The seahorse man was sitting in the heavily-cushioned chair with all the confidence of a master Enhancer. His body seeming as if it was completely in balance with the world around him and as if no movement of his would be hindered.

  Despite that, I began to sense a few irregularities.

  There was a tension about his shoulders. Nearly imperceptible. But for a few minute muscles that tensed and relaxed beneath the surface of his scaly, spongy blue skin.

  On top of that, the being’s heartbeat was somehow irregular. Not to a great degree. Not in a way that human or dog or even superpowered Rift-Spawn would have been able to hear. But to the current me, it was as loud as a midsummer carnival. Or the sounds of rushing trains along rattling old tracks.

  ‘How very odd.’ I mused. ‘[Solomon’s Limited Omniscience X] is at the bloody 10th Tier and a high level besides. But the seahorse keeps his Psy wrapped around him as tightly as a coat in winter. So that no signals come out from him and none of my own signals can penetrate that dam. And still my new Tier 4 ability can pick up the heartbeat. At level 10 besides. The Titles should make it even stronger but still… what an oddity.’

  It was possible that he was letting some of his feelings out on purpose of course. Letting me read him a little, without having to suffer the danger of me connecting my mind to his. Though I don’t know why he would bother.

  “Something amiss?” I asked. Moving confidently about the place.

  “Many things.” He said curtly. “Please sit.”

  I did so and immediately felt the difference. [Social Hunter IV] was, to put it mildly, a power for sociopaths and serial killers. Letting one present whatever face would put their prey at ease, while still providing those instinctual boosts to combat and allowing the predator to get a much better sense of who was dangerous and who was not. However, the most useful aspect of it was the changes it brought upon me.

  No longer was I reeling under the suffocating, mechanical weight of the Tier 10 abilities I had on Shifter. My current body was now actively relaxing itself and allowing me to grow pleased, because it reasoned that such a response would be beneficial in this interaction. It was still a ruse and one I suspected wouldn’t fool the old master for half a second, but I was glad for the relief nonetheless.

  ‘Come to think of it, I wouldn’t really care for the whole hunting aspect of the ability if I were to combine it further. But that is odd in and of itself. I can grapple with people’s emotions just fine already. My whole first Type is built around that. The Shifter alternatives should not have been anywhere near as valuable to me, but the confidence… Oh the confidence and the ease with which my heart beat are truly intoxicating.’

  “I trust that you are content with the result?” I asked him politely. “I certainly was towards the end. Though I do still wonder about some things.”

  He huffed. With more sincerity than I was expecting.

  “I’ll bet you’re content, you little monster. From levels in the low 70s to level 108 in the span of a few hours. Not to mention the sudden acquisition of several combined abilities of the 4th Tier. If I wrote down your progress on a study, half the Labyrinth would be laughing at me before the printing presses stopped.”

  I arched an eyebrow. My face already mimicking some of his mannerisms far more accurately than before.

  “Well come on. Pull it up and describe it in detail.”

  I did so. Going over all the notifications that had rushed me some moments before, while I was still dealing with Ertie’s trap.

  The last improvements had come hard and fast for [Solomon’s Bio-Chemical Thaumaturgy X]. Something I suspected had much to do with the fact that the power allowed me to create chemicals with bio-electrical properties within myself. It had a lot of synergy with [Energy Regulation IV] and I suspected that pushing one would lead to another growing at about the same rate.

  ‘Though how to achieve that is still up for debate.’ I mused. ‘I suppose that I could have a bunch of Projectors like Monique and Charlie all using their electrical abilities against me at the same time. All while I used the former power to create insulating chemicals and the latter to absorb whatever got through.’

  It was an interesting notion that would have to be tested. The only problem that I could foresee at the moment was if any of my compatriots could conjure that much lightning on command.

  ‘Probably not.’ I bemoaned internally. ‘At least, not right now. But that is fine. They’ll get to practise and I’ll get to practise. We still have plenty of time.’

  The Dragon puffed up like a rattle turkey and let out a hiss of bubbles.

  “Look at you. You’re like an open book.” He chastised.

  “Of course.” I lied.

  “Spare me boy.” He snapped. “I can tell the difference between what your lying mask portrays and the thoughts running through your head. I’d bet my own training grounds and two of my official palaces that you’re making plans for torturing yourself even now.”

  Those words brought me back to reality.

  Though I wasn’t sure why I should be surprised in the least. The creature in front of me had been old enough to live through tens of thousands of apprentices, if he cared to take them on at all. Not to mention that he was a Savant himself. He knew full well the lure of sudden progress, as well as the bitterness that came with slowing down.

  “Say that I was? What part of that is a problem? I was told that having a hard work ethic and a strong desire for self-improvement were virtues?”

  “In moderation.” He added. “Which is what leads us to our current dilemma.”

  He tapped the crystal lightly and a recording of me acting the part of a fluffy pink alien came into view.

  “Tell me, what drove you to lie to these creatures and pretend to be one of them?”

  I shrugged.

  “It was something I hadn’t tried before and plenty of my abilities were falling behind the others. I knew I was in a good position to kill them, but it seemed too easy at the time. You yourself told me that the point of the exercise was to find new and creative solutions to old problems. This seemed like the most straightforward of the alternate solutions at the time.”

