmmmnnit…”

He looks down as a wave of pain sears through his legs. Trying not to close his eyes he tries to regain his footing before looking for the origin of the disturbance. He looks towards the middle of the ‘bridge’, which is now partially in the water, and sees the black shadow that had been coming toward him.

However the more he looked, the more insidious the fear was breaking to him. The black shadow was a Black Caiman, a 23ft. heaving mass of crocodile that rules the Amazon.

A long jagged scar can be seen running down the reptile’s left milky eye down through the mouth. A mouth that was currently wide open with the intent of ripping his body to shreds. The body is massive compared to himself. He looks on in horror and slowly makes his way up the remaining ‘bridge’.

“GURURURURURURUR!!!”

The croc roars at him as he tries to escape. It slinks back into the water and vanishes without a trace. Still staring at the spot it had just been, Bazz shakes himself out of the trance and starts looking around frantically.

~Where the fuck did it go…~

He backs up as quickly as he can while also scanning his surroundings of the river. The sounds of the forest have gone quiet, as if the ambiance had been stilled by the roar of the beast.

8 feet to shore

He gets up on his legs and starts walking to the shore.

SPLASH!!

He looks down at the noise and sees the jaws of the croc coming towards him from below.

He tries to rush towards the shore but—

“PRINCESS!! WAKE THE FUCK UP!!”

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Bazz jolts up as if he’s been shot with a volt of electricity.

“What the fuck just happened to you boy? You got PTSD or something?” Marneus asks inquisitively standing over him.

Bazz is now on the ground having fallen off the log, grimacing because of the searing pain flowing through him.

Due to your sudden panic attack, your body is in a reduced state of effectiveness.

-30 Health for 1 hour

-40 Stamina for 1 hour

-5 Stamina per 30 sec for 1 hour

Lingering Pain is in effect

Regeneration of Stamina is halted till Lingering Pain ends.

Your sense of balance is currently shifted.

Due to your distorted balance, Parkour works at decreased effectiveness.

He looks at the page and sighs.

~I would’ve thought I’d have gotten over this by now. Is this due to the effect of the new body in this universe?~

“Yes, I have PTSD. It is the result of my formal training, hence the reason I didn’t want to speak of it.” He says quietly.

Marneus stares down at him for a bit not knowing what to say. Bazz on the other hand starts his breathing exercises to calm himself down. Marneus moves over to his side and tries to help him up.

“I knew a couple soldiers who ended up that way. Forgive me for triggering that. Do you have it under control?” He asks tenderly.

Finishing up his breathing exercise, Bazz looks at him and says,

“Yeah I got it under control. It’s been a while since I last had one. I usually try to hide it through daily activities and such.”

“Well if your PTSD is anything to go by, your training must have been considerable. I guess I don’t really need to teach you that much do I?” Marneus states rubbing his chin.

“Yeah it was pretty extensive. All the way up to fighting bare handed in a war.” Bazz says wrapping up the fallen items from his pack.

Marneus’ eyes go wide at hearing this and starts pacing in front of Bazz.

5 minutes go past and new pages pop up

Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:Controlled BreathingBeginner167%Controlled Breathing isn’t always easy to do. For those who know how to use it well, the benefits are many. Calms the body considerably and relaxes muscles.

Reduces negative effects given to the body by 5%

{Passive}

For your use of Controlled Breathing, Lingering Pain is reduced to Annoying Ache.

Annoying Ache- Negative buff that limits Regen rate of Stamina

½ the time is needed for the body to get back to homeostasis

~Well that’s good. Guess that means I can continue to do this in order to get back to normal quicker~

“Alright, I think I’ve got it!” Marneus exclaims.

Bazz looks up at Marneus questioningly.

“Instead of survival, we will be doing sparing and overall fitness in order to boost up your strength.”

“And by strength I’m guessing you mean Attributes.” Bazz states comprehensively.

“Yeah those things, so how about it?” Marneus asks.

“Sounds good just give me a minute.”

“What for?”

“I need a bite to eat. I haven’t had anything to eat since I got to Marta City.”

“Eat?! You want to eat?! We have a lot of ground to cover boy! Eat on the way!” Marneus barks and jumps over the log.

