Chapter 86: Cerebral

Kay was having a hard time keeping up with Virid. Even when he was gliding across the creep, like how an expert figure skater could effortlessly slice across the surface of a field of ice, it appeared as if he couldn't keep up with the broodmother. Kay was surprised by the speed that Virid was able to display, and it was only through much of the destruction of the underground super hive cluster that elicited her anger and boosted her travel towards Corvurn's location. When Virid passed by a surviving creep tumor, or a borrowing roach, Kay would use their senses to analyze Virid's unusual speed. What he saw surprised him.

She had insect wings.

Her bony wings, which had evolved to fling acid-filled spines towards enemies, had somehow evolved to produce a leathery, thin, yet taught membrane, which were wielded by a series of carapaced flight muscles. Such a biological design not only enabled her increased speed that made her glide over the ground, but it gave Kay the impression that it would enable Virid a means of rapid flight over the ground as well.

However, Kay shook that thought from his head, and commanded a nearby zergling to convene with his route. Seconds later, a zergling sided with Kay. After hopping upwards, Kay then directed the zergling to run beneath himself. Once saddled, Kay and his new mount began to chase after Virid.

However, even with the speed advantage that Kay gained from mounting a zergling, by the time Kay had caught up with Virid, she had have already discovered Corvurn. "Corvurn." Growled Virid, as she retracted her wing membranes and approached the evolution master.

Corvurn paused his current work, which happened to be a series of growing chrysalises that slowly grew in size and girth. Corvurn mentally commanded them to refrain from breaking their cocoons just yet as he sensed a hostile aura emanating from Virid. "... Command organism Virid? Unexpected. Returned earlier than calculated."

"Corvurn..." Virid trilled in an agitated manner as she crept closer to Corvurn.

Corvurn turned to Virid and saw her behavior. He became confused by what he saw and psionically sensed. "Unclear. Virid, explain emotional unrest."

Virid hissed her displeasure. "twenty years ago, what was it that Corvurn Junior said that Othafurn, you, and I agreed to do?"

Corvurn blinked his four eyes. "... To await return of command organism Kay." He bluntly replied.

"Yes." Virid hissed. "Othafurn and I would prepare the hive cluster on the hexagonal moon and spawn more zerg there, while you would remain under Kiln's surface and grow the underground super hive cluster, all the while assisting and being assisted by Kragnon. For twenty years did we spawn zerg from our respective locations, yet I have only now learned that your hive cluster, the one that you were in charge of growing, has been flooded and decimated by Gollog's doomsday weapon."

Corvurn slowly nodded at Virid. "Correct. Agitated by loss of hatchery structure strains. Agitated by Golden Star secret weapon. However, developed new strains. Converts radiation into energy. Energy converted into bio-matter resource."

Virid nodded at Corvurn. "Yes. However, during the radioactive flooding, you have forgotten something." she said as she moved behind Corvurn.

Corvurn was perplexed by Virid's question. "Unclear. What was forgotten?"

Forceful claws furiously grabbed at all of Corvurn's arms, which twisted him around and made him collide with the creep-covered ground. Virid pinned him down and hissed venomously at Corvurn's face. "You didn't tell me that you were being attacked!"

"Hurgh! Communication through psionic connection hindered!" Corvurn struggled to say, surprised by Virid's sudden attack. "If reported to Virid, Golden Star would be notified of communication! Could not allow Gollog to dissect psionic communication! Could lead to hivemind tampering!"

Virid snarled as she raked her claw over Corvurn's facial carapace plate. "You could have sent an encrypted message. I would have deciphered."

"Attack happened suddenly! Had little time to devise message!" Corvurn tried to wrest control of his limbs from Virid's firm grip, but she wouldn't allow it.

But before Virid could deal any form of lasting damage, a dropkick was launched toward Virid. Before Virid could even react, Kay had launched himself from the back of the zergling he rode on and descended onto the rampant broodmother. The attack pushed Virid away, which released Corvurn from his pin. Virid was temporarily staggered, but she turned toward Kay and found out that it was he that interrupted her. "Kay?! Why are you protecting Corvurn?!" She shouted.

Kay got up after drop-kicking Virid on her crown and shrugged off any creep that stuck to his carapace. Kay sighed and shook his head at Virid. "Virid. Corvurn doesn't deserve your wrath."