  “Were you somehow forewarned of what the traps would entail?” He insisted.

  “No.” I answered. “Though I don’t see how that would have mattered. The traps were a complete and utter disappointment when they did arrive and I only saw one alertness level before Ertie’s sabotage brought down the whole network in any case.”

  He nodded once more.

  “It would have mattered, because the traps scale with how many of the scientists are killed at one time. Not with how many are killed in total. The usual way someone would tackle this exercise is by killing the two known as Dereng and Ertie at the earliest opportunity. From there, they would have a chance to explore the facility while the guards raised the alarm and rushed inside. The objective is to adapt in an environment that is actively hunting you and constantly changing.”

  He brought up a fancy cup with a sweet-smelling liquid. Lapping some of it up with his narrow tube-like tongue.

  “It is a challenge where you were supposed to act fast, with limited information. Thereby training your [Instincts]. Whatever they might be at the time. You would also have to choose between tackling foes head-on, in battles that could turn deadly at a moment’s notice or to use subterfuge to make yourself invisible and to blend in with the environment. Or you could [Shrink] or otherwise alter your skeletal and muscular structures through [Skeletal System] and [Muscular System]. To enter the ventilation systems in the compound. In any case, you have to think fast on your feet and adapt. Killing scientists and guards in well-prepared, ferocious ambushes, to keep the traps from growing out of hand. Keep in mind that the first stage of alertness was supposed to be enough to kill a level 75 Shifter by itself. Before you even factored in the additional traps and energy weapons of the actual guards.”

  I paused to consider the machine guns. With their large calibers and seemingly infinite ammunition.

  They would have been a problem of course, but I couldn’t imagine they’d be enough to put down someone like Boris. Stun him and wound him sure, but not kill him. The old man was too deft for that. His myriad Enhancer abilities working too well with his Shifter ones. Such that all the little parts came together to be something greater than their sum.

  “I never said that they would absolutely kill a level 75 Shifter.” The Dragon corrected as if he could read my mind. “Only that they are capable of it. They are an obstacle that is supposed to be avoided.”

  “Well then.” I spoke again. “I guess I have exceeded your expectations.”

  “You have.” He muttered bitterly. “Though not in the way you might expect.”

  He took a deep, calming breath. Similar to the ones I often took when the stress got to be too much.

  “Why did you not kill those two when you first came across them?”

  “Because I am not a bloodthirsty murderer.” I stated the obvious. “When you see two people meandering about, your first thought shouldn’t be wondering how to gut them. At least, not if you’re a normal person. I wanted to see what the Instance was all about, since you hyped it up to such a degree. I wanted to see what was outside the compound and what kind of dangers I could expect.”

  “And you never thought to go back inside when you saw how cold it was?”

  “Of course I did.” I said aloud. Now wondering if my new teacher thought me a dullard.

  “It was the first thing that came to my mind, but the second thing that came to my mind was you saying that the Instance was supposed to be challenging in ways I hadn’t yet expected. And it was. I got myself a nice little Tier 2 ability which later turned into a fat Tier 4 ability with lots and lots of uses. I did suffer and yes, it did hurt a lot. But I’ve been hurt before. I am no stranger to pain. I have known the pain and agony and loneliness of innumerable living beings at the same time. For a whole year back when I was a child and then again when I finally woke up properly.”

  I scoffed and waved him away.

  “Do you really suppose a bit of pain is going to keep me from getting stronger?”

  I made a rude noise with my lips.

  “Pain is the sign that one is enduring the unendurable. That one is getting stronger than normal. I knew that as a Telepath, back when I was but a sad lonely mortal scraping by on the mercy of giant bugs and psychopathic gnomes. Buddy was probably the only thing that kept me alive long enough to meet you. Why would anyone with [Regeneration] or a combined ability that incorporated it, ever run from pain? Why on earth would they be fine with a life of terrible mediocrity and weakness? Why would anyone that had [Predator’s Instincts] be fine with being weak? With being prey?”

  I purposely shrugged my shoulders again and allowed my body to make itself comfortable.

  “And it worked, didn’t it? I came out stronger and I called it quits when my life was in danger. I assume that is what was supposed to happen?”

  “It was.” He admitted. “But the idea was that all participants would take one look at the environment and call it quits right away.”

  I rolled my eyes.

  “Oh come now. It wasn’t all that bad in the grand scheme of things. I’ve gone through worse.”

  “And that fact shouldn’t be comforting to you. But going back to the point at hand, yes. It really was that bad and worse. The storm was a recreation of a Tier 6 Projector ability. One that pressurized the atmosphere around moving targets while forcing the temperatures to plumet. It is supposed to be able to kill a level 75 Shifter within two minutes.”

  I thought back to the storm and the way the blades of ice pierced through several layers of protection and still refuse to melt as I flooded my body with Psy.

  “I guess I can see how that makes sense.” I admitted.

  “Indeed. While I am glad you were able to improve so readily, any normal Shifter, even one with Enhancer as a second Type would be dead. Gone. Done. Utterly annihilated.”

