SSS-Tier Extraction: From Outcast to Overgod!
Chapter 47: Rival’s Respect

Chapter 47: Rival’s Respect

The god Warden’s victory announcement echoed in the vast, silent chamber of the god Array, the words bouncing off the colossal spire and the now-lifeless form of the Array Sentinel.

Ryan felt a deep sense of satisfaction wash over him. It wasn’t just about winning a contest; it was about proving a point. He, and by extension, his scrappy little Outpost, were not to be underestimated.

Even though the Power Core Scramble was officially over, Ryan wasn’t in a hurry to leave. He was standing in the control room of the Labyrinth’s main power station, and the big, scary guard was out of commission. It would be a waste not to look around and see if there was any other loot lying about.

He hopped off the chest of the defeated Sentinel and knelt beside its motionless head. He placed a hand on the Pristine Sentinel Core that had dropped.

It was still humming with a faint, residual energy. He activated his "Ultimate Infinite Extraction System." This was a unique opportunity to extract a talent from a B-Tier creature he had defeated himself.

A stream of complex data and raw energy flowed into him. It felt like downloading a massive file directly into his brain. The system worked its magic, and a new, powerful talent settled into his being.

"You have successfully extracted the B-Tier talent: ’Energy Siphon’!"

Description: Allows the user to actively drain ambient energy or targeted energy sources to replenish personal spiritual energy (mana) or to charge compatible devices.

Ryan’s eyes widened. This was a fantastic talent. It was the very ability the Sentinel had used to regenerate and power its attacks. Now it was his.

He could potentially drain energy from monster attacks, from Precursor machines, or even from the environment itself. It would make him far more resilient in long fights.

It was like having a magical, built-in battery charger. With this, he now had multiple powerful B-Tier talents under his belt, making him an incredibly versatile opponent.

He then took a few minutes to explore the Array’s central control spire, the place the Sentinel had been guarding so fiercely. Inside, he found what he was looking for: another rack of intact Precursor Power Cores.

There were about 50 of them. The system informed him that since the Scramble was over, these wouldn’t count towards the official score, but they were still added to his personal inventory.

"A little winner’s bonus," he thought with a grin. "Don’t mind if I do."

While he was happily looting, the Sector Gamma CommNet was going absolutely wild. He took a moment to pull it up on his interface. The channel for his home, Outpost #7, was a non-stop party.

[Player_BlueFalcon1]: "WE WON! WE ACTUALLY WON AGAIN!"

[Player_BlueFalcon2]: "RYAN IS A BEAST! HE TOOK DOWN THEIR SCORE SINGLE-HANDEDLY!"

[Chris "Boulder" Magnus]: "That’s our guy! Showed those Circuit Breaker nerds what a real Blue Falcon can do! Great work, everyone who held the line!"

[Emma "Sage" Thorne]: "The strategic victory is undeniable. Ryan’s ability to locate and secure high-value targets is on another level. Congratulations, Ryan."

The celebration was infectious, and Ryan couldn’t help but smile. They were a good bunch.

Then, a new message appeared in Outpost #7’s channel. It wasn’t from a Blue Falcon. It was from Zara Khan. The whole channel went silent, waiting to see what she would say. Would she be a sore loser? Would she make excuses?

[Zara "Technomage" Khan | Outpost #3 | Circuit Breakers]: "Ryan Stone. Blue Falcons. I am sending this message to your private channel as a sign of respect."

Her message was calm and formal.

"Your efficiency is... remarkable. My analysis of your point accumulation rate suggested an anomaly, but the reality is far more impressive. My Outpost underestimated you. We underestimated your resourcefulness and your individual combat power. You played a different game, and you played it better. Well played."

After sending the message, her name tag showed that she logged off from the Sector CommNet completely.

Ryan was genuinely surprised. He had expected arrogance or anger, but what he got was a clean, formal acknowledgment of his victory. Zara Khan, for all her confidence, was not a sore loser. She was a scientist at heart, and when presented with undeniable data in this case, her own crushing defeat and she accepted it.

Ryan found himself feeling a grudging respect for her. It was easy to be arrogant when you were winning; it took real character to be graceful in defeat. Her message also earned her a few quiet "respect" and "gg" (good game) messages from the Blue Falcons who had been ready to mock her.

Just then, his own system chimed with the rewards for winning the Scramble.

"As the victor of the Power Core Scramble, Genesis Outpost #7’s holdings of all collected Power Cores are hereby doubled!"

The 500 cores they had officially collected instantly became 1000. The Outpost was now rich in energy resources.

"All members of Genesis Outpost #7 will receive a +10% bonus to all god Point gains for the next 24 cycles!"

Another NP boost. His teammates would be leveling up even faster now.

"As the top contributor to your faction’s victory, you are awarded +2 Influence!"

His Influence score ticked up to 14. He was becoming a very influential person, it seemed.

"You have also been awarded a ’Prime god Cache’!"

A large, golden cache, glowing with immense power, materialized in the air in front of him. It was even more impressive than the Prime Genesis Cache he had received before.

This one was a reward for a major, sector-level victory.

With a feeling like a kid on Christmas morning, he reached out and opened it. The light that burst forth was blinding. Inside was a single, intricate object: a heavy, disc-shaped artifact made of interlocking stone and metal rings. It felt ancient and incredibly important.

[Labyrinth Keystone (Tier 5 Artifact)]

Description: A master key for the Precursor Labyrinth of Sector Gamma.

Function: Grants the holder access to the Labyrinth’s deepest and most secure sections, including the Labyrinth Core and the rumored Master Control Room. Bypasses most standard security protocols within the Labyrinth.

Ryan held the Keystone in his hand. It was warm to the touch and hummed with a deep, powerful energy. This was it. This was the key to unlocking the Labyrinth’s biggest secrets.

The challenges, the fights, the risks, it had all been worth it. This single artifact was more valuable than all 1000 Power Cores combined.

He now had a choice. He could leave the Labyrinth and celebrate with his team, or he could use this key, right now, and see just how deep this rabbit hole went.

For a man with an SSS-Tier talent built on exploration and discovery, it wasn’t really a choice at all.

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