Daniel Vance stood partially concealed behind a thick trunk of crystalline blue wood, his breath catching in his chest, observing the aftermath of the brief, brutal encounter. Liam Holt and Sara Chen lay still, their short journey in the Astral Verge already concluded.
The Crimson Fang Hound, the architect of their demise, whined pitifully. It's powerful muscles trembling from exertion and pain, its crimson fur matted darker where blood flowed freely from deep gashes.
Daniel assessed the situation rapidly, his mind a whirlwind of calculations and excellent battle instinct. His own strength had surged since stepping through the Gateway. E-grade Deflector Vest (+50 Defense), E-grade Vibro-Knife (+50 Attack), a D-grade skill [Kinetic Pulse] capable of creating space, and a small but tangible boost to his base Strength from assimilating Jaxon Rex.
He compared this burgeoning power to the state of the Hound. Level 1, yes, but its agility was listed as 'High' even before accounting for its current impaired state. Its HP was below 40%. A wounded beast was often more dangerous, driven by desperation, but this one seemed genuinely weakened, its movement becomes stiff, its focus compromised by pain.
He could leave. Circle around, find another opportunity, let the Hound potentially bleed out or be finished off by something else. It was the safer option, the path of the scavenger he had initially envisioned. But Jaxon's swift death, and the clear panic that had likely sealed Liam and Sara's fate, hammered home a crucial lesson Instructor Rostova had tried to instill during their training: Hesitation kills.
Scavenging was efficient for growth, yes, but it wouldn't build true combat awareness. It wouldn't temper his nerves or teach him how to react under pressure when facing a threat head-on. He needed to fight, to feel the adrenaline, to force his body and mind to adapt to the lethal rhythm of the Verge. This injured Hound, a Level 1 creature he now likely outmatched in raw stats and gear, was the perfect, albeit dangerous, sparring partner. He needed to overcome the lingering fear, the visceral horror of witnessing death, and take the initiative.
Steeling his resolve, Daniel pushed the image of Jaxon's torn chest from his mind. He gripped the handle of his E-grade Vibro-Knife, the low hum of its blade a reassuring vibration against his palm. He checked his Nexus Interface: [Kinetic Pulse] ready, mana sufficient. [Soul Assimilation] charge: 1/5 remaining. He couldn't use it offensively, but the single charge waiting felt like a promise of reward after the fight.
Taking a deep, centering breath, Daniel exploded from his cover.
"Boom!" The sound wasn't a physical explosion, but the sharp crack of compressed air as he launched himself off the springy blue turf with all his might. The ground beneath his feet trembled slightly from the sudden force. He transformed into a grey blur, the wind shrieking past his ears as he closed the distance to the injured Hound in mere seconds. He didn't roar or yell; silence was his ally.
The Crimson Fang Hound, despite its injuries and perhaps sensing the shift from observer to aggressor, reacted with instinctual ferocity. Lowering its head, it let out a throaty snarl that vibrated in the air, a sound like rocks grinding together. Ignoring the pain in its mangled shoulder, it lunged, not with the explosive speed it likely possessed when healthy, but with a desperate, jaws-snapping burst of aggression aimed right at Daniel's chest.
Time seemed to stretch. Daniel saw the flash of oversized fangs, smelled the hot, foul breath of the predator. Training kicked in. Instead of dodging laterally, which might expose his flank, he stood his ground, bracing himself, angling his torso slightly so the impact would land squarely on his enhanced Deflector Vest.
WHUMP!
The Hound's jaws clamped down with surprising force. Daniel felt a jarring impact rattle through his ribcage, stealing his breath for a split second. Pain lanced through the point of contact, sharp and immediate. But the E-grade vest held.
The fangs didn't puncture the reinforced material; the force was distributed, bruising him, shaking him, but causing no penetrating wound. He felt the terrifying strength of the creature's jaw muscles straining against the vest, a primal test of power.
The brief moment of the blocked attack was the only opening Daniel needed. The Hound was committed, its head low, momentarily unbalanced. "Now!" he thought, adrenaline surging through him like wildfire. He ignored the ache in his chest, bringing the Vibro-Knife up in a tight, powerful arc.
Shunk!
The E-grade blade, humming with optimized vibrations, sliced through the thick crimson fur and tough muscle of the Hound's neck. It wasn't a clean kill. The beast thrashed wildly, pried it's jaws apart, letting out a choked, wet gurgle. Dark blood sprayed, splattering across Daniel's vest and face. He stumbled back a step from the sheer violence of the creature's reaction, his heart hammering against his ribs.
The Hound wasn't down yet. It staggered, shaking its head, blood pouring from the deep gash. Its yellow eyes, filled with pain and rage, locked onto Daniel. It gathered itself for another desperate lunge.
No time for finesse. Daniel surged forward again, knife held in a reverse grip. He sidestepped the clumsy, weakened charge, letting the Hound stumble past him, and drove the blade downwards with all his strength, aiming for the base of the skull he vaguely recalled being a weak point on canine analogues from Earth biology.
Thud!
The knife struck bone, grating horribly, but penetrated deeply. The Hound convulsed violently, its limbs spasming, then collapsed onto the azure grass with a final, shuddering sigh. Its body twitched once, twice, then lay still.
Silence returned to the clearing, broken only by Daniel's ragged, heavy breathing. He stood over the slain beast, knife still gripped tightly, his knuckles white. His entire body trembled, a volatile cocktail of adrenaline, fear, and the dawning realization that he had done it. He had faced a creature of the Verge, taken a hit, and emerged victorious. His first kill. The metallic taste of blood , the Hound's blood , was sharp on his tongue. He felt a wave of nausea rise but forced it down. This was survival.
