Ethan knelt beside the Dregscale's corpse. "I didn't think something F-rank could hit that hard."
"It wasn't the rank. It was your hesitation." Aelira sliced into the beast's chest cavity.
"I'm learning."
"You're adapting," she corrected.
She pried free a glassy orb from the beast's heart.
[Beast Core: Dregscale Howler – Grade F+] Acquired
— Quality: Average
— Attributes: Raw Kinetic Energy, Sonic Residue, Minor Corruption
— Potential Uses: Power Source, Alchemy Catalyst, Weapon Augment, [System Enhancement – Locked]
You may store cores for future upgrades or convert them into Energy Units. Certain cores unlock passive enhancements depending on compatibility.
Later, while exploring deeper into the outpost, they found a sealed door. Aelira's rune-etched dagger triggered a mechanism. The wall slid open, revealing a chamber glowing with faint circuitry.
System Alert
Ancient Interface Detected – Sync Potential High
Proto-VR Combat Module (Alpha) – Access Granted
Do you wish to initiate combat simulation training?
Ethan stared at the glowing platform.
Aelira glanced at him. "Well? You said you wanted to stop running."
He stepped forward. "I'm done running."