The surge of power from reaching Level 2 was intoxicating. It wasn't just the statistical increase reflected on his Nexus Interface; it was a tangible feeling, a deepening connection to the strange energies of the Astral Verge.
Fatigue melted away, replaced by a humming vitality. Daniel felt coiled, ready.
His Strength (57.1), Vitality (59), and Agility (92.3) were leagues beyond any baseline human, likely surpassing many C-grade Awakened already.
His SSS-Talent, [Soul Assimilation], pulsed with potential, its charge limit increased to a comfortable 15.
He remained concealed within the dense, shimmering foliage, allowing his enhanced senses, particularly the passive hum of [Aura Sense], to map the immediate surroundings.
He could feel the frantic, fearful energy signatures of other recruits moving through the jungle nearby.
Some were returning to designated rally points, battered and bruised, recounting harrowing encounters with Level 1 and 2 creatures.
Others were still pushing deeper, driven by the kill score competition or simple desperation.
As dusk began to paint the nebula-strewn sky in deeper shades of purple and indigo, Daniel watched a small group of recruits stumble back towards the general direction of the initial landing zone.
They were covered in grime and minor wounds, their F-grade gear torn. They passed near his hiding spot, voices hushed but carrying in the still air.
"…saw Vance earlier, just sitting there by those crystal trees. Didn't even look like he'd moved," one muttered, glancing nervously into the shadows.
"Salted fish," another scoffed quietly. "Probably got some useless F-grade Talent like 'Enhanced Taste' and is just hiding, hoping to survive the seven days. No way he's getting Level 2 like that."
"Maybe he already washed out, just waiting for extraction," the first one speculated.
Daniel smirked inwardly. Let them think what they wanted. Their ignorance was his shield.
While they scrambled for meager EXP from lone Hounds or Hoppers, he had faced down packs, assimilated fallen comrades, fused skills, and reached Level 2 with attributes that would likely terrify them.
His path was different, paved with secrets and calculated risks.
Suddenly, a piercing klaxon echoed, not through the air, but directly within every recruit's mind via their Nexus Interface.
It was Instructor Elara Rostova's voice, sharp and urgent.
"All Aspirants, Emergency Broadcast! Unscheduled Event Triggered: Defense Purge Protocol Initiated!"
A collective wave of panic rippled through the nearby signatures Daniel could sense.
Rostova continued, her voice tight. "Sensors detect a massive convergence of hostile life forms, including enhanced variants, designation: Purge Beasts.
Standard containment procedures are insufficient. All recruits are ordered to consolidate at pre-designated emergency rally points immediately!
The kill score assessment is temporarily suspended. Survival is now the primary objective!"
Before the implications could fully sink in, the ground began to tremble. Not the localized shaking from a [Kinetic Hammer] impact, but a deep, resonant vibration that seemed to shake the very fabric of the Verge.
Faint roars and guttural snarls echoed from the distance, growing rapidly louder, converging from multiple directions.
Daniel climbed higher into the colossal crystalline tree, his enhanced Agility allowing him to ascend swiftly and silently.
From his vantage point, he could see flashes of movement through the dense undergrowth, creatures surging through the jungle, their eyes glowing with unnatural intensity.
He saw Crimson Fang Hounds moving alongside Shadowscale Raptors, Stonehide Crushers lumbering forward, and other, unfamiliar shapes, all moving with singular purpose towards the periphery of the designated assessment zone, where the recruits were now scrambling in terror.
Panic erupted below. Teams dissolved as individuals bolted, ignoring Rostova's orders.
The Nexus Interfaces flared to life, displaying a rapidly updating list, not of kill scores, but of casualties.
[ Ren Asakura has Fallen.]
[Toru kisaragu has Fallen.]
[Caius Velnara has Fallen.]
Names scrolled past with horrifying speed.
Daniel watched, detached but alert, as several recruits fleeing near his tree were overwhelmed by glowing-eyed Purge Beasts, faster, stronger variants of the creatures he'd already encountered.
They didn't just kill; they tore their victims apart with brutal efficiency.
But then Daniel noticed something else through [Aura Sense] and his own keen eyesight.
While most Purge Beasts seemed focused on driving recruits towards the designated rally points (or simply eliminating those who fled elsewhere), some of the larger, more powerful Purge Beasts, Level 3 variants, perhaps, were doing something different.
After a kill, they weren't just leaving the bodies.
They were grabbing the corpses, specifically those of the stronger-looking recruits (perhaps sensing higher residual energy or Talent potential?), and dragging them deeper into the jungle, away from the main flow of the Purge, towards a central point radiating a strange, cold energy signature.
A central nest? A larder? An ossuary?
Daniel's mind raced. The main Purge wave was sweeping outwards, creating chaos and death along the perimeter.
But these select few beasts were moving inwards, towards a specific location, carrying valuable resources, Awakened corpses.
This was incredibly dangerous. Venturing into the heart of whatever concentration point the Purge Beasts were using was likely suicide for any normal recruit.
But Daniel wasn't normal. He possessed [Soul Assimilation].
That central point, teeming with the corpses of potentially C, D, or even higher-grade recruits, represented an unprecedented opportunity for growth.
Attributes, skills, EXP, a treasure trove waiting to be harvested, if he could survive reaching it and operating within it.
He had 15 Assimilation charges ready. He had [Ghoststeps+], [Kinetic Hammer], [Stone Resilience], and monstrous attributes.
The risk was immense, but the potential reward was staggering. It could catapult his power far beyond anything achievable by sticking to the chaotic periphery.
Decision made. Ignoring the panicked flight and slaughter unfolding below, Daniel turned his gaze inward, towards the cold, pulsating signature his [Aura Sense] detected deep within the jungle.
He took a steadying breath, activated the enhanced camouflage and noise reduction of [Ghoststeps+], and began to move.
Not downwards, into the fray, but laterally, leaping silently between the massive branches of the alien trees, a shadow navigating the canopy high above the Purge, heading towards the deadly promise of the central ossuary.