《Once Human》


 Chapter One - The 300 miles club

    Chapter One - The 300 miles club


    ********************


    The pungent flavour of raw onion assaults my taste buds as the blackness of the back of my eyelids come into focus, and I resist the urge to spit.


    I mentally wince at the thumping headache rampaging in my skull as I repeat the words that have become something of a morning after mantra.-"I really should stop eating onion and cheese before bed. And drinking. I really need to stop drinking."


    Groggily, without opening my eyes for fear of the light, I attempt to straighten my neck and stretch, miserably failing as nothing seems to respond to my commands and panic starts to well up.


    As fast as it appears, the panic fadesinto a surreal sensation, one where I can think somewhat clearly but can''t feel much. Similar to the drunken haze where you are trying to work out what''s going on but actually being able to think which in its own way, is pretty disconcerting. -"Am I still drunk? That''s it, no more brandy for me."


    The thought of drinking at the moment makes me want to hurl. That is if I could move.


    A metallic hum, one you would expect to come from a fridge or old computer resonates deep in my chest before a pleasant, feminine voice breaks the monotonous silence, interrupting my the regrets that I could never resist.


    "Welcome. I will be using the terminology you are most familiar with to reduce confusion, however, be aware that not everything will be directly translatable and you should think carefully about what you will consider fact."


    -"OK... weirdest dream ever. Paralysed and a girl that hasn''t even introduce herself yet is telling me what to do. Did someone slip something into my drink?"


    "Firstly, congratulations on being selected for the New Generation Project. In a moment, we will re enabled your ability to open your eyes and look around. Infront of you, you will find a screen that will provide visuals to aid in your orientation. It is advised that you pay attention to the available information to increase your chances of survival."


    I wince, or at least to, as the thumping momentarily picks up.


    "It is important to note that we have induced an artificial state of mind, similar to what you would describe as a lucid dream, for you to focus on what is important instead of falling to your emotions. This state of mind will last for the first forty-eight hours, and it is advised that you attempt to come to terms with your situation before the time runs out as chances of survival dramatically decrease for those encumbered with negative mental states," continues the voice, oblivious to the profanities I am mentally projecting at her for speaking so loud.


    Purposefully ignoring the continued hints that I was in danger, for why else would I need to care about survival chances, I feel a warm, tingling sensation sweep across my face. I quickly opened my eyes, mentally berating myself for not preparing myself for the blinding light, and blink away the daze before focusing on my surroundings.


    -"Umm, Definitely not in Kansas anymore... I think."


    I am in, what I can best describe as an upright,metallic cylinder, tubes run down from what I assume to be the ceiling with a light green, bubbling liquid slowly pumping through them.


    -"And the mad scientist award goes to..."I had momentarily forgotten that the voice hadn''t given me her name, though I wasn''t sure I wanted to know. Something about curiosity killing the cat and all that.


    My eyes follow the direction that I think the liquid is flowing in as they disappear downwards, but without the ability to move my neck, I can''t see where they end. A sneaking suspicion tells me that I don''t want to know either.


    A screen flickers to life in front of me, drawing my attention with its simplistic display.


    The outline of what I think is a planet, two smaller circles above it, one red and the other giving a similar planetary vibe, off to its left appears.


    The voice emanates around me, though I can see no speakers. "The large planet is called Evo; this will be your new home. The planet has four major zones the..."


    The voice fades into the background as I try, and fail, to let out a sigh. The realisation that I can''t actually move, that I am being restrained, hits me hard.


    A heavy sensation forms in the pit of my stomach before slowly creeping upwards and I feel like the cramped metal coffin I am currently in, is getting smaller. Immediately noticing the the telltale signs of my wannabe claustrophobia emerging through the depths of my artificial calmness, I feel a cold shiver running down my spine.


    I call it wannabe claustrophobia because I don''t think it really fits in with what most people think or feel, but it similar enough that it''s a handy label. The feeling of being trapped when I can''t move freely, the skin too close to my body, people in my personal space or staying in one place for too long are my most prominent triggers.


    Ok, the last one may not be linked to claustrophobia, but they all result in the same response. Overwhelming aggression that would put the Hulk to shame. Not in terms of strength, he wins that one, but on the I will burn, maim and destroy anything that stands in my way at the drop of a hat.


    The problem was, even if I felt the beast growing inside of me, testing the walls of its imaginary cage, demanding that I start flailing around and destroy my own, there was nothing I could do, I was paralysed.


    The feeling of powerlessness continued to grow, and I felt the urge to growl, and it wasn''t the human, I''m pissed off kind. More the rapid dog that''s about to attack everyone in sight before tearing its own throat out.


    A jolt of pain flowed down my spine as my body reflexively shudders and the voice, now with an irritated tone, rises to get my attention. "Our readings indicate you are not listening. This is highly inadvisable as it will reduce your survival chances. As this seems to be due to psychological stress, we will remove your limited to speak. State your issue so we may continue."


    "I need to move my fingers." I almost shout out the moment I can feel my lips move. I start with the smallest request, knowing that screaming for them to let me out, or that I will rip their still beating hearts from their chests, would not end well. The beast inside was polite when it needed to be aka when it was muzzled.


    "No." The voice almost instantly replied.


    I felt my heart beat increasing. It seemed that although they could stop me from moving and somewhat control my emotions, whoever had kidnapped me couldn''t control my subconscious impulses.


    "I need to. Please," I begged, the roaring anger inside of me making me feel dirty for having to stoop so low but as I said before, I would do anything.


    The voice paused for a moment before responding. "Why?"


    "Coping mechanism," I splutter. "You won''t let me out of this metal box, or let me move too much, so I need to...," I paused, knowing how idiotic this would sound. "I need to push the skin away from my nails to calm myself. It... it keeps me calm."


    "Please wait," responded the voice.


    The seconds turn to minutes, or at least that''s the way it feels inside my prison, the barely restrained panic and resulting anger enabling me to ignore probably the most important questions. How the hell did I get myself into this mess?"Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    The voice roused me from my inner thoughts. "You request has been accepted as we have detected over twelve mental abnormalities and have decided this would be the most efficient way of achieving initial objectives. Please be warned, if you try to abuse your new found freedom, your orientation will be cancelled. You will have no future warnings."


    I felt my teeth grinding, but I did not respond. -"Oh no, please oh mighty voice, don''t cancel telling me information that obviously benefits you in some way. What would I do..."


    Yeah, I forgot to mention that being told what to do and restricting me is yet another one of my triggers. It seemed this disembodied voice or a bitch was going for a high score.


    The good news was before I can wind myself up anymore, I feel my fingers come to life and instantly relax as I push my fingers together, gently pushing the skin away from those damn nails. I was nowhere near to being calm, but thankfully having the freedom of my fingers and what ever mental tampering that had been done to me, it was barely enough to keep my cool.


    "Continuing." Said the voice once I took a deep, relaxing breath. "You have been enhanced with an agent that will rapidly increase the rate of... Evolution. This word is not adequate as there is no similar concept of it in your world that you have come across."


    Well, that confirmed it. Aliens had abducted me, or I had finally gone over to the dark side of insanity. Not sure which one is worse but I''d hedge my bets with the one that ended up with me in a metal box of warped emotions.


    "This type of evolution is not generational based but adaptive. It is affected by your emotions, thoughts, environment as well as needs. The stronger these conditions, the faster your body will change and adapt. This is to say, that your mind will affect your adaptations as much as your environmental needs."


    My mind was struggling to follow. Ignoring all of the standard fluff of evolution, it sounded like if I wanted something enough, my body would attempt to get it and if my body needed something badly enough, it would change my mind.


    The weight in my chest increased at the thought of something once again out of my control. -"What do they want from me?"


    Even though I thought the whole thing was ludicrous, on a deep level, I believed, without a doubt, every single word the voice spoke. -"I wonder if they are doing more than just regulating my emotions."


    "It is advised that you are careful with your actions, thoughts and emotions as well as what situations you place yourself in as this adaptive evolution has similar boons and pitfuls to its generational counterpart."


    "For the first one hundred and sixty-eight hours, the agent will be most effective, enabling you to evolve quickly and give you the best chances of success. This agent will continue to function until you die or are consumed by another."


    So basically you, or more likely someone else could royally screw you over if they wanted to. They could force you to change into something and then if it didn''t suit them, eat you.


    Ok, that might not be the first thought in their heads, but I was slightly more paranoid than your average bear.


    "Success? Why do I need to evolve? What have you pumped into me? Will I still be human? Why are you doing this? Who will be consuming? Are there other species? Is there a way to return home?" The barrage of questions left my mouth. I needed answers more so to keep the constant panic in check than anything else. Even with the ability to move my fingers and perform the ridiculous ritual that calmed me down, I was wound as tightly as a jack in the box.


    "All questions deemed irrelevant for your survival. We will now continue with the none critical orientation. It is ad-"


    "You keep saying I need to survive? Is this a test or some sick alien reality tv show?" I was sick of not getting any real answers. So far, everything could be summed up as ''You''re a freak we have abducted that is being used for our purposes and will likely die on this planet while being pumped full of glowing green shit. Try and make it interesting for us.''


    "Yes. You need to survive. It is the foundation on which most species are built upon." The voice paused as if considering something.


    "That and to procreate, however, we find that any situations that arise in the first four thousand, three hundred and eighty hours are unlikely to survive as the parents have not secured enough of a foundation for the increased burden. The only exceptions are those that have been adopted into other species societies. However, it is extremely rare for fertilisation to take place between species as the variance is significant."


    I noticed the voice ignored my second question, even if it was a bit flippant, and seemed to be giving me near useless information in order to distract me.


    "Many races show remarkable genetic similarities to humans, at least enough to make cross fertilisation possible for the females of the species. Some of them surprisingly have a reference in the culture of your world. It was investigated, but it appears that no cross contamination has previously occurred but the similarities are surprising consistency, so we are still investigating."


    The voice again paused, as if waiting to see if I would interrupt, which I didn''t. I doubt any male would be thinking with their lower brain at the moment, but then again, I had been sorely disappointed by the ones I had met. Stupid is as stupid does comes to mind.


    "I will now carry on with the Orientation."


    "Do I need to know the rest? You said that you had finished all the critical stuff." I interrupted. Yes, typically knowing how many hours in a day, if they were the same as the hours I used, what was edible and whatever other garbage the voice would spew might be useful but I needed out of this box before I do something stupid. Like, accept any of the bullshit an unknown voice is telling me while I am being pumped full of luminous green drugs in a metal box.


    Might be drugged, potentially fallen off the sanity band wagon and have anger management issues, but I am not stupid. I hope.


    I hope.


    "No, but statistics indicate that it will help your survival rating if you continue to listen," replied the voice in a tone that immediately got my back up. Well, it would of if I could move.


    "Then let''s get going. I want out."


    "Are you sure you wish to start early? You will land away from the rest of your race. Statistics indicate for social creatures such as your self; you should group up for the initial stages. The starting zone is relatively low risk, but that is only for the first few months."


    Social creatures huh. I had never really been social. Don''t get me wrong, I got incredibly lonely and craved human attention and, more often than not, affection but the moment I got it or was even close to the situation, I knew it wasn''t for me. Having to interact with others drained me to the point I would sometimes hide for days just to retain my sanity.


    "If it gets me out of here faster, let''s skip it." I knew I was stupid. The first rule of survival, excluding always be ready and, if you have to get into a fight, make sure the other guy doesn''t stand back up, was to get as much information as possible but I just couldn''t bring myself to believe the implications of what I was being told.


    Hopefully, I would just wake up in my bed when this was over.


    "Affirmative. You will be deployed four hours and thirty-seven minutes before the rest of your species. The travelling distance should be around thirty miles. Even with you starting in a relatively safe zone though it is strongly advised to meet with yo-"


    "I said let''s go. Before I change my mind and ask for a lawyer." It was a terrible joke, but I needed it. Witty I was not, but I could amuse myself, and that was something especially as my fingers attempted to draw blood from my palms.


    "Affirmative." The feminine voice echoed, a hint of disappointment.


    "It''s OK dear; It''s me, not yo~" My words are cut off as an excruciating pain wracks my body as it jerks about, smacking into the cold metal on all sides. The green liquid flowing at a much faster speed, quickly followed by blue.


    "Integration sequence has been sped up at the request of the subject. Possibility for complications and unseen mutations increased. Your viability ranking has been decreased while potential has increased."


    "My wha-"


    "Farewell Human. Survive long enough, and we may meet face to face," interrupted the voice in a mocking tone.


    "Fuck off. If I wanted to date a voice, it would be Morgan Freeman''s." Yeah, it was childish, but it made me feel better.


    I lost control of my speech. I guess that even that AI or whatever that voice came from doesn''t like to be insulted or rejected. Whatever, I was getting out of this box.


    Or not.


    The screen flickered and vanished. Apparently, it was mainly for the next bit of the talk, and the metal shell that was my prison slowly became transparent.


    My mind grinds to a halt. Maybe they stopped my ability to speak, or more likely scream, as they didn''t want to hear Earth''s vast arrange of swear words as I figuratively shit myself. I can''t even feel my body to know what it''s doing, but I can''t smell anything so. Hopefully, I am not standing in my own filth.


    The world that had appeared on the screen was far below me with the edges of, what I assumed to be space was in my peripheral.


    I absentmindedly noticed the red moon to the right and the unfamiliar landmasses and varying terrain on the world below, toostructured to be anything natural, but honestly, it wasn''t something I was willing to focus on at the moment.


    I move my eyes, still unable to even twitch my head and notice the hundreds, if not thousands of metal... pods surrounding mine, thick tubes of green liquid flowing into them.


    Looking back down. I now understand what the voice meant by land and a small part of me, really, really small, screams in the back of my mind as it runs in circles of excitement at potentially doing a space marine style orbital drop.


    The other part of me, the inner adult that likes to live is currently chasing it trying to stab the little fucker with an ice pick before shoving him in the waste disposal with a plunger.


    Clinking noises ring out around me as the blue liquids stop flowing, leaving see through tubes. I start thinking that my tiny little box isn''t so bad.


    I start thinking that my tiny little box isn''t so bad as the realisation of what is going to happen cement in my gut.


    Looking down again, I feel my stomach rise into my throat. -"Mind manipulation or not, this is going to be~."


    I feel more than hear the feminine voice laughing at me as the pod lurches, stopping a few moments before finally falling away.


    Mind and body scream in unison but no sound escapes my throat as I begin my plummet towards the alien planet, my mind so incoherent that I can''t even begin to form even the most basic of profanities.

 Chapter Two - Touch Down

    I would love to say that I made some sort of witty joke, as I plummeted towards the alien planet in my recently see through, shaking apart, metal box of death. I''d even settle for a cheesy film quote or some lyrics from an appropriate song, but if I said I had, I would be lying.


    If anything, instead of the stoic image of masculinity laughing in the face of his own demise I wished myself to be, I am pretty sure the only thing keeping whatever dignity I had left was the fact that I couldn''t open my mouth to scream. It would probably sound like a child having a fit after finding out Christmas was not only cancelled, but they were indirectly responsible for killing Santa after mowing down the easter bunnies family with an SUV while being chased by Freddy Krueger.


    In layman''s terms, I was shitting a brick.


    Thankfully, the terror of finding myself free falling from a height reserved for celestial beings, long term drug addicts or the occasional satellite was short lived, pretty much like the remaining moments of my life, and my brain started to work again. Or at least it tried, I am pretty sure it was either stuck on immature mode, or I was having a nervous breakdown. Maybe both.


    Deciding that praying to a god now was pretty pointless, and my backup plan of getting baptised on my deathbed wasn''t feasible, I mean, where do you find a falling priest, my mind calmed as I came to the only logical conclusion available.


    If this wasn''t a dream, then I was going to die regardless of what the voice indicated.


    Ignoring the fact of disembodied voices, what I can only assume to be a space ship, a red moon and two earth like planets, there was no way in hell I was going to survive this. And I was only ignoring those points as I was drowning in a sea of questions and what the fucks already.


    The rest was simple physics. Squishy human travelling at idiotic speeds typically reserved for comets, meeting an immovable object which, in this case, was a god damned planet.


    My options were pretty much nil, and by pretty much, I mean none existent. I was always told I had a thick skull, but I don''t think that would save me here.


    FML seven ways from Sunday, stick a fork in me, I''m done. Game over man, game freaking over.


    -"Least it will be quick. With any luck, I will hit something that deserves it."


    Morbid thoughts I know, but it made me feel a little better. Not the fact of hitting some innocent in a warped sense of taking someone with me, but that my end would be quick.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Plus how likely was it that I was going to hit someone that deserved a small headache? Lifes not that helpful, especially to me. My current predicament a good indicator on how things generally go. Well, this case is a bit extreme but along the right lines.


    Only moments have passed since I started distracting myself with the thought of crash landing into some arsehole who deserves it, ideally someone in charge of kidnapping extraterrestrials and dropping them from space when raging flames explode around me.


    The blinding flames don''t last long before dissipating and allowing me to get a good look at my soon to be killer. -"Looks like I have broke orbit. "


    No longer able to see the other moon or planet, my vision is now filled with a scene that looks eerily like a child''s playmate. Instead of Godzilla sized cows and a farmer you would immediately lock up and throw away the key, small clusters of dark green litter the ocean of sprawling light green. Browny-grey and white lumps, which I assumed to be mountains are to my left and right, quickly gaining shape due to my rapid descent.


    -"Those must be some really tall mountains. That or my times up."


    It surprises me how calm I am taking my imminent demise. Maybe I was more messed up than I thought, or maybe my abductees brain manipulation was just that good. It also could have been that I had just accepted that instead of a blinding light at the end of the tunnel, I was going to be making my own. A direct line to hell.


    I try to sigh, forgetting my useless body is in league with my enemies and unable to respond. -"I hope this isn''t the universes way for killing me for my crappy sense of humour. I mean, maybe I should have paid attention to the view or had some deep and meaningful thoughts. That''s what normal people would do, right?"


    Without warning, not that I would have been any better prepared in my current state, my soon to be flat coffin rapidly fills with a thick, blue liquid, giving me just enough time to hold my breath before I am submerged and start to slowly bob up and down.


    Not being able to do anything and still suffering from that surreal state of mind where I can think and panic at the same time, I can only curse everyone and everything I have ever known, seen or heard about before realising, I was dead anyway so what did it matter.


    -"Yay, limited time offer. Down then splat or splat while drowning. Classy. Wonder if someone is going to double tap whatever remains of my corpse or if they will nuke me from orbit, you know just to be sure they fucking killed me. I''m not a fucking Terminator. A simple shot to the head or a gentle stab would have been enough."


    Anger swells in my gut, but I know it''s pointless. I resist the urge to breathe for as long as possible but, unless I grew gills, I wasn''t winning this battle. It wasn''t long before I was forced to breathe in the cold, foul tasting liquid.


    Giving a mental flip of ye old middle finger to whatever entity was getting a jolly out of this, I had just about resigned myself for death when what felt like an explosion shook my insides. My vision dimmed, gradually turning black as pain flared through my body. My last thoughts were, how on Earth, or not for this matter, was I still thinking if I had just hit a planet?


    -"Damn trolling brain. Can''t even let me die in peace."

 Chapter Three - New World

    I slowly regain consciousness, feeling a gentle breeze caressing my skin as I tentatively move my body into a more comfortable position, much to the relief of my aching muscles.


    Letting out a dark chuckle, I can''t help but focus on my slow, rhythmic heartbeat.


    -"Still alive huh? Suppose that''s something."


    The itchy impression of grass, the breeze and the fact that I have never, in my entire life, woken up with this much clarity was not a good sign and I couldn''t help but mutter a curse as I rubbed my arms to be rid of the pins and needles that plagued them.


    Typically after waking up from a nightmare like that, you would be all sweaty and frantic, but here I was, obviously outside in the great outdoors and as cool as a cucumber.


    Heaving a sigh of defeat, I take a steady breath.


    -"Better get this over with."


    I slowly open my eyes, blinking rapidly to clear my blurred vision, before letting out a depressed sigh and closing them again.


    -"Nope, reality rejected. Please try again."


    The image of what I had just seen, burned into my mind''s eye. A beautiful star lit sky looms high above me with a full, pale red moon hovering somewhere near its zenith.


    After a few choice words, someone would probably think I had Tourette''s at the moment, I counted to ten and opened my eyes again only to find the same scene before quickly shutting them.


    -"Yep, that damn moon is still there. One more time, you know, because three is the magic number and I don''t have my sparkling red shoes that will take me home if I click my heels a couple of times."


    Obviously, the red moon is still there, its small craters and scarred surface coming together to form, at least in my mind, a mocking face that irritates as much as terrifies me with the realisation of my situation.


    -"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck."


    I know some people say that swearing is just for those with a limited vocabulary, but I am not swearing because I am trying to express my situation in a single word. I am doing it because it makes me feel somewhat better when by all rights I should be a weeping ball of lard who''s brain has just fried. Then again, I am alone on an alien world... who''s going to tell me off? The intergalactic swear police? Maybe they can give me a ride home after I pay my fine.


    I repress the anger and confusion at my situation knowing that it would not be good as if I lose my cool. An angry...


    -"Wait? What is my name?"


    Minutes tick past as I try and remember my name only to discover something slightly more worrying. I can''t remember anyone who means anything to me. Sure there are vague memories of people smiling and I seem to be happy, but that''s it.


    Even more disturbing is that I don''t seem to actually care that I have these huge blanks in my memory as if it was unimportant. It''s like someone wiped all the bits that made me... well, me but left in as much information as they could and then decided to erase my feelings on the subject.


    I grind my teeth in frustration.


    -"They could of at least fixed me why they were at it."


    Letting out another sigh, really I would make an old sailor proud with my moping and cursing these days, I raise my hand to the sky, blotting out the moon as if to deny its existence when I freeze in shock.


    I jump to my feet, staggering like a new born lamb before finally straightening up and flexing my muscles and bursting into a small dance as a weight I didn''t realise I was carrying, lifts off my shoulder.


    -"I can move again!"


    I may be on an alien world, but I am in a nice open space and can move again.


    -"Who ever said I was a pessimist has never been locked in a... The pod!"


    Looking around frantically, all I can see are meandering grassy hills bathed in the reddy purple light of the moon. No metal box, no indentations in case it was still in its ''stealth'''' mode, no crater or hole. Nothing. My box of death was no more.


    If I hadn''t experienced my own planetary fall moment, I would even go as far to say that I had been teleported to another world with the lacking evidence of my arrival. Well, actually if I hadn''t experienced that first bit, I would be declaring I was in a lucid dream and trying my hand at procuring some female company. Alas, just like my lucid dreams, it was not meant to be.


    The breeze rustled the short grass, and a lone, distant howl brought me to my senses. Little did I want to admit it, but I was starting to regret not listening to the voices survival hints. Irrational fear of an enclosed space or not, that stupidity could, or more than likely would, get me killed.


    Laughing, I shook my head. -"First time I am telling myself off for not listening to the voices. Oh well, time to man up and accept the facts. Something tells me that this isn''t Kansas anymore and sitting here like a lemon isn''t going to make lemonade... oh god I hope I don''t get made into lemonade."If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    OK, maybe manning up was a strong word for my brain as it kept making light of the situation but I couldn''t really help that. You have to work with the tools you are given and all that jazz, faulty brain or not.


    Looking around, I try and gather all the facts together, separating what I had been told, which could easily be a lie or mistruth, and what I had experienced, which I really hoped to be a little more factual, dismissing that apparently my brain had been tampered with.


    Immediately ignoring that I might just be some test tube baby or clone with memories implanted because... well who wanted to go down that route and shifted through what I thought I knew.


    I had woken up in a metal pod paralysed, had a conversation with a voice that gave information as it supposedly injected me with some strange concoction and messed with my mind, dropped from space and then regained consciousness in the middle of nowhere on an alien world.


    Well, I didn''t say working anything out would be easy.


    My thinking had apparently changed, though my issues remained which gave support to the mind alteration theory, though I could just be really good at handling mind breaking situations.


    -"Denial, got to love it and I am not talking about the place in Egypt... I am really glad I didn''t say that out loud, even if there is no one here to hear it. Must resist tree falling joke before I kill myself. Not even alone for... however long it has been and I am already cracking up."


    Forcing my mind to pay attention, I start thinking about how the world around me felt so real, yet so foreign, solidifying the idea that this was indeed an alien world.The only alternative I could think of was that I somehow found myself in a similar dome as the Trueman Show, which let''s face it, was probably more ludicrous than being abducted by aliens.


    The wolf-like howl in the distance was something I couldn''t quite place yet. I seriously doubted they would have wolves if this were an alien world. Unless they got them so we, as in humans, assuming I wasn''t the only one, could feel more at home as we were ripped apart. If that was the case I would have to start questioning my mysterious abductor''s motives.


    Shaking my head, I pushed the thought from my mind. That was one question I definitely couldn''t answer at the moment, and if I did come up with something I started to believe, it would taint my perception. Best to go with the ''it could be anything'' for the moment and not stifle my mind.


    A low grumbling causes me to look down at my stomach, and I realise that not only am I starving but my throat is as dry as a dessert. As in, I felt like I might actually faint if I waited too much longer to find some sustenance.


    I frowned, finding it weird that I had not really noticed it before as well as the fact that I had confirmed something I had been trying to ignore.I am as naked as the day I was born, minus the blood, mucus and hand heavy doctor, thankfully.


    After checking that my male anatomy is still intact, which was what I was really worried about, and that I don''t have any mysterious scars or devices in places they shouldn''t be, I take a deep breath and face the star lit sky and release a maniacal laugh that would make any evil mastermind stand and applaud.


    -"Fuck this and whatever bastard decided I was easy pickings. They want a show, I''ll give them a show they won''t forget."


    I had no clue what was going on but it seemed like the only way was not just to survive, but to thrive.


    Modern humans don''t survive very well in the wild, but they had more knowledge than their prehistoric ancestors and all I had to do was draw on my basic instincts and infuse as much useful knowledge as possible.


    Easier than it sounded but what did I have to lose.


    Walking towards the closest hill, my steps steadying as I clench and relax my fists, I take deep calming breaths as I start analysing my environment.


    Even with the pale red light, my eyes squint to make out the details of my surroundings, and I quickly deduct three things as I curse my lack of ability to see in the darkness.


    The first was that the land around me, bar lots and lots of grass, was barren of anything that I could eat or drink which at the moment, was a severe handicap.


    Letting out a stifled rumble of irritation, more beast-like than any I had before, I wished that it was at least daytime or that I could see better in the dark. It seemed like the entire universe was against me and I wasn''t above letting my anger be known to the formless entity.


    The second thing I noticed, thanks to the many documentaries I had watched, was that the shorter grass at the tops of the hills around me occasionally had, what looked like large lumps of dirt indicating some sort of herbivore had been chowing down.


    And the third was by combining the facts that something that eats grass and shits stayed at the top of the hill where it had a clear field of vision and that howl earlier, that there were predators about.


    If there was no Sheppard or whatever to look after them, it was safe to assume that the prey could either run fast, defend themselves or a mixture of the two.


    That was if I was lucky and they lacked intelligence.


    I was on an alien world after all and every scenario I could think of was bad news. Think face hugging pig from hell with laser beams for eyes and a taste for foreign foods.


    Deciding that I needed to continue exploring, I started towards the next hill as I pray to every known and unknown God that there are no clown like creatures here. That would well and truly ruin my existence.


    Stubbing my toe on an unseen rock, I fall to the ground clutching my foot as I release a barrage of profanities that would make a mass murdering convict sweat and back away.


    It wasn''t just that I stumped my toe, it was that I was starting to realise how well and truly fucked I was.


    I was in an unknown territory, ignoring the whole alien planet thing for the moment, that had evidence of lethal threats without even a scrap of clothing let alone a weapon or the possibility of aid were non-existent.


    The time for silliness was over. While I was resigned to my fate while stuck in an impossible situation, when I had even the smallest of chances, I would grasp hold of it like a rabid pitbull with lock jaw and not even death would get me to let go.