Virid huffed. "He was in charge of protecting the super hive cluster during your absence, while I had agreed to build up our numbers on the hexagonal moon. We waited so long for your return. I finally came back to Kiln, but I discovered that our swarm was devastated by an attack we couldn't have prepared for! And NOBODY told me!"

Kay nodded. He was beginning to see the picture. "I see... You and Othafurn were left alone for so long that you began to feel like you were being forgotten."

"Ever since we learned that the sky ring mega structures were built with technology capable of detecting our method of psionic communication, I knew that our swarm would become hindered by its existence." Virid exhaled. She then sat herself onto the ground and began clawing circles into the creep. "When I was warned that our conversations would be being monitored by our Golden Star enemies... I knew it would mean that our swarm would be divided again."

Kay approached Virid and looked up at her. Her standing height was normally five meters, which was the normal size that most broodmothers were capable of growing into. Yet even when she sat down, her lowered profile only removed two meters from her total height. Kay, even when he was already two meters tall, was still forced to look up at the large zerg organism. "And you were forced from your brood once upon a time ago. It happened during the fight with Amon. Am I right?"

Virid nodded. "Yes."

"... Kay." Kay said as he carefully rubbed the back of his head. He didn't know what he was trying to do. "... Well... If you think that was bad, you could try being forced inside of a time bubble of accelerated time. I can't really remember every bit and piece of what happened within my temporal tomb, but... it took me what felt like ten billion years to finally be back with my brood. All I did was wait as my sanity slowly eroded."

Virid looked at Kay.

Kay pointed at Corvurn, whom of which was already inspecting his wound on his face by using a spawning pool's reflective surface. "I can understand how it means to feel frustration when you force yourself to be patient. However, just because you might feel useless when you aren't being proactive in a war, it doesn't make it right to hurt someone out of spite. Out of all the people we know, the one person that we can agree deserves to be punished is Emperor Gollog. Him and his empire too."

Virid paused for a few seconds before she reached a clawed hand to pat Kay's shoulder. "... You may be right."

Kay rolled his eyes. "May be right? Come on. We've been separated from our factions because some gilanian scientist assholes thought it would be a good idea to use wormhole tech to bypass into the void's dimensional plane, just so they could escape from Gollog's empire or Kiln's prison system. And when they opened up that wormhole, you used that opportunity to escape from the void." Kay then shrugged. "I mean... If I was given the choice to continue existing or fading to nothing, I would hardly consider it to be a decision in the first place."

Virid nodded and sighed. "I understand your logic, Kay. However, it doesn't mean that you can stoop down to patronize me. For what it's worth, I want to thank you for telling me that patience is a virtue that is hard to master."

Kay nodded. However, he began to shriek when he felt a hard grip wrap around his mock-hair tendrils.

Virid then hissed. "However, if you ever strike me in the head again, then I'm going to rip your psionically sensitive follicles out of your head, wait for them to grow back, and then rip them out again."

"Gh... Kay." Kay managed to say. Once Kay gave his answer, Virid released her grip on Kay. As Kay stumbled back and carefully pawed his mock-hair, he hissed at Virid. "But yeah, to recap what I said, don't fucking hurt someone because you couldn't stop something from happening, even when you could put that wasted effort into something else productive."

Virid growled at Kay. "Since you are so keen on making me remember what I already know, then perhaps I should instruct a pair of zerglings to hound you every time you stray from the Swarm purposes? I remember from Othafurn's stored memories that my past self had done so before."

Kay paused, his expression tightening into worry. "... You wouldn't dare."

It was at this point that Corvurn interjected between Kay and Virid. "Enough. Energy spent into this conversation, wasted. Could be repurposed elsewhere." Corvurn turned to Virid. "Prefer Virid to move elsewhere."

After Virid stared at Corvurn for several seconds, she hissed at him before she crawled away. "I can sense other broodmothers in the super hive cluster have survived. I shall go to them. They need to be informed that a deciding battle will soon be taking place."

Kay nodded at Virid as she left. "You go do that. I'll... Uh... Find out what Corvurn has been up to." Kay sighed as he watched Virid leave. Once Virid was out of earshot, he turned to Corvurn. "Fucking hell. If I had known that would have happened, I would have came here sooner. Sorry."

Corvurn sighed as he gestured dismissal to Kay. "Command organism Virid's anger is understandable. Wasn't present during activation of Gollog's doomsday weapon. Was frustrated. Agitated. Can sympathize with Virid." A rumbling growl emanated from Corvurn's throat as his own anger became expressed. "Gollog and empire is primary problem for Swarm. Must be eradicated. Terminated. Destroyed. Recommend removing bowels and using intestines to strangle throats!"

