Chapter 35: Claws and Wall Runs!
Daniel practically sprinted away from the Central Core chamber, the echo of the previous explorer's final, chilling log entry bouncing around in his skull.
Consciousness... hungry... Yeah, no thanks. He wasn't planning on becoming high-energy Labyrinth chow today.
Nyx seemed contentedly asleep again in her pouch, blissfully unaware of the near-existential dread her owner was experiencing. Lucky pup.
The passage leading away from the Core felt different from the leaky, junk-filled Bypass Conduit.
This tunnel was clean, well-maintained, made of the same smooth, faintly glowing grey stone as the upper levels.
The air still hummed with power, but it was the clean, white energy of the Core, not the corrupted blue static from before.
It felt less like a forgotten basement and more like a restricted hallway near the main engine room.
His map showed this passage leading upwards, likely connecting back to the standard Labyrinth levels closer to whatever objective Phase Two had in store.
He moved quickly but cautiously, his [Aura Sense+] constantly scanning ahead, amplified by the clean energy here.
He didn't want any more surprises like sentient power cores or exploding guardians if he could help it.
His new passive skill, [Energy Siphon], was already working, a tiny trickle of mana flowing into him from the ambient energy, a comforting feeling after the drain of the Sentinel fight.