Bukayo had already gone ahead for two stellar hours. As a Child of the Night, once he had fully merged with the darkness, he immediately sensed a comprehensive enhancement in his physical strength, thinking, and spirituality.
He keenly found a remote, deep passage and used his youthful body to squeeze into a duct that could not accommodate an ordinary person.
Bukayo carefully removed the grate from the power room, nimbly jumped onto the shoulder of the enemy below, and steadily drove his sharp dagger into the man's eye.
The scream drew the enemies' attention. Footsteps rang out.
Bukayo's eyes gleamed as he sprang up and pulled down the power switch.
The deeper the night, the stronger he became.
This was his Hunting Ground, the site of his ritual offering after receiving his gift.
When Nimrod was still several kilometers from the small building where the Arbites were stationed, he smelled the blood drifting from within.
With one kilometer left before the gate, he broke into a charge.
With his previous experience digesting the Lawyer potion, he confirmed that the Barbarian potion he had just consumed was already one-third digested.
Nimrod's core understanding of Barbarian was to forcibly break rules without being confined by the image of a barbarian. This perfectly aligned with his plan to use the Primarch's martial power to unify Vostonia after awakening his Genetic Memory.
Of course, if he broke rules in a barbaric manner while leaving others with the same impression, the digestion effect should be even better.
Thus, like a humanoid tank, Nimrod charged directly at the line of guards temporarily reinforcing the gate.
A distance of one kilometer was far too short for him. Before he could even accelerate to his maximum speed, he had already crashed into the crowd.
The eight men had just raised their guns and had no time to aim before their arms were sent flying and bent like noodles, their chests caved in as they tumbled several times through the air.
A thunderous blast briefly cleared their muddled minds. With their final glance, they saw the entire wall of the Arbites chamber on the third floor collapse.
The gang members saw more clearly. Their master took a running start, leaped into the air, smashed through the wall, and lifted the once-lofty Arbites.
Dimitrov's head smashed through the ceiling, and his vision blurred.
"Who are you..." The Arbites' pupils suddenly contracted. From those deep eyes and that somewhat familiar face, he recognized the giant before him. "Nimrod, you... how did you... become like this?"
Seeing that Nimrod did not answer, his consciousness grew increasingly blurred as he struggled to speak.
"You killed me... Lord Estupinian... will not let you go."
"Thank you for the information."
Nimrod spoke and snapped Dimitrov's neck.
He picked up the Arbites' broadcaster with his fingers, opened the Dome-wide broadcast channel, and turned to face his subordinates.
"People say that when those from the Lower Hive step into the Upper Hive, it is like ascension. Even the people of the Lower Hive believe so, holding no hope at all."
"Is it truly impossible?"
"Today, we will break all of this, without relying on the favor of the Upper Hive lords."
The Primarch's thunderous voice shook the entire Dome.
"I! Nimrod! Will lead you into the Upper Hive!"
Bukayo, covered in blood, pulled a dagger from the small of a guard's back. His eyes shone brightly.
Just one work cycle ago, he had believed he would never have another chance to return to the Upper Hive.
Now, he would return to the Upper Hive with a new identity—not only as a Sleepless, but 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 swelling crowd.
At the freight elevator leading to the Upper Hive, the guard captain shouted, "Close the gate!"
Amid the dull rumble of the gate being pulled shut, he hurried toward the control room. Only there could news of the Lower Hive rebellion be transmitted to the other side of the vertical elevator.
After taking only two steps, gunfire sounded behind him.
Rawlslev shot dead the guard pushing the gate and led a hundred elite fighters into the freight area. Nimrod had entrusted him with the vital task of seizing the elevator leading to the Upper Hive, and he would not disappoint his lord.
He still did not know whether Nimrod was truly the godlike being others claimed he was, but he would no longer call him boss.
Since Nimrod denied being a god, Rawlslev decided to address him as "my lord" for now. During his time following him, he had also seen that his lord valued loyalty and the ability to complete tasks without compromise above all else.
Nimrod boarded a freight elevator alone. Each of the other seven elevators carried a ten-man elite squad.
As they gripped their weapons, the people felt their bodies rising rapidly. They saw elevators ascending and descending around them, pipelines like spiderwebs, and glaring lights flashing through the smoke.
They could not help but exclaim.
"So this is what a Hive City looks like. I only learned that today."
"Looking down now, the Dome looks like an ant."
Upper Hive, Freight Zone E-1989.
Seeing the lights in Zone F-17 come on, the stationmaster frowned and said with some displeasure.
"The people of the Khanty-Mansi Dome are becoming more and more unruly. This is already the third time in five cycles that they have failed to notify us in advance. Even if their production capacity has greatly increased, they should not keep showing up without a word."
"Stationmaster, I heard Dimitrov is about to be promoted to the Upper Hive because of his outstanding performance and steadily increasing product deliveries. And..."
The statistician beside him lowered his voice. "And I heard he has gotten involved with a collateral branch of the royal family."
"He is lucky. The Dome produced a Nimrod. I heard he defeated Golovin, the gold-ranked Lawyer. Managing the Industrial Consortium of a single Dome is a waste of his talents."
The stationmaster spoke enviously. He understood Nimrod's choice even less. He had heard that Nimrod had rejected offers from House Finde and many other major families, returning to that rotten place in the Lower Hive.
He shook his head, picked up the communicator, and switched to House Finde's channel.
"People have arrived from the Khanty-Mansi Dome. Send someone to collect the goods."
"Sorry for the trouble. I'll be right there."
The stationmaster ended the call. Thinking of the money he would receive shortly for the inconvenience, he felt much better. Leaning back, he looked toward the surveillance screen.
The next instant, his smile abruptly vanished. His eyes widened as he shouted in shock.
"What is that?"
The statistician leaned closer. "Is that an Ogryn?"
The stationmaster shook his head. He watched the giant seize a guard, swing him around, and sweep down a whole group.
He hurriedly picked up the communicator and was about to switch channels.
With a loud bang came the sound of shattering glass.
The stationmaster realized in horror that the giant had thrown the guard at them.
Even more terrifyingly, after flying dozens of meters through the air, the guard had actually smashed through the blast-proof glass.
Before he and the statistician could dodge, the flying guard struck them down and knocked them unconscious.
Nimrod had previously traveled back and forth to the Upper Hive by passenger train as House Finde's specially appointed Lawyer. This was his first time setting foot in a freight station.
Yet the instant he burst out of the elevator, he grasped the surrounding environment and locked onto the location of the control room.
Nimrod gave Rawlslev an order. "Bring the others up."
Then he looked up and searched among the Hive Spires piercing the clouds, where the Hive City's true ruling class—the great noble families—resided.
Nimrod had entered one Hive Spire before, the one belonging to House Finde. What he sought now was the Hive Spire of House Boleslaw.
Soon, he fixed his gaze on two equally tall Hive Spires. Clearly, the other belonged to the servants of the Omnissiah.
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