After a moment to collect himself, wiping sweat and blood from his brow with a trembling hand, Daniel remembered his purpose. The kill itself was only part of the equation. He knelt beside the rapidly cooling corpse of the Crimson Fang Hound, the strange energy of the Verge already seeming to reclaim its own. Focusing his intent, he activated his core Talent.
A distinct shimmer, like heat haze mixed with faint crimson light, rose from the Hound's body and flowed into Daniel. It felt different from enhancing gear or assimilating a human echo; this was raw, untamed, bestial energy, infused with primal instincts of the hunt. It surged through him, energizing yet slightly unsettling. His Nexus Interface chimed.
[You have slain: Crimson Fang Hound (Level 1)]
[EXP Gained: 15]
[Level 0: 15/50 EXP]
[Soul Assimilation successful on Creature: Crimson Fang Hound.]
[Gain: Strength +2]
[Gain: Vitality +2]
[Gain: Agility +3]
[Assimilation Charge Consumed (0/5 Remaining).]
[Assimilation Charges Regenerating: 1 Charge per 60 Minutes.]
Daniel felt the changes immediately. A tangible wave of strength flowed into his limbs, making his muscles feel denser, more potent. His breathing deepened as vitality surged through him, easing the ache in his chest from the Hound's bite. Most noticeably, a lightness, a readiness, settled into his legs, the agility boost was palpable.
Fifteen EXP. He needed 50 for Level 1. Killing three more Hounds like this would do it. And the assimilation yielded significant attribute points, far more than Jaxon's echo had. Creatures were clearly a primary source for raw power growth.
His gaze then fell upon the still forms of Liam Holt and Sara Chen. The grim necessity resurfaced. He had overcome the fear of fighting; now he had to confront the morbid reality of his Talent's other application once more. He needed skills. Attributes were crucial, but versatile skills could mean the difference between life and death in unexpected situations. He approached the bodies and performed the assimilation quickly, focusing his intent.
[Soul Assimilation successful on Fallen Awakened: Liam Holt.]
[Warning: Residual Consciousness Echo detected. Adaptability check passed. Minimal psychological imprint.]
[Gain: Agility +0.1]
[Gain: F-Grade Skill - Adrenal Surge]
[Skill: Adrenal Surge (F-Grade): Briefly flood the system with adrenaline upon activation, granting a temporary +50% boost to Agility for 5 seconds. Causes minor fatigue afterward. Mana Cost: 15.]
[Soul Assimilation successful on Fallen Awakened: Sara Chen.]
[Warning: Residual Consciousness Echo detected. Adaptability check passed. Minimal psychological imprint.]
[Gain: Spirit +0.1]
[Gain: E-Grade Skill - Aura Sense]
[Skill: Aura Sense (E-Grade): Passively grants the user a subtle awareness of sentient life-force signatures within a small radius (approx. 30 meters). Does not provide detailed identification, only presence and general direction. Constant low mana drain while active.]
Two more skills! [Adrenal Surge], an F-grade, but a burst of speed could be invaluable for closing distance, dodging a critical blow, or escaping a bad situation. The fatigue drawback was minor. And [Aura Sense]… this E-grade passive skill felt incredibly valuable. His high Potential Flux might have given him some innate luck or intuition, but this was a concrete sensory ability. Knowing if something, creature or human, was nearby, even without seeing it, was a massive advantage in this world of ambushes and hidden dangers. It complemented his cautious nature perfectly.
Daniel took a moment to assess his gains. His attributes had climbed significantly. He now possessed three skills: [Kinetic Pulse] for close-quarters disruption, [Adrenal Surge] for emergency speed, and [Aura Sense] for passive detection. Combined with his E-grade gear, he felt exponentially more capable than when he first arrived. He was confident now that he could likely defeat a healthy Crimson Fang Hound, using [Aura Sense] to detect it early, [Adrenal Surge] to control the engagement distance, and his enhanced knife and vest to fight effectively. This first proactive kill had not only yielded resources but had fundamentally boosted his confidence and combat readiness.
Suddenly, a faint prickle of awareness registered at the edge of his perception. It wasn't sight or sound, but a subtle feeling generated by the newly acquired [Aura Sense]. Multiple indistinct life-force signatures approaching his position from the west, maybe 40-50 meters out, just beyond the skill's clearest range but detectable. Their movement felt hesitant, cautious. He didn't need detailed identification to guess who it might be. The F-grade team he had spoken to earlier, likely drawn by the sounds of the struggle, however brief.
Urgency gripped him. He couldn't afford to be seen here, standing over three bodies ,two human, one beast, with the tell-tale shimmer of recent assimilation possibly still lingering faintly around the corpses. Questions would be asked, suspicions raised. He quickly scanned the bodies of Liam and Sara's standard F-grade gear. There was nothing worth taking compared to his own enhanced equipment, and looting them felt like a step too far right now. Time was critical.
Without a backward glance, Daniel activated [Adrenal Surge]. The world seemed to sharpen for a moment as his speed spiked. He moved swiftly and silently, melting back into the dense, alien foliage, using the terrain and the strange, oversized plants as cover. He put distance between himself and the clearing just as the first hesitant voices of the approaching F-grade team drifted through the air, their words laced with fear and apprehension as they likely discovered the grim scene he had left behind. Daniel didn't stop, pushing deeper into the unknown territory of the Astral Verge, the hunt truly beginning now.