The surge of power from reaching Level 4, and the subsequent full restoration of his Draconic Energy Reserves, left Kai feeling more potent than ever before. The new System functions – "Draconic Art Specialization" and "Advanced Anima Affinity Perk" – promised even greater control and development. He spent the immediate aftermath of the "Silent Packet" operation secluded in his private quarters within Sub-Station Epsilon, meticulously examining these new pathways. His Anima Affinity was now a significant 12, a threshold that had clearly unlocked deeper aspects of his Draconic Power Source.
He first focused on the "Advanced Anima Affinity Perk (Tier 1)." The System presented three options, each a passive enhancement tied to his draconic nature: "Wyrm-Sight," "Primal Resilience," and "Dragon's Menace." "Wyrm-Sight," with its promise of perceiving Anima/Energy flows and enhanced tracking, felt like an invaluable tool for both his Umbra persona and his role as leader. Understanding the energies around him, seeing the unseen, could mean the difference between life and death in the treacherous world of Veridia City. "Primal Resilience" was tempting, offering better regeneration and resistance to toxins or Anima-draining effects – crucial given his often-precarious Draconic Energy levels. "Dragon's Menace" would amplify his "Draconic Presence," making his intimidation more potent.
After careful consideration, the utility of enhanced perception won out. 'System, select Anima Affinity Perk: Wyrm-Sight (Passive).' [ADVANCED ANIMA AFFINITY PERK (TIER 1) SELECTED: WYRM-SIGHT (PASSIVE).] [Wyrm-Sight (Passive – Rank 1): Conduit now possesses a rudimentary ability to perceive active Anima/Energy flows in living beings and highly energized technological devices within a 10-meter radius. Tracking of targets by their residual energy signatures (up to 1 hour old) is now possible with focused concentration. Detection of concealed or energetically cloaked entities (Low-Tier) moderately improved. This ability is always active but requires conscious focus for detailed analysis.] A subtle shift occurred in Kai's vision. The world didn't look different, not immediately, but when he focused, he could perceive a faint, almost ethereal aura around living things – the dim glow of his own hand, the slightly brighter, more complex energy signature of a mutated sump-rat skittering in a distant, sealed conduit he could now faintly sense through the wall. He looked towards the control room, and even through several layers of plasteel, he could discern the faint, distinct energy patterns of Roric, Shift, and Breaker. It was like gaining a new sense, overwhelming at first, but undeniably powerful.
Next was the "Draconic Art Specialization (Tier 1)." The System allowed him to choose one of his currently known Tier 1 Draconic Arts and specialize it down one of two distinct evolutionary paths. He had "Draconic Presence," "Dermal Plating Manifestation," "Shadow-Coil Strike," "Claws of the Shadow Drake," "Tail Sweep," and "Draconic Roar." He considered "Shadow-Coil Strike." The System offered:
Path of Deception: Focuses on enhancing the misdirection and shadow manipulation aspects of the strike, making it harder to predict and potentially causing temporary sensory confusion in the target.
Path of Impact: Focuses on increasing the raw kinetic force and Anima energy damage of the strike, sacrificing some subtlety for greater destructive power.
The "Path of Deception" appealed more to his Umbra persona and his preference for ending fights quickly and efficiently, often through surprise. 'System, select Draconic Art Specialization for Shadow-Coil Strike: Path of Deception (Tier 1).'[DRACONIC ART SPECIALIZATION SELECTED: SHADOW-COIL STRIKE – PATH OF DECEPTION (TIER 1).] [Shadow-Coil Strike (Rank 1 – Path of Deception): Misdirection effect significantly enhanced. Shadowy aura now actively distorts visual perception of striking limb's speed and trajectory. Chance on successful strike to inflict 'Disorient (Minor)' status effect (target's Perception and Agility temporarily reduced by 1 point for 5 seconds). Anima Energy Cost: Unchanged. Cooldown: Unchanged.]He could feel the subtle shift in his understanding of the Art, new pathways of energy manipulation opening up in his mind.
He still had his 3 undistributed attribute points from reaching Level 4, and the 1 skill point. He decided to invest the attribute points into further bolstering his core draconic nature and his mental acuity. 'System, allocate 2 attribute points to Draconic Affinity. Allocate 1 attribute point to Cognition.' [ATTRIBUTE POINTS ALLOCATED. DRACONIC AFFINITY INCREASED. COGNITION INCREASED.] [New Draconic Affinity: 14. New Cognition: 10.] His Draconic Affinity was now 14. The power within him felt even more responsive, the connection deeper. His thoughts felt clearer, his ability to process the System's information and the complexities of their situation enhanced. He held onto the skill point for now, waiting to see what new Arts might become available or which existing one would benefit most from an upgrade after he'd field-tested his new specializations.
While Kai was immersed in his System upgrades, the rest of The Ember Knights were not idle. Roric, with Elara's remote assistance, began a meticulous analysis of the Cerberus data-core Kai had retrieved from Silkworm Vane. It was heavily encrypted, but Elara, with her prodigious talent, believed she could crack it, given time. "This isn't just financial ledgers, Roric," her holographic image reported, her young face alight with intellectual excitement. "The core's directory structure hints at operational plans, informant networks, even encrypted communications between Cerberus captains. This is a goldmine, if we can get through the BlackIce security."
Shift, using the less sensitive financial data from the ledgers Kai had acquired from Outpost Kestrel, began discreetly siphoning small, untraceable amounts of credits from Cerberus's more vulnerable slush funds, slowly building The Ember Knights' operational capital. Breaker, meanwhile, continued to oversee Epsilon's fortification, his D-Grade Gorgon Anima slowly recovering, allowing him to manage more of the heavy labor himself. He also started basic combat drills with the few Old Republic maintenance drones Shift had managed to partially reprogram for security patrols, their movements still clumsy but their presence adding another layer to Epsilon's defenses.
Days passed in this state of tense preparation and quiet anticipation. Kai continued his training with Lyra, focusing now on integrating his new "Wyrm-Sight" into his awareness, learning to filter the overwhelming flow of energy signatures, to pick out the subtle tells of hidden watchers or concealed devices. His control over his "Shadow-Coil Strike (Path of Deception)" also improved dramatically with practice against the drones, the shadowy misdirection becoming almost impossible for their sensors to track accurately.
His Umbra hunts became less frequent, but more targeted. With his "Wyrm-Sight," he could now identify individuals with slightly more potent "Vital Essence" – not MODs, but perhaps gangers with latent, unexpressed Anima potential, or those who regularly used combat stimulants that left a distinct energy residue. These "Tier 1.5" sustenance sources, as the System classified them, provided better energy restoration and slightly more EXP, though the moral cost still weighed heavily on him. His Draconic Energy Reserves were easier to maintain now, usually staying above 80%.
The only point of contact that remained silent was Whisper. The encrypted beacon on the data-core Kai had left for her remained inactive. "She's either being exceptionally cautious, or she's decided the risk isn't worth the reward," Roric commented one evening, his gaze fixed on the beacon's status on the holo-display. "Or, Cerberus got to her first." The last possibility sent a chill through Kai. Whisper, for all her reputed skill, was still a solo operative. "We give her two more days," Roric decided. "If there's no contact by then, we assume the lead is dead, and we focus on leveraging the Cerberus ledgers ourselves." The vigil for Whisper's signal continued, a silent, uncertain thread in the complex, dangerous web The Ember Knights were beginning to weave.