Chapter 6 - Reborn

The feeling of moving through water is quite alien to most. A human, a mammal thriving on dry land, would be deeply out of its element fighting through the increased resistance, pressure and lack of air in an aquatic environment. Berto was struggling against his very nature in this trial of survival. His body shifted uncomfortably as he weaved and bobbed away from a huge snapping maw. 

Haunter Moray Lv.3 the beast's tag read. An eel, the size of a fully grown human, with a jaw capable of fitting the young man's head inside, when fully open. The beast's colours were dark, too dark. By absorbing all incoming light it looked like a shadow moving against the seabed, mimicking living things. With the exception of its snout which had a pale white marking all over it, resembling a skull. Not very subtle but then again this creature was not of the mundane world.

Berto fought back his need to breathe by focusing on the moment. Apnea didn't extend the time someone could "hold their breath" in the traditional sense, but rather gave them the ability to, efficiently take advantage of every ounce of oxygen in their body before needing to breathe again. With Apnea now at level 3, Berto could effectively swim and fight for almost 4 minutes in reefs neighboring his Safe Zone. 

In his right hand he held a new spear that had replaced his first crude creation after it had broken, though their qualities were on the same level. On his left hand was a new addition to his armory, a small buckler shield, crafted out of a Hermits oversized pincer. 

The eel rushed the young engineer once more, jaws opened and ready to snap at their elusive prey! Berto shoved water upwards with his shield and sank about a meter, allowing the eel to sail past and over him. An upwards spear thrust knicked the slick body of the beast and only did superficial damage. The creature around with fury and continued its assault with reckless abandon! Berto swam backwards in short bursts of speed, avoiding each bite by hair's breadth.

Mariah: Skill upgrade Hydrodynamic (C) Lv.3!

Berto almost yelled "Hell yeah!" out of a sense of accomplishment but thought better of it as he felt the cold water press against his lips. The eel had already caught up and was ready to end its duel with this annoying thing that kept goading it into attacking. Its body coiled up and launched its head forward like a ghastly harpoon! 

The young man however, moving even faster now, raised his shield and shoved forward, into the beast's open maw! A moment later the eel finally met resistance and clamped down with everything it had, with its jaws however, not able to crack the shell of a level 5 Hateful Hermit. By the time it realised its open mouth was now stuck on the human's makeshift shield there was little more it could have done. Berto dropped his spear and drew a dagger, fastened on the side of his calve. The small blade plunged in the beast's head all the way to the hilt, producing a mist of dark red and small pieces of gore.

Mariah: Haunter Eel Lv.3 deafeted! 60xp awarded. 30/20 Aquatic Beasts deafeted for the Mariner's Bonus reward. All parameters met for Main Reward as well. Apnea (C) Lv.3, Hydrodynamic (C) Lv.3, Swimming (E) Lv.8. Accept rewards now?

Berto gave his negative answer mentally to his guide. He needed to be on dry land for something so important. Besides, who knew what a "mutation" involved. He didn't want to be exposed for something so important and possibly painful, if it looked anything like the frightful images his mind kept conjuring. 

He wrestled the eels carcass away from a big Hermit and swam back to his camp. There, he sliced into the dead beast and collected its meat, placing next to the heated coil for a slow cooking process. There was nothing else he could think of as useful but kept picking at the body. He had acquired the Harvest Skill the day before and wanted to further its development.

Luck was on his side and his hard work was awarded. In the eel's core he suddenly detected a small faint glow. He used his dagger, sculpted out of sharp and sturdy coral to extract what can be described as a crystallized heart organ. A "Monster Heart" as they called it in the Champion business. This was his fifth Heart and the second, belonging to a Haunter Eel. The rest were from Hermits, the prime target of the young man's hunting. 

He placed it a flipped over clam shell with the others inspected the pile of Hermit carapaces he had collcted. He finally had enough to act on little experiment he had been planning on. He wore his, mostly torn, shirt and sat by the heating coil to rest and eat. With a mental nudge to Mariah, letting her know he was ready to accept his Quest Rewards, Berto braced for the inevitable change to his being.

Mariah: Congratulations on completing the Side Quest: Rise of the Mariner. 3 Mutation points have been deducted. You have 0 remaining Mutation Points. Mariner (B) Lv.1 Mutation Aquired! Mutation will be applied in 10 minutes or upon command. Estimated time of Mutation completion, 10 minutes. Bonus Award parameters met! Parameters exceeded, Double the required amount not reached. Standard Bonus Award received, 2 free Attribute Points. 

The young engineer's stomach clenched at the excitement and fear of what was to come. He was puzzled however when Mariah said that he would receive the standard award because he didn't double the requirements. If had slayed 40/20 beasts, would he had been eligible for a greater reward!? He would have to ask Mariah to clarify.

