Their progress through the ventilation system accelerated into a brutally efficient rhythm. The claustrophobic maze was no longer a threat; it was a resource farm.
Their new roles were unspoken but clear. They'd arrive at a branching path or a new section, and Joko and Siti would instinctively form a defensive perimeter, weapons ready. Kael would crawl forward, playing the part of the cautious scout. He'd find a large fungus cluster, use his skill to agitate the spores into a thick cloud around a mite nest, then scrape his blade to create the igniting spark.
FWOOSH!
A flash of blue fire, a handful of dead mites, and a cleared path. In the immediate, disorienting aftermath, while Joko and Siti were blinking away the flash, Kael would quickly and covertly gather the glowing cores, absorbing them on the spot. It was a perfect, repeatable system.
With each cleared section, a small notification would chime in his vision.
[Party Kill Contribution. EXP +6] [Party Kill Contribution. EXP +6]
His experience bar, once a dauntingly empty vessel, was climbing steadily. 85/100... 91/100... 97/100... He was getting close.
They reached a vertical shaft leading upwards. It was coated in fungus. "This looks like the main exhaust vent," Joko observed. "The nexus should be at the top."
"I'll go first," Kael said. "Clear the way."
He used his 'trick' on a particularly large cluster teeming with mites near the top of the shaft. The fwoosh was satisfyingly large.
[You have defeated a Spore-Mite. EXP +8] [EXP: 105/100]
And then, the notification he had been desperately waiting for.
[You have reached Level 2!] [All primary attributes have been slightly increased.] [You have been awarded 5 Stat Points to allocate.]
A warmth spread through Kael's body, easing the last of his muscle soreness. A new window appeared in his vision, showing his attributes with plus signs next to them. This was the true path to power. He didn't hesitate. Strength, Agility... they were secondary. His real weapon was his mind. He channeled all five points directly into Intelligence.
[Intelligence: 12.5 -> 18.0]
(Base increase +0.5 from level up, +5.0 from allocated points)
The world snapped into focus with an impossible clarity. The faint hum of the camp's generators, the subtle airflow in the vents, the intricate patterns of the rust on a nearby bolt—he could perceive it all with a new, profound depth. Using [Code Perception] no longer felt like a strain; it felt as natural as breathing.
"Kael? Everything okay?" Siti's voice came from below.
"All clear," he called down, his own voice sounding sharper, more confident to his ears. "Come on up."
He hauled himself into the room at the top of the shaft. It was a large, circular hub where a dozen massive ducts converged—the heart of the ventilation system. The entire chamber was a garden of hypnotic light, with fungus coating every surface. And in the center, clinging to the main exhaust fan, was a pulsating mass of fungus the size of a small car.
Patrolling this central mass was a creature that made the other mites look like ants. It was easily three feet long, with a thick, glossy black carapace that seemed to absorb the light around it. Its legs were like sickles, and its mandibles clicked with audible menace.
Joko and Siti climbed into the room behind him, their jaws dropping at the sight.
"That's the one," Joko breathed. "The Matriarch."
Kael's [Code Perception] was already at work, his newly enhanced [Data Analysis] feeding him information at an incredible speed.
// Entity: Spore-Mite Matriarch // Int: Level=5 // HP: 400/400 // Attribute: Reinforced Exoskeleton // Attribute: High_Heat_Resistance // Ability: [Spore Burst], [Frenzied Strike]
Heat Resistance. Kael's heart sank.
"Alright, Lamplighter," Joko said, taking a defensive stance. "Do your fire trick. A big one."
"It won't work," Kael said, his mind already racing, analyzing the new data.
He had to prove it. He focused on a patch of fungus near the Matriarch, agitated the spores, and sent a spark flying. The blue flame flared to life, washing over the giant mite. The creature barely flinched, shaking its carapace as if shrugging off a minor annoyance. The fire wasn't hot enough to penetrate its thick, glossy shell.
Their one-trick strategy was now useless.
Siti took a half-step back. "Then... how do we fight it?"
Joko looked from the impervious monster to Kael. The cynical veteran, the camp's brawler, was now looking to the scrawny 'support' class for a solution.
"Okay, Lamplighter," Joko said, his voice a low growl. "Your fire trick won't work on that one. What's Plan B?"