The moment the Dark Echo Node shattered with that satisfying CRACK!, it was like someone had flipped an "off" switch on the Frenzied Anomaly murder party.
The Rage Boar, which had been mid-charge towards where Ryan had been before he blinked to the Node, stumbled to a halt, its massive head swaying.
Its glowing red eyes flickered, then dimmed to a dull, confused orange. It let out a low, bewildered snort, like it had just woken up from a very bad dream and couldn't remember how it got into this creepy cave.
The shadowy Grove Stalker, which had been coiling for another attack, slumped to the ground, its shifting camouflage fading to a more stable, if still dark, pattern. It looked around, dazed and clearly weakened by the poison.
The Distortion Hound just wobbled. Its phasing ability went completely haywire, its form flickering in and out of reality so fast it looked like a badly animated cartoon character. It let out a confused, staticky whine.
The shadowy puppeteer was gone. Its mind-control rock was broken. The party was officially over.
Ryan didn't give them time for a group therapy session to discuss their sudden lack of murderous intent.
They were still dangerous, even if they were confused and poisoned.
"No time for goodbyes!" he panted, and quickly, efficiently, he dispatched the three disoriented and significantly weakened Anomalies.
The Grove Stalker went down with a single, well-aimed thrust. The Distortion Hound, in a moment when it was mostly solid, met a similar fate.
The Rage Boar, even dazed, was tougher, but the poison had taken its toll, and Ryan's enhanced stats and combat experience made the difference.
A few more desperate, scrambling attacks, and the massive beast finally crashed to the ground, its angry snorts fading into silence.
He'd done it. He'd actually survived. He felt like he'd just wrestled a cement mixer full of angry badgers and won. Barely.
His god Interface lit up like a pinball machine on a winning streak.
Anomaly Defeated: Rage Boar [ Level 2, Dark Echo Infused ] – +180 god Points [ Np ]!
Anomaly Defeated: Grove Stalker [Level 2, Dark Echo Infused ] – +160 god Points [ Np ]!
Anomaly Defeated: Distortion Hound [Level 2, Dark Echo Infused ] – +160 god Points [ Np ]!
The flood of NP was incredible. But that wasn't all. As the last Anomaly dissolved, a new, system-wide announcement seemed to resound not just in his head, but through the very fabric of the fissure:
Corrupted Precursor Artifact [Dark Echo Node] Purified!
Achievement Unlocked: god Purifier [Rank 1]!
Reward: +50 Purification Seals [Special Currency].
Vocational Bonus: +10 Permanent Spirit, +10 Permanent Intellect!
Ryan's jaw dropped. "God Purifier? Purification Seals? Plus TEN to Spirit and Intellect?!" That was huge! His Spirit jumped to a mighty 38, and his Intellect soared to 34! He felt his mind expand, his senses sharpen even further.
It was like his brain had just gotten a high-speed internet upgrade and a spiritual spa day, all at once.
And then, the NP from the Anomaly kills kicked in with his existing pool:
Assimilation Level Up! Level 3 -> Level 4!
All Base Stats Increased By +5!
+3 Flex Essence Points Awarded!
Assimilation Level Progress [Level 4]: 5/1000 Np
Another level! He was on fire! Well, not literally, though he felt like he was buzzing with energy. His base stats all got another +5 bump.
He now had 3 unspent Flex Essence Points from this level-up, plus the 6 he'd saved from before, giving him a nice little stash of 9 points to play with.
He quickly checked his new, improved stats:
Ryan Stone
Assimilation Level: 4 [5/1000 Np]
Title: God Purifier [Rank 1]
Stats:
Vitality: 25
Agility: 25 [+10 From Phase Gauntlet] = 35
Strength: 25
Intellect: 34 [+10 From Purifier] = 44
Spirit: 38 [+10 From Purifier] = 48
Flex Essence Points: 9 [Unspent]
Threat Level: Elite Human
"Elite Human!" He pumped his fist. He was climbing the ladder of scary adjectives fast! And "God Purifier" sounded incredibly cool and important.
He wondered what Purification Seals were for. Probably not for buying space-donuts, unfortunately.
The shattered remains of the Dark Echo Node didn't just vanish. As the last of its sickly yellow light faded, a small, intricately carved wooden box appeared where it had been.
