The Driftwardens' final task was simple: retrieve a navigation artifact from a dead island at the edge of explored space. Simple in theory, which meant complicated in practice, because nothing on Floor 14 was ever actually simple.
"The island lost its anchor stone three years ago," the Driftwarden representative explained, spreading a star chart across the table. "Without it, the formation drifted into the outer void, beyond our ability to track reliably. We know approximately where it ended up, but the approach is through unstable gravity corridors that have killed everyone we've sent."
"And you want us to retrieve the artifact because...?" Astrid crossed her arms, her skepticism evident.
"Because you killed a Graviton Beast that had been terrorizing trade routes for a decade." The representative's expression was grudgingly respectful. "If anyone can navigate the outer void and survive, it's the team that did that."
