The previous activity among the Malicent Kingdom’s gene-warriors was nothing compared to the flurry of motion and frantic task taking that occurred after the first defensive layer was broken through.

“How much longer until our supplies are fully packed?” Gerome pinched the bridge of his nose. Sweat dripped down his neck from the heat of several fires. “I can’t imagine that we managed to get everything unpacked before now. Not when we weren’t even expecting to be here for more than a couple of days before reporting back to Lady Elyria.”

The makeshift barriers being welded by several scholars and soldiers with specialized torches had to be overseen by him directly, since he didn’t trust them not to mess up due to the speed they were being forced to work at.

“We’ve finished packing up the general supplies. But the portable defenses and sensory monitors have been integrated into the ruin’s systems. Getting them out will take a bit longer. As will the rest of the downloads. The archives are just too big for us to finish in a short and sudden timeframe.” Elma held her tablet and was tapping her way through window after window of information.

“Finish the current files and disconnect as safely as possible. Given that we’re leaving so much more suddenly than expected, we’ll just have to make do with the information that we currently have.” Gerome heaved with a heavy sigh, gesturing with his hand to look at Elma’s tablet. She handed it over without a word. “It might not be enough to figure out Elyria’s path to Rank 4, but that’s fine. She’ll be able to trade the information to her father for whatever she needs at this point.”

The amount of information that they had downloaded was significant, perhaps the biggest find of the kingdom since the first Wrathmor King had forged the Malicent Kingdom. Yet, Gerome knew that that was only when compared to the publicly available knowledge, and the information stored at the various academies and scholarly institutions.

Compared to whatever it was that was hidden in the kingdom’s capital, in the secret records that only the ruler of the kingdom and their official successor had access to, the partial records they stored on their portable drives were nothing.

“Compared to the amount that’s stored on the mainframes here...” Gerome didn’t finish. He just handed the tablet back to Elma. “We’ll just have to dedicate the full might of the army into claiming these ruins in the future. Otherwise, it’s fully possible that our enemies will try to claim it instead.”

“Enemies? Like the other princes and princesses?” Elma took the tablet back and sent out several orders to get their drives disconnected safely.

Gerome shook his head. “If you think that spies for the other royals are all that Elyria has to worry about, you’d be very wrong.”

Turning to the final piece of equipment that was being put together, Gerome examined it before nodding and moving on. Elma scurried behind him to catch up.

“Not only are the Silvainnean and Hormund Kingdoms chomping at the bit to go to war with us, we’re also incredibly close to the wilderness to the north. Though the latter is a general hazard, rather than a directed opponent. So, our biggest worry is the Silvainnean Kingdom, given their proximity to these Ruins.” He and Elma made their way to the center of the area under their control, barely noticing as Xander worked on several monitors. “If those pointy eared tree huggers find out that this ruin is a legitimate legacy of the Sage Empire, they’ll stop at nothing to destroy it. Perhaps even risking several losses at the various battlefronts on our border with them.”

Making their way past the working soldiers and scholars, the old specialist guided Elma into a side room where there was a medical table with several injectors being set up by two higher ranked scholars than Elma, but still lower than Gerome.

“Is it ready?” Gerome received affirmation from both. “Good. Elma, get on the table. We’re given you an upgrade. It’s not a new path, but we found the supplies needed to get you one more gene-mod.”

Elma opened her mouth, eyes wide with panic, and like intending to refuse such a privilege, but Gerome wasn’t going to have it.

“Now, Elma. I know that you’re stable enough to take it, and your compatibility is rather high. Don’t think you’re the only one getting upgrades. Everyone who can, is, since we need every chance we have to get out of this alive.” His tone was rough, and when it looked like she was still hesitating, she grabbed her arm and strapped her in himself. At which point she calmed down and accepted what was about to happen. “Given you’re walking a similar path to me, I’ve decided that survivability is the most necessary thing at this point, so your next mod will revolve around escaping. Use it well. We might not meet again until we’re both back in the kingdom’s central areas. Understood.”

She gave a jerky nod, tears in her eyes at what he was implying.

“Yes, specialist. Thank you for this.”

