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.