Scion of Humanity

Shortly after he retreated, the sound of combat ended, and Blake’s eyes fixated on the posted score.

Your Team: 4

Opposing Team: 13

Shit!

The Koza were already halfway through the objective. If they eliminated twelve more Manders, Blake would be stuck in the miserable caves forever. Without his Flame Shield active, he felt like he was being cooked by the oppressive heat. He could not imagine being forced to stay on this planet the rest of his life.

Okay, Blake. The plan hasn’t changed, it only got harder.

The hope of an easy ambush where he caught normal humans within a Mind Blast and killed them quickly was gone. There was no way he could catch all six Koza off guard and kill them. Their attributes would be almost as high as his own, and between them, they had more spells than he did.

What level are they?

Blake cursed his skittishness. He had been shocked when he discovered his opponents were not fellow humans. Instead, they were the same alien invaders that had finished off his faction in his last life. Because of his initial alarm, he had immediately hid himself. His automatic caution was a reflex from the past.

Unfortunately, now that they were no longer distracted by battle, he needed to wait until their next fight before he could safely gauge their level of threat. Blake quickly retraced his steps back to the last intersection, and carefully scouted the opposite passage.

After he turned a corner and discovered a host of dead Manders, he let out a sigh of relief. Blake had worried that they were headed in his direction and would discover him before his arm could heal. However, the corpses before him meant they would move away from his position.

Finally, some good luck.

Blake abandoned the old battlefield and hurried to catch up to his opponents. On his journey, a notification appeared before his vision, and he froze to read it.

You have gained mastery over a spell. Regeneration is ready to evolve.

With a grin, he quickly checked his status to see how much nano he had accumulated.

Nano - 64m

That’s plenty. Now, how should I upgrade it?

Originally, he had intended to evolve Regeneration as he had in his last life, with the ability to heal another person. It had steep limitations, such as having to physically cast the spell every half hour on his patient, but was still worth the investment.

If someone in his faction became injured, they currently relied upon mundane medical treatment. However, if he slipped a Physical Stamina ring on their finger and cast Regeneration upon them, injuries could be healed within days rather than weeks.

The process took two to three times longer than Blake’s own healing, and he had to constantly be by a patient’s side to refresh the spell. However, until they built the Alchemist workshop, and Oliver could brew healing potions, it was their only option.

Unfortunately, with his current situation, none of that mattered. He needed to find a way to heal himself before the Koza finished their objective.

Can I focus it on a specific area?

Currently, Regeneration sped up his entire body’s healing by a factor of ten. If he could somehow concentrate the effect on a small area, however, he hoped it would double or even triple that rate.

Worth a shot.

Blake spent fifty mega-nano, and concentrated on the alteration he wanted to make. A few moments later, a message appeared before him.

Focused Regeneration - Temporarily increases a small area of your body’s rate of recovery by a factor of twenty-five. Consumes a large amount of chi energy while active.

A new notification informed him that he completed a directive. For upgrading all four of his spells, he received two hundred mega-nano.

Nice!

He canceled his old spell, and activated the new Focused Regeneration on his shoulder. The injury, he guessed, would take a normal human at least five weeks to fully recover. With a Physical Stamina of almost twenty, he would passively heal at four times that rate.

Now, with his new spell, his wound would heal at almost one hundred times the normal rate. Injuries would mend within hours, rather than weeks.

Of course, since he had to concentrate the effect on his shoulder, the burns on his face were unaffected by his new spell. However, while they were painful, they did not affect his ability to fight.

With his new spell in effect, he restarted his journey through the caves. He remained cautious and moved at a slow enough pace to avoid detection.

It was fifteen ponderous minutes later before he heard the sounds of battle. Blake quickened his gait until he finally reached his opponents. He peeked his head around a cave wall and used Analyze on each of the six Koza.

Shit, four level twos, and two level threes.

According to his skill, their attributes were well-rounded. That meant that each level, they had increased all by two. This was to Blake’s advantage, as his own achievements boosted his attributes far above theirs, despite their higher level.

Blake watched as four Koza held off their opponents with shields and short spears, while two mages supported from the rear. All four melee fighters used chi to boost their own fighting prowess and protection, while the two support mages were higher level and used aether and psi respectively to lock down and eliminate their enemies. Two of the Koza with shields were badly burned, yet they remained vigilant in their defense.