    -"Water, weapon and food, shelter."


    Reaching the crest of the next hill I look around and in the eerie light spotted some white cow-like shapes in the distance, mainly because the top half of the other blue planet was on the horizon illuminating their silhouettes which only reminded me that this wasn''t the planet I was born on.


    If life on this accursed rock was anything like Earth. Animals need to eat and drink. If they were here and not just migrating through, then they could lead me to a source of water. Once that was done, I could focus on food, which would more than likely be them but I didn''t have to tell them that.


    Cramps erupted from my stomach, almost bringing me to my knees as if in protest of my previous thoughts but luckily the pain soon diminished.


    -"What the hell? Why am I so hungry."


    I quickly glance back at the creatures in the distance, making sure my sudden movement didn''t scare them, thinking that if I could see them, they could see me, before letting out a sigh of relief even as I started to frown.


    -"Why does it seem to be getting brighter since I woke up? It doesn''t look like the sun is anywhere near the horizon."


    Shrugging my shoulders, I hunch as I start heading towards the creatures in the distance, keeping myself low enough on the hill to just about make out their outlines while masking my own.


    As I creep forward, I listen carefully, trying to pick up even the faintest of sounds.


    -"Don''t want to turn from hunter to hunted if I can help it."

 Chapter four - Freedom isnt free

    Creeping around the edges, making sure I kept as much cover between me and the cow-like silhouettes milling around the top of a nearby hill, now no more than a few hundred yards from me, I tried to keep my breath and thunderous heartbeat steady.


    The short distance I had travelled had taken me, what felt like, years as I carefully picked my path out in the pale red moonlight, keeping to the shadows and contours of the land as much as I could. It didn''t help that I regularly stopped to check my surroundings, making sure the breeze was heading in my direction as I listened for any threat.


    I was by no means an expert and had no experience in stalking anything other than my fridge or whoever was carving the Sunday roast so I could get the best bits, but I used every ounce of knowledge I had to try and increase the chance that I wouldn''t be spotted. I didn''t even know what the white, cow-like creatures were, let alone their capabilities but I decided to take no chances. For all I knew, they could be a tip of a flesh eating plant, designed to lure in unsuspecting creatures before slowly digesting them over countless weeks.


    I silently chuckled to myself realising that my paranoia might actually be extremely useful in this world.


    It was also weird that the most helpful bits of information, even if I didn''t know they were any use, were the copious amounts of so called, useless knowledge, that I had picked up from animal documentaries, books and the occasional youtube video. In fact, I had so many ideas on how to approach this problem it was more of a struggle to sort the crap from the good than to decide on a course of action.


    I sighed, probably louder than I should have as I took a quick peek to make sure my targets haven''t moved too far or heard me.


    My thoughts were starting to drift in the deafening silence.


    What can I say? I had been crippled by the constant stimulus of the 21st century, and my brain seemed to like to fill in the boring gaps with rubbish instead of doing its job and paying attention to help its body to survive. The latest diversion was in the form of my favourite naturalist. I was trying to recall everything I knew about how predators stalked their prey, but as the fountain of knowledge started to run dry, he had turned against me like all my other sources.


    -"And the human, naked as a Jaybird, stalks his elusive prey," said a David Attenborough-like voice in my mind. -"Though its chances are nearly non-existent, and it has no clue to what its doing, its stubbornness and pride are a testament to its stupidity as it continues to stalk its unknown prey."


    "Shut it brain." I hiss under my breath, realising my mistake almost immediately.


    -"We now see that the strain is too much for the weak human mind, and, while talking to a figment of his imagination, has potentially ruined what little chance he had. Who knows if he has what it takes to survive in this grass waste-"


    My internal mocking is cut short as I stand on another, very painful, sharp stone and suck in a deep breath, so I don''t scream something so vile, it would cost the lives of countless kittens somewhere.


    -"Why the hell are there so many blood sharp stones in a damn grassland?"


    Kicking the stone away, too small to be used for anything other than hobbling a poor, soft footed creature like myself, I released my breath and crouch down.


    Repeatedly taking a few calming breaths, as the anger once again threatened to take control, I wearily check the shadows around me because, with the way things have been going recently, I am pretty sure Life hasn''t finished shiting on me yet.


    After a few moments, I had beaten the rage into submission, pushing it deep down into its cage and thrown away the key. Yes, the entrance to the cage may be an old wooden door, rotting and looking like it could fall apart at the drop of a hat but it was all I could manage at the moment. Self-restraint had never been one of my strong points.


    -"This world is really trying to piss me off."


    Flexing my muscles as best I could, hearing a slight pop, without moving too much, another trick I had picked up from somewhere; I tensed my stomach as the cramps continued. The pain wasn''t half as bad as earlier, but it was still rippling through my body as my thirst attempted to drive me insane. It was like you had died, was mummified in hell, resurrected in the middle of a dessert before being staked in the sun and had half a ton of salt poured into your mouth.


    Usually, I would berate myself for such comparisons, my parents and society had long ago beaten into me the theory that because I was born privileged, as in I didn''t have to fight to survive on a daily basis, I had no right to complain about thirst or hunger. For that matter, Not finishing everything on your plate, even if you were stuffed, was almost considered a sin. No wonder we had obesity problems.


    -"This isn''t Earth, so I can complain all I want. No one here to listen to me anyway."


    Just thinking about the warped logic that modern society had somehow come up with, even in the age of science and enlightenment, caused me to grind my teeth.


    I wouldn''t consider myself a smart man, I was far from it, but most of the concepts were either ludicrous to me or, more often than not, so blatantly benefited someone else while putting you at a disadvantage that you had to be a complete moron to go along with the flow. Unfortunately, most people I knew fell into this category.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ''Oh, sorry for being born like I am, I will make amends to every other person who isn''t me. Here, take my heart and a pound of flesh. Can we be friends now? No? OK.'' What a stupid concept. It was almost as ridiculous as when a minority or discriminated group decided that equality meant that they were above everyone else while using the same techniques on others that left them feeling so downtrodden. It was bizarre. To me, it seemed that the people that screamed about equality most were often the ones who abused it so blatantly.


    I shook my head, realising that I was making the same mistake. For the actions of a few, I was painting everyone with the same brush. Yes, there were theories that it was just human nature, that we needed to categorise everything, or we would grind to a halt with sensory overload, but the human race had somehow convinced itself that we were not animals but something better. And I don''t mean the negative stereotype of calling someone an animal but the flesh and blood, bone and sinew type.


    I am pretty sure we just got to the top of the food chain and became arrogant, not that we reached some enlightened point in our evolution but meh, the crab people hadn''t arisen to put us in our place yet and I wasn''t even on Earth anymore.


    As I continued to think about my old world and hangups, I start to feel better.


    Minus the small pit deep in my stomach from not being able to remember anyone of any significance in my life, this was a fresh start, wasn''t it? Without the world''s cultural and religious logic, generally to keep those in authority, in power, as they point the middle finger at those below them, this world technically was ''pure'', and we were free to start again.


    Not that I ever did anything about the way things worked on Earth, I was too busy putting on masks to fit in, then dealing with the shit that happened when I dropped myself in it and people saw the real me.


    It wasn''t that I was an axe wielding psycho. I had no criminal record and those who were just acquaintances often sung my praises, but I was most certainly not the norm and more often than not, what people saw sent them running for their pitchforks and flaming torches screaming burn the heretic.


    I learnt very quickly to suppress my thoughts and fit in. The nail that sticks out gets the hammer as my grandfather once said.


    The pit in my stomach grows and for the first time since waking up. I miss something badly and feel a tightness behind my eyes. The feeling isn''t the normal missing of something. It is grief, regret, anger and helplessness.


    I guess my grandfather was no longer of either world. Sure, hope it isn''t true that we only truly die when people forget us.


    I feel my head start to hurt. I had always believed that memories were what made our personalities but, I seemed to be acting and thinking as usual, excluding the artificial calm. If that was the case, then what makes us who we are? I had huge gaps of critical people which should of pretty much defined me yet my memories fit with my actions.


    Shaking my head to dislodge the impending philosophical debate, I return to my feet and notice the creatures had moved closer.


    -"Crap, just how deep in thought did I just go."


    Clenching my jaw, I remind myself I can''t let that happen here. One wrong move or moment of distraction, and I could be dead. Yes, I hadn''t seen any evidence that this place was as dangerous as I thought it was, but from what I knew, and what that damn voice had told me, I was starting to believe more and more that this planet was a petri dish of components. One in which I was only a small, insignificant part which more than likely, would be used as a building block for something else''s benefit.


    -"I need to get stronger. Quickly."


    Straining every sense I had, forcing myself to pay attention every to detail, I restarted my slow march forward as I slid into the shadows lower down the hill.


    One of my biggest weaknesses at the moment was knowledge. Once I had got myself sorted, I needed to find the other humans and learn what they had gained from the voice. I was running blind, over an old bridge that spanned a void and I didn''t like it one bit.


    Forcing my heart beat to slow as I continued my deep, almost silent breaths, I suddenly stopped as a realisation hit me like a speeding truck.


    Not only was I controlling my heart rate and breath at a phenomenal level, not that I could control it before, and that my movements had become more natural and silent, but I could see very clearly, even as the blue world was disappearing behind the curve of the planet.


    I could see in the dark.


    -"Adaptive mutation." My brain spun as it started to put things together and then, almost as fast, finding dead ends, questions and black holes of doom, ground to a halt.


    Almost releasing a snarl, I pushed the thoughts from my head. Now was not the time. I needed to find out if those white furred cows had sharp teeth, horns, laser eyes or other hidden weapons.


    Adaptive mutation initially seemed beneficial, but when it sounded like every creature on this damned planet had it, and no two might be the same, it very quickly descended into the luck of the draw when encountering another creature. The laws of nature did not apply here.


    I swallowed as I continued to suppress my presence and analyse my surroundings. If the cow creatures were dangerous, one of two things would happen. I would die, or I would set the record for fastest human in this world.


    Suddenly, a cold tingle swept over my skin and my heart skipped a beat, causing me to drop into a crouch, feeling, rather than seeing, that I was in danger.


    Part of me wanted to believe that I had just freaked myself out over the cows, but deep down I knew.


    I wasn''t alone.


    My steady heartbeat echoed in my ears as my eyes continuously scanned the surroundings, searching for anything that would give me a clue on what I was dealing with.


    Without knowing the limits of this adaptive mutation, anything could be out there, looking at the new arrival while smacking its lips in anticipation of the feast to come.


    Time slowly passed, and I grimaced. The feeling wasn''t leaving. I was the prey. -"Not good."


    A flicker of a shadow drew my attention, causing my head to snap to the left and muscles to tense, ready to dodge, run or even attack if I had to.


    Sure I had no weapons, but if I was going to die, I was at least going to try and cause some damage.


    A quote from a film I once watched lightened my plummeting mood somewhat. -"I hope I give you the shits."


    My stomach painfully cramped as the last of the moisture in my mouth left. I somehow knew I was running on empty, but that wasn''t important right now. Survive now, eat later.


    Slowly, as if wanting to create as much fear in me as possible, the ground bulged and then split, revealing a large, dog sized creature.


    Even though I could somewhat see with my recent adaptation, the creature had come from the darkest shadows at the foot of the hill so I could only make out rows of foot long spikes, running down its back and sides and a whip like tail.


    The tail swayed slowly, from side to side as if to distract me as the mutant porcupine-dog thing released a small hiss.


    "Fuck."

 Chapter Five - Breaking of Chains [Draft]

    Shadows, surrounded by the purplish tint cast by the red moon, sprawled in between the hills like twisting monstrosities as the faint scent of grass floated across the breeze.


    Even though the view was completely alien to me, it was a beautiful scene, or at least it would have been if it wasn''t for the dog-like creature that had dug itself from the earth and slowly started to reduce the distance between us as it stalked forward.


    -"Why is it that the most beautiful things are always the most deadly. Not the dog thing though. That''s a train wreck of a horror film if I had ever seen one."


    The beast''s black, vicious spikes rose and fell with each silent, almost unnoticeable breath as clogs of dirt fell to the ground before tumbling down the slope. The falling earth broke up the outline of the creature, being hidden in the darkest of shadows, causing my overactive mind to contemplate that this could be more than a mere, flesh and blood entity.


    For all I knew, it was. Stranger things had happened to me recently.


    Deep in the recesses of my mind, thousands of thoughts crashed into each other. Some in shock on how much my four senses, ignoring taste, seemed to improve, some were asking why the creature had the shape of a dog on an alien world but most focused on the small issue of how the hell I was going to survive to witness another sunrise.


    Luckily for me, with each step the creature took, the tingling fear that raced up my spine and set my hair on edge began to diminish, absorbed by the numb abyss of whatever had been done to my mind.


    Apart from the anger that was simmering menacingly underneath, my panicked thoughts settled and soon I was analysing my opponent with cold, calculating logic.


    -"What''s the worst that can happen? I die from being chewed instead of starvation, thirst, disease, alien overlord or some other crap that I have no control over. Least this way I can have my pound of flesh."


    It probably sounds strange for one who has the semi irrational hatred of small, enclosed spaces and has a new healthy respect for heights, bordering on a phobia, but I had no problems facing my own mortality. If anything, there was a part of me that looked forward to the endless sleep. Where I wouldn''t have to deal with the mundane crap that was called life. It wasn''t a big part, and I would never intentionally speed it up, but neither would I go to the other extreme and try and live forever.


    I chuckled. -"Who am I kidding. My pride and stubbornness would never allow me to give up. Even though I do not fear death, if it would inconvenience my opponents, I would fight tooth and nail to remain in the world of the living."


    The female, disembodied voice echoed in my mind as, for some unknown reason, I replayed what she had said about adaptive evolution. -"Thought, emotion and need huh? Then wouldn''t life and death situations be the ideal catalyst? Though it looks like the emotional blocker is a double edged sword. Yes, it may keep us alive by keeping us thinking, but it also limits our growth during the week time limit if it is what drives the process."


    Though I initially discarded everything the voice said that I couldn''t prove, my control over my body and ability to see in the dark had provided, at least with some reasonable doubt, that what she said had some merit.


    Without realising it, once again I had become lost in thought, and it was only the sudden movement of the creatures golden eyes, locking onto mine, that brought me back.


    Staring into its eyes, I sighed, crossing off the hope that the creature could just be a disturbed herbivore defending its territory. -"Definitely a predator."


    I was as much of an unknown to it as it was to me, and so it was extremely cautious, yet when I refused to break eye contact, staring back in full defiance of being looked at like a cheap take away meal after a night out, the creature snarled, revealing rows of razor sharp teeth.


    I grimaced. -"A scary as fuck predator with lots of teeth."


    Strangely, instead of fear, I feel my lips curl into a smile, and although I can''t see it, I assume it is not a very friendly gesture as the creature flinches.


    A shiver of excitement runs down my spine. -"Great, seems my little fall has turned me into an adrenaline junkie."


    Pushing any unnecessary thoughts to the back of my mind, I focus.


    I had three options, each as terrible as the last. I could bluff, run or, if I felt incredibly lucky, which going by everything so far, I wasn''t, I could fight.


    The creature was not only was the size of the dog, but had a very similar vibe regarding its body structure and, coupled with the sensation of my stomach being pierced with a thousand flaming swords from whatever was causing the cramp, running didn''t seem like a good option. It was probably faster than me, and I would lose any advantage I had if I turned my back.


    Fighting a creature that looked like a porcupine, Pitbull and shark''s evil love child didn''t seem that great an idea either, so I decided on my only alternative, to try and bluff.


    Maintaining eye contact with Spikes, the name I had given my current arch nemesis, I lowered my stance and brought my arms up slightly, copying a martial art I attempted to learn at one point that focused on utilising your opponents momentum and power against them. It was a shame I decided that it would never be used and abandoned like many of the rest but hindsight''s a bitch and life is full of regrets.


    The goal was to make myself look as intimidating as possible while getting into the best position possible in case the critter decided that shish kabob human was on the menu.


    "HHIIIIIIIISSSS~."


    A reptilian hiss, the kind that makes your blood freeze in your veins, erupted from the creature''s mouth as its spikes shook, generating a haunting scraping sound. It was a very impressive lesson on how to intimidate your foe.


    -"Consider me schooled... Spikes 1, me 0."


    Intelligence flashed across the creatures, beautiful yet haunting, silver eyes, and I swear I almost saw its lips curve into a sneer as the creature shifted its weight to its back legs and lifted its front half off the floor.


    I had spectacularly lost the first, pre fight mind battle yet I could not figure out if we were going for round two, or the bell was about to be rung to start the main event.


    I didn''t have to wait long for an answer.


    Without warning, two small barbs shot out from its back legs, completely hidden in Spike''s black fur, one missing my head by a fraction of an inch while the other slammed into my shoulder with a sickening thud.


    It happened so fast that even with my night vision, I hadn''t seen the projectiles or felt any pain, even as I glanced down and watched the blood stream down my chest. -"That''s going to leave a bruise in the morning."


    Almost as if the universe had enough of my terrible jokes, even if I was keeping them to myself at the moment, searing pain erupted, engulfing my left side and nearly staggering me to my knees.


    Spike, sensing my momentary weakness, took a step forward, its silver eyes sparkling with malevolent intent and with the expression, I could only link to licking its lips in anticipation.


    Gritting my teeth, I steadied myself.


    I had lost the bluff and even incurred an injury that removed any possibility that I could run. In fact, an injury, even if it wasn''t as severe as mine looked, in an unknown landscape was a serious handicap and could easily prove fatal.


    -"Seems like that bitch Fate has made the decision for me."


    Even with the crippling pain, I felt my features twist into a feral snarl as I began utilising my new found control over my heart and lungs, pushing them into overdrive. I didn''t really know what I was doing, and I was probably going to die, but some sick, twisted part inside of me was determined that if it was indeed my time, I was going to give this spiky fuck a nervous twitch for the rest of its days and a hearty dose of indigestion.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    The simmering anger in my gut started to boil.


    An old man''s face, white hair pooling off to the sizes as his light blue eyes glowed with the intensity of life, appeared in my mind''s eye. ''It''s sad, but you will never know who you truly are until you are starring Death''s messenger in the face. Many fall into despair, others will try and gracefully accept their fate, but for a small few, they realise that, though they have nothing left to lose, they refuse to be relegated to history and the once was. Those people, with their new found conviction, will change the world. Though for good or bad, only time will tell.''


    The wizened man revealed a sad smile as he tapped a jagged scar running down his arm. ''If you are anything like me, my grandson, I pity the idiot who forces you into a corner because they will discover that, instead of the helpless, hairless monkey it thought it had cornered, it is facing a raging lion.''


    My muscles slightly relaxed and the pain starts to dim as my face hardens. The memory, of a person from my past with words that seemed complete and utter nonsense yet, in my current situation, were like a life buoy thrown to a drowning man, causing my hair to stand on end.


    The memory was the proverbial stick that broke the camels back and all the emotions that had been muted burst forth. Fear, uncertainty, doubt flittered amongst the swirling vortexes of anger and frustration.


    I wanted to scream out at the injustice of my situation. I wouldn''t say I was a good man, but I had never done anything malicious that wasn''t deserved, yet here I stood. On an alien world, with no real idea what was going on, about to be ripped apart by some freak of nature and for what?


    This wasn''t some act of God or butterfly effect, and even if I was chosen somewhat randomly, just another unknown test subject, to me, this was personal and the desire to make someone pay was overwhelming.


    "Fuck you, fuck this and fuck everything you stand for." My voice broke the silence, horse sounding and laced with wrath.


    It didn''t matter to me that the animal in front of me was probably in the same situation. It didn''t matter than it was only obeying the laws of nature, survival of the fittest, that it could have a family, friends maybe even some sort of dog like religion where it was the head priest.All that mattered that it stood against me.


    All that mattered that it stood against me and in doing so, needed to die.


    My foot slammed into the ground as I took a step forward, muscles coiling underneath my skin as I released a sub conscious growl.


    They wanted uncontrolled evolution, to see what would happen when mankind was pushed to its limits. I was more than willing to show them though, if I ever had even the smallest chance, I would make them regret they were born.


    The growl that started out incredibly human deepened until I faintly felt my chest vibrate though most of the sound was blotted out by the thunderous beating of my heart.


    As a human, I was average at best but here, on an alien world with nothing but my birthday suit, the need to be something more, yet less, solidified. A new devil had been born and, casting my inner child and adult aside, it started building its throne of skulls. Its promise of vengeance and blood, as sweet and intoxicating as a lover''s touch.


    Hooping noises, probably the alert call of the cow-like creatures, rose into the air as the rubble of a small stampede started to fade in the opposite direction. I paid it no mind as I stopped repressing my emotions, using the frustrations and anger to add fuel to my inner fire as I demanded everything I could from my body.


    The black barb in my shoulder was ejected by the sheer pressure of blood pounding through my veins, which soon mixed with the sweat streaming my body as I continued to growl, faintly wondering just where on earth I had managed to get so much air into my lungs as I had not taken a breath in some time.


    In my peripheral, I could see a faint glimmer of steam rising off my body, probably the result of increasing my heart rate. The inner adult screamed that I needed to stop and calm down, but he was instantly silenced by his new room mate, disembowelled and sent hurling into the dark recesses of my mind. This wasn''t the time for half measures.


    I would kill or be killed, eat or be eaten. To hesitate was death.


    Those that I needed to protect or impress were not here. They were no longer relevant. The chains that had shackled me on Earth where missing and with it, I felt truly alive as I teetered on the edge of Death''s blade.


    The beast within roared in triumph, raising its voice to declare that a new predator was born. One that would not cower in the darkness like my ancestors had, but own it.


    My throat stung, and my lungs finally deflated.


    It wasn''t the beast bellowing into the night sky, it was me and... it felt good~.


    Emotions raged inside as my eyes once again locked onto the creature who had driven me to this point, who, instead of attacking while I was dealing with my inner turmoil, had actually taken a few steps back. The confidence that had once emanated from its eyes now showing the distinct hints of fear.


    I stomped forward again, and the creature retreated, however, when I took the next step, it seemed that my aggressive actions had gone too far and the beast lurched forward, using its powerful back legs to leap into the air and towards my chest.


    -"Inner legs, inner arms, throat and stomach. Eyes."


    Stooping lower into my crouch, I watched the creature approach as I quickly made a mental list of all the area''s I didn''t want it to find.


    When it was no more than a few feet away, I lifted my left arm, the damage to the shoulder making it useless for anything other than a shield, and presented it to the approaching teeth as I started to fall backwards, preparing to take the animal''s attack with as little damage as possible.


    Pain once again shot through my nerves as the sharp teeth closed on my forearm and I prayed that the creature did not have a powerful bite. Thin sharp teeth often indicated an animal that rendered the flesh from its prey instead of a crushing bite, but there were always exceptions, especially for those that could regrow their teeth.


    -"What if it has a poisonous bite?"


    Even as I threw myself back, bringing my knees to my chest with my feet pointing upwards, my mind was coming up with problems that it was already too late to solve.


    -"What is done, is done. The spikes were more likely to be poisoned anyway... which would explain the crushing pain followed by spreading numbness. Add in the fact my heart is beating as fast as a sugar-filled, diabetic kid in a candy shop, if its bad, I am already fucked so why worry."


    Time seemed to slow, but if that was because Death was preparing to welcome me into his cold embrace, my senses were in overdrive or some sort of adaptation, I did not know or care. It gave me just about enough time to come up with a plan, even if I had already wasted the first opportunity.


    My back slammed into the ground and was already sliding to the bottom of the mini valley as my feet shot upwards, smashing into the unprotected stomach of Spike, that was currently distracted using my arm as a chew toy.


    I needed to reset the fight and get him to attack again, and for that, I needed distance.


    Whether due to landing a devastating blow, shock that it had been hit or just because it had decided that the arm was now useless, the creature released its grip but it was too late.


    Spinning helplessly in the air, the creature flew over my head and awkwardly hit the ground, though not before using its tail which turned out to be incredibly sharp, to leave a bleeding trail across my chest and cheek.


    Somehow I had known what was happening and managed to move my head to the side just in time or, in addition to the scarlet trail of blood, I would be missing an eye.


    Without pause, I heaved myself to my feet, twisting so I could keep an eye on my opponent as I twitched my muscles and tentatively stretched to gauge the damage.


    -"Not good."


    I needed to be faster, I needed to be stronger. I needed to heal these wounds or, even if I somehow won, I would be crippled. My skin was too weak, the creature had munched on me as if I was a wet paper bag filled with tasty morsels.


    My muscles, along with my stomach screamed in agony as my heart hammered into my ribs. I could not see much of my arm, having only spared a quick glance but I can definitely say it no longer looked arm like. More like mangled flesh on a stick.


    -"2, 0 . Maybe I need sharper teeth as well. Seems to work for Spike here"


    This was it, I maybe had one more round left in me and then, if what I suspected to be poison didn''t kill me, blood loss would probably finish the job. How I wished I could somehow stem the bleeding but I knew even if I could adapt, it wouldn''t be quick enough. The eyes seemed to take hours and that was only enhancing, as far as I knew, what was already there.


    I wanted to roar my defiance at the creature, but human shouts were pathetic and weak. I wanted it to tremble in fear, to realise that even in victory, it would lose. I wanted it to cower in the shadows, the memory of the naked chimp haunting it''s every waking moment but, the tank was nearly empty and my vision had started to dim.


    -"Do or die time."


    I felt my throat crack and the bitter sweet taste of blood trickle down my throat, adding to my list of injuries. It seemed that instead of quietly giving up, my body wanted to destroy itself.


    I chuckled, wanting to shake my head but resisted due to the pain it elicited from the shoulder -"Seems like me and my body agree on something at last."


    While I had checked the state of my body, Spike had not been idle and, after getting back on its feet, which now I saw were hoofed, it started raised itself back onto its hind legs.


    I tensed, watching for even the smallest hint of movement. -"Don''t shoot, please jump. Jump. JUMP. JUMP."


    Almost as if obeying my desire, to be able to move if the beast jumped, the pain started to diminish, though subconsciously I hoped it wasn''t just because my body was shutting down.


    -"Time''s ticking. Need to get a move on."


    Taking a step forward I growled, similar to what I had done earlier but this time, the deep rumble reverberated through my chest and out of my throat, causing my whole body to shake, shocking both me and spike.


    There was nothing even remotely human about the sounds and I loved it. It was as if I was shedding the fragile shell of my past. -"Hmm, maybe I have one or two hangups."


    Mentally shrugging, I fainted taking a step forward, and Spike fell for it, lunging at me before retreating to a safe distance. Whatever was happening to my body could be worked out later. If I survived, that is.


    The fight had started as one of predator and prey but had slowly transformed into one of the most important events of my life. It wasn''t because I could be killed and would answer one of the greatest questions ever, but that the creature in front of me, along with this alien world, could be my salvation or, more than likely, my doom.


    Regret, confusion, anger and a plethora of other emotions ran through the creatures silver eyes and, if sensing that the meal in front of it was no longer worth it, it took a step back.


    -"Sorry, no refunds."


    I was pretty sure if Spike left, I would die. I would probably die anyway, but my cracked raw throat and crippling stomach would be a terrible way to go. Even if it was the raw blood and flesh of an alien creature, at this point in time, I was willing to risk it.


    I leapt forward, launching myself towards Spike, screaming as I put everything I had into the attack.


    There would be no second chances. Either the creature would fall in the next thirty seconds, or I would.


    Victory or Death. To live or Die.


    -"I love it when things are simple."

 Chapter Six - Fall of man

    I have often read, watched and even imagined many last moments, most of them fictional. Of how time seems to crawl to a stop, giving the forsaken individual a momentary reprieve from the Reaper''s scythe. Just enough time to collect themselves and come to terms with their fate, or as highlighted in a more recent trend in the books and films I had watched, to find some way to cheat Death of his prize.


