Biocores: The Legendary Weapon Designer-Chapter 66: Contract

After a few hours, Lithaa and her brother walked into the meeting room where Nioh was waiting patiently.

"I have to admit, you’re talented," Lithaa said, settling into a chair. "Are you a student of the Armory?"

"Is that relevant?" Nioh replied, unimpressed.

"No. But if you’re interested in joining my faction, I can offer you benefits."

"I’ll take my chances alone."

She didn’t press the issue. Instead, she introduced herself. "I am Lithaa Brime, from the House of Brime. A third-year seed. This is my brother, Akron, a first-year like you."

"Nioh, the anomaly," he answered.

Lithaa nodded, accepting his name without question. "You’ve fulfilled your end of the agreement. The meteor hammer is beyond satisfactory. Now, I’ll hear your proposal."

Nioh leaned forward, his tone calm but firm.

"I want full control of your lab. I’ll handle production, research, sales, hiring—everything, from management to finance. You fund it. The money goes toward equipment, materials, and marketing. We split the profits sixty-forty—me getting sixty, since I’m running the entire operation. A formal contract will cover all the specifics. You invest, I manage, and we both profit."

Lithaa smirked. "Fine by me. But I have a condition."

"I’m listening."

"I don’t trust strangers. Akron will be working with you."

"Sister!" Akron protested, but Lithaa silenced him with a raised hand.

Nioh exhaled through his nose, contemplating. "No room for negotiation?"

"None."

"Fine. I accept your terms."

"Perfect. Let’s sign the contract."

They wasted no time finalizing the deal. The moment it was done, Lithaa left without another word, leaving Nioh alone with Akron.

"I want you to know," Nioh said coolly, meeting Akron’s gaze, "that it’s taking every ounce of my self-control not to jump across this table and kill you."

"The feeling is mutual," Akron shot back.

"Good. Do you have any experience as a weapons designer?"

"This is Conqueror School. Who has time for such useless hobbies?"

"So you’re only useful for lifting things. Get started."

With Akron’s begrudging assistance, Nioh reorganized the workshop, rewired the systems, updated the software, and dusted off long-forgotten spaces. By the end of the day, exhaustion weighed on both of them. They collapsed onto the freshly scrubbed floor, nibbling on snacks in silence.

"My sister is leading a conquest in a few days. Want to join?" Akron finally asked.

"I can’t. I’ll be too busy ranking up to five stars."

Akron scoffed. "A pauper like you affording an S-tier biocore? Let me give you some advice—pick a low-tier one, and you’ll cripple your future."

"I don’t rely on my family name for success."

"You trying to start a fight?"

"I’m too tired to care about you."

"Coward."

Nioh ignored him and stretched. "Make sure to record your sister’s conquest. The footage will be useful for promotional material." He stood, brushing dust from his clothes. "Good luck. And goodbye."

As he walked out of the lab, he added, almost as an afterthought, "I hope you die during the conquest."

Akron scowled, watching him go.

-

Three days had passed. Soon, the lab would be up and running, bringing in a steady stream of Conqueror Points.

Still, Nioh reminded himself, this isn’t my endgame.

"You haven’t forgotten your real purpose, have you?" a voice echoed in his thoughts.

"I know," Nioh muttered, surveying the towering expanse of the Citadel. "To build a following, I need my own power."

"The boy from earlier... he’s not bad."

Nioh recalled the weight of Akron’s biocore—the sheer, overwhelming presence of it, even at rest.

"This place is a den of tigers and dragons," he admitted.

"What’s your next move?"

Nioh smirked. "I have one month to find my S-tier biocore. It’s time to go back."

With that, he stepped into the War Hall.

The War Hall wasn’t like the others he had been to. No towering pillars, no elaborate designs—just an open lounge filled with teleportation rooms, each one pulsing with faint energy. People came and went, some laughing, some tense, others staring at the screens that displayed ongoing conquests.

The air smelled of metal, sweat, and the faint hum of power. Nioh didn’t linger. He walked into the nearest empty room and pressed the coordinates on his wrist token. The air twisted.

A ripple of distortion ran through him, and in the blink of an eye—

He was back into the expense.

"Watch out!" Ekoh’s warning came just as his instincts flared. His biocore ignited, lightning arcing around his body as he flickered out of the way.

A fraction of a second later, the ground where he had stood erupted, a massive stinger smashing into the earth like a war hammer. Dust and shattered rock filled the air as Nioh landed a meter away, eyes locking onto the attacker.

A Diamond Stinger—a hulking, scorpion-like beast wrapped in jagged crystalline armor. Pulsing veins of energy glowed beneath its dark shell, fueling the multiple limbs that twitched in anticipation. Its massive tail recoiled, venom glistening at the tip.

Nioh grinned. "Diamond Stinger..." His mouth watered slightly. A B-tier biocore, rare, and worth a fortune.

Electricity fizzled out around him, replaced by a deeper hum—something heavier, more primal.

His body shifted, black metallic plating spreading across his limbs, glowing wires threading beneath the surface. His fingers curled, his senses sharpening. It was the partial metamorphosis.

The beast lunged again, and this time, he didn’t dodge. He met it head-on.

The first impact rattled his bones. A massive claw came down like a hammer, and he caught it with both arms, sliding back from the sheer force.

The scorpion screeched, its tail whipping forward in a blur. He ducked, feeling the venomous heat as the tip sliced past his cheek.

Without hesitation, he countered. A shockwave burst from his palm—not aimed at the surface, but deeper, straight into the creature’s core. The sound-based reverberations bypassed its impenetrable shell, shaking its organs from the inside.

The Diamond Stinger staggered, its movements turned sluggish for a split second.

Nioh pressed forward. A spinning heel kick slammed into one of its legs, sending waves rippling through its armor.

Another reverberation pulsed through his fist as he drove a punch into the thorax, targeting the softest point between the plated segments. The creature shrieked, thrashing violently.

A clawed limb swiped at his ribs—he twisted, feeling it scrape against his reinforced plating. The tail struck again, faster this time. He barely managed to catch it with both hands, the impact sending him skidding back, feet carving trenches into the dirt.

His arms ached, but he grinned. The vibrations from his attacks had already done their work—he could see it in the way the creature’s movements lost their rhythm, the slight stagger in its stance.

One more hit. Surging forward, he slipped past a desperate swipe, leapt onto its back, and pressed both hands against the thickest part of its armor. Then he unleashed everything. A final, concentrated shockwave, tuned perfectly to the beast’s internal frequencies. The force rippled through its body like a detonation, rupturing organs, bursting veins.

The Diamond Stinger let out a choking shriek—then collapsed.

For a moment, Nioh just stood there, panting. Then he let out a breath and rolled his shoulders. "Uncrackable shell, my ass." His grin returned as he crouched down, fingers tracing the scorpion’s body. He had plans for this thing. Big ones.

"Interesting" a figure in the dark whispered as it observed Nioh.