BIOLOGICAL SUPERCOMPUTER SYSTEM

The central building was in front of them, still distant but also incredibly close, considering the road they had to walk through to reach this place.

However, despite having reached this place not having been easy, getting inside would be harder than everything they went through until now. Everyone knew that.

The reason was straightforward: If the group found patrols roaming around the city, then there would be more inside the building they assumed was their main nest.

Mira, in particular, worried that whatever was inside was even more dangerous than what was on the outside.

It wasn't just a matter of numbers, but also of their strength. Besides, there was still the risk that whatever killed the humans centuries before was still here, waiting for something stupid to enter its domain.

She turned to Amber, who was checking her equipment. She looked even more distressed than Mira; it was likely due to her role if things went wrong. Their safety hinged on her, after all.

"All right then. No sound. Stay close, and keep your eyes open."

Emily adjusted her rifle strap. "Are we sure we don't want to wait for the other clones before moving in?"

"No," Mira said. "A larger group means a bigger chance of detection, and that's the last thing we want. Besides, there are two other reasons: first, if things go south, Amber won't be able to warp all of us if more clones arrive; second, I've already instructed one of the clones to stay behind to tell the others to fortify our retreat positions."

The scouts dispersed into the ruins at that point, since their preparations were complete. They shapeshifted, of course, since that would decrease the chances of them being spotted and would allow them to fly over most of the obstacles. The rest of the group watched them go and kept observing the patrols below.

Amber, Mira, Emily, and June had to wait for the clones to scout the chosen paths before they could start moving toward the building.

The clones contacted the others periodically with updates, marking safe zones and patrol timings. Gradually, a clear picture emerged of their optimal routes forward among those they could take.

"The east path looks the most promising," a clone said. "The buildings there suffered heavy damage, and the many debris created a lot of hiding places. The patrols are lighter too. It looks like the bugs are having trouble navigating through the debris."

After some time, the clones reached the main building but didn't dare to enter without Amber there.

"Are there any news?" Mira asked. The clones told her they were in front of the building.

"There are some thaids in the courtyard, but aside from that, there is nothing. The courtyard is circled by a huge concrete wall, so if you wait for us here, you won't be spotted at least, but only if you stay close to the walls. The bugs on the nearby building might be able to see you."

Mira, however, was more focused on finding entry points.

"Any signs of an entry point?"

"Several," the scout said. "We found a maintenance access on the north side that sees minimal activity. There are also various collapsed walls, and there is an enormous blast on the other side of the building. It might have been made by something."

This strengthened their theory that something had escaped from this facility and brought ruin to the underground city, and whatever was beyond it. The clones then came back. They talked about the three paths to reach the main building through their radio, but having some visual clues was better, so he headed back to sketch a map.

Once there, they focused on creating one. "Show me the alternate routes," Mira said, looking at the map.

"Yes, we have this and this…"

The scout told Mira about the two other paths. One went through a series of narrow alleys, another through a partially collapsed office complex. Each offered different advantages and risks, but all led to their target.

"We will take the ruined building's path then," Mira said. Amber nodded. There could be chances the building housed thaids, but the clones said they saw nothing. Trusting them, they decided that was the safest way to reach the place, since it would allow them to cut the journey a lot compared to the other routes and would also shield them from some of the patrols.

"Remember," Mira said, "if we're spotted, don't engage. Amber warps us to the nearest alternate route, and we keep moving. No fighting unless absolutely necessary."

Of course, the clones would not be with them, since they would be scouting. Mira and June would do the same, so Amber only had to shapeshift herself and Emily. However, she could slow time down, so even in that case it wasn't exactly required for Amber to warp them, since by slowing time, Emily could reach whatever place without being noticed.

Mira then checked her weapons one last time. "Once at the building, we wait outside while the clones scout inside. In case the situation is manageable, we find somewhere defensible inside and see what we can find. If the situation is too hot, we pull out and regroup. The facility's waited centuries—it can wait a few more days."

The group made last preparations as the scouts found positions, waiting for the others to start moving.

"Everyone ready?" she asked, receiving nods. "Move only when I signal. Stay in the shadows, watch your footing, and keep your eyes on the sentinels."

They moved down into the ruins, going from one hiding spot to the next. The team kept low, staying below windows and hiding in shadows.

Scouts spread out—some 200 meters ahead and others 100 meters behind—creating a safety zone that would give the main group time to react if the thaids got too close.

The ruined city surrounded them—abandoned buildings marking a lost civilization. Shattered windows, collapsed walls, and rubble-strewn streets extended everywhere. Damaged structures revealed exposed concrete frames and twisted metal. Dust covered everything, with strange fungi growing on walls and through ground fissures.

Looking up, the group could barely see the top of the cave. The cave was enormous, and the skyscrapers were the same.

As they went deeper into the ruins, the air became heavier and smelled old and rotten.

Evidence of the destruction brought upon this place through the centuries was present. There were claw marks all around. Some looked recent and made by the bugs that the group faced until now, but some were completely different and much larger.

"This wasn't the bugs," Mira said.

She crouched behind a pillar, giving a better look at the deep gouges in the metal. "These marks suggest something massive moved through here, but that doesn't necessarily mean it was strong by our standards."

"Yeah, you are right," Emily said, keeping her rifle in her hands. "But it's still true that the larger the thaid, the greater their strength."

"Yes, but the largest thaids on Mannard are not the strongest on Mur. At best, they are in the middle, so this means something else must be at play regarding strength."

Yet that wasn't something the ancient humans had to worry about, simply because even the weakest thaids humanity faced today would have been unstoppable to the humans who lived in the past. Their weapons would be useless. After all, humanity's modern weapons were able to injure the thaids only recently.

Near them was also a vast crater.

"The bugs definitely came later. Either they simply moved here later or were created later."

"You are giving me the creeps, Amber."

Talking about giant bugs was certainly not the most pleasant discussion; the idea that whatever destroyed this place was also the bugs' creator was even more unsettling.

The bugs had built their nests around the existing damage, and there were no remnants of previous nests, meaning that the bugs had simply moved in afterward, opportunistically inhabiting the destruction left by something far more powerful.

"It's not like we didn't face scarier things," June said.

"Yes, but most were furred thaids. They are more pleasant to the eyes to see and do not look nearly as scary, even if they are weaker."

"You are being too harsh; besides, bugs' meat is very juicy."

The three women made a disgusted face. They didn't know this, but since June had been born in the white desert, when Erik didn't have many of his current abilities, he got used to eating raw meat, especially that of bug-like thaids.

Regardless, the surrounding ruins seemed to tell them about a catastrophe, but the clues, they couldn't comprehend them all.

Whatever had happened here, it had been swift, brutal, and beyond the control of the people who once called this place home.

Mira signaled them to move forward as a scout gave the all-clear. "Whatever it was that destroyed this place, it turned this place into a tomb. Let's hope we only find records of it inside, not the thing itself."

The others nodded.