Daniel sat at the mouth of the cave, the cool stone a comfort against his back.
The first shift of the watch was always his, a self-imposed duty that gave him the solitude he desperately craved.
He gripped the F-Grade Vibro-Knife, its handle still faintly warm from the latent energy of the man it had once belonged to.
The fire had burned down to soft orange embers, casting flickering shadows on the cave walls where his teammates slept.
Ragnar's snores were a low rumble that seemed to shake the rock, a strangely comforting sound in the deep silence of the night.
Sophie was a still, compact shape, her breathing so shallow and even that she might have been mistaken for part of the cave itself.
Bran, curled into a tight ball, whimpered softly in his sleep, his body twitching as his mind replayed the horrors of the day.
Outside, the Verge was alive with a lethal beauty.
The twin suns were gone, replaced by a dense canopy of unfamiliar stars shining with a cold, diamond-like brilliance.
Yet, beneath the beauty, Daniel felt the deep emptiness in his stomach.
The small rations they had scavenged were gone, and his thirst was a dry, scratching presence in the back of his throat.
Survival, he knew, had just become a much more pressing concern than earning experience points. The hunt was no longer a choice, it was a necessity.
As the pale white sun rose over the rough mountains, its soft grey light spread across the land, waking the team.
Almost at once, the day's oppressive heat set in, bringing with it serious of hunger.
"My throat feels like sandpaper," Ragnar muttered, his voice rough with sleep as he sat up and stretched his massive arms, letting out a low groan.
"And my stomach thinks my throat's been cut."
Sophie was already awake, her eyes sharp and alert as she checked the last of their water.
She unscrewed the cap of a flask and tilted it back, taking a single, measured sip before handing it to Bran, who was leaning weakly against the cave wall.
"That's the last of it," she said, her voice flat. "We find water today, or we're in real trouble."
The urgency gave their movements a sharp, predatory edge.
They left the relative safety of the cave and set out into the humid morning, the memory of the slaughtered aspirants serving as a grim reminder of what awaited the careless.
Their goal was twofold: find water and find their next meal.
For three hours, they moved in tense silence, the forest floor a carpet of strange leaves that pressed softly under their boots.
The air was heavy and still. Then, a new sound reached them, a low, promising murmur that grew steadily into the clear, liquid music of running water.
With a shared look of hope, they pushed forward.
Pushing through a final curtain of purple-leafed plants, they saw it. A river about twenty meters wide winding through the forest.
The water was so impossibly clear that they could see every shining, multi-colored pebble on the riverbed.
It was a perfect, deceptive refuge in the middle of a hostile world.
"Finally," Ragnar breathed, a relieved smile spreading across his face.
Sophie, however, held up a hand, her body tensed.
She scanned the area, her head tilted as her 'Tactical Eyes' took in the scene.
"It looks clear," she reported, her voice low and cautious. "No immediate threats that I can see.
But be careful. Be ready for anything."
Her warning was wise, but the lure of fresh, clean water was too powerful. Bran's face was pale and slick with sweat, but he didn't pause for even a heartbeat.
He was the most desperate, his body still weak from his earlier ordeal.
He stumbled past Ragnar and dropped to his knees at the river's edge, cupping his hands and bringing the cool, life-giving water to his lips.
"It's… it's so good," he gasped, drinking greedily.
Ragnar chuckled, shaking his head. "Easy there, kid. Don't want you to pop."
The words had barely left his mouth when the serene surface of the river exploded.
With a surge of rushing water and scattered pebbles, a massive creature burst from the depths.
It was a monstrous blend of armored fish and ancient crocodile, stretching at least ten feet in length, its form sheathed in dense, interlocking plates of deep green hide.
Its jaws, lined with rows of slender, needle-like fangs, gaped wide before snapping shut with force on Bran's shoulder.
[Fangmaw Crocodilian - Level 1]
Stats: High Strength, High Vitality, Moderate Agility
Threat Assessment: Ambush predator. Powerful bite and tail whip. Armored hide is resistant to piercing attacks.
