A Sinner's Eden Chapter 12 - EVO

***Tirnanog, The Old Camp***

***Magnus***

Despite Marks friendly deanour while we were shopping within the settlents walls, the man transford into a taskmaster as soon as we left the camp. I was nonetheless thankful for what he taught . Especially since I agreed with him that the world outside the camp didnt allow for lazy behaviour.

He made aware of all the little things, like stuffing my quiver with dry grass to prevent my throwing spears from creating too much noise when they jostled against each other. How to move without leaving too many traces of my passage, or how to read animal tracks and minimize the risk of an ambush while moving through unknown terrain.

Every day, we left the camp through one of the three improvised elevators which allowed normal folk like us to get past the huge walls that protected the camps west, south and east. Then we spent the day hunting and gathering resources.

At the start and the end of each day, the worst things were the elevators hand-operated rope winches. They gave goosebumps every ti I was forced to use one of the cursed things. The wonky craftsmanship just didnt allow to place any trust in them.

When I had asked about the reason why there was no proper gate, Mark only pointed out that it would be an unnecessary weak point in the construction and left it at that. After all, he hadnt been involved in the camps creation.

After almost an entire week of learning about the flora and fauna of this world, I almost felt safe traversing the forest and the grasslands in front of the Old Camp. But according to Mark, those were safe zones. And despite calling them safe, even an experienced hunter like him avoided camping outside.

Apparently, I had used all my luck for the year when I slept outside two days in a row without being caught by so nightcrawler.

Mark had yet to show the swamp region to the east which was considerably more dangerous. And according to him, unless we found a large group of very competent people, such a trip was unlikely to happen. The Old Camp had only two or three groups who dared to make regular expeditions into the swamp regions. They were all veterans who had survived this world for years, so it was unlikely for us to join one of their groups.

Todays trip would take us to the hilly terrain in the north, where Mark had promised I would find a little surprise.

It was strange to change our schedule after the last three days had been an economical success for us, but he was the teacher and I the student. I had suspected we would go on with our routine for a little while longer, but apparently, Mark thought competent enough to try sothing new.

Over the last three days, we had worked out a way to manage my evolutions with just a days worth of hunting.

There was no way in hell for to get the at for either of my two new evolutions on my own. Thankfully, it wasnt necessary.

Despite not relying on money, the Old Camp had developed quite an active economy. Trade between various types of at had caused specialized hunting parties to form. Like in the old world, people tended to stick to a profession once they got good at it.

My throwing ability with the spear made quite an effective hunter of any mid-sized critters we ca across. Since our hunting styles were relatively similar for the mont, Mark had decided our ti was best spent hunting aulums, animals which were prized for their sensory mutations.

They were six-legged herd animals of the size of a small pony. They looked like aurochs with two long, tentacle-like feelers which they used to shovel vegetation of all kinds into their maws.

While the head was close to the ground, the creatures actually had their large eyes and ears on their shoulders, which were the highest point on their bodies. The animals themselves were harmless enough, but they had exceptionally good hearing and eyesight which they used to allow no predators to get too close to them. Their creepy physique enabled them to keep watch and eat relatively unimpeded at the sa ti.

Additionally, their skittish nature ant they would have a sizeable head-start on any hunter trying to catch them.

But neither Mark nor I had to get close.

Mark had his compound bow which he used like a master to deliver poisoned arrows at distances of up to a hundred tres. His mutation allowed him to control the potency of the poison in his spit, which would quickly degenerate and turn non-toxic once it was released into the bloodstream. This ability allowed Mark to make a decent living on his own. Anything he hit with his arrows would go down and leave behind perfectly edible at. All he had to do was to follow the animal until the poison did its job.

Despite my spears being capable of instant kills, I didnt manage to keep up with his success rate in the beginning.

First, I had to get used to throwing my spears accurately at these distances. Like with all skills, mastering the art required practice.

Fortunately, the aulums' herd nature ant I had more than enough opportunities to hone my skills. And if I didnt hit the creature I had aid for, the herd was often so tightly packed that I had to hit sothing simply by accident.

