Meanwhile, through the hive mind connection, Ben watched as his Krell Scouts searched the region.
Three of them reported back quickly.
Nothing special.
Just more nests, smaller outposts occupied by standard Ravagers.
No new variants.
No sign of a main base.
But the fourth scout found something different.
The first thing Ben noticed through its vision was the water.
It was clear and still, and it almost glowed under the dim underground light.
"Finally, a real water source," he thought.
Then his focus shifted to the Ravagers around it.
Brutes guarded the perimeter, their thick armored bodies moving like walking fortresses.
Spine Ravagers perched on the surrounding rock, their long-range spines twitching at every hint of movement.
And then he saw the small ones.
The same variant he had mistaken for the Alpha back at his stronghold.
His jaw tightened. "More of them?
So they're not the alpha?"
It fit.
There should only be one true Alpha.