    Having survived two near death experiences and facing what probably will be my moments on this alien planet, presumably to be eaten, shit out and become fertiliser for the grass, the only thing that seemed to grow around here, I could say that the entire concept was a load of bullshit.


    In my previous experience, before coming to this planet, I had just remembered everything in painstaking detail, so when I recalled it, there was so much to notice that it took longer than the actual event, thus giving the impression of time slowing down.


    Well, that was what I thought before I committed to my hair-brained scheme and decided to charge forward like a starving lunatic spotting a chain of fast food restaurants in the distance.


    Having trained in various martial arts and forms of unarmed combat, I had long ago learnt that you couldn''t afford to plan on the fly. It was a big reason why many of the sword fighting styles had a long stare off period as they circled each other, each combatant running through as many scenarios as possible, acting the moment that they felt confident an entire exchange or flow could be executed with minimal risk. When the decision was made, it was as if they were on autopilot, relying on their trained, subconscious reaction times to save the day if things took an unexpected turn.


    The lead up to that was kind of like the end of a chess game where more than a few pieces were left on the board, and you could see checkmate in four turns. You just needed to force your opponent to make the moves you wanted them too without letting them know they were dancing in the palm of your hand and then follow the script.


    Like most things I thought were cool, the theory seemed about right but putting it into practice was near impossible.


    Of course, this was entirely my own opinion drawn from what I had learnt sparing with mediocre opponents, not teeth filled, dog-hedgehog-like creatures but, like as the saying goes, if it ain''t broke, don''t fix it and this hardly felt like the time nor place to be improvising. That shit will get you killed faster than being a turkey a week before Thanksgiving.


    I had a plan, even though many would call it insane, I was committed, and though doubt tried to crawl through my mind, like a spider stalking its prey, it was brutally stomped on the moment it reared its ugly head.


    Excluding the spider stomping, if anyone was stuck in my head, bar the sobbing child, the adult with a recently discovered drinking problem and the beast that was doing an amazing king-kong impersonation, they might wonder why I was thinking these somewhat profound thoughts as I charged towards my impending doom?


    It wasn''t that surprising really, as the cause is what triggered my earlier reminiscents on near death experiences and martial arts training.


    My body was running on that fabled autopilot mode, so engrossed in the life and death mission I had choreographed in painstaking detail, that my mind had started wandering as it absorbed as much information as it could, almost as if it knew this could be its last chance before the dark abyss.


    The cold night air burned my lungs as it was sucked in, my heart doing its best impression of a jackhammer as the wind hissed passed my ears, pushing back my short, brown hair as few tears ran down my face due to the biting wind that was mercilessly slamming into my face.


    In my peripheral, I watched as the grass beneath me, bathed in the light of the pale, red moon, flickering past like the rolling waves in a sea of blood, a visual promise of what was to come should I fail.


    -"I would say I have way too much time on my hands but what I wouldn''t give right now for a few hours more?"


    My face warped into a feral smile; my acute senses and the adrenaline pumping through my body coming together to form what I could only describe as a euphoric moment of clarity.


    I finally understood and believed a weird saying. That only on the verge of death, could one truly feel alive.


    An uncontrollable hunger, building from what felt like the depths of my soul, drove me forward with even more intensity as my gaze locked onto my spiky opponent, pushing my muscles to their absolute limit.


    The initial distance was not great, even though I had thrown the creature as far as I could, maybe no more than a couple of metres after it rolled, yet within moments, I had descended upon it like some gruesome specter of death or, more than likely, like a screaming, naked man covered in blood with tears streaming down his face.


    Pushing away the thoughts of how stupid I looked, for who was around to see me, I don''t know whether it was due to the weird state of mind I was suffering, the fact I could probably reach out and touch the creature, or some other strange phenomenon, but I could see every hair on its scar-ridden face along with the forming shock and fear dancing in its eyes.


    It must not have expected a creature it had wounded so easily to turn so ferocious, charging it with reckless abandon and, at least in my imagination, oozing enough bloodlust to make a psychopath turn tail and cry for his mommy.


    I was moments from colliding with the creature as I threw myself backwards, falling into a mid-air slide, now fully committed to the plan. There was no turning back.


    -''He who dares, wins... or becomes fertiliser.''


    I internally chuckled as the night sky came into view as my world tilted.


    -"The SAS should have totally added that last bit."


    Quickly muttering a silent prayer, to who, even I had no idea, I straightened my legs and hoped that I had got the angle right.


    Too high, and I would only stagger the creature as I lost all momentum, too low, and I would bring it crashing down on me too fast. Probably overshooting me by a large margin, landing on its legs and ready to rip my throat out while I rolled around on my back like a turtle.


    As anyone would have been able to tell by now, my plan was incredibly risky, bordering suicidal but with the lack of armour, weapons, clothes or even so much as a god damned toothbrush, it wasn''t like I was swimming with options. That and letting it chow down while hoping it would get full before I expired wasn''t my idea of a fun time.


    If I was going to go out, it was going to be in an epic way. Even if it was an epic fail.


    Even if it was an epic fail.


    The only tools I had were my body, mind and the wealth of knowledge gained by wasting too much time growing up in the digital era.


    The creature seemed to walk on four legs, although it could stand and leap from two, bending its knees and leaning forward as it pushed off which highlighted a flaw that most two-legged creatures, at least with forward pointing kneecaps, had and weaknesses were made to be capitalised on.


    After what felt like an age, but could have only been a couple of microseconds, my prayers were answered as man and beast finally collided.


    Well, fifty percent of the prayer had been. A loud snapping noise, accompanied by a hiss of pain, reverberated up my left leg as my right foot pushed the creature''s other leg back.


    I had been aiming to break both kneecaps, just like I had seen on a video clip when a stunt had gone horribly wrong but honestly, I was just happy it somewhat worked. There were so many variables involved that, even with just one break, I had probably used up a years supply of luck and good fortune.


    -"I really hope luck isn''t quantifiable or else I am up shit creek after this."


    Spike, still bellowing in pain, tumbled forward as my momentum carried on, his footing lost as he fell like a lumbered tree.


    Soon my beautiful view of the night sky was ruined by Spike''s ugly, screaming head and my hands shot out, even the one connected to what remained of my mangled arm, and grasped his hoof-like front feet.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    My face ached with how wide I was smiling as my hands clamped down. What I considered the first stage had been completed almost flawlessly. The damage to the kneecaps had been a bonus, a backup in case something went wrong with the next stage even though I probably wouldn''t live long enough to use it.


    The true goal was to manoeuvre Spike into this position, seconds from hitting the ground with a foot about to land on either side of me. I just needed to guide his legs into the right position by providing a helping nudge.


    -"Even if I die now, more than likely I have dealt a fatal blow."


    Mentally shaking my head, I focused.


    -"Never settle for second place. A broken leg might kill it, but so what. I will already dead. There is no victory in death, only defeat."


    This is where the biggest gamble, excluding that Spike could have sidestepped me before turning me into a pincushion, was to take place.


    ''Well, punk, do you feel lucky?'' Clint Eastwood''s voice echoed in my head, causing my smile to grow.


    I couldn''t help but mentally yell out a response, a war cry to myself, for myself. -"Hell yes. After this, people will want to cut me feet off and wear them around their necks."


    My smile stagnated, and it wasn''t because of the awful joke.


    It was that my entire plan depended on a single bone, well a configuration of bones if I wanted to be pedantic. If the creatures anatomy was vastly different from a standard dog on Earth, I was dead.


    Another hiss, though this time in fear instead of anger, snapped me from my inner thoughts as a chill snaked down my spine, accompanied by a slight stinging sensation in my stomach.


    -"That''s a bit... ouchie."


    I wasn''t given time to think about the weird sensations spreading from my gut as Spike''s feet skidded past my shoulders, helped by my hands as they pushed outwards.


    The creature panicked, somehow knowing that even if it had no clue what was going on, it did not want me to finish what I was doing.


    I repressed a chuckle. -"If only he knew how bad his day was about to get. Game, set, match."


    Using every ounce of energy, even attempting to will more out of some unknown container, just in case any of those stories of miraculous strength increases had any basis, I pushed my arms outwards as hard and fast as I could.


    I already knew, with my damaged shoulder and what remained of my left arm, that I wouldn''t have the strength to push the legs far enough apart but, that was what my good friend, when he wasn''t pulling me from orbit, gravity was for.


    All I needed to do was get them far enough apart and then a combination of momentum, my arms and the creatures own weight should do the work.


    The air was forced from my lungs as my back slammed heavily into the floor, only moments before the creature''s feet and an agonised wail, accompanied by a deafening crack, filled the air.


    The full weight of Spike, which wasn''t as heavy as I was anticipated slammed into my chest as I pushed my arms out with all the strength I could muster with my spasming lungs. By the sound, as well as the copious amounts of blood spraying into the air as Spike screamed, the creature''s sternum and ribs had been snapped apart, piercing internal organs and, hopefully, inflicting mortal wounds.


    Though, as any person who has faced an injured, terrified animal, even one on the cusp of death, would know, it wasn''t enough. If anything this was the most dangerous time, and I needed to finish the fight as soon as possible.


    I had, earlier in the fight, already proven that a seemingly defenceless, wounded animal was capable of unimaginable brutality against all odds and wasn''t prepared to repeat my foes mistake.


    Small popping cracks, always followed by an increase in the animals agonising wail continued until, while thrashing frantically, Spike''s head slammed into my own, dazing me long enough for it to flail of to the side and slide the small distance left to the bottom of the valley.


    Rolling to the opposite side and further down the micro valley, I managed to pull myself into a kneeling position as I gasped for breath and fought the urge to faint.


    I knew I needed to finish this, but I was spent. The tank was empty, the town deserted and the well had dried up. I felt like a meandering fly could knock me over without difficulty as I finally managed to refill my burning lungs.


    The creature''s screams, turned into more of a whimper as its thrashing slowed, focused my thoughts as I lifted my head off my chest and stared at my opponent.


    With each beat of my heart, I felt my blood flow out of the many wounds I had suffered, and a light headed weakness slowly taking over.


    I shook it off as best I could as I continued to watch Spikes last moments.


    In my head, if my attack had been successful, it would have been a quick clean death but, like everything in my cursed life, reality liked to point out how naive I was.


    Any elation from the victory that had not been lost due to my dire state and the pain was crushed as I looked into Spike''s panic filled, intelligent eyes.


    Beautiful silver eyes, with almost, barely noticeable, reptilian-like pupils. Even if his body were monstrous, his eyes would have earnt him many admirers back on Earth. All the anger I had vented on the poor creature evaporated. It wasn''t his fault just as much as it wasn''t mine. It was just life... and the bastards who put us here.


    As I watched Spike struggle, dealing with the confusing emotions raging inside, I saw acceptance creep across his eyes and knew it wouldn''t be long.


    He knew what was coming and could do nothing but suffer. Unfortunately for me and my growing guilt, not in silence.


    Minutes passed, along with the last remnants of adrenaline keeping some of the the pain at bay as I watched Spikes last moments, too weak to even give the creature a merciful death.


    I wasn''t sure if it was my injuries, or that I was watching an animal suffer, even if it did want to turn me into a midnight snack, but I felt sick.


    I knew I probably should have been more worried about my own fate, especially with my wounds, but I couldn''t tear my eyes away from the horrifying scene.


    Disgust, an emotion I had not felt in a long time, seeped into my flesh, even as a cold numbness flowed outwards from my stomach.


    I knew that all was fair in the game of life. Spike and I had played the highest of stakes, that of survival of the fittest and deep down, I knew that if I were faced with a similar situation, I would do the same without hesitation.


    Having said that, it didn''t mean I had to enjoy the suffering of others. Pain was the one currency all creatures could understand, and it was one I was not willing to give unnecessarily.


    I needed to be stronger. Not just strong enough to survive, but strong enough to do the correct thing, even if it wasn''t right. Strong enough to give those that threatened my existence a quick, merciful death and, even though it didn''t feel as important as it should right now, protect myself without getting badly hurt.


    I knew that, for one who was the first to scream about natural selection and their dislike for human society and rules, the thought of mercy was incredibly human, but I never claimed that my ideas or morals made sense. It felt right to me, and that was good enough.


    I listed slightly to my left and heaved, vomiting a large amount of dark, almost black blood onto the grass.


    -"I''m gonna ignore that for a moment."


    Taking a deep breath, eliciting more coughing, vomiting and flaring pain, I finally managed to force myself to stand, just as Spike takes his last, shuddering breath.


    With his death, and lack of agonised screams, relief washes over me, and I could finally accept the fact that I had survived without survivors guilt.


    Yes, I could be bleeding out, poisoned and/or be attacked by Spike''s family at any moment, if he had one, but I was happy to ignore those, similar to the question of why the blood coming from my mouth seemed to be black. Even if I knew, I doubt I would be able to do anything about it at the moment.


    You got to take the wins when you can get them, especially if they might be your last.


    Alone on an alien planet, naked and without weapons, I had come face to face with a predator and, whether it be down to skill, intelligence or just pure stupid luck, I was the last man standing.


    No, that was wrong. I was no longer a man.


    Something slithered under my skin and behind my eyes as my body trembled. Not just from exhaustion, but anticipation. I knew, on a fundamental level, that I would never be the same again.


    It wasn''t just the strange abilities I was picking up but something much deeper. I just couldn''t tell you what that something was.


    Sucking in a deep breath, eliciting agony from every fibre of my body, even some I had never felt before, I raised my head and glared at the red moon.


    A low rumbling, the sensation pleasant even if it hurt, started in my chest before flooding into my throat and out into the night sky.


    This was just the beginning. I would not fall into my old habits. Earlier on I had decided that I would thrive in this world, but at the time, I really didn''t know what it meant.


    After my fight with Spike, I knew who, or I guess more importantly, what, I wanted to become.


    They had taken everything from me bar my mind and body, reinforcing the fact that without them, humans are weak and pitiful creatures, and so, those would become my true weapons.


    I would not be that weakling that let other peoples desires, morals and whims dictate his course. This was a new start, cemented in blood.


    Memories flickered through my mind, analysing and evaluating every creature call I had known without actually knowing what I was doing or why.


    A crooked smile came to my lips as I sucked in as much air as I could.


    A lions roar held primordial fear and could be terrifying, but it was a taunt of power, challenging all that would stand against it to come forth.


    That was not me. Even though this fight indicated otherwise, I was not a bruiser. It cost to much too meet an opponent on even ground and most importantly, I didn''t like pain.


    Then it hit me, the first sound of life that I had observed on this world, sounding like it had come from a creature back on Earth, one I associated with my beliefs and morals, well most of them.


    Pain seared my throat and my lungs, but it couldn''t wipe the smile from my face. I needed this. More than anything right now.


    A long, wolf-like howl erupted into the air as my body shuddered with the strain as I poured all the emotions and power I could into it.


    But this wasn''t just a howl, at least not for me. This was a declaration. A promise, warning and threat all rolled into one.


    The hunt had started, and nothing was safe. I may have been dropped into this world with little hope of survival, but the gloves were off, and if I were a betting man, I would put my money on the underdog.


    My howl petered out, and I staggered, dropping to my knees and crawling towards my reward, what I could only describe as my instincts kicking in as the thoughts in my mind turned to jelly.


    My inner child and adult huddled together, shaking in fear as they anticipated the approaching gruesome spectacle but said nothing, scared to draw the wrath of the beast onto themselves.


    As I slowly moved forward, my vision continued to fade in and out but after what felt like an eternity, I reached the corpse of Spike, faint howls in the distance ignored by all but my subconscious.


    I would make it. I would survive. I had to.

 Chapter Seven - Adapt or Die

    A sharp, stinging sensation shocked my consciousness from the depths of its slumber moments before I slapped my right arm, hopefully killing the perpetrator, and groaned.


    -"I fucking hate mosquitoes."


    I could never work out why, but for some reason, the blood suckers were attracted to me like a wasp to a BBQ, ignoring everyone else as they dined on me.


    It infuriated me, often resulting in me ''purging'' the local water supplies of their young, buying dragon fly lava and releasing them into the ponds and streams, mainly because tipping oil into them would get me a one-way ticket to a jail cell, or drinking my body weight in Guinness. Apparently higher iron count in your blood made you an unattractive meal.


    Nothing worked. In the end, I could only fantasise about my blood becoming poisonous, evilly cackling as they took a sip, only to scream in tiny bug voices as they fell to the floor and expired.


    Yes, that might seem a bit vindictive, but I am who I am. Somebody who completely ignores that fact that there are the multiple symbiotic organisms living in my body, enabling me to live, as I find the idea of something feeding off me repulsive.


    Like the little guys in my gut, I learnt the hard way that if you kill them all off, you are in for a bad time for around four months as you try and digest your food. It was an accident, but one I would never repeat again. Mainly due to the fact I had lost the part that was responsible for my four-week hospital stay.


    My mini rant was gradually bringing me to full wakefulness and, just as I was about to curse myself for leaving the curtains open as the warm, comforting sunlight fell upon my body, I realised two important things.


    The first was that I was laying on the itchy grass, which seemed very familiar, and the second was that I didn''t have any covers.


    -"Ahh. Not on Earth anymore."


    The dull ache of my muscles and a headache, so painful that would make a hangover dip its hat in respect, slowly greeted me as I started my morning, pre getup checks.


    I grimaced, clenching my eyes tighter, the red piercing the back of my eye eyelids feeling too bright, as my tongue traced the insides of my mouth, tasting a strange, metallic iron-like flavour.


    As if in response to the somewhat familiar flavour, my stomach rumbled, demanding its due while my mind finally started to put everything together.


    I had been dropped on an alien world and started stalking some weird, cow-like creatures before being attacked by Spike which resulted in one hell of a death ma-.


    My eyes shot open, only to immediately slam shut as I pressed the palms of my hands over them, rolled onto my chest and curled up into a fetal position, releasing an agonised hiss that would make any snake green with envy.


    A variety of multicoloured squiggles danced around the inside of my eyelids as the intense, burning pain slowly receded. It felt like someone had stabbed a soldering iron into each eye socket before mixing its contents and penetrating my brain.


    Only when my eyes had stopped feeling like they had taken a personal tour of the Sun''s surface did my mind start to try and work out what had just happened.


    Firstly, I was still alive. One hell of a bonus if just a little surprising.


    The second was that it seemed that opening my eyes at the moment was a bad idea and more worryingly, I had just hissed in a similar way to my recently defeated opponent.


    The first seemed the most pressing as, even though I wasn''t even remotely qualified to diagnose someone''s health, I am pretty sure that the wounds I had suffered the previous night were fatal or at least would leave me bedridden for a few months.


    ''Like generational evolution, adaptive evolution has its pro''s and cons. These will respond to the...'' The female voice''s words echoed in my mind, causing an uneasy feeling to ascend from deep within.


    Tentatively, much to the protest of my muscles, I rolled onto my back and felt my body only to find that it felt... completely normal. No horns, spikes, tail, foot long genitals or fur. I felt like, well, me.


    The only difference I could find was small hardened lines of skin that I recognised all to well from my younger days, scars.


    My body was littered with minor injuries probably a result from rolling around with all the small sharp stones hidden in the grass or Spike''s, err, spikes.


    -"I really need to come up with a name for his kind. Can''t call the whole species Spike can I? Actually, I wonder if they are all the same of if their adaptations made them unique?"


    Realising that I couldn''t put it off any longer, even if the questions I was using to distract myself were valid, my right hand moved to my left arm, afraid to discover what had happened to it.


    Though I did not have the chance to get a good look at it during the fight, just like my shoulder, which I should check as well, I am pretty sure it was in a bad way.


    Hard, twisting scar tissue rippled beneath my hand, running from my elbow to wrist. The flesh had sunken and withered as if I were malnourished but after flexing my fist, lifting the arm, it''s only protestbeing a small bout of pain, everything moved as I wanted it to.


    Sighing in relief that I wasn''t reduced to a single, working arm on a hostile alien planet, I would have released the breath that I had been holding, but there was something else.


    It wasn''t the impressive scar on my arm, or the fact that I could move it normally that bothered me. It was that it had already healed.


    Small droplets of sweat began to form on my brow, whether from the sun or my predicament, I did not know.


    Either I had developed a miraculous healing ability over night, or I had been unconscious for a significant amount of time. Unfortunately for me, it was probably a mixture of the two.


    While a small part of me wanted to celebrate that I had avoided scavengers and other predators while unconscious, just happy to live another day, the rest was filled with a growing dread.


    This wasn''t a situation that was natural. The situation was artificial and had an unknown purpose in which, I am pretty sure, the early bird gets the worm, and I had just been caught sleeping in.


    It was just a hunch, but my hunches had never been far from the truth.


    The voice had mentioned that the adaptive gunk they had injected me with, what I am currently attributing to the weird anomalies of my body, would only work for a week before diminishing rapidly.


    While a small part of me still wanted to be sceptical of her words, the results were in, and so I had no choice but to accept the truth and, if that were the case, the implications of missing the first week would be... not worth thinking about.


    Simply put, I would be at an incredible disadvantage and probably die a dog''s death.


    In such a desolate landscape, where making weapons, tools, houses, defences, a safe place to shit was pretty much impossible; it seemed like the abilities of your body and mind were king.


    The fact that the voice had mentioned it during the ''critical'' part of her speech also added weight that, for what ever purpose I was here, I could evolve, or die.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    -"Hmm, I don''t like the term evolve. It''s more of adaptations or mutation, and I still look entirely human."


    Her words echoed through my mind as her last sentence, about maybe meeting if I survived, now sounded like a mocking taunt.


    -"Fucking Bitch, We will see who survives. I wonder if you have a neck that can be strangled."


    Growling, knowing that lying here on my back was just wasting time, I slowly opened my eyes, squinting to try and reduce the pain as my hand traced the healed wound on my left shoulder, experiencing the same hardened, insensitive skin.


    My hand fell to my stomach, only to find a similar scar as I let out a deep sigh.


    -"I use to think scars were cool but being completely covered in them is going to suck if I don''t regain some of the flexibility and feeling."


    With stinging eyes, wanting nothing more than to be closed, I stood up as I started to theorise ideas that would hopefully answer the mystery of my new aversion to light.


    If what the voice had said was true, then while I stalked the cow creatures, I had desired to see in the dark. When I had been ambushed, I had a dire need to see. However, I had not put any conditions or mental imagery on it. I just wanted, at least subconsciously, to see in the dark, no matter what.


    A chill ran down my spine.


    -"Surely it isn''t like that, is it? That would be insane. You could trigger mutations that are completely useless just because you fancied them? What if you had a nightmare and it caused an adaptation?"


    Ignoring the possibility that the other humans would doom themselves through our greatest weakness, stupidity, I focused on my own problems.


    Mainly, how would whatever they injected me with know how to improve whatever it had changed to make my night vision better? I could somewhat ignore the strength, movement and the ''interesting'' sounds I had been making recently, but the implication that it could intelligently modify my body, without running through the multiple possibilities through the trial and error that standard evolution would need, was terrifying.


    -"Also, shouldn''t your body mutating be excruciatingly painful? Appart from feeling like I have attended Mr Motivators lifetime class after a week long drinking binge, I don''t feel too bad."


    Sighing, I realised that I had potentially fucked myself over with not getting all the information I could at the start and wondered if I had done the right things. It seemed that every action had a consequence at the moment.


    -"Great, so basically I have forced myself to become nocturnal. But what choice did I have? It''s not like I intentionally willed the adaptation. Can I change it back if I will it enough? Would it just become something else?"


    I thought about it for a few minutes, only to feel my shoulders slump.


    -"Do I even want it to? I have always been a night owl and being able to see in the dark could definitely be useful. How would I go about making it so I could see in both the day and night?"


    My thoughts ground to a halt as realisation hit me.


    I had no control over the adaptations. I was at the mercy of my emotions, desires, subconscious and whatever situations life decided to throw at me.


    Did that mean if someone stuffed me into a dark hole and fed me shit I would become a mushroom? Probably not, but the concept was an extremely unsettling thought.


    If someone was twisted enough, they could force someone to change in ways that suited them.


    Sighing again, I shook my head to clear it. I had the small issue of always looking for the worst in humanity and that train of thought was going to very dark and seedy places. Places that would just make me angry.


    Trying to get back on topic, I realised that I was in exactly the same situation as when I initially work up in this world.


    -"Nothing''s changed. I need more information and a safe place to think things through."


    A frown appeared on my face before I lifted my arm and sniffed my armpit.


    -"Good, still somewhat fresh. For the moment, as the deodorant is still effective, I am going to assume this is my second day, giving me four or five days to utilise this adaptation thing."


    I was pretty proud that I remembered that the deodorant tended to last around twenty-four hours unless that quick dip in the blue liquid had done something, and that I had thought to use it to guess how much time had passed, but what it implied made me feel depressed.


    -"Deodorant... you will be missed. And toothbrushes, mouthwash. Scissors to cut my hair. Fuck. This is nothing like the stories I use to read. This world sucks."


    An enraged hiss escaped my lips, causing me to frown, wondering why I had picked up that particular trait, as I took a step forward and, for the first time, tried to analyse my surroundings through my eyelashes.


    -"Now it doesn''t feel like I am going to die of thirst or starvation, it''s time to find shelter. The dark green patches I saw on during my fall should have been trees. Trees will need access to water and should have ecosystems of their own. I should be able to use them to fill all my immediate needs."


    I wobble slightly, my legs feeling strange, this time earning a low grumble instead of a hiss.


    -"I am wasting too much time. I need to get myself sorted and then find the others. I need to know what I information I missed."


    The thought of running into other people, especially in a dire situation such as this, fills me with dread. Although working in a group could be an advantage, I just couldn''t imagine trusting others with my life or safety and without trust, the whole thing would fall apart relatively quickly.


    -"I can always avoid or cut and run if things start taking a turn for the worse. If I work on my cardio and agility, I shouldn''t have much to worry about. No guns or even arrows to hit me in the back."


    As I continued to look around, I notice the dried blood covering a significant amount of the grass surrounding me and... the remains of what used to be Spike.


    Remains would be a generous term in this case. There was literally Spike''s, skin and bone remaining. Everything had been devoured, even the bones had been cracked in half and their marrow drunk.


    -"Seems like I am lucky that there was easier meat here or-"


    I looked down at my hands, then my body and sighed. I looked like I had been thrown to the bottom of a slaughter house drainage pit.


    The only parts of me that weren''t covered in blood were the areas that it had dried and rubbed off as I rolled around on the grass or flexed my skin as I moved.


    Holding my hands up in front of me, somewhat proud of my gruesome scar on my arm, I focused on my fingernails and suddenly, the weird taste in my mouth earlier made sense.


    There hadn''t been any other scavengers.


    I smacked my lips, feeling that instead of hungry, I should be feeling repulsed by what was obviously my handiwork.


    -"What the hell did I do last night?"


    My stomach grumbled as I stared at the remains, a small pang of hunger welling up.


    Looking closer at the remains, I finally smiled.


    -"More evidence that I have not slept long. At least it doesn''t look like its rotting. Might be different here but I can''t of been out too long as the insects haven''t turned up."


    Stumbling over to the body, I pause as I am about to pick up a bone to use as a makeshift club.


    -"If I could break them in half, they are pretty useless."


    Looking around, I spot that although many have fallen from Spike''s hide, none of the spikes had been broken. Picking one up, I twist it around in my hand before attempting to snap it in half.


    Happy that it didn''t even bend, I picked up another spike, one that was a similar length and stood up.


    -"Thanks, Spike. Though you wanted to eat me, I feel that without you, I would be in some serious trouble by now."


    Wondering why I was feeling such sentimental thoughts towards something that had tried to kill me, or the fact I wasn''t repulsed by my consumption of raw meat, I craned my neck towards the sky, releasing the tension that had unknowingly built up, had vanished.


    While watching a few, small birds circling above, I briefly contemplated if they had done something else to my mind. It wasn''t just that I was remaining calm where I should be freaking out, it was as if I was a completely different person. Then again, with what I had recently been through, I doubt anyone would remain the same.


    -"Another question with no answers."


