Galataea Crystallim Core 1

by Scottie Futch

  <<< Status >>>

  Name: Scott Matthews | Class: Hunter | Grade: Novice | Rank: C

  Age: 20 | Level: 4

  EXP: 387 | EXP to Next Level: 400

  Augmentation Points: 0

  City State: America

  --

  [E]Vital Force: 50[65]

  Attack: 13 | Defense: 14

  Strength: 8 | Agility: 10 | [F]Vitality: 10[12]

  Intellect: 4 | Resonance: 20

  <<< * >>>

  "Not bad. Two more levels will get me to base ten, like I originally wanted. The extra resonance will help once I've trained with Flora a bit..." Scott mumbled a little while he considered future possibilities.

  It was not long before he received a message from the American City Council. They politely chose to warn him once again regarding the problematic nature of increasing more than four stat points through augmentations in a single twenty-four hour period. His status was officially locked down once more, but it was fine. He did not regret his decision.

  Scott dismissed his status information then put the back of his arm to his forehead. There was a lot to do, a lot of preparations to make. Tomorrow would be a day of training, and hopefully more EXP transference. Afterward they might know enough about each other to actively begin the first phase of their partnership as hunters. They would go out into the wilds, or something wilds-adjacent, and seek out potential nightmares.

  It was a strange job, the profession of hunting down pretty monster girls for fun and profit. Some of them were no doubt happy-ish out in the wilds. Few would have truly coherent thought patterns, and most of those who did would be highly aggressive to the point of attempting to rape or kill anything that crossed into their territory.

  By defeating them in a fight they would be put into a position where they are able to awaken from the nightmare. Their manifestation destroyed, their core would be released. Their true heart would become accessible. In a perfect world, Scott would then be able to reassure the frightened and confused girl that someone gave a damn about her.

  In truth, it was a ridiculous necessity. Kick someone's ass in order to let them know someone cared about them? It was no wonder that bonds were tenuous in the beginning. It was difficult to convince someone to trust anyone who sets them on fire, or tries to choke the life out of them with strangling vines.

  "Tough love..." muttered Scott. It was a necessary evil when the only other options were to allow the girls to run amok and freely attack anywhere that they liked. In the vast majority of instances, the recovering girls seemed far happier among people.

  In the wilds, on the few field trips that he took for class, the girls always seemed angry, frightened, or sad. Some were flat out crazy. Most acted only slightly more intelligent than wild animals. They were more like demented demons than people.

  Scott frowned slightly. He could still recall the haunting melody of one Crystallim whom he found on a field trip. She was a beautiful mermaid. In the wilds, they were either extraordinarily shy, or frightfully aggressive. Worse, they could go from one extreme to the other in a manner of seconds.

  The girl Scott saw was a glorious sight to behold. Her hair and scales were a radiant golden color. Her proportions were inhumanly perfect as well. The most notable thing about her, however, was her voice. She sang a flawlessly clear and powerful song that bespoke her endless days of sadness and longing.

  Weirdly enough, near the end she sang something about wanting to drown her lover in the river to keep him forever. That tidbit of information broke the spell that was cast over him. It reminded him that she would probably try to murder the ever loving shit out of him if he got too close. Though, at a distance her reaction would be noticeably different if she were typical of her species.

  Eventually, she noticed his presence and gasped loudly in surprise. She covered her chest with one hand then unleashed an embarrassed squeak immediately afterward. The last thing Scott ever saw of her was the flash of her fishy tale as she dived off of her rock and back into the river.

  He could still hear her loudly squeaked cry even now. "Eeeek! A pervert!"

  Mermaids could be playful as well, but mostly they were shy and fearful of humans. They were creatures of the water. They did not do well on land. At least, they did not do well on land unless they evolved into a more powerful mermaid species.

  Like many Crystallim they were capable of speech, and might even be able to hold a brief conversation. Unfortunately, just like most nightmares the majority of them could only parrot the words of others. The golden mermaid was later determined to be a bit of a legend in that area. She was spotted off and on for well over a century.

  No one managed to catch her in all that time, though many tried. The allure of her exceptional beauty and mysterious nature drew many people to the river in the hopes of discovering her and winning her over. Those lucky few who saw her would frequently mention how the light reflecting from her scales and hair caused her to shine brightly in the sun. Yes, she was quite the shiny Crystallim.

  She was intelligent enough to hold a conversation, but was known to be highly bi-polar. One moment she would sing a sad lonely song that lured in the unwary, and in the next she would try to drown anyone who came near.

  Thoughts of the one who got away caused him to consider the future. The process of synergy could combine the efforts of two Crystallim of distinctly different elemental types to bolster their experience growth. Water and earth types did not normally mix well, but the plant type variant was an exception. They thrived when a water type was on the same team.

  Scott rubbed his chin slowly then nodded. "A water type... I think I know just the place."

  Plans would need to be made. Training and EXP transference would occur. However, he now knew where to go for his first self-imposed mission. After training, it would be time to hit the lake.

  The hours passed for the newly formed duo. Dawn came. A time of new beginnings for all brave adventurers, dawn often arose over people who set out on bold new paths in life. In the case of Scott and his flower powered friend Flora, it was a time to begin their training as a team.