With those words said, she closed her eyes, and the two scholars began the process of applying her mods. Seeing that things were going well, Gerome nodded before heading out.

It was time to check up on Xander and see how far he had gotten with the security measures.

----------

It was an unfortunate fact of life that, when things went wrong they went wrong in the worst way possible. Thanks to the hive in the ruins now having a semi-human intelligence, the insects that were mentally connected had collectively grown more intelligent. Something that was causing problems well outside the scope of Xander’s reach.

“How does this change our plans?” Gerome was quiet while Xander went over the full extent of the problem he had discovered.

“Well… with the swarm now moving in through the other entrances, if more slowly since I already reactivated the emergency defenses along the entirety of the boundary, the limit mostly narrows down the number of paths we can take to the other sectors.” A map highlighting the place they were at and the place they needed to go was lit up on the monitor behind Xander. “If we head out now, then we can get there with minimal losses, but we’ll have to leave some stuff behind. Some vital stuff, unfortunately.”

Specifically, they’d have to leave behind most of the heavy-duty equipment and storage containers filled with the serums and materials that weren’t able to fit in the special containers that Gerome and the Special Captains had on hand.

Fortunately, they had already secured the entirety of what they could carry without transport vehicles. The other problem was leaving the serums as they were. Locking them up was no longer an option. However, not taking them meant that the swarm could get its hands on them. Which would lead to further mutations that would ultimately cause greater problems later.

Perhaps even the birth of an Apex Beast.

Although… with the research sector now open to the swarm’s control, that’s likely going to happen no matter what… It was a daunting thought, but one that Xander couldn’t ignore.

Rank 4 might be out of reach for most of humanity, but that wasn’t necessarily true for the beasts and other mutated entities.

“Blow it up.” Gerome’s voice cut through Xander’s thoughts. “Don’t give me that look. Prep everything for a secure departure. Setting up as many defenses as possible. Lead them into a choke point and blow them up with whatever we can. It won’t mean much, since their intelligence has likely spread, but destroying the bodies, and brains, of those that have been devoured will at least remove their intelligence cores. That will cause feedback to overwhelm them and give us an opening to stretch the distance between us and them.”

Xander had been unaware of the possibility of feedback like Gerome was talking about. Such a thing hadn’t occurred to him, but now new ideas and plans passed through his mind. It seemed to him like the old man still had tricks that couldn’t be ignored.

“I can get this place ready to blow and covered in as many automated defenses as are built in within the next 10 minutes.” Tapping several buttons, he started doing just that, while also sending files to Gerome and the other captains. “Here. These are instructions and maps pertaining to the back rooms and halls. Each team has a different set of maps and passcodes. Whether or not we split up to increase chances of someone getting out or stick together so as to not be picked off, is up to you. These are simply the options I can provide.”

Gerome nodded and looked over his tablet. “Good. When you’re done, meet up with me. You’re not leaving my side until we’re back with Lady Elyria.”

It was tough, but Xander managed to hold back his grimace. He hadn’t had any intention of splitting off. At least, not until the rest of the Malicent Kingdom’s forces were close to, or otherwise totally, free from the ruins.

Yet, it seemed like his plans to set out on his own to find the resources he needed to evolve would need to be put on hold.

Even if he could get through the vents and hidden shafts to leave on his own, he knew that the risks, especially after being indirectly called out like that, meant that it would be significantly harder.

More so if he found himself caught up in the Malicent Kingdom’s politics.

“Understood. I would like to request that Captain Tami and the twins, Morris and Heida Trianon, be included as part of my direct security team. If that would be permissible.” He knew that he was pushing things, asking for what nearly equated to private forces for himself, but he knew that Tami would never choose him over Elyria.

Morris might, since he’d literally given the, now female, soldier a path forward, while also alleviating the physical pains that had tormented her for much of her life.

Heida might also show increased loyalty to him thanks to his deeds for her and her sister. Though the odds were slightly lower.

“That’s fine. You’ll take a few more once we get moving, since that team is depleted, but having those familiar with you nearby would be a good thing.”

