148 (II)

Skin

Shiv produced his Husk of the Voidmantid and a spare set of adamantine bone armor. The merging was conducted within one of the Court Leviathan's internal rooms, now repurposed into a practice chamber. Shiv stood across from Helix as the orc connected the Husk of the Voidmantid with the adamantine armor using strings of helix-shaped blood infused with the faint glow of Biomancy mana. "Observe closely," Helix intoned. "Feel what I'm doing using your Biomancy."

Shiv extended one of his mana hydras, and immediately, his Biomancy clashed against Helix's. However, the two pieces of armor lit up as spell renderings. A complex array of micro-spells and interconnected patterns danced across his vision. Shiv tried to take in all the details, but it was like trying to remember every star in the night sky. Without further increases to his memorization, he wouldn't be able to properly recall what pattern was found where. And without Practical Metabiology, he didn't know what they represented anyway. However, he did know that the parts that were alight could merge together far more easily than the parts that weren't. And right now, most of the micro-spells he saw were glowing.

"They're glowing because of the Basilisk biomass." Helix pointed at Shiv's bone armor. "The inclusion of regeneration, natural bio-electrically guided regeneration at that, was a wise decision. Among the wisest you could make when it comes to creating a biological construct. Do you know why that is?"

"I'd assume you're going to explain that to me," Shiv said.

"Have a guess first."

Shiv considered his basilisk-infused armor for a moment. "It regenerates, and it can maintain its form. Maybe it's something to do with the bio-electricity that makes different organic parts and tissues come together better. It has something of an innate intelligence."

"Yes," Helix said, "innate intelligence."

That wasn't what Shiv had expected. "So what, you're saying that the biology has smartened itself?"

"I'm saying that every cell in your body, every little organism, no matter how microscopic, that makes up a larger organism, is part of a system. And the system likely has intelligence unto itself, such as why we call it a system. It is an organized pattern, so to speak, or it has patterns to its organization."

Immediately, that made Shiv think about the System itself. The System that gave him all his skills, that empowered everyone, that engineered so much conflict across the vastness of Integration. So, just how micro of an organism am I? Shiv mused.

Philosophy 12 > 13

"And because of the bioelectricity, which technically allows different cells to communicate with each other and know what the optimal state for them to be is, that avoids replication errors, drifting, mutations, if you will, they can be merged with other structures, so long as the basilisk flesh isn't rejected. And there," Helix moved to the few parts of the spell, the few patterns that didn't glow, "parts like these, they need to be adapted. As both of these armors have regeneration, one must supersede the other. The basilisk's regeneration is natural, albeit slower. I would say I prefer that, rather than the enchantment."

Shiv paused. "Why not the enchantment?"

"Because the enchantment regeneration also includes immunological defenses. Immunology is an entirely separate structure of your body. Right now, your immunology has been addressed, dramatically boosted by your Plaguefueled skill."

"Huh," Shiv said. "So, any disorders my body develops will be removed by my immune system."

"Yes." The orc frowned for a beat. "However, I am slightly offended by how the System classifies the skill. It seems to regard it more as a physical skill, rather than a knowledge-based one. Although I suppose that's accurate. It is, after all, a bastard cousin to Toughness and Magical Resistance."

"So, are we going to remove the regeneration enchantment?"

"No." The orc laughed. "Challenger no. It would be such a waste. Instead, we are simply going to avoid connecting those two parts. And you will be wearing a dual-layered armor. It will make it immensely heavier, but..." Helix looked Shiv up and down. "Weight doesn't seem to bother you."

"Frankly, I'd like more weight sometimes," Shiv replied. "And if it does get too heavy, I'll just drain it using my knife."

"Good," Helix said. "Very good. Now, I will guide you through the process. Follow me, do what I do, and, if you can, intuit the reasons why."

The orc began without preamble. More strings of blood shot between the armor and drew them close. Shiv watched as connections began to build between specific spell patterns. He pushed them together as well, trying to replicate what Helix did. But where Helix flowed in his Biomancy, assembling the two armors together on a magical level, Shiv worked in stutters and stops, trying to keep up with what Helix was doing.

Both armors glowed blood-red now, completely suffused by mana.

Through the nearby observation window, the rest of the group looked on. Can Hu stood at the center, its piercing green optics pressed against the transparent material separating the two rooms. Helix made a gesture, and Shiv watched as certain spell patterns began to shift. They turned like wheels and glided from the insides of the armor's overarching structure until they were outside.

The Voidmantid armor began to shift, parts of it twisting and unfurling. It ceased to retain its original damaged form. At the same time, Helix rearranged parts of the bone adamantine armor. However, instead of rearranging it biologically, he did it physically. He shifted a few of the plates out of the way, adjusted some bones, widened the eyes, and generally made the armor bigger. And then the orc Biomancer gestured at Shiv. "Connect that which glows."