  Currently, they were at the city park in order to train simple skills. Combat skills of the type that Flora used were simple enough that they were allowed in the park provided they were not used to injure someone without consent.

  "So, we're going to train here?" asked Flora, her tone curious.

  "Yep, that's the plan. First we'll spend an hour or two working on solar absorption. Afterward we'll spar a bit," said Scott.

  "We also have the training center later, today?" she asked innocently.

  Scott nodded slightly then finished setting up the area. It required thirty-three seconds to set up camp, a grueling amount of time to wait. Unfortunately, once they left the interior of a building the projectors and other devices installed to help a MISS utilize its basic functions would not be available. The time table for completion of simple things, such as setting up camp, increased substantially unless a mobile housing unit upgrade was purchased.

  "Fifteen hundred to sixteen hundred. I figure, we'll train here until noon," said Scott. Their campsite finished its set-up, complete with reinforced tent and comfortable bed.

  "Ready to get started?" asked Scott.

  Flora's sweet smile and nod of her head indicated that she was ready. Immediately, afterward both she and Scott began their intense training regimen. Flora stood up straight, legs shoulder-width apart, and then stretched her arms straight out to the side with her palms facing upward.

  Scott moved a short distance away and began to shadow box at the air. While Flora was manifest in the world he could not use the active skill she provided. The passive bonuses remained in effect, however.

  Flora easily achieved activation first. Her controlled breathing and focused intent allowed her to begin the process of solar absorption. Her skin began to sparkle and shine as the solar radiation was magically converted into pure life energy. The loss of her initial vital
essence to awaken the power was immediately overcome after the first minute.

  They continued their training for roughly one hour. During that time Flora continually used her solar absorption ability while Scott practiced various unarmed combat techniques.

  "Alright, Flora. You did great. Please rest for a while," said Scott.

  Her sweet smile indicated her acceptance of his request. She released her manifestation, and returned to her rest. The crystal on Scott's bracer vibrated briefly. Scott lightly stroked Flora and said, "I'll miss you, too, Flora."

  A soft feminine giggle echoed inside his mind briefly, but then she grew quiet. Skills were quite draining to use continuously.

  Scott's attempt to use his newfound skill, lesser solar absorption, were fraught with great pain initially. The initial cost put tremendous stress on his system. He nearly lost control of his skill, something that would have left him weak and vulnerable for the few hours necessary to properly heal. However, he managed to hold his focus. Twelve long minutes passed before he regained the lost health. By that point he was close to his concentration limit. Remaining perfectly still in a specific standing pose for several minutes at a time was something that he was not accustomed to doing.

  Once he reached a point where he could not remain in position for much longer, he stopped. The total time that passed during his training was a mere fourteen minutes. It was barely enough time to heal the internal damage caused by the actual use of the skill. "Man, I need to train this skill a lot to be able to use it without nearly killing myself every time."

  Scott was glad of one thing, however. Increasing his resonance also increased the strength of his synchronization rate with Flora. The cost for using his new skill did not decrease, but with greater resonance he was able to sustain the effect for a longer period of time. He would need to increase his intellect soon, however. That stat influenced how quickly he would develop his skills.

  Flora rested for roughly an hour, a time period that allowed Scott to use his ability one more time after a short rest. Once she manifested herself before him, they began the next phase of training.

  Scott pulled out a rod-like device and pointed it at her. He pressed a concealed button on the handle and electricity arced along the shaft. "This is a stun baton. The damage inflicted is low, but it's really painful."

  "I am aware, master," said Flora.

  He eyed her for a moment. "If you have a problem with this method of training, it is fine. Please tell me now, though."

  "No, I don't mind..." she said gently.

  "Alright, I'll try to attack you. Your goal is to entangle me. You can trip me, ensnare me, or bind me. Any of those things is fine, but you must stop me completely," said Scott with a smile.

  She smiled in return, but both of their smiles became more serious when he continued to speak, "However, if you don't stop me before I reach you, I will sting you."

  "I understand," said Flora. Her sweet expression suddenly hardened.

  "Good. We are doing best of ten. I fully expect you to stop me each time. If you do not, and you end up losing more than winning, you will be punished," said Scott evenly.

  "Punished how?" she asked curiously.

  "Bad girls need discipline," said Scott with a smile, before causing the electricity to arc once more.

  His goofy and perverted smile caused her to take a step back. What manner of discipline did her master have in mind?

  "Ready?" asked Scott. Once she nodded her head, he cried out, "Begin!"

  Flora acquired a look of concentration. Scott merely ran forward headlong toward his foe. This training was not about winning a battle. It was about testing his partner's reaction time, and skill.

  Vines rose up here and there the moment after he passed through, but they never came close to ensnaring him. Scott reached Flora, and true to his word, he slapped her on the shoulder with his rod.

  She cried out in pain then clutched her arm. A slight pout on her soft green lips nearly broke Scott's heart, but he did not give in. The abominations and nightmares would not care if she pouted.

