The forest was different when you were alone.
Daniel walked for several miles, putting distance between himself and the outpost.
The acid rain had stopped completely, leaving the air thick and humid. The trees' strange purple leaves dripped water onto the mossy ground.
His legs burned, but it was a good burn. It was the feeling of freedom.
He found a secluded spot near the roots of a large tree. The roots formed a natural cage, offering cover on three sides. It was a good place to rest.
Daniel sat down on a flat stone and took a deep breath. He reached for his water flask, took a sip, and then wiped his mouth.
It was time to take stock. He tapped his Databand. The holographic screen flickered to life, casting a soft blue glow on his face.
[Name: Daniel Rivers]
[Level: 1 (130/200 EXP)]
[Talent: Soul Assimilation (SSS)]
[Assimilation Charges: 4/10]
He scanned his attributes, acquired skills and tools.
Attributes:
Spirit- 30
Strength- 31
Agility- 34
Attack - 27
Defense- 22
Vitality-32
Adaptability-22
Equipments and Inventory:
Vibro-Knife (D-Grade): Originally an F-grade weapon scavenged from a corpse, Daniel upgraded it first to E-grade and finally to D-grade, granting +15 Attack and increased durability.
Deflector Vest (D-Grade): Originally an E-grade vest taken from Kane's body, now upgraded to D-grade, providing +15 Defense and improved resilience.
Celestial Voidpocket (A-Grade): A reward from a Bronze Treasure Chest. It can store up to 150 cubic meters of items in a time-suspended state.
Acquired Skills:
Godspeed Rush (F-Grade) - Temporarily boosts speed and reflexes (adrenaline) upon activation for a short duration at the cost of minor fatigue.
Omnivision (E-Grade) - Grants a constant, subtle awareness of living auras within a small radius. Range and clarity improve with the Spirit attribute.
Mental Fortitude (F-Grade) - Slightly increases resistance to mental status effects (Fear, Confusion). Effect minimal.
Mental Echo (C-Grade) - Briefly senses hostile intent and surface thoughts within close range. Activates automatically during combat or high stress. Prolonged use causes mental strain and severe headaches.
He had the tools. He had the power. But looking at the numbers wasn't enough. He needed to know what he was truly capable of.
"I need to test this," he murmured. "No holding back. No pretending to be weak."
He realized that to survive this place, he couldn't just be a scavenger anymore. Scavengers got the scraps. Scavengers got lucky, or they got dead.
He needed to be a hunter. He needed to find targets, analyze them, and take them down with cold efficiency.
He could handle a Level 1 creature easily now. The Constrictors had proved that. Even a Level 2 creature shouldn't be a death sentence if he played his cards right. He closed the interface and leaned his head back against the tree bark.
He closed his eyes, letting his [Omnivision] expand. It was like opening a third eye.
The forest around him lit up in his mind. He could feel the trees pulsing, the insects moving in the dirt, and a small rodent scurrying nearby.
He sat there for twenty minutes, just breathing and feeling. Then, the pattern changed. It started as a ripple at the edge of his sensory range. A disturbance.
Daniel opened his eyes and sat up straight. His heart rate picked up. [Omnivision] pinged him.
It wasn't a single life force. It was multiple. And they were agitated. "Trouble," he whispered.
He stood up, his movements completely silent. He didn't run away. Instead, he began to creep forward, moving towards the source of the disturbance.
He moved like a ghost, stepping over roots and ducking under low-hanging branches. The moss softened his steps. He blended into the shadows of the forest.
As he got closer, the sounds of the forest faded, replaced by the distinct, ugly noises of violence. He heard shouts. Human shouts.
"Keep it back! Hold the line!" Then came a roar that shook the leaves.
Daniel slowed down. He reached a thick patch of bushes and gently pushed the leaves aside. A small clearing lay ahead.
The scene before him was a chaotic mess of blood and steel. There were three aspirants. They were back-to-back in the center of the clearing, their uniforms were torn and muddy.
They looked exhausted, their chests heaving as they held their weapons with shaking hands.
Surrounding them were six beasts. Daniel narrowed his eyes. He had never seen these creatures before.
They were quadrupedal, with hunched, muscular shoulders and thick, grey hides. But the most terrifying feature was their backs.
Long, sharp spikes stuck out from their backs, shaking as they circled their prey.
He focused on the nearest one. His Databand hummed as it analyzed the target.
[Spike-Backed Ravager - Level 2]
Stats: High Strength, Moderate Vitality, Very High Agility, Moderate Spirit.
