Ryan moved through the Forgotten Overgrowth like a particularly determined shadow.
His new Level 4 stats, combined with his Phase Gauntlet's Agility boost and his Cloak of Shifting Umbra, made him surprisingly fast and quiet for someone who, just a short while ago, considered navigating his own messy apartment a stealth challenge.
The jungle was thick and full of things that hissed, buzzed, or just looked generally unpleasant, but he bypassed most of them, his eyes fixed on the blinking Data Vault icon on his internal map.
After about thirty minutes of careful, swift travel, he reached the location indicated. It wasn't a subtle, hidden hole in the ground.
Oh no. It was a crumbling Precursor ziggurat, a stepped pyramid made of dark, moss-covered stone, rising from the jungle floor like a forgotten tooth of some ancient god.
It was huge, easily five stories tall, and pulsed with a faint, internal energy that made his Neural Symbiote Map tingle. This was definitely a place of importance.
And, like all important places in dangerous jungles, it had a doorman.
A very large, very angry doorman guarding the main entrance a massive, stone archway that looked like it led into the ziggurat's gloomy heart and there was a creature that resembled a giant, six-legged crocodile made of rock and bad intentions.
Its hide was like jagged stone plates, its eyes glowed a dull, menacing orange, and its enormous jaws, filled with teeth like broken tombstones, opened in a silent, rumbling snarl as Ryan approached.
His god Interface helpfully supplied the details:
Target: Stonejaw Ambusher [Forgotten Overgrowth Apex Fauna, Level 4]
Threat Level: Dangerous
Notes: Extremely tough hide. Powerful bite. Likes to play 'got your leg' and usually wins. Vulnerable to attacks in its softer underbelly, if you can get there without becoming an appetizer.
"A Stonejaw Ambusher," Ryan muttered, eyeing the creature's impressive dental work. "Well, he certainly looks like he enjoys ambushing things. And probably eating them afterwards."
This was a Level 4 creature, same as him. But "Apex Fauna" and "Dangerous" suggested it was probably on the higher end of Level 4. He couldn't just walk past it.
"Alright, Mr. Stonejaw," Ryan said, drawing his reinforced, poisoned knife. "Let's see who's more dangerous."
The fight was short but brutal. The Stonejaw Ambusher was incredibly strong and its rocky hide deflected Ryan's first few knife strikes with contemptuous ease.
It tried to snap him up in its massive jaws several times, and Ryan had to use his Short Blink twice to avoid becoming a human-sized chew toy.
But Ryan was faster, smarter, and had an SSS-Tier extraction system that was probably humming with anticipation.
He used his Agility and the terrain to his advantage, darting around the slower creature, looking for an opening. He finally saw one when the Ambusher reared up to try and crush him with its bulk.
Ryan blinked underneath it, into the small space between its legs, and plunged his poisoned knife deep into its softer, unprotected underbelly.
The Stonejaw Ambusher let out a sound like an avalanche gargling rocks, thrashed wildly for a few moments, and then crashed to the ground, twitching before finally lying still.
His god Interface chimed.
Enemy Defeated: Stonejaw Ambusher [Level 4]
+100 God Points [Np] Acquired!
Assimilation Level Progress [Level 4]: 185/1000 Np
"Good Np for a doorman," Ryan panted, wiping sweat from his forehead. He quickly used his SSS-Tier system on the corpse.
Target: Stonejaw Ambusher [Level 4, Deceased]
Initiating Extraction Protocol…
Extraction Complete!
Acquired:
Strength Essence [Stonejaw Variant]: +1 Permanent Strength!
Reinforced Chitin [Crafting Material – Dense]: Extremely durable plating. Can be used to enhance armor or create very tough sandwich boxes.
System Note: You got its muscle and its lunchbox material! Good haul! That chitin is top-notch stuff for not getting squished.
His Strength was now a solid 31. Every little bit helped. He pocketed the Reinforced Chitin mentally that sounded like it would be very useful later.
Just then, a trade notification popped up on his Interface. It was Scarlett "Red" Viper, from Outpost #7's private channel. She must have found something good already.
Trade Offer Received:
From: Scarlett "Red" Viper
Offering: 1x Level 3 Corrupted Flora Heart [Anomaly Component]
For: 1x Serving of Roasted Rations [Stamina Boost: Minor] – [Special Request from previous barter discussion]
Accept / Decline?
