Far outside the examination grounds, in a observation chamber lit by the pale glow of runic screens, Zane lounged in his seat—though "watching" wasn't exactly the right word for what he was doing. The official artifact projection hovered in front of him, grainy and sluggish, the image breaking every few seconds.
"Tch. This thing's limited," he muttered.
Instead, a faint glimmer pulsed in his eyes—his custom-made lenses, linked directly to one of his advanced insect droids currently buzzing invisibly through the forest below. He'd only tweaked the model that morning to handle live streaming, and while the feed still had its quirks, it was leagues better than the artifact's outdated projection.
Through the insect's tiny crystalline eyes, Zane watched the treeline sway… and then saw it.
The supposed "Ron" paused in a quiet clearing, opened a side pouch, and casually counted out fifteen stolen badges with a smirk.