  "Scott one, Flora zip," said Scott, a serious look on his face. He did his best to ignore her pouting and returned to his start position.

  The moment that she composed herself, he ran forward once more. Just like before, her attempts to catch the speedy human were met with failure. She received another electric shock, this time to her left leg. Scott told her the score then returned to his starting position.

  This time he waited a moment before launching into his attack. True to his expectations, he could already see the look of intense concentration of her face that signaled her readiness to use a skill. This time she would not hesitate.

  Scott launched into another headlong attack. However, vines rose up at the lost moment and tripped him slightly. He recovered quickly, but his momentum was broken in that moment. Flora had her chance. She refused to let it slip by.

  Vines wrapped around his boots. He broke free, easily. Once again he lost the chance to build forward momentum. The process repeated itself several times. Scott soon lost the battle of attrition with the vines, as more of them appeared.

  Flora's level of concentration reached its peak by this point. Whenever Scott broke free, he was only able to take one or two steps forward before he was ensnared once more. Eventually, he was overwhelmed and forced into stop.

  "Two to one...?" asked Flora sweetly.

  Scott grinned at her then nodded. "Well done. Let's take a moment and begin again."

  "I don't know... At the moment, I have you where I want you," she said cutely.

  He smiled at her, but then said, "Release me, or I will punish you severely."

  Flora released her master, reluctantly. "My master is so cruel to me..."

  They shared a laugh then returned to their starting positions. Scott allowed them both a two minute break, and then began the attack again. Just like before he chose to build her confidence by attacking in a straight line. She took a while, but eventually brought him down once more.

  The training session continued. Flora racked up four total wins before Scott decided to change his attack pattern. The look in her eyes told Scott everything that he needed to know. During the first six attacks, he only ran straight ahead. This time he chose to perform a quick back step then run horizontally to the left before racing in toward her.

  She devoted her concentration on the ground directly before her, and was unprepared for a flanking attack. Flora received a gentle smack on the shoulder that was accompanied by a painful electrical discharge.

  Flora adapted to the change in attack strategy during the next round. Scott attempted to rush her in the same way, but she managed to shift her focus. Unfortunately for her, he was not so easy to ensnare if he was focused.

  "That's unfair!" cried Flora the moment Scott broke her attempt to ensnare him then barrel rolled forward and leapt into the air. He easily cleared the remaining distance between his location and hers.

  Scott continued to be unfair afterward. Flora began to panic slightly as his erratic movements were beyond her ability to keep in check. He rolled, dived, cartwheeled, and tumbled around her attempts like a demented circus clown.

  The score ended as a determined six to four in Scott's favor. Flora pouted at him then sniffled a little. "That was unfair..."

  He pulled her close and stroked her hair. "Maybe, but you can expect similar in the field. You've fought before, right?"

  "A little, but mostly as support..." said Flora. She then looked to Scott and said, "None of my other masters could move like that."

  "I'm highly skilled in the usage of my MEAT," said Scott seriously.

  "Such a shameless thing to say, master..." said Flora, her cheeks becoming dark green in the process.

  Scott laughed warmly then hugged her lightly with one arm. "MEAT is an acronym, silly. It stands for Military Evasive Assault Tactics."

  "That's an odd little acronym..." said Flora.

  His laugh
returned, louder this time. "I suppose so."

  "In the olden days of yore, soldiers were more rigid. Nowadays, a hunter can't even receive their license if they are not properly trained to use their MEAT. We have to be flexible and able to perform advanced gymnastics maneuvers readily to survive encounters," explained Scott.

  "Still seems unfair," she said with another pout.

  In response, Scott slipped down and then rapidly lifted Flora up over his shoulder like a sack of grain. She squealed in fright, but then cried out for another reason when one of his arms wrapped around her thighs to hold her steady. "You've been a bad girl, Flora. Master has to punish you."

  "What! But master—" she was cut off by a playful smack of her beautiful green ass. Scott said, "No, you have failed me, Flora. You must be punished."

  Scott walked off toward the tent, Flora still slung over his shoulder. Her ass pointed toward the tent, her face pointed in the other direction. All she could do at that moment was mouth the word, "Punishment."

  Who knew what horrors awaited Flora and her beautiful green ass inside the tent of discipline. More to the point, why did her body begin to heat up at the thought of it?

  Flora squealed as Scott dropped her onto their comfortable bed. She gasped loudly then rolled over quickly to look at him. There was a hint of shock in her expression as she asked, "Master...?"

  "You've been a bad girl, Flora. It's time to be punished," said Scott with a lewd grin.

  "So sudden..." she said, her cheeks darkening slightly.

  He dismissed her misgivings readily then gestured toward her. "You have a choice... Will you take your punishment lying down, or standing up?"

  "I have to choose?" she asked, confused. Flora looked up at him with a slightly petulant pout. "Punishment is still punishment..."

  Scott crossed his arms in front of his chest. "No getting out of this one, Flora. You failed, so now you get punished. So... make your choice."

  "S-standing up, I guess..." she said, with a slight squeak in her voice.

  "Alright," said Scott, before he leaned down and helped her to her feet. "Copy my pose."