Spirits lifted by their reunion, Edge and Mel started exploring the other tunnels leading from the colossal cavern.

  They were looking for the hunters’ markings she had been following before being caught in the mycanoids’ trap. He hadn’t left them, so the arrows should lead them to another member of their crew sooner or later.

  The duo came across an arrow on the wall a few hours later, exploring each passage in turn until they found one Mel recognized. After walking for another mile or so, they encountered a pair of rockies that were blocking the way forward.

  Fortunately, both mycanoids were in their immobile mushroom state, which meant it would take them a few seconds to form arms and legs after they realized they were under attack—a critical moment that offered the hunters a chance to tip the scales in their favor before the battle began.

  From watching the war in the cavern and listening to Mel’s account, Edge knew these predatory shrooms were defense specialists—high in Durability and Disruption and armed with a range of protective powers. They had a skill that emitted a sedative toxin, but thanks to Purge, their spores weren’t a threat anymore.

  He decided to take them on using his polearm, since the rockies’ flesh was fortified with a layer of stone he wasn’t sure his iceblade could pierce. After some consideration, he transferred Counter Disruption from Harden to Double Slash so the attack couldn’t be diminished by the beasts’ Disruption fields.

  It was his first time swapping out which power was paired with the meta skill, and Edge was pleased to learn that it only required a moment of concentration. He couldn’t change it again for 24 hours and would have to watch out for Disruption-fortified attacks that could dispel his diamond scales in the meantime.

  Double Slash had gained a weak Disruption effect after the skill’s rank-two upgrade, which should help him break through the beasts’ defenses. He laughed when he realized how similar their powers were, since countering them felt more like playing a strategy game than engaging in a regular battle.

  That being said, Edge had no intention of fighting fair. He had the element of surprise, had gathered intelligence on his opponents beforehand, and best of all, had an angry Mel fighting by his side—who was ready and eager to settle the score.

  They spent a few minutes planning their attack—along with backups for dealing with a range of problems—then got ready to make their move. Since they needed to dish out some damage before the mushrooms sprouted limbs, they would eschew stealth in favor of speed, charging right down the middle to unleash some heavy hits and take control of the momentum of the melee right from the start.

  “Are you ready?” he asked Mel.

  “And eager.” She brandished her axe with a bloodthirsty gleam in her eyes. After deciding who would engage which beast, all that was left was to make their move. The warriors bumped fists and took off in a flash with their weapons poised to strike—the rap of boot leather striking stone echoing down the passageway.

  Edge began the fight with an Elemental Blade–infused Double Slash, adding the momentum of his charge to the power of the attack. His crystalline weapon bit deep, transferring its arctic chill, but it was stopped by a stone plate before the blade reached anything vital. Meanwhile, Mel began chopping away at the other mushroom, whose arms and legs were just starting to form.

  Although they couldn’t finish the mycanoids off, their opening salvo dealt some serious damage. Melenia had focused her attacks on the killer shroom’s legs, reducing its mobility. Once the beasts were ambulatory and began their counterattack, the duo pulled back, leading the mushrooms down the tunnel to separate them.

  Once they had opened about fifty feet, they came to a stop and double-teamed the closest beast. Whenever it turned to swipe at one hunter with a mineral-studded arm, the other circled around to hit it from behind.

  The duo unleashed some heavy attacks, hoping to bring the beast down before its twin joined the fight. Fortunately, while the rockies were tough, they were relatively slow, and their weapons weren’t as dangerous as the other species Edge had battled.

  The shroom Hardened its stalk to supplement its natural armor, but Double Slash’s Disruption was sufficient to counter it. After repeated blows to the same section of stone plating, his naginata broke through, plunging into the core of the mycanoid’s stalk. He had no idea what the anatomy of a humanoid mushroom entailed, but the polearm must have hit something vital, because the beast stopped fighting back and fell to its knees.

  Meanwhile, Mel had switched to attacking the other rocky, using a different approach to deal with its heavy armor. Since she couldn’t penetrate its potent defensive skill, she overwhelmed the creature with a flurry of blows instead.

