Chapter 10 - EVO

Chapter 10 - EVO

***Tirnanog, The Old Camp***

***Magnus***

I slowly recounted the story of my arrival. Gurney's expression turned contemplative when I mentioned the mystery meat and the little saurian's tail, but he listened carefully and didn't interrupt me a single time. Further into the story, I could tell my vendetta with the eels was of much less interest to him than the beginning of the tale. Finally, I finished with my arrival at the Old Camp.

That's a story, Gurney said once I was done. And you are one hell of a lucky boy. An almost a blank slate with no wasted evolutions to boot! If we don't mess up your setup, you should have a straight shot at one of the clans. Just don't forget your good, old Gurney once you rise through the ranks of power. He winked at me.

Let's start with the easy things first. He interlaced his fingers on top of his belly and leaned back, making the chair creak.

Thankfully, the mystery meat is an easy-to-solve riddle, he started. That was nightstalker, a predator which hunts during the night. It's responsible for what happened to your eyes. You should be able to sense energy signatures or magnetic fields. I am not really versed in the details, since I only got recounts from other exiles with the same mutation. If you ever figure out the exact nature of your ability, please share it with me.

I nodded.

The other one easy to solve is the starfish, or eels, as you called them. It's a fairly common mutation among the exiles and should grant you a slow healing factor. He gestured his chin towards the wound on my forearm. The scabs had fallen off during the day and revealed new, white skin. It was still a little tender, though.

A minor evolution. Which isn't to say it's a bad evolution. Many exiles get it intentionally once they learn of it. The starfish are like... hmm. You said I should stop with the analogies. But let's say that you can recover from almost anything, given enough time. It's by no means the fastest regeneration ability. But cut off something and it will grow back as long as you don't die from blood loss. Like an axolotl.

He gestured at my wound. You were lucky you ate the starfish afterwards. Otherwise, the wound might have festered and you would have died.

I swallowed involuntarily. I thought the nanotech did that.

Gurney laughed. The bastards from Earth giving us more help than necessary? Cut that out of your head, Tulkas.

He returned to seriousness. Which gets us to the interesting part. Those little saurians you described were zippers, but I haven't heard of anyone ever eating one for a primary mutation. They are fast like hell and avoid large groups of enemies. And when one of them dies, they pretty much immediately cannibalize the corpse like little piranhas. So we will need to figure out what you got from eating one. One obvious thing is your muscles. Can you electrocute too?New novel chapters are published on

I contemplated whether I should reveal everything, but it didn't appear like Gurney would gain anything from messing up my evolutions. He was literally paid to find the best candidates for the clans. His excessive documentations also made it unlikely that he had lied about that.

In the end, I opted to be mostly truthful but to downplay my ability to call down Thor's thunder.

I explained how my new body increased my strength and speed and demonstrated it by flashing my arm around, explosively displacing the air. Then I created some lightning arcs between my thumb and index finger, which got Gurney a lot more interested.

Once I finished, he stared at the table that he had drawn onto my file, mumbling to himself, This is actually pretty good. If we do things right, I could finally get rid of her...

Get rid of who? I asked and narrowed my eyes.

Nothing! Gurney coughed and picked up his quill.

He stretched out his hand. Shake. I want to see how strong you are. Just don't shock me, or you might end up with broken fingers.

Understanding his intention, I took his hand and squeezed. When he didn't seem bothered, I squeezed some more and then put real effort into it. Gurney didn't even blink until I supercharged my muscles.

That got him to squeeze back and almost crush my hand in the process.

He nodded, satisfied, and let go of me.

Which left me rubbing a hand that felt like it had been almost crushed. If my ability turned my muscles into a loaded spring, then Gurney was a bench vice! Slow and steady made the race in this case.

First, we have Lesser Regeneration from a starfish and Second Sight from a nightstalker. Those are both minor mutations, each worth one point. Then we have your zipper evolution, which the nanotech apparently took as your first primary mutation. You certainly remember me mentioning that the first one often gives more. We call that primary. It sounds like you got a major upgrade from the zipper. I am honestly unsure of how to weigh it in my point system, but I don't want to lose you to a stupid mistake. Getting you into the arena will certainly gain me a lot of bonus points with the clans! So, we should weigh your zipper upgrade with four points. Maybe even five. I am not sure whether the improved speed and strength can be counted as the same thing.

He started to make some entries into his table.

