bignt
Small fix. I said North East in the last chap. I meant North West.
Enjoy.
{Strengthening Complete.}
After what felt like an instant, I woke up and asked, "Primrose, what is the situation?"
"Nothing out of the ordinary, my Lord. But I sense that the Minions are about to finish evolving." - Primrose replied from the side.
"Good." - I nodded and got up.
Primrose herself couldn't see everything at once, but she could at least feel if one of the Minions died in a 5-mile radius.
This certainly isn't foolproof since the other party can avoid alerting us by not killing any of the Minions, but at least it gives us a layer of protection.
While stretching to get used to my body, I started asking questions.
"Primrose, can you tell me who can chase us and their technological level?" - I asked.
"Yes, my Lord. The only ones that can chase us are the Apex Technologies Recon teams or a militant force with satellite access. The objective of an Apex Technologies Recon team will likely involve capturing us or recovering an intact corpse for research. As for militant forces, their objectives can range from capturing to exterminating us. The recon team will likely have one hovercraft and four field cars armed with top-of-the-line weaponry, armor, drones, and reconnaissance equipment, and we stand no chance against them. As for the militants, unknown, but they might potentially bomb us from afar." - She explained.
"... Can a Kin Lord even face something like that?" - I asked weirdly.
"A Kin Lord likely has a Spore Spreader with him, and a Kin field has formed. With it, although it can't exit the field to attack, it can at least buy us some time to escape deeper inside Kin territory and hopefully find a Kin Ruler." - Primrose said.
"I see... And what do you think we should do if we discover them now five miles away?" - I asked.
"I am unsure. We will likely be better off surrendering. At least they are unlikely to kill us immediately due to our higher value being alive." - She replied.
"... Anything better? Anything? Ignore my survival here. I have my ways to escape alone." - I continued to ask.
This wasn't about me. I can escape into my reality, but she can't. Fuck knows what they will do to her if she is captured alive.
"I see... If I exclude my Lord, then..." - Primrose hesitated before narrating her plan.
I then listened to her bone-chilling plan and was shocked by its sheer brutality. It was so brutal that shivers ran down my spine, and I almost had the urge to vomit then and there. And yet, I found no better option.
"... Okay, let's prepare, just in case. I'll get the bedsheets." - I said and got to work.
...
Inside Apex Technologie's Recon Bunker.
In on-duty barracks room #5.
Four muscular middle-aged men wearing black wiry tight-fitting outfits with metallic grooves were playing cards.
"Hey, do you think we will ever leave this bunker?" - One of the guys asked while throwing a card on the pile.
"Didn't you ask that question a thousand times already?" - Another guy shook his head and drew a card.
"Well, we will certainly not leave until we catch one of dem Ascended bastards." - A third one said begrudgingly while drawing another card.
"Fuck those survivors! Couldn't they all just fucking die?!" - The fourth man cursed and threw a card angrily.
"Yeah, fuck them." - The first guy cursed and drew a card.
"... I wonder what my kid looks like now." - The second guy said bitterly while throwing a card.
"At least you got to have a kid. In here, the closest thing to a breedable female is VR simulation." - The third guy said.
"Or Ahlwin's ass." - The fourth guy chortled.
"Hah! Yeah. Speaking of him, he is with Zavr, right?" - The first guy asked.
"Yeah. Those two lovebirds are stuck together like glue. Hah... I miss my wife's pussy." - The second guy sighed.
"Don't. Chances are it is getting railed by someone else by now." - The third guy rolled his eyes.
"I would usually hit you right now, but I hope she moved on. Twelve years, man." - The second guy said depressedly.
"... Sorry." - The third guy lowered his head.
"Well, if we talk about something we miss, I miss booze." - The fourth guy said, trying to change the subject.
"And smokes." - The first guy added.
"I miss pizza." - The third guy went with the flow.
"... What would I give for a cheesy slice of heaven right now." - The second guy recovered and said.
"And now I am getting hungry." - The first guy grumbled.
"Sure, go and eat that delicious processed monster paste." - The fourth guy smirked.
"Ugh... You just had to say it, didn't you?" - The first guy grimaced.
"What? It has all the nutrition you need!" - The fourth guy continued.
"Well, dunno about you, but I win!" - The third guy smirked and placed his cards on the table.
"Drats. Anyways, disgusting grub?" - The second guy asked.
"Sure, let's go—"
Just when they were about to get up, a broadcast sounded.
"Code Ascension, I repeat, Code Ascension! We are getting out of this dump!" - Said an emotional voice.
"..."
