novelraw Chapter 75: Salted Fish
Chapter 75: Salted Fish
Daniel stood there for a moment, just breathing, because his lungs felt like they were on fire.
The massive wreckage of the Omega Hub Guardian was right in front of him, and it was calling to him. This was a Level 7 Peak Elite monster. It was the strongest thing he had ever killed, and its essence was waiting to be taken.
Adrenaline was the only thing keeping him conscious now, so he forced his trembling legs to move. He stumbled toward the central mass of the construct where the core used to be.
He climbed over the metal plates, slipping once on the smooth surface, but he caught himself with his good hand.
He reached the center of the wreckage.
He placed his hand on the warm, vibrating metal. He closed his eyes and focused his mind.
The reaction was instant and violent.
A flood of raw, golden power surged from the machine and slammed into Daniel’s body. It felt like he had grabbed a lightning bolt with his bare hand. Daniel gasped, arching his back as the energy roared through his veins. It was painful, but it was also amazing.
He felt his muscles knitting together, becoming denser and harder than steel. He felt his broken bones snapping back into place, healed by the overwhelming surge of vitality.
The power didn’t just heal him, it changed him.
It pushed his stats to new heights that no other student in the academy could even imagine. A series of bright blue notifications flashed on his Databand, scrolling fast as the system tried to keep up with his growth.
[Soul Assimilation successful on Apex Construct: Omega Hub Guardian (Level 7 Peak Elite)!]
[Gain: Strength +25]
[Gain: Vitality +22]
[Gain: Spirit +23]
[Gain: Adaptability +21]
[Assimilation Charges Consumed (14/15 Remaining).]
Daniel stared at the numbers in shock, but the rewards were not done yet. The golden light swirled around his mind, unlocking new secrets and upgrading his abilities.
[Skill Enhanced: Forceburst upgraded to Kinetic Overdrive (B-Grade)!]
[Skill Description: You have mastered the flow of impact. You can now store kinetic energy in your body over time and release it in devastating, multi-hit combos or a single, area-wiping blast. Your physical attacks now carry a permanent kinetic charge.]
[New Skill Acquired: Omega Barrier (A-Grade)!]
[Skill Description: The ultimate defense of the Hub Guardian. Creates a multi-layered shield that adapts to incoming damage. It can withstand heavy bombardment and reflects 20% of energy damage back to the attacker.]
Daniel looked at his hand. His skin seemed to glow faintly for a second before fading back to normal.
"A-Grade," he whispered, a smile touching his lips. He finally had an A-Grade skill. He looked down at the wreckage again. There was one last thing. Sitting in the middle of the dust was a small, grey object.
It wasn’t glowing anymore. It was the core of the machine, but it was inert now. He picked it up.
[Item Acquired: Inert Omega Core Fragment.]
[Description: A dense piece of high-tech machinery. It has no power left, but the material is incredibly durable and conductive. Could be used for crafting.]
Daniel put the fragment into his Voidpocket. He stood up and stretched his arms. His left arm, which had been crushed just minutes ago, moved perfectly.
There was no pain, only strength.
He checked his status one last time. He had leveled up from the fight, too.
He was now Level 6. He was equal to or greater than the top rankers like Sansa and John, but his stats were probably double theirs because of his assimilation talent.
"Time to finish this," Daniel said. He turned his gaze toward the central console. The room was silent now that the Guardian was dead.
Daniel walked toward the console. His boots made loud, confident sounds on the metal floor. He reached the control panel. It was flashing with red lights, waiting for input.
"Initiate System Purge," Daniel read the command on the screen. He didn’t hesitate, he reached out and pressed the large, holographic button in the center.
BEEP!
The red lights turned blue. A deep hum started deep beneath the floor, vibrating through the soles of his boots.
[System Purge Protocol Initiated.]
[Verge Restructuring Commenced.]
[Extraction Portal Generating...]
The room began to shake. The walls seemed to ripple like water.
"Time to go," Daniel thought. He expected a door to open, or something less dramatic. Instead, the floor beneath him simply disappeared .
"Whoa!" Daniel yelled as he fell into darkness.
A blue light wrapped around him, pulling him through space. It was a teleportation beam, just like the one that brought him here.
