The hesitant voices of the F-grade team faded behind Daniel as he moved deeper into the alien jungle, putting distance between himself and the grim scene surrounding the fallen Crimson Fang Hound. He didn't need [Aura Sense] to feel their residual fear or hear their hushed, horrified discussion about the predator lying dead amongst two of their own.
He could almost picture their conclusion: the injured Hound, already weakened, must have been finished off by a powerful, passing Awakened, likely soone with a B-grade Talent, who hadn't bothered to stick around or even loot the relatively worthless F-grade gear. The idea that a fellow Level 0 aspirant, one they had just offered tentative alliance to, could have dispatched the beast solo wouldn't likely cross their minds. It was a convenient narrative that preserved their sense of scale in this terrifying new world, and it suited Daniel perfectly. Let them believe in powerful, unseen protectors; it kept the focus off him.
For the next hour, Daniel moved with purpose, utilizing his newly acquired [Aura Sense]. The skill was a subtle marvel. It wasn't like vision or hearing; it was a constant, low-level feeling, a tingling awareness of life forces within a roughly 30-ter radius. It painted a vague impression of presence and direction, not details, but it was enough.
He navigated the vibrant, often treacherous landscape, the azure grass occasionally giving way to crystalline trees that humd with resonant energy. He used [Aura Sense] to avoid several small clusters of Verge creatures, insectoid buzzers the size of his fist that emitted sharp sonic pulses, and slow-moving, six-legged herbivores covered in thick, mossy plates. They were Level 0 or 1, offering minimal EXP and attribute gains according to his interface scan, not worth engaging when his Assimilation Charges were still depleted.
He also detected several other pairs or small teams of Awakened moving cautiously through the area. Like the F-grade team, they seed focused on survival, moving slowly, jumping at every strange sound, clearly prioritizing safety over aggressive hunting after the initial shock of Jaxon's death and the subsequent disappearance of the Initiate's Wards. No new death notifications pinged on his interface. The initial wave of panic seed to have instilled a widespread caution.
Daniel decided to rest and review his progress. He needed his Assimilation Charges back. Pulling up his status screen on the Nexus Interface, he confird the regeneration rate: 1 charge recovered per hour. Having used all five – one on his vest, one on the vine (a wasteful experint), one on Jaxon, one on the Hound, and one on his knife , he was currently at 0/5 charges. He needed to wait at least an hour to use the Talent again.
Status:
Na: Daniel Vance
Level: 0 (15/50 EXP)
Talent: Nexus Assimilation (SSS-Grade)
Attributes:
Strength: 13.1 (Base 11 Jaxon 0.1 Hound 2)
Vitality: 14 (Base 12 Hound 2)
Agility: 13.1 (Base 10 Holt 0.1 Hound 3)
Spirit: 11.1 (Base 11 Chen 0.1)
Adaptability: 10
Potential Flux: 45
Equipnt:
Initiate's Deflector Vest (E-Grade): Defense 50
Initiate's Vibro-Knife (E-Grade): Attack 50
Skills:
Kinetic Pulse (D-Grade): Mana Cost 20
Adrenal Surge (F-Grade): Mana Cost 15
Aura Sense (E-Grade): Passive Mana Drain (Low)
Assimilation Charges: 0/5 (Regenerating: 1 per 60 minutes)
His attributes were already noticeably higher than baseline, thanks primarily to the Hound assimilation. His E-grade gear provided a solid foundation for defense and offense at this early stage. The skills, while low-grade, offered crucial utility, defense, ergency speed, and perception. He was undeniably much stronger than when he arrived.
However, the slow regeneration of Assimilation Charges was a bottleneck. Waiting around for hours just to enhance one more item or absorb one more corpse felt incredibly inefficient. Relying solely on scavenging the leftovers from others' fights was also proving slow, as everyone seed to be playing it extrely safe now. More importantly, his brief fight with the Hound had highlighted his lack of real combat experience. He needed more encounters, more pressure, to truly hone his instincts and learn to use his abilities fluidly. Relying on others to initiate fights wouldn't build the battle awareness he desperately needed.
