Daniel moved through the misty pre-dawn, his new Omnivision humming softly in his mind.
It was like seeing for the first time, he felt the life in the giant trees, the tiny auras of insects in the soil, and the nervous stir of a small underground creature nearby.
He walked with a quiet purpose, his boots making soft imprints on the mossy ground.
After collecting a decent pile of dry, fallen branches, he was about to head back when his Omnivision flared, not with its usual gentle hum, but with a sudden, urgent pulse.
It was a warning. Ahead, through a thicket of purple-leafed plants, he felt three distinct signatures of life.
They were big, strong, and radiated a calm, hunting energy. His hand went to the hilt of his newly enhanced Vibro-Knife.
He dropped the firewood without a sound and crept forward, his movements as fluid and silent as a ghost.
Looking through the leaves, he saw them.
They lay coiled in a sunlit clearing, three enormous snakes, their scales a gleaming golden-yellow that blended very well with the scattered light on the forest floor.
They were enormous, each at least twelve meters long and as thick as his thigh.
Their heads were wide and triangular, their unblinking yellow eyes scanning the clearing with a cold, reptilian intelligence.
Daniel focused, his Nexus Interface overlaying the scene with cold, hard data.
[Veridian Constrictors - Level 1]
Attributes: Strength - 11, Vitality -11, Agility - 13
Skills: [Venomous Bite], [Crippling power]
[Threat Assessment: Dangerous and powerful Grappler, Moderate Venom. Hungry and Very Fast.]
His heart began to pound, a steady, rhythmic drumbeat against his ribs. Three of them. It was reckless. It was suicidal. But the potential reward was a siren's call he couldn't ignore.
He had 24 out of 50 EXP needed to reach Level 1. The EXP from these creatures would push him over the edge.
He looked at his interface. Five assimilation charges remained. A desperate, calculated risk began to form in his mind. This was the moment to invest in himself.
He pulled the E-Grade Vibro-Knife from his belt. It felt solid, reliable, but it wasn't enough.
[Soul Assimilation successful on E-Grade Vibro-Knife.]
[Assimilation Charges Consumed (4/10 Remaining).]
A dark pulse of energy, invisible to any eye but his own, enveloped the blade. The metal shimmered, flowing like liquid shadow before solidifying into something harder, sharper.
[Item Enhanced: Vibro-Knife upgraded to D-Grade.]
[New Stats: Attack +40. Increased durability and sharpness.]
He didn't stop there. He placed a hand over his chest, over the E-Grade Deflector Vest he wore beneath his uniform.
[Assimilation Charges Consumed (3/10 Remaining).]
[Item Enhanced: E-Grade Deflector Vest upgraded to D-Grade.]
[New Stats: Defense +40. Increased resilience.]
It cost two of his five remaining charges, but the boost from the enhanced gear was instant.
The knife felt like a true weapon now, an extension of his will. The vest settled more heavily on his shoulders, a comforting weight of security.
He was as ready as he would ever be.
He took a slow, steadying breath and stepped into the clearing.
The nearest constrictor reacted instantly. Its head snapped towards him, rising a full meter from its coiled body.
A long, forked tongue flicked out, tasting the air, its yellow eyes locking onto his.
There was no hesitation, no warning. It lunged!
The snake moved with explosive speed, a golden blur of muscle and venom. Instead of retreating, Daniel's mind went into a state of hyper-focus.
He activated his own stolen skill. [Godspeed Rush]
For a breathtaking instant, the world seemed to slip into slow motion.
The lunging snake, its fangs dripping with venom, became a slow-motion projectile.
He could see the individual muscles rippling under its scales, the glint of light in its unblinking eye.
He sidestepped in a smooth, efficient motion that felt impossibly fast.
The snake's jaws snapped shut on empty air, its fangs missing him by a mere inch.
He didn't waste the opening. Using the momentum of his dodge, he pivoted on his heel, his new D-Grade knife held in a reverse grip.
He drove the blade deep into the constrictor's exposed side, just behind its head.
The enhanced steel sliced through the thick scales and tough muscle with a satisfying, wet tearing sound that would have been impossible just moments before.
The snake gave a piercing cry and twisted wildly, its massive body coiling and uncoiling in pain.
Just as it did, his Omnivision screamed a warning. The other two were moving, flanking him from both sides.
He leaped back, pulling his knife free. With a burst of inspiration, he kicked a loose rock hard to his left.
The sound of it skittering across the clearing was enough.
One of the flanking snakes, drawn by the sound and movement, changed its trajectory, giving Daniel the precious second he needed.
He focused on the remaining attacker, the one now directly in front of him.
It rose up, its head swaying as it prepared to strike.
