Published at 31st of January 2026 8:21 am

Chapter 327: Trouble Abounds

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Serrin, spat the Highspawn, adding, The mutant, in a hiss of loathing.

Serrin didnt answer, but the set of his body grew tense with anger. He raised the point of his spear, which had begun to lower.

Out of my way! the Highspawn yelled, casting a concerned look over its shoulder. Nicolai saw it see him, streaking toward it, closing fast. It darted suddenly forward, launching its Ball at Serrin and striking with its tendrils.

Serrin parried one tendril then the other. The Ball came on, unguided, and the young Hornet set himself to dodge.

He didnt need to. Cyberwarfare beamed out ripples the moment the Ball left the protection of the Highspawns Soul Sense. It veered aside, then moved jerkily through the air as both the Highspawns ripple-commands and Cyberwarfares hit it one after the other.

The Highspawns tendrils were both stunned, and it floated backwards, retreating as Serrin advanced.

But, mandibles spread in a sneer, it drove suddenly forward. What? Will you strike me down? Your weakness is famous! The Highspawn landed and bulled toward Serrin. Go on then, strike!

Serrin glared at it. The moment the Highspawn was close he stabbed out, and the Highspawn reeled backwards, clutching at its side. Ichor leaked through a gap in its armour, where Serrin had targeted the stab.

You stabbed me? said the Highspawn, in a tone of shocked confusion.

You know nothing of who I am, nor why I do what I do, spat Serrin, advancing further. I do not kill those who are undeserving, who are innocent. But you, uncle Elixerun, are neither.

The Highspawn scuttled backwards. It raised a hand, placating, entreating. Please, nephew. You must see sense. Anything I did, it was only because I had to! Let me go, and Ill do whatever you wish! While spouting this, its other hand, hidden behind its back, glowed an ominous green. I can help you, just let me pass.

That was when it stiffened, tense with sudden terror.

Nicolai knew why. Because it sensed its death coming quick from behind. It spun and saw him. Hed launched himself into the air and was flying toward it, arms outstretched. The Highspawn had time only to stretch out that green glowing hand, and snarl, Stay ba before he was close enough to strike, lashing out with the Quiet Knife.

His first slash had all the weight and strength of his augmented body behind it. The razor-sharp blade caught the Highspawns forearm just below the green glow, on the division where its gauntlet joined its forearm armour, and carved almost effortlessly through. Its arm went spinning away, pale blood bursting from the stump, and the Highspawn staggered back, crying out soundlessly, Soul in spasm from the Knifes touch.

Serrin, whod been closing, flinched back with surprise.

Nicolai ignored the young Hornet. He darted forward and the Knife darted up. The stab punched with an electric crackle through Shields and slammed into the Highspawns thorax, where a humans solar plexus would be. The power of the strike lifted the Hornet off the ground and then the rush of his body slammed it, gasping and twitching, against the wall. His free hand wormed around its throat as he tore the knife upwards, carved a jagged line through its chest, ripped the weapon out with a spray of pale gore.

Die, he hissed gleefully, spittle bubbling with his laughter as he stabbed and slashed and smashed, the Dark and the faces in the wall laughing with him. By the time he let it fall it was just a legless, armless, headless chunk of gore.

He stepped away, raised his head and breathed deep.

The air was full of that wonderful bite. Perfectly pure, each inhalation reaching impossibly deep into him and filling him up with an endless well of energy. The stark lines of the cave, the pulped remnants of fallen bugs, all of it held some strange symmetry, a kind of meaning that made itself clear to him in that moment.

As he turned and stared at all the wonderful sights, he saw another world, a world below, and he saw the creatures that clustered close around him. They frolicked on the walls and the ceiling, but most especially they congregated around the Hornet Serrin, twisting with hate. Serrin was saying something, seemed unhappy or uncertain, spear raised.

The demons drew him forward. That had been a good moment but the Dark felt the settling of his mind, recognised he intended to stop. And why, why would he stop when there was another Hornet to kill, right here in front of him

Nicolai found himself creeping closer, the Knife held ready. In the sudden tension of the Hornets body he saw his own eagerness reflected. The Hornet spoke, and the words almost made sense.

The Mask was buffeting his face, but he shrugged off its efforts easily.

He closed the distance fast, began to circle, eyeing that spear. The Hornet did the same, still rippling at him. The Mask was howling. Even the Modules seemed upset. No matter

Nicolai darted in, eyes on the shining, writhing tip of that spear. But a sudden rush of danger caught at him, told him he needed to move back, not forward.

He heard a bang and chips of stone erupted from the wall to his side. He realised with a flare of shock that it had been a bullet. A new enemy?!

