Stonehide Crusher

Daniel moved through the increasingly dense alien jungle, the enhanced [Ghoststeps+] making his passage uncannily silent.

The added camouflage subtly changed the color of his grey fatigues, enhancing his ability to blend with the dappled light filtering through the towering canopy above.

His [Aura Sense] swept outwards constantly, a low-level mana drain he barely noticed thanks to his slowly increasing Spirit score and the potential backup of the Argent Moss.

He was actively hunting now, seeking out the tell-tale signatures of Level 2 creatures.

He bypassed several clusters of Level 1 Crimson Fang Hounds , the EXP and attribute gains they offered were becoming marginal, not worth the time or the Assimilation charges compared to stronger prey.

His goal was Level 2, and efficiency dictated targeting higher-value encounters.

After perhaps twenty minutes of swift, silent travel, [Aura Sense] picked up a strong, solitary signature roughly 150 meters ahead.

It felt different from the Raptors, less agile, perhaps, but radiating a dense, heavy presence suggesting significant Strength and Vitality.

It was stationary, tucked away amidst a tangle of thick, rope-like vines and large, crystalline rock formations. An ambush predator? Or simply resting?

Daniel slowed his approach, using the terrain with practiced skill. He circled wide, wanting to get a visual before committing.

The creature's signature remained stationary, seemingly unaware of his presence.

He found a vantage point atop a large, moss-covered boulder overlooking a small, vine-choked hollow.

Peering down, he saw it. The creature resembled a heavily armoured armadillo, but scaled up to the size of a large boar.

Its body was covered in thick, overlapping plates of a stone-like material, grey and deeply fissured, blending almost perfectly with the surrounding rocks.

Its head was small and wedge-shaped, with tiny, beady eyes, and its short, powerful limbs ended in thick, blunt claws clearly designed for digging or crushing, not slashing.

It lay partially burrowed into the earth beneath the vine tangle, only its armoured back visible.

Daniel scanned it carefully.

[Stonehide Crusher - Level 3]

Stats: Very High Strength, Extremely High Vitality, Low Agility, Very Low Spirit.

Abilities: [Armor Plating (Passive)], [Burrow], [Crushing Charge]

Threat Assessment: Slow but Durable Tank. Highly resistant to physical damage. Vulnerable to potent internal, elemental, or Spirit-based attacks. Ambush potential via Burrow.

Level 3! And its stats reflected its appearance, a walking tank. Extremely High Vitality combined with passive [Armor Plating] meant his E-grade Vibro-Knife would likely be useless against its main body.

Even [Kinetic Hammer], despite its defense penetration, might struggle to inflict significant damage through that hide unless he hit a weak point. Its Agility and Spirit were laughably low, however.

This was a creature built to withstand and outlast, not to dodge or counter complex attacks.

This presented a different kind of challenge. He couldn't rely on overwhelming it with a single [Kinetic Hammer] blow like the Raptor.

He couldn't easily outmaneuver it in a prolonged close-quarters fight due to its sheer toughness and potential [Crushing Charge]. He needed a different approach.

His eyes narrowed as he assessed the terrain and the creature's likely weak points, the small eyes, perhaps the joints where the armour plates met, or the softer underbelly if he could somehow flip it.

Its Low Spirit also made it a prime target if he ever acquired mental or potent elemental attack skills.

His best bet seemed to be leveraging his superior Agility and the focused power of [Kinetic Hammer] aimed at specific weak points.

He would need to be precise, avoid its charge, and potentially engage in a hit-and-run battle.

He decided to initiate from range, testing its reaction speed and armour. Finding a clear line of sight, he nocked an arrow onto his standard F-grade Initiate's Bow (still un-enhanced, a glaring weakness in his loadout he mentally flagged for later).

He focused, aiming for the creature's small, visible eye.

Twang!

The arrow flew true, striking the Stonehide Crusher directly beside its eye.

It wasn't a damaging hit , the F-grade arrow likely couldn't penetrate the thick brow ridge, but it served its purpose.

The creature reacted instantly, not with speed, but with explosive force. With a tremendous heave, it erupted from its shallow burrow, shedding dirt and vines.

"ROOOAAR!"

The sound wasn't a typical animal cry; it was a deep, grating rumble, like boulders grinding together, that vibrated through the hollow.

It fixed its beady eyes on Daniel's position on the boulder and lowered its wedge-shaped head.

[Crushing Charge]! Daniel didn't need a notification to recognize the intent.

He immediately dove sideways off the boulder, activating [Ghoststeps] mid-air not for speed, but for the noise reduction and camouflage as he landed silently in the undergrowth below.

CRASH! BOOM!

The Stonehide Crusher hit the boulder Daniel had been perched on moments before with the force of a battering ram.

The massive rock cracked under the impact, fissures spreading across its surface, and the ground shook violently.

Dust and rock fragments flew. If Daniel had hesitated for even a fraction of a second, he would have been pulverized.