Watching him jog a couple yards through the forest,

~I can never catch an easy break can I. Well, might as well get a move on~ Bazz thinks to himself and starts jogging to catch up with his new mentor.

----------------

Meanwhile in Agora City…

A pristine mahogany office suite with a lavish interior looks out on the city from one of the Treyns’ that overshadow the city. A redwood desk faces a wide sliding glass window looking out onto a small balcony that leans out on the city. An old man with a full black and grey beard, a bald head, and a white robe can be seen sitting at the desk with a holo screen in front of him.

“What do you mean we don’t have enough votes to put the bill through?! I thought this was going to work! You promised me that it would Primarch Luciana!”

“I did no such thing Mr. Gordyn, I said it may have a chance at working. The key word in there is chance, it’s not a guarantee.

Let’s be frank here, my job is to make things flow smoother and to ensure the diplomatic process is functioning like it should be Mr. Gordyn. It is not to ensure your company gains exclusive privileges and building rights to certain areas of commerce.

Now if that will be all, good day.” He says softly and turns off the screen.

He slowly gets up out of the chair and walks over to the window and opens it ever so lightly. He takes a deep breath of fresh air. The wafting smells of blooming orchids, the bakery down several floors to his right creating freshly made croissants, and the lush cocoa smell of coffee being brewed with a hint of cinnamon to his right.

~This is a fine day~ He thinks to himself as he leans against the railing. A day that usually isn’t interrupted by a pesky businessman is a rare one these days.

“You have 30 unread messages Primarch Luciana, would you like me to read them to you or would you like to go through them yourself?” An automated female voice states from his pocket.

“Anything important or from old friends that I should be concerned about Vivi?” he asks softly.

“You have 1 message from your son, 3 messages from a Major Corschev stating that Commander Marneus Yordam has left the station, and 1 message from--”

“Hold on a second, did you just say Marneus has left the station? What is the reason for this? Did he explain?” Luciana asks surprised.

“He states that he doesn’t know, however 1 message from a Director M. states that Marneus is heading here with someone. He doesn’t give a reason either.”

The old man freezes at the last part of the sentence and takes out the PDA from his pocket.

“Open chat to Director M, Vivi”

--------------------

6 hours later…

“Marneus hold up, I’m not as fast as you are right now!” Bazz says as he struggles to keep up.

“I will not hold up princess! Start movin your ass before I have to come back there and move it myself! It’s starting to get dark here and ain’t no one want to be out in this forest after dark!” Marneus retorts.

“Then how long till we get there?” Bazz asks exasperatedly.

“It just over the hill over there shitty Shirlock! Now move your ass!” Marneus barks.

~God Damn if he isn’t exactly like Master Reyes~ Bazz thinks to himself with a chuckle as he moves slightly faster.

He starts sprinting up towards a massive mound of earth more akin to a small mountain than a hill that stretches for kilometers to the north and south.

“Show status.”

Status WindowName:BazzAlignment:NeutralLevel:1Class:??Race:HumanGender:MaleTitles???Fame:100Infamy:0-Health:630/ 630Health Regen:.5 / SecStamina:345 / 630Stamina Regen:.5 / SecPsi:100 / 100Psi Regen:1 / SecSatiety:76/100-Strength:64(96)Agility:81(121.5)Vitality:84(126)Dexterity:62(121.5)Intelligence:30Presence:10Luck:18Wisdom:10-Attack:10-14Defense:0Physical ResistancesSlashing:0Piercing:0Crushing:0Elemental ResistancesFire:0Water:0Wind:0Earth:0Internal ResistancesPoison:0Disease:0[tr]Mental:0

~Hmmm, seems most of it has improved somewhat. I was starting to wonder why everything was starting to feel easier about an hour ago~ He thinks as he looks at his stats.

THUD…

“Damnit not again…” he says as he hits another tree.

A whisper from Joker has been initiated

He lays on the ground looking at the page that had just appeared before him.

~Who the hell is Joker? I don’t know any other Spacer in game do I?~ He thinks and initiates the whisper.

he asks with some trepidation.

charming baritone voice with a crisp timbre speaks into his mind teasingly.

He exclaims.

he replies as if pained by his reaction.

“Private chat face option on.” He states clearly.

