BIOLOGICAL SUPERCOMPUTER SYSTEM-Chapter 1276: The bugs (2)

"We found some evidence…" a clone said.

"Evidence of what?"

"Evidence that the Silver Line Corporation had facilities in these caves."

Erik's blood ran cold. Memories of Liberty Watch flashed through his mind—the twisted experiments, the abomination that had forced him to flee. His hands clenched involuntarily.

If the group really found something the Silver Line Corporation made, then it was clear why they were scouting the place.

"Master?" A clone noticed his tension.

"You know well what the Silver Line Corporation left behind in Liberty Watch," Erik said. "Why did you let them go? If there's something in those caves, they might not be able to face it."

"They're not alone," a clone reassured him. Even if he already said this to Erik, it was clear his worry wasn't making him think straight. "We sent many of our brothers with them, and June is watching over them."

June wasn't the smartest or the strongest of Erik's clones, quite the opposite. Erik made him when he was still relatively weak compared to when he made the other clones. Yet he had a lot of experience. Not as much as Mira, but comparable to her.

"Besides, they have strict orders to retreat at the first sign of danger, and with Amber being able to teleport everyone out, there shouldn't be problems. We had no reason to keep them here, and it didn't even make sense, given the situation."

Erik nodded, forcing himself to relax but unable to think positively. Yet he knew the clones were right—Amber and the others were capable warriors, and with June and the other clones protecting them, they would be safe. Still, the sooner he found them, the better he would feel.

Sensing his mood shift, the clones resumed their earlier questions. More of them left their guard posts and gathered around, drawn to their creator.

"Tell us what happened after we separated," a clone asked. "How did you survive the void ravagers?" Others echoed the question. They all yearned to understand how their master had escaped what had seemed like certain death.

Erik leaned against a stone wall. He didn't want to remember that battle, but the clones were adamant, so he gave in.

"The battle was... brutal. Those creatures were unlike anything we'd faced before. They took me down—I was unconscious for three days."

Murmurs rippled through the gathered clones. One spoke up, "Three days?"

"Yes. Rick, the clone who saved my life, never slept or ate during those days to protect and heal me. When I regained consciousness, the first thing I did, aside from asking some questions, was make some trees so that he could eat something." Erik's voice trailed off, remembering the sacrifice of those who hadn't survived.

"How many made it?" a clone asked, dreading the answer that Erik was going to give them.

"Just Rick. The rest gave their lives protecting me." Erik's words brought a solemn silence to the cave. The clones understood sacrifice—it was built into their very nature when it involved their master.

Erik continued, describing their journey across the sea and their arrival on Mur.

"I made a base near the sea using Verdant Architect to grow a massive tree—something you could spot from anywhere in the region. I thought it would help you find me."

"A tree?" A clone frowned, looking puzzled. "We've been patrolling this area for weeks and have seen no unusual growth. The terrain here is mostly rocky, and our view is limited to the immediate surroundings, but if you made it as big as when you were in the White Desert, we should have seen it."

"The coastal cliffs rise nearly a hundred meters high from the cave's main entrance," another clone said. "They block our view of the eastern inland areas. Maybe this is the reason we haven't seen it. Besides, even if we spotted it..."

"What?"

"We couldn't leave, Master. Not after finding traces of the Silver Line Corporation's presence here. If there's a lab in these tunnels, we needed to know what it contained. The potential threat was too significant to ignore. Besides, there might have been information about the biological supercomputer or about the thaids."

Erik nodded. He didn't really like this, but it was true this was an opportunity too good to pass. "You made the right choice. If they left behind anything like what I found in Liberty Watch, it needs to be found and dealt with."

The clones shared looks of relief at his approval. One stepped forward, gesturing toward the tunnel entrance.

"The others have mapped out several areas that show signs of modification. However, this morning, Mira sent us a message saying they found an underground city inside a cave. We mobilized all the available groups of clones, and they must be exploring the area by now."

"Any abnormality?" Erik asked, remembering how Liberty Watch was filled with thaids.

"Nothing significant detected yet, aside from some bug-like thaids," a clone said. Though Erik knew that didn't mean safety. Bug-like thaids were problematic because of their numbers, and being on Mur, they must have been much stronger than those on Mannard.

"Good…"

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"Yes, Master," a clone said. "But we've noticed something worrying. The thaids here are smarter than usual. We can tell because the cave walls are unusually smooth and well cared for, and they're better at building nests than any other thaid species we ever fought. Mira told us they've built nests throughout all the buildings in the underground city."