Chapter 239: Hive Memory Shard

The silence after the Berserker's fall was unnatural, thick with an unspoken tension that wrapped itself around the squad like a vice.

Kain scanned the chamber, his cybernetic eye flickering (whirr-click) as it processed thermal signatures. The walls still pulsed, the black fluid seeping from the organic structures hissing (sizzle-pop) against the ground like something alive.

"We need to keep moving," Rourke muttered, wiping acid splatter from her carapace armor. "The longer we stay here, the more we give them time to react."

The Exo-Knights repositioned, forming a defensive perimeter. The loss of two of their own had done little to break their ironclad discipline, but even they knew this was different. The Hive wasn't just adapting. It was anticipating.

"Command, this is Alpha Team," Kain spoke into his comm. "Berserker-Class confirmed. Rapid regeneration, enhanced cognitive abilities. Squad integrity compromised."