Daniel focused on the tiny, trembling shadow wolf pup nestled in his arms. Nyx.
The name felt right. He checked the familiar bond interface again, the Nexus providing a clear readout, just like checking his own status.
[Familiar: Nyx]
Level: 1
Potential: B-Grade (Can be increased through specific resources/evolution – Seek compatible elemental essences or unique soul fragments)
Attributes:
Strength: 3
Vitality: 4
Agility: 5
Spirit: 6 (Latent Soulfire Affinity)
Talent: Latent Shadow Affinity (Unawakened, Requires exposure to significant shadow energy or compatible soul assimilation)
Skills: None (Basic Bite, Whimper)
Loyalty: 85/100 (Imprinted. Sees you as Alpha/Parent figure. Will likely chew on your boots.)
Daniel almost snorted at the last note. Will likely chew on your boots.
Thanks, Nexus Interface, very helpful. B-grade potential was decent, though.
Better than many recruits' awakened Talents. And the note about increasing potential was intriguing.
Could he use [Soul Assimilation] on Nyx? Feed her essences? Another avenue for his SSS-talent to explore later.
For now, she was a small, somewhat fragile companion, currently more likely to trip him than savage his enemies.
He gently tucked Nyx into a specially formed pouch inside his torn fatigues, where she curled up instantly, radiating a faint, comforting warmth despite her Soulfire lineage.
With the Ossuary looted, the boss defeated, a Class Certificate secured, and a new puppy acquired (a demon puppy, but still), it was time to leave.
The cold stillness of the cave felt oppressive now that the thrill of discovery and combat had faded.
He retraced his steps, the silence broken only by the faint, distant echo of chaos from the ongoing Purge outside.
As he neared the grotto entrance, his enhanced [Aura Sense+] picked up the lingering signatures of the survivors huddled at the emergency rally points.
The raw panic had subsided slightly, replaced by exhaustion, grief, and simmering fear. He could almost taste their relief, fragile as it was.
He moved through the treeline bordering the rally zone, remaining unseen thanks to [Ghoststeps+].
He saw them, clumps of grey uniforms, some nursing wounds, others staring blankly, the horror of the Purge etched onto their faces. A few familiar figures stood out.
Seraphina Bellweather looked pale but composed, her B-grade [Precognitive Glimpse] likely having saved her skin and perhaps a few others.
He saw Darius Holt arguing quietly with another recruit, likely debating their next move.
Then he overheard snippets of conversation carried on the wind, confirming their earlier assumptions about him.
"...never saw Vance make it back. Guess the Purge got him?"
"Probably. Went off solo, didn't he? Arrogant fool. Or maybe just useless.
That high Flux score must have been a fluke."
"Shame. Seemed tough, but this Verge… it eats everyone eventually."
"Good riddance, maybe. Less competition for resources if he did have something useful."
Daniel allowed himself a small, grim smile. Let them mourn the 'fallen' Daniel Vance.
Their underestimation was his greatest asset.
While they huddled, counting their losses and meager gains, he had navigated the heart of the chaos, plundered a tomb, defeated a Level 5 Elite, gained a Class, and adopted its offspring.
Their definition of 'progress' felt pitifully small compared to the path [Soul Assimilation] offered.
Just as he decided to melt back into the deeper jungle and wait for the official all-clear, the Nexus Interface flared brightly on every survivor's arm, including his own.
A klaxon, less panicked this time, more official, echoed in their minds.
[Emergency Broadcast Ceased. Purge Wave Receding.]
[Assessment Phase One Concluded. Calculating Final Kill Scores and Survivor Status.]
[Warning: Significant Casualties Detected. Proceed with Caution.]
[All Qualifying Aspirants: Prepare for Immediate Phase Transition. Standby for Coordinated Teleportation.]
A collective sigh of relief swept through the rally points. It was over. Phase One, the brutal introduction, was done.
But the mention of 'qualifying aspirants' sent a fresh wave of anxiety through the crowd. Who had made it? Had they reached Level 2 in the chaos? Had they killed enough?
Before anyone could speculate further, shimmering distortions began to form in the air above the rally points.
Not the chaotic swirl of the Gateway Arch, but cleaner, more defined portals of pulsing blue energy, humming with contained power.
One formed directly above Daniel's hidden position.
[Teleportation Coordinates Locked. Initiating Transport to Inter-Zone Platform Alpha.]
Daniel braced himself. He felt a familiar pulling sensation, less violent than entering the Verge, more like being smoothly drawn through compressed space.
