BIOLOGICAL SUPERCOMPUTER SYSTEM

He watched as small groups of Dark Shapes moved from their position, shapeshifting into bugs and heading toward the walls. They had to be careful, since the blackguards might spot them with the Veritas Lenses.

"The blackguards won't expect an attack inside their facility," Rick said, coming back to Erik's side.

"No, they won't," Erik couldn't help but smile. "Their security focuses on external threats. By the time they realize we've breached their inner defenses, it will be too late."

June rejoined them. "The clones who will fight outside confirm they're ready. The undead forces are waiting for your signal."

The clones heading inside morphed, taking the form of bugs—some became flies, others beetles, and a few transformed into wasps. They scurried from their hiding spots in small groups, buzzing toward the facility walls.

They hid in bushes and darted between patches of grass. When they needed to cross open areas, they waited for wind gusts to mask their movement, but kept close to the vegetation. The blackguards' Veritas Lenses were a problem, so caution remained paramount. Though it wasn't impossible to avoid them.

A group of fly-shaped clones paused on a tree. From their position, they saw the outer part of the base.

The area between the walls and the main facility was full of people. Blackguards patrolled around, without leaving a single spot unchecked, moving in groups of four.

Since the area was large, they needed many groups. Besides, they were expecting Erik, so it was clear the security was at an all-time high.

In a corner of the area, rows of blackguards were training. Some used mana weapons, others were improving their aim, and some were making neural links.

There was just one thing they all had in common: they had multiple powers.

Some hands glowed. Fire erupted from their palms, followed by jets of water, then stone projectiles, all without pause.

Near a side entrance to the main building, a group of scientists in white lab coats clustered around outdoor tables.

They sipped coffee from steaming mugs while consulting tablets and discussing results while basking in the sun. Guards stood at attention nearby.

The scientists were the reason they were all alive. They were the most important people inside the facility because they gave powers to the others, and with them came neural links.

The clones wondered what these scientists were thinking, being outside like this.

It was absurdly dangerous. If anyone or anything attacked, the scientists would be the first casualties—the very people whose expertise kept the blackguards up to the game. Their presence in the courtyard was a violation of the basic security protocols, yet they were there.

But that was precisely what made the scene so telling. The scientists felt untouchable behind the facility's defenses, protected by scores of Blackguards, who were considered the best humanity offered, and their Veritas Lenses.

Their overconfidence would prove fatal, though, as Erik had no intention of letting even one of them live.

The beetle-shaped clones crawled along tree branches that extended over the wall, observing storage areas where crates of supplies and equipment sat stacked in neat rows.

The crates weren't filled with food, since that would have attracted the Thaids, making the patrols' job harder and more dangerous.

Beyond all this was the ancient Silverline Corporation's laboratory. The structure spread across the clearing like a concrete beast. It was out-of-place considering they were in the middle of the forest.

It spread out horizontally beneath the tree line, preventing the flying thaids from seeing it.

The main building had what looked like a central hub with eight extending wings, each housing different departments, based on the signs on the walls.

However, these had been placed here by the ancient humans, and the blackguards might not have followed the same allocation of the buildings.

Regardless, multiple smaller structures were connected to the main building through closed walkways.

The clones split into their teams, each targeting specific ventilation access points identified in their intelligence briefing.

The first group identified their entry point—a metal grate on the western side of the main building, partially hidden by shrubs.

Landing on the ventilation grate, they squeezed through its openings one by one and made their way down the shaft.

They didn't need to reach specific places; they just needed to find people and wait for the others to attack.

The second team located their access point near the facility's northern wing. The ventilation branched like a root system throughout the building, which meant the clones would have access to everything from there.

The third team passed over rooms filled with research equipment, laboratories, and offices where scientists and officers went through their jobs.

As they traversed the ventilation network, when they passed over occupied rooms, some of them waited, while the others went forward.

In one laboratory, scientists worked with brain crystal. In another room, Blackguards received injections.

The number of clones remaining in the ventilation shafts dwindled as more found a target.

They hid in barracks where off-duty blackguards rested, in training areas where soldiers practiced with their powers, and in command centers where officers coordinated security patrols.

The clones had to be especially vigilant about guards wearing Veritas Lenses. Taking them out first was important to keep the element of surprise.

It didn't take much before they found them and then waited for the other clones to get in position.

As more clones left the ventilation system to take up position, the last teams completed their check of the facility. They found the main research labs, the command center, and the power generators that supplied energy to the building.

Ten minutes after entering the ventilation system, all the clones who went in had left and hid throughout the facility.

One of the clones sent a mental message through their hive mind, connecting with Erik outside the facility.

<Master, we are in position. All members report being ready. The main targets have been identified, including all Veritas Lens operators.>

<Begin the operation then. I want these motherfuckers dead.>

The command rippled through the collective mind of the Dark Shapes. Across the facility, they transformed, abandoning their stealthy forms and expanding into their humanoid shapes.

In the security monitoring station, three clones materialized behind the operators.

Their hands transformed into blade-like appendages, slicing through the blackguards' necks before they could react.

The guards at the door fell next. Their bodies were caught while falling and lowered silently to the floor to prevent noise.

In the barracks where the lens-equipped squadrons were, the clones dropped from the ceiling.

They struck with the surgical precision of a surgeon, their limbs transformed into razor-sharp weapons that could pierce armor and slash through bone.

They pierced vital organs. Those awake died first, their mouths covered to prevent any sound from escaping. The clones moved from bed to bed, disposing of each soldier in turn.

Throughout the facility, similar coordinated attacks unfolded. The clones appeared inside the laboratories, slaughtering scientists before they could activate alarms.

They appeared in hallways, ambushing patrol units and dragging their bodies into side rooms. The problem was that not everyone killed their target.