Despite the stoicism I'd held through the conversation with the Davis Family, I made some inquiries as to how to get a message back to the Wildwood Bunker. Before the administrative wing to the east of Gec's tower closed for the night I'd left letters for Dale, Ben, and Elias. They weren't anything complicated, and they wouldn't get them until a scout could be sent --when the Shaman killed the hurricane-- but it felt good to let them know they were in my thoughts. On a whim, I also added one for Ava just in case she didn't know Alan had snuck his way north when he was supposed to be in Wildwood; I couldn't imagine she was having an easy time with the boarding school program and keeping up with the savant was a full time job.

The gray-haired man handling the growing logistics of the Outpost waved me off when I asked how I could pay for the service. When I moved to insist, I got a suspiciously timed message from Sarah for me to get to bed because she was going to put me to work early.

As such, I'd dropped the blatant nepotism and passed out in a Blobby-slime-enhanced cot within the north wing barracks that had been built for the outpost. Sleep and breakfast had been a muted affair. While the defense overnight had been lessened, someone at the mess hall speculated it had something to do with dropping temperatures at ground level and atmospheric pressures, it had still forced many people to respond even beyond the demonic night watch. Not to mention aiming at the literal air was difficult for those not blessed with the Death Attunement already, many people were still complaining about their mana side effects.

However, they were hopefully going to have an easier day of half-patrols.

With a quick message through the comm-plant, I found Sarah scribbling away a half dozen reports and notices. At the same time. The impressive sight of four fiery mage hands working in tandem with the apparently-ambidextrous orc woman left my mouth hanging open.

"You'll catch a fly if you don't shut that," Sarah said, barely sparing a glance. "Don't act so surprised. I have to find a way to practice my Gift while dealing with this mountain of paper."

"How does it not catch fire?" was the only coherent thing I could think to ask. At that, the woman did pause just long enough to roll her eyes at me.

"Ash doesn't always have to be hot, is all I am going to say on that subject. Are you ready to take over for the defenders?"

"Keep them on hand for the first hour or so, just in case what I plan to do to rile up the elementals isn't as controlled in this area. The Nash Shaman has a Mana Shard that fits what these storm-based elementals are looking for as bait, I just have one that is hopefully going to be juicy enough to attract them."

The woman paused, her eyes taking on a glazed look for a moment before she refocused on me. "Done. If you need relieving or anything of the sort, try to give me an hour’s notice so I can put the patrols on alert. If this goes well, I am hoping to send out parties to find the bastard that sent that horde of swine our way."

"Oh, good plan," I said, having almost forgotten about the attack on the Outpost thanks to the drama of the Hog Parade.

One of Sarah's fiery hands waved me out, and before long I found myself at the top of the observation tower and before Gec. The sliver of Metier Crystal had grown significantly since it had installed itself in the outpost. Where before it had been a single piece, held up by the supports I'd formed for it, the Entity had subsumed that mana-formed stone and transformed almost the whole of the top floor into Metier Crystal. It kept a core of the material, to keep its opacity if I had to guess, but vibrosense could easily tell just how far its crystalline matrix penetrated the tower.

"Sorry Fievil, you know how cranky these guys get when I bring you inside," I said, deliberately placing the axe-hammer as close to Gec as I could. It was the little things. Especially when I could feel the vibrations emanating from the Metier Crystal pick up a notch as I stretched to touch the iridescent crystal.

-- + --

The world swam for a second before I found myself staring up at the geometric manifestation of the Entity. It didn't have eyes, but I could practically feel it glaring at me.

[-] You find this entirely too amusing [-]

"I'll be honest. Yes. I do appreciate what you've been doing for the towns and those past the Corporeal Limit, but you aren't a particularly nice Entity."

The manifestation bobbed for a moment, before dimming slightly. [-] Say your piece. I don't have any comments on your performance. [-]

"I'm here for just one thing and then I'll be out of your hair--erh, crystal. I think it's about time for that upgraded Skill selection," I said, crossing my arms and looking up at Gec.

[-] Let us see... [-]

The Entity flared with light, blinding me momentarily, before my Status unraveled before me like a scroll of old.