    The birds were a sign that the results from my little fight were gaining attention and did a quick once over before shaking my head.


    -"Time to get a move on, don''t want to meet the locals looking like this."


    Stumbling to the top of the closest hill, I rubbed away as much of the dried blood from my arms, letting it flutter away in the wind like red snow as I laughed.


    "Though if I look anything like I imagine, I wouldn''t want to mess with me."


    My smile vanished as I raised my hand to my throat. This was the first time I had spoken since... well, in recent memory, but my voice did not sound like my own. It was cracked, harsh and extremely... haunting. I had no better word for it. It wasn''t friendly in the slightest.


    If I heard that voice in a dark alley, if I were in a group, I would kneecap the nearest person to buy myself some time and run like the devil was chasing me.


    My thoughts were cut short as I reached the top and surveyed my surroundings.


    In the light of the day, even with my over sensitive eyes, which, just by keeping them barely open was giving me a small migraine, I spotted a few worn paths in the grass, all snaking in a similar direction.


    Noticing that there was a larger gap between the trails towards the sun than those on the other side, I headed in the opposite direction, much to the relief of my eyes.


    -"If I assume that the paths originate from one of those clusters of trees, then this should be the right direction. I hope."


    I knew it was a pretty big assumption, but apart from flipping a stone in a warped attempt of heads or tails, this made the most sense, even if it did mean I would be heading towards danger.


    My fight with Spike had been too close, and even if I did feel much stronger now, I was in no hurry for a rematch but sitting out in the open was asking for trouble.


    Looking ahead, I noticed that the clear blue skies were marred with black streaks.


    -"Typical, I had to be heading in the same direction as plumes of foreboding smoke. And like they say, where there''s smoke, there''s fire. I bet my shiny new daggers that it is the other humans fucking up magnificently."


    I started walking, already regretting the decision to meet up with others but knowing it was a necessary evil.


    "Who knows, it might not be so bad?"

 Chapter Eight - Welcome to the Jungle [Draft]

    Chapter Eight - Welcome to the Jungle


    ********************


    The hours rolled by, just like the god damned, never ending, grassy hills, as I continued following the trails, noticing that, just like a tributary joining a river, they were slowly merging into larger, more trodden paths.


    -"Should be getting close now. That or this entire world is a grassy wasteland. Good job I woke up to the voice or I would be thinking that this was my own, personal purgatory."


    Doing a quick spin, having no clue about the direction I was travelling, I squinted, trying to see the mountains that were visible during my fall before finally giving up.


    The sound of insects filled the air, a few occasionally flying past or landing on my legs as I let out a semi-defeated sigh and continued walking with my back to the sun.


    It wasn''t that I was tired, though every step I took caused my muscles to scream in protest.


    It wasn''t that I was starving, though my stomach was still grumbling after seeing Spike''s corpse and not eating, or thirsty.


    It wasn''t even the tiny stones that kept lacerating the soles of my feet. Often causing me to curse and stumble every now and again, wishing to find shoes or have stronger skin.


    It was the overwhelming boredom that was slowly getting to me.


    Nothing changed and no matter how much I tried to stay alert, I found my mind constantly drifting towards dark, troubled places that I wanted to avoid.


    Time became meaningless as I trudged onward.


    What could have been hours later, my shadow had all but disappeared, indicating that the sun had reached its midday zenith, and would soon start falling in front of me, much to the dismay of my over sensitive eyes.


    I couldn''t help but let out a small growl, the faint vibrations causing me to faintly smile as I enjoyed the sensation of power and strength that the action elicited.


    -"I am really starting to dislike this place."


    *Smack*


    "Nighty-three."


    I bend over, not breaking my stride as I wipe the remains of the overgrown mosquito onto the grass. I didn''t even have the mental energy to curse at them anymore.


    -"If this were a game, I would get an achievement soon. Bane of Mosquitos."


    At the start I had been getting them around fifty percent of the time, gradually increasing my kill to escape ratio as my reflexes increased. However, the last ten or so that bit me had been acting strangely. They seemed unable to fly or move very fast.


    I shrugged.


    What did I care, the only good mosquito was a dead mosquito in my mind. I just hoped they weren''t the same disease carrying filth that we had back on earth or else I was in for a world of hurt.


    -"Oh, if I could just round them all up, fill the air with gas and set it on fire, I could die a happy man."


    I shook my head violently.


    -¡±Shit! Gotta stop that.¡±


    It had always been one of my favourite pastimes to lose myself to my fantasies, which would have made this journey a lot more enjoyable, but with whatever they had injected into me flowing through my veins, it might lead to dangerous side effects.


    The fact that I hissed like a snake when in pain, was always growling at anything that irritated me and had howled like a... well, I have never heard a howl like that, but it was all the proof that I needed to be careful with both my thoughts and emotions.


    Gritting my teeth, my walk turns to a jog, the rhythmic clicking in my neck, something I had picked up as an injury early on in life, enabling me to distract myself as I fell into a trance-like daze.


    I knew it was dangerous, not paying attention to my surroundings, but I was sick of my thoughts and I needed some alone time from myself.


    I continued to jog, sometimes bursting into a sprint, until the sun was around the half way point of its decent, nearly blinding me, as I came to a stop at the crest of a hill, gasping for breath.


    I had no idea how long I had been jogging, and I had never been very fit but, every time I felt like I couldn''t go on, I released a snarl in defiance and forced myself forward and somehow my body answered the call.


    It was usually accompanied by some crappy motivational saying like ''no pain, no gain'' and the thought that some extra stamina, if the adaptation worked, would be good, especially if I needed to make a hasty escape at some point.


    My lungs sucked in air like a bellow as my blood hammered through my veins and small, black dots hovered at the edge of my peripheral.


    I felt like I was dying, but at the same time, I couldn''t help but smile.


    -"Gunna regret that tomorrow. Going to ache like a bitch."


    After catching my breath, something that took a surprisingly short amount of time, I straightened up and searched the horizon.


    Three dark green clusters, seemingly equally spaced apart appeared in front of me. The largest was one directly ahead while the other two were to each side.


    -"Guess they just seem smaller due to where I am standing. From space, they all looked around the same size."


    The cluster appeared to be no more than a few hundred trees broad, though that didn''t do the size of it justice.


    Each tree, with ten-foot gaps between, spaced artificially, was at least as wide as a very tall man.


    I frowned at the enormous trees, not having a clue on how I could begin to estimate their height. The words, very high, super sized and King Kong club size came to mind but just felt... inadequate.


    There seemed to be a few of every species of tree I could name, a few that I could recognise and more than half that I had never seen in my life.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    -"Yeah, I am going ahead and going to take a wild guess that these aren''t natural. Then again, I wonder what is on this planet."


    My eyes still squinting from the sunlight, I looked at the central cluster and the one to the left, and if I strained hard enough, I could just about see another dark green cluster in the middle of the two, far in the distance.


    -¡±That confirms it. These must be the dark green splotches I saw when falling. If that is the case, then behind me is just a grassy wasteland."


    I scratched the irritating stubble growing on my face.


    -"The voice mentioned that we should be safe for six months? I wonder if these seemingly natural barriers are the reason for that. Mountains and empty plains. If it was something like a ''magic'' shield, then, unless she is scared we will sue her if it broke, she would have said we ¡®are¡¯ safe?¡±


    I scanned the sky, looking for the smoke I had seen earlier but couldn''t find it. Either I was too close to the stupidly tall trees or what ever was causing it had burnt out.


    Shrugging, I started moving cautiously forward, wondering if the other humans, if they were the cause, had really been stupid enough to burn the only limited resources I had so far come across.


    -"In a sea of grass, wood would be worth more than gold. Not that gold would be worth much here."


    The sound of birds singing and the occasional call of an unknown creature overtook the noise of the insects, causing me to give a small, internal cheer. It wasn''t because the noise was irritating. It was because most birds would feed on insects and I could finally get some justice for the itchy bites littering my body.


    Thick green bushes, with exotic fruits and nuts, lined the mini jungle floor, for that was the only way I could describe it, as bright, vibrant flowers and vines littered the massive tree trunks invitingly.


    It was so beautiful and surreal that if one were religious, they would probably be thinking they had found Eden.


    ¡°I hope there is an apple tree with a talking snake in there,¡± I chuckled, -¡±I am starting to feel a bit lonely talking to myself, and an apple would be nice.¡±


    I had never been very outgoing, always preferring my own company but whoever said that humans were social creatures were not lying, and after just a few days of total isolation, the voice didn¡¯t count, a friendly chat would be nice.


    -"That or a football I could put a bloody hand print on but if I am going to make wishes, it would be for an encyclopedia. No way I would be able to get through that quickly."


    The distance between me and the forest started to diminish as I sped up in excitement.


    One hundred meters, fiftey meters, ten meters.


    I continued to creep forward, expecting the natural wildlife to quieten at my unexpected presence, just like I had seen in many documentaries.


    It wasn¡¯t as if I wanted to announce my arrival but, I was, hopefully, an unknown creature, approaching from an open grassland in broad daylight on a planet that had animals like Spike running about. Plus, if it worked for me now, I could use it later. Natural early warning system.


    The thought stuck as I wondered if anyone, or anything, else had thought of this before.


    -"Idiot! Should have waited for dark or approached from the side, the sun was facing me, giving them cover and illuminating me."


    I hissed.


    -"That''s what you get for being a muppet and running for a quarter of a day just to distract yourself."


    My little jog had exhausted me, probably diminishing my ability to think clearly and I was once again starving and thirsty.


    -¡±Wait? How did I quench my first earlier?¡±


    After a few moments thinking, I violently shook my head, the only explanations that made any sense were¡­ upsetting, to say the least.


    Without being challenged, which only made it feel like a trap, I finally reached the treeline and, tentatively touching the leaves to make sure they weren¡¯t poisonous, at least in a quick acting way, I moved into the dense foliage, almost laughing in joy as I imagined myself disappearing from prying eyes.


    I had made it.


    -"Cover, materials, prey¡­ I mean food."


    If this place had a fresh water source, then it would be my base of operations while¡­ I adapt up? Level up? Whatever. While I increased my chances of survival, think of a plan and learn more about this world.


    Forcefully calming myself down, I started to stalk through the plants, once again wishing my skin was tougher and not trying to think about the nasties that could happen to my feet, as the occasional thorn or sharp leaf cut my skin.


    Every now and again, I came across a few worn paths, leading to the centre. However, I did not follow them as I already had a plan in motion. I was slowly circling the outside of the copse, taking note of as much information as possible. When I had discovered a place I had already walked, normally by some obvious sign like an ''I was here'' footprint, I walked two tree''s deeper and repeated.


    If my guess was right, and with a bit of luck, the water would be in the centre. Unfortunately, this also meant the biggest, meanest creatures were more than likely there.


    This idea was further cemented when I came across a few tree''s that had their fruit removed and questionable, brown deposits with seeds in, littered with scuff marks, on the ground.


    After finding a few dozen of these locations, I breathed out a sigh of relief. I had not found any bones or animal remains. It looked like whatever lived here was a herbivore.


    -"Or they had emptied their larder and are waiting for fresh meat. Though, even if I can''t see more than a dozen or so feet ahead, this place isn''t very big."


    I snorted, causing a red and green bird, that I somehow missed, to release a shrill call as it erupted into the sky.


    -"Most omnivores are opportunistic and won''t actively attack if there is a risk or unknown, especially when they aren''t starving. But that will change if you add more competition."


    It seemed that I might need to evict the previous owners before I settle in.


    I chuckled, relishing in my new mindset. Back on earth, just because I felt the need to fit in, I always ended up with the raw deal. Here, those worries simply didn¡¯t matter. I was my own man. A hunter, a survivor.


    My musings were cut short by the sounds of running water towards the centre of the island of trees and a wicked grin appeared on my face.


    -¡±Awww yeah, everything is going¡­¡±


    I stopped.


    -¡±I really need to think up a name for myself. Though, I should probably be careful as names often carry meaning and can affect mindsets. I need to start thinking of myself with a name that represents what I want to become¡­¡±


    I had been given a long time on the trip here to think about the adaptation and the possibilities it represented tho, they were outweighed by all of the potential pitfalls.


    -"Finally, my psychology degree is becoming useful."


    Chuckling I started moving forward again, my excitement of finding water reducing my cautiousness


    -I can always think of it lat-¡±


    Pushing away a particular fern-looking branch, which could have easily been the size of a small boat, my mind stopped.


    ¡°Oh... Fuck.¡±


    I had found water, or more specifically, five pools of water in a circle and, by the look of the steam rising from one and ice covering another, they were all different temperatures. In the centre of the circle of the pond, was a large, white barked tree which reminded me of a certain film, its gnarled surface perfect for any Halloween setting.


    The whole thing looked surreal and epically beautiful at the same time, but that wasn¡¯t what I was swearing about.


    The clearing surrounding the ponds, which probably was a few hundred feet¡¯s worth of space wasn¡¯t empty.


    Oh, no. In fact, the space had the opposite problem. It was jam packed.


    Hundreds of eyes, of many varying species, were locked onto me as if I had just walked in on a group of teenage girls in the midst of changing.


    Yep, while all of the eyes sparkled with intelligence, some were fearful, others confused but, especially from the Spike-like creatures whose eyes kept going from mine to the two spines in my hand and back again, open, unadulterated hostility.


    The whole clearing was stock still, the only sound breaking the silence was the birds obolivious to how fucked a certain human was below them. That or they were debating who would get the best leftovers.


    A giant white wolf, and by giant I mean if I squeezed, I think I might of been able to fit down its throat whole, stepped forward, the other creatures making way, even if some were subtility hostile to it.


    -"Yep, totally and utterly fucked."


    My mind was in turmoil, half of it trying to work out what I was seeing and the other half looking for an escape plan.


    So far, the wolves would outrun me, Spikes would out range me and the half monkey, half insect things that looked like they had wings would out fly/climb me.


    Releasing a deep breath, I lock eyes with the approaching wolf. Both my instincts and my knowledge screaming at me that I was not about to do the smarted thing but I just couldn¡¯t help myself.


    -¡±When you can¡¯t retreat, attack.¡±


    My smile returns, though I know its more of a snarl as a growl tears itself from my throat, causing my body to shake as the wolf not only pauses, but takes a step back, tilting its head in confusion.


    Raising my arms at my sides, gripping my improvised daggers, I take a step forward.


    -¡±Well, me, it looks like this is it. Lets try and make sure we level the score before expiring.¡±

 Chapter Nine - Law of the Jungle

    Chapter Eight - Law of the Jungle


    ********************


    The white, giant wolf, took another step back as I approached, its head still cocked in a confused manner. Though I was pretty sure it knew that it wasn¡¯t my primary target, it was still cautious.


    It was simply too big and powerful for me to take and even if I wanted to believe I could cause a nasty injury, I knew that it would be unlikely. If I were going to trade my life, I wanted to exact an equal price.


    -"A life for a life."


    Spotting a group of weaker looking creatures out of my peripheral, I took a step to the left, attempting to move closer, but just as I did, the wolf moved to its right, its lips curling into a snarl as it released its growl and blocked me.


    My lips twitched, threatening to turn into a smile.


    Though the wolf¡¯s growl was dark and menacing, it had only reinforced how terrifying my one was.


    It was like comparing the noise a car without an exhaust makes compared to a muscle car. Both were loud, but one was king while the other sounded, in comparison ridiculous.


    -¡±I wonder if the difference is that I have needed to bluff and be as intimidating as possible where the wolves would have been more of a communication tool and had this from the start? Wait, did they have the same stuff injected into them or were dropped as is?¡±


    I mentally shook my head, forcing the irrelevant thoughts from my mind.


    I had always been like this, not being able to focus and while I got lucky with Spike, after thinking about it on the long walk here, I knew it would get me killed sooner or later.


    -¡±FOCUS!¡±


    The wolf¡¯s golden, penetrating glare was still locked onto mine as I took another step to the left to confirm a suspicion, only for it to follow.


    It was covering the other creatures, even those that were not of its species.


    -¡±The law of the Jungle? I thought it was nothing but a myth.¡±


    There was a myth, popularised by a book and later, Disney adaptation, that stated that animals, at least those who didn¡¯t live in that habituate like anacondas and crocodiles, would not attack each other at water sources.


    Of course, it was a load of rubbish as what predator would pass up an easy meal due to some humanistic fantasy ideal of honour and comradely. Then again, there were certain cases where it has been proven. Mainly during natural disasters like drought. I had always chalked it up to the predators being too stuffed from all the carrion or dying of thirst themselves.


    Having thought that, I was once again I was forced to question what I considered to be common sense and logic. In a well-stocked location, where fruit, water and lots of animals were located, these creatures seemed to have formed some sort of truce instead of separating.


    What¡¯s was more confusing is that they all looked like carnivores. I couldn''t spot a single characteristic of any of them having any ability to eat fruit.


    My inner child jumped at the opportunity to live this line of thought provided, mainly not being turned into shit, but I quickly reminded myself that just because they had some sort of peace treaty, that didn¡¯t mean it applied to me.


    I was a stranger after all. Who apparently had just stumbled in during nap time.


    I ground my teeth, wanting to look around at the other creatures to get more information but I knew that it would be a bad idea if I broke eye contact at the moment.


    The wolf in front of me was sizing me up and weighing its options.


    Was I prey? A competitor? A threat? or, something that I hoped, a creature that could share this space with them peacefully.


    Without realising what I was doing, my frustration got the best of me, and a sharp hiss of irritation escaped my mouth, causing the spike like creatures to respond in kind, one even going as far as to stand on its back legs in an all too familiar pose.


    Once again, my peripheral came to my rescue as I spotted the black blurs I knew to be the projectile spikes.


    -¡±Seems like these creatures are pretty standard. I would have thought there would have been more variation.¡±


    Well, at least I didn¡¯t have a choice anymore. Even if it''s giving you lemons, it''s much easier to roll with the blows if you have no choice.


    Without waiting to see the reaction from the wolf, I turned my head and focused on the flying spines, amazed at how fast I had moved and tracked them.


    Twisting my body, dodging the first spike by a large margin as the second drew a thin, almost unnoticeable line of blood from my right arm, I was shocked at how fast and nimble I had become.


    -¡±That was much easier than last time.¡±


    Landing awkwardly on all fours, my back right leg straight and sticking out behind me, making it impossible to jump or dodge well, I quickly looked back to where the wolf was, only to let out a small, very human-like, ''Eep''.


    The wolf was already at my side and, before I could do as much as flinch, both of its paws smashed into my back, slamming be on the floor and driving the wind from my lungs as it pinned me.


    Coughing, regaining my breath almost instantly, I was about to try and stand, the fear and adrenaline of being in such a disadvantageous position powering my muscles like never before when I high pitched scream resonated from where the spiked creatures had been.


    The spiked creature that had just attacked me was no more, ripped to shreds by the other wolfs as it kind watched on, retreating backwards while exposing their teeth.


    It was evident they didn¡¯t like the wolves but were not brave enough to do anything about it.


    *Grrrrrrrr*


    A low pitched growl, one which for some unknown reason, made my insides shudder in excitement, resonated by my head.


    -¡±Totally turning into an adrenalin junkie.¡±


    I slowly turn my head, not wanting to make any sudden movements and soon come face to face with the wolf¡¯s massive head. Its teeth were on full display, emphasising their terrifying potential.


    I had always loved wolves, mainly due to their family and social structure and I guess looks were a big part of it too but the thing I liked most, was their cold, no nonsense approach to dealing with those who had become a handicap to the pack.


    It might sound stupid, as through no fault of their own people can be born or receive a disadvantage, but I hated how false and preachy everyone was on that topic. They pretended that their survival instincts didn¡¯t apply to them or our society, that humans were somehow made better tha¡­


    -¡±God damn it, focus you fucking idiot.¡±


    Chastising myself for my wandering mind, I once again locked eyes with the wolf, hoping to display that the early break was not through weakness but need, which was actually very hard to do due to the size of the creature and how I was currently pinned to the floor.


    Still, with strained neck muscles that were bound to be extremely sore later, I somehow managed.


    My fingers curled into a ball, ripping the soft peat from the ground.


    -¡±Wait? Where are my daggers?¡±


    Looking around, I see them on the ground near where I was standing before I dodged the attack.


    Sighing, I resist the urge to growl.


    It appeared my natural reflexes had worked against me, subconsciously letting go of my only weapons as I focused everything I had on dodging the threat. I should have known better, it was a well known¡­


    -¡±NO!¡±


    This time I was not fast enough to suppress the growl, and although it was intended at myself, the wolf seemed to interpret it as me trying to threaten it, returning its own growl as it moved its head closer to me, showing off it''s very sharp, pointed teeth.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    My body tensed as I finally understood just how fucked I was. Forget making a kill, I would have been lucky to take a single step.


    The wolf was obviously far stronger than I, and that was when I was standing. Laying on my front, I couldn¡¯t even use my limbs or even if I could, a weapon.


    I was completely at the beast¡¯s mercy.


    -¡±Hang on a minute, they killed the spike thing but I am still alive, and I don¡¯t think it because of my uniqueness or smell.¡±


    My mind raced at the implication as a crazy, no insane, idea started to form.


    Resisting the urge to laugh at how stupid I was, I lowered my gaze, moving it to just below the wolf¡¯s chin and¡­ Made my best interpretation of a dog¡¯s whine.


    Surprisingly, it wasn¡¯t half bad, and towards the back of my mind, I wondered just what had been done to my vocal cords that enabled me to make the broad range of sounds.


    The seconds ticked by as the silence, one that the birds blissfully ignored, started to feel like a weight pressing against my soul. I knew it was a stupid idea, but strangely, I did not feel too conflicted lowering my head to such an adversary.


    I had decided to live by survival of the fittest and so, I would die by it.


    Plus, it wasn¡¯t a human. I just hoped that these apparently intelligent creatures wouldn¡¯t develop the contradictory human-like traits I despised. I¡­ It would hurt my soul if they did.


    A warm, wet sensation running across my face, caused me to jump causing me to panic before I worked out what it was.


    The wolf had licked me.


    Looking back up but making sure not to stare, I noticed that the hostility had gone from its eyes and, after making sure I wasn¡¯t going to do anything, it removed its feet, making me realise just how much pressure had been put on my chest as air flooded into my lungs.


    Confused, I slowly moved into a sitting position and watched as the wolf returned to the edge of the clearing, near a patch of trees where a few wolf pups were looking at me intently, mischief and curiosity emanating from them.


    -¡±Huh? How do I know that?¡±


    The sudden realisation that, I had somehow known all along that the Wolf did not want to kill me, making me see it as less of a threat and enabling me to focus on trying to take my ''pound of flesh'', hit me.


    It was the same for all the creatures as I looked around the clearing, noticing that while they had gone back to whatever they had been doing, mostly resting, that they still were keeping a cautious, if not curious eye on me.


    Well, all accept the spike creatures. I could tell that given half the chance, they would tear me limb from limb. It was evident by their body posture.


    I frowned.


    -¡±Just how on Earth does this adaptation thing work. I can¡¯t think of a single thing that has this sort of ability on Earth, and I wouldn¡¯t even know how to begin guessing how it worked.¡±


    I also realised that this was how I knew that all of the creatures I had met this far, were as intelligent as me. Though I knew it wasn¡¯t the same as a human, thank god, they thought, felt and feared similarly to humans. They were sentient.


    My rear had long gone numb by the time I shook the thoughts from my head and stood up, stretching to get rid of the cramp. I was more confused than ever, which was saying something in this situation, and even if I did, they wouldn¡¯t help me at the moment.


    At least I thought I understood how this place worked. If there were not some kind of order, these clearings would become no man¡¯s lands.


    For non-intelligent species, an equilibrium would eventually be found, at the cost of many, many lives but as they were all intelligent, some powerful creatures could take control and police them as they saw fit.


    In this case, it looked like the wolves had imposed a benevolent dictatorship. No one could hurt each other, or the aggressor would be on the menu.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if this ¡®safe¡¯ zone extended outside the clearing, but at the moment, this suited me down to the ground.


    Now, if only I knew if that lick was some sort of acceptance or if it was just a taste test, I would be able to rest a bit easier.


    Taking a quick glance at the spike-like creatures, deciding that I didn¡¯t want to break the status quo right away, I cautiously walked towards the water pools in the centre as my eyelids started to sag.


    I was exhausted.


    Unfortunately for me, there was no clear path as creatures lay scattered across the area but when I approached the monkey-like insects, for that was the only way I could describe them, watching me with their many soulless, black eyes, they shuffled out of my way, much to my confusion.


    -¡±I suppose it makes sense, though there is peace, each species is cautious of the other but knows that they can''t make trouble.¡±


    Reaching the pools and looking around for threats, I decided to test the water with ice in it first.


    Dipping a finger in it, in case it wasn¡¯t water but something that looked like it, they could have been the spit filled mouths of giant earth worms for all I knew on this crazy planet, gave it a quick taste test.


    To my relief, I found it was in fact, water even if it wasn''t the right temperature to drink.


    ¡±This water is too cold.¡±


    I move towards the water with faint steam rising, and already knowing the answer, dip my toe in it.


    ¡°This water is too hot.¡±


    I smile at my silliness, wondering if the loneliness is finally getting to me.


    Continuing past the hot pool, I start trying the others in order until I reached the one furthest away, on the opposite side that I started.


    ¡°Ahhh, this water is just right.¡±


    I chuckled.


    -¡°I just hope there are no bears about... then again, I wouldn¡¯t say no to a comfy bed.¡±


    Kneeling down, I scooped a handful of water up to my mouth, letting the cool, fresh tasting water flow down my throat while repressing the urge to start a fire and boil it.


    I just hoped my hatred for getting sick and parasites would force a beneficial adaptation.


    Back on Earth, water, and not the kind from the tap, was the only thing I would drink bar alcohol, my one true vice.


    I feel my shoulders deflate as I remember all of the food and drink I would never be able to have again.


    -¡±God I could do with a stiff drink about now.¡±


    An intense stabbing pain woke me from my thoughts, causing me to sharply look down, only to find a tiny, semi transparent snake, looking like it was made out of water.


    Jumping up, I backed away slightly while keeping the snake in my sight.


    I had knelt on it by mistake, and now its tail was looking very flat, even with the soft, peaty ground beneath us.


    -¡±Oh fuck, I hope it isn¡¯t poisonous.¡±


    A rule of thumb on earth was that the smaller the snake, the more you should avoid it. Of course, there were species of snake that no matter what size, would put you in a wooden box faster than the government lobbying for a new tax so, in my paranoia, I had employed the ¡®avoid them all¡¯ strategy.


    Not that it had worked in this instance.


    Quickly checking my knee, I saw thick, red blood dripping from the shredded skin, causing me to release a sigh of relief.


    Fangs or serrated teeth, snakes rarely had both. Now I just had to worry about any bacteria that it cultivated in its mouth.


    -¡±Maybe I will need that boiled water after all.¡±


    My thoughts stopped as my mouth dropped open. The snakes flat tail was inflating while the rest of its body shrunk. Small bubbles, as varying hues of blue, swished about.


    "Wow¡­ literally, a water snake.¡±


    The tiny creature was semi transparent, and I couldn¡¯t see any organs apart from its eyes and the blue, tinged scales.


    I was almost left speechless. Even though it was an unbelievable sight, the creature looked¡­ Well, beautiful.


    -¡±Beauty often means deadly, unless you are a bird looking for a mate.¡±


    Even with these thoughts, I found myself getting closer as I watched the snake shaking its head as if it was getting dizzy before it tried moving towards the water. Only to stop and rest every few inches. It reminded me a lot of the mosquito.


    Using my left hand, I wiped the blood on my knee and licked a small amount before spitting on the floor as a wicked smile crept across my face.


    ¡°No freaking way. My blood is incredibly bitter but judging from how everything that bites me reacts, it should be poisonous. Oh, beautiful fate, how I love you.¡±


    My vindictive side loved this development and, if I was ever facing a creature that was about to eat me, I had the perfect quote from a film saved.