The four men froze for five seconds, staring at the ceiling in shock.
Slowly, they lowered their heads and stared at each other as if to confirm they didn't hallucinate.
A few moments later...
"Move! MOVE! MOVE!!! To the armory!" - The first guy hollered and ran to the door.
The other guys quickly followed him to the corridor, now filled with life like a disturbed ant's nest.
In less than 30 seconds, the men arrived at a room with 60 numbered camouflaged suits with fully enclosed helmets.
The four men and the other 16 on-duty men quickly wore their respective outfits and helmets, looking like astronaut-like soldiers.
At this time, engineers entered the room with specialized equipment. They walked to each of the men and used special gear to bolt the suits to the men with the grooves in the black tight-fitting outfits underneath.
And lastly, on the back of each of the men, the engineers mounted a square-shaped object on the grooves on their back.
Clack*
Vrrr*
The suits started contracting and retracting as if coming to life.
The men clenched their fists and did a few test stretches before wordlessly heading to the next room, where four gun vendors were in place.
The first man from room number 5 walked to a stall, placing his hand next to a scanning tool as if scanning groceries.
Ti*
The vendor got his information and wordlessly retrieved the equipment, bringing a pulsed laser rifle and gun belt decked with a pulsed laser pistol, knife, four clip-like power packs, two frag grenades, and a stun grenade.
The man took the belt and rifle without putting them on and moved aside, allowing the next man to come before putting them on.
After the men finished holstering their gear, they walked to a large elevator at the end of the room, uniformly stood in a position, and went up to the topmost floor.
After the elevator doors opened, the men rushed to four mounted field cars and a hovercraft that already started up.
The four men from room 5 entered one of the field cars, with the second guy on the wheels and the third and fourth guys in the back seats.
The first man, seated in the front seat, breathed deeply and said through his mouthpiece.
"We trained for this day for twelve years. Let's do this."
...
Around 30 minutes later...
Exiting a hotel, 68 evolved Kin holding large packages, wrapped in blood-soaked cloths, ran North West.
Whenever they stumbled upon a group of mutated animals, the animals steered away in fright, preferring to target something easier.
After running for three miles, however, they suddenly stopped before splitting in all directions.
This picture was captured by the recon drone sent by the task force, who were several miles away.
"Switch to thermal imaging." - The commander, seated in the hovercraft, ordered with a frown.
The image switched to a thermal-based outline image, revealing an expanse of heat signatures from the creep-covered ground. However, due to the angle and closeness, it could pick up the outline of the packages the Kin were carrying.
And the result...
"All identical. Damn... they got a number on us..." - The commander muttered with a frown.
With a quick decision, he gave an order.
"Raptor one speaking! Wolf one, two, three, and four, split and chase the escaping Kin and kill them! Also, avoid hitting the packages, and make sure to check them! I will take the North West." - The commander ordered.
[Yes, Sir!] - The soldiers replied.
The four field cars then split into four groups to give chase while the hovercraft continued forward, leaving the ones who escaped back to the others.
Soon, The first field car, driven by the guys from room five, caught up with the first running Kin, a Soldier variant holding something wrapped in stained cloth.
"Augun, neutralize it!" - The first man ordered.
"Roger." - The third man, Augun, replied.
He then stood up, revealing himself through the gun hatch on the roof, and aimed his rifle at the hulking figure.
"Neutralizing." - Augun said and pulled the trigger.
Crackle*
A sound like the cracking of thunder was heard as a straight green trail burned the air, hitting the Kin Soldier square in the head and leaving a burning hole drilling inside the skull, turning the brain into charred mush.
Without any suspense, the Soldier collapsed, dead as can be, dropping the package.
The field car quickly drove to the package, and Augun exited the jeep to check it.
However, upon unraveling it, what he saw chilled him to the core.
"Fuck! This guy is brutal!" - He said.
The others also had ugly expressions.
"Let's move! Kill them fast before they escape!" - The first man ordered.
Without saying a word, Augun vaulted back to his seat, and the car drove away, leaving a limbless Minion that kept moving its jaw.
The other squads also had similar experiences, where all the packages were dismembered living Minions. However, despite their disgust, they continued the hunt. They were not wimps who would get demoralized by something trivial as this.
Little did they know that this was just the beginning of their nightmare.
After killing around 20 of the escaping Kin, an entire horde filled with thousands of Minions and dozens of evolved Kin, led by a Kin Leader, marched from the West and met with one of the fleeing Kin, a Stalker. And then, something bizarre happened.
The fleeing Stalker and several dozen evolved Kin gathered together and piled Minions on top like an umbrella.
