Dr. Aris's post-recovery briefing was a lesson in Corrupted biology. Echo sat with Leyla and Mira in a sterile lecture hall as holograms of dissected Corrupted entities rotated above them.
"Common misconception," Aris stated, pointing a laser at a pulsating violet mass. "The Corrupted are not undead. They are re-alive. They repurpose biomass, but at Tier 4 and above, they develop complex internal systems. This…" he zoomed in on a network of glowing vessels, "is what most reports classify as 'fuel conduits' or 'ichor channels.' It transports energy, nutrients, and cognitive impulses."
Echo's blood sense tingled. He could feel the echo of rhythm in the hologram. It was slow, viscous, and tainted with resentment, but it was undeniably a circulatory system. It was blood.
"At Dawn-Class and above," Aris continued, "these systems become analogous to advanced organic life. They have a heart-analog, a neural network bathed in this fluid, even something resembling an immune response. This is why high-tier Corrupted are so hard to kill. You're not fighting a monster; you're fighting a perversion of life."
Mira raised a hand. "If it's so similar to life, can it be healed? Purified?"
Aris's expression turned grim. "Theoretically. But the corruption is foundational, rewriting the essence. Purification attempts have resulted in… volatile disintegration. The subject cannot survive the removal of the corruption. It is their life."
Echo kept silent, but his mind raced. They think it can't be done because they try to purge the corruption from the outside. But what if you commanded the blood itself from within? What if you gave it a new sovereign?
The briefing ended with a warning: "The higher the tier, the more cunning and individual they become. They learn. They feel rage, pride, even a twisted sense of honor. Do not underestimate them as mindless beasts."
As they filed out, Kaelen fell into step beside Echo. "Your next mission briefing is in one hour. Intel suggests the Corrupted are targeting a Vitalis Nexus—a world that produces a unique energy-neutralizing spore. If they corrupt it, they could create a dead zone where our tech and powers fail."
"Our objective?" Echo asked.
"Prevent the corruption. By any means necessary." Kaelen's gaze was piercing. "Your unique… resilience will be an asset. We're embedding you with a mixed-species squad. Observe them. The enemy isn't always on the other side of the battlefield."
A hidden message. Traitors.