Bran's gasp of relief twisted into a sharp, piercing scream as the fangs tore through his uniform and sank deep into his flesh.
The creature began to thrash, its powerful body twisting as it tried to drag him into the deeper water.
Reacting on pure instinct, Ragnar roared, a sound of primal fury.
"Stoneskin!"
He charged into the river, the water splashing up to his waist, and grabbed the thrashing beast.
"Get off him, you overgrown lizard!" he bellowed.
With a surge of raw power, he heaved the enormous creature clean out of the water, slamming its heavy body onto the riverbank with a ground-shaking thud.
The Crocodilian, shocked by this sudden display of strength, released Bran, who collapsed onto the wet ground, blood pouring from his shoulder.
Freed from its prey, the beast whipped its thick, muscular tail in a brutal arc. It caught Ragnar square in the chest.
Though his 'Stoneskin' absorbed the worst of the impact with a dull crack, the force of the blow sent the big man stumbling back with a sharp grunt.
"Sophie, weak spot!" Daniel yelled, drawing his F-Grade Vibro-Knife. He forced a grunt of effort, a performance for his team.
"Enhance!"
"The neck, under the jaw!" Sophie cried out, her eyes glowing faintly with the light of her talent. "The armor is thinner there!"
The beast, enraged, ignored the fallen Bran and lunged for Ragnar, its jaws snapping like a steel trap.
This was Daniel's chance. He broke into a sprint, his boots slipping on the wet, moss-covered rocks of the riverbank.
He dropped into a low crouch, a smooth motion that carried him beneath the creature's snapping jaws, the rush of air from their passing ruffling his hair.
With all his strength, he plunged his knife into the soft, pale flesh of the creature's throat.
The F-Grade blade, however, met with tough, leathery hide. It barely penetrated, sinking perhaps an inch deep before stopping.
The Crocodilian let out a furious, hissing roar and whipped its massive head, throwing Daniel backward.
He landed hard, the air knocked from his lungs as he slid through the mud.
Just as the beast turned its cold, reptilian eyes on him, Ragnar recovered. With a furious roar, he grabbed the Crocodilian's lashing tail.
He planted his feet, his muscles bulging with a monumental effort, and began to spin.
He swung the massive, struggling creature like a hammer, its armored body a green blur.
With a final, desperate roar, he smashed its head against a large, granite boulder at the edge of the river.
There was a sickening, wet crunch that was loud enough to make them all flinch. The creature's body went limp, its rampage ending in an instant.
[You have slain: Fangmaw Crocodilian (Level 1)]
[EXP Gained: 12 EXP]
[Level 0: 24/50]
The ensuing silence was broken only by Bran's pained whimpers. Ragnar rushed to his side, gently lifting him. "He's losing a lot of blood."
Sophie was already there, her face a mask of concentration as she pulled out a handful of broad, leafy herbs she had collected on their journey.
"I can slow it," she said, her fingers working quickly to crush the leaves into a thick paste. "But he needs to rest."
Daniel pushed himself to his feet, his heart hammering.
"You two get him to safety," he commanded, his voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through him.
"Find cover. I'll bring the croc for food."
Ragnar nodded, lifting the semi-conscious Bran into his arms as if he weighed nothing.
As his team disappeared into the trees, Daniel turned back to the massive, dead creature.
His own secret mission was about to begin.
He knelt, placing a hand on the cool, armored carcass, and his mind screamed the silent command.
A torrent of energy, far more potent and wild than the Crawler's, flooded into him. It was raw, primal power, charged with the instinctive violence of a predator.
[Soul Assimilation successful on Creature: Fangmaw Crocodilian (Level 1)]
[Gain: Strength +13]
[Gain: Vitality +13]
[Gain: Agility +10]
[Assimilation Charges Consumed (8/10 Remaining).]
He felt the immediate change. His muscles felt thicker, his body more resilient. It was an intoxicating feeling.
With a grunt, he heaved the heavy carcass over his shoulder and followed his team into the forest.
He was a predator hiding in plain sight, and now, he was just a handful of kills away from a whole new level of power