The silence pressed down like a physical weight. Bran lay unconscious on the metal floor, curled tight, the green light faded from his eyes.
Ragnar stood with his axe half-raised, stone-grey skin fading to human tone. Confused, brow furrowed.
"Daniel." Ragnar's voice came low, wary. "What in the hell was that?"
Blood filled Daniel's mouth as he swallowed. He knew this moment was coming. He'd bought their survival. Maybe at the cost of their trust.
"We have a problem." Daniel's voice rasped. He pointed at the wall where rain battered the other side. "Waiting for us outside."
"Stop deflecting." Sophie didn't allow him land.
She stepped closer, not aggressive but intense. "You knocked Bran out without touching him. You shouted, he dropped. That isn't 'Attribute Enhancement.' That isn't D-Grade. Explain. Now."
Daniel pulled himself up against a supply crate. He couldn't tell them everything. If he said he could absorb souls, they'd see him as the monster outside.
He needed a half-truth wrapped in enough reality to sell.
"It's my talent. Not just physical enhancement. It… evolved."
"Evolved?" Ragnar crossed his arms.
"It's called [Omnivision]." Daniel kept his voice steady, using the name of the skill he'd stolen but claiming it as his talent.
"Since entering the Vale, my senses have been going haywire. I see life forces. Feel energy. That's how I found the traps. Knew about the tracks."
He gestured at Bran. "When that thing took him, I saw the connection. A thin line of energy tying him to the creature outside. I didn't know if it would work, but I pushed everything at him. Tried to snap the line."
He let out a shaky breath.
"It worked. But I think I fried my brain."
Ragnar looked at Sophie, waiting. She narrowed her eyes. Talents didn't just "evolve" in a few days. She looked at Bran, then the wall.
"You said it's outside?"
"Yeah. A Mindshroud. And it's angry I cut its puppet strings."
Sophie stared at him one more second. Sharp nod. "We survive first. Interrogate later."
Ragnar exhaled hard. "Fine by me. I prefer punching things to ghost stories. How do we kill it?"
Daniel pushed off the crate. The dizziness was fading. Adrenaline rising.
"We can't fight it from in here. It'll batter our minds until we break like Bran. We need to draw out its physical form. Ambush it."
"How?" Ragnar asked. "We can't see the damn thing."
"I can. My [Omnivision] can track it. But it's smart. Won't show itself unless it thinks it has an easy kill."
He looked at his teammates. "I'll go out. I'll be bait."
Ragnar snorted, without humor. "You look like you can barely stay on your feet. Are you sure about being the worm on the hook?"
"I'm the only one who can see it coming. Sophie, you stay here. Watch Bran, make sure he doesn't wake up and stab us. Monitor comms."
He turned to the big man. "Ragnar, hide on the roof structure near the door. When I call it out, hit it with everything. Don't hesitate."
Ragnar cracked his knuckles. A strange smile spread across his face.
Five minutes later, Daniel stepped into the storm.
Acid rain hissed against his D-Grade Deflector Vest, steaming off the treated fabric. Ozone and burning chemicals filled his nose. It was dark.
The twin suns were long gone.
Daniel stepped into the center of the muddy courtyard. Fully exposed. He closed his eyes for a second.
[Skill Active: Omnivision (E-Grade)]
The world shifted. Darkness faded into a grey haze, and the rain became static. There it was, pulsing in the corner of his vision like a dark heart—the monster.
Hovering near the collapsed wall, it blended into the shadows. To the naked eye, it was invisible. To Daniel, it looked like a swirling mass of cold, violet energy.
"It's here," Daniel whispered into comms. "Stay still, Ragnar."
The creature moved. It slid through the air with smooth, unnatural grace. Circling him. Testing him.
It wanted to know if he was alone.
Daniel forced himself to stand his ground. His hands hung loose at his sides. Defenseless.
"Come on," he muttered. "Come and get me, you ugly freak."
Pressure spiked in his head. The creature shrieked. His knees buckled, it was trying to stun him.
BOOOM!
It lunged.
"NOW!" Daniel screamed. "Fifteen meters ahead! To your left!"
Ragnar roared from the shadows. He threw a huge, sharp piece of metal that he had ripped off the wall.
