The light dimmed the moment I entered the forest. Shifting rays of sun illuminated Anthony in spurts, and I gave chase each time I spotted its telltale red color. I was surprised by how fast the little critter was, not to mention its maneuverability. It got much further ahead of me with each log it swiftly climbed or each sharp bend it took around a copse of trees. With each minute that passed as I followed it, the prickling sensation grew stronger. I wasn't sure where the feeling was coming from, but I found myself holding at the ready on my left and my pistol on my right hand.

When I saw Anthony halt abruptly, then begin to thrash wildly, I knew something had gone terribly wrong. Not only that, when I finally pulled my eyes away from the little ant, I realized that Sam wasn't right on my tail. Instead, the sun had been muted further by a thick webbing that I was realizing covered absolutely every inch of the canopy above, yet only a few select strands reached down to the ground like invisible nets. What sent a further chill up my spine was that there was not a single spider in sight. My hand trembled as I thought about the tiny spiders we sometimes saw within the bunker. Whatever kept the Dreg out of our systems down below had kept them the way they were meant to be. On the surface, and considering what I'd seen of the ants, I had no doubt that it wasn't a tiny harmless bug friend that had ensnared Anthony from the canopy above.

A slight hum echoed, and I spun with my hands splayed out on either side. There wasn't anything visible around me. Yet. My heart threatened to beat out of my chest, but I rushed over to Anthony. The little Fire Ant was thoroughly ensnared. I gave the world around me a glance, then holstered my gun.

"Anthony. I don't know if Sam and Danny are off their rockers, but I really hope you can understand me. I need you to burn your bindings off and climb on my back," I said, brandishing my work hatchet and chopping down on the largest section of web holding the ant.

The first strike barely did anything, as the string twanged like a musical instrument, so I hacked through as hard as I could. Anthony stopped thrashing wildly, and I really hoped it wasn't because something horrifying was looming over my shoulder ready to eat me. Instead of focusing on that bone chilling and highly distracting thought, I set the blade down on the other length of webbing holding the insect and sawed like my life depended on it. As if waiting for that very moment, Anthony turned into a miniature bonfire. While the fire lasted only a second, it forced me to cover my face and look away. Right into the eyes of a man-sized version of a banana spider.

The arachnid's information populated through my implant. However, it wasn't the only one that did as my peripheral vision caught the other forms amidst the web.

Two smaller child-sized males flanked the female. The large spider clicked its mandibles and shifted slowly along their web. Her vivid yellow thorax sparkled with a silver shine, and the black spots formed what my terrified brain assumed was a skull shape. The spider stopped less than two hundred feet away, testing the bundle of strings that had just been binding Anthony with her long slender legs. The motion looked gentle, but I knew the webbing was surprisingly strong from how much resistance it had when I chopped down on it.

The males looked like smaller, grey-brown versions of the female. They'd moved in concert with the female, each of them having their little beady eyes trained on me. I flinched when warmth traveled up my pant leg and onto my back, but managed not to jump. Apparently they can listen... I didn't have much time to contemplate the tamed behavior Anthony exhibited, because the female leapt from the canopy, the whispered hiss of deflating air trailing her. Literally.

A glittering trail of air followed in her wake, and the spider closed the distance in a blink. Thankfully, my reflexes saved me once again. A stone spike rose out of the ground less than three feet away right as the spider crashed into it. My hastily erected shield, however, didn't last long as cracks sprouted from the single impact, and I could hear the hiss of two more spider butts heading my way.

Not bothering to double check if the warmth on my back was Anthony, I let loose with another stone spike as I turned to run. There was a loud screech as my spike impaled one of the males, but I didn't stay to look at the creature. However, just as I was about to dive behind a tree for cover, a thick strand of webbing struck me in the shoulder. I was sure that I would have stumbled forward from the hit had the spider not hauled me back with a surprising amount of strength. I could already feel my back bruising as I fought against the web reeling me in.