Abilities: [Spine Volley], [Frenzied Charge]
Threat Assessment: Pack Hunter, Aggressive, Dangerous at Range and Close Quarters.
"Level 2," Daniel mouthed. "And six of them." This was a death sentence. The aspirants were fighting desperately. One of them, a tall man with a spear, lunged forward.
"Die, you filth!" he screamed. The spear tip caught one of the Ravagers in the shoulder.
The beast yelped and snapped its jaws, but the man held his ground.
"Now! Hit it now!" the spearman Williams yelled. A woman beside him, wielding a heavy mace, swung with everything she had.
CRACK!
The mace connected with the beast's skull.
The Ravager collapsed, twitching on the ground. "One down!" the woman shouted, hope flaring in her voice.
But the pack didn't retreat. If anything, the smell of their kin's blood made them more aggressive.
Two of the Ravagers charged at once. They moved with terrifying speed.
The third aspirant, a young man named Solomon, with a sword, tried to intercept them. He swung his blade, catching one Ravager across the snout.
SLASH!!
The beast roared and fell back, blood spraying. The aspirants cheered. They had killed two.
They were doing it. But they had forgotten the threat assessment. 'Dangerous at Range'.
The remaining four Ravagers stopped circling. They turned their backs to the aspirants and shook their bodies violently.
Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!
Spikes launched from their backs like arrows.
"Cover!" the spearman screamed. It was too late. The second aspirant, the woman with the mace, didn't react fast enough. three distinct spikes slammed into her chest.
The force lifted her off her feet and pinned her to the tree behind her. She gasped once, blood bubbling from her lips, and then went still.
"Zariel!" Solomon, the young man with the sword screamed. His distraction was fatal. The four Ravagers turned and charged. They moved like a grey tide of muscle and teeth.
The spearman tried to brace his weapon, but a Ravager slammed into him, knocking the spear aside. Massive jaws clamped down on his leg.
"Run!" he screamed to the last survivor. "Just run!" The Ravagers tore him apart. Daniel watched from the bushes, his stomach twisting.
It was brutal. It was fast. It was the reality of the Aurora Vale. Now, only the young man with the sword remained.
He was backed against a large boulder. He was bleeding from a cut on his forehead, and his eyes were wide with absolute terror.
But he didn't drop his sword. "Come on!" he shrieked, his voice cracking. "Come on!" One of the Ravagers, the third one, leaped at him.
Solomon ducked, thrusting his sword upward. It was a desperate, clumsy strike, but it landed true. The blade sank into the beast's soft underbelly.
The Ravager howled and thrashed, dying on the blade.
Three dead. Three to go. For a second, Daniel thought the kid might actually make it. Then the fourth Ravager moved. It didn't charge. It didn't shoot spikes. It flanked him.
While the kid was trying to pull his sword out of the dead beast, the fourth Ravager struck from the side. It moved with a speed that Daniel's eyes could barely track.
CHOMP!
There was no scream. Just a wet, tearing sound. The beast bit down on the young man's neck and ripped.
The body fell to the ground. The head rolled a few feet away, the expression of terror frozen on its face.
Silence fell over the clearing. The three remaining Ravagers stood over the corpses, panting.
They nudged the bodies, sniffing the fresh blood. They were the victors. Daniel remained frozen in the bushes. His heart was hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird.
They were Level 2. They were fast. They had ranged attacks. And they worked together. "I should go," he thought. "I should turn around and walk away. This isn't my fight."
He started to ease back, to slip away into the shadows. But then he stopped. He looked at the scene again.
Three dead aspirants. Three dead Ravagers. That was six souls. Six sources of power just sitting there. And three living Ravagers. Three Level 2 monsters. He did the math in his head.
Level 2 monsters gave 30 EXP each. If he killed them, that was 90 EXP. The dead aspirants... he didn't know what they would give, but they were Awakened.
Their souls would have stats. They would have skills. And the dead Ravagers... more stats. It was a goldmine. It was a feast. If he walked away now, he was safe. But he would be walking away from a massive leap in power. He would be walking away from the strength he needed to save Chloe.
"Hesitation is a death sentence," Instructor Baldwin had said. "Power isn't given, it is taken."
Daniel looked at the three remaining beasts. They were injured. One was limping. Another had a deep gash on its flank from the spearman.
They were tired. They had just fought for their lives. They were distracted by their meal.
Daniel gripped the handle of his D-Grade Vibro-Knife. The metal felt cool and reassuring in his palm.
He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the humid air. "I'm not a scavenger," he whispered.
He pushed the fear down. He checked his [Omnivision]. No other threats nearby. Just him and them.