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.