"Anthony! A little help!" I said as I dug in with my heels, locking eyes with the giant female banana spider. Rippling spurts of glitter shot out of its body, threatening to yank me back into its clutches. Even with the lingering fear of getting eaten by a spider, I managed to realize that the spider must have been wary about my stone spikes, which is why it hadn't charged me again. With my thoughts organized enough, I sent another stone spike right at the creature's head.

Moving impossibly fast, the spider crawled to the side. The motion jerked me to the side. A small clacking, and the disappearance of the warmth on my back told me the motion had dislodged Anthony. Focus on yourself, Ronan! Even while still attached to the spider, I rolled to the side to avoid another thread of webbing which splattered against a tree somewhere behind me. Even without risking a look at my mana, I could feel the pressure of casting back to back building up in my gut. The male spider wasn't even anywhere in sight, so I was wary of getting attacked from behind.

In my panicked thoughts, I missed the silhouette creeping beside me. A heavy weight crashed and brought me to the ground. A second later, I felt a lancing pain as the male bit my unprotected shoulder. Growling in pain, I unleashed a duo of stone spikes aimed at the space behind my back. The motion ripped the spider, and a chunk of my shoulder, along with it.

The world grew increasingly hotter as the pain throbbed further from the bite to encompass the majority of my body. A pulsing warning flashed through my implant.

The warning winked out as the female yanked on the thread still attached to my vest. Like a beached whale, the giant spider pulled me closer and the pain grew. When a gout of fire severed the thread, the spider hissed in agitation. When I tried to stand, but failed to even get up onto my elbows, it charged forward like before. The world was a hazy blur, but the incoming flash of yellow managed to send some subconscious signals to my brain.

Almost mechanically, I aimed spike after spike at the spider's thorax. The pressure in my gut was so strong I caught myself dry heaving. A mass collided against my side and then the gentle tinkling of glass before a surge of energy pumped through my veins. I blinked some of the haze away before yet another sensation overpowered my body. Bone deep exhaustion. Not the sleep kind of exhaustion, nor the muscle exhaustion you get after some vigorous exercise, but an overwhelming pressure from everywhere that made even blinking my eyes a struggle.

While my body refused to respond, my mind whirled a thousand miles a minute. Where's the spider? Did I get hit with a different venom? Why isn't my implant responding? What if Sam gets here and is ambushed by more spiders? The inquisitive clicks of a Fire Ant drew me out of my spiral. I latched on to the little insect with my eyes like a drowning man to flotsam. If Anthony was still here, and as unconcerned as he did, then the spiders really were dead. Remembering that the ant had been able to understand me before I forced my mouth to cooperate.

"Sss...m. Ssa..mm," I managed, even if my tongue felt like it had weights attached to it.

The ant perked up at my response. I could almost see the warring thoughts in its compound eyes. However, after a few seconds of hesitation and shuffling on its little limbs, it headed away. The fight had left me so disoriented that the only way I would have been able to find my way back to the Bunker was with the help of the implant. I really hope he didn't just head back towards his hive...

I wasn't sure how long I laid on my side, but the shadows cast by the trees crept slowly across the ground. A few inquisitive squirrels, ones that looked unattuned, if a bit larger, sniffed around me before scurrying into the woods. With how exhausted I felt, it wasn't difficult to resign myself to wait for rescue. Thankfully it doesn't hurt anymore... Closing my eyes, I proceeded to go over the numerous mistakes I'd committed in the fight.

The first was losing sight of my surroundings. I could somewhat attribute that one to my freshness on the surface. Having space to run around as opposed to being stuck on a treadmill or circular track was still a new experience for a Bunker-born. With how much deadlier the wilderness was, and having found not even a sign of the world from before landfall, mapping our surroundings would be imperative. Better bring that up with the others, especially Danny since she is the fastest and most likely to wander off.