The vibrant jungle dissolved around him, replaced by a brief, disorienting transit through swirling non-space.
Then, solidity returned beneath his feet. He found himself standing on a vast, floating platform composed of the same obsidian-like material as the Gateway Arch.
It hung suspended in a pocket dimension, the sky above wasn't the nebula-filled expanse of the Verge, but a calm, neutral grey void.
Structures dotted the platform, simple, functional buildings, designated rest areas, and what looked like training fields. This was clearly a safe zone, a hub.
Other portals shimmered into existence across the platform, depositing bewildered, battered groups of recruits.
Relief washed over their faces as they recognized the relatively safe environment. Maybe two hundred survivors? Less than half of those who entered? The Purge had been brutal.
Figures Daniel recognized from his initial cohort appeared, Seraphina, Darius, the pink-haired girl with [Stone Skin], the lanky boy with [Night Vision].
They looked exhausted but alive. They began gathering in small groups, murmuring, comparing notes, tending to wounds using basic med-kits or the rare healing Talent.
The Nexus Interface flared again, displaying the final assessment rankings for Phase One.
[Phase One Assessment Rankings (Provisional):]
Seraphina Bellweather (Assisted Kills: 48, Personal Kills: 3, Level: 1) - Score: 114
Darius Holt (Assisted Kills: 35, Personal Kills: 8, Level: 1) - Score: 95
Eliza Martin (Assisted Kills: 29, Personal Kills: 5, Level: 1) - Score: 73
...
[Ranking calculation based on monitored kills within designated Assessment Zone during Phase One operational window.]
Seraphina was indeed Rank 1 based on the monitored kills.
Her B-grade Talent was clearly invaluable for coordinated takedowns. Darius and Eliza, likely her core teammates, followed closely.
Daniel scanned the list for his own name. He wasn't even on the first page. He chuckled softly.
According to the official record, he was probably ranked near the bottom, having registered zero kills after leaving the initial landing zone.
He saw a few recruits glance his way, recognizing him. Their expressions shifted from surprise at seeing him alive to pity or scorn.
"Vance? You actually made it?" one called out, incredulous. "Thought you bought it for sure. How'd you hide?"
"Look at him, not even Level 1 probably," another sneered quietly to their friend. "Waste of a spot."
Daniel just leaned against a low wall, ignoring them, gently stroking Nyx through the fabric of his pouch.
Let them think what they wanted. The system hadn't accounted for his off-the-books excursion into the Ossuary.
Then, the Nexus Interface rankings flickered. A new notification pulsed urgently.
[Recalculating Rankings... Unmonitored High-Threat Eliminations Detected... Integrating Purge Phase Data...]
[Anomaly Detected: Significant EXP and High-Level Entity Kill Data Received from Unit Designation: Daniel Vance.]
[Finalizing Phase One Comprehensive Rankings...]
A wave of confusion spread through the platform. "Recalculating?" "Unmonitored kills?" "What's going on?"
The ranking list vanished, replaced by a loading bar that filled rapidly. Then, the final list slammed into view, the order drastically reshuffled.
[Phase One Assessment Rankings (FINAL - Comprehensive):]
Daniel Vance (Personal Kills: 1 Lvl 5 Elite, 1 Lvl 3 Alpha, 15 Lvl 2 Variants/Creatures, 5 Lvl 1 Creatures. Assisted Kills: 0. Level: 2) - Score: 895
Seraphina Bellweather (Assisted Kills: 48, Personal Kills: 3, Level: 1) - Score: 114
Darius Holt (Assisted Kills: 35, Personal Kills: 8, Level: 1) - Score: 95
Eliza Martin (Assisted Kills: 29, Personal Kills: 5, Level: 1) - Score: 73
...
Silence descended upon Platform Alpha. Utter, stunned silence. Every eye swiveled towards Daniel, who was still casually leaning against the wall, looking mildly interested in the updated list.
His score wasn't just first; it was nearly eight times higher than the runner-up.
The listed kills, Level 5 Elite? Level 3 Alpha? Fifteen Level 2s? It sounded utterly impossible for a recruit in the first few hours.
The "Level 2" next to his name hammered the point home. He hadn't just survived; he had thrived in a way no one could comprehend.
The pity and scorn vanished from the onlookers' faces, replaced by wide-eyed disbelief, awe, and a healthy dose of fear.
The 'salted fish' they'd dismissed was, apparently, a hidden leviathan.
Daniel just offered a polite, noncommittal nod to the stunned crowd, feeling Nyx stir curiously in her pouch.
This was going to make staying low-profile significantly harder.