Subject: Ronan Terrigan

Health: 100% (Unafflicted)

Mana: 100%

Metier Quotient: 6 (59.75%)

Dreg Accumulation: 0%

LPS: Wildwood Bunker, FL

Communications

Party

Skills - (1) Selections Available

Traits - (6.9% Banked)

Attributes - Growth Quantified

Skills:

Offensive

- / /

-

Defensive

- / /

-

Misc

-

-

-

-

-

Traits:

Limestone Skin (Striated Dermis)

Quake Osseum (Tremor Frame)

Slurry Ichor (8%)

Harmonic Sinew (31%)

Attributes:

Strength: 2.43

Mobility: 1.68 > 1.67

Perception: 2.41

Refinement: 1.75 > 1.79

Containment: 2.65

A jump in my banked Dregs? Nice, though that's unexpected. Hold on a minute, I thought, squinting at the new Skill listed under Miscellaneous. It had been unnamed before, if it was the same one I'd gotten from interacting with Sharon, but clearly it had been identified. Considering I was now under scrutiny by one of the extra dimensional beings responsible for the Status in the first place it kind of made sense. Before I could get too caught up in the very relevant implications of a new 'self' found Skill, something else got my attention.

Wait, I got slower again! What the hell!?

As I griped internally about my Attributes, Gec's manifestation hovered closer. They spun around it, through it, up and down seemingly at random before they vanished the words from the air. [-] It seems your body and mind are indeed ready for what you requested [-]

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Why do you sound so... hesitant?" I asked, broken from my own self analysis. "Bec and Tec said it should be like gaining another Skill, which is why they recommended we space it out. Hell, the people with Gifts probably have a few more of these they can get already!"

[-] This... cobbled together program my kin strapped together is genius[-] Gec started slowly, seemingly ignoring my question. [-] It is also, perhaps, the ugliest and most forced bit of spell chaining to grace our collective memory banks.[-]

"Way to defend my claims that you are kind of an asshole," I added off hand.

[-] Someone that takes something as glorious as mana and bashes it together to create pebbles does not have a say in my assessment of the finer subroutines shaping your reality.[-]

"Touchy," I said, but accepted the point without much arguing. When someone is right, they are right.

[-] ... Bec, their creation is as much Entity spell chain as it is one of your so called 'Gifts'. Its more organic imprinting left it tainted, but also more flexible than our kind are usually able to be. At best, had I or Tec been the first to find you things would have gone a lot worse. Probably with your brain melded as we sought to absorb the fragment of an Entity housed on your cranium.[-] Gec didn't let me get a comment in on that front, immediately continuing with their monologue. [-] The past is past, and none of us have the touch of the Harbinger to change that. What it did, however, is corrupt us. Entities are not meant to interact with Mortals.[-]

"Seems we all won?" I asked, trying to follow where the Entity was going with the long winded and context-less explanation.

[-] This 'Status' is evolving on its own. That is my point, you sack of meat. Every one of you that connects with us no longer acts passively, purging Dreg for motes of Pith to refine your Hemispheres and vice versa. You touch upon your own souls with reckless abandon in search of power![-] Their voice shook the very air of the whitespace before dropping down to no more than a whisper. [-] Much like the Aberrants.[-]

"For all that is good and holy, what does this upgraded Skill have to do with the Aberrants!?" I asked, not even a little happy with the insinuation.

[-] What Bec promised requires that we meddle with your Hemispheres. Reinforce them. They do not understand but I am aware of what that entails. The closer you tie yourself to that Implant in your mind the more effort it will take for you to advance... beyond the Corporeal Limits.[-]

"You said 'Limits'. I thought we went through that with Quotient 6?" I asked, my frustration replaced with confusion.

[-] The world follows the rule of three. Thrice you will be reforged, before you transcend your human form. [-]

"What happens after Q9?" I asked, running the obvious math in my head.

[-] I do not know.[-] Gec said, sounding the slightest bit uncertain. Considering their boisterous, holier-than-thou personality it was an alarming amount of vulnerability.

"You are smart. Give me a guess, Gec," I ground out.

[-] Transcendence... follows ascension. You will do as my kin has done, and join the war beyond this world.[-]

The silence that followed was loud. I knew I wasn't truly in the whitespace and that my body couldn't fail me, but that didn't seem enough to convince my mind. The implications... Gec hadn't sounded like there was an option. Q9 would boot me from Earth... somehow. I would be the Metier Crystal, crashing into some unfortunate planet just in time to throw it on its head. Is that what I want? It would be protecting people... but not my people. It would take time to get to that Level, would I be satisfied then? If this is an option... what will other people pick? Did Gec give this speech to everyone that is looking to advance their Skills or Gifts?