Between following aulum herds and taking shots of opportunity at other animals, we gathered edible plants we ca across.

And thanks to Marks expertise we avoided multiple dangerous situations which I would have blindly stumbled into if I had been alone.

This ant that, by the end of an average day with one aulum kill, I would have made enough in trading goods to pay the Old Camps only reliable restaurant for a full al of starfish soup with slabs of nightstalker-, saherna-, and hornhop at. If a place which served raw pieces of at could be even called a restaurant. As I saw it, it was more like a currency trade where you could change one form of at into another.

Having just small portions ant I wasnt growing in leaps and bounds, but according to Mark, overeating on a certain sort of at wouldnt be good anyway. Raising my mutations slowly and evenly while getting used to them was the best way to go. There was no point in overwhelming powers if I couldnt control them.

So, why are we going into the hills today? I whispered once my inner lantations were no longer enough to keep entertained. Mark had hamred it into to never be louder than necessary while we were in the wilderness.

My companion and teacher looked around.

We are looking whether we can do sothing about your primary evolution, Mark answered finally after he had kept his lips sealed for the majority of our trek.

That made listen up because trading for zipper at would have been too easy. The restaurant didnt have any, nor were there people who had made a profession out of hunting zippers.

He continued, I didnt want to talk about it at the Old Camp because there are always listening ears there. And you will keep your mouth shut about it. I dont want anyone else to cash in on my knowledge.

What knowledge? I frowned. What could be so important about zippers? The damn things co in flocks as soon as we kill sothing. Leave a corpse bleeding in the open for a few minutes and you get sward.

I had tried catching one every ti Mark and I had made a kill, but the damned things were just too fast. And sohow the fuckers didnt give a shit about his poison even when he went full out on its potency. It seed like the Carrion Eater trait ant eating poison was no trouble for them.

Mark stopped walking and looked at with a serious expression.

I almost bumped into him but managed to stop in ti. It took a mont, but I finally got what he wanted, so I mid zipping my lips. If you dont want it to be known, then my mouth is sealed.

He nodded and moved on. Its a little secret my teacher taught . And I suppose Gurney knows about it too since he paid quite handsoly to teach you the ropes.

Out with it, I urged him on.

Up there in the hills behind the cliff is a zipper breeding colony, Mark explained. They fly up into the rocky cliff-sides to lay their eggs.

No joke? I asked. Why doesnt everyone have a zipper mutation then? I guess grabbing so hatchling out of a nest should be fairly easy.

I guessed I should have been more empathetic towards my little friends, but the damned things had shocked so often by now, sotis out of re malice, I seriously couldnt care about stealing so of their brood.

I just had to think of it more pragmatically, like gathering chicken eggs.

God, save no, Mark replied. I will not try to steal so of their eggs. Not even the larger predators dare to do so! The little monsters will swarm and shock anything to death that gets too close to the colony. As passive as they are otherwise, they turn into murderhobos when sothing touches their eggs. But you, I have seen you wrestle with the things over corpses. A shock that makes jump two tres into the air just has you twitch a little.

I had noticed that too. My resistance to electricity was a direct consequence of my mutation. Just like I could use my muscles to create an electric charge, absorbing a charge was also possible.

Its still damn uncomfortable to be electrocuted! I complained. The possibility of upgrading my main evolution was nonetheless exciting.

Then I asked, So how does this knowledge help you then?

He waved a hand. For one, I can try to grab a little at from any predator which tries to rob their nests and succumbs to them. The corpses usually land at the bottom of the cliff and if I am fast and careful, I can go and get so. But whats more important to are the eggshells left behind at the end of the year.

Eggshells? I felt stupid to parrot him, but I had to.

Mark nodded. The zippers throw them out of the nest once the brood is hatched. All the shells collect at the bottom of the cliff, where I just have to shovel them up and carry them back to the Old Camp for trade. They contain large amounts of calcium and so people apparently need it. I dont know the details, but I can tell you the smiths and those proficient in chemistry will pay a pretty penny for getting a clean load.

