Tatehan stood over the two massive corpses, catching his breath and feeling the post-combat rush of adrenaline slowly fading from his system.

Now this was the fun part after a fight. This was the part that made his heart rejoice and be filled with glee.

Killing monsters was something else, but harvesting their cores was on whole different level.

This was an act that came with suspense and surprise. Something that one anticipated the outcome of.

Like:

'What would I get?'

'Upgrade cores?'

'What would these rare Serpent-Tail variants contain?'

Tatehan knelt beside the larger corpse, the one he'd personally killed and tried to see if he'd see any cores just laying beside the dead monster as usual.

But he saw nothing. Absolutely nothing layed behind the monster.

Normally this should have shown him that the creature came with no cores and should have made him disappointed and start to head back to the Spaceship. Maybe even complained on the way and unleash his fruitation on some bunch of brutenecks (any variant), but he remained calm.

Instead of doing the obvious choices, he instead began the careful work of cutting into the creature's chest cavity, searching for the telltale glow of a core.

The scales were tougher than he'd expected, even in death. His enhanced blade cut through them eventually, but it required more effort than slicing through Carapace armor had. These creatures were built differently, optimized for speed and aggression rather than pure defensive capability, but their scales still provided substantial protection.

After several minutes of careful cutting and moving aside internal organs that he really didn't want to examine too closely, Tatehan found what he was looking for.

One glowing core.

And as expected, this core was different.

This one was oval-shaped rather than the usual angular crystalline structure. It was approximately the size of a large egg, smooth-surfaced, and glowed with a soft orange light.

Tatehan held it up to examine it more closely, turning it in his hands. The surface was warm to the touch..

Text appeared across his retina:

[Unknown Core Type Detected]

[Analyzing composition...]

[Analysis complete]

[Function: Grants new ability to host upon absorption]

[Specific ability granted: UNKNOWN until absorbed]

[Warning: Absorption is irreversible]

[Risk assessment: Minimal - core structure indicates beneficial properties]

[Recommendation: Absorb when ready]

Tatehan stared at the information, his heart rate increasing slightly with excitement.

The core didn't have a name but it was to grant him an ability upon absorption. Something that would grant him an entirely new capability, expanding his already growing arsenal of powers.

Tatehan smiled. He was starting to get bored of his current abilities any ways. Time for a new addition.

He'd started with just gravity manipulation, regeneration, kinetic absorption that came with the armor and enhanced durability. Over time, those abilities had leveled up and improved. But he'd never actually gained a completely new ability in what felt like ages.

The system said the risk was minimal. The core structure indicated beneficial properties. And honestly, after everything he'd been through, he was willing to take the chance.

"Alright," Tatehan said aloud. "Let's see what you do."

He focused his intention on the core, willing it to activate, to integrate with his system somehow.

The core's glow intensified immediately in response, the color-shifting becoming more rapid. The warmth increased, spreading from his hands up his arms. Then the entire core began to dissolve, not crumbling or breaking, but literally transforming into pure energy that flowed into his palms and up through his body.

The sensation was strange but not unpleasant. It felt like warm water flowing through his veins, spreading throughout his entire system, touching every cell, every nerve and every organ.

For a moment, Tatehan's vision went completely white.

Then, just as suddenly, it cleared.

He stood there blinking, feeling... different. Not dramatically different, but subtly changed, as if his perception of the world around him had shifted in some fundamental way he couldn't quite articulate yet.

Text began appearing across his retina:

[Ability Enhancement Core successfully absorbed]

[New ability acquired!]

[Ability Name: Heightened Perception (Level 1)]

[Description:]

[This ability allows the user to perceive the world in extreme slow motion. While the environment continues at normal speed, their senses are heightened so that time appears to slow down dramatically from their perspective. This enhanced perception grants the user the ability to detect minute details and subtle changes that would otherwise go unnoticed.]

[Effect on Movement and Reaction:]

[The user's physical movement speed remains unchanged. However, thanks to their already enhanced reflexes, they can react far faster to threats or opportunities since their brain processes sensory input in slowed time.]

[Duration and Cooldown:]

- Can be activated for 1 minute per use.

- After use, requires a cooldown period of 2 hours before it can be used again.

[Upgrades:]

[As the ability levels up, the user will gain longer active durations, shorter cooldowns, and more precise sensory enhancements.]

Tatehan read through the ability description twice, then a third time, his mind already going through the possibilities.

"Heightened Perception," he mttered.

Time manipulation of a sort. Not true time manipulation, he couldn't actually slow time itself, but from his perspective, it would be functionally similar. The world would crawl while his mind raced at full speed, allowing him to process information, spot details, and make decisions that would be impossible at normal perception speeds.

While this ability might seem like not so exception, it was actually a very valuable one.

The tactical applications were immediately obvious.

In combat, one minute of slowed perception could mean the difference between life and death. He'd be able to track multiple opponents simultaneously, spot incoming attacks before they fully developed and identify weaknesses in enemy defenses.

Tatehan's smile widened as he considered other uses.

Exploration and scouting would become far more effective. He could scan entire areas in what felt like extended time, catching details that might otherwise slip past. Environmental hazards that appeared suddenly would be easier to avoid. Complex mechanisms or alien technology could be examined with meticulous attention to detail.

The two-hour cooldown was significant, though. That would greatly impact how effectively he could use it.

This wasn't something he could spam repeatedly. It would need to be used strategically, saved for moments when it would provide the maximum advantage. One minute of heightened perception at the right moment versus wasting it on something trivial.

'Smart usage,' Tatehan thought. 'Save it for when it really counts.'

He also noted that his physical speed wouldn't increase, only his perception and ability to react. His enhanced reflexes meant he could already move faster than a normal human. With this ability active, his brain would process everything in slow motion while his body continued moving at its enhanced speed. The combination would make him devastatingly effective.

And it was only Level 1.

As the ability leveled up, the duration would increase and the cooldown would decrease. Eventually, he might be able to use it for several minutes at a time with minimal cooldown. The sensory enhancements would become more precise, allowing him to detect even more subtle details.

"Alright," he said, turning his attention to the second corpse. "Let's see what you've got for me."

The place was eerily quiet. Perhaps few brutenecks lived this area or the fight of the two serpent tail brutenecks had drove them away.

Or was it the explosion or the bullet he had sent to the neck of the bruteneck? From what he knew, monsters were attracted to sounds and not vice versa.

He looked around, to his left and right, squinting his eyes if he would catch some monster lurking behind a boulder, waiting for him to bend down and harvest the core of the other monster so it would attack.

But he saw and heard nothing, just the slight whistle of the wind and… silence.

He concluded that no monsters were actually around and now began approaching the smaller Serpent-Tail.

The monster looked so beaten and almost emaciated.

The process was a bit familiar now and less irritating than before — cutting through the tough scales, carefully moving aside internal organs, searching for that glow that told a core was inside.

This one took less time. Either he was getting better at the process, or this creature's anatomy was slightly different. Within minutes, he'd located the core.

It was similar to the first, oval-shaped, smooth-surfaced, glowing with a soft orange light. Nearly identical, actually. Or very well identical even.

Tatehan extracted it carefully and held it up.

He wondered What this core would give him though. But he already seemed to know the answer. The other serpent tail bruteneck gave him an ability which was heightened perception.

Perhaps this would give him another ability?

I mean, that was the only possible answer at this point. It was the logical one actually.

The other core granted an ability, it was only logical that this one does the same.

Text appeared across his retina:

[Unknown Core Type Detected]

[Analyzing composition...]

[Analysis complete]

[Function:

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