Shiv hesitated for a moment, then used his Aegis of Assimilation to consume both armors. As soon as he did, he merged their memorized spell patterns and locked the Voidmantid within his adamantine bone armor. As they were formed together, Shiv felt something pulse inside his being. He grinned as a faint feeling of triumph washed through him.

Equipment Obtained: [Husk of the Adamantine Voidmantid]

Tier: Master

Condition: Fine

Composition: Voidmantid Ceramic; Bloodroach Chitin; Deepcrawler Silk; Fleshdrinker Fungi; Bone Adamantine

Enchantments > Compound Ocular Network; Antennal Resonance; Pheromonic Cipher; Master Regeneration; Magnified Vibrosense; Trauma Mantle; Myomeric Amplification; Mycelial Interface; Binding

Skill Gained: Crafting 1 (Initiate)

Most of it had been Helix's effort, guiding him through every step, but he had done it. He'd gained a crafting skill.

"Well," Shiv said, "looks like I'm a crafter now too."

A faint mechanical shriek sounded from the observation room. Can Hu's head was pressed hard against the glass-like material. Shiv winced, but Helix ignored the Penitent. "Very good. Now you've taken your first step into being more than a blunt weapon."

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"My first step?" Shiv said. "All that learning wasn't the first step?"

Helix threw his head back and laughed, but there was no viciousness in the laughter, only the kind of amusement a master might show towards an ignorant pupil. "Life is an endless series of first steps, as is learning. My advice to you, Shiv, is to learn to love first steps. If you know how to love progress for progress's sake, for the joy of learning itself, no matter what the System takes from you, it will not be able to break you. Enjoy the climb because you get to climb, not because you want to arrive somewhere." The orc paused for a moment. "All can be taken, but all can be regained. That is the beauty of being a Pathbearer."

Shiv took those words in, and immediately after, he realized why he hated the orc so much. It was because of moments like this. Because they were capable of profundity. Because they were capable of insight, wisdom, and inspiration. But they were trapped inside themselves, unable to overcome the monsters they had been made to be. "I'll keep that in mind," he whispered.

Shiv projected his new armor outward, and as it materialized in a flash of red, he took a single step back to better gaze upon his newly augmented equipment. His new armor resembled the bone adamantine exoskeleton he typically wore, more than the mantid itself. However, strings of muscular tissue ran along its joints and down its limbs. Dense chitinous fibers formed a protective weave between each of the ribs. And atop the bone adamantine was a new layer of ossified material, that crystalline carapace Shiv had seen on the Voidmantid armor.

There were also two antennae sprouting free from the shoulders. They rose in the air and twitched slightly. They reminded Shiv of the appendages jutting from a bug's head. And the eyes were changed as well. No longer did he have open sockets. Instead, there were two white lenses lodged in place, compound lenses with hundreds of small eyes. Once again, quite like an insect's. Now the armor adopted a darker, faintly green hue as well. And as Shiv placed a hand on it, he felt it warm to his touch, responding to tactile sensation.

"Well, that doesn't look half bad," Adam commented.

The Penitent immediately wheeled on him. "There are several flaws," Can Hu began. "It also looks incredibly aesthetically displeasing, especially around the eyes. Moreover, it will not be able to serve him in desperate combat situations. The armor does not have an augmented intelligence suite."

"No," Helix said, "but it should augment his intelligence in place of his awareness. He'll be able to notice things from further away now. Could he do that with you, Penitent?"

"Yes," Can Hu nearly shrieked. "Yes! I have high-definition optics! I can see across multiple spectrums of color!"

"You could or you can right now?" Helix asked. Can Hu went quiet. The Biomancer let out a brief chuckle. "So you see, his current armor is superior in terms of quality."

"For now," the Penitent said, its voice cold and filled with venom. "Only for now." Both Shiv and Helix looked on at the automaton, unsure how to respond.

Then Helix waved at Shiv. "Try the armor on, see how it works."

Can Hu immediately stomped away, turning to face the other direction. Somehow, despite being a mechanical entity, its body language screamed disgust and outrage.

I'm gonna need to cook it some special soup later to make sure it's not too pissed off, Shiv thought to himself. The Deathless sent out two mana hydras, and using them, he opened the armor. It expanded like it did before, but its insides were layered in mycelial fibers. They glistened with soft amber undertones, and something about the warmth that emanated from within felt very inviting.

Shiv took a step inside, and he slid his arms and legs into place. True to his expectations, the mycelial mesh fit him like a glove, but only a second thereafter, it sank into his skin. It seemed to even meld with him, and suddenly, it didn't feel like Shiv was wearing armor at all. Rather, it was like he had grown an external shell around his body, a carapace, an outer skin. As he closed the armor around himself, he felt his muscles surge with even more strength, as his Physicality was married to the void-mantid musculature. Additionally, his senses went wild.