Turning, he saw figures, and after a moment recognised them. The Infiltrator, riding atop one of the Assembler Bots, flanked by two more.

One of the bots had shot at him, and this came as such an astonishing shock, like a bucket of freezing water to the face, that he woke from the grip of the Dark.

And realised the problem. He took a careful step back from Serrin, wrestling the Dark down. He managed to drag his gaze and his flexing Soul Sense away from the Hornet. He had to control himself. But it was difficult, far more difficult than he would have expected, even with the Mask strong beside him.

It was difficult because he lacked the Blade. He was astonished at the realisation of how much of a crutch it had been, of how much he had come to rely on it in the time in which hed held it. Now, the discovery of his weakness, as his mind stumbled with the lack of it to support him, only fed his sudden fury, and that fury only fed into the Dark. And the Dark was all through him, because hed released it from its cage.

But killing Serrin was not the answer, that was obvious. Hed vented the Dark when killing the Highspawn, and once he mastered his fury, punctured it with reasoning, the Dark weakened. Gradually he plucked its claws from his Soul, pressed until he held it in his grip like a weapon. Cool and calm.

enemies! Serrin was saying, Calm yourself, human! We must fight together! I came here to aid you!

I know, he replied, extending a hand. I didnt recognise you, at first.

Serrin didnt seem to hear. He was stepping quickly toward a nearby tunnel, facing the bots with spear at the ready. They have a ranged attack, get to safety!

These are mine, spoke Nicolai, they are The terrible wrongness of this tableau hit him in a wave of nameless dread.

Legal, he hissed, over Local. Why did you come here!

Human Resources, the Module snapped back. You were going completely bonkers. The Mask and the others told me to come.

Nicolai felt the agreement of the Modules and the Mask.

But now he knows about the base, he thought, speaking to them all. Certainly has seen enough to work it out.

Its not a problem, replied Psychology, confident. This Hornet needs you. Why do you think he chased you, stood with you against that one? High time to find out what it is he needs so badly.

We need to seal the base off, spoke up Threat Analysis. Quick, before more Hornets come over.

Legal said there were fresh explosives beside the Assembler. Since hed delivered supply packs containing the harder to acquire resources, it had been running full ot.

You are yourself again, human? came a series of ripples. A glance to the side revealed Serrin stood relaxed. The Hornet eyed the bots with simple curiosity.

Nicolai stared back, silent, mind spinning. He was distracted when a ball, the Ball came to float before him, guided by Cyberwarfare. A reflexive urgea simple, endless, nameless hunger for more power, more resources, more thingsmade him reach out and seize it. Resting in his palm it was cold and closed against his Soul. He needed to break the lock its last owner had placed on it. He slipped it into his pocket and his eyes returned to Serrin.

This was a major problem. Hed successfully killed, with this ones help, the two Highspawn. That had been extremely necessary, because they had seen his basewhich could not be allowed. But now Serrin had also seen proof of his base, whichagaincould not be allowed.

However, this was also the one Hornet he must not kill. If he did, then he suspected he would not be gaining the antidote for his poison at the end of this week. Unless He could say the two Highspawn killed Serrin.

Would the Queen believe him? It was risky. Before he could fully think the possibility through he was distracted by the Mask, which was furious at the very idea.

Serrin saved you! That Highspawn wouldve already reached the Queen if not for him. And just look at him. Psychology is right, he wants something.

Nicolai frowned, gazing closely at Serrin, trying to make sense of the Hornets alien features. Serrin looked about to speak, his Soul becoming a little more open. Nicolai could tell thatyes, this Hornet did want something. There was furtiveness in his manner. He helped you kill the Highspawn. A Better Man would repay that. That is human. The Mask hammered these points home. And Serrin was a great fighter. That was worthy of respect. Hed enjoyed their fight very much. It would be a shame to see such promise cut short. But all this had to be sacrificed if necessary, only the closer Nicolai looked, the surer he became. The Mask and Psychology were right. There was a strange kind of desperation in Serrins multifaceted eyes. A burning need hidden within his Soul.

Then Serrin twitched, turned. Do you feel that? A connection is being forged

Nicolai frowned, wary of a trick or distraction. What?

Over there. Serrin pointed. Analysing the line of his arm with Simulations 3D map, Nicolai concluded he was pointing directly at the base.

Threat Analysis stirred, and both he and the Module realised the Hornet was right. There was something, just on the edge of perception. Barely even ripples, just a movement in the Aura, a sense of something coming. A connection.

Nicolai launched into motion, speeding past Legal and the bots, who came clanking quickly after him. Something was invading his base.

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