BIOLOGICAL SUPERCOMPUTER SYSTEM

Chapter 1012: The Strategic Hub



A cool breeze rustled through the leaves as Erik thought about the past month's events.

After creating the Chimaeric Demon eggs, Erik and his group had left the area, but their impact brought waves. It had set in motion a chain reaction that reshaped the battlefield largely.

The group didn't see the impact first hand, since they were far from the battlefields, but as they traveled from base to base, reports trickled in of the Chimaeric Demons' advance.

Essentially, the clones had infiltrated the enemy underground base, replacing soldiers and stealing strategic intelligence.

This stolen information helped Frant's forces a lot, because armed with insider knowledge, they dismantled the blackguards' carefully laid plans in that sector.

However, that helped other parts of the front lines too, and it made it so the various groups of fighters could push the front lines further north.

That wasn't all. The information the group got was about supply lines, which got severed. It was about ambushes that were thwarted.

This resulted in strategic positions being reclaimed, but most importantly, technology got stolen technology.

The results were amazing. In just a month, Frant had pushed the front lines north, reclaiming dozens of kilometers of lost territory.

The tide was turning, but the war was not done yet. The enemy wasn't easy to beat, and the Chimaeric Demons were nearly not enough to win the war, just like that.

<I can't take this anymore...>

The group was ascending a slope, their mounts' strides muffled by the grass beneath their feet.

<This damn hill doesn't want to end.>

Erik led the way, keeping an eye on the horizon as they climbed. The hill wasn't particularly steep or challenging, which explained its lack of strategic value to either side of the conflict, but it provided a perfect view of the surroundings.

As they crested the peak, a panoramic scene unfolded before them. The lush valley below stretched out.

There were fields and forests, but it was the silhouette of something man made that got the group's attention.

"There," Erik said, pointing towards the outline of a city, albeit a small one.

The others pulled up beside him; the clones came to a halt. Mira shaded her eyes with her hand, squinting because of the sun in her eyes.

"Is that our target?" she asked. "Well, it must be, since you are pointing toward it."

"Yeah, that and the fact it is the only place for hundreds of kilometers, which might be suitable to be used as the main sorting center for the supply lines," Emily said.

Erik nodded. The city's walls and watchtowers were just visible, a gray smudge against the sky.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Even from this distance, the importance of the position was clear-nestled at the confluence of several major ancient roads. It was an ideal distribution point for supplies and troops.

Frant did its best to prevent flying vehicles from crossing the skies. It was still the nation's territory, so the air defenses were many.

This made bringing supplies through the air be difficult. The only alternatives were the land and the sea.

However, the problem was that humans didn't usually build roads outside of cities; the reason was as simple as it was obvious: Thaids.

This didn't mean the old roads built by ancient humans weren't there, and these were the ones that Etrium, Hin, and the blackguards were using to fight this war.

Even Frant was taking advantage of them, since even the enemy troops and artillery made it hard, if not outright impossible, to cross the skies.

The difference was that thanks to Erik's help, Luminara Serpentis littered these ancient roads, making it so that they, at least those controlled by Frant, were free of thaids.

"It's perfect," Erik said, more to himself than the others. "Hidden in plain sight, yet controlling everything that moves through this region. The blackguards had been smart in choosing this place."

"So, the supplies come from here, right?" Emily asked.

"No, the supplies come from the sea. But this city?" He gestured towards it. "It's basically the point from which most of it get sorted to other places. Bases, outposts, cities. Everything passes through here before heading to the front lines."

"How can we be so sure that they choose this city among the many ones they captured?" Amber asked.

"It wouldn't make sense otherwise. This is the best place, within the area we assumed was their major supply line."

The group fell silent as the breeze carried the scent of wild flowers.

Emily's voice broke the silence. "So if we want to cripple their operations..."

"We liberate the city," Mira said. "Or something similar, at least. I don't honestly think there are still civilians there... Not after learning what the blackguards are really capable of."

Erik nodded. He had done this many times already, so it wasn't a problem. Besides, this city wasn't even a large one, like New Alexandria was. Erik could even solo it if needed.

The others exchanged glances.

"It won't be easy, master. Its strategic value means it will be protected very well. The blackguards won't give it up without a fight."

"What's our plan, then? We can't just charge in blindly if things are as you say," Emily asked.

Erik's gaze swept over the group. "First, we gather intelligence. We need to know their defenses, weak points, and most importantly, where they're keeping any civilians, if they are still alive, of course."

Mira nodded. "And then?"

A predatory grin spread across Erik's face. "Then we remind the blackguards why they should

fear me."

As Twilight painted the sky in hues of orange and purple, Erik looked around.

"We'll set up camp here," he said. "Tomorrow, we scout. Then me and June will enter the city and see what's the situation is."

"All right."

The Chimaeric Demons transformed, their bodies shifting back to human form.

They then established a perimeter. In the meantime, Erik created a camp. The usual one, but

he had to be careful now, because if they could see the valley below, then whoever was there

could see them.

"Are we just going to rest now, or do we want to do something productive?"

"The Chimaeric Demons will study the surroundings a little," Erik said, his eyes fixed on the

distant city lights.

"How do you plan on entering the city? I bet there will be people that can find out shapeshifters. After they learned the Chimaeric Demons could do that, these guys appeared

like fungi."

June joined them, his expression thoughtful. "The sewers, maybe? Every city has them."

Erik nodded. "Good thinking. It will make it hard for them to find us. They are more prepared for shapeshifters who can turn into humans or large creatures, not into insects."