    I just hoped I would be clear headed enough to remember it and that the creature would understand.


    The snake stopped struggling, its laboured breaths rising and falling slowly as it seemed to lose consciousness and I felt a pang of guilt.


    I crept forward, and after poking it a few times, I hesitantly scooped up the snake, making sure it was still breathing.


    Initially, I intended to return it to the water, but I couldn¡¯t see any gills, and I didn¡¯t know if it had any other mechanisms to allow it to breathe if I just threw it in.


    I could also feel quite a few eyes on me.


    -¡±Hmm, well I did flatten you so unless you die, I guess I can¡¯t leave you alone but what am I going to do with you?¡±


    Suddenly, I felt very naked. It wasn¡¯t the lack of clothes or all the animals watching me that brought it on. It was that I didn¡¯t have any pockets.


    I was, no had been, a timid person but that was just around people. I didn''t like feeling vulnerable in front of others.


    -¡±How am I going to carry this little thing around with me?¡±


    Looking around, I realised that the faint light that had managed to breach the forest canopy was dimming significantly, signifying that the day was almost over.


    My eyes continued to search for something I could use as a pouch when they met another''s.


    ¡°Shit.¡±


    The wolf looked me in the eye, then glanced at the snake before looking me in the eye again.


    I knew I had been given my first warning, and it was probably only a warning as it had seen the whole thing. To top it off, somehow I knew that if I attempted to eat the snake, I would be on the menu next.


    Swallowing hard, my instincts screaming that I was in potential danger, I forced a chuckle.


    ¡°Big brother is watching huh?¡±


    Cracking my joints, something I had never been able to do on earth, as I tensed and relaxed my muscles, keeping them in a state of readiness, I realised just how tired I was.


    -"I needed to find somewhere to rest."


    Looking at the tree¡¯s on the outside of the circle I decided against trying to climb them. Not only would I probably fall if I fell asleep, but I wasn¡¯t sure the wolves protection went that far.


    Unless I wanted a very long travel away from here, looking over my shoulder, this was the safest place.


    At least I hoped.


    I looked to the white tree in the centre of the pools and noticed no creatures were hanging around its base, but instead of thinking of it as a place to rest, my paranoia went into overdrive.


    What was wrong with that location? Was it dangerous? Is the tree carnivorous?


    Without answers to these questions, I moved away to the edge of the clearing, furthest away from the spiky creatures, which happened to be pretty close to the wolfs before settling down with my back against a tree.


    My paranoia was going into overdrive, but my exhaustion was winning.


    I knew it was stupid sleeping here, no matter what incredible stuff had just happened but for some reason, I felt safe.


    Safe for the first time since I landed on this rock, and with one loud yawn, which scattered the wolf pups that had been unsuccessfully stalking towards me, I got comfortable, my right hand wrapped around the little snake at my side.


    Initially I had put my hands in my lap, feeling more secure and able to respond to any threats but I didn¡¯t want the little critter to wake up and decided that it needed to bite me when it was positioned so close to places that, if this were a game, would flag as critical hits.


    I might be stuck on an alien world, but I was still a man.


    I chuckled darkly, my mind briefly touching on the fact that I was unlikely to find a woman here, as I closed my eyes to the sound of the birds, those damned insects and the occasional noise from the animals in the clearing, strangely lulling me to sleep.


    My last thoughts were of the confrontation with the wolf, which had made one thing unmistakably clear. I was weak.


    -¡±To the victor goes the spoils. I need to become stronger.¡±

 Chapter Ten - Fuzzy Headed

    I gradually awoke, the dull ache in my back and legs rousing me from my slumber as I stretched, releasing a beast-like yawn and noticing that my entire body felt... weird.


    Not just my body, but my thoughts were jumbled.


    It was similar to the sensation when you are dreaming, and you know it but can''t control anything. The world around you and your senses don''t feel quite right, but at the same time, you can''t pinpoint what is wrong.


    I shifted, and although it wasn''t the sole cause of my discomfort, the way I was leaning against the tree had not helped and left my muscles stiff, which I attributed to being the cause of me being awake.


    Yawning again, I slowly opened my eyes and noticed the clearing was bathed in the bright, golden rays of sunlight that fell through the gap caused by the clearing in the tree canopy.


    Most of the creatures I had seen the day before, for I must have slept through the night, were sprawled on the ground in small clusters as they slept or rested.


    It seemed like they had got used to me as none of them, even the few wolves that plodded along at the edges, seemingly on guard, paid me any attention.


    I shook my head in a vain attempt to clear my mind of the strange fogginess as I smacked my lips and scraped my tongue against my teeth, trying to work some feeling into my numb and unresponsive mouth.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Finding that it didn''t help, I frowned as I realised my vision was also not as is should be, which reminded me of the issues the light had caused me yesterday.


    Yes, the bright light no longer hurt my eyes, but that wasn''t what was strange or confusing as I doubt, having lived my whole life being able to see fine in daylight, my brain would have noticed while I was in this state of mind.


    The view directly ahead of me was okay, not great but good enough, but it felt as if I couldn''t see as far to the sides in my peripheral as normal. It was like I was wearing blinkers.


    I raised my right hand, remembering that my left held the water snake, and felt the side of my face.


    Nothing was obstructing my vision or felt abnormal.


    -"Maybe I am dreaming, but then again, everything feels so real. I mean who dreams about being tired?"


    Stifling another yawn, I was too tired to care and decided that as I had not been attacked, mauled or even poked, I hoped, that an extra five minutes would be okay.


    That or I was in fact dreaming, and it didn''t matter.


    A tired mind is a sloppy mind after all, and although I needed to make the most out of the limited adaptation time, at the moment, I felt heavier than a steel battleship that had taken on water and capsized.


    Letting out a deep breath, I had the feeling that I was missing something, but I soon dismissed it as I straightened my legs, causing my back to slide down the trunk of the tree until I was laying flat on the ground.


    As my breathing became lighter, I tensed and relaxed my muscles, which was something of a new habit I had picked up before closing my eyes.


    For the second time in my life, if you exclude passing out, I was falling asleep within moments.

 Chapter Eleven - Hunter or Gatherer

    Chapter Eleven -Hunter


    ********************


    With clarity I had never had before when waking, my eyes shot open and took in the dark, near empty clearing as I jumped into a kneeling position and quickly analysed my surroundings, releasing a threatening growl.


    A few wolves and insect-monkeys that were loitering near the edges of the clearing, forming what appeared to be small groups, looked over with curiosity before returning to whatever they were doing.


    Something that felt like a threat, or was it pain? Maybe danger? Whatever it was, it had woken me up suddenly and put me on high alert.


    My heart thumped noisily in my chest as my eyes continued to dart about, however, it was clear that there was nothing near me and I felt, well not quite normal, but not in any pain.


    Blinking a few times, wondering if I had some sort of nightmare after waking up earlier, I checked one last time for any creatures or potential threats near me, only to find I was completely alone.


    In fact, it appeared that most of the animals had left somewhere which only caused me to feel less certain of my situation.


    -"Hmm, maybe one of them leaving startled me?"


    After quickly examining my body, noting that although it felt odd, I no longer was sore or achy, I slowly stood up.


    My joints cracked and popped in protest, as if I hadn''t moved in a century, once again drawing more curious glances from my new neighbours.


    Taking a deep breath, I looked up only to grimace.


    It was dark.


    If I had really woken up earlier, which after checking a few of the more notable branches I remember seeing, was more than likely, then I had slept a night and a day away.


    Even my perfect vision, which I could honestly say was the best it had ever been, could not distract me from the heavy, sinking feeling I was starting to feel.


    A growl of irritation rumbled deep in my chest as I clenched my jaw.


    -"I am losing too much time, but before that, I needed to decide if I am going to be nocturnal or diurnal. I need to try and get into some sort of habit."


    Humans, back in the past, had always shied away from the dark and its hidden threats. That was until they invented ways to light up the night and eliminated any threats. Well, bar the ones they made for themselves yet here I was, with potentially unlimited possibilities before me.


    To become a creature of the night or day. Without technology and with the ability to overcome any disadvantages, it was a tough choice.


    I scratched my smooth chin, vaguely feeling that something else was off, as I pondered the question.


    -"Why do I have to pick? Even though I enjoy sleeping, I have always hated the wasted time. If earlier is anything to go by, the light doesn''t hurt my eyes anymore, and instead of spending time on this, I could just try and solve the real issue. How much sleep I need."


    A snort, hopefully not at me staring off into the starry night sky, from the insect-apes jolted me from my thoughts.


    -"I guess I have the desire, I just need to force my body to accept the need though."


    I frowned.


    -"However, I am not sure on the limitations of this. It reminds me that small animals have shorter life spans due to their higher metabolism but larger animals conventionally grow and develop slower and live longer. My body is not a machine with replaceable parts. If I increase the amount of time I am active or strain I am under, I should, in theory, age faster?"


    -"Hmm, a smouldering fire or a blazing inferno. I guess it all depends on the limitations of what they injected me with."


    The answer was easy. When I found my grave, I wanted to slide into it with nothing left in the tank, having lived life to the full and leaving a trail of destruction, and hopefully good times, behind me.


    Deep in thought, I ran my tongue along the tips of my teeth and started walking towards the pool I had previously drunk from.


    I noticed that they felt sharper, and I wasn''t quite sure how I knew, but a lot stronger.


    It wasn''t as if they were more pointed or prominent, just that the edges felt as if I weren''t careful, they would cut me.


    As if to prove my point, my canine sliced my tongue, causing me to hiss in pain and spit a dark red glob of blood onto the floor nevertheless, I wasn''t given much time to dwell on it.


    During my short walk, my joins continued to crack, however, as they started to stop, I felt what could only be my muscles squirming underneath my skin, eventually settling down.


    -"I am starting to feel like that creature, the Thing."


    I shook my head, trying to push the image out of my mind.


    In a world like this, the stuff of nightmares could be a reality. What''s more, if I weren''t careful, I could become one.


    A deep, ominous grumble resonated from my stomach, indicating where my priorities should be.


    -"First a drink, then I better find food. I can worry about the other stuff after."


    A smile crept on my face at the thought that my number one concern since arriving on this planet had been to eat and drink.


    I had always been an advocate of a more ''fundamental'' way of life however now I was living it, I could honestly say that just staying fed and watered could quickly leave you with no time for anything else.


    After drinking a couple of dozen handfuls of water, noticing that although it did the job, it did not quite quench my thirst like it had done on Earth, I looked around the clearing.


    Only a few of the wolves, including the large Alpha, were still around. The rest had disappeared into the thick foliage, presumably to hunt.


    I remembered the cow-like creatures I had seen grazing on my first night and wondered where they sat on the food chain.


    -¡±Guess I am not the only night owl here. I wonder if it is because hunting is easier in the dark, that there are bigger threats in the light or that there just isn''t enough food during the day. I didn''t see anything while walking here.¡±


    Standing back up and dusting myself off, I paused before looking at my hands as my mind ground to a halt.


    Running back to where I had been sleeping, I searched for signs of the small snake.


    I had completely forgotten about it, which if it was still alive and holding a grudge, could have been very bad for me.


    -"Why the hell did I pick that up? I should have left it where it was and let nature take its course. What the hell was I thinking?"


    After checking the area multiple times, I frowned.


    -¡±Either it got better and decided to make a run for it, or it got eaten while I slept. Or, like when I passed out with Spike, I unconsciously ate it. Either way, it''s gone.¡±


    My stomach gurgled, seemingly in protest to the thought that it had already received some food.


    I sighed.


    -"Seeing that there is a distinctive lack of blood or water, I doubt I got the munchies."


    I looked at my left hand, and a small pang of loneliness welled up inside.


    -"Surely I am not lonely."


    My view tilted up and I took in the night sky while drawing a deep breath.


    -"I am still wasting time."


    Scanning the clearing again, this time trying to gather as much info as possible, I started to think of a plan.


    If I wanted to evolve, well, adapt, in the right way, I would need to do things properly and seeing as I would not be content with second place, that meant things getting a little dicey.


    I would need to expose myself to as many dangerous situations as possible, with clear mental images of what I wanted to improve, review the encounter and repeat.


    Having already decided that I wanted to focus on my mind and body, I started to come up with a list of things that I should focus on.


    -"Speed, Dexterity, Strength, Stamina."


    Stretching my neck while going through warm up exercises, something I had gotten used to before doing anything remotely straining, I continued to plan.


    -"Speed and stamina can be practised by travelling, though reaction times would need something unpredictable to thoroughly test. Dexterity should improve naturally as I focus on other tasks though I can remember a few tricks that should help. Strength. Well, that one is obvious."


    Finished stretching, I take a few more mouthfuls of water and start pacing.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    -"Due to having no idea how to make clothes or tan hide, and because I keep getting small injuries I need to increase my skins toughness. Also, the ability to eat and digest a broad range of things would be very beneficial to survival. That also leads onto poison and disease resistances."


    I knew that I was starting to think of my situation similar to a game, but honestly, I had no better way to sort and organise the information I had. My new found night vision and poison blood had wiped all doubts from my mind, and all that was left was trying to work how far I could push the advantage while I had it.


    An image started forming in my mind, but unsurprisingly, it looked how I imagined myself to be, if with a bit better muscle definition.


    I knew I might be handicapping my growth and the potential of these adaptations, but I wanted to remain me. It had been a long time since I had learnt to live with myself and in the process, it became who I was, scars and all.


    There were a few ''cool'' ideas I had about how the human body could be improved, but since I couldn''t imagine them on me, or even begin to understand the consequences, I pushed the idea to the back of my mind.


    I was sure that when I met the other humans, I would be wiping away tears of laughter at some of the impractical or damn right idiotic changes they would make.


    I sniggered, absentmindedly rubbing my left arm, feeling the hard surface as I wondered what my body would look like if I went ahead with the plan forming in my mind.


    -"If I am going to do what I think I should, I am going to look pretty badass with all these scars when I am done."


    Clapping my hands together I grinned, probably like a mad man, as I resolved myself for what was to come.


    -"First things first, let''s get some food. Can''t win a war on an empty stomach and times, they are a changin~."


    Looking around at the many, small trails that exited the clearing, my gut twisted as a sudden realisation caused a slight chill, maybe with a hint of excitement, to run down my spine.


    The spiked creatures were out there, and while there undoubtedly would be other threats, they obviously had it out for me. In fact, even if it was just my paranoia acting up, I could almost imagine them setting up some sort of ambush as they rubbed their hoof''s in anticipation of ripping me to shreds and drinking my blood.


    I shrugged as the genuine threat that they represented was overshadowed something that I considered rather silly, if slightly amusing, yet I couldn''t stop myself from licking my lips at the memory of the tangy, iron-like taste.


    My stomach to grumble in approval at the thoughts that were bubbling to the surface.


    -"Well, I have always preferred meat over my veg, even if it was slightly more cooked. Anyway, I should probably start off easy and find some fruit. One Spike was hard enough let alone a... pack I suppose? They did seem pretty dog-like, and honestly, I don''t think I was far from meeting the Reaper. I shou-"


    My footsteps faltered.


    -¡±My daggers!¡±


    I slapped my forehead with my palm, the power in the hit enough to stagger me back, much to my surprise.


    Recovering quickly and pushing what had just happened to the back of my mind, I searched the entire clearing, even checking the pools and underneath the overhang of bushes that encroached the edges to find my improvised weapons that I had started calling daggers, only to discover there wasn''t even a trace.


    It was like they never existed.


    While my mind came up with ideas of what happened to my prized weapons, each more outlandish than the last, my gaze drifted around, only to lock with the Alpha wolf''s eyes.


    It turns out that it was a she, seeing as she was nursing the pups while watching me with an amused ''what are you doing now?'' look.


    Ok, so I might have been running around like a headless chicken, stopping every now and again as I spaced out, but there was no need for that look.


    I could almost sense the pity that was held in the gaze and in my mind, I was wondering if she was thinking about putting me out of my misery.


    I realised my cheeks were heating in embarrassment, causing me to grind my teeth.


    -"Great, now I imagine insults and slights. Who needs enemies when I have my brain."


    Even though I knew, or at least thought I knew, that it was all in my head, I still put on my best smile, making sure I didn''t reveal any teeth as that could have been seen as a challenge.


    The wolf tilted its head in confusion, which would have been cute if it wasn''t as big as a small truck, and I narrowed my eyes, trying to convey a message with every fibre of my being.


    ''Don''t underestimate me... bitch.''


    I had no idea how intelligent the wolf was, or how it seemed to sense what I was thinking but I had the sudden feeling that she was laughing at me, even though her expression hadn''t really changed.


    Maintaining eye contact, the wolf pointed it''s muzzle at the tree line and in a ''go on then, show me'' attitude, flicked its head as if it was telling me to go.


    I grumbled under my breath as I started walking towards the small trail on the other side of the wolf. "I am definitely spending too much time on my own. I felt crazy enough around other people yet I had no idea it could get worse."


    Having decided that, due to their evident dislike of each other, the spiked creatures would probably have exited the clearing on the opposite side to the Alpha, I felt the safest option would probably be to start off in the other direction.


    Within moments, the clearing was out of sight as I disappeared into the thick foliage.


    My steps slowly became lighter as I forced the indignation I felt from my mind.


    -"Here I am, on an alien planet with no humans around, and I am being judged by an overgrown rug."


    -"And why the hell was I embarrassed by that. I am naked for fuck sake. Priorities... err."


    Sighing I felt my shoulders deflate.


    -"I still need a name."


    After a few meters, I found myself walking on the balls of my feet as my body swayed between the thickest clusters of vegetation, trying to make as little noise as possible while pushing my senses to the max.


    With visibility this poor, this would be the perfect place for an ambush.


    I felt my heartbeat skip as another plan started to formulate in my mind.


    -"Who said I had to be the prey?"


    My elation soon dropped. I wasn''t strong enough yet and I knew it. I needed to push hard before I could pull something off like that.


    That feeling deep in my gut rose once again as I remembered that I could have already wasted too much time.


    -"What does it matter, the milk has already spilt. Need to make the best of what I have and at least now I have a goal."


    I felt my lips curl. It might have been childish, but I worked best when I had someone to prove wrong and that wolf, with its condescending gaze, had provided it.


    She was much stronger, faster, and as I didn''t like underestimating an enemy, smarter than me. The alpha ruled the clearing with an iron fist, its why I started calling her Alpha after all.


    She was perfect. My goal. At least until I found a stronger opponent.


    I started pushing myself harder, forcing myself to be as silent as possible while analysing every bit of input my senses provided. I even tried smelling the trees and plants as I passed.


    While I was sure I looked stupid, and that I could be wasting even more of my valuable time, it felt right, so I carried on.


    I slowly circled outwards, similar to the way I entered the trees but even though I was moving much better than before, the sharp leaves and thorns still managed to brush my skin, however, unlike earlier, they could not penetrate and seemingly slid off harmlessly.


    This gave me another idea, though I quickly dismissed it.


    I grumbled at my weak resolve. I had read enough stories that, in similar circumstances, injuring oneself repeatedly could reap huge benefits but, I just couldn''t do it.


    I might be planning something that could be summarised as Insanity''s and Masochistic''s evil love spawn, but hurting myself like that was just against who I was.


    I spat on the floor, hissing at how stupid I was.


    Surely as my idea to gain strength was even more dangerous and pain filled, a few cuts or at least taking some damage was not that hard but no matter what reason I came up with, I couldn''t even begin to convince myself.


    -"Nope, not going to happen."


    *Grrrr*


    My stomach was a welcome distraction from my thoughts, which once again I was getting too lost in.


    Sighing I took a deep breath and calmed my mind.


    -"Still the same, even if I don''t have a name. Stubborn as a mule and twice as dense."


    Looking around, I noticed one of the fruits I had seen on my arrival, yet while it looked somewhat appetising in daylight, now I am pretty sure it would either melt through my stomach or irradiate me.


    Well, it wasn''t that it looked unappealing in the taste sense. It was more the fact that eating a glowing red fruit with a slight orange sparkle to it, is something no respecting, paranoid person would do.


    I would say no self-respecting person, but I have met plenty would probably be clutching their throats as they foamed at the mouth and rolled around on the floor in their final death throws if we exchanged places.


    Still, I knew that even though I wanted to increase my bodies resistance to poison and disease, that the fruit, that was no bigger than my fist, would have the final laugh if I tried to eat it now and I was unwilling to die in such a pathetic manner.


    I moved past the tree, still debating if I was being a wimp and was shocked to see I was already on the outskirts of the copse.


    Scratching a painful spot on my left arm, I noticed that there was a smooth, almost perfect circle of skin where scar tissue should be, a few inches up from my wrist, however, before I could investigate further, I heard something.


    A small clicking to my right drew my gaze, only for me to freeze as I watched one of the insect apes eating fruit as it leant against a tree, looking out onto the rolling grassy hills in front of it.


    Without realising what I was doing, I had been walking so silently that I had managed to sneak up on it.


    I smiled, probably creepily, as I realised just how much I had improved on my short walk.


    -"It seems that whatever is causing the adaptations is continually at work, whether I am asleep or awake. That''s really good to know though, I wonder why I don''t feel any pain when it does what it does? Surely it should hurt like hell?"


    My stomach cramps, wiping the smile from my face yet, apart from that, not a single muscle twitches.


    I swallow, the sound almost deafening in my ears, as I realise how parched I am.


    -"It also seems that the faster I adapt, the more I need to eat and drink. This could be bad."


    I take an incredibly slow step towards the creature, my mind not yet caught up with my bodies plan, as I rapidly start to put the pieces of the puzzle together.


    I had no idea why I didn''t think of it earlier, treating the adaptation ability as some form of magic but now I thought about it, the side effects were glaringly obvious.


    My next step paused in mid air as I finally realised what I was about to do.


    I was now no more than six feet from the creature who continued to eat without a care in the world.


    -"Wait, why am I taking such a risk? I got night vision by sub consciously wanting it and the poison blood thing just because the bug bites were infuriating me. Maybe all I have to do is want immunity to poison and a stronger stomach? I could just eat the fruits and not take the chance of upsetting another fraction."


    I study the creature.


    -"Or you know, dying in the attempt."


    My face creased into a frown, the only movement the creature made was to reach for another fruit as it continued it''s outward visual.


    -"Somehow I don''t think it works like that or else this world would be full of gods. I was in the dark, and so it had something to work with. The bugs were biting me, and a fair few had feasted before I noticed any changes. I wasn''t instantly good at moving quietly, but with practice and repetition, it improved at incredibly fast rates."


    My foot continued, landing silently on the leaf litter that had spilt out onto the grassland.


    -"If that is the case, then it needs something to work with or really, against. I will need to taste and then consume many things to build up a resistance. However, I should probably do it on a full stomach. It could cause a lot of damage if the adaptation has nothing to use for... energy? If that was the case, then the safest bet was to continue with what had previously worked."


    My vision started to narrow, focusing so hard on the insect-like ape, that I could see its heartbeat in one of the veins running down the side of its neck.


    -"So it''s like micro evolutions, rapidly changing and adjusting to get the desired effect. That could be what the voice meant about the environment having an impact. It could also only be the trigger for more advanced evolutions that aren''t aesthetic? Urg, why couldn''t that bitch just tell me what was going on."


    I decided to ignore the fact that I had turned down the extra information and most likely, the support of the other humans that were probably sitting around a nice camp fire, in a large group, brainstorming about now.


    The thoughts drifted away as I focused and continued to move forward stealthily.


    My eyes scanned the creature in front, taking notice of its skeletal structure and using whatever knowledge I had to try and identify weaknesses.


    -"Humanoid, so head, spine, neck are priority targets. Skin looks hard. Possible exoskeleton. Muscles are not evident but could be like ants. Will need to hit hard and fast. Possible allies nearby."


    Somewhere, I felt concerned at just how cold blooded and calculating I had become, but it was soon swallowed by my growing excitement as I struggled to keep my heartbeat steady.


    The spot around the patch of skin on left arm tingled but I ignored it.


    Straining my ears, I listened for similar noises to what the creature was making. I was almost shaking with excitement.


    I was almost shaking with excitement as I could see the creature''s body move with each click, indicating it was the only one making the noises.


    I took another painfully slow step forward, pulling my foot back slightly when it was about to touch the floor after sensing a twig before pressing down just behind it.


    My lips pulled back into a feral snarl as I hunched, preparing to lunge.


    In my mind, I had already killed the creature, dragged it into the dense vegetation cover and devouring it.


    *Grrrrrrr*


    -"Oh, fuck my life."

 Update, Schedule plan and Patreon

    Hi All,


    First of all, I wanted to say a huge thank you for the support, constructive criticism, ideas and most, for being such an awesome reader base.


    I am really sorry that updates have been very few and far between recently. Life, like always, manages to find a way to ruin the best-laid plans and as I have been writing for fun, it has been extremely easy to put writing to the bottom of the priority pile.


    With twins and trying to run a company, my time has never been more ''valuable'' *laughs at self* and so I have tried to implement a new ''ranking'' system. My new schedule for all my works will be to aim to release a chapter a week, however, priority will be given to the works that havePatreon support.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    This means I will work on those that have secured funding first (on a weekly basis, resetting at the beginning of every month), and then the others secondary. This should mean that I focus on the most popular works instead of just doing the chapters ''that I feel like'' but in the likely event that there are no pledges, I will stick to a round robin system.


    I understand pledging isn''t everyone''s cup of tea but worry not. Sponsors of my works will only have the chapters available 48 hours before I release them here on RRL.


    Below is my planned schedule:


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Once Human</td>


    <td>Ongoing (Going to be aiming for 2 releases a week until BOM Restarts).</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>The Forgotten Hero</td>


    <td>Publishing new chapters from the 31st of October</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>The Book of Mors: Summoned</td>


    <td>Publishing new chapters from the 20h of September</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    If you have any questions or concerns, please send me a PM.


    Once again, thank you for being awesome and giving me the confidence to continue writing.

 Chapter Twelve - It is our actions that define us

    Chapter Twelve


    It is our actions that define us


    *******************************************


    *Grrrrr*


    Like tyrannical, rumbling thunder, my stomach¡¯s growls destroyed whatever semblance of tranquillity the forest edge held, causing the insect-like ape that I had been stalking to freeze as its muscles tensed.


    Whether the creature was about to scream in surprise, run or, more than likely knowing my luck, turn and fight, I didn¡¯t know but what I did know, was that I didn¡¯t have the same luxury.


    In nature, a single moment¡¯s hesitation is the difference between life and death.


    I leapt through the remaining distance, my bones screaming in protest at the explosion of speed, as I watched the ape start drawing a deep breath.


    My hands smashed into the two thick, stubby antenna sticking out of each side of its head, no more than a few inches tall as I clasped it in a vice-like grip.


    A bone chilling growl tore from my throat while my lips threatened to crack as a manic smile erupted onto my face, knowing I had made it in time.


    A few microseconds later, my knee slammed into the left side of its back, knocking the still forming wind out of the ape''s lungs, as my right foot wedged me between it and the ground, giving me the leverage I needed.


    Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, I twisted with all my might. My right hand, which was my dominant, pushed outwards while my left pulled the antenna still attached to the creatures head, towards me.


    Just like I had planned, the head rotated counter clockwise though, when it reached a similar limit to that of a human, it stopped momentarily as the creature went rigid. A low clicking noise echoing into the grasslands as its hands rose in an attempt to grab mine.


    -¡±Now!¡±


    Releasing an inhuman grunt, accompanied by a roar in my mind, I put every ounce of strength I could muster into my arms and back, relaxing only for a moment, letting the head slightly reset, so I could increase the momentum.


    A sickening, nerve clenching crack erupted from the ape¡¯s neck as the head twisted past its previous point of no return.


    My stomach rolled and flipped as I released the head, letting the creatures twitching body fall to the floor with a dull thud.


    -¡±Damn¡­¡±


    I was momentarily speechless as I raised my shaking hands, adrenaline and conflicting emotions, mainly excitement and fear, raging within my soul.