The commander immediately understood that this Stalker likely carried the Ascended.
"Dammit! The brat is on the west side! All units, give chase!" - He ordered.
However, it was too late.
In less than two minutes, the several dozen Evolved Kin suddenly split in all directions again, each holding a new package.
What's worse is that the Kin horde, led by the Kin Leader, partially blocked the path, forcing the cars to circumvent, and only the hovercraft could pass over the Kin army. They had enough firepower to kill this horde, but it will waste too much energy and time.
This lowered their efficiency even more than last time, and after barely killing twelve evolved Kin, this happened again! But this time, it was in the north.
This scene repeated seven times before six of the fleeing Kin reached close to the borders of a Kin field. It was filled with a yellowish fog in the air and weird alien-looking Kin plants.
And this wasn't some tiny area. It was at least a few miles in diameter.
The commander knew this was their last chance.
The moment the target enters the safety of the Kin field, they will be fighting a bonafide siege battle they are poorly equipped for.
"SHIT! No choice, fire the homing taser-nets." - The commander cursed and ordered.
These missiles are limited in number, with only eight mounted on the hovercraft.
As there were too many targets before, he didn't dare use it. But now, it is different.
They were fewer than eight, and one likely carried the Ascended. It was worth the shot.
"Locking on targets. Firing." - The pilot responded.
Immediately after, six small missiles were launched, each targeting one of the fleeing Kin.
In less than a second, the supersonic-speed missiles reached their respective targets and exploded a net, tangling the targets and electrifying them.
Well, at least five of them. As for the sixth one...
"What the fuck?!" - The commander exclaimed as he saw something incredible.
One of the fleeing Stalkers suddenly vanished 100m away with the package, escaping the net as it kept running. It was now only 170m away from the Kin field.
"Shit! Fire another, and prime a second 100m away!" - The commander ordered.
"Locking on target. Firing." - The pilot nodded and fired.
Like before, the Stalker vanished again before the missile hit him and reappeared 100m away.
"Firing second shot." - The pilot fired again.
In a split second, the second missile homed on the Stalker, about to hit it, when another strange thing happened.
A pile of shoe boxes and clothes, as tall as two meters, appeared behind the fleeing Stalker!
Bam*
The missile, clearly not intended for such a scenario, collided with the pile and exploded, uselessly releasing the net inside.
Meanwhile, the Stalker kept running home free, now only 30m away from the Kin field. The commander could already see evolved Kin and even a few Kin Leaders at the border as if to welcome the newcomers.
"FUCK!!! Screw it, pepper the fucker!" - The commander ordered.
Upon hearing this, the pilot voiced his protest.
"But, Sir! Our mission is—"
"NOW!" - The commander hollered.
With no room for rebuttal, the pilot switched on the mounted laser machine gun and opened fire.
Crackle*Crackle*Crackle*Crackle*Crackle*Crackle*Crackle*Crackle*Crackle*
Like the roaring sound of dozens of thunders, a stream of green energy rushed down to where the Stalker was, superheating the ground and vaporizing it... without the Stalker.
It teleported away again and was now well inside the Kin field, protected by swarms of Kin as it fled deeper inside.
"SHIIIIITTTT!!!" - The commander howled in frustration.
Twelve years of training. Twelve fucking years. And they couldn't catch a single fucking brat.
Worst of all, they will continue being stuck in this hellhole unless they capture it.
This feeling... was horrible.
Of course, it was hard to blame them for their failure. This entire scenario was not part of their training. And that weird Stalker was even worse! Teleportation and conjuring clothes and shoe boxes? What the heck! Is it a magician?!
Forcefully calming down, the commander spoke.
"Operation snatch and run failed. I repeat. Operation snatch and run failed. Operation Castle Siege is now in effect! Wolf one, two, three, and four surround the Kin field!" - The commander gave his orders.
[Yes, Sir!] - The other squads responded.
The commander then connected to his base and reported to his bunker supervisor, the highest in command.
"Supervisor?" - The commander asked.
[Yes! Did you catch it?!] - The supervisor asked excitedly.
"Negative. Operation Snatch and Run failed, and Operation Castle Siege is now in effect. I request reinforcements!" - He said.
[What?! Fuck!] - The supervisor cursed.
A moment later, a series of orders were heard across the line before the supervisor spoke again.
[The reinforcements will arrive within an hour. Now can you tell me how the fuck you screwed up?!] - The supervisor demanded.
"I'm sending you the footage now. See for yourself." - The commander, too angry to explain, sent the footage he got.