The Crusher bellowed again, momentarily confused, searching for its target amidst the dust.

This was Daniel's chance. While it was disoriented, he circled rapidly, using [Ghoststeps] to close the distance to its flank.

He needed to target a joint. He spotted the slight gap where the heavy leg armour met the main body plating.

"Kinetic Hammer!" He channeled the energy, not into his fist this time, but along the blade of his E-grade Vibro-Knife, hoping the focused edge combined with the kinetic force could penetrate the joint.

He lunged, stabbing downwards with all his might.

CLANG!

The knife struck the joint, and the kinetic force discharged with a sharp crack.

Sparks flew. The Crusher roared in pain and surprise, stumbling sideways. Daniel felt a jarring impact travel up his arm, but the knife hadn't penetrated deeply.

The armour there was still incredibly thick, and the angle hadn't been perfect. It had hurt the creature, yes, but it wasn't a disabling blow.

The Crusher spun surprisingly quickly for its bulk, swinging its heavy tail like a club. Daniel threw himself backwards, using [Quick Dodge] to gain an extra meter of separation just as the tail whistled past, pulverizing the ground where he'd stood.

This was tougher than anticipated. The armour was formidable, and its sheer momentum made it dangerous despite its low base Agility.

Daniel realized a direct physical confrontation was inefficient and risky. He needed to exploit its weaknesses: Low Agility and Very Low Spirit.

He backed off, putting distance between himself and the enraged beast. He began a kiting strategy, using his vastly superior speed to stay just outside its reach.

He fired arrows from his inadequate bow, not aiming for damage, but for distraction, targeting its eyes and face to keep its attention focused on him and hopefully provoke it into predictable charges.

The Crusher bellowed in frustration, charging blindly whenever an arrow struck near its face.

Daniel easily sidestepped each [Crushing Charge], the ground trembling with each missed impact. He waited patiently for his [Kinetic Hammer] cooldown.

When the skill was ready, he changed tactics. Instead of aiming for the armoured joints, he waited for the Crusher to charge again.

As it thundered past, he activated [Kinetic Hammer] on his fist and slammed it downwards onto the ground directly in front of the creature's path, releasing the energy as the focused shockwave.

WHUMP!

The kinetic shockwave blasted upwards from the turf, catching the Crusher mid-stride. The force slammed into its less-armoured underbelly and legs, staggering it, disrupting its charge, and sending it stumbling awkwardly.

While it was off-balance, Daniel dashed in again, knife ready. He ignored the main body, instead targeting the leg joint he'd struck earlier, the one already weakened.

He channeled [Kinetic Hammer] into the blade again, striking the same spot with pinpoint accuracy.

CRACK!

This time, the sound was different. Not a clang, but a distinct snapping sound. The kinetic force, concentrated on the weakened joint, finally breached the armour.

The Crusher roared, a sound thick with agony, and collapsed onto its side, its front leg bending at an impossible angle.

It thrashed, trying to right itself, but its movement was crippled. Daniel didn't give it the chance.

He leaped onto its struggling form, aiming for the vulnerable eye socket with his knife. A quick, brutal thrust, and the beast shuddered violently, then went still.

[You have slain: Stonehide Crusher (Level 3)]

[EXP Gained: 60]

[Level 1: 216/300 EXP]

Daniel stood breathing heavily, knife dripping. The fight had been longer, more tactical than the Raptor encounter, forcing him to adapt his approach.

Sixty EXP was a solid reward, pushing him significantly closer to Level 2. He felt a sense of accomplishment, having overcome a durable foe through strategy rather than just brute force.

He knelt beside the massive, armoured corpse. The potential attribute gains from an Extremely High Vitality creature were enticing. He initiated the assimilation.

A dense, heavy wave of energy flowed into him, feeling solid, grounding, profoundly resilient.

[Soul Assimilation successful on Creature: Stonehide Crusher (Level 3).]

[Gain: Strength +7]

[Gain: Vitality +12]

[Gain: Adaptability +5]

[Assimilation Charge Consumed (3/10 Remaining).]

[Detected Latent Ability Resonance: Creature's [Armor Plating (Passive)] and User's High Vitality/Adaptability.]

[New Skill Acquired: Stone Resilience (D-Grade)!]

His Vitality shot up to 52, Strength reached 53.1, and Adaptability hit 22. He felt tougher, more anchored. But the real prize was the unexpected skill. He quickly checked its details.

[Skill: Stone Resilience (D-Grade):] Passive Skill. Increases natural physical damage resistance by 15%. Slightly enhances resistance to blunt force trauma and impacts.

A passive defensive skill! It wasn't flashy, but a permanent 15% reduction to incoming physical damage was incredibly valuable, stacking with his E-grade vest and high Vitality. It made him significantly more durable.

He was now only 84 EXP away from Level 2. One or two more encounters like this, and he would cross the threshold, fulfilling the assessment's minimum requirement and likely unlocking further potential within his SSS-Talent.

The hunt intensified, fueled by the promise of imminent power.