Biocores: The Legendary Weapon Designer-Chapter 81: New Recruits Welcoming Gala

Nioh turned the Team ID in his hand, the reflective surface catching the neon glow of the Harvester Hub.

"Here’s your Team ID! Good luck out there," Atlas said with a wink before shifting his attention back to the next recruit.

Before Nioh could fully take in the weight of the moment, a familiar voice cut in.

"Are you done?"

Akron and Althea had reappeared beside him.

Akron’s nose wrinkled in distaste as he swept his gaze over the chaotic hub. "This place is an alcoholic dump. The real stars are probably out making money. Let’s leave before we catch some bad luck."

Nioh chuckled but followed them toward the exit.

As they walked, Nioh shot a sideways glance at Akron, a question that had been nagging at him finally surfacing.

"Is your sister going to be okay with you not choosing the Warden Path?"

Akron hesitated.

His usual confidence faltered for a split second before he managed to stutter, "I... I’ll handle it."

Nioh smirked and patted his shoulder. "It’s okay. I’ll handle your sister."

Akron stopped walking.

"She’ll kill you with a punch."

"Remember, I’m the captain now. I’ll deal with these issues from now on."

The words were said lightly, playfully even, but Akron wasn’t convinced.

Something had changed in Nioh. Ever since his return from the Expanse, he seemed... different. Not just stronger, but erased. Like he was compensating for something. Like he was trying to fill a void.

As soon as they reached the entrance, a figure stepped into their path.

A familiar one.

An older man, dressed in a refined yet subtly armored uniform, stood near a sleek black vehicle.

Uncle William. Magnus’s butler. The Gold Butler.

"Young Master, it’s been a while." He greeted Nioh with a respectful bow.

Nioh stiffened.

"Uncle William?! How are you even allowed inside the Citadel?"

The old man’s expression remained composed. "With enough money, anything is possible."

Akron’s eyes narrowed. "How do you know the Gold Butler?"

"Long story," Nioh muttered, barely hiding his annoyance. He turned back to William. "Is your master around?"

"Master sent me to invite you and your friends to a private party he’s hosting for the new Seeds."

Nioh didn’t even hesitate. "No. Thank you."

William’s smirk widened. "Master said you’d say that, so he told me to add—there’s an opportunity to make a lot of money."

Before Nioh could reaffirm his rejection, Althea stepped forward.

"We’ll go! Where is it?"

William’s amusement deepened.

"The Hub of the Order of the Crow. It’s impossible to miss."

With a final nod, he turned and stepped into the vehicle.

"Looking forward to seeing you tonight."

As soon as he was gone, Akron turned to Nioh, suspicion heavy in his voice.

"Just who are you?"

Nioh’s expression didn’t change. "You never cared about my identity before. Why the sudden interest?"

Akron’s jaw tightened. "Things tend to go south when the Monarch bloodlines are involved."

Nioh let out a short laugh. "You’re from a Monarch bloodline too, Akron."

"Yes, but I’m different from them."

"How so?"

"I don’t want to kill you."

Nioh paused. "Why would they want to kill me?"

Akron exhaled sharply, as if frustrated by Nioh’s ignorance.

"The Pact of Aggression."

"What is that?"

Akron stared at him, dumbfounded. "Seriously, how do you walk around the world without any awareness of your condition?"

He didn’t wait for Nioh to respond.

"The first recorded Anomaly nearly wiped out half of humanity. The latest one leads the biggest terrorist organization on the planet. Monarch lineages signed a pact—they’ll put everything on the line to kill an Anomaly on sight."

Akron’s eyes darkened. "The only reason you’re still alive is that they have no control inside the Citadel."

Nioh absorbed the information silently.

Then, as if brushing off the weight of the revelation, he stretched his arms above his head.

"Interesting. But we still need to prepare for tonight’s party."

Akron’s mouth fell open. "Did you even listen to anything I just said?!"

Nioh grinned. "Yes! And there’s nothing I can do about it. So there’s no need to worry."

"Shit! I need to find a dress," Althea suddenly exclaimed before running off.

Akron and Nioh watched her go.

After a moment, Akron shook his head. "I need to get ready too."

Without another word, he turned and walked away, leaving Nioh standing alone.

For a long moment, Nioh simply stood there, his usual smirk fading. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

The weight of his circumstances finally settling in.

This was the first time since his rebirth that he had a moment alone. He made his way back to the lab, celebrating his life.

--

’Ekoh?’ Nioh whispered, but no response came. This was what he had feared from the beginning. The nine punishment nails didn’t just affect him; they severely altered his biocore. Ekoh seemed to have undergone an evolution, or rather, his true form emerged. And this true form didn’t appear to be friendly towards him. It took a more neutral approach.

The stronger his intent, the better his chances of tilting the balance in his favor.

’I know you can hear me. Tell me what you want,’ he said again.

Still silence. Nioh stood still for a moment before heading to take a shower.

’I think the hell and cosmic energy assumption is false. I believe the virus biocore is the related to the sin of Greed. If you can confirm that information, I know where to acquire the next Sin.’

’Hypothesis confirmed. But your new body and biocore are out of synchronization,’ Ekoh spoke for the first time.

’So that’s the issue! We’ve done it before; we can do it again,’ he replied, focusing on his task.

The party had started a few hours before Nioh arrived at the entrance. He hadn’t groomed himself this much in a long time. He wore a pitch-black suit, tailored to highlight his elegant figure and bright golden eyes. His hair was braided on the sides, complemented by his headphones, giving him a sharper appearance. He covered the ensemble with the white fur cape Grimmes had given him the day before.

As soon as he walked into the reception hall, all eyes turned to him, as if he were the principal guest of the night. Already accustomed to being the center of attention, Nioh saw no deterrent to his progress and pressed forward.

Two individuals broke from the crowd and approached him. The first was a lady in a long gown with teal-colored hair, and the second was a man in a white suit with short blue hair.

They blocked his path and sized him up for a full minute before Nioh interrupted them.

"Can you get out of my way?"

"Aquila, this anomaly doesn’t look like much. I thought it would be more monstrous than this," the man said.

"I thought so too. I almost feel reluctant that I would have to kill it," Aquila responded.

"Do you not know how to bow before your prince?" the man added.

Nioh burst into laughter, so loud that the entire hall could hear it.

"I don’t know which little territory you come from, but you better move before I claim your head as a trophy on my wall!" His declaration caused gasps among the guests. Despite the Citadel’s policies of no favor for nobles, royal bloodlines like theirs could still somewhat influence the experience of some newcomers.

"Why are you bullying my guest?" Magnus spoke from across the room as he walked toward the scene. He was dressed in gold-plated armor and adorned with golden jewelry. Tacky as always, Nioh thought.

"I will not tolerate this affront, Magnus," Aquila said.

"Even if you don’t tolerate it, what can you do about it?" Lithaa declared as she advanced with Akron and Althea by her side.

Whispers began to spread throughout the hall. "So you have decided to protect the anomaly?" Neil declared.

"Shut up, Neil." Magnus declared before clapping "Ladies and gentlemen, sorry for the little disagreement, enjoy the rest of the night. DJ some music please."

He then turned his gaze at the rest "Follow me." He ordered as he led the way to a private room.