While keeping his defensive stance against the remaining Stalkers, Kain registered Lyra's warning cry. The team gained an immediate tactical advantage when she returned because she provided both additional support and a critical extraction chance that they needed to exploit.

  His side vision detected her smooth motion while she destroyed the defeated Stalker with an impeccable [Precise Cut] as her blade released a bright golden energy against the creature's throat. The advanced proficiency of her Blade Dao stunned him after their brief separation.

  Two fruits acquired. One enemy down. We should get out of here.

  The surviving Stalkers detected the shift in battle momentum through their quick-changing bioluminescent signals, which transmitted their new tactical approach. Kain had no plans to allow them any time to execute their strategy.

  He stored his available energy reserves to unleash the most powerful version of [Chain Lightning]. The strain from his energy use ignited warning signals throughout his neural network because he exceeded safe operational capacity limits.

  [Warning: Energy Pathways Approaching Maximum Tolerance]

  [Potential System Damage if Sustained]

  Without heeding the alert Kain unleashed the accumulated power through a destructive field of electrical arcs that united both Stalkers at once. The discharge produced sufficient power to temporarily ionize surrounding air which resulted in a visible shockwave emanating from the discharge point.

  The power surge sent both beings into spasms as the intense electrical interference temporarily paralyzed neural pathways in their systems.

  Kain instantly took full advantage of his momentary upper hand. Kain redirected his leftover Lightning Dao into his legs which boosted his sprinting abilities so he quickly pivoted and chased after Lyra who had vanished into the forest edge.

  The pain from his previous wound burned his calf, yet Kain used veteran hunter discipline to continue moving. Despite the pathway system protesting against the sustained energy output after such a powerful discharge, survival always overrode comfort for him.

  They pushed through the grove's edge together and noticed an abrupt shift in the ambient electromagnetic signature as they crossed an unseen boundary into a new area of the Riftwood Dungeon.

  The enraged roars from the Stalkers reverberated through twisted trees as they resumed their pursuit after recovering from his electrical attack.

  "Keep moving!" Kain yelled out in pain; the sustained use of Dao had taken its toll on him. "They might stop at their territory line!"

  A massive force tore through the underbrush behind them as the ground shook under their feet. Kain saw the alpha Stalker charging furiously behind him with its bark-like armor split but operating and deadly bioluminescent patterns signaling its lethal intent.

  "They're still coming!" Lyra held the Riftfruits close to her chest while she ran through thickening vegetation. She screamed. "Oh god, oh god—they're not stopping!"

  Kain's strategic thinking processed every possibility while he measured distances and energy needs with unfeeling accuracy. The warning from the System about his dangerously depleted pathways remained visible at the edge of his consciousness. Using another high-energy technique could damage his developing Lightning Dao beyond repair.

  "This way!" He shouted when he saw the narrow ravine separating two towering twisted trees. "Through that gap! They're too big to follow!"

  Her Primal affinity delivered unexpected agility which enabled Lyra to pivot instantly and adjust her trajectory. With a ducking motion they entered the narrow passage while bark-like surfaces scraped against their shoulders as they forced their way through the tight space.

  The larger Stalker crashed against the ravine entrance because its enormous body couldn't pass through the narrow gap. The Stalker let out a frustrated roar filled with harmonic frequencies that had nearly incapacitated them before.

  "That won't hold them long," Kain warned, hearing splintering wood as the creature began tearing at the trees with its venomous claws. "They'll tear through or find another way around. Keep moving!"

  The pair left the ravine and entered a part of the Riftwood where the plant life showed less organization compared to Eucalyptus Riftgrove. Massive fungi formations presented natural obstacles while their glowing caps emitted enough light to help them find their way through the forest as night quickly fell.

  The noise of their pursuers faded into the distance but continued to be heard. The Stalkers pursued them with terrifying persistence as they showed readiness to leave their usual boundaries to recover the stolen Riftfruits.

  "In there!" Lyra indicated the large fallen tree trunk which provided a possible shelter with its spacious hollow interior. "We can hide—I can't run anymore!"

  Kain gave his grim nod before they both leaped into the decomposed gap at the exact moment a fresh barrage of roars swept through the woods. The hollow descended further than its external view suggested reaching close to six meters underground and featured phosphorescent fungi which bathed everything in an eerie blue light.

  They pressed their bodies against the far wall while heavy breaths filled the air as they listened to the noises of those chasing them. Footsteps grew louder as they moved toward their hiding place before halting and then passing—but Kain understood that their safety was not assured.

  "They'll double back," he whispered, voice barely audible. "Those things can track our scent."

