Chapter 6: Plentiful Harvest!
The hesitant voices of the F-grade team faded behind Daniel as he moved deeper into the alien jungle, putting distance between himself and the grim scene surrounding the fallen Crimson Fang Hound. He didn't need [Aura Sense] to feel their residual fear or hear their hushed, horrified discussion about the predator lying dead amongst two of their own.
He could almost picture their conclusion: the injured Hound, already weakened, must have been finished off by a powerful, passing Awakened, likely someone with a B-grade Talent, who hadn't bothered to stick around or even loot the relatively worthless F-grade gear. The idea that a fellow Level 0 aspirant, one they had just offered tentative alliance to, could have dispatched the beast solo wouldn't likely cross their minds. It was a convenient narrative that preserved their sense of scale in this terrifying new world, and it suited Daniel perfectly. Let them believe in powerful, unseen protectors; it kept the focus off him.
For the next hour, Daniel moved with purpose, utilizing his newly acquired [Aura Sense]. The skill was a subtle marvel. It wasn't like vision or hearing; it was a constant, low-level feeling, a tingling awareness of life forces within a roughly 30-meter radius. It painted a vague impression of presence and direction, not details, but it was enough.
He navigated the vibrant, often treacherous landscape, the azure grass occasionally giving way to crystalline trees that hummed with resonant energy. He used [Aura Sense] to avoid several small clusters of Verge creatures, insectoid buzzers the size of his fist that emitted sharp sonic pulses, and slow-moving, six-legged herbivores covered in thick, mossy plates. They were Level 0 or 1, offering minimal EXP and attribute gains according to his interface scan, not worth engaging when his Assimilation Charges were still depleted.
He also detected several other pairs or small teams of Awakened moving cautiously through the area. Like the F-grade team, they seemed focused on survival, moving slowly, jumping at every strange sound, clearly prioritizing safety over aggressive hunting after the initial shock of Jaxon's death and the subsequent disappearance of the Initiate's Wards. No new death notifications pinged on his interface. The initial wave of panic seemed to have instilled a widespread caution.
Daniel decided to rest and review his progress. He needed his Assimilation Charges back. Pulling up his status screen on the Nexus Interface, he confirmed the regeneration rate: 1 charge recovered per hour. Having used all five – one on his vest, one on the vine (a wasteful experiment), one on Jaxon, one on the Hound, and one on his knife , he was currently at 0/5 charges. He needed to wait at least an hour to use the Talent again.
Status:
Name: Daniel Vance
Level: 0 (15/50 EXP)
Talent: Nexus Assimilation (SSS-Grade)
Attributes: