Chapter Thirty - Part One: The Holding

The holding looked more like a giant storage room for airplanes, massive in scale making their footsteps sound like there was a small army in the space instead of just two people.

The walls were made of corrugated metal like on a shipping container, with a dusty concrete floor and Cold War era electric lamps giving the room an ominous ambiance. In the ceiling corners were fans blasting fridged air that left everything in the room covered in a thin layer of frost.

On the other side of the room was a pair of massive doors that looked like they were taken straight out of a military base and were large enough to swing open for a small building to come through.

Just in front of the doors was a mass of grey colored flesh that looked like a elephant had been felled in the frozen room. As they approached, Leta could make out the shape of shoulder blades, a ridged spine, and massive humanoid feet with extended sharp nails.

"What is that?" Leta's breath fogged the air in front of her as they slowly approached the body.

"Troll." Allister wrinkled his nose in displeasure, "And a big one at that."

"How is it that something this big goes unnoticed?"

She circled around so her back was to the giant door and looked at the creature's face.

And it was a creature. There was very little human in it other than it's overall shape.

It probably would have been over three meters tall when standing, with arms that were loosely muscled but unnaturally long and meaty hands tipped in razor like claws.

It's face was all angles, a chin jutting out above a snarling mouth that had two top and bottom teeth that looked more like tusks as they protruded from puffy black lips. It's hooked nose seemed to take up most of it's face and it's large forehead was angled grotesquely backwards, allowing for heavy brows to to hang over all black eyes.

It's skinny legs seemed like it wouldn't be able to hold up the weight of it's body, with massive feet that were disproportionately too big.

Allister shrugged next to her. "You'd be surprised how easy it'd be, lass. Trolls are weak against UV radiation - their skin an' bones will begin to calcify with even the smallest amount of exposure. Pulse they're territorial, so once they find a cave or other place they claim as their own, they don't travel far from it. We just have to wait to hear whispers of a large creature eating livestock an go huntin'."

As Allister talked, Leta looked down the length of the body to see a smaller form huddled near it's hip.

Unlike the troll the goblin was short, probably a little over a meter tall with mottled green skin and long pointed ears that swept up the sides of it's head like horns. It was heavily muscled bulging arms and legs that had long pointed black nails.

It's face had a lizard like texture to it that reminded her of an alligator, with serrated teeth, yellow yes, and a tuft of blue-black hair on it's crown.

"Nasty things." Allister poked the goblin with his boot. "Unlike trolls, goblins are intelligent and clever. A long time ago, goblins were known for making deals and favoring contracts where their violence would be utilized. Now a days, they're smart enough to know that they'd be killed by humans out of fear. They tend to hide out in sewers and other dark areas where trolls and ogres can't fit."

Leta gulped, imagining metropolis sewers teeming with monsters like this.

"You guys said that the Blessed are corrupted versions of the Chosen. What are these corrupted versions of?"

"Goblins are corrupted versions of a Judge - thrivin' on those that seek a twisted sort of justice and thrive on lies. Trolls are the corrupted versions of Masons."

Leta thought of Simon, who seemed so kind and dignified in his quest for the knowledge of history. She couldn't imagine someone like him turning into something like this.

Taking a deep breath, she put her hands on the goblin first.

[HOST HAS ABSORBED 1,962,580 UNPROGRAMMED NANITES FROM CORRUPTED - GOBLIN. NANITETOTAL, 4,963,440. CURRENT AVAILABLE NANITES EXCLUDED FROM RESERVES: 1,963,440.]

Leta sighed as she felt her body fill with potential again. She had become so accustomed to the nanites that she could feel it now when she was low like she'd slept on the bed wrong and woke up in discomfort.

Under her hand, the goblin's skin turned from moss green to nearly black, it's reptilian skin cracking as it's wrinkled face seemed to age decades.

"Sweet lords above." Allister exclaimed with a shiver, fists clenching involuntarily as if he were witnessing witchcraft.

Leta gave him a puzzled look. "You knew about this before. You were there when I demonstrated with the plant."

"A plant and a goblin are two separate things, lass." He gulped as the decomposing process seemed to jump start.

She shrugged, "Maybe my job is garbage disposal? Think about it - there had to be some kind of person that dealt with trash back in ancient times."

That thought seemed to stop Allister as if he hadn't considered that. "An embalmer maybe? That could be why it really only works on Arisen and not plants and animals."

She shook her head. "I dunno about that. I could see the lightning being used to get ride of trash, but I can't really see where that would be useful with an embalmer."

Leta placed one hand on the troll's rough, shark-like skin.

[HOST HAS ABSORBED 1,756,802 UNPROGRAMMED NANITES FROM CORRUPTED - TROLL. HOST HAS REACHED MAXIMUM STORAGE CAPACITY OF 7,465,429. UNABLE TO ABSORB 2,501,989.

'Damn. Trolls are upwards of 4 million nanites. What upgrades are available?'

[CONTINUOUS USE OF A SKILL HAS PROVEN A MASTERY OF UTILIZATION. THIS SKILL HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE IN LEVEL.

ELECTRIC MISCONDUCT - LEVEL TWO: Host is able to sense mechanical objects which utilize electricity and is able to temporarily alter the flow of electricity by increase or decreasing the current. At Level Two, the Host can only manipulate up to 120 volts of electricity. Nanites needed for this upgrade: 2,800,143.]

[ADDITIONAL UPGRADE OPTIONS:

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTIC RECONSTRUCTION : Host is able to make changes to their physical appearance. This upgrade is affected by unprogrammed nanites available.

INTERNAL CHARACTERISTIC RECONSTRUCTION: Host is able to make changes to their internal structure, including the creation of artificial enhancements and structures. This upgrade is affected by unprogrammed nanitesavailable.

WARRIORS EYE - LEVEL ONE: By utilizing the connection between Master and Weapon, the Host is able to perceive the Weapons condition and surroundings. At Level One, the Host can perceive the Weapon's surroundings at a maximum of 1.5 kilometers away. Nanites needed for this upgrade: 2,093,593.

MONARCH'S AUTHORITY - LEVEL ONE: Host has the possibility to control nanites outside of the host's body. At this level, the host is only able to command nanites within hosts who have a mental fortitude less than or equal to a quarter of the host's mental fortitude. This skill is an extension of the Override skill software and can be further upgrades and improved through use. Nanites needed for this upgrade: 3,581,342

ELECTRIC EYES - LEVEL ONE: Host is able to insert a small number of nanites within electrical items, which can receive and send signals to the host and follow a limited number of commands. Commands can include sending an electric pulse to disrupt power at a designated time, sensing when an individual draws close to an item, relaying audio to the host, and other options. Nanites needed for this upgrade: 3,271,394.]

Leta paused. This was the first time she'd seen a skill that specifically had her class name on it.

Both Monarch's Authority and Electric Eyes would come in handy with what would be coming with the Governor. If she could override the talent of someone that was trying to kill her, it could give her an advantage in a fight.

On the other hand, Electric Eyes could be a great tool for being that fly on the wall and be one step ahead of people.

She wasn't naive enough to believe that the Governor and his goons would be have her best interests at heart.

'Okay. Both are great options, but my heart is pulling me to Monarch's Authority. Give me that first and if I have the nanites afterwards, give me Electric Eyes.'

[SELECTION CONFIRMED. DOWNLOADING SOFTWARE NOW.]