Looking around him, at the calm of his camp, he didn't bother with the command, ten minutes were enough for him to prepare. He was safe here. He picked up some eel meat and approached his imprisoned room mate. "Hey buddy.. I'm almost done here.. so, good news.. I'll be letting you out soon.". Berto had developed a soft spot for his, feisty ex nemesis. Although he had fought and killed many crabs like it now, it seemed cruel to him to slay a creature he had held captive and fed for three days now. 

Letting it back into the wild of the Rift felt like an apology to him so that's what he would do. Its not like he wanted to hurt anything in the first place. Although.. he had to admit. The feeling of overcoming someone or something, deafeting them in battle and claiming victory or in this case, your survival, it was quite intoxicating!

The Hermit accepted his offering and Berto scratched the edge of its pincer, as if petting a large, carapace covered dog. The Hermit, for the first time, did not pull back its appendage, nor hissed defensively. It simply took in the weird gesture of affection, trying to comprehend it with limited understanding. The survivor yawned deeply, being overcome with a sudden and terrible need to sleep. He sat on a big piece of rubble, outside of the crab's prison and rested against the uncomfortable reef, intruding in his section of the railway. His eyes closed on their own despite his protest. "See you on the other side hermano.." he jested as his world faded away.

Mariah: Skill Upgrade, Tame (C) Lv.6

* User : Alberto Ferantelli - Level: 4 *

Health: 24/24

Brawn: 12

Agility: 12

Vitality: 13

Mana: 3/3

Intellect: 17

Charisma: 10

Spirit: 11 

Skills: 

1) Engineering (B) Lv.5

2) Bypass (C) Lv.1 

3) Pain Mitigation (B) Lv.2

4) Insight (A) Lv.1

5) Craft (D) Lv.4

6) Tame (C) Lv.6

7) Harvest (C) Lv.3 

Mutations:

1) Mariner (B) Lv.1

* Status update complete *

                            • • •

Mariner (B) Lv.1: The User takes a first brave step in becoming a master of the seas. The Skills: Swimming, Hydrodynamic and Apnea, have been assimilated into Mariner and their effects are enhanced. This mutation grants the User: 

1) 8% Resistance to cold environments and Frost Damage. 

2) 15% Increased movement speed through water and decreased resistance. 

3) Base time in between breaths increased by 10 minutes. 

4) Resistance to Diver's disease, User unaffected by pressure from dives up to 100 meters in depth. 5) The User can see under water clearly, as if wearing a mask. All features are boosted upon increasing the mutation's level. 2 Mutation points required to reach Mariner Level 2.

Berto was in overdrive. Stone tools in hand and a smile on his face, he carved away at the carapace pieces he had collected. The transformation, although subtle, gave the young man an exhilarating boost of adrenaline. The only change he was able to identify was a small shift in the texture of his skin. Giving it an almost sandpaper-like feel, but smoother. 

He woke up as soon as the mutation had run its course and was since then energetic and ready to take on the world. The crafter inserted the eel-skin straps into his latest creations and completed them. 

Mariah: Carapace Shin Guards crafted, +1 Defence Rating upon equipping. Carapace Bracers crafted, +1 Defence Rating upon equipping. Carapace Breast Plate crafted, +2 Defence Rating upon Equipping.

A small shadow creeped, almost silently, behind him, inspecting his work. "What do you think? I can't decide if it looks like armor or rollerblading gear.. That's what you get when you don't have any reference!" he said while raising a Shin Guard towards his company. The Hateful Hermit raised its remaining claw, gingerly pinching the, concrete textured, piece of gear. 

"Take these to the platform, where I showed you. I only have one thing to make and then we're good to go!" he continued, placing the items onto the creature, which proceeded to scurry along and carry out Berto's request. No wonder he was in such a better mood. He wasn't alone anymore.

Tame (C) Lv.6: The User can now tame beasts that surpass their Level by a maximum of 5. They can designate names to their tamed beasts and form Hunting Parties with them. The party can either include 2 beasts which are of a lower Level than the User or 1 Beast that has an equal or higher Level. Beasts in your Hunting Party understand your verbal commands and can sense your general direction when you're within while mile of them.

Mariah: Feat of the Day accomplished! You have tamed a magically mutated beast for the first time! 2 free Attribute Points awarded. 4 unassigned Attribute Points remaining.

Berto's final creation was possible the most useful of all. A makeshift backpack with a big strap that ran across his chest. He placed some rations inside, any useable tools and his Monster Hearts. He didn't know when or even if he would make it out, but he simply couldn't just leave such valuable things behind. These could fetch him a few hundred dollars if he could figure out how and where to sell them. Leaving the safety of his camp behind, he walked across the silent and empty tube. 

Near the launching platform, the one-pincered crab raised its body in attention. The invisible tag over its head now read, Manolo Lv.6. Berto had given it the name of an old scruffy looking friend he had in Santa Barbara elementary school, years ago. The young survivor smiled at the beast which appeared to head out with its new companion. Berto caught sight of himself in the water's surface as he forgot to switch off the power to the lights. There was no point in rationing fuel any more.. there was no coming back once he left. Mariah torld him the Safe Zone would collapse. 

