The aftermath of the brief, brutal fight settled over the valley.
Daniel stood over the corpse of Ragnar, the higher-level Awakened who had so arrogantly believed them to be easy prey.
Daniel took a deep, calming breath, the adrenaline from the encounter fading, leaving behind a cold, clear focus.
Lia, her A-Grade Staff of the World Ash glowing with a steady erald light, finished nding the last of the damage to Ayra’s back.
The potent toxin from Ragnar’s [Backstab] had been nasty, but Lia’s A-Grade healing and Ayra’s own S-Grade resilience had neutralized it.
Ayra sat slumped against a rock, her face pale, her usual fiery defiance replaced by a quiet, thoughtful brooding.
She watched Daniel, her expression a complex mix of gratitude, frustration, and a dawning, profound respect.
"Are you alright, Ayra?" Daniel asked, walking over to them.
She looked up, managing a weak glare. "My pride is more bruised than my back, Vance.
That scumbag... he was fast. I never even saw the attack coming."
"He was experienced," Lia corrected softly.
"He knew how to exploit a berserker’s charge. But Daniel... your speed was on another level entirely. You moved like a phantom."
"He got what he deserved," Daniel said simply. He then turned back to Ragnar’s body. "Now, let’s see if his retirent plan included any parting gifts."
He knelt, his hand hovering over the corpse.
This was a higher-level Awakened, likely with more refined skills and a more potent essence than the common thugs they’d encountered.
His SSS-Rank [Soul Assimilation] talent humd with anticipation.
Yes.
A stream of energy, denser and more complex than he was used to, flowed into him.
It was tainted with arrogance and cruelty, but also sharp with years of battle experience and cunning survival instincts.
[Soul Assimilation successful on Fallen Awakened: Ragnar (Level 22)!]
[Gain: Strength 0.8, Vitality 0.6, Agility 1.5, Spirit 0.9!]
[Skill Acquired: BACKSTAB (C-Grade)!]
[Assimilation Charge Consud (21/35 Remaining).]
The attribute gains were surprisingly decent for a single human corpse, a testant to Ragnar’s higher level. The new skill, [Backstab], was even better.
[Skill: Backstab (C-Grade): Active Skill. When striking an opponent from behind with a piercing weapon, deal an additional 200% damage and inflict a ’Bleeding’ status effect. High chance of a critical hit if the target is unaware.]
"A perfect assassin’s tool," Daniel mused.
Combined with his A-Grade [Voidwalk] and the insane critical damage bonus from his S-Grade Blade of the Night, this C-grade skill could beco an instant kill against many foes.
He was becoming a terrifyingly complete warrior.
But the real treasure was yet to co. Daniel began to search Ragnar’s body.
The man’s leather armor was well-made but damaged.
In a hidden pouch on Ragnar’s belt, Daniel found it.
A massive, bulging sack that clinked with the distinctive, faint chi of Yin and Yang cards.
He emptied the contents onto the ground.
A huge pile of the jade and gold cards spilled out, shimring in the twilight. Ayra and Lia gasped. Daniel quickly counted.
"One hundred and twelve Yang Cards," he announced, his voice steady but his eyes wide with surprise.
"And one hundred and fifty-two Yin Cards.
This guy... this guy was running a one-man monopoly on the entire Level Three assessnt."
Ayra’s jaw dropped. "That’s... that’s insane!
He must have been bullying and robbing newcors for cycles! What a greedy bastard!!."
Her mood instantly lifted at the sight of the treasure.
"Well, his loss is our glorious, glorious gain! We’re rich! Card-rich!"
This was more than a windfall; it was a jackpot. They now had a massive surplus of both card types, far more than they needed just to pass the trial.
"With this many cards," Lia said, her calm grey eyes alight with possibility, "we can aim for the best possible Class Transitions.
The ones Director Thorne ntioned... the advanced, hybrid, or even the legendary hidden classes."
"Exactly," Daniel agreed. "We find a safe place, we use these cards, and we beco much, much stronger before we even think about facing the next level of the verge."
They found a secure, well-hidden cave halfway up the mountain, not far from the teleportation array.
The entrance was narrow, easily defensible, and the interior was dry and surprisingly spacious.
They settled in, the pile of shimring Yin and Yang cards glowing softly in the center of the cave, a testant to their victory.
"Alright," Daniel said, taking charge. "Here’s the plan. I’ll go first. A Class Transition can leave you vulnerable. You two stand guard.
Once I’m done, it’s your turn." He looked at the massive pile of cards. "Take as many as you need. We have more than enough."
He sat down, gathering enough Yin and Yang Cards, feeling a strange resonance as he held the matched pairs.
He focused his mind, presenting the cards to the silent, waiting system of the verge, and declared his chosen path.
He already had the Hunter class, a master of archery, traps, and familiars. But Ragnar’s swift, deadly assault had highlighted a weakness.
He needed to bolster his close-quarters, surprise-attack capabilities. He needed the skills of an assassin.
"I choose the Assassin class," he declared to the void.
The One hundred and two Yin cards and the forty-two Yang cards in his hands dissolved into motes of pure Yin and Yang energy, swirling around him.
But instead of just granting him a new class, sothing incredible happened.
The energy of the Assassin class began to rge with his existing Hunter class template!
The two paths, predator and killer, shadow and tracker, began to fuse into sothing new, sothing unique.
[Class Fusion Detected! Hunter Class is rging with Assassin Class!]
[Creating Unique Hybrid Class...]
[Class Transition Successful!]
[You are now a NIGHT RANGER!]
Daniel felt a profound change, a deep, fundantal shift in his abilities. He quickly accessed his new class panel.
The skill trees were a beautiful, terrifying fusion of his previous strengths, now honed to a razor’s edge.
[Class: Night Ranger]
Archery: (All previous skills retained, new synergy with stealth abilities)
Traps: (All previous skills retained, can now be imbued with shadow energy)
Familiars: (All previous skills retained, can now share stealth abilities)
Bodily Movent (New): Unlocks [Flicker] (D-Grade) - A short-range, instantaneous dodge that leaves behind a fleeting shadow image to confuse opponents.
Assassinate (New): Unlocks [Initial Attack] (C-Grade) - The first strike from stealth deals a guaranteed critical hit with a 3x damage multiplier.
He had done it. He had fused two classes into sothing unique, a Night Ranger.
The master of the hunt and the silent kill. He felt the new power settle into him, a perfect, deadly harmony.
He looked over at Lia and Ayra, who were watching him with awe as the last of the transition energy faded.
Now, it was their turn.
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