The success of the trade with Darian provided Kaelen with enough raw Miasma Steel to begin the crucial structural patching on Aethel's outer hull—a task overseen by Clone Beta. Satisfied, Kaelen moved on to his greatest personal challenge: skill integration.
He needed active defense, and the Poison Dragon bloodline offered potent area-of-effect abilities. He selected the most basic skill: [Draconic Poison Breath (F-)].
The prerequisite was a large influx of Poison Essence and sustained channeling of his core Negative Energy. The moment Kaelen attempted to synthesize the skill, the $10\times$ effort multiplier hit him with brutal reality, despite the counter-boost from the Heart.
The energy surged, but instead of melding, his bloodlines violently rejected the pure toxic strain. The Ancient Vampire essence screamed at the impurity, the Demon Devourer tried to consume the Poison, and the Undead Dracolich fought for stillness. Kaelen collapsed to one knee on the Sanctum floor, his scales turning a mottled green before snapping back to their usual shadow-black. A violent, acidic cough ripped from his chest.
[SKILL SYNTHESIS FAILED]: Draconic Poison Breath (F-). Bloodline Conflict: Severe.
[WARNING]: Attempting to train multiple conflicting F-Rank skills simultaneously is detrimental. Prioritize integration of one dominant affinity before attempting a second. Current dominant: Demonic Shadow Dragon.
Kaelen (Internal Monologue):"The boost gives me the energy, but not the compatibility. Every basic skill is a spiritual war. I need external validation before I can grow internally."
He redirected his focus to his clones. Alpha was scouting the fringes of the sky city, using the Aetherial Console's unique Predictive Pathfinding to track the nascent routes of Hero patrols—routes most players wouldn't know existed until they were ambushed.
That's when Alpha encountered Elara Vance.
Elara wasn't part of a Hero group. She was alone, in a scrubland valley miles below Aethel, dressed in scavenged, mud-caked cloth, wielding a crude stone axe. She was entirely F-Rank, with no visible 'Silver Spoon' gear or 'Cheat Skill' glow.
She was being hunted by three Miasma-Warped Hyenas (F-Rank).
Instead of panic, Elara remained perfectly still. Alpha watched, transmitting every detail to Kaelen. When the Hyenas rushed, Elara didn't fight head-on. She sidestepped a collapsing, waterlogged drainage pipe, causing the Hyenas to trip over the unstable ground, momentarily throwing their formation into chaos. She then swung her axe, not at the head or chest, but at the joints of the lead Hyena, instantly crippling its mobility. She then dragged the pipe over the entrance of a shallow den, trapping the other two. Efficient, ruthless, and terrifyingly pragmatic.
Kaelen's Aetherial Console immediately flagged her with a unique modifier:
[PLAYER ANALYSIS]: Elara Vance
Faction: Hero (Unassigned).
Start Condition:Genius Survivor.
Dominant Trait:Survivor's Genius (S-Rank Potential). Exhibits flawless tactical awareness, environmental exploitation, and near-perfect enemy pattern recognition. Potential Threat/Asset: Extreme.
"A genius in survival," Kaelen muttered, impressed. "A player who doesn't need external gifts, only time."
She was a rare strategic resource. Kaelen decided he needed to place a token in the game, an investment in her future survival. He did not want an alliance, only observation and a slight debt.
He instructed Alpha to use a small amount of purified Heart Essence to create a simple, uncorrupted Healing Salve (F-Rank).
"Alpha, deposit the salve near her campsite, visible but not immediate. Do not be seen. Do not make contact. Withdraw to perimeter immediately," Kaelen commanded.
Alpha silently obeyed. The clone deposited the pale green salve next to a fire pit Elara was building, then melted into the deep shadows of the rock face.
A moment later, Elara found the potion. Her eyes, shrewd and calculating, instantly scanned the surrounding area. She examined the salve, smelling it, testing a tiny amount. It was pure.
"A drop of light in the shadow, left by the dark…" she whispered to herself, looking up at the mountains where Alpha had vanished. "A Dark Lord with a debt? Or a player with a plan? Either way, I accept the token."
Kaelen, watching through the clone's retreating perception, was completely oblivious to the depth of her analysis or the slight, respectful tilt of her head. He simply logged the data: "Transaction Successful. Survivor unit Elara Vance now integrated into long-term observation pool."
The Contamination Clock was still ticking. Kaelen had spent too much time on external strategy. He had 48 hours left to purge the first layer before the Heroes arrived en masse.