    When I had been fighting Spike, I had been too busy trying to survive, only to pass out and fully heal making the whole thing seem like a very realistic dream but as I stood there panting, the magnitude of my actions and their resulting emotions hit me like a truck.


    One part of me, by far in the majority, was screaming in ecstasy as it revelled in the power of the moment. It felt like I could do anything, however, just like a coin, there was a darker, much more troubled side that, just like that one guy at a party, was putting a dampener on everything.


    I had just killed in cold blood and what¡¯s more, I had not only enjoyed it, in a sick way, I actually craved it. It was if all my worries and concerns had, just for a moment, vanished. Amask I didn¡¯t even realize I was wearing, at least to this extent, had fallen.


    The imaginary beast in my head coweredalongside its human counterparts, shivering as I rose my hand to my lips, tracing a smile that, if I was honest with myself, would have probably scared a death row inmate.


    I chuckled. -¡±Seems like that pretty therapist was right. The only things that kept me in check


    -¡±Seems like that pretty therapist was right. The only things that kept me in check were those that were dear to me and the thought of being locked in a tiny box. Without society as the gatekeeper, it really is easy to fall.¡±


    Knowing I was going to have to be careful as I was now staring into the abyss, resisting the urge to launch myself into its welcoming embarrass, I took a steadying breath and looked at my foe, recalling just how lucky I had been.


    At the betrayal of my stomach, my body had reacted almost entirely by itself, seemingly as if I was on autopilot, falling into one of the many plans I had been formulating while sneaking up on the now, very dead ape.


    Still shaking, I scratched the painful spot on my arm, which was now tingling in a slightly alarming way.


    My attack had been brutal, quick and did not even hold a shred of mercy or honour.


    Secretly, not that there was anyone here to judge me, I was proud of myself.


    I had cast off the shackles of humanities attempt to become similar to the gods and reverted to my base nature. Though even this had a counter as I felt a nagging feeling that some things weren''t right, as well as the discomforting thought that I was being manipulated, settling deep into my bones.


    To emphasise the point, I knew what bothered me wasn''t my unprovoked attack or the seemingly impending loss of my humanity. No, it was how easily I had done it and its implications.


    And no, it wasn¡¯t that I felt regret or remorse.


    It was the fact that, to end a life, all it took was a few light steps and a quick twist.


    A shiver ran down my spine.


    -¡±Would it be that easy to kill me?¡±


    I took a quick glance behind me, only returning to my prize when I was certain nothing was trying to creep up on me just as I had done to it.


    My paranoia started to take hold as a familiar thought, no, this time it was more of a feeling, bubbled up from the depths of my subconscious.


    I was too weak, slow, stupid. I had lost myself in the momentary joy of winning a battle while the war was far from over. I needed to improve and fast.


    The ape¡¯s fate could have easily been my own but unlike my opponent odds, there would be no chance of a lucky save for me.


    The plan of breaking its neck had been incredibly risky, so much so that I was actually planning something else, as it was all based off the creature having a similar skeletal structure, or at least weak point, as a human which, by its appearance I had been less than confident about.


    I got lucky with Spike yet here I was abusing the same concept. If the Ape had a different nervous system structure, or say, could twist its head three hundred and sixty degrees and spit bone melting acid, I would have been so far up shit creek, trees would be growing on its banks.


    -"That could have gone horribly wrong."


    I shook my head, realizing that I was making another mistake.


    -¡±It still could go horribly wrong.¡±


    The murder, because calling it a fight was too generous, replayed in my mind as I quickly scanned the surroundings, making sure I had not been discovered. I had once again wasted too much time in my head. I needed to change this, though I was unsure how to trigger the right adaptation.


    As if to remind me that other, more dangerous, animals were out there, a lone wolf''s howl penetrated the night, seemingly far out in the grasslands.


    Double checking the dense vegetation behind me, my jaw locking in irritation at the lack of visibility, I bent down and grabbed the ape under its arms before quickly dragging it backwards.


    -¡±Cover works both ways. I need to find a secluded spot to¡­ reap my rewards.¡±


    Something inside of me was unwilling to admit I was going to try and eat the insect-like ape.


    Within moments, both my prize and I had disappeared into the mini jungle and even though I had walked the place twice now, including my pride in my bird-like sense of direction, I was completely lost.


    Though that was not important. The surrounding trees were watching me.


    Well, at least in my mind they were.


    Lost in a sea of dark greens, browns and vibrant, luminous plants, my paranoia and imagination were running wild.


    Behind each tree, leaf or even under the very ground I walked, threats lurked, waiting for me to make one tiny, insignificant mistake and end my small, insignificant existence with ease.


    A distant screech, from an unknown animal, resulted in my throwing myself to the floor, eyes darting about as I tried to steady by hammering heart while not reducing it so much I became sluggish.


    I released a silent curse at my greatest advantage yet, my biggest disadvantage. Apart from the area around the fruit trees, which seemed to have been unnaturally cleared, if an enemy was standing more than four foot from me and completely still, I would be lucky to see them.


    This place was an ambush predators dream come true and just with that thought, I remembered that the apes were not my only problem. I had my spiky friends to worry about too.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    I strained my hearing and sense of smell, knowing that both were practically useless, as my claustrophobia started to return, like a starved, rabid beast sensing a wounded animal in a bear trap.


    -¡±Come on Al,keep it together. Can¡¯t go loosing your shit now.¡±


    Without actively thinking about it, a name finally came to me, Alpha. The same name I had given the female wolf although, as even I found the name childish, I shortened it to Al.


    I wanted to be top of the food chain, beholdant to no one and surpass my limitations and fears and, honestly, every other name I thought about didn''t fit.


    ¡±Al.¡±


    I tried speaking the name outloud, momentarily forgetting why I was laying in the dirt and mentally shrugged.


    -¡±Better than nothing I suppose.¡±


    Pulling myself to my feet, I started moving again, wanting to get as far away from the kill site as possible though, I couldn¡¯t help but cringe at the deafening noise I was creating in my hasty retreat.


    Crunching leaves, twigs and rustling bushes, as well as long, unmissable scuff marks created by the limp body, were there, basically a giant ¡®Tasty Al treats here¡¯ sign pointing in my direction.


    Deciding that the only thing I was really able to solve at the moment was the scuff marks, I quickly scooped up the corpse, struggling under its weight as I threw it over my shoulder and started creeping away, in a different direction to where I had been heading.


    While I did this, a part of my mind was still on threat assessment yet, one bit of crucial information was missing for me to really know what I was facing.


    -¡±Why was that monkey just sitting there eating like it was on holiday?¡±


    I pause, checking the surroundings as my skin starts to tingle. Minutes tick past yet nothing changes, so I continue deciding that I am finally losing it.


    -¡±It could have just been taking a break while eating.¡±


    *Grrrrrr*


    My stomach once again breaks the silence.


    I grind my teeth as I try to peer through the suffocating foliage, but at the same time making sure that I reinforced the need for me not to be able to.


    X-ray vision works great in films and books but in real life, It would be horrific. I didn¡¯t even know if it was possible but I was unwilling to take that risk.


    I bit my tongue slightly, using the slight pain to get my thoughts back on track.


    -¡±No, it seemed to be watching for something. Either it was a lookout or waiting for others. Either way, I need to get as far as possible, take my fill, and leave.¡±


    After a while, I found a large, orange leafed bush that seemed perfect and after moving between it and a tree, I straightened up trying to see if height would give me any better visibility before cocking my head as I listened and heaving a sigh of relief.


    -¡±Looks like I am in the clear.¡±


    Gently placing the body on the ground, more to reduce noise than out of respect, I studied my prize.


    The creature was covered in a dark grey, almost black hard plates that were joined together with a lighter grey¡­ skin I suppose. The plates had a visible bubbly texture to them and, when I tapped one, it sounded like I was knocking on something hollow.


    While it looked like a human regarding its shape, its joints were very prominent and socket like, and combined with the creature''s skin, is why I refer to them as insect apes. Though while I don''t know of anything on this planet that fits the description better, apart from me, I had shortened it to apes.


    My gaze drifted to its head, lifeless black eyes, apparently being all pupil stared back as one of the protruding antennae, the left one, hung by a small amount of skin, having almost been ripped off earlier, letting thick, yellow blood flow slowly into a small puddle that had formed underneath it.


    -¡±Fuck¡±


    Looking at where I had just come from, I could not see any blood on the ground or leaves.


    I felt my muscles relax as I breathed in.


    -¡±That would be all I need, leaving a trail of blood crumbs for them to follow. Though it doesn¡¯t glow, here that colour sticks out like a sore thumb.¡±


    I continued to study the creatures features, noticing that its mouth opened vertically rather than horizontally, with two mandible-like pincers at each side.


    Frowning, I poked the chest of the ape, noting it felt just like its head, though I now knew I was just delaying the inevitable.


    My stomach flipped again.


    -¡±Yellow blood. I wonder what colour the flesh is. Maybe I should just hunt the Spikes. At least I know they won¡¯t give me food poisoning or melt my insides.¡±


    -¡±No, I didn¡¯t get this far by playing it safe. Man the fuck up. You have eaten bugs before. They are even delicacies in some places. This one is just larger¡­ and human-like¡­ and intelligent¡­¡±


    Shaking my head and deciding to get on with it, I was suddenly hit by the realization of how ill equipped I was.


    I had no tools to butcher the animal at my feet.


    Flicking one of the pincer-like mandibles sticking out of the creatures mouth in irritation, I frowned as an gruesome idea started to form while I stared at its serrated, dagger like appendages.


    After flicking it again, this time with much more force, I noted that it felt incredibly sturdy and made up my mind.


    -¡±Once you start down the rabbit hole, there is no going back it seems.¡±


    Gingerly prying open the mouth, after poking it in the eye a few times to make sure it was dead, yet wishing I could just remove the head completely before doing what I was doing incase it zombied me, I grasped hold of a mandible and gave it a gentle tug, careful not to cut myself.


    It extended a few inches out of its mouth, the blade like tip only a quarter of its length and, as I had done many times tonight, I sighed.


    I was going to need to go deeper if I wanted to pull this out without slicing a finger off.


    Slowly, my hand entered the creature''s mouth, scraping against teeth that, thankfully, seemed to be designed to grind, and not peirce, food as they did not cut my skin.


    The insect ape''s mouth extended much further than a humans, making it look like something from a B-rate horror movie, enabling me to somehow able to fit my fist into it, grasping the slimy base of my soon to be knife.


    -¡±What would I give for a survival knife now. I''d even for a sharp spork.¡±


    Luckily for me, it felt that the base was connected by flexible cartilage and not the thick muscle I was anticipating, probably how the creature could extend it and so, after taking hold, I bent it slightly to give myself a better grip, using my spare hand to hold the tip at that angle least my grip slip and I cut myself.


    Taking a deep breath, I pulled.


    Unlike when I broke the creatures neck, there was almost no resistance and the dagger-like appendage jerked out of its mouth with a sickening ¡®pop¡¯ sound.


    I wiped my now yellow hand on the leaf litter, only to add leaves and dirt to the things clinking to it as I studied my cadaver and started praying.


    If the carapace on the outside were indeed an exoskeleton, I could not imagen the insides were very appetising. Not in the slightest.


    -¡±Please just be some fancy Armour.¡±


    Deciding that the leg probably held my best chances of me being able to stomach the animal''s insides, I experimentally grabbed two thigh plates with my hands and pulled apart.


    The plates lifted, having a certain degree of flexibility before they resisted my attempts to separate them.


    Taking a deep breath, I pulled with all my might resulting in a half ripping, half cracking noise echoing outwards.


    Yellow blood flowed out, rapidly soaking into the ground.


    It appeared the muscle had been attached to the shell, and some had come off with it, but now I reached my next challenge.


    Awkwardly holding the impromptu knife, I started slicing a fair chunk of yellowy-green meat away from the shell, hissing in disgust that it looked even worse than I thought it would.


    -"What damned creature has yellow blood and green tinted flesh? Is its survival mechanism to look so gross nothing wants to eat it. If I wasn''t about to eat my own stomach lining, I would have to agree its pretty damn effective."


    As I probed around while finding the best places to cut, feeling more and more nauseous as time went by, I found the leg bone and sighed in relief.


    Even if things were crazy as me on morphine around here, it appeared everything was still logical.


    The creatures skeletal structure made sense and explained why it had been able to grow to this size, walk upright and have its neck broken.


    Well, I know Earth had some very big bugs in its past, but I didn¡¯t really know much about their insides or how they worked bar what was shown on TV and none walked on two feet if I remember correctly.


    My humanity, conscious, super ego, whatever you want to call it was now screaming at me, pointing out my casual line of thought while I was A, in danger, B, slicing up a creature and C, which once again beat common sense as I felt it was the most important, about to eat uncooked, alien meat without even washing it.


    My stomach continued to feel queazy, forcing me to dig deep and find my resolve.


    -¡±Eat to live, live to eat.¡±


    Something continued nagging at me, telling me what I was doing was wrong and, for some reason I started to listen to it before shaking my head.


    -¡±No. It¡¯s no big deal, you have done this before. Wait, Why do I feel like this? It isn¡¯t human, and I had no issues with eating or slaughtering meat before. I grew up on a farm for fuck sake. What¡¯s wrong with me?¡±


    Sighing, I look around again, almost hopping that something will attack me and force me to abandon the unappealing meal.


    -¡±I guess because it looks so¡­ wrong. Get on with it you fucking pansy. Eat or be eaten, survival of the fittest and all that.¡±


    I lifted a tiny amount of meat to my mouth and, closing my eyes, licked it.


    The taste was sweet, yet bitter but not totally unenjoyable, which was clearly in opposition of my stomach who had decided that if it wasn¡¯t red, it didn¡¯t want it and was trying its best to hurl even if I hadn¡¯t swallowed.


    Taking a few rapid breaths, knowing I would need to hold them after what I was about to do, I lifted the large slab of meat I had cut out of the ape''s leg and took a huge mouthful.


    My sharpened teeth tore through the flesh like a hot knife through butter but, deciding that chewing was not going to end well, I swallowed quickly and leant backwards against the nearby tree as I closed my eyes and focused on keeping the hard won nutrition down.


    -¡±Hard won my arse, I didn¡¯t even give it a chance.¡±


    Taking deep breaths, my stomach slowly settled yet just as I was about to open my eyes and go back for seconds, I noticed something odd.


    As if someone had flicked a switch, the natural noise of the forest silenced, not even the rustle of leaves broke the oppressive feeling that suddenly descended.


    I froze, though only after double checking that the tree was behind me and not something about to break my neck, as I listen intently.


    Silently raising the meat to my mouth, I took another bite, knowing full well what the silence entailed.


    Something considered more dangerous than me, at least by the local wildlife, was stalking nearby and nothing, not even the bugs, wanted to draw its attention.


    Each tender mouthful wend down my throat, my stomach ignoring its earlier protests with the the meat as it got back on board with Team Al, proving that the issue was in my head, or so I hopped.


    In the silence, my hearing seemed to be amplified, however, all I could hear was my own heartbeat.


    *Lub-dub*


    *Lub-dub*


    *Lub-dub*


    *Lub-dub*


    A niggle at the back of my mind trying to draw my attention to my heart beat as something felt really¡­ strange, yet I paid it no mind.


    Strange can wait when deadly was making a house call.


    The faint sounds of clicking, first to my right, then to my left and front caused me to flinch, yet instead of fear, excitement bubbled up. The dark, monstrous creatures of my imagination were banished as I recognised what I was dealing with.


    -¡±It looked like my food¡¯s friends had caught up.¡±


    I finished the slab of meat, not knowing when, or if, I would get a chance to eat again and picked up the mandible before crouching.


    Another clicking, accompanied by the crunch of a stick echoed in front of me.


    -¡±They are sweeping the area. That means they don¡¯t know where I am yet.¡±


    Resisting the urge to put my hands together and exclaim ''excellent'' in my most evil voice,I moved cautiously, slightly mimicking the actions of a chameleon with smooth, rocking movements as I backed behind the tree and headed towards the clicking at my left.


    While I stalked through the forest, I decided that in order to keep some semblance of my self, and not devolve into a psychopathic monster, I would need rules. I already had the first one ready.


    -¡°Rule 1: Only kill to eat or in matters of self-defense.¡±


    *Lub-dub*


    *Lub-dub*


    *Lub-dub*


    *Lub-dub*


    I grinned widely, immediately coming up with the second rule.


    *Lub-dub*


    *Lub-dub*


    -¡±Rule 2: To not take unnecessary risks, if survival is challenged, it is considered self defense and in accordance with Rule 1 to eliminate the threat.¡±


    *Lub-dub*


    *Lub-dub*


    *Lub-dub*


    *Lub-dub*


    *Lub-dub*


    *Lub-dub*


    My heart beats hammered in my chest as I struggled to regulate my breathing...


    -"Heart beats?!"


    I frowned as the clicking became louder, my hunter, yet also my prey, not letting me think about this new revelation more than a simple, typically man prayer, though slightly modified due to all of the unbelievable things that had been happening to me recently.


    -"Oh God, please don''t let me be pregnant. Actually, if it''s between that and a chest bursting alien, I promise to be a good father."

 Chapter thirteen - Rumble in the Jungle [Draft]

    Stealthily creeping through the dense underbrush, I focused on the strange, otherworldly clicking noises resonating around me as I pushed the predicament of potentially having another heartbeat to the back of my mind.


    -"Things to do, insect-like apes to kill. No time for that crap."


    If I were honest with myself, the possibility of a parasite-like organism living inside of me was terrifying, especially if it was big enough for me to hear its heartbeat. So much so, that I started fantasising about the noise being another heart I had mysteriously grown, though I couldn''t even start to logic where it would lay if that were the case.


    After a minute of manoeuvring, surprised at how far the insect apes were from me when I had heard them, I moved forward as my face bloomed into a feral smile.


    Somehow, as the distance between us shortened, I was able to not only vaguely guess their locations but also I could identify three unique sounds.


    The lack of variation, as well as the separate locations they originated from, led me to believe thateither I had three opponents or, that was what they wanted me to think and now I was walking into a trap while stalking the distraction.


    -¡±Challenge accepted.¡±


    I was still riding on the high of my earlier victory yet; I wasn''t feeling as foolish as I sounded.


    I had decided that the first option, that there was only three of them, fit with the details I had already gathered much better than the alternative.


    From what I had seen in the clearing, the insect like apes liked to stick in small groups of around four. This concept was further aided by how they had left the clearing, at least the few small clusters that were still around when I woke up, in the same groups.


    Of course, killing one of them could have brought them together as a species, but if they were anywhere near as intelligent as I thought they were, to do it in such a quick time without making any noise, would be a feat boarding on miraculous.


    The soft, peaty ground felt wonderful against my bare feet as I twisted through the vegetation, my excitement growing with every step.


    It wasn''t long before I was forced to stop, sweat running down my back, even though the night was pretty chilly, as I silently skirted towards the edge of left most insect.


    The creature passed within feet of me as I held my breath, laying on my stomach under a bush, causing my heart beats to increase in tempo.


    I ground my teeth as I inadvertently reminded myself of the ''extra'' heart before getting back to the task at hand.


    Without the added weight of the body and with my uncanny ability to quickly improve my movements, I was able to move with a surreal grace that would have made any spec ops member green with envy, which, I noted, didn¡¯t shock me as much as it should have.


    Restraining a laugh at the thought of how easily I had side stepped the ape, passing like a shadow and barely leaving a sign as I got behind their search line, I got to my feet while maintaining a low crouch.


    I licked my lips, an action that I vaguely considered not normal for me, as my grin continued to grow. The memory of the rush I had felt when I slaughtered their comrade earlier, almost as intoxicating as any drug, urging me forward.


    However, even though I had a good the chance to surprise the ape, I held back.


    If years of watching nature and war documentaries had taught me anything, it was the value of an ambush. Combine that with the fact that, unless they were stupid and couldn¡¯t read the signs that their friend had been killed, they were not taking me seriously as they crashed through the dense foliage.


    The grin on my face started to hurt as I imagined the perfect scenario.


    The added shock value if I turned up behind them should be enough to unbalance them and, even if I am forced to retreat, they should be much slower in their search if they are always watching their backs.


    The aim of the game wasn''t necessarily to kill, though that is the best way to end a threat, but to instil a fear into them that, if they live, will pass onto others and hopefully, give me an advantage in the future.


    OK, I was still looking at them as if they were animals, but they didn''t seem too advanced so, unless proven otherwise, the theory should be good.


    Using the large base of a tree, to avoid twigs or leave any noticeable marks in on the soft ground, just because I felt like I should, I shot forward and slid behind the next tree.


    Making sure the clicks were still moving away from me, I started stalking towards the creature, now on my right, a sense of urgency building in my steps, as a plan began to form.


    If the group continued to this path, the one in the centre would soon find the corpse of its kin, probably creating some noise while momentarily becoming distracted. The two on the flanks would probably move to investigate, becoming sidetracked and that would provide me with the perfect opportunity to strike.


    -"Lots of probably''sin there but its the best I have."


    The only problem was my success depended on making the kill noiselessly and getting out of dodge before the others realised what had happened.


    The ape was at a severe disadvantage earlier as I didn''t play fair, but I could still perceive its strength in its limited struggles. It would be foolish attempting to take one on in a fair fight, let alone three.


    Relief washed over me as I spotted the grey-black skin of the back of my targets head, inelegantly swaying, as it attempted to pick his way through the vegetation.


    The creature''s movements made one thing delightfully clear.


    The insect apes were not natural forest dwellers, and while that fact confused me slightly, raising the question of why they were here, I once again felt that lady luck was on my side.


    That or it was the best actor I had ever seen.


    To be fair, even earlier tonight I would have said the same about myself, but unless I was tripping on the yellowy-green flesh I consumed earlier, even as I stalked forward, I saw myself improving with each step.


    Though, I couldn''t instantly dismiss that my mind wasn''t compromised somehow.


    Faint swirls of evaporating sweat, how I was generating so much heat or the fact I didn''t feel like I was burning up was a complete mystery, rose into the cold night air as I watched the muscles beneath twist and bulge as they continuously shifted.


    I momentarily wondered if the speed of my adaptations was increasing, seeing as this was the first visible evidence I had noticed, causing a knot of worry to appear.


    The concern was fleeting as the incessant clicking noises, as well as a renewed hunger, redirected my attention.


    My mouth salivated, the meat from earlier only having taken the edge off, and I paused, trying to work out if there was any way I could stop myself from making the same mistake as before.


    Having your stomach give away your position twice in one night was beyond idiotic.


    -"All I nee-"


    *Crack*


    The ape ahead of me stood on a twig, clicking a few times in what I assumed to be annoyance before kicking it to the side and carrying on.


    Pulling myself off the floor and out of a very spiky bush, surprisingly uninjured, I centred myself and continued my crouching stalk, rapidly closing the gap as we approached where I believed the corpse should be.


    I prepared to move at a moments notice, waiting for the sign that the body had been discovered but, as my target kept trudging on, I became confused.


    Nothing happened.


    The group carried on its slow, semi-cautious, advance, scanning their surroundings obviously looking for something.


    -"Are they really looking for me or just out for a stroll?"


    Frowning, I stopped, and when the ape was far enough away, I moved back and to the centre where I immediately saw the problem.


    I had chosen a concealed spot to enjoy my foul looking meal, between an orange bush and a tree, which now looking at it, was almost invisible from the outside.


    -¡±I could have just laid low and waited for them to pass. Fucking things can''t even search properly. That blasted ape must have tripped on the corpse as he passed.¡±


    My irritation confused me. The ineffective search party was moving on, oblivious to what had happened, which was by far, the best-case scenario for me. Unless it was a trap of course, but for some reason, even though common sense told me to eat what I had and run, thanking my lucky stars, I just couldn''t let it go.


    Heaving a defeated sigh at my stupidity, I quickly moved over to the body, pulled it out from its leafy cover and positioned it leaning against the trunk of the tree, facing the direction that the other had come from as if it had just sat down to take a rest.


    After I did that, I wiped my hand across the wound and rubbed it over its chest and head, the yellow blood making the creature much more noticeable.


    As I started to move away, I paused and looked at the insect ape''s groin, finding nothing that could be used to establish a gender, before shrugging.


    Shaking my head at the timing of my curiosity, I took a steadying breath, trying to remember every detail I could from the noises they had been making.


    -¡±I¡¯m going to get my self-killed one of these days."The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    A warped, mad idea, pretty much like all my thoughts these days, had somehow come to the forefront of my mind and, for some reason, I felt like it just might work.


    I had managed to replicate, and in my own opinion, improve, the howl of a wolf as well as steal the blood-chilling hiss of Spike, so why couldn''t I imitate a dull clicking noise.


    Though it had not been very pressing, at the back of my mind, I had continuously been thinking about how I could communicate with others after the voice mentioned other, intelligent races. It might not be the best way, but maybe that was the driving motivator for me being able to fairly easily copy sounds.


    It could be that this was my subconscious''s answer to my problem.


    ¡°Cik¡±


    Even with the ever oppressive silence that still hung heavy in the air, the noise painfully escaping my throat was barely audible, yet I could still tell it sounded wrong.


    ¡°Kkk, Tick.¡±


    My next attempt, seemed like I was drowning at first, though the result at the end sounded much closer.


    *Tlick*


    Resisting the urge to hiss in anger, something I now considered to be a way of me releasing stress more than needing to, I cleared my throat a little too noisily, preparing to howl if this didn''t work.


    Taking a deep breath as I listened to clicking I was trying to imitate, noticing that it had become extremely faint in the distance.


    -¡±Nothing but the pressure to do it right on the night.¡±


    "CLICK!"


    Making a last minute adjustment by placing the ape¡¯s claw like hand over his leg, as if he was clutching a wound, I moved back to the left side and into a thick, concealing bush as I settled into watch my bait.


    The one on the left had escaped me once. He wouldn''t be so lucky a second time.


    My throat hurt from just making the noise once but I ignored the pain.


    "CLICK CLICK CLICK¡­ CLICK."


    I had no idea if what I was doing was right, or if it even made sense, so I just tried to replicate the noises in the patterns I could remember.


    -"I could be singing a drinking song or advertising my willingness to mate for all I know."


    Stifling a chuckled, I released another breath full of clicks before listening.


    The silence was deafening, and I started to worry, mixed with a tiny bit of relief, that I had missed my chance.


    -¡±Shit, maybe they got too far? Or know it''s a trap?¡±


    I held my breath as the seconds ticked by, a few insects occasionally making noise before muting again.


    If they felt the same tingling dread, something I had been ignoring since I had paused while carrying the body, I didn''t blame them for remaining silent.


    ¡°Click¡±


    A single click, quickly followed by others gradually grew in volume, along with snapping twigs and rustling leaves, brought the smile back to my face.


    -¡±Simple things for simple minds. Now be good little monkey, insect, fish things and take the bait, please. I am starving.¡±


    I forced myself to stop shaking, clenching my left fist as I slowly raised my improvised weapon in a reverse knife grip and took slow, calming breaths.


    Doubts tried to assault my mind, questioning if I had made the right decision and, looking back at it, I would have to agree that I was becoming more and more reckless.


    It was scarily similar to like when you are drunk, and your sober friend keeps suggesting really foolish ideas that, at the time, sound like the best things since sliced bread.


    The bushes rustled next to the tree before a black, beady eyed head pushed through the foliage, not stopping as its head swayed side to side, continuously surveyed its surroundings.


    Clicks, somewhere behind me and further ahead, helped me locate his friends. However, my eyes bulged as the creature continued ambling forward before passing my hiding spot and disappearing into the forest.


    -¡±Oh no, you don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°CLICK!¡±


    My eye twitched as anger started to bubble in the depths of my gut.


    -¡±Have I been overestimating these creatures this much? Surely they have enhanced senses as they are moving about at night and living in a predator infested clearing in the middle of nowhere? Eye sight might be useless with how dense this place is but what about the smell? Pheromones? Heat-vison?... bloody common sense.¡±


    The loud rustle of leaves announced the return of, who I assumed to be, the leader, almost close enough for me to reach out and stab him with his own kin''s dismembered appendage, which I will state, resisting was one of the hardest things I had ever had to do.