Kay blinked and nodded at Corvurn. "Hm. Kay. Uh... Let's change the subject." Kay then pointed at the various cocoons that dotted the inside of the chamber that contained a few evolution chamber bio-structures. One of the evolution chambers seemed stranger than the others, but Kay payed no attention to it. "I've only been gone a few minutes, but it looks like you have been busy."

Corvurn looked at the work he was doing. He sighed and nodded. "Correct. Information command organism Kay shared was insightful. Genetic codes relearned and implemented into Swarm. Forgotten mutations and strains gestating. Will re-assimilate into swarm." Corvurn turned away, as though distracted by something. "Mm. Othafurn is returning."

As Corvurn had said, Kay saw Othafurn slithering through a tunnel entrance and had approached Kay and Corvurn. She bowed to Corvurn before speaking. "Evolution master. I have returned, and can confirm that the corruptors and aberrations have gained the new mutations."

Corvurn nodded and pleaded his fingers together. "Excellent."

Kay tilted his head, somewhat confused by Othafurn's announcement. "What happened now?"

Corvurn turned to Kay. "Othafurn tasked with reviewing corruptor and aberration strains. Developed mutation enabling respective strains to gestate pairs of scourge and banelings. Tried to implement both splitter and hunter baneling strains within aberrations. However, could only implement splitter strain." Corvurn turned to Othafurn again. "Condition of strains following command organism Othafurn?"

Othafurn pointed behind herself. "They are reconvening to our location as we speak. Here they come now."

Before Kay could ask for the baneling and scourge mutations to be expounded further, what he saw next had awed him.

He saw what looked like two small ultralisks, two ENORMOUS ultralisks that had emerged from a nydus network, gorilla-shaped lizards with two sets of spikes running down their backs and a horn on their faces, several of some kind of spikier version of a roach, a new kind of swarm host variant whose back looked like they had incubation sacks writhing violently, worms that looked somewhat similar to a nydus worm, and even larger gorilla-shaped lizards with a longer facial horn, with a web of spines and various other spikes on their backs. Kay's eyes widened as he looked over each of these monsters with glee and excitement. "... Wow... Even when I psionically shared The Overmind's knowledge that it had gathered during his brief time meditating, I wasn't expecting to see these monsters so soon."

Corvurn nodded. "Primal DNA difficult for Swarm to absorb before. Now, assimilated through Overmind connection to Swarm hivemind. Evolution master Abathur's previous research on primal zerg organisms, negligible. Agitated by primal zerg adaptability. Behavior affected research into possible further mutations and strains. However, samples were taken. Swarm subsumed genetic information. Information stored and locked within Swarm hivemind. Overmind entity unlocked genetic information. Allowed gestation of primal zerg organisms and others."

Kay walked up to the smaller and bigger ultralisks. An impressed whistle came out from Kay's lips. "Let's start with these four guys."

Corvurn crawled toward the four ultralisk variants and gestured to them. "Rediscovered forgotten ultralisk strains. Pygalisk strain. Comes in noxious and torrasque variants. Three tenths size of ultralisk. Unfortunate development of dwarfism affects combat ability. However, smaller size useful for tunneling and underground cavern construction. Created through premature cocoon hatching." Corvurn then turned toward the larger ultralisk. "Omegalisk strain. Can combine with noxious or torrasque strain abilities. Impressive size. However, resource cost requirements tripled. Time gestating omegalisk similarly tripled. Requires nearly two minutes to spawn."

Kay nodded at the omegalisks as a big grin spread across his face. "Oh hohohohoho I am having a really good feeling about these guys. I especially like the part about how they can have the noxious and torrasque strain abilities infused into them."

Corvurn crawled to the next zerg organisms. "Rediscovered and subsumed strain, unlocked from Overmind hivemind. Ravasaur strain. Created through zergling fusion evolution. One dies, other absorbs corpse and mutates. Refluxs and projects volatile acid missiles. Attacks land-based enemies and structures. Created when spawning pool is available."

Corvurn then gestured to the zerg organisms next to the ravasaurs. "Igniter strain. Fusion of two roaches. Increased armor, health, and damage. However, range is reduced. Plama-fire induced breath attack very destructive, yet requires closer range than roach strain. Can evolve roaches into igniters once roach warren is morphed."

