Chapter 9 CHAPTER NINE

The stranger’s hand tightened around the massive sword resting on his shoulder while the Broodmother screamed again outside the ruins.

The sound echoed through the ancient chamber, but something strange happened afterward. It did not enter, the massive creature remained outside the stone entrance, shrieking furiously while its limbs clawed against the organic tunnel beyond the ruins. Pale newborn predators gathered behind it restlessly, yet none of them crossed the threshold, the armored man noticed Adrian staring.

“They can’t come inside,” he said calmly, the woman beside Adrian frowned immediately. “Why?”

The stranger’s gaze shifted toward the faded symbols covering the stone walls. “Because this place existed before the Nest.” That answer only raised more questions. Adrian slowly stood despite the pain tearing through his body. His arm still bled from the bite wound while exhaustion weighed heavily against every movement, the stranger’s eyes flicked briefly toward Adrian’s injuries before narrowing slightly.

“You smell wrong.” The words instantly made the woman tense beside him. Adrian gripped the axe tighter. “What’s that supposed to mean?” The stranger stepped closer slowly, boots scraping against ancient stone, “You smell human,” he said quietly. “But the Nest recognizes you.”

Outside, the Broodmother slammed violently against the tunnel entrance again, the ruins trembled.

Adrian’s chest tightened, that thing had followed him specifically, not the others, the stranger noticed his expression and sighed softly, almost like someone confirming a bad suspicion. “How long since your first mutation?” The question hit Adrian hard enough to silence him for a second, Mutation, not evolution. The system kept using words that sounded rewarding, but hearing someone else call it mutation made it feel uglier somehow, the woman beside him spoke first. “What are you talking about?” The stranger finally looked at her directly. “He hasn’t told you?”

Adrian cut in immediately. “I don’t know what you think you know.” “But you do know,” the stranger interrupted calmly. “Your eyes change whenever corpses are nearby.” Silence followed, the woman slowly looked toward Adrian, he hated that look immediately.

Not fear yet, but uncertainty at the beginning of it. Adrian looked away first. Outside the ruins, the Broodmother’s shrieks gradually became quieter, though the sound still echoed through the tunnels like distant thunder.

The armored man rested the giant sword against one shoulder again before walking deeper into the chamber. “If you’re done attracting every predator in this layer,” he said casually, “follow me before something worse notices.” The woman glanced at Adrian uncertainly. He understood the hesitation, trusting strangers underground was stupid.

But staying near the entrance felt even worse, the Broodmother still lingered outside watching Adrian follow reluctantly. The ruins stretched much farther than he expected. Broken pillars lined enormous hallways while faded murals covered sections of the walls, though most had been damaged beyond recognition. Some depicted strange humanoid figures kneeling before enormous circular objects suspended in the sky. Others showed cities being swallowed by fleshy growths disturbingly similar to the Nest itself.

Adrian slowed slightly while staring at one damaged mural, the image looked ancient, far older than modern civilization. “How old is this place?” he asked quietly.

The stranger answered without looking back. “Older than the system wants people to know.” That sentence settled heavily in Adrian’s chest. The woman crossed her arms tightly. “You still haven’t told us who you are.”

The stranger finally stopped walking.

“Dante.” No title, no explanation, just a name.

Dante studied Adrian carefully again before speaking.

“You’re infected early.” Adrian’s jaw tightened. “I’m not infected.” Dante gave a humorless smile. “That’s exactly what the early ones always say.” the woman frowned. “Early what?” Dante’s gaze remained fixed on Adrian. “Nest-adapted humans.” The air suddenly felt colder.  Adrian felt something unpleasant crawl beneath his skin again. “You absorb residual biomass,” Dante continued calmly. “Your body adapts faster than normal humans. Eventually the Nest stops recognizing you as prey.” Adrian’s pulse quickened. “And starts recognizing you as what?” he asked quietly. Dante did not answer immediately. Instead, he pointed toward the black veins spreading faintly beneath Adrian’s wrist.

“The same thing the Broodmother recognized.”

The silence afterward felt suffocating, the woman stepped back slightly without realizing it. Adrian noticed, of course he noticed. Dante walked toward a ruined stone table near the center of the chamber before tossing Adrian a small metal flask.

“Drink.” Adrian caught it carefully, the liquid inside smelled bitter. “What is it?” 

“Something to slow the corruption.”

That word again, Corruption, Mutation, Infection.

Adrian suddenly hated all of them, he lowered the flask slowly. “And if I don’t trust you?” Dante shrugged casually. “Then you die faster.”

The woman moved toward the stone wall nearby and slid down against it heavily, exhaustion finally catching up to her. “Can somebody explain what’s happening already?” Dante remained standing. “The Nest doesn’t just kill people,” he said quietly. “It changes them. Some become monsters physically. Some mentally. A few ” His eyes shifted back toward Adrian. “A few evolve with it.” Adrian stared at the flask in his hand.

The hunger inside him had gone strangely quiet since entering the ruins. But not gone completely. Just waiting, then something deep within the chamber moved. A low grinding noise echoed through the darkness ahead, Dante’s expression changed instantly.

For the first time since meeting him 

he looked genuinely alarmed.

“Get down,” he said sharply.

The massive stone doors at the far end of the ruins suddenly began opening from the inside.