    -"Don''t spoil it by being too quick. Slow and steady."


    I was so intent on the creature in front of me; I didn''t even make an innuendo in my mind, something of a first for me.


    ¡°CLICK!, Click, click click.¡±


    Just as I was about to move out and ¡®educate¡¯ my prey, something overriding my sense of self-preservation and cautiousness, the ape startled and shouted out as its head locked onto the body sitting by the tree.


    I almost shouted out in joy.


    I wouldn¡¯t consider myself an expert in this sort of thing by a long shot, but I was seriously starting to get depressed with how badly my attempts at ambushing were failing. For a minute there, I started imagining myself as wile e coyote, doomed forever to fail at trying to catch his prey.


    Closing my eyes for a moment, I took a deep breath as I wondered if the next part of my plan would come to fruition.


    The new scheme was simple, and much riskier, Shock and Awe.


    The centre ape would call out, drawing the other two to the corpse and when the left one passed me, ensuring my back and path of retreat was open, I would surprise it. Slicing its throat open as the others watched, hopefully in mute horror, before I disappeared quickly into the undergrowth.


    With any luck, they would turn tail, but if not, I would attempt a guerrilla style battle as I made my way back to the, hopefully, neutral clearing.


    I frowned at the incredibly flakey plan.


    -¡±Actually, they might just be stupid enough to charge at me before I can retreat and set up another ambush. Or call for help. Or-¡±


    The noise behind me, just to my right indicated that I needed to be ready, yet as I opened my eyes, my jaw nearly hit the floor.


    -¡±Huh?"


    The ape had bent down to the corpse and using its fingers, had ripped off the plate fragments I had pulled apart and... It was eating its own kind. Something that was completely outside of all my assumptions.


    My mind struggled to comprehend what was happening when, just to make matters worse, the ape from the other side burst into view and without even waiting for a second, fell to its knees as it bit into the body''s neck, tearing away a large chunk.


    -"Cannibalistic tendencies?"


    Without noticing its approach, a figure appeared beside me, shocking me from my stupor, before quickly passing as it neared the feeding frenzy.


    Biting my cheek, which hurt a lot more than I thought it would, I jumped forward, not worried about being heard as quite frankly, the insect apes could put a swarm of starving orphans, who had just been thrown a chocolate bar to shame in terms of noise.


    My left hand grasped the ape''s shoulder, quickly yanking it back and putting it off balance as my right snaked around its head and, without meaning too, I released a deep, rumbling growl as I pulled the substitute knife across its throat.


    Warm yellow liquid splashed over my hand as it sprayed outwards, with a lot more pressure than I would of ever have guessed, moments before the other two head¡¯s snapped towards me.


    -¡±If it isn¡¯t my stomach, it''s my fucking throat.¡±


    My victim had made no noise when I killed it, but my growl, that seemed to vibrate the air around me, was more than enough to attract their attention.


    Releasing a screech like a cry, enabling me to place the noise that I had heard earlier, they both leapt at me even as the body of my latest kill, at least when its heart had stopped pumping its life blood out of it, was falling to the floor.


    It was at this moment; I noticed something I really wish I discovered before coming up with these retarded ideas.


    On each of their wrists, there was a large bump that ran along the length of their forearm.


    While it looked very insect-like, which is why I initially dismissed it as aesthetic, it turns out it was actually used to house a two foot long spikes that, apparently, could be extended at will.


    It only got worse, the blade like spikes had lines of backwards facing barbs running their length and, even though they were the same dull grey colour as the rest of the insect apes, looked incredibly sharp.


    My skin tingled, more intense than the feeling I had earlier, similar to being dropped into icy water, as I pushed the falling corpse towards the ape on my left.


    I was trying to stop them both attacking me at the same time, staggering their attacks and hopefully their flow though, deep down, I knew I was staring death in the face.


    This time, it was no one''s fault but my own.


    As the body crashed into the other ape, I ducked forward and leapt towards the other.


    The arms, with spikes extended, were only just rising, giving me the opportunity to move between them.


    Not that I had many options.


    In fact, I could only see two, if I discarded running for my life, which I wasn''t sure I could safely outrun them, or even turn around to, now I actually looked at the powerful muscles of their legs.


    The first was to back off, trying to keep my distance while I tried to lose them without getting any new aeration holes in my body. Or I could get close, so close that those spikes became more of a hindrance than an advantage, kill one of them and level the playing field.


    Well, that was the plan.


    The problem was I had sorely underestimated how fast I could move.


    Within the blink of an eye, I had smashed into the charging ape, sending us tumbling to the ground where, luckily for me, its arms were sprayed outwards, and I was on top.


    The surprise of my speed, making me almost cry tears of blood now that I knew the option of running away was valid, did not stop me from trying to stab the beast in the chest as we fell.


    However, this is where I came across my next problem.


    Appart from weak spots like the neck, eyes or I guess mouth, the creatures plated skin was incredibly tough, causing my improvised weapon to slide off to the side.


    The insect ape twisted, trying to add momentum to its rising arm as the spike retracted, meaning it wouldn''t just slap me on the side or get in its way.


    -¡±Oh¡±


    Obviously, using it as a spear was only one of its uses.


    I had not thought they would pull the spikes back in and with the speed that they could extend and retract, I was starting to believe that it would add one hell of a ''good night'' to any punch.


    Knowing that if it managed to line up a shot, I would be down for the count, I kicked off the floor, pushing up the ape''s body and slamming my knee onto its arm, pinning it back to the ground as my left hand restrained the other.


    A loud screech behind me, accompanied by a sickening thud, caused a shiver to run-up my spine but there was nothing I could do. Death from the front, or from behind.


    -¡±At least make the score 3, 1.¡±


    The twisted thought calmed me somewhat, and I raised my right hand, still grasping the mandible before slamming it down into the ape''s black eye, putting too much force into it as my hand continued downwards, smashing into its head and spraying me with black and yellow goo.


    My victory wasn¡¯t priceless however as the creature used my shift in weight when I started to strike to free its arm which had retracted its spike and aim it at my chest.


    Though my hit landed first, I must have been too late as the spike shot forward and, without even pausing, punched through my chest, and from the wetness running down my back, out the other side.


    I coughed a mist of blood as my body tensed, the adrenaline numbing the pain enough that I didn''t fall unconscious or scream, as I waited for the killing blow.


    There was no way I was getting out of this one, and unlike all the other times, where I refused to give up because of the hand fate had played, I had done this to myself.


    My grip relaxed, releasing the remains of my improvised weapon, deciding that it had found its permanent resting place as I waited.


    I sucked in, as best as I could, a breath as the spear slowly retracted, the barbs causing extra damage as they left my body with a sickening squelch.


    A crunching noise erupted behind me, causing me to jump slightly.


    Gritting my teeth as I thought back the pain and impending darkness, I slowly turned.


    I didn''t know whether to laugh or cry at the sight that greeted my eyes.


    The sound of the forest had returned, which was normal after the hunt was considered over, as I watched the Alpha wolf chewing on the leg of the last ape with a smug ''I thought you were going to show me?'' look.


    Each breath hurt, and pink, froth-like blood bubbled from my mouth yet, the spark of hope reignited. If I wasn''t going to get snuffed out immediately, I had a chance.


    I managed a weak smile and spoke through gritted teeth.


    "So it was you scaring the everything. You could have helped out earlier you know?"


    The wolf lifted its lips in a snarl like fashion, but I somehow knew it was a smirk.


    My vision momentary dimmed, and I knew I didn''t have long. Falling to the ground, I started crawling towards my first victim.


    Its plate like armour had been ''helpfully'' removed by his friends so I face planted into its fleshy chest and started eating as fast as I could.


    Even on Earth, in the best of conditions, my wound would most likely be fatal, but here, with my increased healing and the adaptation stuff, I had a chance. At least that''s what I told myself.


    -"I will never die."


    But for that to work, if it could, I needed energy. I needed to eat.


    Unlike when I was back on Earth, where death didn''t seem like too much of a big deal, the last few days was the first time I truly felt alive and, if I had even the smallest chance, I would fight tooth and nail for it.


    I chided myself for my earlier weakness, of giving up without really fighting for it.


    -"I will never die."


    I muttered the mantra like words in my mind as I fought against the impending darkness.


    -"I will never die."


    My vision started to flicker as my head span yet still I chewed, vaguely sensing a cold but soothing liquid congealing around the hole in my chest, stemming the flow of blood, an almost unnoticeable sense of acceptance coming from it.


    -"I will never die."


    Time lost all meaning as I did nothing but eat yet, I knew it wasn''t enough.


    "I WILL NOT DIE!"


    My shout, noroar, resonated through the trees, scattering the nearby bugs but instead of pride, I felt like it was my final shout of defiance, my body becoming cold as I started to lose feeling.


    The feeling was all too familiar.


    I was going into shock.

 Report 01

    [Warning]


    The critical state of Subject[HRE888] Detected. Starting investigation


    [Warning Suppressed]


    Warning degraded to Caution - Subject has entered a critical state more than four times in the last 168 hours.


    [Report Tags Added]


    Overseer: 84473


    Handler: 1404


    Study: LV24


    [Loading Subject meta data]


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Subject: HRE888</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Status: Critical</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Time from release:103 hours</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Race: Human


    Location Earth


    Species Identifier HRE


    ID: 888 (50,000 starting candidates)</td>


    <td>Overseer Notification Suppressed. Caution notice elevated to Handler</td>


    <td>Early release: + 24</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    [Data Validated]


    Data validated successfully.


    [Loading base race stats]


    Average race stats added for comparison.


    [Running Value Diagnostics]


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr style="text-align: center">


    <td>


    General Ratings


    Race Rating | Individual Rating


    </td>


    <td>Evolution Categories</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Combat: C | B/A


    Harvest: C | C


    Potential: B | AA


    Study Impact: B | B


    Value: F | A


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Manipulator: N/A | N/A


    Physical: F | B


    Enhancement: N/A | A


    Cellular: N/A | C


    Absorption: N/A | [Error]


    Sensory: D | B</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    [WARNING HVG (High-Value Group) ratings detected]


    Notifying Overseer [84473]. Notifying Handler [1404]


    [ALERT]


    The subject is in a critical state. Notifying Retrieval Team.


    Retrieval Team on standby.


    [Continuing Diagnostics]


    Collecting Relevant data [Stage One Evolution Adaptations]


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Manipulator</td>


    <td>No data recorded from implants or through observation. Subject was given the rating of N/A</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Physical</td>


    <td>


    Full organ, muscle and tissue improvement. Listing notable observations


    Brain - Improved cognitive ability through enhancing neuron structure. Evidence of ability to influence subconscious functions of the body. [Error] Shielding from scans and external manipulations: Notifying Technicians


    Heart - Improved blood flow capacity. Improved structure.


    Blood - Improved nutrient and oxygen capacity. Poisonous [Grade D]


    Lungs - Improved capacity. Enhanced diffusion rate.


    Muscles - [Error] Unknown adaptation: Notifying Technicians


    Skin - Improved resilience to physical damage. Poisonous [Grade F]


    Bowels - Increased efficiency of extraction and break down of nutritions. Limited waste.


    Immune system - [Error] Unknown adaptation: Notifying Technicians


    [Error]


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Absoption</td>


    <td>


    [Error]You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Sensory</td>


    <td>


    All six senses have been observed to be functioning at a higher level. Implant results inconclusive.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    [ALERT]


    Parasitic organism detected. Identified as Subject[PTS5643].


    [Alert Suppressed]


    Subject[PTS5643] classified as stable, second gen.


    Accessing Log...


    Subject[HRE888] has survived the parasites attempt to be consumed by a higher valued host.


    Subject[HRE888] has been accepted by Subject[PTS5643].


    Subject[HRE888] has entered the fusion stage with Subject[PTS5643].


    [New Record Detected]


    New record for entering the fusion stage from infection detected. Notifying Archives.


    [Requesting Merge of Records of Subject HRE888 and PTS5643]


    Pending...


    Postponed


    [Requesting new species categorization on Merge success]


    Pending...


    Requirements: Subjects successfully Fusing


    [Overseer Override]


    Subject''s Value has changed to AAA. Redirecting additional resources.


    [Continuing Diagnostics]


    Collecting Relevant data [Stage TwoEvolution Adaptations]


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Enhancement</td>


    <td>Heart [Error]


    Lungs [Error]


    Muscles [Error]</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Cellular</td>


    <td>Advanced Regeneration [Merged with Absorption Skill] Evolution rating:: C.


    Advanced... [ERROR ERROR ERROR]</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    [High-Value Evolution - Biological Immortality detected (Immortality rank D)]


    Raising Subjects value to SSS


    Rapid response teams alerted as the subject is in a critical state. Subject''s body retrieval has been set to HPT.


    [Continuing Diagnostics]


    ...


    [Diagnostics Failed]


    [Retrying]


    [Diagnostics Failed]


    Critical vital data is no longer being received


    [ALERT]


    Potential death of subject.


    Due to it being the second loss of vitals in the last 168 hours. Notifications Postponed.


    Accessing Visual feeds.


    [Alert Suppressed]


    Observations indicate that the subject remains functional. All relevant notifications have been sent, and recovery teams are to prepare for immediate launch in the case of the Subject expiring.


    [Warning]


    Implants detected outside of the body.


    [Warning suppressed]


    Evolutionary trait, biological immunity has resulted in the loss of 14422: 200000 implants.


    Analysing data feed (- 5:00:00) to estimate situation.


    [Caution]


    Notice sent to Overseer. The subject is expected to loose all implants within the next 24 hours.


    [Overseer Override]


    The subject is displaying signs of advanced evolution which should not be possible with the Application of Quartz. Investigation[89473666] started.


    Records indicate that Subject[HRE888] was given 4x the control groups recommended Quartz allowance and 1 GPT of Diatherous. [Experimental | Value: SSS]


    Visual records confirm Green solution (Quartz) and Blue solution (Diatherous) injected into Subject[HRE888]


    Suspected reason: Handler Error.


    [Warning]


    Diatherousis not to be used on any subjects below the racial value of A. Regulators have been notified


    [Reassignment of Handler]


    Critical Errors in the preparation and release of Subject[HRE888] has been discovered. Handler 1404 has been reassigned to the debriefing unit.


    [Overseer override]


    All conditions returned to Green. Canceling Diagnostics. Recovery teams statuses have been reset.


    [Continuing Overview Monitoring of HRE species]


    ...

 Chapter fourteen - Price of Victory

    Like a starved, crazed animal I continued to stuff my face as much as I could while the cold, numb sensation continued to envelop my body as I slowly bled out.


    I say slowly because, even though I had a hole in my chest, presumably through one of my lungs, going by the pink froth I had previously been coughing up, there was now only a trickle of blood dripping from my body.


    Not that I felt any better, in fact, I felt the worst I had ever done in my life, and that was saying something.


    -¡±I should be dead already.¡±


    Though I maintained the thought that I would not die, the gnawing realisation it was only happy thoughts wasn''t far away.


    My condition was, in one, simple word, fucked.


    Fading in and out, my vision attempted to spin as I munched down on the insect-like ape, not even savouring the taste as I shovelled the flesh, organs and even the armoured plates into my mouth.


    -¡±Eat to live, live to eat.¡±


    The motto, which I knew came from a significant man to me, even if I couldn¡¯t remember his name or face, reverberated in my fragmenting, confused mind.


    ''As long as you can eat and drink, and everything is kinda in the right place, you will live.''


    I remember coming up with something witty at the time, sitting at a simple cafe, referring to diseases, viruses and other stuff which only got a chuckle from the blurry memory, who was incredibly skinny.


    Way too skinny for this to be his motto surely.


    ¡®They stopped eating before they died right?¡¯


    My head jerked back from slumping forward, my body violently shaking from either the shock or strain of staying upright, waking me from my memory.


    -"This is really bad."


    While lost in my past, I had devoured the first corpse, leaving nothing but its head, a few plates and bones before moving onto the next one.


    A huge pool of dark, red blood, tinged with a faint blue in places, surrounded me.


    -¡±I am going to die.¡±


    I could feel my body shutting down as my brain struggled to think clearly, looking for any chance that I could live and... finding nothing.


    In fact, I suspected the reason I was wasting time eating, convincing myself that whatever shit they had injected me would save the day, was to ignore the cold truth staring at me.


    The shaking only increased as I pushed the distracting thoughts aside. If I needed food, I now had it, but I knew it wasn''t enough.


    I needed to buy time.


    My thoughts drifted to when I had been in a similar situation, my body shutting down as it went into shock and not the being stabbed through the chest by an alien on a foreign world, and how I had saved my life through sheer luck.


    I had jumped into a hot bath to ease the pain yet, it had helped my body enough to give the paramedics time.


    The longer someone lived, most of the time, after an incident, the more likely they were to survive.


    Once again, another pointless plan was formed and even though I felt it wouldn''t really help me, I couldn''t give up. Not again.


    The problem was, I was in the middle of a forest, how would I find hot wat-


    -"THE POOLS!"


    My elation was short lived as I realised that I didn''t have a clue where I was or what direction I was facing.


    Lifting my wobbly head, I noticed the wolf was moving away from me, probably bored, though I wanted to believe that it wasn''t sick enough to sit around and watch something die horrifically.


    -"At least it didn''t think to put me out my misery."


    I stumbled to my feet as the wolfs figure started to disappear into the vegetation, leaning heavily on the nearby tree, as I uttered a silent prayer that it was returning to the centre.


    Crashing through the underbrush in, what felt like, a fuitile attempt to keep the wolf in my sight, I tripped and fell to the floor for the seventh time.


    -"God Damn it."


    I looked up in despair, just expecting to see plants and trees, only to notice that, although it hadn''t looked back, the wolf had stopped.


    My mind vaguely tried to make sense of why the Alpha would do this, but the thought was fleeting as I struggled to remain conscious and out of the visions that had begun to plague me.


    Every few steps, I would think I was somewhere else. Places, blurred people and events flooding into my mind, only to be replaced with my dark reality moments later as a fresh wave of pain washed over me.


    -¡±Is this what they mean by your life flashing before your eyes?¡±


    The visions weren¡¯t historically accurate, at least to what I remembered and so I put it down to the confused, dying state of my mind.


    I had seen two people die in my life, one with a smile and the other weeping uncontrollably but the one common thing was, they both seemed to be somewhere else when their last moments came. It was nothing like the films.


    -¡±I don¡¯t want to die.¡±


    I felt something moving above my skin, only catching a glimpse of a white, water-like film covering my skin as I used my one good arm to stop myself face-planting a tree.


    A Shiver ran down my spine as I realised that if I fell again, I wouldn''t have the strength to get back up.


    -¡±I really don¡¯t want to die.¡±


    Suddenly, for the first time since arriving on this world, I felt alone.


    If these were my final moments, which by the increasing dizziness, they were, my death would be alone, surrounded by animals that would probably pick my bones clean the time they thought I couldn''t fight back.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    My boggled mind found it strange. I had always preferred my own company yet, at the end, I was craving another person.


    A root tripped me, sending me spiralling to the floor and, thankfully, into the clearing.


    The landing made me want to scream out in pain, fear and frustration but as my body went through the motions, only a spluttering of purple water left my mouth.


    It was at this moment that I realised something critical. So obvious that in my delirious state, I had missed it completely.


    I wasn''t breathing and, more importantly, I couldn''t remember the last time I had.


    I started to panic, something dancing at the edge of my consciousness was trying to give off a warm and caring vibe, though, in my current state, all I could attribute it to was Death, trying to calm me down to take me unaware.


    To my mind, the Grim Reaper had finally come, and like all those stories I had read growing up, it was offering release from my suffering while holding that damned scythe behind his back.


    ''What do we say to death?''


    An utterly pointless quote, from a tv series I had partially watched, floated to the surface of my mind yet I couldn''t help but scream back, at least in my head.


    -¡±Not Today!¡±


    A feeling swept across my mind, a sense of care and worry evident, somehow forming a single word.


    WATER.


    I was beyond the point of caring if it would help me anymore. I just had to do something. I needed to survive, and this was the only thing I could think of.


    I also knew, if I stopped now, I would die.


    *Smack*


    With strength I didn''t know I had, using the thunderous, almost solitary heartbeat as if it were a drum to war, my hand slammed into the floor ahead of me, piercing the dirt like a missile.


    *Smack*


    I pulled my shaking body onwards, sharp stabbing pains erupting from various points as squelching, popping noises vibrated in my ears.


    *Smack*


    Everything but my goal was ignored. My entire existenceappearing to be nothing more than the prelude to this single, seemingly impossible task.


    *Smack*


    Clenching my jaw as I refused to succumb to the darkness that threatened to overwhelm me at the slightest distraction.


    *Smack*


    My legs dug into the floor, lending their support as vaguley, in the corner of my periferal, I subconsiously noted that all of the creatures were watching me.


    *Smack*


    -¡±Fuck them..."


    *Smack*


    -"... and fuck Death."


    *Smack*


    I roared in my mind as my hands slammed into the earth again, giving me enough grip to drag my pathetic form forward, through with each excruciating movement, I felt my energy rapidly diminishing.


    *Smack*


    Entering a trance-like state, I imagined myself to be an ice flow.


    *Smack*


    Slow.


    *Smack*


    Relentless.


    *Smack*


    Unstoppable.


    *Smack*


    In my mind, my hands had become spears, carving my path through the world, unyielding to all.


    *Smack* *Smack* *Smack*...


    I continued onwards for what seemed like an eternity


    *Smack* *Smack* *Smack*...


    Nothing would stop me.


    *Smack*


    Anger exploded though as I remembered the moment I had given up, waiting for the last ape to finish me off. I wanted nothing more, apartfrom to live, than to go back in time and bitch slap that pathetic weaking.


    *Crack*


    My fingers smashed into the hard ground, making a new sound, not even hinting that the stone should have put up more resistance than the soft dirt as I continued my relentless crawl, finally reaching the few feet of rock that surrounded the pools.


    *Crack*


    The air around me shimmered, from the heat of the pool or myself I did not know, as my skin scraped against the pebbles that had flown away from the mini holes I had created.


    I vaguely noticed the creatures, and if I were in the right frame of mind, would have seen the fear, mixed with awe, dancing in their intelligent eyes as they watched on in mute fascination.


    IN


    The voice-like feeling washed over me, much stronger than last time as my hand touched the edge of the pool and dipped into the steaming liquid.


    WATER.


    The extra purchase gained from the edge of the pool gave me enabled me to pull myself much further than before, yet, just as I was about to slide in, I stopped.


    Why was I about to drown myself?


    IN.


    A comforting, it will be alright, feeling washed over me, yet I still refused to take the finalslide.


    YOU NOT BREATH.


    Seconds trickled past.


    IN.


    My outstretched arm, the skin looking hard and dead, almost bone-like, filled my view as I tried to focus my thoughts. Just like the animals, the voice was more of a feeling that audible sound but, unlike them, I knew this originated inside of me.


    -¡±I have finally lost it... But I guess... I do have a point.¡±


    In however long it had taken me to cross the clearing, which would have definitely been more than ten minutes, I still haven¡¯t breathed. I started to wonder if I was already dead. Suffering my own sort of special purgatory for the crime of killing Spike and the insect apes.


    TRUST.


    IN.


    Trust, I have never trusted anyone with something significant in my life. Why would I start now?


    THEN DIE.


    The words echoed in my mind, instantly hardening my resolve.


    -¡±¡­Fair¡­point.¡±


    Even my thoughts had turned sluggish as I pulled myself slightly forward, luckily having gravity to help at the end, as I splashed into the water without any regrets.


    I was going to die anyway, might as well see what my delusions were up to.


    Warmth surrounded me, but in the sensation of a hot room and not the wet, watery stuff.


    I had lost the sense of feeling.


    -"Yep. Dead."


    The sound of bubbles, a faint rumbling noise and two heartbeats filled my ears as I sank into the water, rotating so I faced upwards.


    One beat, was pitifully weak while the second, was erratic as if it was working over time.


    -¡±Which¡­ ones¡­ mine?¡±


    I feltexhausted and was sure, that if it wasn''t for my stubbornness, I would already be in the afterlife. That is if I wasn''t already.


    The crystal clear water rapidly turned red, seeming to boil where it mixed as the first traces of daylight hit the edge of the pool.


    My decent was peaceful, even though my body screamed in pain, though all too soon, my back gently hit the floor, followed my arms and legs.


    My edges of my vision darkened as if I was looking down a dark tunnel, rays of light shimming on the surface.


    This was it.


    This is where I would die.


    Alone.


    A pressure was applied to my hand, feeling like fingers as they wrapped around my own, causing a wave of relief to flood through me even though I knew it couldn''t be real.


    ''When the reaper comes knocking, that is when we find out who we really are.''


    The words, though different from the ones I had remembered earlier, resonated in my head as a loving, frail face appeared, the man''s voice hoarse and weak.


    I smiled, finally being able to put a face to the thoughts.


    Death? Ha.


    Though I refused, no refuse, to die, I held no fear of death. What I actually feared, which I would never have believed in a million years, was that I was terrified of being alone.


    This was shown by my mind conjuring delusions of a feeling-like voice and a supportive hand gripping mine to comfort me in my last moments.


    Delusions, as it turned out, I was thankful to have.


    SLEEP.


    The feeling washed over me, and as I knew there was nothing more I could do, I decided to follow its advice. Either I would wake up, or I wouldn''t. Why worry about what you can''t change.


    Though, that didn''t stop me from trying to jinx it in my favour.


    -¡±Time for the¡­ final¡­ sleep.¡±


    My consciousness slowly faded as I cursed the world for, what could be, the last time.


    -¡°Fuck. You. World. I''m¡­ Outa her~.¡±


    ==============================


    [Report from RDT Received. Analysing.]


    Subject[HRE888] Classification: Deceased


    Retrieval: Failed + 0:10:00 after last observation and implant data received.


    Report: Traces of remains found strewn across 500m. Assumed scavengers destroyed the corpse before RDT were on scene.


    Samples collected including a selection of [second, third and descendant generations] predators in the area to extract and investigate stomach contents.


    All implants recovered, though total biomass recovered was less than 3.23%. Extracting non-transmittable data.


    [Closing Subject File]


    ...


    [Request Rejected]


    Manual override detected.


    Inconclusive Findings of SS Value target.


    Investigation teams notified.


    Observation teams notified


    Bonus Assigned.


    Hunters Deployed.


    Subject[HRE888] has qualified for a unique name.


    [Requesting Subject known as HRE888 UID Change]


    Searching native records...


    UID Identified. Matching key projected characteristics of Subject [78%]. Removing title from list


    Subject[HRE888] has now been assigned the identifier:Dybbuk


    Dybbuk has been categorised as Humanity(Earth)''s first SSS Ranked individual.


    [Updating status]


    Dybbuk''s capture priority has been upgraded from [On Death (research)] to [Alive(asset)]


    Dybbuk has been added to the Malsamayum. Biddings postponed until asset is aquired.

 Chapter fifteenth - Awakening [Draft]

    Silent, void-like darkness greeted my sleepy, unfocused mind when it awoke from the depths of its unnaturally deep slumber as I mentally shuddered.


    It was cold, colder than I had ever felt before, the kind of feeling you would expect as if Death was visiting your grave, yet it was still just a vague notion.


    It didn''t feel real because, much to my dismay, I found that I couldn''t sense anything.


    No pain, no pressure, not even the aches and pains that had plagued every moment of my waking, adult life. It was as if I just ceased to exist yet, somehow, had retained the ability to think.


    The explanation, especially taking into account my recent tribulations, seemed relatively straightforward.


    -"So this is it? I died. Game over man, game over. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Two feet in the grave and a hand on the Reaper''s scythe."