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I thought about it, trying to rember so of my physics lessons and what I had read up on before coming here. I guess calcium can be used in steelmaking as a flux to remove the slag, although the shells would have to be processed beforehand. And so chemical reactions need it as a reagent.

Mark shrugged. Whats important to is that just by running back and forth between the cliff and the Old Camp, I make enough to almost max out my evolutions and to buy myself into one of the more comfortable shelters to survive the winter.

Winter, survive? I blinked.

Oh, shit! That was one thing I hadnt given a single thought to.

Yeah, Mark replied nonchalantly. Two or three more months and winter will hit hard. The axis of this planet isnt tilted too much, so it has almost no effect on the seasons, but we are in a very strong elliptical orbit around the sun. The direct effects are very hot, short sumrs and very cold, short winters with slightly longer tempered periods in between. Everything freezes over and you will have a hard ti finding food. If I were you, I would do my best to look good in the arena and gain shelter with a clan. Thats what I am going for now. I have no desire to repeat my last year in the Old Camp, but I want to keep my options open in case nobody takes . You always need a plan B in this world.

Well, that sucked.

Maybe I would have to reconsider being picky about which clan to join and just go with whatever opportunity arose. As usual, when planning for the future, there was always a more imdiate problem to take care of.

We eventually arrived at the zipper colony, which was indeed a large cliff-side. At first, I thought it to be listone, but belatedly realized it had been turned white by zipper shit.

I looked accusingly at Mark, who had sat down and was watching with an expectant expression. You want to climb up there? Up that giant hill of guano!?

He nodded. I would leave your rucksack here if I were you. Not so much to carry and not all of your equipnt will be lost if you fall and break your neck.

I glared at him.

Mark shrugged. Hey, it was just an idea. You dont have to do it. Whatever you decide, I wont go any closer than this while the sun is up.

Its okay. I looked back at the cliff and the little, feathery bodies which were scrimmaging around on it. Its a good idea. Better than anything Ive tried till now. I sighed and loosened the straps of my rucksack. What a world. And why are those up there a different colour? The ones which always fight for our kills are greener while these here are mostly blue. Is it the light?

Mark shook his head and smirked. The females stay with the eggs. The ones who steal our kills are the guys.

We should have brought climbing gear, I comnted while I watched the cliff and dropped my stuff next to Mark.

Tried that. Marks face took on a mournful expression. Thats how my teacher died, the guy who showed this spot. He got greedy. Wanted to get a zipper mutation. He built himself sothing like a Faraday cage and tried to pull it up the cliff, just like they do with the elevators at the walls.

What happened? I asked.

Damned beasties nipped through the cordage when they couldnt get to him and that was the end of it. Mark shrugged. So you would have to freestyle it in any case, unless we manage to find several hundred tres of steel cable lying around.

I guess there is nothing like that in the Old Camp? I cracked my knuckles, trying to muster the nerves to go through with this idea.

Do I look like soone with an extrely rare evolution? Mark shot back.

No need to get cynical, I mumbled. So no steel cable. But maybe I could have the smith make so climbing hooks.

I sighed and trudged forward. The only thing I took with was my short sword and a little sack I attached to my belt. I knew I was just trying to find reasons for not climbing a guano cliff. It was already confird that my strength allowed to climb trees like a pro and Mark knew it.

The only thing I had to be concerned about was not slipping when the little beasties started zapping .

I reached the bottom of the cliff unmolested, where I found a grueso reminder of Marks little tale. A warped steel cage lay at the bottom of the cliff. It was about the size of a coffin and contained a human skeleton which had been bleached white by the sun.

Looking up, I realized so of the lady zippers were already trying to nace away by flying little dive-bomb attacks. The colonys squawking was so loud that I hadnt noticed it.

And then sothing detached from one of the zippers.

Ti slowed for and I stepped aside, barely avoiding a golf ball worth of zipper shit. Bless Mark for training , even if the blunted arrows had been a little over the top.

Narrowing my eyes, I looked up and followed the little monster who had disrespected as it landed on a ledge so thirty tres above where it had its nest together with several others. You are first!

