Stage 1 - 3.320%

That should be enough for today.

Alonso jumped off the carapace and gave it one last look. Should I take something with me?

He considered it, but shook his head. Making armor now would just waste time. His priority was to push his stage progress as high as possible, fast, then focus on finishing the trial or training. Armor would just be a…

"What if you face a creature that fires tiny, fast shards at you?" Houston interrupted.

"My reaction time should be good enough to dodge it," Alonso replied.

"Well… I'm not so sure about that. You could put that left hand to better use. If not a shield, what about a second sword? You'd gain more from Siddharth's style that way," Houston pressed.

"Siddharth's style is not my style, Houston, as much as you want it to be. For god's sake, you even set my whole status screen in Siddharth Units," Alonso chuckled. "Following another's footsteps will mean I won't be able to surpass him. And sure, it'll make me stronger faster, but the bottleneck later on will hit hard. I have to carve my own path, even if it takes a lot of detours and mistakes."

"Well, suit yourself. Just don't come crying to me when you're in a spot where another shield or sword would come in handy," Houston muttered.

"Come crying to you? With that giant flag you're raising, I'll probably end up dead!" Alonso laughed, wiping his arm clean of brain tissue. "Anyway, I should head back. Thirty in a day is a good haul. I'll finish up after some food, water, and rest."

He locked his gaze on the path leading toward the cliff he'd seen earlier and set off in that direction, picking up speed. He hadn't strayed too far from it, so at a comfortable pace, he could reach it in under three hours.

But then—he sensed it. A faint fluctuation in the uniform EM field around him, rippling like a sudden shift in the air. Alonso froze, instincts flaring as he let the wave pass over him, tuning in to its faint patterns.

Another fight? No… this felt different… like something with purpose. The signal was more solid, its structure rippling with minimal energy loss as it moved. He quickly pinpointed the origin: a small deviation from his route, pointing toward the sea.

But the question lingered—what was its source? A creature? The land itself? Or… a human?

If it was the latter, then odds were this person was trying to be found. But why? To group with others or because they were in danger?

"I think there's something you haven't considered," Houston said suddenly, his tone serious. "Do you understand how far away that signal was sent? While it's not impossible for a human to send that, whoever did it has mastered the natural EM field around us—sending an omnidirectional wave with near-perfect consistency, minimal loss, and over a distance that could very well span a 400-kilometer radius or more. Let me tell you: even if we stacked waves, I'd have no idea how to do that right now. So…"

"You're saying it's Chiara, aren't you?" Alonso cut in, his eyes darkening.

Houston seemed to sigh, though the sound carried a sharp edge. "Most likely."

Alonso nodded. If it was Chiara, she was probably calling for a gathering—maybe she'd found a safe zone and was attempting to form a second Oasis. Her and her little community of angry killers.

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So… should he go?

He mulled it over, then shrugged. Why not? He wouldn't mingle, but knowing their location might be... useful, if only to avoid them altogether. Yet, as the thought settled, one face surfaced in his mind, and his jaw clenched hard.

He exhaled sharply, forcing himself to relax. Anger would only fuck everything up.

But there was no hurry. He'd eat and drink first. Going there while even slightly weak wasn't an option.

After a moment, he set off running—not directly toward the signal, but slightly off course. Slightly—meaning he'd end up more than 100 kilometers away.

It didn't take long before he arrived at the cliff, finding a relatively safe path down to the river, where he quickly satisfied his thirst.

He scanned the river for any aquatic creatures he might catch for food but had no luck. Deciding to try his chances with the sea, he headed in that direction. And… he wasn't disappointed.

"So, like a big crab? It's shell looks tough as hell," Alonso muttered, eyes fixed on the massive creature not far from him.

The gigantic crustacean moved steadily across the sandy, rocky terrain, its form resembling a strange blend of crab and deep-sea fish. Towering over 10 meters and spanning nearly 20 meters wide, its body was shielded by thick, segmented plates that overlapped like ancient scales, each one marked by the rough texture of its shell, dull and uneven, with a matte, almost bronze-like finish.

Its claws, massive and curved, clicked with each movement, occasionally emitting faint, pulsing sparks between the pincers. The creature's head was wide and flat, with large, dark, glassy eyes set close to the shell, and two long, antennae arched over its body, twitching slightly as it sensed the air around it.

Its legs, thick and jointed, pressed deep into the ground as it advanced, each step leaving a distinct impression in the rocky surface, while its entire frame moved with a slow, rhythmic gait, giving it an oddly calm presence amidst the harsh landscape.

It has eyes. Interesting. And the antennae are pretty long.

Alonso observed calmly, studying the creature. The plan to kill it seemed straightforward enough, with two glaring weak points—the eyes and antennae—while the rest of its armored body was likely impenetrable to his sword.

That left one question: how would he manage to forage it for food afterward? But that was a concern for later… the real issue right now was the pincers. Each time they snapped shut, he noticed a faint spark, a brief flash in the air. Were they electric? Capable of delivering a shock? And if so… was the range short or medium?

He couldn't detect any pulse from here, meaning whatever it emitted was localized and didn't extend into the natural field. If the shock was strictly contact-based, he felt confident enough. But if it had any reach…

Houston remained silent, evidently as uncertain as he was.

After nearly half a minute, Alonso muttered, "Let's give it a shot."

He stepped out from his cover, around 200 meters from the creature, and dashed forward.

Overdrive 40%

The crab noticed him immediately, turning with surprising speed, much quicker than the arthropods, and rushed toward him, pincers raised and ready.

Alonso didn't hesitate. He went forward, but just before reaching its strike range, he nearly halted, shifting sharply to the side.

The creature's pincer crashed down where he would have been had he continued straight, snapping shut with a fierce crack.

And then… he felt it.

Shit

The impact hit his mind like a sledgehammer, a shock as intense as one of Siddharth's pulses. Despite his mental defenses and Houston's assistance, the shock still managed to disorient him slightly. And this had come from over two meters away from the pincer. What if he got closer? Or if it used both pincers at once?

Dammit

He tried to attack from its back, but it was futile. All the crab's weak points—its antennae and eyes—were at the front. Everywhere else was nothing but solid, impenetrable armor.

He created some distance, but the crab's speed and quick turning left him with little time to disengage. What to do?

He had to counter those pulses somehow, which meant striking at the origin of the shock with a pulse of his own, then blocking whatever was left of the weakened pulse—just as he'd done with Siddharth. The problem was, the crab could likely generate much stronger pulses if it managed to hit closer or resonate using both pincers.

But if he could avoid facing it head-on… stay to one side, away from both pincers… yes, that could work.

He took a deep breath, letting these thoughts snap into focus.

Let's give it a shot.

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