Corvurn then gestured to the zerg organisms next to the igniters. "Creeper host. Evolved fusion of swarm host pairings. Creates creepers. Specialized locust subspecies. Can attack land or air units and structures. However, creeper host strain shares similar weaknesses to swarm hosts. Creepers have limited lifespan. Can spawn when infestation pit is morphed."

Corvurn then gestured to the zerg organisms next to the creeper hosts. "Nydus destroyer. Information gleaned from primal worm zerg strain, limited. Took liberties and used shrylisk and devouring maw strain genetic information. Can attack ground and air enemies. Can redeploy in other areas containing stable land. Unlocked when roach warren and nydus network is morphed. Requires drones to morph into nydus destroyers."

And finally, Corvurn gestured to the new zerg organisms next to the nydus destroyers. "Tyrannozor. Evolved fusion of ultralisk pairings. Can attack land and air enemies. Kaiser blades' bone mass relocated to forearms and into spikes. Can use spikes for anti-air attacks. Powerful unit. Requires ultralisk cavern to unlock fusion evolution."

Kay nodded at Corvurn's explanation of each creature. Each one was impressive in their own right, but Kay was beginning to feel that something was off. He could feel that these new zerg monsters required a bit more psionic control than most of the zerg. Especially so with the omegalisk, which required so much psionic control. He shuddered to think what would happen if it broke control and began to attack everything around itself in a blood-lusted frenzy. But even so, Kay knew that with the inclusion of these new zerg strains meant that Gollog's empire would crumble faster than even before. However, no matter how intently he gazed upon these creatures, he was failing to see what was wrong.

"You are forgetting to list one vital mutation that the mutalisks have developed, Corvurn and Othafurn." Said an unknown voice.

Kay turned himself around. "... Uh?" He saw no one behind him.

"However, I will pride myself in informing Overcommander Kay of the mutalisks' new evolutionary upgrade." Kay focused on the voice, yet was surprised when he discovered the source. It was a massive structure that might have looked similar to an evolution chamber. Instead, it happened to be an oversized larva whose translucent skin seemed to contain a moving mass that looked like the surface of a brain. It's 'face' was somewhat similar to that of a larva, bearing a set of pincers that lapped up and sliced through the creep it seemed to be immobilized on. The rest of its body undulated as it processed new information, yet it wordlessly spoke to Kay through its psionic power alone. "The mutalisks have gained the ability to recover from their own deaths. However, unlike the zerglings' ability to be reconstituted and respawned back at a primary hatchery, the mutalisks have the ability to form a cocoon around themselves upon death, much in the processes similar to the death of an ultralisk torrasque. Though such a mutation was gained from a strange creature that is known as Dehaka, on account of the Queen of Blade's visitation on Zerus, the homeworld of the zerg, I still think that such a mutation is QUITE beneficial to our Swarm."

Kay pointed at the large bio-structure that was talking. "You're... A cerebrate?!" Kay asked with a shocked expression.

Kay could almost feel a deadpanned stare emanating from the cerebrate. "... Uh. Yes. Quite indeed, I am in fact a cerebrate."

Kay shook his head, disbelief overtaking him as he looked upon a zerg strain that was supposed to be extinct. "That can't be right! The cerebrates are supposed to be extinct! The Brood Wars killed you all!"

Kay felt a wave of dissatisfaction from the large brainy larva. "... Uh... Yes? I am aware of the plight that occurred after The Old Overmind's slaying." Soon after, the air was filled with prideful smugness. "But you seem to forget that the cerebrates were not outright decimated after the destruction of The Old Overmind. Instead, they only dwindled in their numbers during the times after the destruction of The Great Hungerer. Though, if the past cerebrates could truly merge together to create and form a new Overmind, they surely could. However, the infested terran named Kerrigan saw it through to ensure our decay. She saw us as inefficient, and had began to prepare the old queen strain as the next line of intermediate commanders. These flightless queens, that you rebranded as 'queens' or 'broodmothers', are much more versatile than the queens once used in the distant past. Yet you also use the old queens in your war as well! 'Brood queens' they are now called! HAH! Funny, considering that they once were known to be called 'infested Arachnis Brood-Keepers'. But once we refined their essence and genetic structure, The Old Overmind was the one that decided to name them queens. Ah, how funny times change."

Kay shook his head and gestured for the Cerebrate to stop talking. "Okay, this is a bit too much for me to take in. Just answer this question for me. Did Corvurn create you?"