The other party went silent for a minute before finally cursing out loud.
[FUCK! No wonder you failed! What the fuck is up with that thing?! Is that a fucking magician?!] - The supervisor cursed.
"What are your orders, sir?" - The commander asked.
[Keep the siege for now. I am going to make a call to those elitist schmucks. They will probably like to see this.] - The supervisor said.
...
Inside the Kin field, a Stalker holding a large package kept running deeper inside while pushing aside the strange foliage and mushrooms.
After running for another half a mile, the Stalker finally stopped and heaved a tired breath before transforming into a naked paper white-skinned, platinum-green-haired young man with a black gem on his forehead.
"Too close... Too fucking close..." - The young man muttered in a voice only he could hear, sweat on his forehead.
He then put down the package, unraveling it, revealing a still-alive limbless Minion... with a gouged-out torso.
What replaced its ribs, spine, and organs was a young girl curled up like a ball inside, covered in nylon to prevent the blood from dirtying her.
"Alright, come out, Primrose. It should be safe now." - I said while putting on a pair of boxers.
I ran for over 32 miles buck-naked. Sure, I altered myself into a genderless Stalker, but it was just weird.
"Yes, my Lord." - Primrose replied, exiting the stomach.
Yes, this was our plan. To carry dismembered Minions and use them to confuse the human's thermal vision, forcing them to chase all the Kin at the same time. And to cover her, we used bedsheets taken from the hotel. I almost emptied the hotel for this. Also, to join in, I altered my appearance to a Stalker.
And then, after reaching a Leader territory, we informed the local Leader of the situation, and it readily cooperated with us on the premise of saving us. Using the bedsheets I took from the hotel, we repeated the process a few times before finally reaching our goal.
As for the finale, I used mass teleportation and even sacrificed my scavenged shoes and clothes... My poor new shoes...
Of course, I also enhanced some things to allow me to carry her to safety, emptying my reserves again.
Teleportation:
Increase Range 2. Increases the maximum teleportation range from 10m to 25m. Cost: 75 Enhancement Energy A
Increase Range 3. Increases the maximum teleportation range from 25m to 100m. Cost: 300 Enhancement Energy A
Reduce Cost 1. Reduces the cost of teleporting by 10%. Price: 10 Enhancement Energy A
Reduce Cooldown 1. Reduces the cooldown by 10%. Price: 10 Enhancement Energy A
Reduce Cooldown 2. Reduces the cooldown by 20%. Price: 25 Enhancement Energy A
Reduce Cooldown 3. Reduces the cooldown by 30%. Price: 75 Enhancement Energy A
Reduce Cooldown 4. Reduces the cooldown by 40%. Price: 300 Enhancement Energy A
Mass Teleportation 1: Allows the Host to teleport with one more living creature, but the cost of carrying it is ten times that of the host. Price: 10 Enhancement Energy A
Mass Teleportation 2: Allows the Host to teleport with two more living creatures, but the cost of carrying them is nine times that of the host. Price: 25 Enhancement Energy A
Total: 830 Points
Camouflage:
Alter Appearance 1: The Host can minorly alter his appearance. Price: 10 Enhancement Energy A
Alter Appearance 2: The Host can alter his appearance. Price: 25 Enhancement Energy A
Alter Appearance 3: The Host can alter his appearance and size. Price: 75 Enhancement Energy A
Alter Appearance 4: The Host can significantly alter his appearance and size, even looking like another similarly sized species. Price: 300 Enhancement Energy A
Total: 410 points.
As for those three times I teleported, each time cost me 171 Basic points because I was carrying Primrose and the Minion, totaling 513 points.
Anyways, the plan succeeded!
Name: Divine fragment of Ic'thotl'itrod
Powers: Dark Offering, Camouflage(Alter Appearance 4, Conceal Presence 1), Storage(Increase Storage size 2), Teleport(Increase Range 3, Reduce Cost 1, Reduce Cooldown 4, Mass Teleportation 2), Reality Travel(Decrease Cooldown 2), Evolution(Devolve, Synthesize), Enhancement, Sanitization, Energy Conversion, Increase Compatibility 1, Analytical Eye 1, Empower Words 1, Mark of Zeal 1
Host Abilities: True Tongue 1, Unreality Affinity 1, Void Affinity 1, Space Affinity 1, True Sun Affinity 1, Immortal Body 1, Immortal Soul 1, Divinity 1
Basic Energy: 10,617 -> 10,104
Evolution Energy A: 2,218
Enhancement Energy A: 1,250 -> 10
bignt
Small fix. I said North East in the last chap. I meant North West.
