Adlet and Niccolo had spent nearly every waking moment together over the past several days.
As promised, Adlet had shared the details of his first encounter with his beetle, carefully altering certain aspects to keep his oath to his master. He felt a prick of guilt at the lies, but he couldn't help it. His role as a test subject was inevitable.
Niccolo was meticulous, recording every result, every shift in his body's response to the tests. Adlet became an unwitting catalog entry in one of Niccolo's many thick registers, all filled with the data of his experiments.
But the researcher was good—too good. He could answer any question Adlet threw at him, explaining the behavior and traits of every species in the Dryad Forest, from the smallest creatures to the most dangerous Apexes. The depth of Niccolo's knowledge was staggering, and Adlet found himself fascinated despite the exhaustion creeping up on him.
Florian, ever eager to preserve his intellectual superiority, tried to keep to himself. He feigned reading at a nearby table, listening to Niccolo's lessons with his nose buried in a book. Yet Adlet could see through it. Florian's pride was almost as stubborn as ever.
By the end of the ten days, both boys had memorized all the key information they needed about the creatures of the region—ranks, physical descriptions, hunting methods, and more. It was enough to get by in the field, Niccolo had assured them.
But as always, the researcher was eager to dive deeper, his enthusiasm a force that was hard to ignore.
"...And now, you should understand that as an individual's Aura rank increases, the difficulty of their next evolution rises exponentially. The energy needed grows, and with that, the challenges multiply. The same applies to Protectors—every rank advancement comes with greater difficulty." Niccolo paused, a gleam in his eye. "Now, imagine, Adlet—what happens when a new high-rank species emerges? What is the process like when there is only one individual at first?"
Adlet leaned forward. "Well, logically, that species would need to evolve more members to survive and expand, right?"
"Exactly. But here's the twist—before a new species appears, it already exists within its predecessors in the evolutionary chain. This is why each region only has a limited number of Apexes from the same species." Niccolo's voice dropped slightly, pulling Adlet in. "But what if an Apex never finds a mate after evolving? What happens then?"
Adlet's mind flickered to his first day at the Academy, when others had spoken of his beetle as an 'ephemeral' species—one destined to die off without a mate.
"The species would die with that single individual, unless others evolve into the same species," Adlet said slowly, recalling the words of his fellow candidates.
"Partially correct. If the individual dies quickly, yes, that's what happens," Niccolo agreed. "But Apexes are far more adaptable than most creatures. At certain evolutionary levels, they can reproduce independently. Imagine that—an Apex bringing life into the world without the need for a partner."
"That's incredible," Adlet murmured, his mind whirling. "It's as though they bend the rules of nature itself."
Niccolo nodded, a glint of excitement in his eyes. "Exactly. But for humanity, there's another critical evolution in Apexes. One that directly affects our survival."
Adlet furrowed his brow. "What is it?"
"Reproduction rate," Niccolo replied simply. "Species at higher ranks don't reproduce as quickly as their lower-rank ancestors. It's necessary, otherwise they'd flood the world with too many, and we'd be overwhelmed."
Adlet nodded, understanding the implications. "Like the rank 4 'lumber ants.' If they reproduced at the same rate as their ancestors, we'd have no chance."
"Exactly," Niccolo agreed. "Their slower reproductive cycle keeps their numbers manageable, despite their terrifying power."
Adlet felt the weight of it all. The stakes were far higher than he'd imagined. "We're lucky, then, that they only produce a few offspring at a time."
"Lucky indeed. Now, that's enough for today. You two must be starving." Niccolo gestured to Florian, whose stomach grumbled audibly, a sound that made Adlet smile.
The two-week preparation period assigned by Baryon had drawn to a close. Adlet and Florian had absorbed all the necessary information, but they were left with little to do now. They had time to kill, so they decided to visit Niccolo one final time to express their gratitude.
"Thank you for everything, Niccolo," the boys said in unison.
Niccolo waved them off with a modest smile. "It was no trouble. I merely kept my end of the bargain."
Adlet couldn't help but think that the bargain hadn't been entirely fair. He had given Niccolo partial truths in exchange for invaluable knowledge—about the region, about Apexes, and about himself. But he said nothing.
"I'll share more observations with you next time I visit the guild," Adlet promised.
"I look forward to it. But my time here is nearly up. Soon, I'm headed back to Atlantis," Niccolo said, rising from his seat.
"Atlantis?" Adlet asked, intrigued.
Florian spoke up before Niccolo could, "It's the largest city in the Neraid region. North of the main island."
Niccolo nodded. "Give my name at the Protector guild there. Perhaps I'll introduce you to my son, as well."
Adlet smiled, feeling a sense of camaraderie. "We won't forget. Take care, Niccolo."
The two boys shook his hand before heading toward the guild entrance. They were about to meet Baryon again, their guide through whatever mission lay ahead.
It didn't take long before Baryon appeared, flanked by Daven, who looked as insufferably smug as ever.
"I feared you would be late, but at least you're on time," Baryon muttered, giving a brief nod of approval.
"On time, sure. Efficient, we'll see," Daven added, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Ignoring him, Florian asked, "What's next on the schedule?"
"We head out immediately," Baryon answered. "We've already delayed long enough. Follow me."
As the group began their journey into the unknown, Adlet felt a tension in the air, a sense that they were walking toward something far more dangerous than they'd anticipated. This mission would test him—and everything he had learned—like never before.