The strategy needed to shift. Waiting was no longer viable. He needed to beco the hunter, not just the scavenger. With his current gear, attributes, and skills, he felt reasonably confident he could handle typical Level 1 creatures, especially if he chose his engagents carefully. [Aura Sense] gave him the ability to scout, [Adrenal Surge] provided an escape route if things went wrong, and his E-grade knife and vest gave him the ans to fight.
Just as he solidified this new resolve, a series of rapid pings broke the relative quiet on his Nexus Interface.
[Recruit Min Takao has Fallen. Location: 300 ters Southwest.]
[Recruit Maya Singh has Fallen. Location: 300 ters Southwest.]
[Recruit Kenji Tanaka has Fallen. Location: 300 ters Southwest.]
Three notifications, sa location, rapid succession. That wasn't a cautious skirmish; that sounded like a slaughter. Almost simultaneously, faint sounds drifted through the strange air from that direction, muffled roars, the crackle of energy discharges abruptly cut short, and panicked shouts turning into choked screams. Then, an unnerving silence fell.
This was different. This was an opportunity too significant to ignore, regardless of his depleted charges. Three fallen Awakened ant potential skills and attributes. It also ant whatever killed them was likely still nearby, possibly injured, possibly guarding its kills. High risk, undeniably. But the potential reward...
Daniel descended from the tree swiftly, his movents now driven by a predatory focus rather than cautious observation. He headed southwest, moving quickly but using the terrain and his developing stealth skills, honed by observation and necessity, to stay hidden. As he drew closer, the coppery scent of blood beca thick in the air, mingling with a musky scent.
He slowed his approach, using [Aura Sense]. He detected no imdiate human signatures, confirming the death notifications. But he did sense multiple large, cold-blooded life forces clustered together just ahead. Five distinct signatures, radiating a sluggish, dangerous energy.
Peeking through clusters of hanging violet leaves, Daniel got his first look. The clearing ahead was a scene of carnage. Mangled equipnt and bloodstains marked the site of a brief, desperate battle. And dominating the space were five enormous snakes.
They weren't like any Terran python; these were easily ten ters long, thick as tree trunks, covered in scales that shifted color from erald green to a dull, muddy brown. Their heads were disproportionately large, triangular, with unblinking yellow eyes and heat-sensing pits near their nostrils. Their bodies were unnaturally distended in places, suggesting they had recently fed. Daniel scanned them.
[Veridian Constrictor - Level 1]
Attributes: Strength 32, Vitality 35, Agility 26 (Currently Impaired - Digestion)
Skills: [Constrict], [Venomous Bite (Mild Neurotoxin)]
Threat Assessnt: Powerful Grappler, Moderate Venom. Currently Sluggish due to Recent Feeding. Appear to be Guarding Territory/Kills.
Five Level 1 Veridian Constrictors. Individually, their stats were imposing, particularly Strength and Vitality. Their Agility was lower than the Hound's, and currently impaired further by digestion. Five of them together, however, presented a formidable threat. Daniel could see bulges in the midsections of two of the snakes, likely containing the unfortunate remains of Maya Singh and Kenji Tanaka. The third corpse, Min Takao, lay partially crushed near the edge of the clearing.
These snakes were dangerous, powerful. But they were also slow, recovering from their al. And they seed reluctant to leave the imdiate area, acting territorial. This was a viper's nest, both literally and figuratively.
Daniel felt a cold knot of fear tighten in his stomach, but it was quickly overshadowed by the calculating assessnt of risk versus reward. Five Level 1 creatures ant significant EXP. Five corpses potentially ant five bursts of attribute gains once his charges regenerated. The fallen Awakened inside held the promise of more skills. And creatures guarding territory often guarded sothing else too... perhaps resources, perhaps a hidden cache.
The potential gains were enormous, enough to potentially propel him straight to Level 2 and grant him a significant power boost. But the risk was equally imnse. If he got caught by even one [Constrict], his relatively high Strength wouldn't be enough to break free from a creature with 32 base Strength. It would be over quickly.
He checked his interface. Still 0/5 charges. He couldn't enhance anything or assimilate imdiately after a kill. But the EXP was imdiate. Leveling up might refresh his charges... it was a gamble based on system intuition, but a gamble he felt compelled to take. He needed power, and this bloody clearing offered it in abundance. He gripped his knife, took a deep breath, and prepared to step into the serpent's den. The ti for scavenging was over. The hunt had begun!
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