Enjoy.
{Strengthening Complete.}
After what felt like an instant, I woke up and asked, "Primrose, what is the situation?"
"Nothing out of the ordinary, my Lord. But I sense that the Minions are about to finish evolving." - Primrose replied from the side.
"Good." - I nodded and got up.
Primrose herself couldn't see everything at once, but she could at least feel if one of the Minions died in a 5-mile radius.
This certainly isn't foolproof since the other party can avoid alerting us by not killing any of the Minions, but at least it gives us a layer of protection.
While stretching to get used to my body, I started asking questions.
"Primrose, can you tell me who can chase us and their technological level?" - I asked.
"Yes, my Lord. The only ones that can chase us are the Apex Technologies Recon teams or a militant force with satellite access. The objective of an Apex Technologies Recon team will likely involve capturing us or recovering an intact corpse for research. As for militant forces, their objectives can range from capturing to exterminating us. The recon team will likely have one hovercraft and four field cars armed with top-of-the-line weaponry, armor, drones, and reconnaissance equipment, and we stand no chance against them. As for the militants, unknown, but they might potentially bomb us from afar." - She explained.
"... Can a Kin Lord even face something like that?" - I asked weirdly.
"A Kin Lord likely has a Spore Spreader with him, and a Kin field has formed. With it, although it can't exit the field to attack, it can at least buy us some time to escape deeper inside Kin territory and hopefully find a Kin Ruler." - Primrose said.
"I see... And what do you think we should do if we discover them now five miles away?" - I asked.
"I am unsure. We will likely be better off surrendering. At least they are unlikely to kill us immediately due to our higher value being alive." - She replied.
"... Anything better? Anything? Ignore my survival here. I have my ways to escape alone." - I continued to ask.
This wasn't about me. I can escape into my reality, but she can't. Fuck knows what they will do to her if she is captured alive.
"I see... If I exclude my Lord, then..." - Primrose hesitated before narrating her plan.
I then listened to her bone-chilling plan and was shocked by its sheer brutality. It was so brutal that shivers ran down my spine, and I almost had the urge to vomit then and there. And yet, I found no better option.
"... Okay, let's prepare, just in case. I'll get the bedsheets." - I said and got to work.
...
Inside Apex Technologie's Recon Bunker.
In on-duty barracks room #5.
Four muscular middle-aged men wearing black wiry tight-fitting outfits with metallic grooves were playing cards.
"Hey, do you think we will ever leave this bunker?" - One of the guys asked while throwing a card on the pile.
"Didn't you ask that question a thousand times already?" - Another guy shook his head and drew a card.
"Well, we will certainly not leave until we catch one of dem Ascended bastards." - A third one said begrudgingly while drawing another card.
"Fuck those survivors! Couldn't they all just fucking die?!" - The fourth man cursed and threw a card angrily.
"Yeah, fuck them." - The first guy cursed and drew a card.
"... I wonder what my kid looks like now." - The second guy said bitterly while throwing a card.
"At least you got to have a kid. In here, the closest thing to a breedable female is VR simulation." - The third guy said.
"Or Ahlwin's ass." - The fourth guy chortled.
"Hah! Yeah. Speaking of him, he is with Zavr, right?" - The first guy asked.
"Yeah. Those two lovebirds are stuck together like glue. Hah... I miss my wife's pussy." - The second guy sighed.
"Don't. Chances are it is getting railed by someone else by now." - The third guy rolled his eyes.
"I would usually hit you right now, but I hope she moved on. Twelve years, man." - The second guy said depressedly.
"... Sorry." - The third guy lowered his head.
"Well, if we talk about something we miss, I miss booze." - The fourth guy said, trying to change the subject.
"And smokes." - The first guy added.
"I miss pizza." - The third guy went with the flow.
"... What would I give for a cheesy slice of heaven right now." - The second guy recovered and said.
"And now I am getting hungry." - The first guy grumbled.
"Sure, go and eat that delicious processed monster paste." - The fourth guy smirked.
"Ugh... You just had to say it, didn't you?" - The first guy grimaced.
"What? It has all the nutrition you need!" - The fourth guy continued.
"Well, dunno about you, but I win!" - The third guy smirked and placed his cards on the table.
"Drats. Anyways, disgusting grub?" - The second guy asked.
"Sure, let's go—"
Just when they were about to get up, a broadcast sounded.
"Code Ascension, I repeat, Code Ascension! We are getting out of this dump!" - Said an emotional voice.
"..."