  The golden glow from the Riftfruits spread across Lyra's face as she held them tighter in the surrounding darkness. "What do we do?" She sought to regulate her voice but noticeable trembles betrayed her control. "I can't keep running. My legs feel like they're on fire."

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  Kain examined the area using his Lightning Dao, which released gentle electromagnetic pulses to reveal the hollow's structure. The wall fungi produced chemical compounds that could possibly conceal human scent markers.

  He nodded slightly as he pointed out "The mushrooms. Crush them and rub the gunk on your skin. Might mask our smell."

  "Are you serious? That's disgusting!" As she whispered her objection, he noticed she had already extended her hand toward the luminescent fungi. "God, I miss deodorant and perfume. Never thought I'd be smearing mushroom guts all over myself."

  She picked up multiple glowing mushrooms and pressed them until they burst apart in her hands. The substance transformed into a sticky paste while emitting a sharp, noxious smell. The compound made their faces and exposed skin tingle slightly as they swiftly spread it across their bodies.

  The Stalkers' movements started to show erratic patterns which indicated their tracking abilities were now compromised. As their search area widened the creatures approached the hollow multiple times producing diminishing growls of frustration.

  Following twenty minutes of intense quietness Kain managed to release a deliberate breath. "Think we're clear for now. They'll keep looking, though."

  "Those things were so pissed," Lyra whispered, her voice still unsteady.

  "It's like we stole their babies or something." She glanced down at the glowing fruits. "You think... you think we could kill them? Eventually, I mean? Get revenge for nearly turning us into koala chow?"

  Kain considered this thoughtfully. "The big one's Level 8, the others Level 6. Taking them down would be a challenge, but..." He paused, a faint smile touching his lips. "Might be worth it. Could claim their territory and all those fruits."

  Lyra exclaimed, "All those fruits!" as she stared at their stolen treasure, her eyes expressing surprise. "There were dozens of them! We'd be like, super-powered in no time."

  "It would be a strategic advantage," Kain agreed, his formal training momentarily slipping through before he caught himself. "I mean—yeah, it'd make us a hell of a lot stronger. Fast-track our progress."

  He moved to inspect his wounded leg, which continued to pulsate from contact with the Stalker's poisonous claws. The tissue around the wound appeared heavily discolored, while purple veins radiated outward from the point of contact as the venom penetrated Kain's system.

  "Your leg looks terrible," Lyra said with a face full of worry when she saw him examining his injury. "That's from one of their claws?"

  "Yeah," Kain replied, probing the wound carefully. "Venom's spreading. The venom won't kill me, but I'll limp until we can find a solution to neutralize it.

  Lyra presented one of the Riftfruits, which displayed a vibrant golden surface shimmering with energy. "What about this? The Riftfruit is supposed to function as a magical power-up, isn't it? Maybe it'll fix your leg, too?"

  Kain considered the fruit thoughtfully. System resources from his previous timeline usually had additional useful properties beside their main purpose. The immediate need to counteract the toxin justified taking the risk of unidentified side effects.

  "Worth a shot," he said with a shrug. "System usually builds multiple benefits into these resources."

  Lyra gave him one of the fruits and he felt its warm surface pulsate in his hand. When he touched it the golden shine became brighter because his Lightning Dao electromagnetic signature activated the response.

  Kain took a slow bite of the fruit and felt its flesh separate effortlessly. The flavor of the fruit defied basic characterization because it did not taste sweet or sour but instead presented a shifting array of flavors with each tasting moment.

  The energy surged through his system instantly as it traveled along his pathways with a rejuvenating power. As he experienced the toxin's painful burn, the fruit's properties nullified the harmful substances while returning his tissues to their usual state.

  [Toxin Neutralized]

  [Energy Pathways Stabilizing]

  [Attribute Distribution in Progress]

  The fruit's energy initiated a transformative process in his Lightning Dao pathways which expanded current channels while forming new connections throughout his neural network. The sensation triggered both discomfort and exhilaration as if muscles burned during intense workouts which indicated growth from controlled stress.

  The power surge grew stronger until it built to a peak that briefly overpowered his senses. As his vision blurred, he saw cascading networks of electrical pathways that revealed his Lightning Dao's expanded capabilities.

  [Level Up! You have reached Level 10!]

  The expanded potential began to integrate into Kain's system while new tactical possibilities started to emerge within him.

  He let out a gasp and blinked to bring his vision back into focus. "That was... a lot."

  Lyra's voice calling out "Kain" drew him back from his inner thoughts. "Check this out."

  Her Riftfruit vibrated with an altered rhythm as its golden sheen mixed with emerald energy bursts which appeared to resonate with her Primal connection.