Okay. Once I’m healed, I need to take out the mages first. Once they’re dead, I can focus on the uninjured. Hopefully, the others will be too focused on the Manders to deal with me.

With a plan in mind, Blake retreated to a safe distance, and waited for his arm to mend. Five minutes later, the Koza won.

Your Team: 4

Opposing Team: 17

Come on, stupid arm! Heal!

Sensation had been restored to his limb, but full range of motion had yet to return. While he waited, Blake continued to stalk his enemy at a safe distance.

After the Koza reached another group of four Manders, ten minutes later, Blake began to despair. He had no choice but to interrupt their next battle, whether he was healed or not. He was out of time.

When the subsequent battle finally began, Blake’s arm was perhaps eighty percent repaired. It was enough to recast Flame Shield, but would hinder him in battle.

No choice. It’s do or die.

He crept closer and observed his enemy. The Koza were tall, bipedal humanoids with hoofed feet. Their knees bent in the opposite direction of humans, and they had large curling horns atop their heads. Their leathery skin was pale, almost eggshell, and every bit of their hair, including the five inches which grew from their chin, was white as snow.

In this fight, they faced off against five Manders rather than four. Each shield bearing Koza held off their own monster, while the aether user froze the fifth in place. The mana user waved its hands through the air in a complex spell form, the disabled Mander its obvious target.

Okay, aether user first. It’s the biggest threat.

Blake crept forward until he was twenty feet away and then used his Guided Spatial Step. He appeared directly behind the aether user with his sword raised, and immediately swept it downward.

His blade bit deep into the Koza’s neck and severed its spine.

The Mander was immediately freed and slithered toward its closest enemy, Blake. Its sharp fangs began to glow with chi, and its entire body seemed to light up as well.

Crap.

“Ambush!” shouted the mana user. At the last second, the caster successfully shifted its focus and a hail of tiny projectiles began to pepper him. What felt like bullets riddled his body, leaving bruises, before he was able to kneel and shelter behind his shield. Loud clangs continued to shake his metal barrier as he waited for the spell to fall off. When the barrage failed to end, he quickly blasted the caster with his Directed Mind Blast.

Unfortunately, before the stream of bullets ended, the Mander struck.

Left with no choice, Blake was forced to ignore the spell, and redirected his shield to face the monster.

A few, tiny, spear-shaped stones pelted him from behind.

The final dregs of the spell left welts on his skin as he bashed the Mander with his shield. It rebounded, stunned, and he quickly ended its life.

As he planned, the remaining Koza were not able to assist their mage. The Manders occupied their full attention.

The mage finally recovered from Blake’s psionic spell, and he turned to rush the Koza, before it could finish its next cast. Just as he reached the mana user and plunged his sword deep inside its chest, the mage’s spell was released.

Energy exploded out from its hands and washed over Blake. He was thrown backward to tumble along the ground. When he finally came to a stop, he was disoriented. His ears rang, and his vision swam as he tried and failed to stand.

Focused Regeneration!

Blake canceled the healing of his shoulder and redirected the spell to his brain. He lay on the ground, and waited to recover, while the sounds of battle continued around him.

A minute later, the world finally stopped spinning.

He crawled across the stone floor, collected his dropped weapon and shield, and carefully pushed himself off the ground to his feet. Blake’s footing remained unstable, but with his Focused Regeneration, was rapidly recovering.

Shit! I need to attack. Now!

One of the chi users had killed its opponent, and had rushed to assist its teammate. There was no way Blake could take on all four Koza by himself, injured as he was. If he wanted to succeed, he would have to attack immediately, before he felt ready, and before they finished off the Manders.

As Blake slowly advanced, the Kofa plunged its spear into the back of a Mander as it spewed flame against its friend’s shield. The weapon pierced through the monster’s thick hide, and the Mander’s spell faltered as it died.

Now!

Blake used a Guided Spatial Step to teleport past his target, changed the direction he faced, and plunged the tip of his longsword into the back of the Koza while it tried to retrieve its spear.

“No!!!” its partner screamed as he kicked the corpse off his blade.

Blake’s enemy suddenly glowed with chi. At twice its normal speed, the Koza rushed forward, its spear extended.

He barely raised his shield in time.

However, the angry Koza continued to launch a barrage of attacks against him, which he barely fended off. Blake slowly backed away under the onslaught, until his back met a wall, and he was forced to use another Mind Blast or succumb.

