Annoying Hoppers!
Daniel felt… solid.
The passive 15% physical damage resistance from [Stone Resilience] settled over him like an invisible mantle, complementing the enhanced E-grade Deflector Vest and his now formidable Vitality score of 52.
Combined with his sky-high Strength (53.1) and Agility (50.3), and the devastating C-grade [Kinetic Hammer], he felt less like a recruit and more like a walking, talking natural disaster waiting to happen.
A quiet disaster, thanks to [Ghoststeps+].
He needed only 84 more EXP to hit Level 2. A mere trifle, surely! Perhaps one more Level 3 beast, or maybe two or three Level 2 creatures would suffice.
Confidence brimming, he pushed onward, [Aura Sense] actively scanning for his next victims… er, learning opportunities.
It didn't take long. His passive sense picked up multiple signatures ahead, maybe five or six of them.
They felt… erratic. Agile, definitely, but their energy signatures pulsed inconsistently, flaring brightly then dimming, moving in short, sharp bursts.
Level 2 signatures, judging by their intensity. Curiosity piqued, Daniel advanced, melting into the vibrant, alien foliage.
He emerged cautiously at the edge of a wide clearing dominated by strange, trampoline-like fungi , flat-topped mushrooms with bright orange caps that visibly quivered.
And bouncing gleefully between these fungal trampolines were the sources of the signatures.
Daniel blinked. Then blinked again. Before him were five creatures that looked like kangaroos designed by a committee on crack, after consuming far too much glitter.
They were bipedal, about chest-high, with powerful hind legs built for jumping.
Their bodies were covered not in fur, but in shimmering, slightly reflective scales that caught the ambient Verge light like cheap disco balls.
Their heads were small and vaguely rodent-like, with twitching noses and large, glossy black eyes that stared vacantly.
They bounced from mushroom to mushroom, occasionally colliding mid-air with comical boings and scattering the area with faint, glittering sparks from shed scales.
He instinctively scanned one mid-bounce.
[Boomgleam Hopper - Level 2]
Stats: Low Strength, Moderate Vitality, Extremely High Agility, Very Low Spirit.
Abilities: [Erratic Leap], [Scale Shed (Minor Flashbang)], [Ricochet Kick]
Threat Assessment: Highly Evasive Annoyance.
Physical attacks may trigger disorienting light flashes. Low direct damage threat, high potential for inducing migraines and existential frustration. Weak to being tripped.
Daniel stared at the description, then back at the bouncing, glittering kangaroo-things.
Extremely High Agility explained the erratic movement. [Scale Shed (Minor Flashbang)]? Seriously?
Their threat assessment literally called them an "Annoyance." He wasn't sure whether to laugh or to feel vaguely insulted that the Verge considered these things a Level 2 encounter.
Still, 84 EXP was 84 EXP. This should be quick. Annoying, perhaps, but quick.
He decided to open with his signature move. No point messing around with glitter-roos.
He targeted the nearest one as it landed on a mushroom, coiling its legs for another bounce. Channeling mana, he activated [Kinetic Hammer].
He burst from cover. "Boom!" The familiar sound of his high-speed launch echoed slightly in the clearing.
The targeted Boomgleam Hopper's head snapped towards him, its vacant eyes widening fractionally.
Instead of freezing or preparing to fight, it did something utterly unpredictable.
It dropped its body flat onto the mushroom cap, using the elastic surface to launch itself sideways at an impossible angle, like a billiard ball struck just right.
Daniel's [Kinetic Hammer]-infused fist, aimed with C-grade precision, connected squarely with… nothing but vibrating orange fungus.
WHUMP-SQUISH!
The kinetic force discharged into the mushroom cap.
Instead of a satisfying explosion, there was a muffled squelch. The mushroom cap shuddered violently, releasing a cloud of noxious orange spores that made Daniel cough.
The Hopper he'd targeted landed gracefully on another mushroom fifty feet away, seemingly unfazed, and immediately started bouncing again.
This... is very annoying! Daniel muttered.
Before Daniel could react to this unexpected display of fungally-assisted evasion, the other four Hoppers reacted.
Not by attacking him directly, oh no. That would be too straightforward.
They started bouncing faster, as if they were to be on a trampoline or bouncing castle, hitting the mushrooms harder, their disco-ball scales shedding furiously.
Fwish! Fwish! Pop! Zing!
The air filled with tiny, intensely bright flashes of light as shed scales caught the Verge's ambient energy.
It wasn't a full-blown flashbang, but it was like being suddenly surrounded by dozens of paparazzi using old-fashioned flashbulbs.
Disorienting. Annoying. Extremely annoying!
"Okay, seriously?" Daniel muttered, shielding his eyes.
One Hopper, in a particularly impressive display of aerial idiocy, bounced off a nearby crystalline rock, ricocheted off the giant tree trunk, and landed briefly on Daniel's shoulder before springing away again with a cheerful boing, leaving a faint dusting of glitter on his fatigues.
This was ridiculous.
He tried to target another one, activating [Ghoststeps+] for speed.
He was fast, yes, but predicting their trajectory was like trying to nail jelly to a wall.
They bounced off each other, off the terrain, using their [Erratic Leap] ability to maximum effect.
The wind shrieked past him as he lunged and missed, the flashes popped, the boinging continued.
He swung his knife in frustration.
Clang!
Hitting a scale. A brighter flash erupted right in his face, making his vision swim momentarily. He stumbled back, growling.
