BIOLOGICAL SUPERCOMPUTER SYSTEM-Chapter 1310: An unexpected reunion (7)

Chapter 1310: An unexpected reunion (7)

The following morning, Erik woke up early and gathered everyone at the cave entrance. The blackguards wouldn’t wait, so they had to hurry.

Sunlight snooped through the cave entrance as the group gathered. Gwen and the others were nervous, but it was expected since they weren’t used to Mur’s odd climate and weren’t as strong as Amber and the others.

“We leave today,” Erik said. “I’ve postponed this long enough. If you want to stay, you need to let me know now.”

Everyone nodded in understanding. Erik turned and gestured to the eleven clones waiting nearby. He had already briefed them the night before on their duties.

The clones would shapeshift and act as mounts for the group members while also acting as bodyguards against threats.

The others checked their gear one last time.

“What do we do with the food?” Martha asked while adjusting her backpack. “I can grow plants, but we’ll need more than that for the journey,” she said.

Erik nodded. “You and I will handle it, but we will also eat the thaids we hunt. I hope you don’t mind.”

Amber bit her lip, her eyes flipping through her friends with thinly hidden concern. She grew up with these people, but they lacked the strength and skills Mira, Emily, and she had. Her stomach turned over, thinking of them fighting Mur’s threats. She hesitated, debating whether she had to say something. Then at last gathered the courage.

“Maybe some of you should stay here? We could coordinate with Becker’s men if some of you stay.”

“No,” Gwen said. “We are going with you. We already agreed to it.” Amber looked at the ground, knowing she couldn’t ask them to stay after coming here on Mur.

“Where exactly are we heading, Erik?” Allan asked. “You haven’t shared the details yet.”

Erik pulled out a crude map and spread it on a flat boulder. He created the map using the reference points provided by the system, focusing on the important landmarks. The others gathered around him.

“There are two Silverline Corporation labs I know about,” Erik said, pointing to locations marked on the map. “We need to check both of them for information about the other labs. The blackguards are in one of them.”

His finger traced a path eastward. “First, we head east to Vermillion Lake. There’s a facility hidden there.” He moved his finger northwest. “Then we’ll travel to the outskirts of the Lorogia Region, where another lab exists. Between those two locations, we should find what we need. The blackguards are likely inside the Lorogia Region Mountain Range, so we need to find information about the labs there.”

Mickey leaned closer to check the map. “That’s a long journey. Weeks, maybe months, of travel with all the dangers of this godforsaken continent.”

“Which is why I asked the clone to come,” Erik said. “When they shapeshift, they get stronger and faster. We can’t fly because of the flying thaids, but they still provide us a faster way to travel than with human legs.” Erik said.

“What kind of resistance should we expect at these labs?” It didn’t look strange for Mickey to ask that question.

Mickey knew that wherever they went in Mur, monsters were a constant worry. Every place, no matter how seemingly harmless, could hide threats.

“I don’t know,” Erik said. “The labs are likely to be abandoned, but we can’t exclude the Blackguards or the thaids having occupied them.”

Aaron formed a small slime in his palm, watching it wiggle between his fingers. “I think the slimes can help us scout for dangers.”

Erik nodded.

“That was why I wanted you to come with us, instead of staying here like Amber suggested,” Erik said. “You and Mickey will be an enormous help to ensure our safety.”

That way, Erik could prevent the clones from risking their lives while scouting. The clones could focus on protecting the group and acting as mounts. This was important, considering Gwen and the others still didn’t have enough neural links to survive here without worry.

“Good,” Aaron and Mickey said. They didn’t come here to be burdens, and while they were still not ready to fight on their own, it didn’t mean they were going to be useless.

The group fell silent for a moment; in front of them was coming a tremendous ordeal: a journey that even legendary people failed to realize.

“How will we cross the terrain? Even with the clones as mounts, some areas might be challenging to go through,” Mira said.

“We’ll follow game trails where possible,” Erik said. That meant they would have to follow the thaids, risking more fights than they wanted.

“The blackguards have mapped several paths that avoid the worst of the terrain, though, and I got those maps.” That happened when Erik got the data from the Law Gate and Maynard Island.

“When necessary, we can use mine and Martha’s powers to make bridges or clear obstacles. Otherwise, I can simply move you around using my telekinesis.”

That was, of course, a risk since Erik would need to use mana he could use during fights.

Floyd stretched his new tail behind him, curling it around a nearby rock and lifting it with apparent ease.

“Hey, cheer up, everyone!” Floyd said with a grin, his tail still holding the rock. “At least if we run into trouble, I can always throw rocks at the monsters. Though I guess that makes me the official ‘tail gunner’ of the group!” He chuckled at his joke, earning a mix of groans and reluctant smiles from the others.

“The thaids will be stronger once deeper in the forest,” Erik said. “They will be much stronger than what you ran into up until this point. That’s why I gave you all powers focused on survival. But don’t engage unless absolutely necessary. So, be careful.”

Ben nodded. “Avoid battle. Got it.” He didn’t like it that much, though.

“How many neural links should we aim for before reaching the first lab?”

“As many as you can safely develop,” Erik said. “But remember—don’t rush it. Genetic instability is dangerous. I think fifteen neural links should be safe. You can choose to make 7 and 8 for both or 15 for one. Regardless, one neural link every few days is the maximum your bodies can safely handle.”

“It won’t be enough,” Gwen said.

The group resumed their preparations. Mickey released a few mana bugs, watching them hover near his head. “I’m going to send the bugs.”

“Good,” Erik nodded.

The clones prepared and shapeshifted. The group mounted them one by one. Erik took the lead, with Mira, Emily, June, and Amber close behind. The others arranged themselves in formation, with Gwen and Ben at the rear.

Erik looked back at the cave that had sheltered them. The remaining clones stood at attention, awaiting their last orders.

“Protect the eggs; they will be the key to winning this damn war.”

The clones saluted and went back to their duties. They needed to collect enough food for the newest batches to mature. Luckily, the first ones Erik made were on their way to adulthood already.

“Let’s go,” Erik said, and the group set out from the cave entrance.