Strange energy...

The academy's temporary base buzzed with activity as teams returned from their expeditions. Lieutenant Chen stood at the collection point, her pristine uniform and alert posture a stark contrast to the dust-covered students. Several soldiers worked efficiently behind her, cataloging and storing the day's findings.

'Even covered in sweat and dirt, she makes that uniform look good,' Noah thought, approaching with his team's collection bag. Most returning groups clutched sample containers filled with bizarre plants or crystalline formations. A few, like his team, carried the distinctive containment units designed for beast cores.

"Seventy-eight cores, Lieutenant," Noah reported, handling the official submission as team leader. "Primarily category 3 specimens, including one from what appeared to be a patron beast."

Lieutenant Chen's eyebrows rose slightly. "Category 3 specimens? Well done, Eclipse." Her smile carried a warmth that seemed at odds with her military bearing. "Though I shouldn't be surprised, given your reports, your previous encounter with that classification. Well done!"

'So my files made it all the way here. Explains how she knows my name. Also, how dedicated to her work she is to know everyone she'd be in charge of. Then again, If only she knew the truth about that "heroic" encounter,' Noah thought, maintaining his composed exterior. The memory of his desperate flight through those caves still burned.

After completing the handover, Noah rejoined his teammates. The setting sun cast long shadows across the prefab containers that served as their temporary housing, the alien world's purple-tinged sky adding an otherworldly quality to the familiar end-of-day routine.

'Day one on Cannadah,' he mused, watching other teams filter back to their quarters. 'category 5 achieved, Nyx's feeding problem solved, and nobody's the wiser about those "missing" cores.'

The notification about the strange energy signature still lingered in his system interface, an unfinished quest that nagged at his completionist instincts. 'Tomorrow's another day. Another chance to hunt, to grow stronger.'

The communal showers were barely more than glorified cleaning stations, but after a day of combat and hiking, even the lukewarm water felt heavenly. Kelvin couldn't contain his excitement, recounting their battles between rinses.

"Did you see how Cora just went full battle-maniac?" Kelvin grinned, scrubbing dust from his hair. "And Lila! Man, when she used her power to suspend those beasts mid-roll? Epic!"

Noah made appropriate noises of agreement, letting his friend's enthusiasm wash over him like the shower spray. 'Simple pleasures for simple minds,' he thought, though not unkindly. Kelvin's straightforward nature made him easy to be around.

Back in their container, Kelvin's conversation inevitably drifted to his favorite topic. "Speaking of Lila," he started, sprawled on his bunk, "you really should see how she looks at you when you're not watching. Ever since that cave incident..."

"Drop it, Kelvin," Noah sighed, though he'd noticed it himself. 'She's in love with a lie. The heroic Noah Eclipse who faced down two category 3 beasts to protect her. Not the self-serving survivor who would have left her behind if the opportunity had presented itself.'

The thought of his parents' abandonment rose unbidden, a familiar darkness that colored his worldview. 'Trust, loyalty, love – pretty words for pretty lies. Power is the only truth worth believing in.'

Before settling in for sleep, Noah decided to probe a parallel mystery. "Hey, Kelvin? Whatever happened with that energy reading your scanner picked up when we landed?"

Kelvin waved a hand dismissively in the dim light. "Probably just equipment malfunction. The readings were too irregular, and they disappeared completely after a few hours. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious," Noah replied, turning over in his bunk. 'So his tech can't track it anymore, but my system still detects something out there. Interesting.'

The sounds of the alien night filtered through their container's thin walls – strange calls and rustles that reminded them they were far from Earth. Noah closed his eyes, reviewing his day's achievements. 'category 5 already. Each beast killed brings me closer to real power. Closer to never being helpless again.'

His last thoughts before sleep took him were of future hunts, of gaining strength, of proving himself. And somewhere in his void space, a small dragon named Nyx contentedly absorbed energy from stolen cores, growing stronger alongside its master.

The quest notification about the unknown energy signature pulsed once more in his consciousness, a reminder that tomorrow would bring new mysteries, new challenges, and new opportunities for power. 'Tomorrow,' he thought as sleep claimed him. 'Tomorrow we hunt again.'

____

The morning sun filtered through Cannadah's dense canopy, casting strange, mottled shadows on the forest floor. Their second day had started with Micah's stern briefing, his voice carrying that familiar edge of superiority.

"Yesterday's performance was unacceptable," he stated, adjusting his gauntlets. "Enthusiasm doesn't excuse tactical chaos. Against a real threat, that kind of undisciplined assault gets people killed."

'Rich coming from someone who abandoned his team to play solo hero,' Noah thought, but kept his expression neutral. The transport had dropped them in a section of rainforest that could have almost passed for Earth, if you ignored the little details.

[Location: Cannadah Rainforest Zone]

[Quest Update: Strange Energy Signature detected within 5km radius]

The ground squelched beneath their boots, releasing an oddly sweet smell with each step. Massive trees stretched overhead, their trunks wrapped in luminescent vines that pulsed with a gentle biorhythm. Water droplets collected on broad leaves, falling in random patterns that created a constant background percussion.

"This humidity is killing my hair," Cora complained, trying to maintain some semblance of her usual ponytail. "After yesterday's excitement, this feels like a school field trip."

They'd been walking for nearly two hours, documenting various flora and taking samples of the bioluminescent growth. Kelvin maintained regular scans, his tech-enhanced vision searching for anything noteworthy.

"Small life forms only," he reported for the dozenth time. "Though these energy patterns are fascinating. The plant life here seems to communicate through light pulses."

Lila walked beside Noah, occasionally using her telekinesis to collect samples from higher branches. The morning had settled into a peaceful rhythm, almost making them forget they were on an alien world.

[Warning: Subtle Environmental Changes Detected]

[Note: Local Wildlife Activity Has Ceased]

Noah frowned at the notification. Now that he thought about it, the small creatures they'd been seeing all morning – things that resembled insects and tiny lizards – had vanished. The forest had grown quieter, though none of his companions seemed to notice.

"You know what I miss?" Kelvin continued his ongoing commentary. "Real coffee. These stimulant pills just aren't the same—"

The impact came without warning – a heavy thud followed by Lila's surprised cry as she crumpled to the ground. A spherical object, its surface resembling polished obsidian, rolled away from her.

"Lila!" Noah moved instinctively to help her up, Kelvin right beside him. The sphere continued rolling until it hit a root, its surface reflecting the bioluminescent light in hypnotic patterns.

Then came the shrill – a sound that seemed to vibrate through their bones, making the very air shiver. Something descended from the canopy with impossible grace, landing mere meters from their group. The creature that stood before them defied immediate categorization.

[Beast Detected]