He looked upon himself curiously, as if examining a stranger. Standing tall, armored, shield and spear in hand. A hardened face with a stubble growing in and more defined muscle. Even his belly was starting to subside and he had barely noticed. Somehow the person he was looking at was still Alberto Ferantelli? It was hard to believe..

Mariah: A conduit of the Evergreen is much more than a survivor User Berto. You became what you see because that is what you needed. The real question is what do you WANT to be? As long as you remain connected to us, your path is your own and the possibilities endless!

Berto shuttered at Mariah's enthusiastic proclamation. For the ever "robotic" Mariah to exert such raw emotion was unsettling to the young man. "I don't understand.. why something like the Evergreen would seek out a connection to me? To anyone for that matter!?". 

Mariah: To invoke change.. Diversity.. As you grow the machinations will become clearer to you. This world has changed and has done so many times in the past. You have the opportunity to make that happen again, in a direction of your choosing. User Mariah had the connection and chose to be free. What will you choose?

Taking a few steps into the cold water, the young man kept thinking about this question but no answer came to mind. What did he want? To be the best engineer he could be? To become wealthy enough to live a carefree life? To make his father proud? To love again? Why couldn't he answer the question, he wondered, tormented by the thought of him being without direction. When he was just Berto, life seemed like a straight line with checkpoints along the way. Now.. now it truly seemed like the possibilities were limitless!

Bursting out of his section of the railway, Berto swam faster than most people could. At first he thought that Mariner would simply give him the edge he needed to proceed, but it was much more than that. He was slightly less cold, his ears didn't pop and his body felt no strain from the depth's increased pressure on it. He moved around much less resisted by the waters. Berto was now undoubtedly a superhuman in every sense of the word. 

He had already swum two thirds of the way leading to big underwater facility when he realised he could keep going for about 10 minutes if he chose to. He was now able to sense how much time he could remain submerged and was proud that number had now reached 13 minutes. 13 minutes of intense movement, involving underwater combat which, for a human, was nothing short of impressive. His companion Manolo was left behind hundreds of meters but Berto wasn't worried as he could feel their connection drawing the Hermit to him, as long as he remained one mile from him.

"Mariah let's allocate those remaining attribute points.." Berto said telepathically and his guide obliged, throwing up a transparent Status Screen, as he continued to swim forward. He wanted to be stronger but what had truly given him an edge these past few days was mobility. Also he wanted to expand his awareness even if was by a small margin. Who knew what dangers this new section hid. 

As he swam through the broken and flooded in railway he focused his intent. "Two points in Agility, one in Brawn and place the last point in Spirit.." he finally said decisively, through the mental connection. 

* User : Alberto Ferantelli - Level: 4 *

Health: 24/24

Brawn: 13 (+1)

Agility: 14 (+2)

Vitality: 13

Mana: 4/4

Intellect: 17

Charisma: 10

Spirit: 12 (+1) 

* Status update complete *

By the time he finished allocating his remaining attribute points, Berto had reached the emergency hatched he needed to open in order to enter the big facility. The entrace designed for the capsule train was completely covered by debris and the young man had to find a way around it. 

He struggled with the jammed release mechanism, barnacles and sea flora having claimed its metallic frame. His muscles bulged as he strained against it until it finally gave way with an audible screech, steel grinding on steel. Water poured through the opened gateway and Berto could see that the decompression room inside was functional! It had actually remained unflooded. He could only hope that the same would be true about the facility itself.

Suddenly with a *WOOSH* Berto felt the water sway behind him and he turned around as fast as he could, drawing his coral dagger from its sheath! A Hateful Hermit had approached him and was already in the process of charging him. 

He steadied himself and lowered his weapon to put it in between him and the beast when a sudden burst of motion stopped the crab in its tracks. Manolo's hefty pincer came down with a *CRACK* audible even underwater. He then bashed his lesser kin a few more times before brushing it to the side with a final sweeping blow. The victorious Manolo raised its claw in victory, then snatched one of its deafeted brother's legs and proceeded to feast on it with an expressionless face. 

Berto relaxed and laughed involuntarily, allowing an air bubble to escape his mouth. A hunting partner was much appreciated but, by just having Manolo around, his mental and emotional state had improved by leaps and bounds! He had someone to watch his back and share every experience with. 

At that moment Berto frowned and swore internally. If he got out of here alive, he would reconnect with every person he had brushed aside. Being good at your work was important. But being someone's companion, friend, relative or lover.. that was true human connection. He was going to that coffee shop the first chance he got, no more postponing. He would call his old school buddy he had blown off two times in a row. He would visit his father and apologize for not doing so for over a month. He was getting out! 

He exited the now water-free decompression room and entered the facility. It was indeed dry and with the power running. Well lit corridors paved the way to sounds of legs clacking against smooth surfaces and strange gutteral noises. "Ok amigo.. lets freakin do this!" Berto exclaimed to his crab partner and Manolo raised his single claw while foaming vigorously!