Daniel stumbled back from the Central Hub console, his good right hand still tingling from initiating the "System Purge Protocol."
The red emergency lights bathing the Spire's apex chamber flickered and died, replaced by the calm, steady white glow of the energy lines.
[System Purge Protocol Initiated: Labyrinth Restructuring Commenced.]
[Primary Objectives for Phase Two Achieved.]
[Calculating Final Assessment Metrics for Sector Gamma & Spire Incursion...]
[Extraction Portal Generating...]
"Extraction, huh? Sounds delightful," Daniel muttered.
He glanced at his Nexus Interface. His health was regenerating slowly.
A section of the far wall glittered, then dissolved into a swirling vortex of golden light, identical to the teleportation portals on Platform Alpha.
This was his ride out. He gave one last look at the silent, deactivated hulk of the Omega Hub Guardian.
Assimilating that monster had been a jackpot, gifting him [Kinetic Overdrive] and the A-grade [Omega Barrier].
Nyx poked her head out of his pouch, blinking her blue eyes at the portal.
She let out a soft "Mrrrf?" as if asking, "Are we going somewhere less violent now?"
"Hopefully, girl. Hopefully," Daniel replied, scooping her up gently with his good arm and stepping towards the portal.
The familiar sensation of being pulled through compressed space washed over him. It was smoother this time, less jarring than entering the Verge itself.
When the golden light faded, he found himself standing back in the Platform Alpha.
The atmosphere here was… tense. Dozens of recruits, far fewer than had entered Phase Two, were scattered across the platform.
Some were tending to grievous wounds, others stared blankly into the grey void above, the horrors of the Shifting Labyrinth clearly etched on their faces.
Bandages, scorch marks, and missing limbs were common sights.
His arrival didn't go unnoticed. Heads turned. Whispers started almost immediately.
"It's Vance! He actually made it out of the Spire!"
"Look at his arm! He looks like he wrestled a shredder!"
"The Spire… I heard it was a deathtrap. How did he…?"
Daniel ignored them, his priority being his shoulder. He spotted a Medical Bay sign and headed towards it.
As he walked, a platform-wide announcement blared from the embedded speakers, Instructor Elara Rostova's crisp voice cutting through the low murmur.
"Aspirants! Attention! Phase Two of the Vanguard Assessment, 'The Shifting Labyrinth and Primary Control Spire', is now concluded!"
A ragged cheer went up from some of the survivors, quickly dying down as Rostova continued.
"Preliminary casualty reports are… significant. The Labyrinth and its guardians have culled many.
However, those who have returned have demonstrated resilience and, in some cases, exceptional capability."
Her gaze seemed to find Daniel even across the platform.
"Final performance metrics and rankings for Phase Two are now being processed. Your Vanguard Recognition Scores will be updated accordingly."
The large display screens that had shown the Phase One rankings flickered to life.
A loading bar appeared: [Calculating Phase Two Comprehensive Rankings... Integrating Labyrinth Navigation Data, Threat Elimination, Objective Completion, and Anomaly Resolution...]
The tension on the platform escalated. Recruits stared at the screens, their hopes and fears writ large on their faces.
Daniel, meanwhile, had reached the automated Medical Bay.
He winced as a robotic arm gently probed his shoulder, injecting a rapid-healing nanite solution.
The pain began to subside almost immediately, the broken bones knitting with an audible, slightly unnerving clicking sound.
"That's better," he sighed, rotating his now fully functional shoulder. The wonders of future medicine.
Just as he stepped out, the display screens chimed loudly, the loading bar vanished, and the final Phase Two rankings slammed into view.
[Phase Two Assessment Rankings (FINAL - Comprehensive):]
Daniel Vance (Labyrinth Navigation: Optimized Route via Undocumented Conduits. Threat Eliminations: 2x Level 5 Elites, 1x Level 6 Peak Elite, Multiple Lesser Constructs & Entities. Objective Completion: Full System Purge Initiated. Level: 5) - Score: 4,780
Seraphina Bellweather (Labyrinth Navigation: Partial, Team Assisted. Threat Eliminations: Multiple Level 3 Constructs (Assisted).
Objective Completion: Partial Data Retrieval from Peripheral Node. Level: 2) - Score: 620
Darius Holt (Labyrinth Navigation: Limited, Team Effort. Threat Eliminations: Several Level 2/3 Entities (Assisted). Objective Completion: None. Level: 2) - Score: 450
...
If the previous rankings had caused shock, this was a full-blown earthquake.
Daniel's score wasn't just leading; it was an order of magnitude higher.
The description of his achievements sounded like something out of a veteran Vanguard's mission report, not a recruit assessment.
Level 6 Peak Elite? Optimized routes through undocumented conduits? Full System Purge?
The platform erupted.
"Four thousand seven hundred and eighty?! What in the Void is that score?!"
"He killed a LEVEL SIX PEAK ELITE?! ALONE?!"
"And he's Level 5 now! He was Level 2 when Phase One ended! How is he leveling so fast?"
"That SSS-Talent… it's not just powerful, it's broken!"
"Undocumented conduits… did he map the Labyrinth while fighting for his life?"
Seraphina Bellweather stared at the screen, then at Daniel, her usual composure visibly cracked by sheer astonishment.
Darius Holt just shook his head slowly, a look of dawning, horrified respect on his face.
The other recruits simply gaped, their earlier envy now mixed with a profound sense of unreality and a healthy dose of terror.
This wasn't a peer; this was a force of nature wearing Academy uniform.
Daniel just shrugged mentally. The system was thorough, he'd give it that.
Before the bewildered murmurs could escalate further, another notification appeared, this one personal, just for him.
[Congratulations, Aspirant Daniel Vance!]