I studied the cliff for an easy route and decided to follow a crevice. About twenty tres up, I would have to climb sideways and follow a secondary fissure up to where my victim had her nest.

Once the plan was in place, I executed it.

Climbing the first five tres was easy, but then sothing hit my back and I felt my muscles tense up. It was quickly followed by a second attack and a third, making it clear why an egg-thief would have a hard ti with these cliffs. Humans without my mutation would already be lying at the bottom of the cliff.

I grit my teeth and kept going, focusing all my attention on having a secure hold.

The zippers couldnt hurt , but a bad fall would.

Normally, I would have been up the cliff in just a few minutes, but going slow ant it took over twenty minutes until I finally reached the ledge with the nests. The zippers kept up their constant attacks, but they got weaker after the first few minutes as the little animals tired themselves out.

I was pissed that there was no way to avoid being shat upon while clinging to the rocks. All I could do was take it.

On the ledge, I found several abandoned nests next to each other. I noted that each had exactly three eggs, and I quickly gathered one egg from each nest as I moved along the ledge. anwhile, the zippers squawked their outrage. They had given up on stopping .

Once I was done, I had twelve chicken-sized eggs. Almost two weeks until I had to do this again. But the next ti, I would take a raincoat with .

On the way down, I was more confident as I retraced my steps, especially since the attacks had also ceased. My strong fingers easily hooked into the smallest cracks, providing with plenty of holds. It showed having the right body for it went a long way when it ca to climbing.

Ten minutes later, I was walking back to where Mark was waiting for with a stupid grin on his face, though he wasnt alone anymore.

A woman was sitting on a large rock above him.

I had seen her several tis flying around over the rooftops of the Old Camp. The floaty tentacles which originated from her spine made her look otherworldly. Though, tentacles may not be the right word. They reminded of silken ribbons which drifted in the wind as they quested the womans surroundings. Her hair was cut at shoulder length and black on the outside but had a red, scintillating play of colours on the inside where I could see past her neck.

Her face and neck were partly covered in symtrical, twirling lines which glowed in the cliffs shade. They reminded of tribal tattoos. It wasnt too overbearing, but it looked like soone had been more generous than necessary with a body-painting job while using neon colours. Otherwise, she looked like a normal human, an extrely beautiful human woman, I corrected myself. She didnt have the largest of chests, but together with her hips, it looked like soone had drawn an idealized hourglass figure.

Tulkas, you survived, she stated in a sultry tone before Mark could say sothing.

That woke up and I realized I had been staring. Yeah, thank you? I looked down at myself, covered in shit. Though, I will definitely bring a raincoat the next ti I try gathering eggs. And who are you, if I might ask?

I looked toward Mark, but he didnt look bothered by the fact that his secret spot had been discovered.

She smiled. Yes, having protection would be best. I am Astra from Clan Aerie. I was interested in how you are doing with your evolutions.

Yeah, I looked once more towards Mark, desiring to know what was going on, but his stupid face was of no help. How did she know about my evolutions?

But then it clicked for .

Gurney must have given her my information.

Was she here to check out as a potential partner?

I looked down at my shit-covered self.

What better mont was there to form a lasting impression?

Fine, obviously. It seems like we have solved the greatest problem. I raised my sack with the zipper eggs.

Astra nodded with a pleased expression. Now you just have to master your mutations.

I think that might take a while, I admitted. So far, I can only do simple movents.

She frowned and played with her hair. No, that one you can improve too. I am sure.

I blinked, wondering what she ant. I am sorry?

Astra mid throwing a spear. I watched you at the training yard. When you move an arm there is always the whoosh of displaced air. I can hear it. Zippers dont do that. They can sohow guide the air around them when they move.

I thought about all the tis I had watched them blitz around at speeds which felt supernatural to . Having it pointed out, I finally realized why they felt so off compared to other animals.

Thanks for the hint, I said, not knowing what else I could do. Doing small-talk while I was covered in shit felt awkward.