Xander could tell that Gerome was only okay with this situation since he’d shown a fierce level of protectiveness for the three women. But that was fine. He’d already decided that he wouldn’t be betraying any of them at any point.

“Then let’s get going. I’ve set up the automated defenses. Now we just need to get the explosives in place. The equipment is already rigged.” A few more taps on his tablet and Xander was ready to set out. “Let’s go. I’ll need some heavy lifters. I can heal, but I’m not strong enough to get everything in position.”

With a nod, Gerome gestured for 10 of the bigger soldiers to follow behind him.

Within minutes they’d set up a kill zone with the explosives.

Now, with things set and ready to blow, Xander stood next to Gerome as they watched the small army of soldiers split up and head off into the vents and hidden paths behind the walls of the ruins.

“How big of a boom is the collective detonation of this area’s equipment going to be?” Gerome uttered his question quietly, and without looking away from the departing teams.

“Let’s just say that the area won’t exist anymore.” Xander flinched as sights and memories of the different explosive testing from ages past flowed through his mind. “The only reason that the entire city facility wasn’t blown up in the first place was a mixture of hope that it could be reclaimed, and the possibility that the explosions would pierce the world’s crust, and break through the mantle if the entire place went up all at once.”

Gerome and the others all looked at him in bewildered horror. This lasted a few seconds before it was finally time to leave.

With a few taps of his tablet, Gerome, who had been given authority after Xander transferred the command codes over, shut down several dozen blast doors.

In silence, the remaining 24 people, Gerome, Xander, Elma, Tami, Morris, Heida, and an assortment of gene-warriors and scholars set off. A silent prayer in their hearts for their safety.

—————

The roar of machine guns and the buzzing hum of laser grids was drowned out by the sheer cacophony of chittering and pained screeches and cries of the bugs that died. Their bodies piled up, creating makeshift barricades and defenses that would have served as defenses for the charging hordes.

Of course, since it was nothing more than an endless tide, the horde never lessened. So, the march was slowed as the dead were consumed as quickly as they fell. Yet the march didn’t stop. The darkness of an endless expanse of all consuming maws moved onward.

For Laisa, her mind was consumed with agony as it was pulled apart by a billion little lifeforms that continued to call these ruins home.

A light of hope lit up her darkness, but it wasn’t hers. It burned like the heat of a thousand candles dripping wax into her eyes. It was nothing more than the hunger of an endless swarm that sought nothing more than to glut itself on something new.

Something human.

Shifting doors grabbed her attention as what was once her body flinched.

Beside her, she saw the body of the other team leader do the same.

The swarm had caught something. Movement and additional security. The path to the food’s camp had been found. They needed to move.

A part of Laisa that hadn’t faded away just yet became suspicious, but not even a second after it had appeared, it snuffed itself out. It had no desire to aid the swarm by giving it warning.

Such a blip was so small that it barely caught the greater hive’s attention, so it was, seemingly, ignored, and the parasitized bodies of herself and the other captain moved as one.

They opened door after door, and upon reaching the camp they flooded forward with their strongest warriors. Nothing could stand in their way, and they quickly flooded through.

Yet there was nothing. No frantic scramble to pack things up. No fear filled screams as the meat that would feed them cried in terror.

Instead, there were just piles of containers. Lots of containers. As well as increased defenses, and doors that they could no longer open.

Nearly a hundred Rank 2s had flooded the area at this point. It was the majority of their forces, sent to capture the food without issue, at the fastest speed possible.

There was a collective pause while Laisa and the captain’s body tilted their heads. Confusion filling their minds before memories of possibilities and planning were forcibly extracted by the bugs inside their brains.

Then, there was a soft ‘click’ from inside one of the containers, followed by a high pitched ‘beep’ from all the monitors and terminals in the area.

Lastly, as Laisa and the captain’s bodies widened their eyes in understanding, there was fire, and force, as everything in the area was ripped to shreds and burned alive.

The earth-shattering force was so great that countless lesser drones within the hive were also killed, even outside the blast radius, due to the sudden collapse of a large portion of the sector.

In an instant, the ruins had been permanently altered beyond repair.