[Wave 1: Success]

[Mission Complete: Grading Complete]

[Reward Selection Prepared]

[Menu Unlocked]

"Are all of these necessary?" Lucian wondered.

His mind focused on the first prompt. After a few seconds, the notification began to flicker and soon disappeared.

"Okay..."

He focused on the second prompt, and its actions were a repeat of the first. It was on the third notification that something changed.

And Lucian was stunned.

[Wave 1 Reward Selection]

[Category : Grade - Reward]

[Style : F+ : Serrated Knife]

[Preservation : F- : Twine]

[Efficiency : F : Microlink]

[Note: The quality of any item is equal to the reward Grade]

[Choose Reward]

"Choose Reward?" Lucian asked aloud. "Maybe... someone will bring it to me?"

His eyes widened. If someone would bring him the reward, maybe he could get some information! Or better yet, see where they entered from!

Lucian didn't hold any hopes of the person letting him out, but if he could find the doorway, then maybe...

"Which option, though?" He wondered.

The first two options were cut and dry, but what the hell was a Microlink?

After staring at the three choices for many minutes, Lucian decided to run with number one. The knife could be used to pry open a door... or at least to defend himself in case of another of these bizarre attacks!

He stared intently at the first of the three options.

A moment later, the multiple lines disappeared, only to be replaced by a single prompt.

[Reward Chosen: Initiating Download Sequence]

[2%]

[7%]

[39%]

[82%]

[100%]

The numbers climbed so fast that he could barely recognize them. A loud vibration sounded, and the space in front of Lucian began to warp.

Hexagonal motes of light replaced the warping space, and an image began to form. The image was of a short, white dagger.

The handle was made from bone, and a white blade was fused to the handle by what looked like thickly clotted blood! The backside of the dagger had a serrated edge, while the other formed a triangular blade.

The blade was honed to an incredible degree.

Lucian blanched upon seeing the grotesque blade. The bone that made up the handle was, without a doubt, humanoid.

'What kind of sick fuck would do something like this?' Lucian cried inwardly.

The drifting motes dematerialized, leaving behind a physical copy of the item, which promptly dropped to the ground with a soft thud. Lucian pressed his back to the tree, wrapping his hand around his forearm as he stared at the long knife.

'This tool is made from a human ulna...' He thought.

Seeing it in person was much different from looking at the shimmering image. The bone handle was awkwardly shaped, and the blood coagulated around the upper section of the handle was a deep, wet shade of red.

Lucian had no clue how the blood was holding the weapon together.

The sharpened, triangular blade on the front face appeared to be formed from something's scapula, and the smaller blades on the serrated edge were an assortment of some poor creature's teeth.

Grotesque.

That was the best word that Lucian could use to describe the monstrosity. Still...

"If I'd had this when the rats attacked..." Lucian mumbled. "Maybe I wouldn't have been so injured."

He reluctantly reached out to grab the handle of the disgusting weapon.

It felt warm.

The viscous liquid that covered the shaft clung to Lucian's hand, making him feel as if the weapon would be difficult to drop, even if he wanted to.

Looking at the very real weapon in his hand, he came to a realization. No one was coming.

His plans were useless.

Like water to a flame, the last sliver of hope that was burning inside him had been extinguished. The vile dagger was proof enough.

As he stared at the knife, he felt a drop of water run down his arm.

Lucian skimmed the ceiling, finding a small opening above the uppermost stacked rat.

"Shit," He grimaced and looked at the foot of the shelter.

He lay down on his side and pressed himself as far as he could into the broad base of the makeshift cover. The rain and wind could no longer reach him, but the stench of the decaying rats was infinitely worse.

Lucian clutched his new weapon to his chest, afraid that something could come for him in the middle of the storm. Once he was situated, his eyes hovered over the final prompt.

[Menu Unlocked]

Once he'd focused on the notification, it took three seconds before it flashed and turned into motes of light. Lucian noticed a similar pattern with the other prompts and assumed it was some type of confirmation.

The specks hovered in his sight briefly before amassing at the bottom right of the screen. Watching from the corner of his vision, he noticed that the motes had turned into three small icons.

The icons were each shaped like a hexagon, and he was beginning to notice a pattern. Not that knowing such a thing would help.

"No words..?" Lucian muttered.

He was unable to look at the Hexagons directly, so he focused on the closest one as best he could.

"One... Two... Three..."

The hexagon blinked rapidly before moving to the center of his vision and expanding. This at least proved one of his theories... but his confusion only increased.

"What the hell is this supposed to be?"

From bottom to top, from side to side, as far as he could see...

"Hexagons," He scowled. Lucian was already getting tired of the absurd shape that kept appearing.

The millions of hexagons were greyed out, aside from the few in the center of his vision. There, a single one was shining a luminescent blue.

After focusing on it for three seconds, the screen zoomed in. The millions of microscopic hexagons dropped down to around thirty.

[Initiate]

[Initiate Microlink Active: Host has undergone first evolution. Host successfully flushed out impurities]

[Perks: Reduced need for sustenance, Increased restorative capabilities, Increased strength, Increased reflexes, Increased endurance, Heightened Senses]

[Host has met requirements to absorb Microlinks]