Astra smiled with a satisfied expression. I think you have your ti cut out for today, but I would like to talk again at so point. Have a nice day. She lifted off, pulled upwards by her silken ribbons, and flew back towards the Old Camp.

Dude! Mark raised both hands and fired imaginary pistols at . The ice queen knows your na.

Ice queen? I asked. Arent you bothered that she knows your spot?

Mark waved the matter off. As if a clanner would go and steal my eggshells. It would be like stealing dirt. But back to the important topic! From what I know, Astra Frost has been visiting the Old Camp for years to watch the arena battles. She is quite obviously looking for a partner and she knows your na!

It would have been nice if Gurney had told who got my information. Just so that I am not surprised when people show up, I grumbled. But right now I am far more interested in a bath!

Mark wrinkled his nose. Yeah, you definitely need one.

We made our return trip to the Old Camp and I used the chance to clean up in a small stream. It wasnt the bath I had hoped for, but better than nothing.

Back ho, we didnt head directly towards the bunker. Instead, Mark reminded that the blacksmith probably had my new weapon ready.

And indeed, the gruff man nodded and went into his shop to fetch my new spear.

The only problem was, that what he brought out was definitely no spear.

What the heck is that!? I laughed as the blacksmith presented the weapon. I thought I was supposed to get a spear, not a polearm. It looks like soone forged a longsword onto a staff. Or got the grip and crossguard too long.

The weapon was about forty percent blade and sixty percent staff. Although, the blade was a sturdier forged version compared to what I knew from Earth. The spine was much thicker, just like my short sword. What I had called the crossguard were two wicked-looking, forward-curved blades which were neither pointing completely forward nor to the sides. They were as wide as my chest. At the end of the grip, the poml had a little spike which was probably a good poking tool.

The blacksmith looked miffed at my outburst. I will forgive you this once since you obviously have no clue of dieval weaponry. Mark asked for a spear which works with your ability. The closest way to describe this weapon is to call it a spetum, or a ranseur. And it looks the way it looks because I want to do repair jobs for my custors instead of having them die during the first encounter with sothing bigger than them. A normal spear might do the job on earth, but it will get you killed in this world.

He turned the weapon so I could see it better. The symtry gives you the option of throwing it, though I would avoid doing so if its ant as your main weapon.

The blacksmith gripped it properly and swung the weapon. If sothing gets close, you can wield it like a quarterstaff and use the main blade to slash. The side blades are curved so that if sothing gets past the tip, they can be used as secondary attack tools. While blocking, the curve still allows you to bring one blade to bear against an enemy while not pointing the other one at yourself. The blunt back further helps to prevent injuring yourself, should it be pressed back into you. Additionally, you can use the side blades to hook a leg.

Then he gripped the weapon at the poml, which I now realized was sized perfectly to fit the palm of a hand and angled so that the weapon would automatically rest in the intended position, with the blades horizontal to the ground. Finger-rests along the staff further helped with angling the main blade correctly, should I decide to use it as a slashing weapon.

This grip extended the blacksmiths reach when he thrust the weapon forward. Having a long, pointy blade gives better penetration against the larger monsters. You want to get deep into them to hit sothing vital, but not too deep. The crossguard, as you called the sideblades, will prevent the crazier monsters from completely running themselves through when they try to bite off your head. They will be kept at a distance as long as you manage to keep your hold on the weapon. To withstand such impacts, the side blades have only one forward-pointing edge. It allows to make their spines sturdier.

Try to find soone to teach you how to use it. I would hate losing one of my babies to the wilds, rusting away next to a corpse. He twirled the weapon and threw it sideways at my chest, forcing to catch it.

S- Sorry, I replied. I was just surprised. It looks really cool.

The blacksmith nodded. I have tested it, but you should try leaning onto the blade with all your gear on. It should flex, but not get any permanent bends.

I did as I was told and just as the man had promised, the blade flexed a little beneath my weight but didnt suffer any damage. I tried the sa with the staff part and found it could hold my weight without effort. Though, the thing was a weight monster. I had to get used to it.

If either of us broke, then it would be , not the weapon. I guess I will have to find soone who can teach the spetum.