He feinted high with his knife, drawing its attention upwards.
As its head rose, he swiftly lowered into a deep crouch, his muscles tensed like a coiled spring, and with an explosive force, he surged forward.
Gripping the knife with both hands, he drove it upward in a fierce, sweeping arc, the blade flashing before piercing through flesh and bone.
SHUNNK!!!
Its head tore free in a spray of dark blood, wetting the surrounding plants!
[You have slain: Veridian Constrictor (Level 1)]
[EXP Gained: 12 EXP]
[Level 0: 36/50]
He didn't have time to register the notification.
The first snake, wounded and enraged, was on him. Its massive body slammed into him, coiling around his chest with crushing force.
The air was squeezed from his lungs, and for a moment, panic flared.
But his new D-Grade vest held, the reinforced plating groaning but not breaking under the immense pressure.
He was trapped, but not helpless.
He raised his knife and stabbed repeatedly, driving the blade into the creature's head with desperate force until, after a final shudder, it went limp.
[You have slain: Veridian Constrictor (Level 1)]
[EXP Gained: 12 EXP]
[Level 0: 48/50]
He pushed the heavy, dead coils off him, gasping for air.
Two down. One to go.
He scrambled to his feet, turning to face the final constrictor. It had hesitated, its reptilian brain clearly confused by the sudden death of its siblings.
It sensed the change in him, the surge of power from a fight that should have killed him.
It never got the chance to flee.
With a throaty roar, he charged, no longer the cautious survivor but an apex predator claiming his territory.
He met the final snake's lunge head-on, sidestepping with impossible grace and bringing his knife down in one decisive strike.
Silence descended upon the blood-soaked clearing.
Daniel stood panting, his chest heaving, his body slick with sweat and serpent blood.
A wave of newfound energy, hot and potent, washed over Daniel. He didn't need to see the notification to know what had happened.
[You have slain: Veridian Constrictor (Level 1)]
[EXP Gained: 12 EXP]
[Level 0: 60/50]
[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 1!]
[Level Up Bonus: All Stats +15. Assimilation Charges Restored (10/10).]
[Level 1: 10/250 EXP]
The feeling was electric. His fatigue vanished, replaced by a surge of vitality.
The minor scrapes and bruises from the fight seemed to fade away.
He felt stronger, faster, more alive than ever before.
A series of notifications flooded his vision, but one stood out, a new and critical choice.
[Talent Evolution Path Unlocked. Please select a Class.]
He scanned the options, his mind racing. He could specialize, focus his power. But he wasn't ready.
He didn't know enough about this world, or about the true depths of his own soul. He mentally selected the option to decide later.
First, the spoils. He walked to each corpse, placing a hand on their cooling scales.
[Total Gain (from 3 Veridian Constrictors): Strength +33, Vitality +33, Agility +39]
[Assimilation Charges Consumed (7/10 Remaining).]
The rush of power was intoxicating. As he savored in it, another, unexpected message appeared.
[Congratulations, Aspirant! For achieving your first unaided solo kill against multiple opponents, you have earned a special reward!]
[Reward: One [Bronze Treasure Chest]!]
Before his eyes, a small, ornate bronze chest materialized out of thin air and landed softly on the grass.
He opened it cautiously.
Inside, resting on a bed of velvet, lay a simple dark blue pouch.
[Celestial Voidpocket]
[Grade: A]
[Effect: Can store up to 150 cubic meters. Objects inside are suspended outside of time, remaining in perfect condition.]
A wide, genuine smile split Daniel's face. This was a game-changer. No more leaving evidence behind. No more struggling with heavy carcasses.
He quickly butchered one of the massive snakes, taking the best cuts of meat and carefully extracting the venom sacs, a resource that might prove useful later.
The rest of the carcass, along with the other two, vanished into the Voidpocket with a simple thought.
He returned to camp an hour later, carrying the meat and his bundle of firewood, forcing a look of weary exhaustion onto his face.
Ragnar's eyes went wide. "By the Verge, Daniel! You took down one of these things alone?"
Daniel nodded, leaning heavily on a tree.
"It was tough," he lied, his voice raspy. "I think I caught it sleeping off a meal. Got lucky with a stab to the eye."
Sophie said nothing. She walked over, her expression analytical. She took a piece of the meat, examining the clean cut.
Then her eyes flickered to his knife, the D-Grade blade pristine and undamaged.
A lucky stab to the eye wouldn't have left such a perfect slice. Her gaze rose to meet his, her suspicion a tangible thing.
She merely nodded. "A lucky kill is still a kill. Good work."
The lie had worked. But as he looked into Sophie's intelligent, questioning eyes, Daniel knew his luck was running out.