Ethan drew a deep breath.
The system interface flared to life in front of him, a glowing map unfolding like a secret artery pulsing just for him—one that cut straight through the chaos of the Sky Fortress.
He sprinted down the metal corridor, footsteps echoing in the narrow space.
The fortress's interior was a labyrinth—layered, tangled, a steel hive of dead ends and looping paths. Even the stationed guards would get lost without a map.
But the system's data stream sliced through walls like light through fog, guiding him with pinpoint precision at every turn.
And finally—
A massive metal door loomed at the end of the corridor.
The control room.
Just as Ethan reached for the door—
A shadow lunged from the left.
A Lizardman, his skin sheathed in pale green scales, pupils slit like a serpent's, burst from the darkness.
The moment he saw Ethan, his eyes went wide—like he'd just seen a ghost.
"You—how the hell did you find this place?!"
His voice cracked with disbelief.
