As we rested a little bit after our continued fights, I sent some units to explore. Despite their lack of autonomy, they could fulfill some simple orders and sent them as explorers.

As they advanced through the biome, they kept sending me inputs through our shared mind.

I could see some destroyed habitats and broken nests from birds of unknown species. It seems that the corrupted bird caused quite the strife back when it went berserker.

When I rested enough, I decided to go explore with them. The enhanced spore biomorph eased my control of the smallest units. I could now command double the collector mites, from 4 to 8. I decide to keep 1 fighter and summon 6 mites until I reach my top.

With these units set, I ordered them to gather food, collect samples, and try to locate life in this old broken module.

The day went by as we slowly consumed every little piece of flora and fauna that is near the entrance. Just as I wanted to go rest for a couple of hours, I sensed something weird.

Host, there is a danger, somewhere. Very close to us.

I gathered and devoured the collectors and summoned 3 fighters to explore the area while I sent the last unit to the wall to climb it to have a better view. There are some scratches on the walls, and there is also a faint scent of darkness. "Corruption..."

Despite my initial discomfort with this Tyranid body, it has the advantage of having many limbs and many eyes. I can see some shadow near the top of this biome.

I am surprised by the bad quality of what I perceive, but it's definitely there. "Norn, we have company. A few meters over us..."

The seconds passed by, and there was a false sense of calm. But it didn't last.

The shadow jumped and fell with top speed to pierce me. I hardly managed to evade it with a side jump. After many fights, I finally got a better understanding of my morphology and how to use my body.

I used my tail like a spring to make a dash, but the figure managed to correct its trajectory somehow, and I feel my back chitin split, being torn apart.

"Fuuck! That hurts!" I immediately activated the spore aura, trying to punish my aggressor, but it moved too quickly and evaded it with ease.

I finally saw what was it. Another bird, pretty big and somehow, extraordinarily agile and muscular. It had some traces of a monkey in its body shape. It also had a terrible shark peak that used to attack me.

Okay, I lost nearly half of my health, and this bird is just too fast. I would better retreat now. I began running back with a few broken limbs while still pouring spores into the air to dissuade it from following me.

This damned bird was going to jump at me again, but it stopped as soon as it saw the spores started to melt its feathers. It went nuts and started to hurt himself, tearing apart the smoking areas with its limbs that ended in some claws more fit to climb than to fight.

Some feathers fell to the ground and melted into a black goo. Mere drops, but there was corruption in that beast's body.

This bird was dangerous, and the corruption seemed to be permeating into this biome faster than before. It probably had something to do with the lab's low energy levels.

As it is focused on me, my units manage to engage it, biting its limbs and legs. It shouts, surprised, and angrily crushes them in mere seconds, one after another. "Damn fucking beast!!"

Once it was done, it even stopped crush the last of them, so I could see it. "You fucker!! This is now personal."

Despite my considerable anger, I retreat while summoning another 2 units to slow it down.

As I nearly run dry of energy, I hide into a burrow I made before.

The beast tried to stab me with its beak, but I put my tail in position to stab it in case it tried to attack again. I almost managed to get him, and it got out while screaming angrily.

The next few hours were painfully slow to pass, as I healed my body. The good part was that the biomorphs worked nearly autonomously to help me to their best abilities.

I worked together with Norn to modify an already existing biomorph to create some new alternatives.

After investing more biomass than I thought it would be needed at first, we managed to come with the pincer biomorph! I then spent some more biomass and upgraded my tail with 2 sharp chitinous appendages.

"I just need one chance to make you suffer, you just wait..."

But when I exited again, there was no enemy to see, just silence. No ambush, nor assault.

But I knew better, it was hidden, waiting.

I can smell the corruption everywhere now.

As I got near the place where we fought, I could see that the black goo started to expand and turned a few bushes and weeds into oversized specimens, ill and wrong. It seemed that those were some flowers with feathers. "The hell is that?"

I then felt some movement up in the ceiling. That feathered monkey is there again.

I breathed in and out, getting myself ready for a confrontation. I’ve never had to step into such a dangerous situation before. Not voluntarily, at least.

Two of my fighters were beside me to dissuade that creature from another easy ambush. It wasn't enough to scare it, but it was enough to make it hesitate.

I had four little collectors gathering samples here and there, some corrupted plants too. This could be useful later on.

We went to the point they had investigated before, another cave.

It looks like a semi-safe point where we can go into and get ourselves some protection.

I went into it with the new food sources, and I lay a fighter into the cave’s opening. "Now, we wait."

With the newly gained biomass, I did some upgrades and enhanced my venom to level 2. While I suffered in silence, I dug and hid under the soil, waiting. 2, 3, 6 hours passed, it had become a game of patience.

After a whole day, a sudden feeling assaults me; it has arrived.

"Okay, is everyone ready, does every one of you know what to do? Good. We fight my way this time Norn, next time you can choose the strategy. It will work, trust me."