Metavores were not traditional monsters. They were nothing like the famous monsters in Isaac’s previous world.
They were parasites.
They were smaller than grains of dust, capable of latching onto even the tiniest components of machinery.
From there, they would spread.
Their kind operated through a shared hivemind, constantly relaying data among each other.
The more machines they consumed, the smarter they became. Each bit of metal, every circuit, was analyzed and assimilated into their ever-growing knowledge base.
Isaac sat still in his chair.
The briefing led by General Magnus was underway.
Dozens of powerhouses were seated in the hall.
Some of them had their own pad or hologram displaying the footage of the Metavore Brood seen near the stronghold.
Once a machine was consumed, the Metavores used its energy and design to fabricate new components, combining them with their own bio-engineered parts to form synthetic structures.
They built underground hives, complete with support systems, weapon platforms, and relay points known as [Cores].
The [Cores] acted as communication nodes.
When a hive grew too large for the standard hivemind to reach all units, the Cores would extend that reach.
The main Core was called [Central Core] while the smaller were [Node Cores].
General Magnus’s voice carried clearly across the room. “As many of you already know, the hive has been located beneath Sector 2. The entrance was confirmed after the emergence of five surface tentacles.”
The number of tentacles made a lot of awakeners frown.
Tentacles were how Metavore Broods marked their hives.
These tentacles were weapons as well as antennae.
They emitted high-frequency pulses tuned to monsters.
These frequencies attracted surrounding beasts, luring them toward the hive.
The monsters, drawn in by the frequency, would enter the hive and linger there.
The environment inside—metal-veined tunnels, pseudo-organic chambers, and automated defensive constructs—served as a temporary sanctuary for them.
And when those monsters eventually left, they unknowingly carried dormant Metavore spores on their hides.
This process, known as Pollination, allowed the parasites to spread far beyond their original location.
The spores would eventually find another patch of exposed tech or an old ruin to burrow into.
From there, a new hive would begin to grow.
Isaac watched as the map shifted to show a 3D scan of the current Metavore site. It was large enough to cover almost one-fourth of the Sector 2.
The terrain looked warped—parts of the soil had collapsed inward, and the metal from nearby abandoned structures had already been stripped down and pulled underground.
General Magnus gestured toward the hologram.
“This Metavore Brood has already reached the ’Greater’ classification. As you can see, five tentacles are visible. We estimate three [Node Cores] along with one [Central Core].”
The room fell into a hush.
A Central Core wasn’t always present. Most hives didn’t reach the size needed to form one.
But when they did, it meant the hive was not just large, and it had a [Guardian Machina].
A Guardian Machina was as strong as Level 50 Champion of a mid-rank species.
Some people gulped.
The presence of Guardian Machina was undoubtedly dangerous.
Since it was located in the deepest area, and it protected the Central Core, it meant only the select few people who reached the Core would be able to fight him.
Without the advantage of numbers, defeating a Guardian Machina was near impossible for humans.
Isaac stayed still as the briefing continued.
His gaze was focused on the glowing map in front of him.
Suddenly a voice spoke inside his head.
’There is something that will not be revealed during the briefing. We suspect a naga spy is among the lower-ranked teams, so we can’t risk leaking everything openly.’
Isaac recognized the voice as Vale Rae.
’The truth is,’ Vale continued, ’this Metavore Brood likely didn’t grow on its own. It was almost certainly planted and hidden until it became a Greater Brood.’
’By the nagas?’ Isaac thought back.
’That’s our best guess. The area was monitored. We should’ve caught the signs earlier. But someone deliberately masked it. It wasn’t until it was too late that we noticed anything.’
The implication was clear.
This wasn’t just an accident or an infestation.
’This is probably a trap,’ Vale said. ’We think they want to lure in as many of us as possible and wipe us out in one blow.’
’Or maybe they want to exhaust us until we can’t fight anymore, then they would come and deal the last blow.’
Even though they knew it was a trap, they still would fight the Metavore Brood.
If left unchecked, it would eat the entire Fortified City 89 and become a walking fortress.
When that happened, not would they lose a new city, but their home city would be in danger too.
’You need to be careful. Expect surprises. Don’t assume this is just another Brood.’
Isaac gave a tiny nod.
As the voice in his mind faded, he turned his attention back to the briefing.
General Magnus continued his explanation when suddenly someone raised a hand.
“General, I have a question.”
Everyone turned to the source of voice.
Kael stood with confidence even as he was stared by several Champion rank awakeners. Judging by his clothes, he had rushed to the briefing as soon as he closed the shop.
“What is your question?”
“Has the Metavore already done Pollination?” Kael’s question was the one that everyone had in mind but no one asked, afraid of the answers they would receive.
“It is a Greater Brood. As you would expect, it is highly likely Pollination has been done several times already.”
The mood of the hall became oppressive.
What if someone among them was carrying a Metavore right now? What if… someone had taken the parasite to Fortified City 50 already?
’It’s an extinction level threat.’
’If we aren’t careful, everything we have built, our society, our families, our dreams, would fall.’
In midst of a barren wasteland, Metavore would have been the weakest monster. It would have nothing to eat there, and would die slowly.
But right now, it had the power to wipe out humanity.
This was how monsters were.
Under correct conditions, they became unfathomably dangerous.
“We have already taken steps to deal with Pollination,” General Magnus said and looked towards Anya.
The young alchemist with braided silver hair stood up.
“The Titan Edge Guild has prepared a special anti-parasitic concoction. When converted to gas and dispersed into the air, it kills dormant Metavore seeds on contact.
“We’ve already injected this compound into the central ventilation systems of Fortified City 50. If any spores reached our city in the last few days, they are likely dead already.”
“What about the active ones? We found the Metavore Brood too late. There is a chance that the Metavore seeds that reached our home city have already germinated, and began eating machinery.”
“We are handling that too,” General Magnus spoke up, and signaled Anya to sit. “Fortified City 50 is occupied by us. As soon as the Metavore becomes even slightly large, we will get the news, and then, we will eliminate it.”
His words were encouraging.
But that also meant they had no way to wipe out the smaller groups of Metavore since the people could not notice it, and thus it would not be reported.
This was not a big problem.
Metavore only became dangerous when it could create a large hive underground.
In small amounts, its ability to eat machinery was slow, and limited. It couldn’t eat complex machines, and even devouring simple machines took a lot of time.
Fortified City 50 had another trump card.
Saintess Alice Calloway.
As long as she continued levelling up, there was a chance she would learn a city-range purification skill and use it to cleanse the city of Metavore once and for all.
It would happen in only far future though.
After receiving his answers, Kael sat down.
“As for the limiting Pollination that could’ve happened in this city, we have to thank it for this,” General Magnus tapped the image in the hologram.