Ryan remembered he'd promised to save some rations for his top teammates if they found good stuff for him.
A Level 3 Corrupted Flora Heart was definitely good stuff. He accepted the trade. The heart appeared in his inventory, and a pre-made ration serving vanished. He immediately extracted from the heart.
Target: Level 3 Corrupted Flora Heart [Anomaly Component]
Initiating Extraction Protocol: Purifying Essence
Extraction Complete!
Acquired:
Spirit Essence [Flora Variant] +1 Permanent Spirit!
Another point of Spirit! His mental game was getting stronger and stronger.
His stats updated automatically:
Ryan Stone
Assimilation Level: 4 [185/1000 Np]
Title: God Purifier [Rank 1]
Stats:
Vitality: 26*
Agility: 27 [+10 from Phase Gauntlet] = 37*
Strength: 31*
Intellect: 44 [+10 from Purifier] = 54*
Spirit: 44 [+10 from Purifier] = 54*
Flex Essence Points: 12 [Unspent]
Influence: 4
Threat Level: Elite Human ++
He checked the merged CommNet briefly. Emma "Sage" Thorne was reporting that her team was approaching a location that her Tactical Insight suggested might be a Data Vault.
Tom "Shadow" Kane from Outpost #12 was conspicuously silent, which probably meant he was also busy hunting, not just boasting. The race was definitely on.
Ryan turned his attention back to the ziggurat. Now that the doorman was indisposed he could go inside. He stepped through the massive stone archway into the cool, dark interior.
The air inside was stale and smelled of dust and ancient machinery. Faint Precursor symbols glowed on the walls, providing a dim, eerie illumination.
He used his enhanced senses and his Hyper-Awareness to scan his surroundings.
His Hyper-Awareness suddenly pinged hard, not with danger, but with something else. A focused energy signature, hidden. He followed the sensation to a collapsed section of a side chamber. Buried under a pile of rubble, he found a small, metallic rod, intricately carved and humming faintly.
His Interface identified it:
Object Detected: Resonance Key [Tier 2 Precursor Artifact]
Function: Amplifies and focuses ambient energy signatures. Can be used to detect hidden energy sources, resonate with Precursor technology, or possibly open very stubborn Precursor pickle jars [unconfirmed].
System Note: Ooh, a dowsing rod for magic and old tech! This could be super handy for finding more shiny things!
Ryan grinned. This was an unexpected bonus! He picked up the Resonance Key.
He continued deeper into the ziggurat, following a passage that sloped downwards. The air grew colder, and the hum of ancient machinery grew louder.
Finally, he reached a vast, circular chamber. In the very center, on a raised dais, was a large, cylindrical console made of gleaming black metal, pulsing with a steady blue light. This had to be the Data Vault.
But it wasn't unguarded.
As Ryan stepped into the chamber, a section of the far wall slid open with a hiss, and a new guardian emerged. This one was no animal. It was a robot. A very large, very heavily armed Precursor robot. It was tall and bulky, with multiple glowing red optical sensors, two massive cannon-like arms, and thick armor plating. It moved with a smooth, deadly grace.
Guardian Detected: Custodian Sentinel [Precursor Automaton, Level 5]
Threat Level: High
Special Abilities: Energy Pulse Barrage, Concussion Blast, Reinforced Armor, Energy Shield.
Potential Loot Drops: Sentinel Core [Precursor Tech Component, 15% drop chance], Sentinel Power Module [Rare], Assorted Scrap Metal [Very Common].
System Note: Uh oh. Looks like the janitor is really, really serious about keeping people out of this room. And he brought his big guns. Good luck!
The Custodian Sentinel's red eyes fixed on Ryan. A synthesized voice, cold and devoid of emotion, echoed through the chamber:
Voice: Unidentified organic entity detected. Access to Data Vault Alpha is restricted. Please vacate the premises immediately, or lethal force will be authorized.
Ryan looked at the Level 5 Sentinel, then at the glowing Data Vault. He wasn't about to leave now.
"Sorry, Mr. Roboto," Ryan said, readying his Phase Gauntlet and his poisoned knife. "But I have a resource scramble to win. And maybe a Prime Genesis Cache with my name on it."
The Sentinel's weapon arms began to glow. This was going to be a tough fight.