  "It's changing color," she said, turning the fruit to examine it from different angles. "It was just gold before, but now it's got these green bits. Like it's... matching me or something?"

  Kain nodded, fascinated by the implication. "Your Dao signature is causing the fruit to undergo changes. The System creates resources that modify themselves based on their users' characteristics."

  "That is so weird and cool at the same time," Lyra said, staring at the fruit with newfound wonder. "Should I eat mine too? I'm still starving after all that running."

  "Hold off for now," Kain advised, rising to his feet as the fruit's energy continued to work through his system. "We should space them out—my one healed me, you should wait till you need it, more efficient that way."

  She gave an affirmative nod before handing the fruit to Kain which he then put in his makeshift vine-leaf pouch.

  "So what were those moves you were pulling back there? One second, you're just standing there; the next, you're like, lightning-punch, electric knee to the face. It was badass."

  Kain stretched his hand while electrical arcs continued to spark between his fingers as his expanded neural pathways were adapted to their upgraded setup.

  "Just experimenting," he explained, watching the tiny arcs of electricity jump between his fingertips. "Channeling my Dao directly into physical strikes instead of using formal techniques. More versatile in close combat."

  And something I never mastered in my previous life, he added silently. The colony hunters were too focused on specialized skill development to explore fundamental energy applications.

  Lyra commented that the display reminded her of a martial art but lightning based. "Like Muay Thai with lightning effects."

  Kain moved his head in a minor tilt as he realized he did not know what she was talking about. "Muay Thai?"

  She clarified by showing Thai kickboxing through demonstrations of punches and elbow strikes. "Muay Thai fighters utilize every part of their body to strike their opponent during combat. Super brutal but effective. The gym offered classes but I was scared so I didn't do it.

  "Huh. Sounds interesting." Kain recognized the potential value of the martial system and decided to investigate it further when he could. He would adopt any fighting technique that matched the inherent expression of his Lightning Dao into his personal style of combat.

  [Combat Style Recognized: Thunderous Steps]

  The System notification attracted his attention because it provided official acknowledgement of the combat application he had started to develop. The approach represented a fundamental innovation of Lightning Dao capabilities by merging elemental energy with physical combat techniques.

  This could change everything.

  In his past timeline, Hunters kept physical combat and Dao techniques as separate tactical choices instead of using them together as a unified system. His future self remained unaware of the potential benefits this new combat approach could have delivered if developed earlier in history.

  The temporary safety they experienced gave Kain space to evaluate his extended strategic goals. "You know, we could actually pull it off—taking down those creatures."

  "Really?" Lyra perked up. "How? Those oversized furballs nearly killed us both."

  "We'd need to properly understand how they operate as a collective," Kain explained. "Take out their leader—the big one—and the others might get confused, disorganized. Still, we don't know how many of them there are."

  "True, but if we succeed... we get all those fruits," Lyra concluded, a slow grin spreading across her face. "God, we'd be unstoppable."

  "Exactly. Better than running around hoping to get lucky with random encounters."

  Lyra pressed her back against the hollow's wall while she considered her thoughts.

  "We'd need a real plan, though. No more of this 'let's just grab and run' business. Those things coordinate like they share a hive mind or something."

  "They have weaknesses," Kain noted. "Their armor doesn't protect their joints—you saw that with your cut. And they rely on those glowing patterns to coordinate. If we could disrupt that somehow..."

  "So we get stronger, go back, murder their leader, and steal all their magic fruit," Lyra theorized. "I'm down for some payback. Those things nearly turned us into dinner."

  "We should move deeper in," Kain decided, scanning their surroundings with both visual and electromagnetic perception. "Get some real distance between us and the Riftgrove before we camp."

  They carefully left the hollow while Kain used his Lightning Dao to emit electromagnetic pulses for threat detection. The Stalkers expanded their search range, and their unique electromagnetic signals faded to the limits of his sensory perception.

  They discovered a good sleeping spot after moving an additional kilometer through careful navigation and found it to be a shallow cave formed by massive exposed roots from a very old twisted tree.

  Three sides were naturally barricaded by the root structure, which forced defenders to protect only one entry point.

  The pair took refuge in the temporary shelter while they organized their limited supplies. As Kain started building a fire, Lyra interrupted his actions.

  Lyra sat up suddenly. "Oh! I completely forgot with everything that happened. When I killed that stunned koala back there... I leveled up."

  Kain turned to her with renewed interest. "To what level?"

  She answered, "Five," with a blend of pride and uncertainty in her tone. "I need to choose between three available skills but can't decide on the best option; they're all pretty insane to me."