SSS-Tier Extraction: From Outcast to Overgod!
Chapter 48: The Start of an Adventure

Chapter 48: The Start of an Adventure

Ryan held the Labyrinth Keystone in his hand, feeling its ancient power hum against his skin. It was cool to the touch, smooth and heavy, and felt far more important than any other item he’d held.

The connection it made with his Neural Symbiote Map was incredible. The faint, glowing lines that overlaid his vision, which had once been like a simple road map, were now transforming into a complex, three-dimensional blueprint of the entire Labyrinth.

New paths, hidden tunnels, and secret chambers lit up in brilliant gold, all spiraling down towards one central, massive location: the "Core Chamber." He could see it all as clearly as if he were looking at a model on a table.

"Well now," he murmured to himself, a slow grin spreading across his face. "This changes things. No more getting lost for this guy."

He felt like he’d been given the master keycard to the entire building, and he couldn’t wait to see what was in the boss’s office.

Just as he was marveling at his new super-map, a trade notification pinged in his interface. It was Scarlett "Red" Viper, always on the ball. Her message was direct and to the point, as usual.

[Scarlett "Red" Viper | Outpost #7 | Blue Falcons]: "Ryan. Incredible win. My team took down a Level 5 Corrupted Treant while you were busy.

Its heart is... strange. Very powerful. We also found a ’Precursor Navigation Orb’ in its roots. I’m interested in your time-stuff. I have a feeling it could help with my scouting and evasion.

Would you trade these two items for a small vial of that ’Stabilized Temporal Energy’ you mentioned you could make?"

Ryan considered her offer. A Level 5 Corrupted Treant Heart sounded potent, and a Precursor Navigation Orb could be anything from a simple compass to a complex guidance system.

It was a good offer. Plus, he had a surplus of the "Temporal Shards" he’d collected from the Hounds. Crafting a small vial of stabilized energy from them wouldn’t be too difficult with his system. It was a win-win.

"Deal," he typed back. "Usual spot. I’ll need about twenty minutes to prepare the vial."

He got to work. Using his system, he carefully deconstructed a handful of the Temporal Shards, filtering out the chaotic, unstable energies and leaving behind a pure, stable temporal essence.

He sealed it in a small glass vial, where it glowed like shining liquid.

After making the trade, he examined his new acquisitions. The Precursor Navigation Orb was a smooth, metallic sphere that felt cool in his hand.

When he held it, the golden lines on his Neural Map seemed to grow a little brighter, a little clearer. It was a passive upgrade to his already incredible map. Nice.

The Treant Heart was the main prize, though. It was a gnarled piece of wood, dark and twisted, about the size of his two fists. It pulsed with a sickly green light, and he could feel the corrupted energy rolling off it in waves.

It felt wrong, like a beautiful plant that had gotten sick. Any normal person would probably want to throw it as far away as possible.

But Ryan wasn’t a normal person. He had the Ultimate Infinite Extraction System. And now, he had his new B-Tier talent: Energy Siphon. He decided to try a little experiment.

Instead of just extracting from the heart, he first activated his new talent. He placed his hand on the corrupted heart and focused, willing the energy to flow into him.

He felt a rush of cold, tainted power, like drinking spoiled milk. It felt gross, but his system immediately went to work, filtering and purifying it.

He wasn’t just taking the energy; he was cleaning it. The sickly green glow of the heart began to fade, replaced by a warm, healthy, golden light. He was siphoning away the corruption itself.

Once the heart was purified, he used his Extraction System on what was left. The system hummed, and instead of a simple essence, it pulled out a single, perfect, golden seed.

[Seed of Resilience]

Description: The purified life-essence of a powerful nature-based Anomaly.

Effect: Permanently grants +1 to Vitality upon consumption. A pure and potent life force.

"Now that’s what I’m talking about," Ryan said with satisfaction. He didn’t hesitate. He popped the seed into his mouth. It tasted faintly of honey and fresh earth.

A warm, strengthening energy spread through his body, settling deep in his core. He felt tougher, more solid. His Vitality stat ticked up by one point.

He checked his status. His Threat Level had ticked up again, now designating him as a "god Sentinel." It sounded very grand and important.

He also had his six Flex Essence Points, three from hitting Level 7 and three from defeating the Guardian Prime, just sitting there. He decided to hold onto them for now, just in case he ran into another situation where he needed a sudden, emergency boost to a specific stat.

It was always good to have an ace up his sleeve.

Now for his next project. He pulled out the three items he’d been wanting to combine: the "Pristine Sentinel Core" he’d gotten from the Array Sentinel, his old, "Depleted Precursor Power Cell," and the "Energy Cell Modulator" he’d found in a cache earlier. It was time to see if he could make himself a better battery.

His system guided him, showing him how the pieces were meant to fit together. He used his system to carefully deconstruct the outer casing of the depleted power cell.

He then used the Energy Cell Modulator as a bridge, a way to connect the powerful Sentinel Core to the power cell’s storage matrix. It was delicate work.

One wrong move could cause the Sentinel Core to overload, which would probably vaporize him and a good chunk of the Labyrinth.

He focused, his high Intellect allowing him to understand the complex energy flows. He carefully linked the components, his system weaving the connections together on a microscopic level. There was a bright flash of light and a deep, satisfying hum.

When the light faded, the three separate components were gone. In their place was a single, sleek, black cylinder that pulsed with a steady, powerful blue light.

[Charged god Power Core (Tier 4)]

Description: A high-capacity, rechargeable energy source created by combining an advanced Precursor core with a standard power cell chassis. Can be used to power high-tier Precursor artifacts and technology.

Current Charge: 100%

He had done it. He now had a powerful, reusable battery. He could probably power his Weaver’s Gauntlet for a week straight with this thing. He clipped it to his belt, feeling more prepared than ever.

With his new key in hand, his new power core on his belt, and his new super-map in his head, it was finally time. He had lingered long enough. The deepest, most secret part of the Labyrinth was calling to him.

He began his journey, leaving the relative safety of the Array Spire behind. He followed the new, golden pathways highlighted by his Neural Map, which led him down into levels of the Labyrinth he had never seen before.

The air grew colder, the architecture more ancient and imposing. The silence was deeper here, more profound.

The Labyrinth itself seemed to recognize the Keystone. Massive stone doors, which would have been sealed to anyone else, rumbled open as he approached.

Ancient security systems, laser grids, and pressure plates, which his map showed were still active, simply deactivated as he walked past. The Keystone was giving him VIP access.

But the key didn’t turn everything off. The Labyrinth felt different here. It felt... awake. And it was far more dangerous. The creatures in these deeper levels were not the common Anomalies he was used to.

These were older, more powerful guardians, beings that had been dormant for millennia, now stirring from their long slumber, awakened by his presence.

He was walking into the heart of the beast, and the heart was starting to beat again.

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