A holographic screen appears in front of him with a face slowly coming into view. A ruggedly handsome face appears on the screen with shoulder length curly blond hair and bright ocean blue eyes with a hint of green.

Joker asks.

A look of surprise blooms on Joker’s face as he hears this.

he states with a chuckle.

>

A female voice from his end sounds out and Joker looks off screen for a moment.

Bazz takes this moment to run a bit faster in the hopes of catching up with his mentor.

An excited look brightens his face.

Bazz states accusingly.

He says feigning a pained expression with a hand over his face.

Bazz states with a smile.

Joker replies with a smile.

Chat has ended

“HURRY YOUR ASS UP HERE PRINCESS!!!” Marneus shouts down at him already at the top of the hill.

Bazz starts sprinting up the hill.

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5 minutes later…

You are the first to enter Agora City, Harbrace.

The city of the Heart is not easily navigated…

+150 Fame

~So this is Agora City…looks like the old Athens~ he thinks to himself as he gazes upwards.

The sun was setting to the west and it cast a warm mellow glow on the exterior of the buildings. The buildings here were mostly made out of trees…well not trees per se but trees.

The trees seemed to be much wider and taller than any that he had seen, like they were unnatural. There were windows in each tree stretching up towards the sky and near the tops were balconies one could lounge on.

He was surrounded on all sides by these ‘trees’ wondering how exactly they had come to be and to what they could house within them. A bit to the north stood the same kinds of ‘trees’ but smaller, as if they weren’t destined to reach such lofty heights.

“I see you are curious about the Treyns boy. Want me to lightly explain what they are?” Marneus asks with a bemused expression.

“That would be wonderful thanks…” Bazz states softly while looking up at the multitudinous Treyns scattering the landscape.

“Treyns are, if you haven’t already guessed it, trees. They are trees that have been genetically modified from their seed for the sole use of being buildings. The ones you see here are the Algin Treyns, the Treyns that reach towards the skies in the hopes of breaching their lofty recesses.

The Treyns maybe 5 kilometers north are called Martis Treyns. This means that they are basically the size of a house. Does this all make sense?” Marneus explains.

Bazz continues to gaze up at the massive Treyns in awe of their majesty. The branches that extend to either side of the treyns sometimes join together with those of neighboring Treyns forming a makeshift bridge across one building to the other.

All of these treyns, show the enormity and vastness of how connected the world is. How fragile the world of men is, and yet these ‘trees’ connect to one another and bond to those that otherwise never have known each other.

“This is simply awe inspiring… Thank you for bringing me here” Bazz states, still gazing up at the Treyns.

You have gained a glimpse into the inner workings of life.

Continuing to look for that which holds life together will prove ever more fruitful…

+30 Wisdom

~I never thought that I would get something for looking at trees~

BRING…BRING…

Bazz looks over at Marneus wondering what the sound was. Marneus pulls out a PDA and swipes it to see who is calling.

“I wonder who it could be…” He says with a smile growing on his face.

BRIN—

“Having a great day at Grandpa Yordam’s BBQ how can I help you?” He says to the PDA.

“WHAT IN THE FUCKING HELL ARE YOU FUCKING DOING HERE MARNEUS!!!!!” an angry old man’s voice roars out of the PDA.

“I’m sorry sir you must have the wrong number.” Marneus says politely with a wide grin.

“OH NO I DON—” click.

Marneus drops the call with a massive smirk on his face. Bazz immediately face palms.

“Mind if I ask what that was about?” Bazz asks with his hand still on his face.

“Oh you know, one of my many admirers and lovely old friends. He should be calling back anytime—”

BRING…BRING…

“HAHAHA! Just like I thought! Let’s see how long this will last.” Marneus says and looks at Bazz with a massive grin and a predatory gleam in his eyes.

~Yep just like I thought. He is EXACTLY like Master Reyes~ Bazz thinks with a smile.

BRIN—

“You have reached the voicemail of Marneus Yordam, please leave your name and voicemail after the beep. BEEEEP!”

“TALK TO ME YOU PISSPOT SON OF A—”click

“HAHAHAHAHA!!!” Marneus laughs out.

BRIN—

“Please hold for his High Exaltedness.”