[For achieving Rank 1 in Phase Two Assessment and an unprecedented Vanguard Recognition Score, you have been awarded the following:]
Golden Vanguard Cache (Phase Two Apex Reward): Contains unique, high-value items or skill impartations.
Priority Resource Allocation Token (Rank SS): Upgraded. Grants supreme priority access.
Vanguard Commendation Points: +2500
Free Attribute Points: +12
Class Skill Points: +2
Direct Mentorship Opportunity: Confirmed. Awaiting your selection from available High-Rank Vanguards (S-Grade or higher available due to exceptional performance).
The rewards were even more substantial this time. An SS-Rank token? More attribute and class points? And an S-Grade Vanguard mentor?
He immediately allocated the 12 attribute points, dumping them all into Strength. His base Strength soared past 130.
The feeling of raw, physical power was intoxicating. He'd deal with the Class Skill Points later.
A gleaming, golden, carved chest materialized silently in front of him with a soft chime.
The Golden Vanguard Cache. It radiated a faint warmth and power. All eyes on the platform were now glued to it, then to him.
The silence was so thick, you could've spread it on toast.
Daniel knelt, ignoring the stares. The cache had no visible lock. He placed his hand on the lid, then opened it smoothly.
In it was a fist-sized crystal pulsating with fiery orange light. It felt intensely hot, brimming with contained power.
[Item Acquired: Skill Crystal - Nova Strike Fist Art (A-Grade)]
[Description: A pure close-combat martial art focusing on channeling explosive solar energy through unarmed strikes.
Devastating single-target damage and minor area-effect heat pulses. Requires significant Strength and Spirit to master.]
A pure close-combat skill! Exactly what he'd been thinking he needed after the Omega Guardian fight where his daggers felt insufficient against heavy armor.
This A-grade art sounded perfect. He picked up the crystal. It was warm to the touch, the power within almost writhing to be unleashed.
He focused his intent, the command forming in his mind: Learn.
The crystal shattered into motes of fiery light that flowed into his hand, up his arm, and into his mind.
Complex martial forms, energy channeling techniques, the feeling of sun-hot power building in his fists, it all settled into his consciousness as if he'd practiced it for years.
[New Skill Learned: Nova Strike Fist Art (A-Grade):] Active Skill. Channel solar plasma into fists for devastating melee attacks (+300% Force, adds significant Fire/Energy damage, minor AOE heat). High mana/stamina cost.
Nice. But A-grade could always be better. He grinned. Time for the SSS-Talent special. He still had plenty of Assimilation charges left.
He focused on the newly learned skill, on the concept of the Nova Strike, and pushed his will into it.
Assimilate. Enhance.
A roaring inferno of power seemed to ignite within him, far more intense than merely learning the skill.
[Soul Assimilation successful on Skill Concept: Nova Strike Fist Art (A-Grade).]
[Skill Essence Reforged and Amplified by SSS-Grade Talent Synergy!]
[Skill Upgraded: Nova Strike Fist Art (A-Grade) has evolved into SOLAR FLARE FIST ART (S-Grade)!]
[Skill: Solar Flare Fist Art (S-Grade):] Active Skill. Channel the cataclysmic power of a solar flare into fists and body.
Attacks unleash overwhelming concussive force and incandescent plasma (+600% Force, massive Fire/Energy/Concussive damage, significant AOE heat and light burst, chance to inflict 'Solar Scorch' DoT).
Very High mana/stamina cost. Cooldown: 3 minutes.
Daniel's jaw nearly hit the floor. S-Grade! Six hundred percent force! Massive elemental damage!
A damage-over-time effect!
The power flowing through him, begging to be tested, was almost unbearable.
He needed to try this. Now. He glanced around. Training simulators were over there. Perfect.
Ignoring the still-stunned crowd, Daniel strode towards an empty high-level simulator pod, the kind designed for testing catastrophic-level talents.
He selected the heaviest training dummy available: 'Adamantium Golem, Max Durability Test'.
The simulation solidified. Before him stood a ten-foot-tall golem of nigh-indestructible metal.
Daniel took a deep breath. He could feel Nyx squirming excitedly in his pouch, probably sensing the immense power gathering.
He planted his feet. He focused, drawing upon the newly assimilated S-Grade skill, feeling the inferno awaken within him.
His fists began to glow, first orange, then white-hot, like miniature suns. The air around him radiated with intense heat.
"Okay, dummy," Daniel grinned, a manic light in his eyes. "Let's see if you can handle a little sunshine."
He clenched his glowing fist, channeling the entirety of the Solar Flare Fist Art into a single, devastating punch.
"BOOM!"
The sound wasn't just a sonic boom; it was a physical explosion that rocked the entire simulator pod, the shockwave so intense the reinforced walls groaned.
"BOOM! KRA-KA-THOOOM!"
The Adamantium Golem, designed to withstand incredible punishment, didn't even dent. It simply ceased to exist. Atomized.
Daniel took several stumbling steps back from the sheer resultant force, his arm now radiating an almost unbearable heat that even his high Adaptability struggled to contain.
The enemy, or what was left of it, well, it probably wasn't feeling much of anything running through its non-existent bones.
[Simulation Target Obliterated. Damage Dealt: Overwhelming. System Overload Imminent.]
[Exiting Simulation...]
The pod door hissed open, revealing a crowd of recruits who had gathered outside, drawn by the thunderous impacts.
They stared at Daniel, then at the smoking, empty space where the super-durable golem had been, their faces a mixture of terror and utter, unadulterated disbelief.
Daniel just flexed his still-glowing hand, feeling the S-grade power hum within.
"Huh," he said, a bead of sweat tracing a path through the grime on his face. "Guess that works."
Nyx let out an impressed squeak from his pouch.
Phase Three was going to be interesting. Very, very interesting.