Spoils of War

The cores were visible well before the monsters themselves.

"If those were drones what's headed our way now?"

"Warriors or Nobles, the Scarabs have a hierarchy which is akin to ants or bees."

"Their cores are big, too big." They were larger than my old body.

She sat, closed her eyes, and crossed her legs while she waited, and her knives continued to orbit around her. She was very efficient with the technique and barely used much qi. I wondered how the knives would fare against a stronger opponent.

As they approached their techniques became visible and although it was a blur at this distance they had the telltale signs which I was familiar.

"They have qi body techniques," I said.

"They are warriors." 

"Shit. How large are the cores on the nobles?"

"Larger than a troll," she said. Which meant she'd killed both before because it was the only way someone who didn't have qi sight knew the size of a monsters core.