Ryan Stone let out a small sigh, not of tiredness, but of satisfaction. The Prime Genesis Cache had given him something truly special: a "Neural Symbiote Map."
That sounded very fancy, and a bit like something that might try to eat his brain, but the god Interface assured him it was friendly.
He held the map, which looked less like paper and more like a softly glowing, intricate web of light, no bigger than his hand.
"Okay, little guy," Ryan muttered to the map, "let's see what you can do." He followed the god Interface's simple instructions to connect it.
The map dissolved into his hand with a warm tingle, not painful at all, just a bit… odd. Like his hand had suddenly learned a new language.
Then, his vision changed. It wasn't a big, flashy change, like suddenly seeing everything in rainbow colors. Instead, faint, glowing lines appeared overlaid on the world around him.
They looked like tiny, glowing roads crisscrossing the trees, the ground, and even the air. Some lines were bright, others dim. Little dots of light pulsed here and there, like hidden treasures waiting to be found.
It was as if someone had drawn a secret treasure map right onto his eyeballs. "Well, that's not distracting at all," he thought with a dry chuckle, blinking a few times. He could still see the real world perfectly, but now it had this extra layer of information.
The Neural Symbiote Map was now part of his god Interface, a permanent upgrade to how he saw this new, strange universe.
And the best part? A pleasant feeling of clarity bloomed in his mind. Ideas seemed to connect faster, and understanding complex things felt a tiny bit easier. The god Interface showed him why: "+15 Intellect."
"Nice," Ryan thought. "Maybe now I can figure out why these 'gods' brought us all here without getting a headache." This map wasn't just for finding places; it was making him smarter too.
With his new brainpower tingling, Ryan decided it was time to use those Flex Essence Points he'd been saving up. He pulled up his status screen, which now also had those cool map lines faintly in the background.
"Alright, where to put these?" he mused. He thought about what he needed most. Strength was good for hitting things hard. Vitality kept him from, well, dying when things hit him hard. Agility made him quick and nimble, good for not getting hit in the first place. Intellect was for thinking and using his awesome Extraction System. Spirit was for… well, spirit stuff, and resisting weird mental attacks, which seemed to happen more often than he'd like.
He decided to spread them out a bit. Being a one-trick pony wasn't his style. "Two for you, Agility," he mentally assigned, imagining his legs getting a bit springier. "Two for you, Intellect," he continued, feeling that pleasant clarity sharpen even more. "And two for you, Spirit," he finished, hoping it would make him feel a bit more Zen, or at least less likely to be mind-controlled by a grumpy mushroom.
The god Interface confirmed his choices. His stats flickered and updated:
Name: Ryan Stone
Level: 5 [Experience: 5/1500 god Points]
Aptitude: Ultimate Infinite Extraction System [SSS-Tier]
Strength: 54
Agility: 61 [plus 10 from his Phase Gauntlet]
Vitality: 49
Intellect: 77 [plus 15 from the Neural Symbiote Map]
Spirit: 68
Influence: 8
Threat Level: god Adept
"god Adept, huh?" Ryan murmured, looking at his new Threat Level. It sounded pretty impressive. He felt a quiet sense of achievement.
He was getting stronger, smarter, and faster. In a world full of killer creatures and mysterious gods, every little bit helped.
Especially since he was still technically a "newbie" by this universe's standards.
The Forgotten Overgrowth was a wild place, but Ryan found a relatively peaceful spot near a stream of clean, bubbling water. He figured even a god Adept needed a break sometimes.
He pulled out some of his Pioneer's Rations. Before, he would have just chewed on the dry, tasteless brick. But now, thanks to his earlier discovery about properly prepared food, he knew better.
He had also extracted some "Regenerative Sap" from that Vine Ghoul he fought earlier. He smeared a bit of the sap on his rations, it was sticky and smelled faintly of pine needles and something else he couldn't quite place.
Then, he used a small, ever-warm stone he'd extracted from a volcanic rock to toast them.
The difference was amazing. The rations, now warm and slightly sweet from the sap, actually tasted… decent. As he ate, he felt his energy returning more quickly, his muscles relaxing.
The improved rations really did make a difference to his Stamina. "Note to self," he thought, "never eat raw rations again if I can help it. My taste buds will thank me."
While he ate, Ryan pulled up the Outpost #7 CommNet on his god Interface. The chat was buzzing like a beehive full of caffeinated bees. Everyone was excited about the +10% god Point gain boost they'd received for winning the Resource Scramble Event.
"Woohoo! Just took down a Spine Whelp all by myself and got SO many points!" one message read.
Another player, probably one of the Level 3 folks, typed, "Anyone else notice Level 2 Anomalies are actually manageable now? That Rage Boar nearly got me last week, but I think I could take one now with this boost!"
Someone else chimed in, "Big thanks to Ryan Stone! That win was epic! We're all reaping the rewards!"
Ryan felt a small smile touch his lips. It was good to see his efforts helping others, even if his main goal was his own survival and growth. Some of the more ambitious Level 4 players were already making plans.
