Necrohounds

But, thankfully, despite what they feared, the elevator reached the top floor without too much trouble and without anymore bug attacks. 

"Alright, the civilians can get out now. I cleared the path here, but just in case, don't make any noise on your way out. If any bugs show up, there are two vehicles outside the mine. One of them has a mounted machine gun. Use it for defense if necessary, but don't try to leave. Wait for us to come out."

"U-understood, my lord."

"We will wait for your eminence."

Rex still hadn't gotten used to people kneeling or bowing their heads in front of him. He hated it, but for now, he had to swallow his anger and play the part. Once the miners were out of sight, one of the guards pressed the button for the second floor.

Since the guards didn't have night vision like Rex, they were using flashlights mounted on their helmets.

"Hey, Cleo, don't you think it feels a lot creepier moving forward with just these lanterns? It kind of reminds me of those horror movies in the theaters.")

"I don't have any data on what a theater or a horror movie is, host. Could you explain?"

("Uh, well, a theater is a place where you watch films for entertainment, and horror movies usually have a creepy monster that, you know, eats people."

["Understood. Storing the data for future reference."

The whole conversation took place inside Rex's mind, of course. It would be weird if the others saw him talking to himself, especially since only he could hear Cleo's voice. If he didn't already know she was the one who upgraded his body, he might have thought he was going crazy too.

Meanwhile, the guards next to him were sweating bullets, nervous to be so close to a noble who could easily kill them. And there he was, just standing still, staring into space like a predator waiting for his next move, ready to strike.

[Multiple hostiles detected. Activating combat mode."]

"Prepare for combat! Something's coming!"

Thanks to his new eyes, which worked like radar, and Cleo's ability to detect hostile creatures from a few meters away, Rex wasn't caught off guard this time. The moment the door to the second floor opened, multiple dog-like bugs started charging toward Rex and his group.

"Open fire!" Rex shouted, pointing toward the oncoming hounds.

The guards quickly started shooting, but it was pitch black down there, and the hounds' jet-black bodies made them almost impossible to see in the dark.

"Cleo! Do you have any info on these things?"

["The enemies are Necrohounds—carrion-eating insectoids that thrive on battlefield remains. They can repurpose biological matter to heal themselves or others. After battles, they scavenge to feed. Necrohounds can regenerate lost limbs or enhance their bodies with absorbed biomass, making them difficult to permanently kill."]

"Is there a good way to take them down!?"

["There's one effective method: fire, to stop their regeneration. But we don't have those kinds of weapons. There's another, less effective method, chopping them into pieces till they cant regenerate."]

"So it's melee combat again? Fine, let's do this. Support me, Cleo!"

["Understood. Activating thermal vision."]

The moment Rex's thermal vision kicked in, his eyes glowed red, making him look like a true predator of the night. While the guards continued shooting at the Necrohounds, they didn't notice when Rex slipped away and began his hunt.

One of the soldiers suddenly caught sight of those glowing red eyes in the darkness. Fear shot through him, and without thinking, he fired his weapon at the red glow.

["Activating emergency evasive maneuvers."]

"W-wait! Hold on!"

The moment Cleo activated the emergency evasive maneuvers, she took full control of Rex's body, swiftly dodging most of the bullets. She even used the machete to deflect a few shots, angling the blade just right so the bullets were redirected to the ground rather than damaging the weapon.

When the guard's clip finally ran empty, Cleo moved Rex's body forward, closing the distance between them. Without using full force, she delivered a punch to the guard's stomach, knocking him to the ground, gasping in pain.

["Returning control to the host."]

"Next time, watch where you're shooting! Don't waste bullets."

For a brief moment, the other guards froze, watching one of their own writhing on the ground. But none of them dared to speak up. They knew full well that if they tried anything, the noble standing before them could kill them all before they even realized what was happening. So, without a word, they kept firing at the Necrohounds.

("Uh, Cleo? Wasn't that kind of our fault for getting in the way while they were shooting?")

["Hmph."]

("Wait, are you... pouting?")

[...]

For a moment, Rex found himself oddly amused. Because Cleo, who was supposed to be just an AI, was acting more and more human. It was the first time he had ever encountered an AI with this kind of behavior. Everyone knew AIs weren't supposed to evolve beyond their programming or develop emotions; it was considered taboo, a safeguard to prevent machine rebellions.

His thoughts were cut short when he heard one of the guards yell that he was out of ammo. Rex refocused and returned to the fight, resuming his hunt of the Necrohounds. While the guards did their best to hold the creatures back, Rex darted from one spot to another, slicing off limbs and heads with precise strikes.

The battle raged for another hour, but fortunately, there had only been ten of the creatures.

If there had been more, the guards wouldn't have lasted, and Rex would've been forced to retreat. The hounds' ability to regenerate made them not only dangerous but incredibly frustrating to deal with.

["Host, I suggest we scavenge this floor for gear. The Necrohounds only eat biomatter; they don't bother with metals." ]

("Oh, great thinking, Cleo!")

"Alright, everyone, listen up! Start searching for ammo and anything else we can use. I doubt we'll find any survivors, but keep your eyes open for anything unusual. And this time, try not to shoot me."

With the noble's orders, they all started combing through the floor for ammunition and supplies. After some time, they managed to find a decent number of ammo clips. The rifles from the fallen guards were the same model they were using, so they left the spares where they lay.

"Alright, that should do it. Let's head down to the next floor."

They made their way to the elevator console and went straight to floor three. But just like before, the place was empty, and only torn bodies and rivers of blood remained. The same story played out on floor four.

Morale was sinking fast. A few days ago, these guards were just office workers, and now they were witnessing unimaginable carnage. You didn't have to be of the same race to feel the weight of all this senseless death.

Meanwhile, Rex was growing more and more anxious. If floors three and four were this bad, what horrors awaited on floor five? He clung to the hope that his best friend was still alive. His distress didn't go unnoticed by Cleo; she could feel every bit of it, thanks to their symbiotic bond.

[....]

After a few more minutes, the elevator finally reached the distant part of the mine, floor number five. As soon as they arrived, they started surveying the area. This floor was much bigger and wider than the others.

("Cleo, start scanning the area. I want all the details.")

["Understood. Beginning scan. Please continue to check different areas."]

Following Cleo's instructions, Rex moved around the zone. As he looked at different spots, a scanning light emitted from his eyes, sweeping over everything in his gaze. The guards were stunned. They already knew Rex had bionic enhancements in his eyes, but they hadn't expected him to have scanner sight.

Scanner sight was supposed to be reserved for top military investigators. Now, it was clear to the guards that the noble standing before them wasn't just any noble; he was likely a high noble. The high nobles were like fleet commanders, in charge of entire armadas, controlling the fleets of the megacorporations.

But Rex wasn't paying any attention to their reactions. He stayed focused, continuing to scan the whole area.

["Scan complete. A small-scale battle took place here. There are spent shell casings and bullet impacts scattered around. Tracks suggest the presence of a large, heavy creature. There are also the bodies of miners and guards. End of report."]

("Thanks, Cleo.")

"You all stay here and guard the elevator. I'm heading deeper into the excavation zone. If I'm not back in 30 minutes, leave without me."

"Don't worry, my lord, we'll wait for you."

"Good luck, my lord."

Rex simply nodded before starting down into the excavation zone of floor five. The tension in the air was thick, and the fear he had been trying to suppress began creeping back in. What if his friend was already dead?