Chapter 63 – Gallant
Chapter 63 – Gallant
“These are your rations for the first week. Please ensure to use them sparingly, as you’re not getting resupplied until the following week. Your first week will be induction with your new guardian and focus on getting your teamwork established. They will be assessing your capabilities to better instruct you in the coming weeks,” Chatfield called out from the entrance of a large white tent.
Groups went in single-rank file to retrieve a single duffel bag filled with essentials for surviving in the Reclaimed Zone. The looks of horror had long passed and had been replaced with resigned expressions, as Chatfield informed them that this was how the real world operated.
Sal cursed Chatfield under his breath. The fucker had known there would be no classes taking place this week and hadn’t even offered a heads-up to let Sal come prepared. When it was Sal’s turn to retrieve the duffel bag from Chatfield, the Controller laughed at Sal’s dark expression.
“Ah, don’t be like that. It’ll be fun, like camping…with Prestige. Pretty sure that’s every kids dream right there.”
Chatfield smiled as he gave Sal a wink. That was it—no amount of familiarity had given him any leeway with Chatfield, and Sal was now faced with having to camp out in the Reclaimed Zone for at least an entire week, with just rations and his own skills.
Erika was her usual cold self, and Sal guessed that she had somehow gleaned the information earlier. If the duffel bag she insisted that Ioseph bring was anything to go by, she likely had provisions that would help them set up camp.
Rochelle tried to remain upbeat, but it was clear that she was equally miserable as the rest of them. Brophy was remarkably quiet as he carried his pack along with the others. Ioseph didn’t so much as utter a word, but from everything Sal had learned of him—which was nothing—that behavior was typical.
Prestige guided them away from the other groups as they made their way into a copse of black trees in the park.
“As you’re now aware, the real exercise has now begun. The Hunter Bureau felt that the Survival module at Quest Academy was fundamentally flawed, because it took place exclusively within a classroom environment. Scare tactics aside, and Sinclair’s proclivities when it comes to mauling students…we decided to give you all a practical lesson in Survival. There are no demonic threats in this exercise. It will be just you facing the elements.”
Prestige gestured at the land around them: dusty gray stone, brown muck, and eerie black trees. It didn’t really inspire the imagination when one thought of the great outdoors. But that didn’t stop the Hero from smiling at what she saw.
“You need to meet your basic needs in order to survive. Throw away your wants, and focus only on your needs. I won’t be interfering with your decision-making process, but I would encourage you to work as a team to reach your goals. While it may feel unfair right now, this is one of the many reasons that we encourage teams to recruit diverse classes. Your Support class, if he knows his role well, should be able to make this a much less painful experience.”
Sal raised his hand, causing Prestige to glance at him. She waved for him to ask his question.
“You said that there are no demonic threats in this exercise. Does that mean there are other threats that aren’t demonic?” He felt like he already knew the answer, and the smile on Prestige’s face didn’t make him feel secure.
Prestige continued walking through the trees. “Excellent question. Which brings us to the roles of the Controller, Offense, and Defense classes. Your Support will orchestrate the camp, while protecting it will be up to you three.”
She turned to smile at Rochelle. “And while your team protects the camp, you will be protecting them.”
Rochelle nodded, but she still looked uncertain.
“Eh…does it have to be assigned by function?” Brophy asked tentatively as he looked around the group.
Prestige raised an eyebrow, which Brophy took as permission to speak freely.
“I’ve gone through this almost a hundred times in the past, and can set up camp, a perimeter, and traps. I don’t want to overstep, but I feel like it would be a wasted opportunity to just have me hit things.” Brophy spoke emphatically as he looked at Sal as though to gauge his reaction.
Sal couldn’t have cared less about hierarchy if he tried. If Brophy knew how to set up a camp, Sal wasn’t going to stand in his way. He was still ruminating over the fact that he had been so completely blindsided about this excursion. His plans to grill Lombardi about the essence gates and to ask Jez about the private auction were now on hold because he was camping.
Prestige sighed as she shook her head. “You can surely guide him, Brophy. But his role is Support, and he will be graded on his performance in that function. If you do all the work for him, you will likely both lose marks.”
Brophy bit his lip as he shuffled closer to Sal, and fell into step beside him. Looking over at his mother, Brophy smiled. “There’s no penalty for giving advice on the way?”
Prestige smiled at that and shook her head. “But there may also be a penalty if you act too independently from your Controller’s instructions. Remember, you’re here to fulfill your roles and to learn how to work together as a team. If I was to start us off early, I’d be very curious to know why our Controller is leading the pack when it should be our Defense class?”
Erika froze as she turned around and stared at Prestige. It seemed to have finally dawned on her that everything was going to be a test from this moment forward.
Sal looked between Erika and Brophy, the two top scorers in literally every subject. If they were being subjected to a test, Sal’s life was about to become very miserable for the next week. The only person among them who seemed delighted by the chaos was Prestige, who leaned on her cane with a bright smile.
“So, shall we try this again? You learned your formations in Combat training, I hope. So, show me how to properly navigate unfamiliar territory as a unit.” Prestige practically cooed as she tapped her cane, as though it would inspire some urgency.
Ioseph moved to the front of the group and repositioned the duffel bags to rest over his shoulders so he could use his arms effectively if need be. Rochelle stuck close to Sal, while Brophy sighed and took up the rear. Erika stood in front of Sal, and he could see the tension in her shoulders as she glanced over at Prestige with a confused expression.
Prestige grinned. “Good instincts, Miss Clifton. You need to decide between your memory of what you’ve learned, or the thoughts I’m presenting you in my head. Which is correct, and which will lead you to failure? Using your abilities is encouraged, and you don’t need to worry about running out of essence. I’ll be your sponsor and giving you as much as you can handle during this exercise.”