  “Yeah yeah. I get it.”

  “No. You don’t. But that’s fine. Let us move on to the other issue at hand. The one where you toyed with the people in the compound.”

  My body made a show of being flustered.

  “Oh come on. You can’t possibly put that on me! I hardly talked to like, what? Six of them in total from start to finish? I’m not the one who told the director to blow up the Hardware Labs. I wasn’t the one who told the guys at the cafeteria to start shanking survivors and I definitely wasn’t the one going around telling Ertie to be a menace to society! If anything, I was very lenient, because I usually, um…”

  I made quotation marks with my fingers.

  “Fix. Those kinds of impulses. With great results might I add.”

  “I don’t care. We usually disembowel those kinds of perverts in an arena where I’m from. The issue is not that you led to their deaths per se. The issue is that you manipulated them. Earned their trust. Only to betray them later.”

  I paused at that.

  “Was there another way to complete the Instance?”

  “No.” He confirmed.

  I did feel some amount of genuine relief at that at least.

  “Okay then. I don’t know what you want from me. Sure, I killed them head on after giving up all pretenses and sure, I led them on a little bit, but it was about as bad as me hunting them down in my Monstro-Artic-Bear thing form. If anything, they died more painlessly this way.”

  “I would not agree with that, but I take your point.” Hazimon spoke softly. “Though the reason why it bothers me is this.”

  Hazimon tapped the side of the crystal and another image appeared from it, like that of a illusory projection.

  The scene it showed was a familiar one. Ertie and Dereng and Yoko and three others I did not recognize. All bickering over who was the alien.

  They all began to stab the person they singled out. First the three unnamed researchers and then Yoko. Dereng was bent over her body. Weeping. Ertie placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. On to wince a second later. His eyes going down to see a spear of bone protruding from Dereng’s back.

  “Hey, Ertie?” The thing that was Dereng whispered between sad sobs.

  Ertie gasped. Uncomprehending.

  “My name is not Dereng.” His neck twisted around 180 degrees. Snapping bones and tearing muscles.

  The thing smiled.

  “I am the Seeking Drake. And I never get tired of seeing that face you make.”

  Then, the Drake laughed and laughed and laughed. As tendrils of meat shot off his body and burrowed deep into Ertie’s flesh. Dragging him towards the center mass of the Drake like a fish on a hook, while the latter choked on his screams.

  Hazimon tapped the image and then turned to me.

  “Okay.” I said calmly. “I can understand why that would look bad.”

  “Solomon.”

  “But! But! I did not enjoy doing that! I only though to do it because of the things you said about having to be creative! I am nothing like the Seeking Drake!”

  Hazimon locked his eyes with mine, but said nothing for the next few minutes.

  “Fine then. Let us adjourn that topic for now and move on to the Instance that you were supposed to plan for me. Do you have something in mind already?”

  As it happened, I did.

  But I had to give myself some amount of coverage before that.

  “I do. But I have to warn you. I made this scenario up with the express purpose of being painful. The idea was to conjure a scenario where you have to use mind-reading, as well as emotional and psychological manipulation. Alongside all other Telepath abilities. If you want to get ahead that is. Brute force will not work and the scenario will be failed if you use any kind of obvious physical force.”

  “Oh?” He whispered. “Now you have my interest.”

  “Yeah. I have to warn you ahead of time that you will want to kill everyone you come across. This is normal. I designed it that way. It is supposed to be painful and maddening, but you can’t come out and try to kill me if you don’t like it. You did ask for it, after all.”

  He nodded slowly.

  “Very well. I’ll tell you what. I will promise that I will take no offence. This one time. Better yet, if I get the results I want, I promise to double the reward on the table for the other deal I had in mind.”

  I nodded. Already more or less writing off that whole deal in my head.

  ‘He will want to strangle me with my own intestines when he gets out. The deal will be the last thing on his mind.’

  Despite that, there was no other recourse. I had been pondering the issue of the old master throughout my own challenge and had even been somewhat inspired by Ertie. In how we weren’t supposed to kill him for being such an obvious menace. At least when the alien was around.

  My scenario would be a bit forced, but it would kick anyone who tried it in the teeth over and over again until they figured out how to be a decent Telepath. Of that, I was sure. The Dragon would either drown and come back in a mad fury or he would succeed and come back a broken husk of the man he once was. There really was no middle ground with what I had in mind.

  Still, there was no other way. Not if he really wanted to explore the Telepath Type to its fullest.

  ‘Besides, if pain is the avenue to progress, this will kickstart his career as a Telepath like nothing else. He will know pain, as he has never known it before.’

  “You must make another contract with me.” I insisted. “Make one that says that you will not retaliate in any way, if you gain so much as a level.”

  He arched an eyebrow, but said nothing. Instead, he swiped his hand through the air and a contract stating just that appeared before me. I signed it and put out my hand to grab the crystal.

  “All right then.” I spoke. “I just hope you don’t regret this.”

  The Dragon looked amused for the first time since I came back.

  “All right. I think you have exaggerated enough by now Mr. Carter. How bad could this…”

  He looked down at the crystal I’d handed back to him.

  “Mega-DMV possibly be?”