Ragnar slept for half a day.

He slept for quite long considering that he had only been awake for an hour after his last sleep. But his body really needed that. Now he felt more alive than ever. He shouldn’t have recovered from that level of injuries from a sleep, but he did.

He had also noticed this after he got injured in the fight with the Drone, it only took him a sleep of few hours to completely return to full health. And right now, the same had happened.

The Recovery speed in Mutants was naturally much faster than Mundane humans. But shouldn’t be anywhere near Ragnar’s. At this point the reason behind this was obvious. It was his Primordial class. And if that was the case, then his recovery would probably be even faster if he spent more time in his Shifted form while injured.

He might think about it when he is lethally injured or he needs really fast recovery, otherwise, he had no plans of using it for every little scratch.

Even though he found out another benefit of his class, a frown refused to leave his face.

The decisions he had made before going to sleep, they didn’t feel like his own. He never remembered having this much pride, this much ego. But now he felt like he couldn’t allow anyone to look down on him. No matter who it was.

It’s not like he got any chances to show off his ego as a slave, but it shouldn’t have been this extreme. He might have reached the same conclusion eventually but being so disgruntled by the thought of coming back after getting stronger, that was definitely not him. He used to be a slightly more cautious person.

Even thinking of sowing chaos before leaving, he would not have done that if it was him from before.

Well, what he was before wasn’t a good memory anyways, so maybe this new him was better. There is nothing wrong with having pride and ego. Or maybe that was just stubbornness. But Ragnar was not very opposed to it, he might just embrace it.

His frown swiftly departed as he sat down.

It was time for another meal now, Ragnar was already bored of eating this same meat over and over. He might have to hunt for some high-quality stuff.

“Heh”

Wonder how the Queen tastes.

He also deduced that he could cook his food now, just nowhere near his hideout so he doesn’t die from lack of oxygen. But he can do it if he goes far away. But how was he going to start a fire? What can he burn?

Well, for now he just ate what was available and drank from one of the skulls lying around.

It was time to go for another hunt.

***

Ragnar headed straight down towards the deepest parts of the Network. He was now aware of how deep he would have to go to find his prey.

Equipped with mandibles of an Arcane Menace, Drone, he felt pretty confident. He checked his saturation.

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Saturation:104/5000

He had received another 3 from the one Soldier he killed in the dome.

He knew that the Queen will be busy with her evolution for quite a while. She will be sending out her Army in groups to accomplish tasks that required them to leave the Nest and for patrolling around the Dome. He just had to pick them off. She can’t not send them because the Nest needs nutrients to survive.

The serpentine caves bent and twisted as the glow from the crystals got brighter and brighter. The stalactites got sharper and sharper. The deeper he moved, the more ominous the caves became. And these caves will be becoming his playground until he gets back at the Queen.

After around 20 mins of heading straight down, he finally sensed movement through his Sonar. There were 4 of them. A Drone along with 3 Soldiers.

Ragnar didn’t hesitate as he waited behind a turn for them to get closer. He planned to finish the Drone off somehow and then deal with the Soldiers. How? He will figure something out.

When they were close enough to the turn, Ragnar shot forward with full throttle. He was using his fastest speed, with the Mandible in his hand that was also charged with his Waves.

He sliced through the Drone’s exoskeleton like it was butter. Appearing on the other side of the creature, in the middle of 3 Soldiers.

The voice in his head didn’t come. But he wasn’t worried. He smoothly kept the mandible around his waist and pointed his hand towards the Drone’s separated body.

Then a Boom was heard as he sent out a shockwave using air as a medium. The Drone’s body was sent flying into the wall of the cave. This series of events didn’t take more than a second, now he was ready to dispose of the cannon fodder.

The cannon fodder, Quaraxi Soldiers, finally came to their senses, coming to terms with the situation. They charged at Ragnar, hoping to tear apart his limbs with their mandibles, but it wouldn’t be so easy.

Ragnar sent out a burst of waves in a dome to disrupt his foes as he charged at one of the Soldiers. He punched the Quaraxi’s head with his fist powered with shockwaves. It deformed the skull, followed by another blast of shockwave inside to completely mesh the brain matter.

Ragnar had learned quite a lot from his previous battles. The voice followed up in his head to announce his progress.

“You have disposed of a Shifted Rogue of the Arcane Rank, Quaraxi Soldier.”

He turned towards the remaining Soldiers who had almost recovered from his previous disorienting dome of waves. So, he raised his hand to send another blast through the air. Ramming them into the walls of the cave.

A soldier lay on the ground, trying to clear its befuddled head. Ragnar raised his leg, channelling his waves into it. Then stomped the head of the Quaraxi. The voice repeated the same message as last time.

Ragnar looked at the last soldier, also convulsing on the ground. He kept his hand on its abdomen and sent out a blast, shattering it thoroughly. Followed by the same message.

“You have disposed of a Shifted Rogue of the Arcane Rank, Quaraxi Soldier.”

He still hadn’t heard the message announcing the death of the Drone yet.

Looking back, he noticed that it was still alive, trying to crawl towards him with its front legs that drilled into the ground like scythes. Trying to move its disconnected body forward.

Ragnar grinned.

“You only have your Queen to blame for this”

Well, he might have killed them even if the Queen didn’t exist, but still. Now they have someone to blame.

He walked up to it and picked it by its head. Before it could use its legs to pierce him, he smashed it into the wall with a thud. Shattering a crystal in the process. Then a blast was heard, the head disappeared from his hand along with the wall behind him. A gaping hole remained in its place.

“You have disposed of a Shifted Menace of the Arcane Rank, Quaraxi Drone.”

The sensation of leaking humanity was still unsettling, but he had gotten used to it. He had to leave this place now, because more of them should be on their way.

He checked his saturation again before leaving.

Saturation:119/5000

It might not take as long for him to hit that mark as he thought. As long as that Bitch keeps sending them out.

Ragnar was going to enjoy this.

The impact of taking all the lives yet was still clear in his mind. But right now, it seemed insignificant. The more he kills, the less it matters. He might have already gone too far to ever return.

But what was there to return to?

“Heh”

He chuckled as he remembered.

That there was absolutely Nothing. Nothing, Nowhere, No one to return to. He shook his head and left this spot, to look for his next victims.