The world spun around him as the colors blurred and shifted.
THUMP!
Daniel landed on soft dirt. He rolled forward to break his fall and sprang to his feet, ready to fight.
He looked around. He wasn’t in the Red Keep anymore. He was in a dense jungle.
Tall trees with purple leaves blocked out the sky, and thick vines hung down like snakes.
The air smelled like rain had just fallen after a long while.
"The Jungle Zone," Daniel realized. He checked his map. He was miles away from the Keep. The teleportation had thrown him to the edge of the safe zone.
He looked at his Databand.
[Time Remaining: 15 Hours, 15 Minutes.]
"I have fifteen hours," Daniel muttered. He was exhausted. Even though his body was healed, his mind was tired from the intense focus of the battle.
He needed to rest for just a moment before the extraction portal opened.
He saw a large tree nearby. It was crystalline, with bark that looked like diamonds. It was beautiful and provided good cover. Daniel climbed up into the branches.
He activated [Shadowsteps] to stay quiet and blended into the leaves. He sat on a thick branch and leaned back.
He closed his eyes, listening to the sounds of the jungle. Below him, footsteps crunched on the dry leaves. Daniel froze.
He did not open his eyes, but he activated [Omnivision]. Two signatures walked below. They were aspirants.
They wore grey uniforms that were dirty and torn, stained with the green blood of insects.
"Did you see how that Crimson Beetle popped?" the tall boy with a spear bragged, wiping sweat from his forehead. "I crushed its shell in one hit."
"Lucky hit," the shorter one replied, adjusting his shield. "I was the one who distracted it. If I hadn’t bashed it with my shield, it would have taken your leg off."
They stopped near the crystalline tree to drink water. The tall boy tilted his head back to drain his flask, and his gaze wandered up into the branches.
He froze. He squinted, trying to see through the purple leaves.
"Hey," he nudged his friend. "Look up there. On that big branch." The shorter boy looked up. "Is that... a person?"
"That’s Daniel Rivers," the tall boy said, his voice dropping to a whisper. "You know, the guy who took the sixth position in the first phase rankings."
The shorter boy scoffed. He looked at Daniel, who appeared to be fast asleep, his head resting peacefully against the rough bark of the tree.
"Him? The Rank 6?" The short boy laughed, a mean, mocking sound.
"Look at him. He’s sleeping."
"He is hiding," the tall boy corrected, shaking his head in disgust. "We are down here fighting for our lives, grinding for EXP, and he is up there taking a nap. What a salted fish."
"Totally useless," the short boy sneered. "He probably just got lucky in the first phase. Maybe he stole kills or hid until the end. Now look at him. He is just preserving himself, waiting for the timer to run out so he can go home."
"A weakling hiding to survive," the tall boy agreed. "Let’s go. Looking at him makes me sick."
Daniel heard every word. He wasn’t entirely sleeping. His senses were wide open, and he could hear the contempt dripping from their voices.
He could drop on them in a second. He could activate [Kinetic Overdrive] and turn them into paste before they could even blink. He could show them exactly why he was Rank 6. But he didn’t even react.
He kept his breathing slow and steady, maintaining the illusion. A small smile played on his lips, hidden by the shadows of the leaves.
"Salted Fish," Daniel thought. "Let them think that." He allowed them their ignorance because it was a shield. If they thought he was weak, they wouldn’t try to stab him in the back like Bran did.
"Let them talk," Daniel whispered to himself as the footsteps faded into the distance. "I know what I am."
He enjoyed the peace. The jungle was quiet, except for the distant cry of a bird. But the peace did not last.
WAAAAAAOOOOOO!
A piercing sound shattered the calm. It was a siren. It sounded like an air raid klaxon, loud and terrifying.
It resonated through the entire jungle, shaking the leaves off the trees. The two recruits below screamed and covered their ears.
Daniel’s eyes snapped open. He looked at his Databand. The blue light turned flashing red.
"Attention, Aspirants!" The voice was Instructor Baldwin, but she didn’t sound calm. She sounded urgent.
"We have an unscheduled event. Defense Purge Protocol has been activated." Daniel frowned. "Unscheduled?"
That wasn’t good.