The moment he released the psionic spell, both combatants stumbled. Intense pain flared, deep within his head, and he felt blood flow out of his nose. However, he expected the spell’s fallout, while the Koza was unprepared.

It stumbled and screamed as it cradled its head. Blake took advantage of its momentary weakness, and thrust his blade into his enemy’s open mouth.

The Koza was killed instantly.

Two more to go.

As the enemy fell to the ground, his sword pulled free, and he panted to regain his breath. His head was killing him, and he found it difficult to see. He wiped his eyes clean, and swore when his hand came away bloody.

That can’t be good.

Suddenly, his reserves of chi ran out, and his Focused Regeneration abruptly ended. His hemorrhaging brain no longer healed at almost one hundred times the normal rate, and he could feel his vision begin to dim.

I have to finish this fast!

Blake’s aetheric spell remained on cooldown, so Blake sprinted toward the last two combatants as they attacked their Mander opponents. Before he could reach the closest enemy, the Koza killed its Mander and rounded on him, shield at the ready.

“Die!” it belted.

Blake ignored the ready stance and used his superior attributes to his advantage. He bashed the Koza’s spear away with his shield, and after his own sword was deflected, tackled the chi user to the ground.

While he straddled his enemy, he released his grip on the longsword and quickly withdrew his dagger. The Koza released its own spear and pummeled Blake with its fists in an effort to dislodge him. Blake ignored the ineffectual attacks and plunged his dagger through the Koza’s exposed neck.

One left.

Blake was about to retrieve his weapons, when the absence of sound alerted him that something was wrong. His years of battle experience saved his life.

Without looking, he rolled to the side. A spear, meant for his back, missed its mark and impaled his leg. Blake screamed, but continued to roll away from his enemy. As he tumbled along the ground, the weapon ripped out of his leg and exacerbated his wound.

The final Koza relentlessly pursued him across the cavern. As he spun, he spotted the final Mander out of the corner of his eye. It had a spear embedded within it, and slowly slithered along the ground.

When his aetheric spell was finally available, he immediately used it to teleport behind the last monster. Blake went directly from prone on the ground, to standing and facing the Mander.

He reached for the lodged spear, and plunged it deeper within the beast. A moment later, it collapsed to the ground. When he was sure it was dead, he placed a foot upon the monster’s back, and pulled the stolen weapon out of the corpse.

Now you can’t win without killing me.

Blake had been afraid they would eliminate their twenty-fifth Mander before he could kill them. If they did so, Blake would lose the scenario, even if he exterminated the Koza directly after. He would be stuck on the Mander world, unable to return to Earth.

“Damn you, Human!” it screamed.

His enemy was now left with a choice, either retreat and defeat a group of Manders on its own, or turn and attack Blake. Unlike the monsters, Blake was by himself and heavily injured. The choice was clear, and its look of despair was replaced with determination.

Suddenly, Blake’s injured leg gave out, and he collapsed to his knees.

Not now!

His vision dimmed, and his thoughts began to muddle as his blood seeped out of his leg and his eyes. The Koza, seeing his weakness, charged him with only its spear in hand.

Unable to maneuver, Blake braced himself. Just before they collided, he twisted his torso to the side and raised his own spear. He felt his enemy’s weapon pierce his right shoulder, just as his own punctured the Koza’s rib cage.

Both combatants froze.

For what seemed forever, Blake locked gazes with the defiant alien. Then, the light seemed to fade from its eyes, and it slowly sagged to its knees. It released its grip on the spear buried within his shoulder, and fell beside him.

Notifications appeared within his vision.

Blake could feel his consciousness wavering, and he collapsed on his side. As he lay on the cave floor, spear still embedded in his right shoulder, he opened his first notification.

You have successfully completed the Combat Scenario. Would you like to choose your reward now?

No.

He dismissed the alert, but could no longer keep his eyes open. Luckily, he could read the Collective’s messages without his sight. The text of the next notification stood in stark contrast to the darkness which now filled his vision.

For clearing a combat scenario two levels above you, by yourself, your achievement has been upgraded. - [Elite Solo Warrior] → [Master Solo Warrior]

The [Master Solo Warrior] achievement increases your attributes by fifty percent.

When Blake finished reading the message, he could no longer hold onto consciousness. The bright letters dimmed, the world went black, he knew nothing more.