The four men froze for five seconds, staring at the ceiling in shock.
Slowly, they lowered their heads and stared at each other as if to confirm they didn't hallucinate.
A few moments later...
"Move! MOVE! MOVE!!! To the armory!" - The first guy hollered and ran to the door.
The other guys quickly followed him to the corridor, now filled with life like a disturbed ant's nest.
In less than 30 seconds, the men arrived at a room with 60 numbered camouflaged suits with fully enclosed helmets.
The four men and the other 16 on-duty men quickly wore their respective outfits and helmets, looking like astronaut-like soldiers.
At this time, engineers entered the room with specialized equipment. They walked to each of the men and used special gear to bolt the suits to the men with the grooves in the black tight-fitting outfits underneath.
And lastly, on the back of each of the men, the engineers mounted a square-shaped object on the grooves on their back.
Clack*
Vrrr*
The suits started contracting and retracting as if coming to life.
The men clenched their fists and did a few test stretches before wordlessly heading to the next room, where four gun vendors were in place.
The first man from room number 5 walked to a stall, placing his hand next to a scanning tool as if scanning groceries.
Ti*
The vendor got his information and wordlessly retrieved the equipment, bringing a pulsed laser rifle and gun belt decked with a pulsed laser pistol, knife, four clip-like power packs, two frag grenades, and a stun grenade.
The man took the belt and rifle without putting them on and moved aside, allowing the next man to come before putting them on.
After the men finished holstering their gear, they walked to a large elevator at the end of the room, uniformly stood in a position, and went up to the topmost floor.
After the elevator doors opened, the men rushed to four mounted field cars and a hovercraft that already started up.
The four men from room 5 entered one of the field cars, with the second guy on the wheels and the third and fourth guys in the back seats.
The first man, seated in the front seat, breathed deeply and said through his mouthpiece.
"We trained for this day for twelve years. Let's do this."
...
Around 30 minutes later...
Exiting a hotel, 68 evolved Kin holding large packages, wrapped in blood-soaked cloths, ran North West.
Whenever they stumbled upon a group of mutated animals, the animals steered away in fright, preferring to target something easier.
After running for three miles, however, they suddenly stopped before splitting in all directions.
This picture was captured by the recon drone sent by the task force, who were several miles away.
"Switch to thermal imaging." - The commander, seated in the hovercraft, ordered with a frown.
The image switched to a thermal-based outline image, revealing an expanse of heat signatures from the creep-covered ground. However, due to the angle and closeness, it could pick up the outline of the packages the Kin were carrying.
And the result...
"All identical. Damn... they got a number on us..." - The commander muttered with a frown.
With a quick decision, he gave an order.
"Raptor one speaking! Wolf one, two, three, and four, split and chase the escaping Kin and kill them! Also, avoid hitting the packages, and make sure to check them! I will take the North West." - The commander ordered.
[Yes, Sir!] - The soldiers replied.
The four field cars then split into four groups to give chase while the hovercraft continued forward, leaving the ones who escaped back to the others.
Soon, The first field car, driven by the guys from room five, caught up with the first running Kin, a Soldier variant holding something wrapped in stained cloth.
"Augun, neutralize it!" - The first man ordered.
"Roger." - The third man, Augun, replied.
He then stood up, revealing himself through the gun hatch on the roof, and aimed his rifle at the hulking figure.
"Neutralizing." - Augun said and pulled the trigger.
Crackle*
A sound like the cracking of thunder was heard as a straight green trail burned the air, hitting the Kin Soldier square in the head and leaving a burning hole drilling inside the skull, turning the brain into charred mush.
Without any suspense, the Soldier collapsed, dead as can be, dropping the package.
The field car quickly drove to the package, and Augun exited the jeep to check it.
However, upon unraveling it, what he saw chilled him to the core.
"Fuck! This guy is brutal!" - He said.
The others also had ugly expressions.
"Let's move! Kill them fast before they escape!" - The first man ordered.
Without saying a word, Augun vaulted back to his seat, and the car drove away, leaving a limbless Minion that kept moving its jaw.
The other squads also had similar experiences, where all the packages were dismembered living Minions. However, despite their disgust, they continued the hunt. They were not wimps who would get demoralized by something trivial as this.
Little did they know that this was just the beginning of their nightmare.
After killing around 20 of the escaping Kin, an entire horde filled with thousands of Minions and dozens of evolved Kin, led by a Kin Leader, marched from the West and met with one of the fleeing Kin, a Stalker. And then, something bizarre happened.
The fleeing Stalker and several dozen evolved Kin gathered together and piled Minions on top like an umbrella.
