The two stood amidst the chaos, the remnants of their battle scattered like broken pieces of a macabre puzzle. The once-unstoppable horde of Mechanical Jaws lay disintegrated, their shattered frames glinting under the pale sky. Both fighters panted heavily, exhaustion etched into their faces.
Aksel's colossus mech had reverted, leaving him haggard and drained. His regeneration ability had slowed to a crawl, and the energy reserves were dangerously low. Nioh, meanwhile, had just pulled his vibrating dagger from the last standing feral beast, its mechanical frame collapsing with a final hiss of expelled steam.
"The battlefield's a disaster," Ekoh's voice buzzed in Nioh's ear. "No scavenger beasts in range—for now."
Nioh took a deep breath, his body trembling slightly as he reverted from his horned partial metamorphosis. "We've got five minutes before the scavenger beasts arrive," he announced firmly, his voice cutting through the tension. "Let's harvest the biocores while we still can."
The sudden return to his frail human form hit AKsel hard. The sights and smells of the battlefield—the acrid stench of burning metal, the coppery tang of blood, and the charred scent of flesh—overwhelmed him. Without the rush of adrenaline, his body felt like a lead weight, his mind spinning.
Nioh noticed Aksel's dazed state and shook him roughly. "Hey! Get it together! We don't have time for this."
Snapped out of his stupor, Aksel shook his head and stumbled toward the nearest downed beast. The pair worked quickly, cutting through twisted metal and wires to extract the glowing biocores. Each one pulsed faintly, proving the energy stored within.
A sudden warning from Ekoh pierced the tense silence. "You need to leave. Now."
Nioh's body stiffened as he scanned the horizon. "We're out of time," he said, his voice sharp. Grabbing Aksel by the arm, he started dragging him toward the forest edge.
"What's happening?" Aksel managed, his voice shaky.
"Scavenger beasts," Nioh replied grimly, his pace unrelenting.
Behind them, the forest erupted with movement. A pack of scavenger beasts—hulking C-rank monstrosities—descended upon the battlefield, their razor-sharp jaws tearing into the remains of the Mechanical Jaws. The sound of metal crunching and guttural snarls filled the air.
"How did he see them coming?" Lieutenant X muttered, staring at the footage. "There's supposed to be a jammer covering the area. Is this related to his Biocore? I'm getting more questions than answers here."
For thirty grueling minutes, the duo sprinted through the forest under Ekoh's guidance. The scavenger beasts didn't pursue, too consumed with their feast, but the tension lingered. Finally, Ekoh's voice signaled a reprieve.
"You are safe here."
Both fighters collapsed against a tree, their breathing ragged.
"How much energy do you have left?" Nioh asked, his voice hoarse.
"10%, roughly" Aksel admitted, slumping to the ground. "I only have that much."
"How many biocores did you collect?"
"Twenty, I think," Aksel replied, pulling a small pouch from his belt.
Nioh tossed his own handful into Aksel's lap. "Here. Recharge. I'll cover you."
Aksel hesitated, guilt flashing across his face. "I'm sorry about your shoulder. I panicked back there. When we were ejected, and everyone morphed, I just… I didn't know what to do."
Nioh shook his head. "It doesn't matter. Focus on performance. My strategy worked—we racked up over 100 points in the first four hours. You can recover without pressure."
"How did you know? Did you have access to information beforehand?" Aksel asked again his tone was a little jittery. Nioh read the words on his hearing aid before speaking,
" Didn't you also? Why are you still pretending to play the Mary Sue?" Nioh asked back before heading in the distance.
Reluctantly, Aksel began the energy recharge. He placed the biocores against his chest, and the runes etched into his skin glowed faintly red. The cores started to shrink as their energy was absorbed. The light intensified with each passing second.
Nioh glanced over his shoulder, confirming Aksel was settled and recharging his energy. With a grimace, he rolled his injured shoulder, the pain sharp but tolerable.
"Ekoh, divert the remaining energy into fixing my shoulder. It doesn't need to be perfect—just usable," he instructed, his voice steady despite his exhaustion.
"Are you sure? He's not exactly reliable," Ekoh replied, skepticism laced in its synthetic tone.
"It's because he's not reliable that I need to take this gamble," Nioh muttered. "He should be recharged in two hours. In the meantime, we'll secure the perimeter. How many biocores would you need to fully recharge?"
"About twenty. There's a 5% conversion rate," Ekoh calculated.
Nioh smirked faintly. "I've got thirty-five left. Let's make some adjustments, If he is watching we need to end in a bang." he said, pulling out a set of tools.
