Chapter 68: Sector Directive 001
The party in Outpost #7 eventually calmed down, but the feeling of victory lingered in the air like the smell of a good barbecue. News of what happened in the Shattered Peaks spread like wildfire through the newly connected Sector Gamma CommNet.
Ryan Stone wasn’t just the guy who won a contest anymore. He was the guy who beat an Apex monster by himself and then made the legendary Crimson Banner surrender without even landing the final blow.
His official title was still "Provisional Governor," but nobody called him that. In the chat rooms and private messages, a new name was catching on: Sector Lord Stone.
The Sector Gamma CommNet was a wild place.
Player_X9 (Iron Wolves, #21): So this Stone guy thinks he’s a big shot now? Wait until he meets a real fight.
Zara Khan (Circuit Breakers, #3): His tactical approach was... unexpected. But effective. The data is compelling.
Random Player (Outpost #5): Is anyone selling Sector Lord Stone action figures yet? I’d trade a Level 3 Anomaly Core for one. Does it come with a tiny, terrified Tom Kane accessory?
Ace Striker (Outpost #7): Such disrespect! The proper term is ’Our Great and Wise Sector Lord’! And any merchandise would have to be officially approved by his office! Which I will happily manage!
Ryan read the messages with a small smile. He was sitting alone in the quiet of the Labyrinth’s Core Chamber, the giant, sleeping Weaver machine humming softly around him.
Being a "Sector Lord" sounded a lot like being a landlord for a whole neighborhood of very strange and heavily armed people.
And his first job was to deal with his newest, unhappiest tenant: the Crimson Banner.