BIOLOGICAL SUPERCOMPUTER SYSTEM-Chapter 1248: Rescue trip (4)

After heading close to the shores, Erik had been on the move for days but was unable to cover vast distances or to rest properly.

<Damn thaids…> The constant running made his legs sore, the lack of sleep made his mind sleepy, and it didn't allow his muscles to recuperate.

The biological computer helped him navigate, choosing paths that minimized exposure to dangerous areas where thaids hunted, but even that hadn't been enough for him to rest.

The shelters weren't working anymore. The thaids in this area were too powerful—they could sense him even through tons of dirt and stone. The creatures here were far stronger than those near his landing spot and much stronger than those he fought until that point.

[You haven't slept properly in days,] the system said, worried about its host.

<I know, but what can I do? Every noise makes me jump. These monsters are just too strong, and without someone to keep guard I can only rely on myself.>

The problem was that the deeper he went inside the forest, the worse the situation was, and the stronger the thaids were. The same could be said if he went to the edges of the forest, near the shores, where flying thaids usually roamed. Well, they roamed everywhere, but the chances they might spot him increased a lot there.

There was basically a stretch of land inside the forest. Relatively far from the sea, but not so deep into the forest, in which thaids were weaker, but even in that case, they were much stronger than one might think.

Erik couldn't completely avoid the creatures in their territory, but his approach worked well enough for him to avoid ending up harrowing beasts.

He stayed hidden most of the time, using bushes and natural hiding spots whenever the biological supercomputer warned him of nearby threats.

By using Phantom Veil to turn invisible, shapeshifting to turn into something small, and occasionally send illusions to lure the thaids away, he managed to never be spotted in person.

When he had to fight, he made sure the monsters would be easily killable. The system also warned him when something too strong approached.

<Nothing yet?>

[Nothing…]

Then something caught Erik's eye. It was unusual in the jungle. It was a gray mass that stood out against the greens and browns of the forest.

Its color reminded him of cement or weathered concrete, and through the vegetation he could make out straight edges and flat surfaces, though the overall structure remained unclear from his current position.

He stepped closer to get a better look through the plants. Even then, he couldn't see it clearly because vines and leaves were in the way. His first thought was that they might be bones from a huge dead thaid.

[What could that be?] Erik asked the biological computer.

The system took a moment to analyze what they could see. [Based on the maps we got from the blackguards' data, there should be ruins of an ancient city in this area. What we are seeing is likely remnants of concrete structures, not bones.]

Erik pushed aside a thick vine, revealing more of the gray mass. Now that the system mentioned it, he could see the angular shapes that nature had tried to reclaim. These weren't the organic curves of bone, but the deliberate lines of human buildings.

<A city...> Erik said. <Do you think the others might have found this place?>

[It's possible,] the system said. [If they found these ruins, it would explain why they haven't seen the tree. The structures could be blocking their line of sight, especially if they're sheltering inside.]

Erik had no way to check this, because to do so, he would need to fly or to scale a building. In either case, it would be dangerous.

Yet he examined the ruins with fresh interest, scanning the crumbling walls and overgrown doorways for any signs of recent activity. Of course, the vegetation and the distance didn't make it simple.

His heart raced with hope as he thought about his lovers possibly hiding in these buildings. The old structures made sense as a shelter—they had strong walls that could keep them safe and plenty of spots where they could watch their surroundings without being seen.

<I hope they had my same thoughts, and saw the strategic in this place as much as I did.>

Of course, thaids hid here too, but if they were careful, they might have still used this place.

[Don't raise your hopes yet,] the system said, [Urban environments, even ruined ones, present different challenges than the forest, but they are no less. This is even a poor combo since those are ruins inside a forest. The spaces between buildings create natural corridors and choke points. If we find thaids there, our escape routes will be limited. The same is true for the others. If they really got here, they might have trapped themselves.]

<Fuck… This means we could get cornered easily.>

[Yeah. In the forest, you can move in any direction to avoid threats. Here, walls and debris will restrict your movement. Plus, ruins often attract certain species of thaids. Some use them as nesting sites. They are great for that purpose.]

The forest was easier to move through—he could slip between trees and use bushes to stay hidden. But in these ruins, he'd have no choice but to use the old streets and passages, which would make him an easier target to track.

<Still,> Erik said, <if there's even a small chance they found shelter in these ruins, we need to investigate. The risks are high, but finding them will be worth it. I can't leave without knowing for sure.>

[I expected you'd say that,] the system said. [Just remember—if we stumble upon something too powerful, retreat will be more complicated than in the forest. We won't have the luxury of choosing any direction to run.]

Erik nodded, studying what he could see of the ruins. After having moved closer to the structure and going past it, after having moved the vegetation a bit, he became able to see the structures ahead.

The trees were still mostly bigger than the buildings, which were usually four or five stories tall. Yet there were even bigger ones, and even if they had 10 or fifteen floors, the trees were still taller.

That was why Erik hadn't seen the ruins before. The trees were simply too big and tall for them to be seen. Of course, the best thing would be to directly check, but he couldn't do it. The best he could do was to infer about the situation.

The city appeared weathered by time, their surfaces pitted and cracked. Vines crawled up walls, and tree roots had burst through ancient pavements.

The trees here were enormous—much bigger than the ones in Nex Alexandria's park. Each tree trunk was as wide as a truck.

Nature had worked for centuries to reclaim this place, but enough remained to make it an obstacle course—or a deadly trap.

"Map out escape routes before we go too deep, mark our path so we don't get lost, and identify potential hiding spots in case we need to quickly take cover," Erik said. "We should also look for elevated positions that could serve as observation points and note any narrow passages that could become bottlenecks."

[I will also check signs for both friends and enemies,] the system added. [Don't worry. Since the same features that make this place attractive as a shelter also make it ideal for ambush predators, I'm not going to be careless.]

Erik stopped to catch his breath. He took a moment to calm down, trying to clear his worried mind. His body was tired after being on guard for days, and he could feel how worn out he was. He stretched his fingers and moved his neck from side to side, getting ready to explore the ruins ahead.

[If we find signs of them,] the system said. [Remember that any traces might not be recent. Don't let hope cloud your judgment.]

Erik nodded. The message was clear—they needed to be realists, not letting emotions override their judgment just because they might have found signs of his friends.

<Let me check my status before we go in.>

Then a bluish and semi-transparent screen appeared in front of him.

—[Erik's Status]—

[Host Information]

AGE: 22

POWER LEVEL: 1,833

SYSTEM LEVEL: 468

EXPERIENCE: 90,519,647,281/108,651,054,277

DNA POINTS: 21,527,044,873.95

HEALTH: 68,410/68,410

MANA: 68,340/68,340

{Attributes}

STRENGTH: 642

INTELLIGENCE: 574

DEXTERITY: 622

ENERGY: 2277

Available attributes points: -

{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

Beastwalker: Xθ1B-RANKED

Telekinesis: Xo2A-Ranked

Will of the Hydra: Xo2X-RANKED

Verdant Architect: Xo2X-RANKED

Rejuvenating Touch: Xο2A-RANKED

Elemental Lord: Xο2X-RANKED

Absolute Wall: Xo2A-Ranked

Absolute Castle: Xo2X-RANKED

Eclipse Field: Xσ1B-RANKED

Shadow Rend: Xσ1B-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)

Visit freёnovelkiss.com for the 𝑏est n𝘰vel reading experience.

Management Proficiency (Intermediate)

Stealth Proficiency (Intermediate)

—[END]—