"Hey, Ryan, if you're reading this," one message from a player named 'HunterJoe' popped up, "I'm planning to go after a Level 4 Stonehide Grazer tomorrow. If I get its core, would you be interested in trading for some of that fancy Agility juice you make?"
Another, 'RockBreakerLisa', added, "Yeah, Ryan! Or maybe some custom knife sharpening? My blade feels like a butter knife after fighting those Crag Crawlers!"
Ryan chuckled. His specialized extracts and slightly-better-than-basic knives were apparently becoming hot commodities. He made a mental note to think about what he might need from higher-level creatures.
Just then, a private message pinged. It was from Scarlett "Red" Viper.
"Ryan," her message read, "Heard you're the go-to for special essences. I managed to get a 'Level 4 Anomaly Heart [Shadow-Touched]' from a nasty Shadow Panther. Interested in a trade? I could really use something to boost my Agility for scouting."
Ryan considered it. A Shadow-Touched heart sounded interesting. Plus, Scarlett was one of the few genuinely skilled and level-headed people he'd interacted with. Helping her could be beneficial in the long run.
"Deal," he typed back. "I have a vial of 'Concentrated Agility Essence.' Meet me by the old, mossy rock near the Overgrowth edge in an hour?"
"Perfect," Scarlett replied instantly.
Finishing his meal, Ryan felt refreshed and ready for more. The world was dangerous, but it was also full of opportunities for someone with his unique talent.
As he was packing up his few belongings, a sudden screech tore through the air. It was loud, piercing, and sounded very, very angry.
The energy fluctuations from the recently opened Data Vaults, coupled with his own rising power, seemed to be attracting unwanted attention.
His Neural Symbiote Map, which was still showing him those glowing lines everywhere, suddenly highlighted a fast-approaching red blip in the sky. A big red blip. "Uh oh," Ryan said to himself, his hand instinctively going to the hilt of his reinforced knife.
"Company's here"
A massive, bird-like creature with razor-sharp spines covering its wings and a terrifyingly sharp beak swooped down from the canopy.
The god Interface identified it:
"Apex Spineshrieker, Level 5 Anomaly." Its eyes, like chips of burning coal, fixed on Ryan. It was clearly a top predator, and it looked hungry.
Ryan didn't panic. He quickly scanned his surroundings. Climbing a tree was out; this thing could fly. His Phase Gauntlet's 'Short Blink' was good for short hops, but not for a prolonged aerial fight. He needed to bring it down.
He remembered the hardened vine he'd picked up earlier, strong and flexible. He also had a few small, dense metallic shards he'd extracted from some rocks, thinking they might be useful.
An idea sparked. It was a bit ridiculous, but it might just work. In seconds, he looped the vine into a makeshift slingshot, loaded one of the metallic shards, and took aim. The Spineshrieker let out another screech and dived, talons extended.
"Here goes nothing," Ryan muttered, and with a sharp twang, he launched the shard. He wasn't exactly a master marksman with a piece of vine and a rock chip, but his high Agility and Intellect helped him aim true.
The shard whizzed through the air and struck the Spineshrieker right in one of its glowing eyes.
The creature shrieked in pain and surprise, its dive faltering. It tumbled clumsily through the air, crashing into the undergrowth with a thud that shook the ground.
It wasn't dead, but it was definitely disoriented and very angry. Ryan didn't give it a chance to recover. He rushed forward, knife ready, and with a few quick, precise strikes to its vulnerable spots and he finished it off.
The god Interface chimed:
"+160 god Points."
Now for the good part. Ryan knelt beside the massive corpse. "Let's see what goodies you have for me," he said, activating his Ultimate Infinite Extraction System.
From the Apex Spineshrieker, he pulled out a shimmering essence. "+2 Agility Essence [Permanent]," the system confirmed. Excellent. His speed and reflexes would get another nice boost.
He then remembered the Shadow-Touched Heart Scarlett was bringing. Once she arrived and they made the trade, he examined her offering. It was a dark, pulsating organ, still faintly warm, with wisps of shadow clinging to it.
He handed her the vial of Concentrated Agility Essence, which she accepted with a nod of thanks. After she left to test her new boost, Ryan focused on the heart. His system went to work, and soon he extracted "+1 Spirit Essence [Permanent]" from it. More mental resilience was always welcome.
Ryan looked at the Spineshrieker's large corpse. It was too big to carry, and most of it wasn't useful for him to extract beyond the initial essence. But it could still serve a purpose. "Waste not, want not," he thought with a slight grin.
He dragged the carcass to a more open area, a place where other creatures might easily spot it. Or, more importantly, smell it.
He then found a good hiding spot nearby, up in a thick tree with good visibility, his Neural Symbiote Map giving him a nice overview of the faint energy trails in the area.
With a bit of luck, the dead Spineshrieker would attract other scavengers or predators. And anything it attracted would be a potential new source of extractions for him.
He settled in to wait. The hunt, it seemed, was far from over. It was just changing shape.