The creature did a mental version of a nod. "Quite so, but not without some extra help from good ol' 'dad'. Which is to say, the eldritch god of manifested zerg willpower residing comfortably in your subconscious."

Kay's expression became puzzled. "Uh... Kay?"

"Well there's no reason to feel confusion about my spawning! The New Overmind, spawned during your seclusion within the temporal tomb, would eventuate in the creation of a cerebrate at a later juncture. And ever since you had utilized that 'psionic focuser' device upon your own noggin, it only sped up the inevitable conclusion, which is to say, my creation." The cerebrate replied.

Kay gestured at the cerebrate again. "Okay okay, wait a minute. How the fuck do you know so much about my history?"

"The swarm hivemind has quite the extensive knowledge, my Overcommander Ascendant. I pored through the countless information it contained and learned everything I could. And again I say, I also had some extra help from The New Overmind. Not only did you gave the information to spawn new organisms for Corvurn to spawn, but The New Overmind also sent the genetic blueprint to create me, as well as some pieces of information that I was able to decipher quite easily. It gave me some clues on where to look, to say the least."

Kay rolled his eyes. "Kay, you know what? I don't care. From my first impression of you through this conversation alone, I'm getting the feeling that you like the sound of your voice. You even act like an annoying smart-ass."

The cerebrate scoffed. "Well EXCUSE ME, Ascendant!"

Kay turned to Corvurn. "Corvurn, why the fuck did you create a snobby cerebrate?"

Corvurn shrugged. "Cerebrate strain contained extreme cognitive abilities. Tactical and strategically inclined cerebrate needed for Swarm's purposes. Inclusion of mutalisk reconstitution mutation, unexpected. Concluded cerebrate organism performed genetic manipulation of mutalisk strain to enable mutation. Unexpected development, yet welcomed."

Othafurn slithered up to the cerebrate and looked over its impressive, brainy form. After a few seconds of hesitation, she turned to Corvurn and Kay. "Have you given him a name?"

Corvurn nodded at Othafurn. "Considered few. One stood out. Designation Thyzir acceptable?"

Othafurn nodded at Corvurn's suggestion. "Thyzir." She turned to the cerebrate. "Would this be acceptable to you?"

The newly named Thyzir seemed to squirm in elation. "Ah! I rather like it! From this point on, I shall take it as my own name!"

Kay, on the other hand, was indifferent. "Alright, shut up everyone. I was about to say something before everybody became sidetracked into this topic."

Thyzir did the mental equivalent of a raised eyebrow towards Kay. "Then by all means, Kay. What is more important than the birth of my new label in my most fledgling moment?"

Kay could have evolved a pair of eyes to that could roll harder than they did at present, but he was more focused on remembering the detail he once glanced over. "Kay. ... Uh... ... ... Oh! Now I remember!" Kay then pointed at the ravasaurs, igniters, creeper hosts, nydus destroyers, and tyrannozors. "I can sense that the various improved strains available to us are not present within these zerg. I don't sense any lingering abilities of the hunter or swarmling strain within the ravasaurs, or any of the other zerg primal evolutions. Is there a reason why that is?"

Corvurn huffed, and began explaining. "Primal evolutions violent. Rewrites strain genetic structure from combinate processes during fusion evolution. Baseline genetic structures of appropriate strains interweaves bluntly into new forms. However, strain variations used for fusion evolution, such as raptor or swarmling variant as example, eschews mutually exclusive strain abilities. Currently testing different processes of evolution. Discovering method enabling strain abilities to develop within primal evolutions, vexing. Difficult to discern possible solution." Corvurn paused for a few seconds, and then proceeded to scratch what might have passed for a chin. "... Hmm... Sudden realization. Must experiment with theory."

Corvurn left Kay and Othafurn with Thyzir. Kay called out to Corvurn. "Don't create any more cerebrates, Corvurn! Ask me first!" Kay shook his head and walked toward Othafurn. "Tell me honestly. What do you think of... Well... The giant brain in the room?"

"I am RIGHT HERE, you know." Thyzir droned.

Othafurn smirked at Kay. "Corvurn had used the information you, and by extension The Overmind, had shared to him to create a new cerebrate. Though they are mainly immobile for the most part, their massive stores of brain matter can enable them the ability to process information faster than any zerg organism in our employ, with the exception to The Old Overmind, or The Overmind in your subconscious. The Overmind in your subconscious must have known that we were lacking a strong mind capable of making tactical and strategic decisions to guide our actions. I could see no better method of gaining an upper hand than with the spawning of a cerebrate."

