Chapter 69: Pills and Pokes

The colonel took out a briefcase from a safe in the room and set out another whole array of pills, except for the one Karl had already taken. "Dragonite is a restricted substance and difficult to get. We don't have a second dose, and it's not something that the academy usually has access to." She explained, then gestured for Karl to continue. Karl took the next two pills, and a warm feeling washed over him while his thoughts seemed to become a bit clearer. It wasn't a big change, and everyone seemed disappointed, but Valerie gestured for Karl to move on to the next. [That one smells good.] Hawk noted as Karl picked up the pills. Let's hope it works. I have no idea what it is supposed to do. The pills dissolved the same as the Dragonite pill had, and suddenly, the proper method for activating his skills became clear in Karl's mind. How to make them more efficient, more powerful, and faster to activate. Everything about the two skills became clear, and then the whisper of a third skill entered his mind as Hawk gained new insights into [Wind Shield]. Karl couldn't use it yet, but as Hawk's understanding improved, the feedback coming from Hawk's advancement was giving him glimpses of the method. "That one is incredible. I understand my skills so much more clearly now, and even Hawk is having a breakthrough in understanding, despite his knowledge level already being incredibly high, as Rend is an innate skill to his species." Karl explained. "Wonderful. That pill can be hit-and-miss. Some people don't understand much, while others make great strides. We will keep a note in your file so more will be available once you have learned more skills." The colonel replied. The next pill vanished with a swirl of energy into the air around him, as if his body was forcefully rejecting the pill. "Well, that was different. Something about that one is incompatible with him, despite the effect being nearly the same as the second one you took." The mage commented as her fingers flashed over the keys, making a note of the strange energy phenomenon. "You don't think that it's a matter of saturation, do you? Like when you eat too much and can't eat more?" Karl asked. The other three shook their heads. "No, we typically give this entire course at once, either the strength or mental improvement, and that has never happened before." The Colonel replied. The next few mental improvement pills were absorbed without fanfare or any immediately noticeable effects. That was disappointing, but the last pill in the line looked more like a gemstone, and Hawk was getting excited just looking at it. "This is a crystallized Mana Drop from a higher-ranking beast. Normally, it is for increasing mana pools in the mages, but it should also be useful for your Hawk, so we brought it with us." She added. Karl took the object in his hand, and Hawk immediately stole it, pulling it into the Beast Space, where he tucked it in his nest. [You know, I'm supposed to eat that,] Karl reminded him. It will be better here. I can slowly absorb all of it this way, instead of you getting a stone in your stomach. "Hawk says that it's better to slowly absorb it in the Beast Space to help his growth. I can feel the energy flowing into him, but it could take some time before the effects are obvious enough for me to tell what it is doing." Karl explained. "Well, that's fine. We have a bit of time while we move on to the potions. I hope you're not afraid of needles because about half of these are injected, while the half without needles are taken orally, but the plunger-type baster reduces waste on the walls of the container." Valerie explained. "Well, I'm not the biggest fan, but if it's all for the sake of rapid growth, I'm not going to argue," Karl replied. The mage smirked. "Make a note: The Subject's mental state has improved his understanding. He now understands in advance that expletive-laced inside thoughts are the key to interacting with the Colonel." Colonel Valerie glared at her, but Karl realized that the two were actually good friends in some strange way. The man loaded the needles into a mechanical injector and gestured towards Karl's chest. "You need to take your shirt off. We will inject them into the upper arm. The other optimal spot is the buttocks, but it's a bit forward to ask you to drop your pants without warning." He joked. Karl removed his jacket and the simple white uniform shirt and set them over the chair beside him. "Alright, this will hurt. I'm not going to lie or sugarcoat it. Just mentally prepare yourself, and we will wait for the injection to settle before we move on to the next." Karl nodded and turned his head away before a pain shot up his arm and across his chest, feeling like his body had been set on fire. "Here, drink this; you will need it." The mage's voice was a distant whisper, but she poured the drink into Karl's mouth as he clenched his eyes closed to keep the painful light out of his eyes as his body burned. The drink seemed to contain some sort of energy, and the burning of his body faded as it absorbed the power. Then, the power began to flow back into his mind, and Hawk suddenly shot up in size, going from Hawk-sized to larger than a turkey or a condor in a matter of seconds. Hawk was a gangly and malnourished giant, but he was slowly filling out as the bird frantically tried to fill its ravenous belly. "Hold up, something in that one made Hawk grow uncontrollably. He's huge and starving, but there is food for him in the space. Give it a few minutes before we do anything else." Karl explained, still holding his eyes closed, though he was unable to meditate with the pain. "Alright, notify us when Hawk has stabilized, and we will give you the second dose." Colonel Valerie agreed. Hawk panicked a little at that news, but Karl had already known that the Colonel wouldn't give up on a treatment that was producing results so easily.