The commander immediately understood that this Stalker likely carried the Ascended.
"Dammit! The brat is on the west side! All units, give chase!" - He ordered.
However, it was too late.
In less than two minutes, the several dozen Evolved Kin suddenly split in all directions again, each holding a new package.
What's worse is that the Kin horde, led by the Kin Leader, partially blocked the path, forcing the cars to circumvent, and only the hovercraft could pass over the Kin army. They had enough firepower to kill this horde, but it will waste too much energy and time.
This lowered their efficiency even more than last time, and after barely killing twelve evolved Kin, this happened again! But this time, it was in the north.
This scene repeated seven times before six of the fleeing Kin reached close to the borders of a Kin field. It was filled with a yellowish fog in the air and weird alien-looking Kin plants.
And this wasn't some tiny area. It was at least a few miles in diameter.
The commander knew this was their last chance.
The moment the target enters the safety of the Kin field, they will be fighting a bonafide siege battle they are poorly equipped for.
"SHIT! No choice, fire the homing taser-nets." - The commander cursed and ordered.
These missiles are limited in number, with only eight mounted on the hovercraft.
As there were too many targets before, he didn't dare use it. But now, it is different.
They were fewer than eight, and one likely carried the Ascended. It was worth the shot.
"Locking on targets. Firing." - The pilot responded.
Immediately after, six small missiles were launched, each targeting one of the fleeing Kin.
In less than a second, the supersonic-speed missiles reached their respective targets and exploded a net, tangling the targets and electrifying them.
Well, at least five of them. As for the sixth one...
"What the fuck?!" - The commander exclaimed as he saw something incredible.
One of the fleeing Stalkers suddenly vanished 100m away with the package, escaping the net as it kept running. It was now only 170m away from the Kin field.
"Shit! Fire another, and prime a second 100m away!" - The commander ordered.
"Locking on target. Firing." - The pilot nodded and fired.
Like before, the Stalker vanished again before the missile hit him and reappeared 100m away.
"Firing second shot." - The pilot fired again.
In a split second, the second missile homed on the Stalker, about to hit it, when another strange thing happened.
A pile of shoe boxes and clothes, as tall as two meters, appeared behind the fleeing Stalker!
Bam*
The missile, clearly not intended for such a scenario, collided with the pile and exploded, uselessly releasing the net inside.
Meanwhile, the Stalker kept running home free, now only 30m away from the Kin field. The commander could already see evolved Kin and even a few Kin Leaders at the border as if to welcome the newcomers.
"FUCK!!! Screw it, pepper the fucker!" - The commander ordered.
Upon hearing this, the pilot voiced his protest.
"But, Sir! Our mission is—"
"NOW!" - The commander hollered.
With no room for rebuttal, the pilot switched on the mounted laser machine gun and opened fire.
Crackle*Crackle*Crackle*Crackle*Crackle*Crackle*Crackle*Crackle*Crackle*
Like the roaring sound of dozens of thunders, a stream of green energy rushed down to where the Stalker was, superheating the ground and vaporizing it... without the Stalker.
It teleported away again and was now well inside the Kin field, protected by swarms of Kin as it fled deeper inside.
"SHIIIIITTTT!!!" - The commander howled in frustration.
Twelve years of training. Twelve fucking years. And they couldn't catch a single fucking brat.
Worst of all, they will continue being stuck in this hellhole unless they capture it.
This feeling... was horrible.
Of course, it was hard to blame them for their failure. This entire scenario was not part of their training. And that weird Stalker was even worse! Teleportation and conjuring clothes and shoe boxes? What the heck! Is it a magician?!
Forcefully calming down, the commander spoke.
"Operation snatch and run failed. I repeat. Operation snatch and run failed. Operation Castle Siege is now in effect! Wolf one, two, three, and four surround the Kin field!" - The commander gave his orders.
[Yes, Sir!] - The other squads responded.
The commander then connected to his base and reported to his bunker supervisor, the highest in command.
"Supervisor?" - The commander asked.
[Yes! Did you catch it?!] - The supervisor asked excitedly.
"Negative. Operation Snatch and Run failed, and Operation Castle Siege is now in effect. I request reinforcements!" - He said.
[What?! Fuck!] - The supervisor cursed.
A moment later, a series of orders were heard across the line before the supervisor spoke again.
[The reinforcements will arrive within an hour. Now can you tell me how the fuck you screwed up?!] - The supervisor demanded.
"I'm sending you the footage now. See for yourself." - The commander, too angry to explain, sent the footage he got.