“STOP SHITTING ME YOU COCKSUCKING BI—” click

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! It never gets old!” Marneus laughs with the PDA in hand.

Bazz watches with a broad smile on his face while Marneus bends over from laughing so much.

BRING…BRING…

“Marneus we should probably answer seriously this time.” Bazz states with a slight smile.

Marneus looks up at Bazz trying to catch his breath, pauses for a moment as if some interesting idea had formed in his mind.

“Alright princess, since you asked so nicely, you get to try and calm his ass down.” Marneus says chuckling handing Bazz the PDA.

BRIN—

“Hello, this is the Spacer named Bazz. Who are you and how may I help you?” Bazz politely speaks into the PDA.

“…….” Complete silence greets him.

~Well this is odd~

Marneus looks at him with a bemused expression.

“Is there something that I can assist you with kind sir, whose name is not given appropriately to the person who asks?” Bazz asks again in a polite tone.

“Uh hem. I apologize for that unsightly display Mr. Bazz, my name is Luciana, Primarch Venat Luciana. If you would please look on the map function on the PDA, you will find a building that I am marking for you. If you would please head to this building, it would do me a great favor.” The elderly voice politely responds.

“And where is it that I am heading to?” Bazz asks trying to coax more information out.

He slides the bar on the screen and looks for the map function. Pressing the map function, a bright red dot shows up about 1.5 kilometers from where he is standing.

“The building you are going to is the Principae, the largest building in this area. It is where—”

“Why would you want us to go there I wonder…” Marneus pipes up.

“You will be reporting to the council on your recent…activities.” The elderly voice continues, irritation clearly showing. “Now, please proceed to the building and you will be escorted at the front gates.”

Click…

“Well I guess that’s that princess! Let’s go see what’s in store for us, ey?” Marneus states taking his PDA back when he passes Bazz.

~This should be interesting~

--------------------

10 minutes later…

The sun has now set. The only light to be seen are the genetically modified trees that stand along the road emitting a luminescent glow. Bazz and Marneus now stand in front of a pair of gates.

The building behind said gates, is a building that looks like a complete restored version of the Parthenon…only it was reddish brown. A neatly manicured lawn stretches from the Principae towards the gate with trimmed hedges lining the walls separating the outside world from the Principae.

“Please excuse me for my tardiness Monsieur!” A neatly manicured man quickly walks towards them from the Principae. “I had not known that the esteemed guests were here for the convened council! Please forgive my tardiness!”

The man looks like a cross between a French butler and a formally dressed master pianist. Neatly tailored tuxedo, a pencil thin mustache, sharp green eyes, and short wavy light brown hair. Looked to be around the age of 35.

“It is quite alright Jacque. We had no intention of coming here in the first place. If you want to blame someone, blame your boss.” Marneus says smoothly. “And what was that about esteemed guest of the council? Are we expected to speak in front of those old farts?”

“Please don’t say that sir, you know how choleric they can be when you say that. That just makes my job that much harder.” Jacque says with a pleading look.

“Come on Marneus, might as well get this over with.” Bazz interjects.

--------------------

The three of them move past the gate and head towards the building. All of them talking amongst themselves not noticing the pair of yellow eyes with a predatory gleam watching them from the shadows of the hedges.

“I’ve found you… Signor Bazz.”

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Hey guys!

Thanks for all your support in this with all the comments and questions. Speaking of questions here's the answer to one that was asked last chapter!

@Detous

1. About how many chapters will the Beta be, and of those chapters how many until Bazz is done training?

2. For the new species of human, will Bazz?

A. Retain his human qualities and receive Captain America like abilities.

B. Become an Animal Hybrid

C. Become a Plant Hybrid

D. Become a new, original type of Alien altogether

My answer to this is:

1. I'm not sure yet, although I'm planning it to be done at around chapter 11 or 12 with Bazz at the focus. The actual training portion is quite slim seeing as he has already been trained lol

2. For the new species....I don't think I should comment just yet on what he will be....however, I didn't even think about a Plant Hybrid so thank you for your contribution!

God you don't know how hard it is not to release spoilers for you guys in this panel. Anyway, please leave your comments, criticism, cookies and such in the comment section and let me know what you think! XD