1) Offensive: Medium Strength, Short burst of Greater Strength (Muscle-based, zipper)

2) Offensive: Major Speed (Muscle-based, zipper)

3) Offensive: Electric Charge (Muscle-based, zipper)

4) Defensive: Muscle Steel (Muscle-based, zipper)

He thought for a moment, then added.

5) Survival: Carrion Eater (Digestive, zipper)

Carrion Eater!? I exclaimed.

Gurney nodded, not looking up from his paper. Starfish turn bad really quickly once they are dead. You ate rations a day old and didn't mention anything about puking out your guts. You certainly got that upgrade too. Quite useful, I might say.

6) Self-Healing: Lesser Regeneration (starfish)

7) Sensory Ability: Second Sight (vision-based, nightstalker)

He studied his table and nodded to himself. Now we get to the good part where my expertise comes in. We have to figure out which abilities you lack to be exceptional!

First, you have to know that your zipper evolutions will either make or break you. Gurney looked at me with a serious expression. They are half of your skill-set. Without improving them, you will always be mediocre. But if you manage to catch more zippers, you might become the most powerful trainee I ever had.

I sighed. Those things zapping me won't be fun at all. But at least I know that a big explosion can get them. I will need every bit of power that I can gather.

Gurney nodded. Then we proceed under the assumption that you will get more zippers to improve your core abilities.

I nodded. How about something more defensive to round out my build? So far, my skills are very offensive. Is there some mutation like Stone Skin?

Gurney suddenly screamed at me as if he was a drill instructor with me as his recruit. Don't waste my time, stupid idiot! If you want to get yourself killed, you can do it alone!

C- calm down. I raised both hands, palms out. It was just a question.

Gurney huffed. I already stopped counting how many idiots got a strength-type mutation and thought to make themselves into tanks by adding shields, carapaces, or sturdier skin. Once you improve your muscles, there comes a point at which the rest of your body just can't keep up anymore. Your muscles rip themselves free of the tendons or they crush your bones once you over-exert yourself.

I have seen people getting the most powerful of carapace mutations, bone plates, and the like. The moment they encounter the first predator that gives them a good whack, they are dead once their bones are crushed beneath whatever shield they have. Or maybe their organs are turned to mush by the force of the impact.

He leaned closer. Did you already forget me crushing your hand? That wasn't you being that much weaker than me. That was your bones giving up the ghost. You are very lucky that this muscle mutation of yours apparently distributes the forces and stress over a larger area, or you would have already hit an evolutionary dead end like so many other idiots. But who knows? With how many muscles you have now, maybe it turns out you are more like a squid and no longer need bones?

I winced and rubbed my hand. Okay. You have convinced me. What can I do to remedy this weakness?

Gurney frowned and considered a stack of papers next to him. Then he rifled through it and placed a sheet of paper in front of me. Saherna mutation. A large plant-eater that grazes leaves from the canopies. Improves your skeleton and tendons with ceramics, metal composites and carbon fibres.

I thanked him for the advice and dined on a steak of hornhop and saherna each before I was knocked out.

Once I awoke, it was the second day after my arrival in the Old Camp. Thankfully, whatever the meat had done to me didn't add to the freakishness of my appearance.

Which meant I was happily eating overboiled stew for breakfast when Gurney entered the dining room with a second exile in tow.

He gestured at the newcomer while I got to my feet. Tulkas, this is Mark Whetherton. Another one of my trainees, but he has been here for over a year. Unlike you, he walked away when I offered him the first chance. Last year, it was already too late to match him with someone when he came crawling back.

Mark scratched the back of his head while we shook hands. Good to meet you. I will give my best to teach you the ropes.

Teach me? I asked.

Gurney nodded. Mark is actually a pretty good hunter who is doing well for himself after he had a rough start. He can show you how to make a living in the Old Camp and I have tasked him with showing you around the forest. Together, you two might even find a way to get a few of those zippers.

Suddenly, Gurney tried to slap me!

Just that it felt like he was moving as if hindered by water. I easily bent backwards just enough to avoid the blow but stumbled once the flow of time returned to normal.

Wow! I caught myself before I fell. That was some crazy shit! I exclaimed. It felt like bullet time!

Just trying to find out how well the mutation has taken, Gurney commented and tried again.

This time, bullet time didn't activate and he slapped me instead. With his strength, it was enough to rattle my brain and send me spinning to the ground. For a moment, I wondered whether I had lost a few teeth.

Ouch.

Gurney shook his head. Looks like it isn't completely instinctive. You will have to train to get conscious control of the ability. He addressed Mark, One of your tasks will be to hit him now and then until he gets this ability under control. We have to trigger it as often as possible until he gets used to the feeling. It's best done before he develops any bad habits.

Mark only saluted in reply.

I got back to my feet. Sounds like it will hurt.

Mark tried to kick my leg, but I dodged it.

Ha!

Gurney got my other cheek, sending me back to the ground.

Argh! I am not Jesus! I complained.

Okay, enough fun for now. Gurney walked towards his office. Get to work, you two. Just tell the merchants it's on my tab, but you don't get anything, Mark. I already sponsored your equipment last year.

Mark clicked his tongue and considered me while I got back to my feet.

So you are strength and speed? He asked. Do you have already an idea of the fighting style you will be going with? We have to know that before we get you some gear.

I shook my head once I was standing again. I know how to use a gun and I have a little bit of hand to hand training.

Mark snorted. Yeah, no way that you will be getting a gun here. We have them, but ammunition is prohibitively expensive. You will lose more resources than you can make back by shooting some poor critter. And the bigger beasts will just get pissed off from being needled with bullets. As for hand to hand, no. He shook his head. Just, no.

Okay, then what? I spread my hands. I can throw stuff pretty hard if it helps. My only problem was that my wooden spears always broke.

Mark considered the suggestion and gestured for me to follow him. We will spend an hour at the training park behind the bunker for you to show off before we decide on your gear.

Just as prophesied, it was done.

Mark was easy to talk to. He told me he had been a banker in his past life. His grave mistake was to take part in the bank's more risky investments. Once it blew up in the bank's face, Mark was the obvious person to blame.

Just shows how cruel fate can be, Mark finished his story while he watched me throwing another practice spear into a training dummy. It's the ultimate punishment to banish a banker to a world without money.

He stopped me from picking up another spear. I think that's enough for now. We will spend the rest of the day at the market and search for some gear that works for you. And tomorrow, we will go hunting in the woods.

We went to the marketplace where Mark and I perused the wares of one merchant after the other.

First, Mark got me some Spartan-style leather armour to wear over my tunic. It barely protected my vital parts, but it also didn't hinder my movements or sacrifice much speed.

I wasn't truly sold on using such mediocre armour after having seen some people on the street who had much better protections. But Mark reminded me we wanted to go hunting, not fight creatures that could crush us like ants. Nobody had said we intended to bring down an alpha predator four times our size. That would require much better preparation and equipment.

He finally convinced me when he further explained that the people who I had seen likely intended to get close and physical with the beasts, which we most definitely wanted to avoid.

My list of belongings was further improved when I got a rucksack and camping gear, including all the little things and oddities required for outdoor survival. My first impulse was to double down on the small wood-chopping axes, but Mark reminded me there was still a blacksmith on our shopping list.

Eventually, we arrived at the blacksmith where a small gladius-style sword was added to my equipment. It was forged much thicker and sturdier than any sword I had seen so far. A normal human wouldn't have been able to wield it, but the blacksmith pointed out that strength-types like myself would otherwise just break the weapon.

Having seen my throwing skill, Mark got me a bag full of steel balls. They were hefty, with about three to four centimetres in diameter. From the weight alone I assumed they would make for good projectiles. It looked like someone had just taken them out of a ball bearing.

My set of distance weapons was rounded out by a large quiver with ten short metal spears. Each was about a metre in length and seemed to be made for the job. The blacksmith explained he made them in abundance as crossbow bolts for the ballistas that protected the walls against larger monsters.

That was lucky for me because it made the things sturdy, relatively cheap, and reusable.

My set of gear was finished when Mark requested a man-sized spear made out of spring steel.

Why not a wooden shaft? the blacksmith asked. We have some pretty good hardwoods. Almost as sturdy as composite materials from Earth.

It's because of his ability. Mark gestured for me to demonstrate. Show him.

Just like I had done for Gurney, I created a lightning arc between my thumb and index finger.

The blacksmith contemplated the demonstration with a frown. It will take some time, but I can make something that gets the job done. Then he had me bend various leftover steel bars with different thicknesses.

I found my limit with a hefty, oversized crowbar. Not even my supercharged muscles could deform it. The blacksmith did a dirty job of sharpening it for me as a temporary weapon and told us to come back in a week.

With that, the day ended with me laden like a mule. Mark didn't carry a single thing and instead pointed out I would have to get used to traversing the wilds with my survival gear.

The next day, we would go out and hunt for real.