[-] I've spoken too much too soon. You are leagues from that threshold yet. A single shackle will not do much to hold you here, if any of the models of your personality I've run are even remotely correct. [-]

"Yes... I think that's fine," I said, only half sure. I wasn't a fan of hedging bets, but... when the stakes were your continued presence on the planet I could live with that. With a bit more confidence, I turned to Gec and found them hovering quite close as if analyzing my reaction. "Regardless of what this might entail, I could use the power for the present. Bec mentioned it would be a lot stronger than normal, on par with my Amplified Skills."

[-] Yes. Think of the makeup of your planet. Your core are your base Skills, tying your Foundational and Turbulent Hemispheres together. Then your mantle and your Crust encase that further. Each has less versatility than the previous, in a way, but more volume for the same amount of area it covers on the core.[-]

"Are you using this analogy because I am an Earth Attuned?" I asked, able to understand exactly the visual Gec was providing but slightly suspicious of how they'd had it ready.

[-] Yes. Were you Life Attuned like your mild mannered companion I would have spoken about the growth rings of a tree. Were you the Fire Attuned gnat you call a companion I would have spoken of the change in flavor that comes from cooking a meal to various degrees. While Bec did not share their personality profile with me, I understand the benefits of tailoring information for the recipients. Our... disagreements prior have imprinted the benefits of cooperation into my memory.[-]

Despite how heavy our exchange had been, I couldn't help but let out a laugh. "And to think the meager humans would rub off on the mighty Metier Entity Crystal."

[-] Select which Skill you'd like to upgrade, Ronan Terrigan. [-] Gec said flatly. I laughed all the harder for a moment but eventually did get serious. The answer was obvious.

"," I said. It was my most practiced Skill, followed closely by , but I didn't need defense at the moment. I needed some turbulence.

[-] Confirmed. Accessing your soul imprints. [-]

Hold on, my whats? That was the last thing that crossed my mind before the whitespace was replaced with a familiar control panel. It had buttons, dials and levers. All the things I associated with fine-tuning the control I gave my Skills for the sake of power or efficiency. Alarmingly, Gec was hovering over the control panel and putting out judgmental waves of judgement at what they were seeing. They glanced my way for a moment, shook as if their whole everything was a head, before plugging themselves right into the damn panel. There hadn't been a USB port anywhere in my mental representation, but the Entity didn't seem to care.

Sparks flowed through the whole thing before an additional button was added to one of the dials I 'worked' to increase or decrease the amount of mana I fed a Skill. The button was silver and a spiderweb of the same color radiated out from the base of the dial before sinking under the surface. With their work apparently complete, Gec left a Gec-shaped indent on my control panel before snapping us back into the whitespace.

The Entity spoke, but my brain could hardly process it or anything other than the whiteness around me as it tried to fold itself like a crepe. My mana went haywire for several seconds and I actually glitched in and out of the whitespace when that happened until I was able to restrain it. Of course, that turned me into a twitching ball as my muscles stopped operating in any way that made sense. It felt like an eternity, but was really only five minutes of agony before I was ejected onto the top of the observation tower.

[-] I warned you. Think more on what I said. [-]

The words flashed in my vision even as I groaned on the ground. Fievil found itself in my hand, even if I couldn't remember grabbing the axe-hammer, and the weapon was calling for my attention. That, in itself, managed to cut through some of the discomfort I was feeling. Fievil was back!

"G-glad y-you enjoy-yed your n-nap," I ground out, forcing myself to straighten on my back. Some time while I'd been inside Gec it had started to drizzle. It wasn't strong, but it was the miserable kind of rain that was nice for a minute but left you wet and miserable before long. In response to that, I pulsed to keep my clothes at least the illusion of being dry. Instead of that happening, Fievil stepped in and highjacked my spell chain. The result was the same, stone filtered out of my skin and covered my body with armor, but my mana pool remained intact.

By way of explanation, the mole Totem flashed an image of itself getting electrocuted and flopping back over on the ground in a twitching mess. The message was clear; use your mana and you'll be in that mess. Again. As the thought crossed my mind, a giant hourglass manifested and the Totem tapped its glass side. Instead, he tapped at the back of his neck.

Status, I thought. The information appeared in my vision, most of it the same as when Gec had showed me, except for the Skills section.

Skills:

Offensive Freeform

- /

-

-

Defensive Freeform

-

-

-

Miscellaneous

-

-

-

-

-

While the change in structure was... curious, my eyes zeroed in on the entry beside . Very helpfully --not-- a description of my upgraded Skill flashed in my vision.