The other major mistake was leaving Sam behind. We hadn't gone over each other's specific Attributes, but if the growth of my friends mirrored my own, then I imagined Strength was up there for Samuel. I'd always been faster than him, but not by much and he'd always been stronger than me, but not by much. Still, getting 20% faster than the pre-landfall humans was still one way of stretching out that difference.

Getting caught by the spider's webbing was the last major mistake. I wasn't sure of where the line between attuned creatures and regular species was drawn. Yet another thing to ask the Entity. I really need to write a list of these. Putting down roots on the surface was going impossibly quickly, and too slow at the same time, thanks to the Crystal's help.

As far as the engagement, I had to forgive myself for the blunders in expending my mana and understanding just how Anthony could have helped. It was hard to gauge just how much my Perception had helped me in the fight, but I had a sneaking suspicion my reflexes on triggering Stone Spike had something to do with that particular Attribute. Now that I think about it, how did I manage all those extra Skill triggers...

"Ronan!" a voice gently echoed through the forest.

A thrill of anxiety forced my eyes to look around wildly. My body was still locked in its strange catatonic state, but I managed to eek out something between a grown and a hiss. I was worried if my friend called out too loudly in the woods, more spiders or possibly something worse would come. A fireball sailed through the air above me, very nearly landing on me.

"I see him! Sam, he's under that spider leg," Danny's voice reached me, and the anxiety calmed. Both of them stood a much better chance of killing anything that attacked.

A hand lifted something off my body I hadn't realized was even on top of me, then turned me over. A frowning Sam looked me dead in the eye. "Ronan? Can you hear me?" he asked, shaking me when I didn't respond.

I blinked twice in quick succession. I hope he gets it.

"Yes? Blink twice again for yes, one for no." Blink blink. "Can you move? What happened?" Blink... wild blinking. I didn't really have a yes-no way of answering his second question, but he seemed to realize it. "Right, it's not a yes or no question. Sorry. I'm gonna haul you back to the Bunker. Hopefully Alan and Alexis can figure out what happened. Danny, watch our backs!"

"Me and Anthony have it," my friend said somewhere behind Samuel as he lugged me over his shoulder. The woman and her Fire Ant came into view, the human with a concerned expression and the ant jumping for joy. Well, that's what it looked like.

My friends argued back and forth on what was the best path to take, but opted to let Anthony lead when the Fire Ant rushed off in the direction of the Bunker.

"Are you sure your ant knows what it's doing?" Sam asked.

"No, but he came back to tell us about Ronan. I think he's earned a bit of trust for it."

Sam huffed, but picked up speed to keep up with the wiry insect. Several minutes later, punctuated only by the hard breathing of both of my friends, I heard the lowing responses of the herd of cows. A few flashes of light in what I now realized was the afternoon light indicated Anthony's presence.

"Raymond, please, Anthony was just leading us back. We aren't here to threaten the herd," Sam said as we got closer and I noticed some of my spike wall constructions. The bull was out of view, but the deep, rumbling low that answered Sam made me think he'd heard. Once more I wondered just how intelligent Raymond and Anthony were, at least as opposed to the other creatures we'd encountered so far. After the alpha had calmed the rest of the herd, Sam moved towards the entrance to the Bunker. The moment the group entered the inner perimeter, a flash of light came from the center section of the spike wall.

"Didn't think you three would get the energy quite so--" the Crystal started to say, before cutting itself off. "Stop, bring him here!"

Sam halted in his tracks, pivoting to walk to the Crystal's side. "What do you need with him?"

"Just set him down, I can deal with the rest. Be quick about it!" When Sam laid me down on the ground, I caught a glimpse of the crystal shining brighter than I'd ever remembered it being before that same brightness encompassed my entire vision.

---+---

When I blinked again, I found myself floating in an empty white space. It was similar to being submerged and floating in the bathtub down in the Bunker, except I was vertically upright. While looking around I realized I was also buck naked.

"No sense covering that up. No one but me can see, and I have no interest in your anatomy, Ronan." I whirled at the sound of the voice to see a bobbing sparkler drifting a foot from my face. "To make it short, yes, this is me. The Entity Cluster. In the metaphysical flesh. Now, care to tell me what the heck happened to you?"

