Invasion of the Upper Nest

Bukayo had set out two stellar hours ahead of time. As a Child of the Night, once he fully merged with the darkness, he immediately perceived an all-encompassing enhancement of his physical strength, cognition, and spirituality.

He keenly located a remote and deep passage, using his youthful frame to squeeze into a conduit that would never accommodate an ordinary person.

Bukayo carefully removed the grille of the power room, nimbly leaped onto the shoulder of the enemy below, and steadily plunged his sharp dagger into the man's eye.

The scream drew the attention of other enemies, and footsteps echoed.

Bukayo's eyes shone bright; he leaped into the air and pulled the power switch.

The deeper the night, the stronger he became.

This was his hunting ground, the sacrificial altar for the gifts he had received.

Nimrod was still several kilometers away from the small building where the Arbites were stationed when he caught the scent of blood wafting from it.

When he was one kilometer from the main gate, he broke into a sprint.

With the previous experience of digesting the Lawyer potion, he confirmed that the digestion progress had already reached one-third the moment he drank the Barbarian potion.

Nimrod's core understanding of the Barbarian was the forceful breaking of rules, not limited to a savage image; this perfectly aligned with his plan to unify Vostonia through the Primarch's martial might after awakening his genetic memories.

Of course, if one were to break the rules in a savage manner while leaving the same impression on others, the digestive effect should be even better.

Thus, Nimrod charged like a human tank directly into the squad of guards who had temporarily reinforced the gate.

A distance of one kilometer was too short for him; he hadn't even reached his top speed before he slammed into the crowd.

Eight men had just raised their guns, but before they could aim, they were sent flying, their arms bent like noodles and their chests caved in, tumbling through the air several times.

A thunderous boom cleared their muddled consciousness for a brief moment; their final sight was the entire wall of the Arbites' office on the third floor of the small building collapsing.

The gang members saw it even more clearly: their master had taken a running start, leaped into the air, smashed through the wall, and hoisted the once high-and-mighty Arbites into the air.

Dimitrov's head smashed through the ceiling, his vision a blur.

"You are..." The Arbites' pupils constricted violently. From those deep eyes and the slightly familiar features, he recognized the identity of the giant before him. "Nimrod, how... how did you become like this?"

Seeing that Nimrod did not answer, his consciousness grew increasingly hazy as he struggled to speak.

"If you kill me... Lord Estupinian... will not let you go."

"Thank you for the information."

Nimrod spoke, then snapped Dimitrov's neck.

He used his fingers to pick up the Arbites' broadcaster, turned on the dome-wide broadcast channel, and turned to look at his subordinates.

"People say that for a Lower-Hiver to step into the Upper Hive is like ascending to heaven, and even the Lower-Hivers themselves believe this, holding no hope."

"Is it truly impossible?"

"Now, we are going to shatter all of this, without relying on the favor of the lords in the Upper Hive."

The Primarch's thunderous voice shook the entire dome.

"I! Nimrod! Will lead you into the Upper Hive!"

Drenched in blood, Bukayo pulled his dagger from the small of a guard's back, his eyes glowing.

Just one work cycle ago, he had thought he would never have the chance to return to the Upper Hive.

Now, he would return to the Upper Hive with a new identity—as a Sleepless, and more importantly, as Nimrod's Child of the Night.

The workers of the Khanty-Mansi Dome picked up weapons and tools, walked out of the factories, and merged into the tide of people.

The captain of the guards at the freight elevator leading to the Upper Hive shouted, "Close the gates!"

Amidst the dull sound of the heavy gates being pulled, he ran quickly toward the control room; only there could he transmit the news of the Lower Hive rebellion to the other side of the vertical elevator.

He had only taken two steps when gunfire rang out behind him.

Rawlslev shot the guard pushing the gate with a single bullet and led a hundred elites to storm the freight area. Nimrod had entrusted him with the heavy responsibility of seizing the elevator to the Upper Hive, and he would certainly not let his Lord down.

He did not yet know if Nimrod was the divine existence that others claimed, but he would no longer address him as "Boss."

Since Nimrod denied being a god, he decided to address him as "Lord" for now. Having followed his Lord for this period, he could see that what his Lord cared about most was loyalty and the ability to complete tasks without fail.

Nimrod boarded the freight elevator alone, while the other seven elevators each carried a ten-man elite squad.

The people, gripping their weapons tightly, felt their bodies rising rapidly. They saw the elevators rising and falling around them, the web-like pipes, and the blinding lights flickering through the smog.

They could not help but sigh in wonder.

"So this is what the Hive City is like; I only learned today."

"Looking at it now, the dome looks just like an ant hill."

Upper Hive, Freight Zone E-1989.

The station master saw the lights flickering in Zone F-17, frowned, and said with some dissatisfaction.

"The people in the Khanty-Mansi Dome are becoming less and less disciplined. This is the third time in five cycles they haven't notified us in advance. Even if production capacity has increased significantly, they shouldn't always act without a word."

"Lord Station Master, I heard that because Dimitrov performed so well and the products turned in have constantly increased, he is about to be promoted to the Upper Hive, and besides..."

The statistician beside him lowered his voice, "Furthermore, I heard he's hooked up with a collateral branch of the royal family."

"He's got good luck. The Dome produced a Nimrod; I heard he defeated the gold-tier Lawyer Golovin. Managing an industrial conglomerate for a single dome is a waste of his talents."

The station master said with envy, though he understood Nimrod's choices even less. He had heard that Nimrod rejected job offers from House Finde and a host of other great families, only to return to that wretched place in the Underhive.

He shook his head, picked up the communicator, and switched to the communication channel for House Finde.

"People from the Khanty-Mansi Dome have arrived. Send someone to collect the cargo."

"Sorry for the trouble, I'm coming right over."

The station master hung up the communicator. Thinking of the extra credits he would receive for the trouble in a few moments, his mood improved significantly. He leaned back and looked at the surveillance screens.

The next instant, his smile vanished abruptly. He widened his eyes and shouted in shock.

"What is that?"

The statistician leaned in, "Is that an Ogryn?"

The station master shook his head, watching as the giant grabbed a guard, swung him around, and swept away an entire row of men.

He hurriedly grabbed the communicator, just about to switch channels.

With a loud bang, followed by the sound of shattering glass.

The station master realized with horror that the giant had thrown the guard at them.

Even more terrifying was that after flying dozens of meters through the air, the guard had actually smashed through the blast-proof glass.

He and the statistician had no time to dodge; they were struck by the flying guard and knocked unconscious.

As a specially appointed lawyer for House Finde, Nimrod had previously traveled back and forth to the Upper Hive via passenger trains; this was his first time setting foot in a freight station.

But the moment he rushed out of the elevator, he mastered the surrounding environment and locked onto the location of the control room.

Nimrod issued an order to Rawlslev, "Cover the others as they come up."

Immediately, he looked up to search among the Hive Spires that pierced the clouds, where the true power brokers of the Hive City—the great noble houses—resided.

Nimrod had ascended one Hive Spire before; that belonged to House Finde. Now, the one he was looking for was the Hive Spire of House Boleslaw.

He quickly locked onto two spires of equal height; clearly, the other belonged to the servants of the Omnissiah.