Kill three came eight months later. Dead Zone Maran-3. Nine hundred million unconscious beings. Predator age: seven million years.
Three minutes and eighteen seconds. Even faster. Even more efficient.
But the scar felt heavier.
Kill four came six months after that. Dead Zone Vess-12. Sixteen billion unconscious beings. Predator age: forty-two million years.
Two minutes and fifty-three seconds. Under three minutes. Tessern praised the efficiency.
The scar felt crushing.
Kill five. Kill six. Kill seven.
Each one faster. Each one more efficient. Each one more clinical.
Each scar heavier than the last.
Kaine was eleven years old now. Three years into five-year commitment. Seven predators dead. Seven scars accumulated. Seven ancient beings ended by her hand.
She was halfway done. Halfway to thirteen. Halfway to discovering whether she was four percent or ninety-six percent.