"Ehh... I fought some giant air attuned spiders and nearly lost?"

"Of course you did. That explains some of this. Go ahead and open your Status."

Unlike outside of the strange floating space, my connection to the implant seemed to work. Immediately, my eyes widened in confusion.

Subject: Ronan Terrigan

Health: 43% (Envenomed)

Mana: -47%

Metier Quotient: 3 (2%)

Dreg Accumulation: 98%

LPS: Wildwood, FL

Communications

Skills - (2) Selections Available

Traits - (22% Banked)

Attributes - Growth Quantified

"Why am I envenomed? How is it possible I have negative mana and how did my Dreg Accumulation get so high!?" I asked in alarm. I distinctly remembered the Entity saying high Dreg was bad, and if it matched up with anything the other Bunker survivors had told me about my real father, then possibly deadly.

"Before all that, tell your friends you are okay," the Entity said.

"What... how am I supposed to tell them that I am okay? Am I not okay?" I asked, alarm causing my words to quiver.

The Entity didn't answer, and it almost felt like its attention was somewhere else, even if the blob of light didn't have a face or any other feature apart from its bobbing to tell me anything. When it didn't answer after I asked again, I resigned myself to wait, numerous possibilities churning in my head. Many not at all positive.

"Well, they aren't convinced, but at least they went to bed. Seems they aren't entirely without their rational minds," the Entity finally said, and I noticed that it was bobbing slightly faster.

"I think that's a bit rude, considering we were the ones that dug you out of that ridge," I said, my worries pushed back for a moment in defense of my friends.

"So, your envenoming is as a result of getting bit by a venomous spider. Surprise. As for the rest, well you have Dreg Poisoning. You were one step shy of a Dreg Affliction, the ones that turn into permanent Traits." I could have noticed the deflection a mile away since the Entity didn't even acknowledge my previous statement. I wonder which of us he pulled that trait from... Regardless, I wanted the information too badly to derail its current explanation.

"That doesn't answer my other questions though. How did my counter get so high and why is my mana negative. That doesn't make sense, you can't spend what you don't have."

"Just wait until banks become a thing. The folks in your Bunker probably know a lot more about that than you." When I glared at the bobbing light, it started talking again. "Right, well, the two aren't mutually exclusive per se. The mana bar I provided for you three is made to gauge the internal reserves your body has available. It is entirely possible to pull from ambient mana, that pesky 'radiation' you all are so worried about. However, it is highly rich in Dreg, since it hasn't been filtered by an organism or an Entity Cluster. When the process is done actively by an organic lifeform it is exquisitely painful and brings the side effects you experienced.

"Additionally, Pith acquired from Air Attuned creatures provides the most Dreg for Earth Attuned ones, such as yourself. You are lucky that ant nabbed the other spiders and pushed you to Quotient 3. Without the extra Containment, your Poisoning would have been an Affliction."

"What does the Trait situation mean? We haven't had much chance to talk since you updated our implants and gave us the Skills."

The Entity bobbed to either side. "The implant will let you know once you are back outside."

"Why can't you give straight answers?" I asked, folding my arms across my bare chest. I'd forgotten my modesty in my frustration.

"Because I have to keep you all alive and your Implant Interfaces functioning. If I run out of juice then you three are also out of Skills and out of my field of influence. I’ll talk to you all when you get more energy, and please try not to be near dead next time?”

A breath later, the Entity winked out. Cracks appeared all around the white space around me and I blinked my eyes open to see refracted daylight through a crystalline pane. When I tried to take a breath, it caught in my throat instead of providing valuable oxygen. Just as I was about to squirm and panic, the crystal pressed in around me and ejected me onto the dirt. The whole process felt and sounded like being a chewed up piece of food getting spat out. Thankfully after my discomfort I was able to take a deep breath and come face to face with a larger-than-I-remembered version of Anthony.