Following Sophie's lead, the team continued their journey, entering a forest teeming with strange pulsating plants.
They didn't run the way others did, instead they proceeded with pace that expressed strong determination rather than nervousness.
The air felt heavy, filled with the scent of eet earth. Every rustling leaf and snapping twig seemed amplified in the stillness.
They journeyed for what felt like endless hours. The initial excitement of stepping into the Vale gradually gave way to a growing feeling of unease.
The forest was beautiful, but it was a lethal beauty, like that of a venomous flower.
"Hold " Sophie's voice was a sharp whisper.
She remained still, her body crouched low to the ground. She reached out a finger toward a small clearing ahead. "Target."
Daniel and the others knelt down gazing through the pulsating plants.
In the middle of the clearing, a creature sprouted from a glowing root.
Its size was comparable to a dog, with six delicate thin legs and a scaled body resembling that of a reptile.
Its head was narrow and threatening, its mouth filled with sharp fangs that dripped a green fluid onto the silver blades of grass.
Daniel focused his gaze, and his Databand immediately scanned the creature.
[Glimmerfang Crawler - Level 1]
Stats: Moderate Strength, Moderate Vitality, High Agility.
Threat Assessment: Pack hunter, venomous bite. A solitary individual poses a manageable threat.
"One, among them " Ragnar snarled, his voice low. "Sophie, what do your eyes tell you?"
Sophie's eyes appeared to glow with a faint inner light as she activated her talent.
"Its skin is tough, but there is a soft spot. A bunch of nerve endings located beneath its left foreleg.
A powerful strike should paralyze it, but It's fast. We'll only get one shot at this."
Daniel nodded, the plan forming instantly in his mind.
"Alright, here's the strategy. Ragnar you lead. Create a commotion. Draw its attention."
A savage smile spread over Ragnars face. "That's my specialty."
"Sophie " Daniel went on, "hold off until Ragnar attacks. Once it focused on him, you move in for the weak spot.
Bran, you stick with me. Watch over Sophie carefully. If she gets into trouble, use your defense to shield her. Understood?"
Bran took a breath, his fingers gripping a rock tightly. "Got it."
"Let's do this, " Daniel said, his voice dropping into a growl. "On my mark."
He stopped for a beat, watching the Crawler tear off another chunk from the glowing root. "Now!"
With a roar that ripped through the silent forest, Ragnar burst from the underbrush. "Hey, ugly! Dinner's over!"
The Glimmerfang Crawler's head snapped up, its reptile- eyes fixed on the charging giant.
BOOOM!
It released a piercing shriek and lunged, a flash of glistening scales and green poison.
"Stoneskin!" Ragnar shouted. A surge of energy enveloped him, as his skin began to toughen into a rough rock-like surface.
SKREEECH!
The Crawler's fangs clashed against his forearm with a metallic scraping sound, like metal grinding on stone.
The fangs slid off harmlessly, unable to penetrate his hardened skin.
The creature hissed in frustration, its venomous drool sizzling on Ragnar's stone skin.
While the Crawler was entirely focused on the unbreakable wall that Ragnar was, Sophie burst out from her hiding spot.
She moved like a shadow, her feet barely touching the ground as she closed the distance.
Her eyes glowed gently, locked on her target.
However, the Crawler was faster than they anticipated.
As it pulled back from Ragnar, its strong tail swung in a vicious arc, taking Sophie off guard.
She tried to leap but the tail caught her leg. It sent her sprawling into the dirt.
The creature noticed its opportunity. It spun with its jaws agape as it lunged toward the collapsed Sophie.
"Bran, now!" Daniel yelled.
Bran's look was a conflict, caught between fear and duty. For a terrifying second, he froze. Then seeing Sophie in danger something awakened inside him.
"Get away from her!" he shouted, as a subtle glow surrounded Sophie's body the moment the Crawler's fangs lunged for her throat.
The fangs hit the magical shield. The force of the blow sent Sophie backwards but saved her from the venomous bite.
The Crawler shrieked in anger, enraged by the resistance.
It ignored the girl who had collapsed and redirected its attention again to Ragnar, preparing for another charge.
This was the moment. The chaos Daniel had been waiting for.
"My turn, " he muttered under his breath. He let out a loud grunt. It was a little bit dramatic for acting's sake, for his team. "Enhance!"
He didn't activate his fake D-Grade talent. Instead, he drew upon a perceptible fraction of the immense power lying inactive inside his soul.
A surge of fierce potent energy flooded his muscles overwhelming them completely.
Daniel propelled himself ahead with a speed that seemed almost impossible.
As the Crawler readied itself to jump at Ragnar, Daniel burst out from behind the trunk of a tree, using it as a springboard.
He launched himself intot the air, twisting his body in a gravity-defying coil.
BOOM!
His heel struck the side of the Glimmerfang Crawlers skull in a fierce, flawlessly performed kick.
The impact was sickening, a wet, explosive crunch that resonated through the clearing.
The creature's head snapped to the side at an unnatural angle.
It didn't get the chance to cry out. Its body fell to the ground, its legs twitching for a moment before going still.
A profound silence descended, broken only by the panting of his teammates.
[You have slain: Glimmerfang Crawler (Level 1)]
[EXP Gained: 12 EXP]
[Level 0: 12/50]
The notification flashed on his Databand, a secret victory only he could see.
Ragnar gaped, his mouth hanging open as the Stoneskin effect faded from his skin. Sophie pushed herself up, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"Holy…" Ragnar finally breathed out. "That 'Attribute Enhancement' you have… it packs one hell or a punch."
Daniel landed softly, exaggerating a stumble as if he were recovering from the exertion.
"I told you," he gasped, exaggerating exhaustion. "It's just a short burst. But it gets the job done."
He walked over to the corpse, his heart pounding in his chest.
The lie was effective, but the need to understand the full scope of his strength was an intense desire.
He then squatted beside the Crawler, pretending to inspect its fangs.
"Be careful " Sophie warned, her voice still a bit shaky. "The venom might still be active."
"Just trying to see what we dealt with, " Daniel said, turning his back to them.
Under the cover of his body, he focused his mind, his will, voicing a wordless command.
A chilling, thrilling surge of power streamed from the dead creature into him.
It was a phantom sensation, unseen by others, yet to him, it felt lik drinking from a cool spring on a very sunny afternoon.
It was the creature's life force, its strength, its very essenc, becoming a part of him.
A new set of notifications, brighter and more important than the last illuminated his Databand.
[Soul Assimilation successful on Creature: Glimmerfang Crawler (Level 1)]
[Gain: Strength +10]
[Gain: Vitality +10]
[Gain: Agility +10]
[Assimilation Charges Consumed (9/10 Remaining).]
He noticed a transformation. His muscles felt tougher his body more robust with energy circulating through his veins.
Ragnar smacked him on the back, nearly forcing him to faceplant onto the floor. "Great job, Daniel! You truly saved Sophie's ass back there!"
Daniel forced a weak smile as he stood up. "We all did. That was good teamwork."
He looked at his friends, at their relieved, trusting faces. Guilt began to creep in.
He had experienced power for the very first time, a power far beyond anything they could possibly understand.
And he knew with certainty that this was only the beginning.