The metal plate spun like a giant shuriken.
THWACK!
It struck nothing, but it touched something wet.
Solid. A terrible gurgling screech shook the night.The camouflage flickered and died.
The Mindshroud revealed itself.
Nightmares made flesh. A floating sac that looked like an exposed brain, with long, transparent tentacles dripping glowing slime.
"I see it!" Ragnar yelled.
He leaped from the roof, [Stoneskin] making him unstoppable. His fist slammed into the creature's body.
BOOM!
The Mindshroud was knocked out of the air, crashing into the mud. It attacked, its tentacles snapping faster than a whip. It wasn't done yet.
CRACK!
One hit Ragnar in the chest and sent him flying into the debris. The creature then turned to Daniel.
A wave of force hit him. Invisible wall slamming his chest. He flew backward as his boots skidded in the mud. His D-Grade vest absorbed impact, glowing faintly as it sent out kinetic energy.
The creature shrieked. Shot two tentacles straight at Daniel's heart.
Daniel grit his teeth. "Not today!"
Daniel quickly activated his skill [Godspeed Rush]. Time slowed down. Rain droplets hung in air.
Tentacles crept forward like spears.
Daniel stepped back and dropped low. He slid through the mud, barely avoiding the snapping tentacles above him.
As he slid, his hand hit the ground hard, launching him upward. His body spun like a corkscrew through the air, and he slammed onto the creature's back.
It bucked and twisted. Psychic screams filled the air, carrying pain and rage.
"Die!" Daniel roared.
He drew his D-Grade Vibro-Knife. The blade hummed. He gripped it with both hands, raised it high and drove it down.
SHLICK!
The blade sank into the creature's core. Daniel twisted and tore through flesh.
The Mindshroud stiffened. A wave of psychic force burst out, knocking Daniel off. He hit the ground, rolled, and pushed himself up. He was out of breathe.
The creature jerked once. Then again. It collapsed into the mud and melted into grey sludge.
Silence returned. Only the rain hissed.
His Databand flashed.
[You have eliminated: Adolescent Mindshroud (Level 3)]
[EXP Gained: 80 EXP]
[+50% High-level Kill bonus: 40 EXP]
[Total EXP Gained: 120 EXP]
[Level 1: 130/250 EXP]
Daniel stared at the notification. He had done it. He wiped the rain from his face and looked at Ragnar.
The big man pulled himself from the rubble, groaning. He shook his head, flinging muddy water everywhere.
"You okay?" Daniel called.
"Feels like I got kicked by a mule." Ragnar rubbed his chest. "But I'm alive. Is it dead?"
"It's dead." Sophie's voice crackled in his ear. "I read zero hostile signatures. Bran is still out, vitals stabilizing. Good work."
Daniel looked down at the melting corpse. Ragnar was walking over. Maybe ten seconds.
He needed that soul.
"Just checking to make sure it doesn't get back up," Daniel shouted.
He knelt in mud, pretending to check the creature. He placed his hand on its slimy flesh.
A cold, refreshing power ran through his veins, chasing away the headache and fatigue. It was like bathing in ice-cold water on a hot day.
[Soul Assimilation successful on Creature: Adolescent Mindshroud (Level 3)]
[Gain: Spirit +25]
[Gain: Strength +20]
[Gain: Agility +20]
[New Skill Gained: Mental Echo (Passive) C-Grade] - Briefly senses hostile intent and surface thoughts within close range. Activates automatically during combat or high stress. Prolonged use causes mental strain and headaches.
[Assimilation Charges Consumed (6/10 Remaining).]
Daniel shuddered as the stats settled in. His mind sharpened, headache vanishing thanks to the Spirit boost.
Ragnar limped over and stopped beside him. He looked down at the remains.
"Ugly bastard, wasn't it?" Ragnar kicked a piece of sludge. He looked at Daniel. For the first time, there was more than just camaraderie.
Respect? Yes! Definitely! But also, a hint of caution.
"That was fancy footwork, Daniel. That call... you nailed its position perfectly."
"We survived." Daniel stood, sheathing his knife. "That's what matters."
Shit was about to go down!