  Every time the mycanoid Hardened one part of its body, she targeted another, moving her massive axe through the air with remarkable speed and precision. Eventually, she surprised the beast and broke past its guard, landing a series of heavy blows between the gaps in its armor that sent the stone-plated shroom crashing to the ground.

  While the mycanoids were vulnerable, Edge Double Slashed eight times in a row, each strike targeting the soft tissue that let the beasts’ limbs articulate, shearing them free from the stalk.

  Once both rockies were disabled, it was time to enjoy a post-battle feast.

  He let Mel know what he was up to, then reached out with both arms and activated his ultimate ability. Extraction. The chains of oblivion parted the skin of his wrists and struck in a flash—living links glinting in the light shining from above.

  When his mind followed the chains along for the ride, he found himself standing in a sub-biome he didn’t recognize, where scores of rockies were attending to a vast pool filled with dark blue mold. He absently memorized the details in case they wound up passing through the area, scanning the mushroom’s inner world for skills he wanted to steal.

  Edge wasn’t surprised to learn that most of its powers weren’t suitable for human physiology, since the mycanoids were far more alien than ordinary beasts. But he eventually spotted what he’d been hoping to find—an avatar that made his eyes go wide with greed as his stomach rumbled in anticipation. He knew it was a duplicate of his skill, even though it was formed from a different mineral than his own diamond scales.

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  Fantastic. They’re using Harden after all. The only other options were some low-rank Uncommons, so he asked Foebinder and its unnamed twin to grab Harden first. The animate loops chased the avatar around the beast’s core before converging on it from opposite sides, striking as one as they wrapped themselves around the coal-black scales and dragged them out of the creature’s central chamber.

  When he hopped back into his body, the chains of oblivion popped the power into his mouth before retracting through his wrists. Edge knew from experience that he wouldn’t be able to eat Harden using his teeth alone. Instead, he drew his knife and infused the weapon with Elemental Blade.

  He inserted the tip between his teeth and touched it to the avatar squirming behind his lips. When the skill froze solid a few seconds later, he removed the knife and bit down with the full strength of his jaws. The onyx scales shattered like glass and then softened into goo, causing an exquisite flavor to break over his palate.

  Harden tasted like armor and resolve—the unyielding fortitude of the planets’ toughest materials. He had an impression of being able to withstand the most powerful of blows before the pureed power slid down his throat and fell into his core.

  You have extracted the skill: Harden (Uncommon, Rank 3).

  You already have this skill in your collection.

  Its experience will be added to your existing skill.

  When the duplicate of Harden merged with Edge’s copy, the cup representing its skill experience was filled almost to the brim. One more should do it. On that note, he Double Slashed to finish the rocky off, then turned his attention to the mycanoid that was trying to crawl away on the stubs of its shorn limbs. Extraction.

  This beast’s inner was almost identical to its companions’—like looking at two paintings of the same landscape from slightly different angles. Before he worried about stealing something new, he set his sights on Harden and told the chains to run wild.

  Once the capture was complete and he’d finished chewing, Edge entered his core to oversee the merger. When the process was finished, the diamond scales representing Harden began to glow, indicating they were ready to advance.

  Since there wasn’t a choice involved in the rank-three upgrade, they began to change right away as his Guide appeared bearing a message from the System.

  The skill Harden has advanced to Rank 3.

  Its mana efficiency has been enhanced.

  Upon reaching Rank 3, you may control the volume of mana the skill consumes, adjusting its output at will.

  When the forearm-sized patch of scales stopped shining, they were bigger and thicker than before—able to withstand more punishment than ever.

  “Fucking awesome.” Edge walked over and said hello to Harden, letting the avatar know how pleased he was with its upgrade. He was still learning how all this bond stuff worked, but he could tell that the praise made the skill happy, which had to count for something.

  He made the rounds and greeted his other powers, then slid back into his bones, where only a few seconds had passed while he was away. Since the rocky was still alive, he used the last charge of Extraction, scanning the beast’s inner world to see if there was anything else he could use.

  Edge was happy to learn there was another power that seemed promising—at least enough to try it out before Absorbing it—that took the form of a floating orb of light. Since he was about to discover more of the details anyway, he asked the chains to grab it without waiting to learn more.

