BIOLOGICAL SUPERCOMPUTER SYSTEM

The biological supercomputer kept checking everything in detail—looking at fallen pieces of building, checking for signs that someone had been there recently, and searching for any marks showing a fight.

<We should go check the upper floors,> Erik said.

[We should. The lobby looks clear to me, and aside from the exits, we checked most of the rooms on this floor already.]

With the system's blessing, Erik walked toward the staircase. The steps faded into darkness above like the maw of some ancient beast waiting to swallow him whole.

[Stay close to the wall,] the system said. [It will give you better cover, and the steps might be more stable there.]

He followed the suggestion, pressing his shoulder against the cold surface as he began his ascent. Halfway up, a distant crash echoed through the building. Erik froze, his breath catching in his throat.

[Upper floors, northwest corner,] the system said after a moment. [Likely structural settling, but stay alert.]

Erik resumed his climb, even more cautious than before.

The stairs curved around, leading to a landing that opened onto the second floor. Debris and fallen ceiling panels created an obstacle course whose shadows could conceal a threat.

Erik paused at the top of the stairs, crouching low to reduce the ease with which a potential predator might see him. In front of him was the second floor. At first glance, it seemed a maze of corridors and doorways, but even from his position, Erik could tell there were some large rooms and what appeared to be a central gathering area.

These areas were dangerous. The central space was too exposed, making anyone crossing it vulnerable from multiple angles. The large rooms could hide threats or contain structural hazards.

The visibility wasn't the best either. The sunlight was filtered by the still-standing windows, creating a dark atmosphere inside. The problem, though, was the many holes in the walls and ceilings that made strong rays cut the darkness inside.

They illuminated the surroundings but also made it hard to see what lay beyond that, given how strong the lights were. Besides, the lights created deceptive patterns on the ground, making it so that Erik had to shift his attention to every single shadow.

The poor lighting and multiple entrances made these places perfect for ambushes, and the gathering area's size increased exposure time.

Erik looked at the second floor with growing unease. The narrow hallways and multiple doorways created perfect ambush points—a thaid could spring from any darkened room without warning. The layout would also force him to pass close to each doorway.

[This floor plan is problematic,] the biological computer said.

<Yeah, this is not exactly the ideal place to be in.>

[There are limited escape routes and too many blind spots.]

<We also need to consider that if the blackguards used this place, they might have left surprises behind,> Erik said. His eyes traced the floor and walls for signs of traps. If this place had been used as a military outpost, there could be forgotten explosives or trigger mechanisms hidden beneath the debris.

[True. The blackguards are known for their ruthlessness on Mannard. Imagine what they would do here where there aren't humans for thousands of kilometers.]

The traps were obviously meant for the thaids. The blackguards knew Erik was bound to come to Mur but could not know he would come here.

<The Instability crystal isn't picking up anything,> Erik said. <I don't think someone is here…>

[That's both good and bad news,] the system said. [Good because it means there's no immediate threat. Bad because... Well, Amber and the others are not here.]

<So? What do we do?>

[I still think it's worth checking if the others had been here in the past. If they were, they might have left clues about where they went later.]

The system warned Erik of the potential dangers of this place but also of what they had to do and what their advantages were.

[There's a main hallway down the middle with rooms on both sides,] the system said. [We have places to hide, but we could also be seen from many directions. Let's move carefully.]

Erik nodded, and he ventured deeper into the upper level of the hotel.

—***—

Unseen by Erik or the biological computer, they approached the first floor entrance and headed to the stairs. Its movements were more than silent. They were basically non-existent.

Every step Erik made, no matter how carefully, sent vibrations through the building, which the thaid detected through its specialized sensory organs, giving it a map of its prey's location.

However, unlike most thaids, this one had learned the value of patience and stealth over raw power.

The beast suppressed its mana flow—an unusual behavior for any living creature except humans, and even they struggled to do it.

That simple choice made it undetectable to the biological supercomputer. Most thaids channeled their power through their neural links before attacking, or even just to prepare for it, making them easy to spot by the mana-attuned AI, but this one had evolved beyond such basic instincts.

It understood that survival meant adaptation, and in these ruins, stealth proved more valuable than strength.

The thaid moved silently, creeping forward through the alleys, getting over fallen debris and clinging to the shadows. It followed its hunting instincts and, driven by them, chased those vibrations that were slowly bringing it to Erik.

Its weight was distributed across its body, which meant an even distribution across the floor. Not a single point of contact with the ground was bearing enough pressure to crack the debris underfoot or to make noise.

There were no squeaks, no crunching of debris, and no sounds at all as the thaid moved.

Whenever it heard Erik's footsteps, the creature would quickly hide, becoming perfectly still and blending into the dark corners created by broken doorways and fallen ceiling pieces.

The creature was hungry, but it knew better than to rush. After years of hunting, it had learned to be patient. Then it finally found him.

A weird bipedal creature that looked oddly small and vulnerable. It was moving cautiously, but not enough to prevent vibrations from being produced. It was easy to track.

The creature observed its prey, not knowing what it was, but it honestly didn't care. Erik was currently moving through the corridor, unaware there was something stalking him.

The thaid remained still, observing its prey.

Each time Erik paused to check a room, the creature slithered forward, reducing the distance between them by three to four meters.

It timed its advances well, moving only when Erik's attention was focused on searching the rooms and freezing still whenever he turned around.

—***—

Erik sighed as he finished checking another empty room. Nothing but debris was there, with no signs of recent human presence.

<Nothing again,> he said to the system. <Maybe we were wrong about this place. The others might not have been here at all.>

[Don't lose hope yet,] the biological computer said. [We've only covered two floors out of 10. Your friends would likely have chosen higher levels for better visibility and defense. We just need to check the upper floors.]

<Still...>

Erik's thoughts trailed off as he peered into yet another abandoned room. The space was empty except for a broken desk in one corner and shattered glass across the floor.

He checked every corner, behind the desk, and even the closet, but found nothing useful. No sleeping bags, no remnants of cooking fires, not even a single discarded wrapper or empty can. The complete absence of human activity made him feel worse.

[Patience,] the system said. [Being thorough—]

The thought was cut off abruptly as a warning flashed in Erik's vision.

[Warning. Hostile Detected.]

Erik's heart skipped a beat at the notification. He hadn't seen that particular warning since before coming to Mur—it only appeared when a thaid was powerful enough to pose a serious threat.

That meant a truly powerful monster was there. Here in Mur, though, where everything had evolved to survive in this harsh environment, it wasn't surprising. Every creature here was strong enough to kill him.

Still, knowing that didn't stop the cold fear from creeping up his spine, especially because it was clear what this notification meant. There was something, yes, but this something was going to attack, and it was going to do so in a moment.

Erik spun around, his body tensing, his mana channeled. There, filling the corridor behind him, coiled a massive snake.

Its scales had the color and texture of weathered concrete, which made it hard to see it inside the building, especially because of the darkness, but the color certainly helped. Predatory eyes, gleaming with cold intelligence, fixed on him as its head rose to strike's height.

<What the fu…?>

The creature's jaws parted, revealing fangs longer than Erik's forearm, venom, or whatever it was, dripping onto the cracked floor below. It had stalked him undetected until this last moment, when its killing intent and the mana in its body stirred and triggered the warning.