Kay folded his arms and huffed. "Well it just seems so... eerie. So eerie that it should be borderline creepy, if you asked me. I didn't even know that The Overmind in my head sent the genetic blueprint to spawn a cerebrate in the first place."

"You are part of the Swarm, Kay. More importantly, The New Overmind is also part of you." Othafurn said as she used one of her tendrils to nudge Kay's shoulder. "Your command over the Swarm is still above that of Thyzir's. You won't be forgotten, nor do you need to worry yourself if our new cerebrate will replace you someday."

"Uh... I'll say this again. Still right here." Thyzir chirped between Kay and Virid.

Kay turned to Thyzir and glared at his studiously. "Alright then. Tell me about your abilities. Try not to sound smarmy this time."

An equivalent of a mental nod was psionically sent to Kay. "Well, I know that I am able to process information far faster than any broodmother in your employ. I can supply more control than any overlord, overseer, or hatchery, lair, or hive ever could. I'm able to project psionic control over vast distances with relative ease."

"And your combat ability?" Kay asked.

"Why would I need to fight? I have the Swarm to do the fighting for me."

Kay huffed. "If that's the case, then you can't be anywhere near a battlefield. You talk a big game, but even with the Swarm's psionic hivemind, you are horribly inexperienced. Once we get back to fighting Golden Star, I want to see what you're capable of. If you impress me, then I'll rethink my opinion of you. Fail, and I'll demote you to a living waterbed for zerglings and feederlings. Got it?"

"Understood, Overcommander." Thyzir replied.

Kay sighed and turned towards Othafurn. "... So I guess all that's left for us to do is to drain all the underground caverns. How is our progress?"

"We have only started a few hours ago. It would still take us roughly two days to empty the underground refugee camp. However, it will take much more time to drain the irradiated floodwater from the deeper cavern and tunnel systems. I surmise that it would take months to completely convert the floodwater into bio-mass." Othafurn answered.

Kay cursed under his breath. "And our broodmother count?"

"Less than half of their numbers have been decimated, yet we are spawning more to account for the losses. Virid is currently gathering them together."

Kay growled. "Grah. We may need to multiply our current broodmother population by twenty in order to account for the lack of macromanagement of our resources, as well as micromanage our swarm's combat efficiency."

"Ahem." Thyzir interrupted. "I did say that my mental processes are quicker than any broodmother. Allow me to worry about managing your resources. You can then have your remaining broodmothers focus on their individual, micro-intensive skirmishes. Would that be alright?"

Kay blinked at Thyzir. After a brief pause, he then gestured at the cerebrate. "Then by all means. Display your abilities to me."

After a mental nod, Thyzir then expanded his psionic control throughout the zerg-controlled underground territories. It happened so fast that Kay felt that a sudden wind flashed passed his wings and mock-hair. Kay felt that millions of invisible hands had reached out to the minds of the zerg and guided them, and each of those hands felt like they came out of Thyzir in a brilliant blaze of psionic might. Even though Thyzir had no direct offensive or combat capabilities for his physical body, Kay could tell that his ability to multitask was far beyond any broodmother. Even Virid's level of multitasking and micromanaging capabilities was reduced to a footnote compared to Thyzir's deft manipulation.

Kay folded his arms together and nodded at the cerebrate. "... Not bad, I guess."

"With me at the forefront of resource management, I predict that the irradiated floodwater will be completely drained from the underground refugee camp in only one day less than your previous calculations." Thyzir said, even while he was in deep concentration.

"Kay... Well... You do you then."

Suddenly, a deafening roar rocked the underground caverns. It was a deafening roar that was louder than anything that Kay had ever heard. It was so cacophonous that his mock-hair trembled with his feet. Othafurn, with both surprise and wonderment, looked around frantically. "... What... Was that?"

'KAY! OTHAFURN! MISTAKES WERE MADE! ASSIST IMMEDIATELY!' Corvurn shouted through the psionic communication network.

Kay and Othafurn focused their minds at Corvurn's location. They were awestruck with what they saw. They began to sprint toward the danger. Something went amiss.

A/N: Been playing Slime Rancher recently, so I apologize for the late chapter entry. Also, anyone amused by that Bowsette meme going round the interwebs? :3