Conner Brown had not moved toward the deep zone. He had not intended to. His strategy had been built on what his cultivation level and Dustin's could sustain across three full days without overextending—consistent mid-zone hunting, Rank Two cores accumulated steadily, and a score built through volume rather than depth.
It was working.
By mid-afternoon, the Brown pair had collected eleven Rank Two cores between them—fifty-five points, accumulated through the particular grinding efficiency that Conner's patient approach produced when applied to territory he had assessed correctly at the start. Dustin moved faster between targets, covering more ground per hour, flushing the Rank Two beasts from their positions toward Conner's established intercept points with the quick-footed coordination of someone whose speed complemented rather than competed with his partner's solidity.