Rochelle’s face lit up. It seemed like all her worrying until that point was down to that factor. Obviously, their initial plan of using Brophy as a walking battery had likely gone out the window the moment his terrifying mother appeared as their guardian.
Brophy tapped Sal on the shoulder before moving back into his position a few steps away. Sal turned around, and Brophy gestured to an area off to the left.
“Set up camp there. You need to decide on it, but ask Erika if it’s suitable,” he whispered urgently and gestured again at the area.
Sal genuinely felt like packing the whole thing in and returning to the workshop if his next week was going to be playing house with this team. The pleading look on Brophy’s face made Sal resign himself to the next few days from hell.
“Erika, I think we should set up camp in this clearing over here. What do you think?” Sal gestured at the location and looked at it through his visor to see whether there was anything obvious about it that made it better than the countless other locations they had already passed.
Much to his surprise, the visor analyzed the area and highlighted key pieces of information. What Brophy had suggested as their campsite looked like the aftermath of a battle long past. Huge shards of stone pierced the ground in every direction, with a flat base behind them. There were gaps between the pointed rocks, almost like it was a hand facing upward.
Erika glanced at Prestige, who watched her intently. It was clear she didn’t want to fuck anything up, so her ire was directed at Sal.
“Why this area in particular? I’d rather hear your reasoning and its merits before deciding.” Erika gave another half glance to Prestige, who now looked at Sal for his response.
Sal could see Brophy panicking in the background, but there was no need.
“It’s elevated ground with clear lines of sight. The jagged rocks would act as a natural barrier, and it’s far enough from the trails around us. The surrounding black trees give us more cover, too. Ideally, we’d have access to a water supply, but unless we track all the way back to the lake, we’re not going to find a better location than this.”
Erika froze as she looked at Sal incredulously.
He didn’t give her time to process the information and instead pushed her for a response. “Does that merit a decision, Controller? I’d ideally like to get started on making camp while we have sunlight to spare.”
Prestige chuckled. “What do you think, Miss Clifton? This is your unit.”
Sal glanced away from Erika to see Brophy grinning. He thanked his visor for coming to the rescue, but found himself more and more curious about Brophy’s past experiences. If the Super Rookie, Gallant, was giving a seal of approval…then there was very little reason for Erika to refuse.
“It has merit. We’ll camp here.” Erika was about to go herself when she froze and cursed under her breath. “Brophy, please scout the perimeter to ensure it’s safe. Ioseph, remain here with us to protect the party.”
Sal could practically see her grinding her teeth as she was subjected to going through protocol. He was surprised that she wasn’t enjoying it more; he had assumed she was the type who loved rules and regulations. The glare she shot him reminded Sal that his thoughts were being broadcasted and confirmed his theory that she could read his mind whenever she liked.
His hope that the visor would prevent it had been in vain. It looked like Erika had lied about it interfering with her ability. With a sigh, he imagined what Alastair would look like naked, and Erika’s shriek of repulsion elicited a chuckle from him.
Just as he turned to watch Brophy navigate the bushes, his visor settled on the Super Rookie and started to process his information. Sal didn’t prevent it from doing so, as he was curious to know what his power was.
| Name | J. Brophy |
| Alias | Gallant |
| Class | Offense |
| Profession | Current: Student, Quest Academy Previous: Hunter, Independent |
| Rank (Hero) | Hunter Bureau: Current Rank | 843rd Guild Association: Current Rank | 0 Quest Academy: Current Rank | 56th |
| Accreditations | Challenge Crests: 2 Specialist Classes:
Certifications: Field Aid | Apprentice Grade - LN: 1,493 |
| Ability | Skill Name: Soul Forge | Rating: XII Skill Category: Psionic | Energy Manipulation Skill Mastery: 2% Skill Efficiency: 100% Progress to Next Rating: 93% Evolutionary Capability: No Potential Cap: XXV Natural Synergy: Calm | Deduction | Cleanse |
| Essence | Essence Type: All Essence Gates: 210 Essence Absorption Rate: 100% Essence Control: 100% Essence Refinement: 76% Essence Calibration: 3% |
| Physical | Strength Rating: VII Mobility Rating: VIII Speed Rating: IX Fitness Rating: IX Current Status Effects: Injuries: Ability Imbalance Illnesses: Trauma |
| Reputation | Ameye Locomotion: Known Bastion Colonies Families: Hostile Doom Council: Well Known Doom Society: Known Guild Association: Respected Hunter Bureau: Respected Quest Academy: Well Known |
| Threat Level | Analyzed Equipment: II Analyzed Martial Arts: None Analyzed Movements: VIII Analyzed Techniques: Scouting (3% Calibration) Analyzed Body Composition: X |
| Wealth | Q-Credit: 352 |
“Soul Forge?” Sal muttered before casting a nervous glance to Prestige, who didn’t seem to be paying him any attention. He breathed a sigh of relief as he checked the visor to see whether there were any records of the ability on the database. It took a little longer than usual, and Sal tensed with anticipation.
Soul Forge: Natural evolution of the Hype ability, which allows the user to use positive mental reinforcement as a medium for explosive power. Soul Forge incorporates all mental states as the medium, providing various effects based on the emotional state of the user. |
Sal stared at the ability before referencing back to Brophy’s stats. Skill mastery of just two percent? Coupled with the fact that he’s suffering from an ability imbalance and trauma? Sal pieced it all together when he re-read the Soul Forge ability. The mental episode before and the restraining locket that Prestige had given him…
Gallant’s ability had evolved outside of his control.