Biocores: The Legendary Weapon Designer-Chapter 56: The Expense

The Expanse—the planet’s largest cradle zone—was a world unto itself. A vast, ever-shifting ecosystem that stretched across ten regions, home to countless biomes and millions of feral biocores. It housed some of the most powerful lifeforms ever recorded, creatures born from nature’s relentless evolution.

It earned its name for a reason. The Expanse was unpredictable, a place where danger lurked in every shadow. A single leaf, a tree’s twisting roots, even an unassuming insect could spell death for the unprepared. Only the most experienced Conquerors dared to tread its lands. For anyone else, venturing into such a place was a death sentence.

The environment surrounding them was a damp, suffocating forest. The air hung thick with humidity, clinging to their skin like a second layer. Towering trees stretched endlessly toward the sky, their dense canopies swallowing most of the sunlight. Shafts of golden light barely managed to pierce through, casting eerie, shifting patterns on the forest floor.

Nioh’s gaze swept across the surroundings, his instincts uneasy. He muttered under his breath, "The crash must’ve scared off the surrounding biocores. This is... too calm." His eyes flickered as he analyzed the subtle variations in harmonic waves. Something felt off.

A voice cut through his thoughts.

"Do you even know where we’re heading?"

The surviving passengers had finally caught up. The man Nioh had mentally nicknamed Trigger-Happy was still with them, looking none too pleased. More surprisingly, the two girls had also made it out alive.

The first girl was a busty blonde, dressed in cargo pants and a snug white tank top, her arms crossed with wary defiance. The second, a redhead, wore sturdy military boots and a strapped-on combat vest, her stance disciplined and alert.

Kyle took a breath before answering. "I think this is the Tundra Trove—a narrow stretch between Daewyth and Xerath." His words brought visible relief to the group. "If we hike fast enough, we might clear it in a few days."

The redhead nodded. "Then we move as fast as we can while we still have daylight. Nightfall might make travel impossible."

But Nioh wasn’t listening. His mind had tuned out the conversation entirely.

The silence of the forest was wrong. There were no harmonic ripples from nearby lifeforms, no shifting waves of movement. His gut clenched—a predator’s instinct screaming at him. He was being watched. Hunted. But by what?

His eyes flicked upward—just in time to catch the faint whir of a drone slipping through the canopy.

His body moved on instinct. He ducked low, and in perfect synchronization, the others followed, flattening themselves against the damp earth.

The surveillance machine hovered above them, its sensors sweeping the terrain.

They held their breath.

And waited until the drone was gone.

"What exactly are you transporting that has them chasing you this much?" Nioh asked again, his voice calm but firm.

"That’s classified information. We can’t disclose the contents of the box."

Nioh exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "That’s fine. But I think we should split up. We don’t want to get caught up in your business."

"Wait, you can’t leave," the blonde girl interrupted, stepping forward.

The man beside her scoffed. "Why are you stopping him?"

"Shut up, Trum." The blonde shot him an annoyed glance before turning back to Nioh. "Excuse him—we’ve been on edge for a while. My name’s Brae. She’s Juith, and that’s Trum. We’re students from Xerath Southern Military University. We were sent on a mission to retrieve a sensitive package from Daewyth. We can’t share the details, but... you seem experienced. Have you served before?"

Nioh didn’t take the bait. Instead, he deflected. "So, you’re military. Do you know who’s after you?"

Brae nodded. "Yes. It’s a private mercenary group. But we’ve already contacted our command—there’s an extraction team waiting at the Xerath border. If we don’t check in within a day, they’ll send a search party. If you help us, you’ll be well rewarded."

Nioh extended his hand. "I’m Hion. I’ll take the job for fifty thousand credits per head. I require a deposit now and the rest upon arrival. I have one rule—just one. You follow my instructions to the letter."

"Deal." Brae clasped his hand firmly before using her communication device to transfer seventy-five thousand credits.

"What are your ranks?" Nioh asked.

"We’re all 2-star level."

Nioh gave them a hard look before issuing his first order. "Turn off all your communication devices. If they tracked you once, they can do it again. No more signals until we’re out of the Expanse."

The three hesitated, but after a tense pause, they complied.

"Any open wounds must be sealed immediately—blood attracts feral biocores." His gaze darkened. "And remember where we are. This is the Expanse. Danger is everywhere. Stay vigilant. Don’t get distracted."

Trum frowned. "Can we at least know your rank?" fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

Nioh didn’t look back as he stepped forward. "Higher than yours."

With that, he took the lead, setting a swift but steady pace.

’Ekoh, how much power can I output?’ Nioh asked his companion.

’Maybe a three-start level if you go all out, but I would not recommand that your body is too badly hurt’

’There are not enough rations, and the Navigator is not a corebinder. We need to find adaquate food and shelter. Or else the night is going to be even harder. Focus the energy on healing my wounds, I will take care of the rest’ Nioh finally concluded.

’ I will hibernate for the task, so becareful’ Ekoh warned him.

’I know.’

—

A few minutes into the march, Trum leaned toward Brae, whispering, "Why the hell did you agree to pay him?"

Brae’s eyes remained fixed ahead. "He’s covered in wounds, yet his steps haven’t faltered once. He saw through us from the beginning. He’s not afraid of us or our weapons. That makes him the most dangerous person here. If he can get us to extraction alive, that’s a small price to pay."

Trum scoffed. "I think he’s bluffing. If he was that strong, he wouldn’t be in such bad shape."

Juith, who had been silent, finally spoke. "Don’t stir up shit, Trum. This is the Expanse. We can all die at any moment."

Her grip on the package tightened as she adjusted its position.

The forest stretched ahead, vast and unforgiving.