SSS-Tier Extraction: From Outcast to Overgod!-Chapter 86: The Precursor Enclave

The news that they were only halfway to their goal, and that the second half of the trip was going to be even scarier than the first, was a little hard to swallow.

The crew of the "Odyssey" stood in the silent, ancient docking bay, staring at the holographic map and its terrifying "Collapsed Star god" symbol.

"So, just to be clear," Emma said, breaking the heavy silence. "We just survived a trip through a cosmic blender, and now we find out our final destination is inside an even bigger, angrier cosmic blender?"

"And we only have forty-seven cycles to get there," Zara added, her brow furrowed. "That’s not a lot of time. The Voids are unpredictable. A journey that should take a week could take a year if space decides to fold itself into a pretzel."

The mood in the hangar, which had been celebratory just a moment before, was now heavy with a new sense of urgency and dread.

But the Beacon of Antecedence was more than just a signpost. It was a haven, a place for them to rest, repair, and prepare for the next leg of their insane journey.

The ancient, automated systems of the Beacon, now recognizing them as "friends," opened up their full resources to the crew.

The next few cycles were a blur of activity. The "Odyssey" was moved from the docking bay into a massive, state-of-the-art repair and upgrade facility.

The place made their own workshop back in Outpost #7 look like a child’s Lego set. Automated arms and shimmering fields of energy descended upon their little ship, scanning it, repairing the minor damage it had sustained in the Voids, and recharging its power core to full capacity.

Emma and Zara were in heaven. They were like two kids who had been given the keys to the world’s greatest toy store. The Beacon’s central computer, a vast and ancient computer, gave them access to its main data archives.

They spent every waking moment pouring over Precursor schematics and energy theories that were thousands of years ahead of anything they had ever seen.

"Look at this!" Emma would exclaim, her eyes wide with wonder as she pointed to a holographic blueprint. "It’s a schematic for a ’shield harmonic resonator’! It doesn’t just block attacks; it analyzes their frequency and adjusts the shield to be the exact opposite, making it practically immune after the first hit! We have to install this!"

"Forget the shields," Zara would argue, pointing to a different screen. "Look at this! It’s a ’navigational probability engine’! It can calculate the likely shifts in reality ahead of us! It could cut our travel time in half! This is far more important!" ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

They worked tirelessly, integrating the new Precursor technology they were discovering directly into the "Odyssey." They installed the new shield resonator.

They integrated the probability engine into their navigation systems. The "Odyssey" was getting a serious upgrade, transforming from a simple scout skiff into a true, top-of-the-line Void explorer.

Scarlett, who had little interest in the complex engineering, found her own way to prepare. The Beacon had a combat simulation room, a chamber that could create realistic holographic enemies and environments.

She spent hours in there, fighting against simulations of the Void Wyrms and other strange creatures they might encounter. She honed her already incredible piloting skills, practicing maneuvers that seemed to defy the laws of physics. She was sharpening her claws for the battles to come.

And Ryan, he delved into the one place that interested him most: the Beacon’s deepest and most protected archive. This was the library, the history section. He wanted to know more about the Precursors, more about the expedition they were trying to rescue.

He used his Weaver’s Gauntlet to interface directly with the Beacon’s core memory. The information flowed into him, not as data, but as stories, as memories.

He learned the names of the Precursors on the Lost Expedition. He saw their faces, beings of light and energy, filled with curiosity and a thirst for knowledge.

He discovered their original mission. They weren’t just exploring for the fun of it. They were on a sacred quest. They were fleeing the very first signs of the Reality Schism, a sickness they had seen spreading through their own society.

They believed the Precursors’ ambition had become a poison, and they were trying to find a new, simpler way to exist.

And they were carrying something of incredible importance. It was called a "Genesis Seed."

The archive described it as one of the most powerful devices the Precursors had ever created. It was a small, dormant orb that held the potential to create a brand new, stable reality.

It could be used to reboot a broken section of the universe, or even to grow a small, perfect pocket-dimension from scratch, a new home, free from the chaos of the Schism.

This was their last hope. The Genesis Seed was the only reason their small reality anchor hadn’t failed completely. It was a tiny seed of stability in an ocean of chaos, and the last few Precursors were desperately clinging to it.

This new information made their rescue mission even more critical. They weren’t just saving a handful of ancient beings. They were saving the last hope for a new beginning.

But the archive held one final, chilling warning. A file marked with a symbol of a fanged, skull-like creature. The file was titled: "Void Marauders."

Ryan opened it, and a cold dread washed over him. The Voids were not empty. They were home to other beings, creatures from other, far more aggressive dimensions who had learned to survive in the chaos.

The Marauders were pirates, scavengers, and predators. They preyed on ships that got lost in the Voids. They were described as cruel, powerful, and utterly ruthless. They hunted for technology, for energy, and most of all, for stable "reality anchors" like the Genesis Seed, which they saw as the ultimate prize.

The Beacon’s logs showed several encounters with Marauder scout ships over the past few centuries. They were a constant, lurking threat in the Outer Voids.

Ryan now understood the full picture. Their mission was a race against time on two fronts. They had to reach the Lost Expedition before their reality anchor failed completely. And they had to do it without being found by the hungry packs of Marauders who were surely hunting in the dark.

He left the archive, the new knowledge settling heavily in his mind. He found his crew in the upgrade bay, standing back and admiring their newly improved ship.

The "Odyssey" hummed with a quiet, confident power, its hull now glowing with faint, protective energy lines from the new shield resonator.

"She’s ready," Emma said, a proud smile on her face.

"She’s more than ready," Zara corrected her. "She’s a masterpiece."

Ryan looked at the ship, then at his friends. He told them what he had learned about the Genesis Seed and the Void Marauders. The news added a new layer of danger to their already impossible mission, but no one flinched. Their resolve was stronger than ever.

"So," Scarlett said, cracking her knuckles. "Ancient treasures, cosmic pirates, and a ticking clock. Sounds like fun."

Ryan grinned. "Alright team," he said, his voice ringing with a newfound determination. "Let’s go get that Seed."

New novel chapt𝒆rs are published on free(w)ebnovel(.)com