Right, new plan. Brute force wasn't working against these spazzy glitter-bombs. Time for area control.
He waited for two of them to land near each other on the same mushroom, a rare occurrence.
Ignoring the flashes, he stomped his foot and activated [Kinetic Hammer]'s shockwave mode, directing it at the mushroom they occupied.
WHUMP!
The focused kinetic wave blasted upwards through the fungus.
It didn't destroy the mushroom, but it sent the two Hoppers flailing into the air uncontrollably, their bounces suddenly becoming panicked tumbles.
Perfect!
While they were airborne and disoriented, Daniel used [Ghoststeps+] to close the distance instantly.
Two swift slashes with his knife, enhanced by his sheer Strength, found their marks on their less-scaled underbellies.
Two squeaks, two puffs of glitter, and two corpses hit the ground.
[You have slain: Boomgleam Hopper (Level 2)]
[EXP Gained: 30]
[Level 1: 186/300 EXP]
[You have slain: Boomgleam Hopper (Level 2)]
[EXP Gained: 30]
[Level 1: 216/300 EXP]
Progress!
Only 30 EXP per kill, less than the Raptors or the Crusher, likely due to their lower overall threat despite the agility and annoyance factor.
Three remained, bouncing even more frantically now, the flashes intensifying.
Daniel adapted his tactics. He used the shockwave again to disrupt another Hopper's bounce, then used [Quick Dodge] to avoid a retaliatory [Ricochet Kick], a surprisingly fast kick launched mid-bounce, before finishing it off with his knife.
[You have slain: Boomgleam Hopper (Level 2)]
[EXP Gained: 30]
[Level 1: 246/300 EXP]
Two left. They seemed to realize fighting wasn't working and tried to bounce away, heading for the edge of the clearing.
"Oh no, you don't!"
Daniel wasn't letting 60 EXP just hop away after all that glitter. He used [Ghoststeps+] again, easily overtaking them.
One tried to flashbang him with a final, desperate scale-shedding spasm.
Daniel, anticipating it, closed his eyes for a split second, relying on [Aura Sense] to track its position, and swung his knife blindly but accurately.
[You have slain: Boomgleam Hopper (Level 2)]
[EXP Gained: 30]
[Level 1: 276/300 EXP]
The last Hopper, seeing its companion fall, seemed to panic.
It bounced directly towards Daniel, legs windmilling, possibly attempting a final, suicidal [Ricochet Kick].
Daniel just sighed, planted his feet, and met the incoming glitter-roo with a [Kinetic Hammer] punch aimed center mass.
BOOM-SPLAT!
The impact force, combined with the Hopper's own momentum, resulted in a less-than-dignified explosion of scales, glitter, and vaguely kangaroo-shaped bits.
The shockwave sent Daniel skidding back a step, shaking his head.
[You have slain: Boomgleam Hopper (Level 2)]
[EXP Gained: 30]
[Level 1: 306/300 EXP]
[Congratulations! You have reached Level 2!]
[All Attributes +1]
[Free Attribute Points Gained: 5]
[Soul Assimilation Charges Fully Restored and Limit Increased!]
Finally! Level 2!
The wave of energy washed over him, instantly dispelling the fatigue and the lingering annoyance from the glitter-fest.
He felt stronger, faster, his mind clearer. He took a deep breath, ignoring the faint smell of ozone and burnt glitter.
Now for the slightly weird part. Assimilation. He approached the Hopper corpses, activating his Talent.
[Soul Assimilation successful on Creature: Boomgleam Hopper (Level 2).]
[Gain: Agility +8]
[Gain: Vitality +3]
[Assimilation Charge Consumed (3/10 Remaining) - Note: Charges restored post-Level Up. Current: 14/15.]
Wait, 14/15? He quickly checked. Yes, leveling up had fully restored his charges and increased the limit again, this time to 15!
Excellent news. The SSS-Talent's synergy with leveling was phenomenal.
He assimilated the remaining four Hoppers, gaining the same attributes each time (Agility +8, Vitality +3).
Total gain: Agility +40, Vitality +15. His Agility broke 90 (91.3), making him blindingly fast even without skills. Vitality reached 56.
Then came the skill notification, popping up after the third assimilation.
[Detected Latent Ability Resonance: Creature's [Scale Shed (Minor Flashbang)] and User's Ambient Verge Energy Interaction.]
[New Skill Acquired: Pocket Sand! (F-Grade)!]
Daniel stared at the notification. Then read it again. [Pocket Sand! (F-Grade)]. He checked the description with morbid curiosity.
[Skill: Pocket Sand! (F-Grade):] Gather ambient dust, glitter, or nearby small particles into a throwable burst, creating a minor visual obstruction and momentary distraction.
Effective range: 2 meters. Requires suitable particles nearby. Minimal mana cost.
Cooldown: 5 seconds. Note: Effectiveness may vary based on target's sense of dignity.
He actually learned Pocket Sand. From disco kangaroos. He wasn't sure if this SSS-Talent was a godsend or a cosmic prankster.
He could just imagine Instructor Rostova's face if he listed that on his official skill assessment.
Shaking his head with a reluctant chuckle, he filed the utterly ridiculous F-grade skill away mentally. Maybe it would be useful for annoying someone later.
Level 2 achieved. Attributes boosted. Charges refilled and limit increased. And he had… Pocket Sand. Time to allocate those new points and see what else Level 2 brought