BIOLOGICAL SUPERCOMPUTER SYSTEM

They arrived in front of a clearing. It wasn't large enough for the canopy to stop hiding them, but was a good enough camping spot. The Lorogia mountain range was behind them. Its peaks disappeared into clouds.

Erik turned to Aaron and Mickey. The two had been tasked with surveillance and scouting of the surrounding area during these weeks.

"The bugs will give us about a two-kilometer radius of surveillance," Mickey said, watching as the last of his creations disappeared into the underbrush. "Anything larger than a rabbit, we'll know about it."

Aaron nodded.

"Good," Erik said. Then Erik and Martha set up a shelter. It didn't take long before the entire group stopped to rest in front of the fire.

"Those Thaids we came across earlier—you killed them for the experience points, didn't you?" Amber asked.

The last battle was approaching. Erik's clones were likely to come across the Blackguards soon, so the group concentrated on their training. It was just that Erik also had a peculiar way to train, and that was by killing.

In truth, Erik didn't even need to come to the Lorogia region personally to find the blackguards, but since he wanted to speed the process up, he came.

Of course, he also spawned more and more clones directly into the region, which meant that it got entirely checked out in the span of the two weeks it took Erik to get there.

Erik nodded at Amber's question. "I need the neural links and the levels if I want to be sure I can kill those fuckers… "

Amber didn't like the hate Erik showed for these guys, not because she didn't understand it, but because she knew that so much hate only led to a worse life. Regardless, the group spent some time talking in front of the fire.

"What about the clones? Are they ready?" Mira asked.

The question drew everyone's attention. Erik met Mira's gaze.

"They are almost here. It won't take much before they reach us."

The clones they were referring to were the Chimaeric Demons with Essence Flow. Erik kept the group updated about them, especially because they wanted to see how strong they would turn if they had infinite mana. Besides, after he relayed to the others about the new clones' fighting prowess, they couldn't wait to fight for them.

Floyd might have enough mana to make his opponents unable to move or to stop their hearts altogether. Aaron could swarm the battlefield with his slimes.

Even if they were weak, their corrosive power was no joke. Even in the most complex of the scenarios, he could create mayhem.

The same was true for Mickey. He couldn't wait to flood the battlefield with his bugs. The others were the same.

The clones would increase their mana regeneration rate by a staggering 5000 times. They could get as powerful as the strongest thaid in the world—no, even more.

Gwen and Benedict would become unkillable, and Martha could swarm the battlefield with her now poisonous vines.

Mira could flood it with mana arrows of untold power. Emily and Amber were going to be weapons of mass destruction.

However, Amber had to play it chill this time, too. Erik wanted nothing else but to see the blackguards squirm in pain as her corrosive gas liquefied them. The problem was that if Amber really used that much mana, she would destroy everything.

While Erik didn't care about all those things, it was clear that getting his hands on the Blackguards' research was bound to be useful.

Besides, Erik was particularly curious about the fate of Ella May Hayes, the woman responsible for creating the Thaids.

The data said she and the other scientists split up. Some went to the Lorogia region, while there was no trace of what happened to Doctor Chen.

Regardless, it might have been possible information about her destiny was sent in one of the facilities here.

"That's reassuring to hear," Martha said.

The clones could make barriers, and thanks to the third division commander's brain crystal power, they could increase their numbers even more since they could make undead.

"I can't wait to try Essence Flow," Erik said, which prompted nods from the others.

Though they had to move, the Blackguards were still getting stronger by the minute. They were… geniuses, after all. They could make neural links faster than anyone, and with Erik's technique, it became even easier.

The problem was always that the blackguards were… geniuses. They could make neural links faster than anyone, and with Erik's technique, it became even easier. But that wasn't the only problem; it was their research.

[Don't worry,] the system said. [Some of them must have mutated, meaning that, if they are smart, which they are, they are not training too hard and are giving time to their bodies to adapt to the changes. We can still do this.]

<It's not that reassuring; it means they're stunting their growth. If they find a way to go past of this limit, they will get strong even faster than me.>

[A little is always better than none, and besides, no one could match your training speed if you just focused on making neural links. You can then make clones and send them to fight; they will get stronger, as you do. You can't literally lose this.]

<True.>

The fire crackled. Stars appeared in the darkening sky, visible through gaps in the forest canopy. Of course, the group was inside the shelter, so they could at best see the wooden ceiling Erik made.

Later that night, as most of the group rested, Erik sat alone in front of the fire. His clones were moving through the mountains, their progress steady but so far yielding no location for the blackguards' base.

Erik stared at his status window. His eyes were going through the numbers and powers. Despite his impressive power level and the array of abilities at his disposal, he was still doubtful. Even Essence Flow was not enough to put his mind to rest.

The blackguards were not to be underestimated, especially not after all the time they had been available to further their research.

His DNA points were substantial, and his attributes showed growth, but would it be enough?

Still, looking at his arsenal of powers, from Chimaeric Demon to Dark Shapes, Erik felt a little more confident.

—[Erik's Status]—

[Host Information]

NAME: Erik Romano

AGE: 22

POWER LEVEL: 1,925

SYSTEM LEVEL: 489

EXPERIENCE: 997,677,594

DNA POINTS: 5,596,993,549.89

HEALTH: 70,960

MANA: 70,890

{Attributes}

STRENGTH: 677

INTELLIGENCE: 609

DEXTERITY: 657

ENERGY: 2362

Available Attributes points: 20

{Powers}

[Biological Supercomputer Powers]

Brain Crystal Manipulation

Brain Crystal Power Extraction

Brain Crystal Power Merging

Brain Crystal Power Analysis

Brain Crystal Power Editing

Brain Crystal Power Strengthening

Brain Crystal Power Sharing

DNA Manipulation

DNA Extraction

DNA Merging

DNA Analysis

DNA Editing

DNA Strengthening

DNA Sharing

Analysis

Brain Information Injector

Device Manipulation

[Host's Powers]

Chimaeric Demon: Xα3X-RANKED

Instability: Xθ3B-RANKED

Phantom Veil: Xε3A-RANKED

Telekinesis: Xο2A-RANKED

Will of the Hydra: Xο2X-RANKED

Verdant Architect: Xο2X-RANKED

Rejuvenating Touch: Xο2A-RANKED

Elemental Lord: Xο2X-RANKED

Absolute Wall: Xο2A-RANKED

Absolute Castle: Xμ3X-RANKED

Strength Enhancer: Xν1B-RANKED

Dark Shapes: Xο2A-RANKED

{Skills}

Kyokar hand-to-hand style (MASTER)

Etrium's sword style (ADVANCED)

Crypt of the Desert Style (MASTER)

Alchemy (Intermediate)

Architecture (Beginner)

Thaid Expertise Proficiency (Advanced)

Flora Expertise (Master)

Tactical Expertise (Advanced)

Management Proficiency (Intermediate)

Stealth Proficiency (Intermediate)

—[END]—

He closed his status window. Whether his current power level was enough, they had no choice but to press forward.

<Did you think this is enough?>

[It should be, but as I said, even if you fail today, you won't in the long run,] the system said. [With your current power and the clones' brain crystal powers, especially the combination of barriers and Essence Flow, you have a significant tactical advantage. The blackguards won't be able to penetrate your defenses while your forces maintain unlimited energy reserves. They will replenish your mana each time you attack. It means you can attack without holding back.]

Erik nodded, though he remained cautious. Even with the system's reassurance, it was still true that the Blackguards were a centuries-old organization that filled its ranks with geniuses.