518 Red District

On the spur of the moment, Jake put his Shadow Guide to work, a tool he seldom used these days. Wishing to find Maeve dead or alive as soon as possible, he waited for the guide to show him the way, and ideally for it to turn around to spare him from entering this hellish area.

Unfortunately, he was quickly disappointed. His Shadow Guide stood resolutely still and Jake was more than familiar with this scenario. If Bhuzkoc, Maeve's supposed master, didn't have an Oracle Rank higher than his, then something here was interfering with his functioning. Remembering the Dungeon Digestor's imminent threat, he quickly stopped fretting about the matter.

' Xi, do you know what a Dungeon Digestor is?' Jake prompted his AI casually. Perhaps he should have started there.

[I once knew, but that memory eludes me now.] Xi apologized shyly. [I just remember that they don't always mean disaster. Many Evolvers see them as an opportunity for enrichment and training.]