They moved forward, The buildings closing in on both sides but still no sign of Eaters.
Lex sighed, "This is boring. First time I've entered a nest with no action. What, the Queen hit menopause or something? Not birthing Eaters today? Damn it, I need to rank up!"
Mars muttered, "Weird. The Queen doesn't even need to eat, just spawns them. So where the hell are they?"
Lex continued, "This is why I hate the South Zone. Barely any nests down here. I wanna hit the Middlelands. Nests everywhere. Feed count goes crazy. And yeah… I want you with me when I get there, love."
Randy added, "Me? I want the Highlands. Some of the original Queens, those born during the Fall are still up there. They leveled up way beyond what the Guild ever imagined. And the exciting part? They can give birth to powerful Eaters. We don't even know what level they are too strong to assign a level."
"Oooh… wonder what their nests look like. Probably some big-ass castle?"
In this world, thousands of nests dotted the land. Each one ranked by tier: E, D, C, B, A, S, SS, and SSS. The higher the tier, the deadlier the nest.
It all started when a Queen chose a spot and began birthing. She didn't need food. She was born to spread. But if she did eat—humans, animals, or worse, Eater Blades—then things escalated fast. The nest grew harder, more dangerous.
And that spot? It became a home. A nest.
Some nests were tiny, no bigger than a ruined house. Others sprawled like cities, even whole regions swallowed by twisted growth. The size depended on how many she birthed. The more Eaters, the bigger the nest. Every Eater had a role. A level.
But some… went beyond the level.
They walked toward near the skyscraper when Mars suddenly raised his hand, signaling everyone to stop.
Up ahead, the wide road was a graveyard of broken vehicles. Burnt-out trucks, shattered cars, flipped buses, and rusted armored vans clogged the street.
Mars squinted ahead.
"We're close. Once we cross this road, we'll be at the nest. But…"
A chorus of snarls cut him off.
"Grrrr… Grahhh… KRAAAAH!"
Dozens of Eaters stirred among the wreckage. Shadows shifting, eyes glowing, hunger in every breath.
"There they are… waiting for us. Guess they like their food delivered. Fine. Let's give 'em something to choke on."
Randy cracked his neck, a savage grin spreading across his face.
"Finally, some action. My Eater blade's been starving."
Lex rolled her shoulders, loosening up.
"Time to pop some skulls."
Mars turned to Johnquis,
"Listen. We don't have time to babysit. You mess up, you die. Nobody's covering your ass out there."
He pointed toward the nest.
"You either fight… or you're food."
They all raised their hands.
"BLADECALL!"
All four stones lit up.
Violet veins surged across their arms; twitching, pulsing, alive. Flesh twisted with metal as their weapons materialized, one by one.
Mars's massive bone-crushed hammer landed in his grip. Lex's arm unfolded into a sharpnail-gun. Randy's sword twitching like it was hungry.
And then there was Johnquis. Chains coiled around his right arm, swirling like snakes, then slithering down across the ground. Just chains. No blade.
He stood still. Watching. They all held weapons that could cut, break, pierce. Weapons built for power. Real weapons. He looked at his own hand. The cold weight of a chain… His Eater Blade. The one they all laughed at.
The Eaters came. Burst from under trucks, poured out of broken buses, and sprinted from alleyways. Their screeches cut sharp through the silence.
The Squad moved instantly.
Mars charged ahead, roaring as he swung his giant hammer. He crushed the first Eaters into the damaged roadway.
[Feed Count: +250]
[Feed Count: 52,350/ 70,000]
Lex leapt onto the flipped bus and opened fire, her nail gun sharp and fast. Each shot found a head.
[Feed Count: +150]
[Feed Count: 25,150 / 70,000]
Randy dashed between wrecked cars, slicing down every Eater that got close, his sword moved too fast to follow.
[Feed Count: +200]
[Feed Count: 27, 400/ 70,000]
Eaters flooded the street.
Mars slammed his hammer into the pavement again, sending a shockwave that hurled a dozen Eaters into the air. A second group lunged, he spun, the hammer arcing wide, bones crunching on impact.
[Feed Count: +300]
[Feed Count: 52,650/ 70,000]
He didn't even breathe heavy.
"These are just Level 1s. Don't waste blood if you don't have to."
A huge Eater lunged for his throat but he dipped and drove his elbow into its ribs, then crushed its skull underfoot.
"Morons forgot who I am! I'm about to hit Steel Rank. You? Just Level 1 fodder. Waiting to get crushed like ants under my hammer."
[Feed Count: +50]
[Feed Count: 52,700/ 70,000]
Up on the bus, Lex reloaded.
"Oooh, this is gonna be fun. There are too many, so I'm using my skill!"
[Skill: Nailstorm—Blood Cost: 3%]
She fired her skill.
"NAILSTORM!"
Her arms pulsed with red veins. The Nail gun shook violently, sending out a burst of twelve nail-rounds in all directions ricocheting off car doors, cracking windshields, and punching through skulls. Eaters dropped in droves.
PFFT—PFFT—PFFT!
[Feed Count: +250]
[Feed Count: 25,400 / 70,000]
Lex shrieked,
"Gosh, I love this skill!"
Randy dashed forward but then stopped.
"So you're using your skill, huh? Let me show you mine."
[Skill: Bloodline Frenzy—Blood Cost: 2%]
"BLOODLINE FRENZY!"
A red glow sparked and spread down his arms. He howled and moved even faster. Blurs of motion weaving between crushed trucks. His blade screamed as it tore through Eater flesh, and his laughter rose with the chaos.
[Feed Count: +270]
[Feed Count: 27,670 / 70,000]
He yelled, "YEAH! Keep coming! I'll carve you all up!"
Johnquis's eyes widened as he watched them battle the Eaters with ease. Their skills, their speed, their feed counts rising fast.
He clenched his fist.
"So, this is how the real fight should be..."
Suddenly, an Eater lunged at him.
Johnquis barely had time to react. The Eater came at him fast, claws reaching for his throat.