The other party went silent for a minute before finally cursing out loud.
[FUCK! No wonder you failed! What the fuck is up with that thing?! Is that a fucking magician?!] - The supervisor cursed.
"What are your orders, sir?" - The commander asked.
[Keep the siege for now. I am going to make a call to those elitist schmucks. They will probably like to see this.] - The supervisor said.
...
Inside the Kin field, a Stalker holding a large package kept running deeper inside while pushing aside the strange foliage and mushrooms.
After running for another half a mile, the Stalker finally stopped and heaved a tired breath before transforming into a naked paper white-skinned, platinum-green-haired young man with a black gem on his forehead.
"Too close... Too fucking close..." - The young man muttered in a voice only he could hear, sweat on his forehead.
He then put down the package, unraveling it, revealing a still-alive limbless Minion... with a gouged-out torso.
What replaced its ribs, spine, and organs was a young girl curled up like a ball inside, covered in nylon to prevent the blood from dirtying her.
"Alright, come out, Primrose. It should be safe now." - I said while putting on a pair of boxers.
I ran for over 32 miles buck-naked. Sure, I altered myself into a genderless Stalker, but it was just weird.
"Yes, my Lord." - Primrose replied, exiting the stomach.
Yes, this was our plan. To carry dismembered Minions and use them to confuse the human's thermal vision, forcing them to chase all the Kin at the same time. And to cover her, we used bedsheets taken from the hotel. I almost emptied the hotel for this. Also, to join in, I altered my appearance to a Stalker.
And then, after reaching a Leader territory, we informed the local Leader of the situation, and it readily cooperated with us on the premise of saving us. Using the bedsheets I took from the hotel, we repeated the process a few times before finally reaching our goal.
As for the finale, I used mass teleportation and even sacrificed my scavenged shoes and clothes... My poor new shoes...
Of course, I also enhanced some things to allow me to carry her to safety, emptying my reserves again.
Teleportation:
Increase Range 2. Increases the maximum teleportation range from 10m to 25m. Cost: 75 Enhancement Energy A
Increase Range 3. Increases the maximum teleportation range from 25m to 100m. Cost: 300 Enhancement Energy A
Reduce Cost 1. Reduces the cost of teleporting by 10%. Price: 10 Enhancement Energy A
Reduce Cooldown 1. Reduces the cooldown by 10%. Price: 10 Enhancement Energy A
Reduce Cooldown 2. Reduces the cooldown by 20%. Price: 25 Enhancement Energy A
Reduce Cooldown 3. Reduces the cooldown by 30%. Price: 75 Enhancement Energy A
Reduce Cooldown 4. Reduces the cooldown by 40%. Price: 300 Enhancement Energy A
Mass Teleportation 1: Allows the Host to teleport with one more living creature, but the cost of carrying it is ten times that of the host. Price: 10 Enhancement Energy A
Mass Teleportation 2: Allows the Host to teleport with two more living creatures, but the cost of carrying them is nine times that of the host. Price: 25 Enhancement Energy A
Total: 830 Points
Camouflage:
Alter Appearance 1: The Host can minorly alter his appearance. Price: 10 Enhancement Energy A
Alter Appearance 2: The Host can alter his appearance. Price: 25 Enhancement Energy A
Alter Appearance 3: The Host can alter his appearance and size. Price: 75 Enhancement Energy A
Alter Appearance 4: The Host can significantly alter his appearance and size, even looking like another similarly sized species. Price: 300 Enhancement Energy A
Total: 410 points.
As for those three times I teleported, each time cost me 171 Basic points because I was carrying Primrose and the Minion, totaling 513 points.
Anyways, the plan succeeded!
Name: Divine fragment of Ic'thotl'itrod
Powers: Dark Offering, Camouflage(Alter Appearance 4, Conceal Presence 1), Storage(Increase Storage size 2), Teleport(Increase Range 3, Reduce Cost 1, Reduce Cooldown 4, Mass Teleportation 2), Reality Travel(Decrease Cooldown 2), Evolution(Devolve, Synthesize), Enhancement, Sanitization, Energy Conversion, Increase Compatibility 1, Analytical Eye 1, Empower Words 1, Mark of Zeal 1
Host Abilities: True Tongue 1, Unreality Affinity 1, Void Affinity 1, Space Affinity 1, True Sun Affinity 1, Immortal Body 1, Immortal Soul 1, Divinity 1
Basic Energy: 10,617 -> 10,104
Evolution Energy A: 2,218
Enhancement Energy A: 1,250 -> 10
