The next morning, Lucas returned to the fallen Husk-Brute. He had risked going back in the pre-dawn gloom, ensuring no one else was around. The colossal creature still lay there, a gruesome pile of flesh and bone. Lucas pressed his palm against its shattered armor.
A wave of information, more powerful than any memory before, flooded his mind. Lucas gritted his teeth, enduring a pounding headache, feeling as if a thousand images and emotions were forced into his brain at once. He saw dark, sprawling halls deep underground where enormous Husk-Brutes hibernated. He felt the destructive power latent in every muscle, the solidity of the bone armor, and a primal, unyielding instinct for destruction.
When Lucas pulled his hand away, he gasped for breath. The star-shaped scar on his palm glowed brighter than ever, a deep, almost black green. He felt a profound shift within him. Not agility or heightened senses, but a new feeling of sustained strength. His body seemed slightly more solid, and a raw, untamed energy surged through his veins. It wasn't the strength to punch through walls, but a better endurance, a sturdy foundation for other abilities.
He also received a vague, recurring image within the Husk-Brute's memory: a mysterious purplish-blue light leading deep underground, a place even the Husk-Brute felt a primal pull towards. It was an ancient Rift Point, far deeper and more stable than the one he had just witnessed. And it emitted a "signal" that the Husk-Brute, somehow, was drawn to. Lucas believed that place might contain more powerful Obsidian Shards.
With his new strength and a clearer objective, Lucas decided it was time to venture into a new area: the Abandoned Underground Mine. This was a notoriously dangerous zone, rumored to harbor enigmatic Abyssal Creatures and untouched ancient technology. Regular Scavengers steered clear of this place, but Lucas, with his new abilities, saw an opportunity.
He spent the next few days preparing, gathering more valuable scraps to trade for better food and equipment. He bought a stronger flashlight, a climbing rope, and a sharper knife. He also tried to keep his distance from other Scavengers, knowing that his change might easily be noticed.
However, news of "the lucky Scavenger" who suddenly became "as agile as a monster" had begun to spread among the Scavenger community. Especially after the incident with Iron Jaw Jeb, suspicion started to fester.
"That kid... I saw him run from Jeb," one Scavenger whispered. "He's not like any Scavenger I've ever known."
"He even took down a Spine-Crawler with just a dull knife," another added, embellishing the tale.
Curiosity quickly turned into envy and suspicion. In this harsh environment, anyone with an unexplained advantage was seen as either a threat or someone holding something worth taking. Rumors about "Lucas's secret" grew stronger.
And then, as Lucas prepared to enter the Abandoned Mine area, he encountered another group of Scavengers. This time, it wasn't Iron Jaw Jeb. These were new, unfamiliar faces, but their eyes were cold and calculating. They seemed stronger, better equipped than Jeb's crew, and more organized.
"You're Lucas, aren't you?" asked a tall man with braided hair and a lightning-bolt scar across his face. He was known as Lightning Hunter, a notoriously ruthless and greedy individual.
Lucas stopped, his guard instantly up. The Husk-Brute's senses helped him feel the raw strength of these individuals, along with their experience in hunting not just monsters but other humans.
"I don't know who you're talking about," Lucas replied, trying to keep his voice as calm as possible.
Lightning Hunter sneered. "Don't play dumb, kid. You've suddenly gotten strangely lucky. You can move like a monster, and you escaped Jeb without a scratch. Word gets around." He pulled out a rusted steel battle-axe. "Hand over your 'secret.' Whether it's a rare crystal or some hidden skill. Or you won't live to enjoy your 'luck' any longer."
Surrounding Lucas were five other Scavengers, each carrying crude but dangerous weapons. Lucas stared into Lightning Hunter's greedy eyes. He knew he was cornered. He couldn't easily escape as he had before.
He had become adept at hunting monsters with his intellect, but these were humans. Humans were far more dangerous, for they could think, they could deceive, and they craved power more than any Abyssal Creature.
Lucas gripped his knife. His quest for more powerful Obsidian Shards would have to wait. Now, he had to survive this hunt.