SSS-Tier Extraction: From Outcast to Overgod!-Chapter 104: The Spoils of Chaos

The silence that fell over the valley was deep and profound. The air, which moments ago had been thick with oppressive energy and maddening whispers, was now clean and still.

The single ray of sunlight that had broken through the clouds seemed to spread, pushing back the gloom. The battle was over, the Monolith was gone, and the five of them were left standing in a landscape of black sand and purified rock.

The first thing Ryan did was take a deep, cleansing breath. "Well," he said, mostly to himself. "That’s one way to do some spring cleaning."

His team gathered around him, their expressions a mix of exhaustion and awe. The two Sanctuary Wardens were already kneeling on the ground, their hands pressed to the earth, their own gentle light helping to speed up the healing process of the land.

The withered black moss was receding even faster now, like a tide of darkness being pulled back into the sea.

Zara was busy collecting samples of the black sand, her scientific curiosity already having taken over. "Fascinating," she muttered, letting the inert grains run through her fingers.

"The chaotic energy signature is completely gone. It’s been neutralized at a molecular level. It’s just... sand now. Very boring sand."

Scarlett walked up to Ryan, her sharp eyes scanning him for any sign of injury. "Are you alright?" she asked, her voice low and laced with a concern she rarely showed. "Channeling that much power..."

"I’m fine," Ryan reassured her, giving her a tired but genuine smile. "Just a little drained. The Heart of Creation packs a serious punch."

He then walked over to the spot where the Prophet Malakor had dissolved into nothingness. There was nothing left of the man himself, but the spot on the ground where he had made his last stand seemed to hum with a faint, residual energy. It was the echo of his power, the ghost of his chaotic soul.

Ryan knelt, his hand hovering over the spot. This was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. He activated his Ultimate Infinite Extraction System. He wasn’t trying to pull a physical object, but something much stranger.

A swirl of shadowy, distorted energy rose from the ground and flowed into his hand. It was a chaotic, confusing jumble of information and power.

[Extraction Complete!]

[You have absorbed: Fragmented Chaos Code (Data).]

[You have absorbed: A Prophet’s Echo (Trace Essence).]

The new knowledge flooded his mind. The "Fragmented Chaos Code" was like getting a peek at the Schism Cults’ playbook. He now had a much deeper understanding of how their chaotic energy worked, how it spread, and how it could be countered.

It was like a master locksmith being given the blueprints to his rival’s most difficult lock.

The "Prophet’s Echo" was different. It was a faint, lingering trace of Malakor’s own power. It didn’t give him a new skill, but it gave him a sort of... warning system.

He could now feel the presence of strong chaotic energy from a much greater distance, like a psychic smoke detector for reality-bending cultists.

But that wasn’t all. As the last of the Prophet’s energy faded, a new object materialized in the pile of black sand where the Monolith had stood.

It was a small, dark crystal, about the size of a human heart. It was a deep, obsidian black, but unlike the Monolith, it wasn’t pulsing with angry energy. It was completely inert, cold to the touch, and seemed to drink the light around it.

It was the "Heart of the Monolith," the most concentrated piece of the corrupted artifact, now purified and stabilized by the Genesis Wave he had unleashed.

Ryan picked it up. It was heavy, both physically and spiritually. It was a powerful, dangerous artifact, but he knew it held secrets that Zara and her team at the sector would be very excited to unravel.

Just as he pocketed the dark crystal, a shimmering pillar of soft, blue light appeared a short distance away. It was a Sanctuary teleport beacon.

A moment later, Seraphina stepped through, looking elegant and composed, though her eyes were wide with concern. She was followed by several Sanctuary medics carrying advanced-looking medical supplies.

She rushed over to Ryan, her professional diplomatic mask completely gone, replaced by open relief and admiration.

"Ryan! We saw the energy readings from the ’Odyssey’!" she exclaimed, her voice breathy. "The chaotic spike, and then the massive wave of pure creative force... We didn’t know what was happening. Are you alright? Is your team injured?"

"We’re fine, Seraphina," Ryan said, touched by her genuine worry. "The threat is neutralized."

Seraphina looked around at the peaceful valley, at the pile of black sand, and then back at Ryan, her eyes shining. She seemed to notice for the first time that his simple uniform was torn and scorched, his face smudged with dirt.

Without thinking, she reached up and gently wiped a smudge from his cheek with her thumb.

"You are incredible," she whispered, her fingers lingering on his skin for a moment. It was a small, intimate gesture, but in the context of their formal alliance, it was as loud as a shout.

From a few feet away, Scarlett watched the exchange, her expression unreadable, but her arms crossed tightly over her chest. Zara, who was still examining the sand, glanced up, took in the scene, and then went back to her samples with a small, almost imperceptible frown.

The complex web of relationships around Ryan had just gotten a little more tangled.

Seraphina, seeming to realize what she had just done, quickly composed herself and stepped back, a faint blush on her cheeks.

"The Matriarch sends her profound gratitude," she said, returning to her diplomatic role. "And she has sent Sanctuary’s best healers to tend to your team." She gestured to the medics, who immediately went to work, tending to the two exhausted Wardens. freёnovelkiss-com

The victory was complete. They had faced down a major threat, saved the Sector from a potential disaster, and come away with powerful new knowledge and artifacts.

But as Ryan looked at the faces of his team, and at the admiring, complicated gaze of their newest ally, he realized that winning these cosmic battles was, in some ways, the easy part.

Navigating the equally powerful forces of loyalty, admiration, and affection that were now swirling around him? That was a challenge of a whole different kind. And it was one he had a feeling he was just beginning to face.

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