Chapter 13: Nest Raider!
The clearing fell silent, except for the faint, rhythmic pulsing that emanated from the cluster of egg-like sacs nestled at the base of the towering tree.
Daniel stood amidst the rapidly cooling corpses of the three Shadowscale Raptors, the raw power of his [Kinetic Hammer] still thrumming faintly in his fist.
The efficiency of the kill, the sheer destructive force he now commanded, sent a wave of satisfaction through him.
This was progress. This was survival turning into dominance, at least against these lower-tier threats.
But efficiency demanded follow-through. The EXP was banked, pushing him past the halfway mark to Level 2, but the true value lay in the assimilation.
He knelt beside the first Raptor corpse, the one he had obliterated with the initial [Kinetic Hammer] strike.
Focusing his intent, he activated [Nexus Assimilation].
A wave of dark, reptilian energy, infused with predatory instinct and surprising agility, flowed into him.
It felt sleek, fast, fundamentally different from the brute force of the Constrictors or the primal fury of the Hound.
[Soul Assimilation successful on Creature: Shadowscale Raptor (Level 2).]
[Gain: Strength +5]