He felt a slight tickling rub at his forehead, and as he followed that sensation, he realized it was pointing somewhere.

"That feeling you're getting right now is electromagnetism," Helix explained. "Some insects and other creatures have that naturally, but certain Pathbearers can develop it as a skill."

Shiv stared at Helix's face, and through his compound eyes, he saw every detail about the orc's skin. He focused his gaze, and he zoomed in. Soon, he found himself staring into a pocket of dirt half-filling one of the orc's pores. He also tasted a strange flavor emanating from the orc.

"Those are pheromones you are currently sniffing."

Shiv realized he was breathing in loudly. Wait, no. That wasn't him. That was the armor. It was sucking in air through the gaps lining its chitinous structure. Shiv grimaced. That's just damn weird. He touched his ribs. He could feel the chitin, feel it like it was part of his body. But it wasn't.

Helix rubbed his chin. "The armor should be entirely synchronized to your movements. Though if it does take damage, you will likely feel the pain as well. But pain doesn't bother you that much, does it?"

"No," Shiv breathed. "Frankly, it only pisses me off by now."

"Good, good. Then I've made the right choice. Now, how about you go say hello to a few other orcs in the armor, and test it out to make sure nothing is wrong with it along the way. Frankly, you should be able to find any orc using this armor's Awareness enchantments, if you know what you're looking for, that is."

"Can I, now?" Shiv muttered. Inside the armor, he licked his lips. "Alright, let's see how good these Awareness enchantments are."

"Uh..." Adam grimaced.

Shiv looked to the Gate Lord. "What?"

"You might want to take it slow."

"Why?" Shiv asked.

"An Awareness Skill is hard to get used to at first." Adam's jaw opened and closed several times. "It's best for you to discover for yourself. I'll help you adapt. There are ways."

And suddenly Shiv's excitement turned to apprehension. Just how bad could improved awareness be?

***

High-tier Awareness was the worst felling thing in existence. Shiv groaned as his head spun, his ears thundered with noise, and his body trembled as another surge of stimuli flooded his senses. He could feel vibrations coming from all around him, and it was as if a series of war drums were being hammered in the back of his skull.

He could taste pheromones in the air, and orc pheromones tasted like fecal matter laced with dead rats. Shiv knelt on the bridge, gagging, trying not to throw up inside his armor again.

Adam patted his back sympathetically, while Can Hu stood over him, staring down in disappointment as it slowly shook its head. "I warned you, Pathbearer. I warned you that this armor would fail you. I just did not think that it would fail you so utterly, so completely."

"Oh, don't be overdramatic, Penitent," Helix said, pushing the automaton aside slightly. "He'll adapt. It's normal to have such moments when your Awareness reaches new heights."

Shiv groaned. "The magnetic sense is getting worse… It feels like my skull's getting pulled out of my head."

"Oh, don't complain about that. You'll wish you had it, should you ever get lost. Do you know how important it is to know where True North is?"

Shiv didn't even know the concept of True North until recently. Worse was how he could practically see every detail on the orcs, and he saw what orc skin looked like in high definition. He saw the things trapped between their often pristine-seeming teeth, what horrors lurked in the depths of their nostrils, and Shiv wished he were blind. Slowly, he fought his way back to his feet, and as he opened his eyes once more, he winced as the light speared bolts of pain down his nervous system. He quickly adjusted his compound ocular network, returning it to a more baseline human setting.

"Adam," Shiv said. He placed a hand on the Gate Lord's shoulder to support himself. "I owe you an apology."

"Oh?" Adam said. "For what?"

"Is this what it's like for you?"

"Well, mine's Heroic-Tier, and all of my senses are greatly amplified."

Shiv almost sobbed for Adam's suffering. "I'm so sorry. The things you must have heard, the things you must have smelled, all the time. It's... Your life must be hell. I didn't know this was what it was like for you. It must be hell now."

"It's quite alright. Well, I can't quite smell pheromones, but yes, not wonderful. Some things you just pretend you don't see, and some things you can't ignore, no matter how hard you try."

Uva coughed and made a show of looking away, where she accidentally met Valor's gaze. She coughed louder and faced the ground instead.

"Well, now," Helix said, clapping Shiv on the shoulder. "Off the ground. Time for you to improve your Awareness Skill too. There are orcs to see and wars to wage. The sooner you get used to this, the faster you'll develop your Awareness Skill Evolution."

And Shiv laughed. "Everything is just part of your plan to get me to level the supporting skills I need for Biomancy, isn't it?"

Helix adjusted his glasses. "Indubitably."

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