And next to the box, a glowing, crystalline shard unlike anything he'd seen before.
The box was a Precursor Cache [ Minor ]. The glowing shard was labeled: Precursor Skill Cipher: Phase Step [ Tier 3 Movement Skill ].
"A skill cipher!" Ryan breathed, his eyes wide. He'd heard whispers on the CommNet about these.
They were incredibly rare items that could teach you new, powerful skills, sometimes even ones that weren't tied to your base Aptitude.
He eagerly picked up the Phase Step cipher. It hummed in his hand, a low, thrumming vibration that resonated with his Phase Gauntlet.
The Interface provided more details:
Precursor Skill Cipher: Phase Step [ TIER 3 ]
Description: Allows the user to perform short-range teleportation through solid obstacles and energy barriers. A significant upgrade to basic blinking abilities.
Integration Requirements: C-Tier 'Spatial Acuity' Aptitude Or B-Tier 'Dimensional Resonance' Aptitude for Full, Stable Integration.
Users Without These May Attempt Integration, But Skill Will Be Unstable and Potentially Hazardous.
System Note: Ooh, walk through walls! Very sneaky! But if you don't have the right brain-wiring for it, you might end up stuck halfway in a rock, which is generally considered a bad look. And probably uncomfortable.
Ryan didn't have "Spatial Acuity" or "Dimensional Resonance," as far as he knew. But "unstable and potentially hazardous" had never stopped him before.
"Let's give it a whirl," he decided, and mentally commanded his system to integrate the Skill Cipher.
He felt a jolt of complex information flood his mind, a dizzying array of spatial geometries and dimensional mathematics that made his newly enhanced Intellect ache.
The cipher in his hand dissolved into motes of light that flowed into his Phase Gauntlet, then into his arm, and finally settled in his brain with a distinct clunk.
He could now feel a new skill trying to form, an instinct for how to step through things. But it felt unstable, like trying to balance on a greased bowling ball.
He could probably use Phase Step, but it wouldn't be pretty, and it might not always take him where he intended. He definitely needed to find a way to get that "Spatial Acuity" if he wanted to master this.
Next, he turned his attention to the lingering energy where the shadowy puppeteer figure had dissipated near the Node.
Was there anything left of it to extract?
He focused his SSS-Tier system.
Target: Residual Energetic Signature [Unknown Shadowy Entity]
Initiating Extraction Protocol
Extraction Complete!
Acquired: Mental Fortitude [B-Tier Talent Fragment]!
System Note: You managed to snag a sliver of that spooky ghost's strong-mindedness! This will bolster your mental defenses against psychic attacks, illusions, and really bad puns.
It's like a little helmet for your brain-thoughts.
A B-Tier talent! Even if it was just a fragment, that was amazing! He felt his mind solidify even further, his new Spirit and Intellect stats now backed up by a core of genuine mental toughness.
The next time a ghost tried to whisper despair at him, he'd probably just offer it a cup of tea and ask it about its day.
He searched the exact spot where the shadowy figure had last appeared. Tucked into a crevice in the rock, almost invisible, was a small, tarnished silver locket. It was old and dented.
He picked it up.
He tried to extract from it.
Target: Tarnished Locket [Precursor Era Relic?]
Initiating Extraction Protocol
Extraction Complete!
Acquired:
Lingering Sorrow [Emotional Echo]: A worn insignia, barely recognizable. May contain historical data.
SYSTEM NOTE: Well, that was a bit of a downer. But hey, free history lesson! Maybe. If you can figure out what that smudgy symbol means.
Ryan felt a brief, sharp pang of sadness, an echo of some long-ago grief that wasn't his own. It faded quickly, leaving him feeling a little thoughtful.
The Faded Precursor Emblem was a small, metallic disc, its surface too worn to make out any clear details.
He pocketed the locket and the emblem. More mysteries. This fissure was like a creepy, dangerous treasure chest.
He'd faced down a small army of monsters, a mind-controlling ghost, and come out with a new level, a new Purifier title, new stats, new skills, new talents, and a pocketful of intriguing new junk.
Not bad for a day's work for an "Elite Human." Not bad at all. Now, how to get out of this very dark, very smelly hole.