The Vault was not a vault. It was a throat.
The tunnels were lined with chitin that rose and fell, as if the Hive itself were breathing. They passed a cavern of hanging cocoons glowing like paper lanterns, crossed a lake of amber resin where the husks of older hosts floated with their mouths open, and entered a forest of pale fungal pillars that hummed in a low, patient tone.
The other candidates spread out, walking slowly, their palms pressed against the walls as they tried to feel for the call of a compatible Gu.
Ethan did not need to search that way. His divine sense swept through the darkness like a lantern, revealing a few Gu hidden in their cradles.
Most were fifth-tier Gu of different types. Some exuded stronger energy than others, and even Gu of the same tier varied in quality, ranging from lower-grade specimens to higher-grade ones.
None of them interested him.
The stronger Gu lay deeper, but the farther Ethan ventured, the fewer he detected.