Sitting cross-legged on the forest floor, Nioh unsheathed his hollow dagger and began carving intricate runes onto the surfaces of the biocores. Each stroke was deliberate, his hands steady despite the ache in his shoulder. The glowing cores flickered faintly as the etchings took form, their energy adapting to the modifications.
--
The atmosphere in the observation deck was chaotic. The officers argued heatedly, some were eager to enroll the towering Colossus-class mecha that had caught their eye, others were shamelessly pushing participants who had bribed their way into consideration.
Lieutenant X leaned back in his chair, observing the unfolding circus with barely concealed contempt. "Idiots," he muttered. His sharp eyes returned to the live feed of the evaluation. "They're so blinded by the obvious that they can't see the real gem in this batch." Tapping his communication device, he connected a call.
"Howdy, Lieutenant! Enjoying your vacation?" a sweet and teasing voice greeted him.
"Cut the nonsense," he replied curtly. "I'm sending you a recording. Run it through Xenah. I want a full analysis of every detail."
"Got it," the voice replied as her tone turned instantly serious. "What did you find in the wild, that even you can't figure out?"
"Just do as you're told," he snapped before cutting the line.
As the minutes passed, Lieutenant X's sharp gaze remained fixed on the screen, watching the boy etch runes into the biocores. The precision in his movements sparked a memory. "How is he this skilled so young" he mused.
"Just, who are you?" he murmured, leaning closer as he took another look into the boy's file.
His device buzzed again. After answering with practiced nonchalance, he was met with an astonished voice on the other end.
"Lieutenant, where did you find this monster?"
"What do you mean?" He quizzed excited.
"The report from Xenah is… astounding. His reaction speed and combat instincts are both evaluated at S-tier—nothing exceptional we have many of those in the fiefdom. But the weapons… that's where it gets fascinating."
"Elaborate," Lieutenant X said, his interest piqued.
"The analysis shows his Biocore ability probably is sound control. It explains—his ability to detect threats despite the jammer, and the echolocation-like precision. But the weapons! The pulse handgun has been modified to emit wide-range pulsating sound waves, which he amplifies to create a stunning effect and disrupt enemy focus.
"And the dagger—it's genius. A standard hollow dagger, but punctured with precise apertures to emit ultrasonic frequencies undetectable to humans. Combined with his sound-based abilities, he can guide and vibrate the blade. There's even a magnetic reaction between the dagger and the pulse gun, allowing seamless coordination. The design is nothing short of brilliance. Who is the weapon designer?"
Lieutenant X chuckled. "What if I told you the corebinder and the weapon designer are the same person?"
The voice on the other end stuttered in disbelief. "Lieutenant, you're joking, right? How old is he—seventeen? Eighteen?"
"Fifteen," X replied, a sly grin spreading across his face.
A long silence followed before the voice returned, tinged with awe. "The heavens are not fair."
"I think I've found our ticket back to the Archipelago," Lieutenant X said, his tone brimming with satisfaction. "Cross-check his information. Make sure we're not missing anything."
"Yes, sir," came the swift reply.
As the call ended, X's gaze lingered on the screen.
--
A few hours later, Nioh approached Aksel's resting spot. "How much have you recharged?" he asked.
"Approximately 80%," Aksel replied, wiping a thin layer of moisture from his brow.
"That's good enough. Let's switch positions."
"Yes, I'll take over the perimeter," Aksel said, rising to his feet. After stretching his shoulders, he walked off scanning the dense vegetation around with a practiced eye.
Rather than settling under the tree as Aksel did, Nioh climbed the tree to a higher vantage point.
Perched among the thick branches, he gained a better view of the swamp's sprawling chaos.
Nioh steadied himself and began his recharging process. Unlike Aksel, whose runes had glowed faintly during his rest, Nioh blended into the dark, and with Ekoh's assistance, the harvested biocores dissolved at an accelerated rate.
For Aksel, this was a strange and uncomfortable experience. It was his first time venturing outside BioHive 81. The damp air clung to him, and every sound set his nerves on edge. His flight-or-fight instincts were constantly engaged his mental resilience was wearing down.
While leaning against a crooked tree trunk, he pulled out his communication device. The familiar interface lit up, and for a moment a wave of nostalgia washed over him. He'd never been away from home for this long, and he hated everything about the cradle zone the chaos, the unpredictability, the gnawing sense of danger lurking in every shadow.
The biohive, even with all its rigid structure and restrictions, now felt like a haven. He sighed heavily, already deciding that once this ordeal was over, he'd join a division that stayed as close to the biohive as possible. Stability and security those were the things he needed, not this endless chaos.