  When the living links dropped the skill onto his tongue, the avatar almost escaped. It shot up like a helium balloon, passing between his lips before he pushed it back in with his fingers and then bit down hard.

  This avatar couldn’t put up a fight and stopped struggling after a few hearty chomps. It tasted like the thrill of delving for treasure buried deep in the bones of the earth. Of being surrounded by glittering gemstones, just waiting for him to find.

  By this point, Edge was already getting excited. His smile grew even wider when he realized what he’d stolen.

  You have extracted the skill: Sense Natural Treasures

  (Uncommon, Rank 3).

  Digestion is complete.

  When extracting a skill higher than Rank 1, a portion of its experience will be retained if you choose to keep it.

  Would you like to slot Sense Natural Treasures now?

  Sense what now? A shiver went down his spine as the avarice of acquisition coursed through him like a bolt of lightning. “Yes, please. That’s the most promising skill name I’ve ever seen.”

  After granting his permission, the ball of golden light representing Sense Natural Treasures, which Edge decided to call Sense Treasure for short, floated over to an empty marble pillar. Once the avatar locked into its socket and bonded with the circuitry embedded in the slot, he received a brief vision that provided more info about how the skill worked.

  The power wound up being every bit as awesome as he’d hoped. He had no idea why the rockies wanted to mine rare minerals, but he was happy they did. Sense Treasure would help him locate resources that were unusually rare, valuable, or useful in crafting. The range was relatively short at rank one, but the effect could penetrate both earth and stone. Crossing through a series of underground passageways is a perfect place to use it.

  Edge didn’t have time for a lengthy mining session, but collecting whatever was exposed along the surface as he traversed the extensive underground biome was certain to be incredibly rewarding. While he pondered the matter, he noticed the avatar hadn’t changed shape after joining his collection. It’s probably because the skill’s representation is metaphorical instead of literal.

  When his other avatars came over to see what all the fuss was about, he introduced them to Sense Treasure. It seemed happy to receive the attention—as happy as a floating ball of light could seem at any rate. Sense and Harden hit it off right away, which wasn’t too surprising considering that Harden’s avatar was made of diamond.

  Smiling at the fantasy of filling his vault with glittering piles of gold and gems, Edge left his core and gave his new skill a try. When the mana went flowing out of his reactor, it gathered in front of his eyes, at which point he learned that the avatar’s representation wasn’t a metaphor after all.

  A faint golden light began shining beside his head—several inches into the surface of the rock wall, like he was looking through a pair of AR goggles. He finished the wounded beast off, then let Mel know what he’d found. She stood guard as he pulled out a pickaxe he’d stolen from the Claws and swung it at the patch of radiance—careful not to aim the pick directly at the source.

  Thanks to his superhuman Power, he was able to chip away the surrounding stone within a matter of minutes, revealing a pulsing blue gemstone within a geode-like pocket that was completely filled with water.

  He could tell it wasn’t an ordinary gem, because water began coalescing along its surface the second it was exposed to the air. It was only a few drips per minute, but the crystal was clearly infused with the planet’s magic.

  “That’s a freshwater sapphire,” Mel said when Edge walked over and showed it to her. “It’s commonly used as a portable water source, along with a range of water-aspected crafting.” She broke into a broad grin.

  “That core of yours just keeps getting better and better. We don’t have time to treasure hunt, but we should be able to pick up some valuable resources on our way out of the biome. That skill is going to make you rich, unless you’re willing to donate them to the settlement. I’m sure Dialla will give you some Contribution Points instead of Credits, which might come in handy.”

  “We’re a team,” Edge replied. “First pick goes to you, Lilly, and Sasha, then I’ll let the rest of Trapper’s crew take anything they can use. For the rest, I’ll sell some to top off my Credits, then donate anything I don’t plan to craft with myself.”

  “Thanks, Edge.” Mel’s smile made his heart race. “Puppet Town is lucky to have you.” She looked like she wanted to say more but changed topics instead. “That fight cycled me up. Give me a minute to allocate my points, and I’ll be ready to head out.”