In Omsk Hive City, King Model stood in red armor, his lips pressed into a tight line, the corners of his mouth drooping slightly as he fought to suppress the roar about to burst from his throat.
"My king, the royal arena was attacked. The fire caused by the explosion has still not been fully extinguished."
"Captain Urbanski led the security team into the arena to hunt down the criminals. Two standard hours later, his corpse was hung from the royal flagpole in the center of the arena stage."
Model looked at the video screen, at the mangled corpse stripped naked and impaled on the flagpole.
His eyes bulged, bloodshot.
"Useless. All of them useless."
"They're nothing but a pack of Mutant scum, yet they've managed to throw the whole hive city into unrest."
"This is a provocation against me. I will catch them, and I will use punishment to make them understand the price of provoking me."
When Model finished speaking, he snapped his red cloak and strode out of the palace.
He climbed into a war chariot forged of steel. Its engine roared as it sped toward his arena.
Two blocks from the arena, Maria Kournikova climbed onto a water tower and wiped her curved blade with tubular machine oil and yellow silk cloth.
She had already destroyed the water tower nearest the arena. The fire brigade's efficiency would drop sharply, and it would take at least one work cycle to restore it.
And that false king did not have the patience to wait that long.
She walked to the iron door and swiped the identity verification key she had found across the Cogitator beside it.
With a beep, the door opened.
Maria walked out through the iron door and stood in the howling cold wind. She wore