SSS-Tier Extraction: From Outcast to Overgod!-Chapter 63: Sky Titan’s Domain

Back in Outpost #7, the main plaza was crowded. Everyone who wasn’t out fighting was gathered around a giant, glowing screen that the god Warden had set up.

It was like watching the most important sports game ever. The screen showed a map of the Shattered Peaks, with little glowing dots representing the players.

Emma Thorne, even from miles away, was sending back live updates, her calm voice cutting through the nervous chatter of the crowd.

"Okay, everyone," Emma’s voice said from the screen’s speakers. "Scarlett’s team is now approaching Node Beta. So far, so good. We have avoided all major patrols."

A cheer went up from the crowd in the plaza. They watched as the four little blue dots representing their friends moved carefully across the map.

Meanwhile, Scarlett "Red" Viper was a phantom in the sky. She moved with a silent grace that was almost supernatural. Using her dark Sky Lord’s Mantle, she could catch updrafts of wind, gliding from one floating island to another without making a sound.

Chris, Jennifer, and Emma followed behind, using the short, temporary bridges that Scarlett created with her own stealth gear.

They finally reached the group of islands where Node Beta was located. As expected, it was crawling with small, feathered creatures that looked like a cross between a lizard and a chicken.

These were "Sky Whelps," the babies of the giant Sky Titans. They were screeching and squawking and generally being very annoying, but they weren’t a real threat.

Scarlett found a hidden ledge below the main nest, a spot that the Whelps completely ignored. On that ledge was a pulsing crystal, the god Node.

"I’m at Node Beta," Scarlett’s voice whispered over their private team chat. "Beginning the capture process now."

A blue circle of light appeared around her on the big map back in Outpost #7, showing that she had started the one-hour countdown.

"She’s done it!" someone in the crowd yelled. "One down, two to go!"

At the same time, miles away, Tom Kane and his Crimson Banner squad were having a much tougher day. They had raced to Node Alpha, the one that looked easiest, expecting a quick victory.

Instead, they found it was guarded by a whole pack of teenage Sky Titans. These weren’t the little annoying Whelps; they were bigger, angrier, and had learned how to breathe small puffs of fire.

It was like walking into a daycare for dragons.

A huge fight broke out. Kane’s team was incredibly skilled. They moved together, covering each other’s backs, their red and grey armor flashing as they dodged and attacked.

Kane’s special S-Tier talent, "Strategic Mimicry," was on full display. He watched the young Titans for only a few seconds, and then he was able to predict their attacks perfectly, shouting orders to his team.

"Hale, left flank! It’s going to lunge! Roric, watch the tail sweep!"

They were winning, but it was taking a lot of time and energy. The young Titans were tough and relentless. It was a messy, costly battle, and Kane was starting to get annoyed. This was supposed to be easy.

While all of this was happening, Ryan was on his own, much crazier adventure. He was running up a staircase made of pure light that only he could see, heading straight for Node Gamma.

The island at the top of the world got closer and closer. It was a dark, jagged place with twisted, dead-looking trees and rocks that hummed with power. Lightning arced between the peaks, creating a constant, booming thunder.

This was the domain of the Alpha Sky Titan. This was its home. And Ryan was about to knock on the front door.

He used his new Weaver’s Gauntlet skill, "Localized Reality Edit," over and over. When he came to a gap too wide to jump, he would focus his mind and create a solid bridge of rock that lasted just long enough for him to run across before it crumbled back into dust.

When he reached a sheer cliff wall, he would command small handholds to jut out from the stone, creating a ladder that only he could use.

It was hard work. The skill drained his energy quickly, and it took a lot of concentration.

"Come on, just a little farther," he grunted, pulling himself up over a ledge. He was breathing heavily. His clothes were singed from a stray bolt of lightning that had gotten too close.

Finally, he made it. He stood on the highest peak of the floating island. Before him was a huge, flat clearing that looked like a giant, messy nest. In the center of the nest was another pulsing god Node. Node Gamma.

He had reached his goal much faster than anyone could have predicted. Tom Kane would still be thinking Ryan was miles away, probably fighting for one of the easier Nodes. He had the element of complete and total surprise.

But he wasn’t alone.

A low growl, like a thunderstorm rumbling deep in a cave, echoed across the clearing. A massive head, bigger than a car, rose up from the far side of the nest. Two eyes, each one a swirling ball of golden lightning, snapped open and fixed on Ryan.

The Alpha Sky Titan was awake. And it was not happy to see him.

It was a Level 10 Apex Anomaly, with a Threat Level simply listed as "Apex." That meant it was one of the strongest things a person could possibly fight in this entire sector of the god.

It was a colossal beast, covered in armor-like scales that shone like polished storm clouds. Lightning crackled and danced along its wings and down its spine. It slowly rose to its full height, dwarfing everything around it. It was beautiful and terrifying all at once.

Ryan stood his ground, his hand resting on the hilt of his knife. He felt a thrill of fear mixed with excitement. This was it. The biggest fight of his life.

He looked at the giant monster. The giant monster looked at him.

"So," Ryan said, a nervous grin spreading across his face. "Do you guys get a lot of visitors up here?"

The Alpha Sky Titan did not answer. Instead, it opened its beak and let out a deafening roar that shook the very foundations of the floating island.

The battle for Node Gamma was about to begin.

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