    Even though I felt somewhat annoyed, I couldn''t muster much emotion in regards to my current state, and despite everything I felt I should be feeling at my death, I quickly accepted my fate. Even if it was accompanied by the vague sensation that I should be doing something vital, fluttering at the edge of my consciousness.


    Deciding it was pointless, I did not pursue the feeling, content in my ignorance and unwilling to disturb the serenity that surrounded me.


    Nothingness continued, and for the first time, I found true peace, though I would admit after the first five minutes or so that it was a little... tedious.


    -"Meh, it seems Dante had it all wrong. No demons, no levels of purgatory, even though an encounter with a succubus might be... enlightening, nothingness isn''t all that bad."


    I had given it my all, fought tooth and nail and even though I had failed, I felt like I had done enough to rest in peace.


    On this alien planet, with my memories of those who were important to me erased, I had no responsibilities or ties to life, so as long as I could somehow live... err, exist in death with my final moments, which I could, I was happy.


    Deep down, I knew I was just making excuses and trying to look a the bright side, but with eternity, I could face that lat-


    ''We are not dead~.''


    An ethereal voice penetrates the darkness, nowhere yet everywhere at the same time, but instead of paying it any attention, I ignored it.


    I had had enough of mysterious, disembodied voices.


    First, it was the more than annoying pod-girl and then the suicidal one that consistently urged me towards the pools of water in which I finally met my, at least to me, untimely demise.


    Yes, I had instigated the whole series of events by attacking the apes instead of eating the luminous, glowing fruit that looked so dangerous even the radioactive Godzilla would turn his nose up at, but even still, I didn''t feel any guilt or remorse. I just felt... disheartened that it had ended so pathetically.


    -"Knowing my luck, I had probably dreamed the whole thing, having been hospitalised for some pitiful reason like being hit by a truck, while having been pumped full of drugs sending my mind on a one way trip to la la land before they decided to pull the plug and end my suffering."


    ''We are real~. Us being able to think, talk, feel is proof of this~. We are one yet, we are more~."


    I restrained the urge to chuckle, even though I didn''t seem to have a body, as I continued to ignore the voice that had all but confirmed that we were the same person, which meant it was part of my imagination and thus, fair game.


    -"Wait, what if I am the imagination and ¡®it¡¯ is real ?"


    Finding more humour in the fact that a dead person could be having an existential crisis, more so than the potential point that I was talking to myself, I decided that I would worry about it later. I had eternity after all.


    ''We are not dead~. We must wake up~. Time is not on our side~.''


    The voice''s words triggered a memory, and I started mentally singing a song that, for some reason, seemed to fit the occasion.


    -"Time~ is on my side~ yes it is..."


    Noting that the voice had fallen silent, one - nil to... err, me?, I decided to relive my final moments.


    I recalled my decision to ambush the insect-like ape, breaking its neck and dragging it into the dense forest as I searched for a secluded spot to consume my prize.


    Of how my skin had crawled, feeling as if some indescribable terror was about to descend yet, nothing happened as I continued on my fated journey.


    The sound that had echoed into the forest as I ripped the sharp mandible from the mouth of my prey and used it to slice its own flesh. Of course, after I had pulled apart its plate-like skin with my bare hands, getting drenched in the sickly, yellow blood at the same time.


    ''Rise~. We shall not fall here~. We must move forward, not dwell on the past~.''


    The sound that the otherworldly clicking made, announcing the arrival of other insect apes heading in my direction, seemingly on the hunt for me.


    ''Please~. We are one~. If one falls, the other shall cease to exist~. You must wake up~.''


    I felt the annoyance and humour that bubbled forth, in equal measure, at the memory of the failed attempts at leading them into a trap, resulting in me practically needing to put up a neon ''Your buddy is here'' sign.


    ''How can I prove myself~? We must leave this place~. Now~."


    I remembered how shocked I was when, instead of raising the alarm when they discovered their partially eaten friend, that they had fallen upon their former kin, ripping him apart as they devoured his flesh.


    ''Time is running out~. You must accept we are now one~. Or is my host so pathetically weak~?''


    The voice was starting to get on my nerves. It looked like my delusion had the same impulse as me, entertain themselves by irritating the other. The real question was if I was stuck here for eternity, who was going to turn into the mumbling idiot first.


    ''We were two weak, separate beings that become one, creating something new~. A whole that will forever be stronger than its parts~.''


    Deciding that the ¡®other me¡¯ failed at English even more spectacularly than I did, just, knowing the meaning but not the natural usage of the words, I continued my recollections and once again bore witness to my end.


    The pain I felt the instant the spike tore through my chest, inflicting a mortal wound, resonated within what only could be referred to, at least due to my inability to describe it, my soul, before the memories moved to my last moments. The ones where I dragged myself through the jungle to a pool of hot water in some retarded notion that it would save me.


    I mentally laughed at the stupidity of such an idea.


    Yes, I was going into shock, but with a hole the size of a fist in your chest, no amount of hot water was going to change anything.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ''Water is my element~. I saved us~. We live, but maybe not for long~. They hunt us~.''


    For the second time, the first being when I started singing in my mind earlier, I couldn''t ignore the voice''s words as my paranoia and sense of self-preservation united in spectacular force.


    -"Who hunts us?"


    I wanted to sigh, knowing that I had finally taken that last step to insanity and started talking to myself but what was the worst that could happen? I was already dead.


    The darkness seemed to expand and contract and, even though it wouldn''t shut up as I was trying to relive my end, the voice decided to remain silent.


    Time had no meaning here, yet the urge that I needed to do something continued to grow as I waited for my delusions response.


    -"Voice?"


    Finally, an indistinguishable amount of time later, I was rewarded for my patience.


    ''We do not know what they are~. They come, they kill, and they take trophies~. We shall call them hunters~.''


    I would have complimented the voices naming sense if I didn''t think it was ¡®another me¡¯ though, I was debating that the description fitted a name like Predator more.


    ''They do not take the head~. Now, we must wake up~. Danger approaches~.''


    I wanted to frown, feeling somehow naked and vulnerable when talking to the voice in my head, one that seemed to have access to my thoughts, as I felt my skin start to tingle.


    -"Skin?"


    Slowly at first, then with ever increasing speed, my nerves painfully came to life. The sudden overload of information, just like the static, tingling feeling when a part of your body had fallen asleep, momentarily knocking me stupid as my mind battled with the implications of what I was sensing.


    The steady, rhythmic beating of two heats reverberating in my chest.


    My muscles, which were unconsciously tensing as I slowly regained control, feeling familiar yet, at the same time, completely alien.


    The dull, muted rumbling that continuously assaulted my ears.


    ''Rise Alpha~. Our journey does not end here~.''


    I ignored the fact that the voice had used my assumed name as my heartbeat quickened.


    A shiver sent goosebumps crawling across my skin moments before I felt my face wrinkle into a broad smile.


    I had a heartbeat, or maybe even two.


    I could feel the water warm water pressing down and stone floor on my skin.


    The gentle trickle of the small stream that should be running from the white tree in the centre of the clearing, that fed into the pool, echoing in the water around me.


    I rejoiced at my findings, barely wanting to believe my senses.


    To put it simply, I was alive.


    Clenching my fists, my smile growing ever wider as it twisted into what must appear to be something feral, with each new sensation, my bones popped as the muscles flexed and strained.


    I WAS ALIVE!


    My eyes shot open as I attempted to stand, hurting as if I had never used them before, the water resisting any attempt at moving quickly but unlike what I would have expected, I did not float for long as I gently landed on my tiny, childlike feet onto the floor of the pool.


    -"..."


    I quickly checked the rest of my body, almost falling to my knees in despair as all the elation I had been feeling disintegrated into nothingness.


    Ignoring the fact that I was able to breathe underwater, having little to no buoyancy, I was faced with something that many would probably rejoice at, yet all I could do was curse.


    I was back in the body which symbolised the worst period of my life.


    The voice seemed to ignore what truly upset me, deciding to answer the first question.


    ''I breathe for us in liquid~. You breathe in the air~. Together we are strong, separate we are weak~. Our merging has remade us~.''


    A chill ran down my spine, and while I subconsciously enjoyed the ability to feel once again, for the first time, I started to take the voice seriously.


    I was overcome with a premonition, like an itch you cannot scratch, that I just couldn¡¯t ignore.


    It felt like I had all the puzzle pieces, a story waiting to be told, yet I couldn''t see how to put them together.


    The feelings, the changes in my body, the hazy memories as I bled out. They held the answers yet; I just couldn''t make sense of them.


    ''We must go~. To survive is to win~. To die, lose~. We shall not die~.''


    I looked around and, though I wasn¡¯t breathing, tried to hold my breath at what I discovered.


    I wasn''t alone down here.


    At my feet, the flickering reflections from the light hitting the surface above rippled over the bleached white bones of a skeleton. One who belonged to a species that I knew all too well. It was human.


    Yet, even that wasn¡¯t the most shocking thing.


    As I continued to examine the remains, I came to a very shocking realisation, and my mind Jarred, not able to grasp what was going on.


    Not only were the bones from a species I recognised, but they were also from an individual you could say I was intimately familiar with. One I had known my entire life.


    The chunk missing from the left side of the jaw, the result of a childish bet, the cracked sternum and ribs, from a car crash, and the tell-tale signs of a fracture in the left leg were all the evidence I needed, even if my mind refused to accept it.


    My stomach flipped, wanting to empty whatever contents it held as I desperately kicked for the surface.


    ''Do not fear what was once us~. We cannot absorb everything~. There will always be waste~.''


    A warm, comforting feeling enveloped me as I broke the surface of the water, but I instantly shrugged it off as I threw my arms over the pool''s edge and heaved myself ashore, desiring nothing more than to be out of this gruesome pond as soon as possible.


    No sooner had I crawled out of the watery pit, my body convulsed, and I started vomiting copious amounts of green, blue and black liquid onto the ground, the liquids refusing to mix as they ran off the stone surrounding the pool and into the grass.


    At the back of my mind, I recognised two of the colours, the vivid green and the calming blue, but I couldn''t focus on where as my world began to spin.


    Collapsing to the floor, I rolled onto my back with closed eyes and gasped in the sweet, beautiful air as I tried to order my thoughts.


    I had awoken at the bottom of a pond without drowning.


    I seemed to be in the body of a child and...


    I had seen my own skeletal remains.


    Sighing, I tried to steady my frayed nerves.


    -¡±I must have drowned a boat load of orphans holding kittens on the way to a puppy convention in a previous life¡­¡±


    Minutes ticked by, my body occasionally convulsing as it purged itself of whatever it could, one moment feeling as if it had just been ripped off life support, the next as if I had been stabbed in the heart with a truck load of adrenaline.


    Nothing made sense, yet at the same time, nothing felt wrong.


    Suddenly I remembered the injuries sustained in the fight with the three apes, not including the first as I still couldn¡¯t call it a fight, I slapped my left arm onto my chest with a dull, thud.


    Slowly, as if afraid to see what was there, I looked down, only to slam my head back into the floor with a thunderous crack as I closed my eyes again.


    The scars on my arm, the ones where Spike had mauled me, were gone, along with any sign that my chest had once been the proud owner of a custom-made tunnel. In fact, apart from looking like I had never seen the light of day, and more than a little malnourished, I looked completely normal.


    My pale, almost white skin reflected the bright sunlight as it bathed the clearing, its warmth giving me a little comfort, as I once again opened my eyes and examined my body.


    Even though nothing was wrong, I couldn¡¯t help but curl into a ball at the results.


    It wasn¡¯t sadness that drove me to try and comfort myself, nor was it the relief that I was still lucky enough to count myself amongst the living. It was because, at the moment, I just didn¡¯t know what to think.


    It was because, at the moment, I just didn¡¯t know what to think.


    My world had been continuously turned on its head since I woke up in the accursed metal tube that delivered me to this new, strange reality, and the moment I thought I knew what was going on, life would throw another curveball. Showing me that not only did I know nothing, but I also couldn''t even imagine what could happen next.


    The pod''s voice echoed in my memory as I remembered where I had seen those liquids before. I knew that no matter how much I wanted to declare I was crazy and go try and find some nice people in white coats to take care of me for the rest of my life, everything I had experienced was real.


    If the liquids were anything to go by, I could assume my week time limit had come to an end. The suppression of my emotions, along with my rapid adaptive abilities, were, if not gone already, not far from it.


    I was alone, without even a scrap of clothing, on an alien world surrounded by creatures that saw me as nothing but food and I had probably only utilised a fraction of what I would need to survive.


    I continued to lay on the ground, curled in my ball for what felt like hours, but instead of despair, with each second that passed, my resolve continued to harden until even the mere thought that I would fail, was nothing more than a fleeting shadow.


    I had already walked through the valley of the shadow of death and emerged from the other side victorious.


    As a weak, pathetic modern day human, I had battled and defeated aliens with my bare hands.


    No, I was no longer that man. I could no longer think of myself as a human let alone earthling.


    My hearts thundered in my chest, my arteries pulsing as I rose to my feet, inhaling deeply.


    I felt like I had been, not just reborn, but reforged.


    Raising my fists out to my side, I tilted my head back and let the the world know my resolve.


    This time, it wasn¡¯t a wolf-like howl. No. This was a roar befitting a true monster. One that would do anything to maintain its claim in the world of the living and secure its place in the sun.


    My vision constricted and my bones continued to crack as the ground around me shook, as if it was terrified of what walked upon it.


    I smirked, though it felt more like a snarl.


    I knew it was conceited, but I couldn¡¯t help letting my mind slightly wander, thinking that the very ground trembled beneath me.


    Forget Alpha; I would become the Omega. The first is something the later generations would remember long after it had turned to dust. I would be the last.


    ¡®We will be the last~.¡¯


    Warmth once again seemed to wrap me, the only way to describe it would be as if a ghost, if it didn¡¯t make you shiver, was trying to give you a hug, and this time, I didn''t resist.


    ''We will survive~!''


    I chuckled, a sound that would have terrified me before, the noise coming from my throat having become incomparable to its previous form.


    -"No, I will thrive."

 Chapter sixteen - Run boy, run

    After taking no more than two, somewhat shaky steps forward, I was hit by the sudden realisation, cursing myself at how slow I had been to notice, that something was terribly wrong.


    The clearing, the resting place of the few species I had met so far, was void of life.


    And I was not talking about it being empty.


    Dried blood dyed the surrounding grass red, with yellow patches from the insect apes, as carcasses, or at least what was left of them, were scattered around the clearing as if a whirlwind of dull blades had descended.


    Wolves, insect apes and spike hounds, there seemed to be no distinction in the slaughter nor much difference in the wounds they sported.


    It appeared as they had been ripped limb from limb while being pierced by a volley of many small, dagger-like instruments.


    What made it even more confusing was that it appeared most of them had died before they realised what was happening, only a few had made it to the edges of the clearing before expiring most gruesomely.


    The hairs on the back of my neck rose as I took in a deep breath, regretting it briefly as I finally noticed the stench of death surrounding me, and crouched.


    Something was terribly wrong with the scene in front of me yet, I couldn''t say what.


    I crept towards the closest body, my hearts making a valiant attempt to alert everyone within a thousand mile radius of my presence, to try and learn as much as I could from the demise of my ex-neighbours.


    Taking account the number strewn around me, I shuddered.


    If I were to fight any of the creatures here, excluding the alpha wolf, one on one, I would be pretty confident, after my recent victories, to come out on top or at least, manage to escape to fight another day.


    However, as the insect apes had proven, more than one or two would severely limit my chances of continued existence, and any more would almost be suicidal.


    I swallowed hard as I made a rough estimation in regards to the death toll.


    There had to be at least thirty or forty bodies here, and not one of them belonged to whatever had attacked. Forget a body, I failed to spot a hint in the copious amounts of blood, that had long since soaked into the earth, of anything that did not belong to the occupants that now called this place their final resting place.


    I scanned the floor, quickly noticing weird, three-claw bird-like imprints, scattered amongst the remains.


    My mind came up with two, somewhat plausible theories.


    One was that a horde of creatures had swept over the clearing, killing everything in site as they pursued some objective. The other, which I wasn''t sure if it was worse or not, was that some monster-like creature, with over two dozen legs, and the armour and weaponry of a tank, had passed through here.


    As I continued towards my target, my bare, tiny right foot fell into the imprint of the bird-like footed creature, making me frown.


    My foot was around 10 times smaller than the main impression, which I assumed to be the ball of its foot, and so, thinking back to the dinosaur imprints I had seen as a kid, I knew that this thing must have been huge.


    Shaking the thoughts from my mind, I reached the corpse of the spike hound I had selected, almost recoiling in disgust as the stench of decay hit me.


    The skin looked thin, displaying bones and if I observed carefully, I could see the tell-tale signs of movement, probably maggots under the skin.


    Scanning the ground around the body, I noticed that the grass, even though it was covered in blood, looked wilted, almost dead, compared to its surroundings.


    I sighed, knowing that I didn''t really need to confirm this but, some part of me wanting to try and deny the facts.


    With a tentative finger, I lifted back the lip, noting that, not only was it bone dry, but that it started to crack.


    No liquids were escaping any orifices, at least the ones I was willing to check, but as the teeth and hair were still present. If the process was anything similar to Earth, the time frame should be around eight to ten days.


    I felt cold, so I was willing to bet on the higher side of that estimate, maybe even adding a few days.


    Rocking back on my heels, I closed my eyes.


    That would mean that if they had been killed immediately after I had fallen into the pool, which was unlikely, that ten or more days had passed.


    It also meant that there was a high chance that whatever had committed this massacre, had either made this place its home after eliminating the previous residents, bad news for me, or more likely due to it not trying to dispose or eat its victims, was just passing through and was now, long gone. Which would be excellent news for me.


    I decided that the second option was more plausible. Only humans had been known to waste and kill without reason on this scale and, though the creatures I had met had shown remarkable intelligence, they also conformed to what I expected.


    Sighing in relief, I noted the gentle breeze rustling the leaves as I fell deep into thought.


    On the one hand, the assumption that my adaptive stage was over was now pretty much fact. However, the long delay in my... I didn¡¯t even know how to describe how I had somehow survived and generated a new skeleton, had probably saved my life.


    Looking at the mutilated corpses, I had little doubt that if I were around when the creature or creatures had come through, I would be amongst the remains.


    Opening my eyes, I stood and looked around, marking in my mind, the placement of the bodies, enabling me to come up with a theory on what may have happened.


    Something had attacked while they rested, probably the middle of the day, catching most of them off guard. Killing before they could move, let alone put up a fight or any semblance of resistance.


    A few, mainly wolves, had reacted in time and moved to the right side of the clearing, indicating that the creatures had attacked from the left, leaving a trail of bodies as they attempted to flee into the dense vegetation.


    I frowned.


    Something not just deadly but absolutely lethal had passed through here, not even giving the local residents a chance.


    As I didn''t put myself at the top of the food chain, at least not while running around naked, that left me in a pretty dire situation.


    My stomach rumbled painfully, but I didn¡¯t even entertain the idea of eating any of the remains around me.


    Something told me that I would be OK, that my body could handle the rotting flesh even though it was well past its prime but the thought turned my stomach even more than the emptiness did.


    -"Pass."


    An animalistic scream to my right caused me to freeze, but that was nothing compared to the primal fear generated by the roar that followed.


    I momentarily contemplated if it was actually possible for my blood to actually turn to ice before kneeling down to lower my profile while giving me more leverage in case I needed to move fast.


    Cracking branches, more screams, ones that I assumed to be a mixture of terror and pain, echoed through the trees, accompanied by dull thuds and the thunderous sound of falling trees.


    Not thirty seconds after the chaotic noises had started, silence descended once again on the small forest.


    Minutes ticked by as my eyes refused to move from the trees, at the edge of the clearing, in the direction of the bone-chilling sounds while my sense strained to notice anything that might be a threat.


    In the unnatural silence, my mind created a monster from my deepest, darkest nightmares causing a shiver to run down my spine.


    Sweat formed on my brow as its siblings ran down my back, the deafening silence almost too much for me as I debated running in the opposite direction.


    The clearing obviously wasn¡¯t safe, the previous ex-living occupants proving that, but that didn¡¯t mean the forest any better.


    My skin prickled, goosebumps flowing up my arms and legs, as my muscles shook, unconsciously preparing for flight as I remembered a quote from my past.


    -¡±He who lives and runs away lives to fight another day.¡±


    ¡®I have already told you we must leave. Danger hunts us.¡¯


    I startled at the voice, though it thankfully took the edge off as the forest came alive, seemingly coming to the same conclusion as I had.


    My crouch deepened, my legs ready to propel me to either side at a moment''s notice, as the bushes ahead of me, rustled.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    My heart beats, the second one still seeming wrong and distracting, hammered in my ears as I prepared to meet the stuff of nightmares yet, as a bloodied, white head appeared, all I could do was blink dumbly.


    It was the face of the only creature I really respected around here, one that I had completely forgotten about as I analysed the carnage, the Alpha wolf.


    Fur matted with dry blood, terror, anger and a hint of madness dancing in her eyes, the alpha stares at me, seemingly looking into my soul.


    I can''t stop the shiver that the gaze envokes.


    This wasn''t a wolf making sure I would obey its rules. This was a terrified animal that was judging how much of a threat I was and, more important to my well-being if I should be eliminated.


    I instinctively look away, breaking eye contact, as I try and shake the feeling that I am nothing more than a mouse looking into the mouth of a snake.


    Out of the corner of my peripheral, I noticed that, after watching me for a few more seconds, the alpha creeps forward, keeping to the edge of the clearing as she heads in the opposite direction from which the roar originated.


    Which, coincidently, happened to be the same one I intended to take.


    Two more figures emerged from the vegetation.


    One of the pups, limping slightly, and an adult that looked like it had been thrown into a blender, small cuts, many still bleeding, littering its body.


    Casting my eyes back to the Alpha, I swallowed hard.


    Her injuries were anything but light, and I was surprised she was moving as gracefully as she was.


    Missing patches of fur and chunks of flesh, as well as half an ear, were a testament to the struggle she had endured to survive.


    As the group crept across the clearing, I decided to take a gamble, and I started to follow them.


    Normally, I would have been tempted to move alone as the larger the group, the more chance that you might attract unwanted attention but not this time.


    Something in the alpha¡¯s eyes, as well as the tense, almost electrified atmosphere, made me crave being in a crowd.


    Statics rock, unless you are the unlucky one, and if whatever it was that was running around killing everything liked its ambushes, having something that looked stronger, the alpha, and something incredibly weak, the pup, would be advantageous.


    Either it would want to take out the biggest threat first, or like natural predators, which this wasn¡¯t as it wasn¡¯t eating its prey as far as I knew, it would prey on the weak.


    My steps momentarily faltered as I remembered my new stature.


    -¡±I wonder who looks weakest, me or the pup?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t given time to debate the question as, with a simple resigned glance, which felt like a begrudging acceptance of my presence, the Alpha disappeared into the foliage, quickly followed by the other two.


    Following the wolves, which moved almost silently through the brush, I noticed that, whether it was due to my enhanced senses or the fact that they were all heavily injured, I would still be able to locate the wolves with my eyes closed.


    Something that, much to my surprise, I couldn¡¯t say for myself.


    I moved through the undergrowth like a spectre, my body twitching as it swayed through the foliage, almost impossibly low to the ground as I had to use my hands more than once to keep balance, without as much as snapping a twig or rustling a leaf.


    -"As silent as Death and twice as handsome... Can I be handsome if I look like a brat?"


    Despite the feeling of dread, as if the Grim Reaper himself was breathing down my neck, I couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    I wouldn¡¯t be able to explain how, nor could I say with absolute certainty that it wasn¡¯t a delusion, but deep down, I felt like I had truly changed. What made it even better was I knew that I was not even firing on all cylinders.


    ¡®Food. We need food to repair and enhance the body.¡¯


    The smile was gone.


    If the voice in my head decided it was real and even offered advice, then maybe it was a delusion.


    Still, the fact that, apart from the sound of my breathing or, as I had recently decided, very noisy heartbeats, I could move so stealthily kept my spirits high.


    ¡®We are real. Why won''t you accept yourself?¡¯


    Back to ignoring the voice, that did not exist in any way, shape or form, I surveyed my surroundings noting that there seemed to be no difference, bar the unnatural pressure, then when I had traversed it before.


    If it weren''t for the fact I was following the bloodied wolves, I would find it had to accept that there was a monster on the loose.


    Of course, it might not be a monster, but when in doubt, imagine the worst case scenario and then times it by four.


    After about twenty minutes, excluding two stops in which we froze and listened for threats as the Alpha noticed something, we reached the edge of the forest.


    Seeing the Alpha, making sure it was safe to emerge, I moved up from the back and slowly moved a large leaf out of the way to check for myself.


    -"Always look before you leap."


    I was glad I did instead of just following blindly.


    The grassy wasteland, the flat ground steadily forming into hills in the distance, from which I arrived lay in front of me.


    Open land. One in which, four fleeing creatures would be easily spotted, run down, and slaughtered. Where no decent, great escapest worth his grain of salt, would attempt to go.


    I pinched the bridge of my nose as I closed my eyes


    I had thought that the Alpha would have to lead us towards one of the other edges, enabling us to sprint towards the next island of cover and hopefully, to safety.


    -¡±Unless they are compromised.¡±


    My paranoia started kicking in.


    -¡±Why are we assuming there is only one? Where did it come from? What are its objectives?¡±


    Hesitation and doubt crawled over my mind as I debated on what should be my next course of action.


    -¡±The wolves could just be bringing me along for a snack as they cross the grasslands. The alpha might just be running scared, having no destination in mind.¡±


    I looked over to the wolf, only to see the steely resolve emanating from her eyes.


    -¡±Mayb-¡±


    All doubts and concerns were thrown out of the proverbial window as a screech, one that I recognised as an insect ape, pierced through the eerie silence.


    Unlike the previous one, that felt somewhat like a safe distance away, this one seemed to be only a couple of hundred feet... If I was being generous.


    As one, four figures, one being me, launched themselves out into the open plains without even the slightest hesitation and broke into a dead run.


    I don¡¯t know if the alpha had the same idea as me, to reach the hills that would provide some cover for our silhouettes while enabling us to ensure nothing was following us, but by some miracle, we were heading in the same direction.


    I was also greatly surprised that, ignoring the fact that she was injured, we were matching each other in speed so I neither of us were leading or following.


    Not that I was actually paying attention to that, at the time, insignificant detail.


    Adrenaline coursed through my veins as I ran with all my might, weirdly feeling as if my upper body was becoming weaker while a sinking sensation, like my insides were breaking down and, very painfully, regrowing, in my legs, continued to escalate.


    I pushed the thought aside, my only purpose at the moment was to make sure that I stayed ahead of the other two.


    If we were being chased, with any luck, they would be munched first and buy time for the rest of us to escape.


    I shuddered.


    -¡±When did I become so cold-hearted?¡±


    ''Only we matter. The survivors remember. The defeated, do not.''


    Half an hour later, and not a moment too soon, the Alpha slid to a stop, on the opposite side of a medium sized hill before crawling to the top and watching the direction we had just come from.


    Thankfully, one of us had that energy to keep watch as all I could manage was to collapse onto the floor, gasping for breath as I tried to stop myself from throwing up.


    My vision spun, bright stars and flickers of light making it impossible to stop even if I closed my eyes.


    I rolled onto my back and wondered how on Earth, or whatever this planet was called, had I managed to keep up with a wolf, let alone an alien wolf whose speed would even make a cheetah spotless with envy.


    -"... Doe cheetahs even have spots? I feel like I should know but the memory is fuzzy..."


    We had not slowed down even the tiniest bit the entire time, running as if the monster was snapping at our heels.


    I heard two thuds, the pup and the smaller adult finally catching up and collapsing somewhere near me, their panting sounding almost like they were taking their last, strained breaths.


    ¡®We are strong. We are fast. We are best.¡¯


    -¡±Will you do me a favour? Shut the fuck up and stop making me feel crazy...¡±


    I felt too rough at the moment to talk to myself as I stared at the sky, dark grey clouds blowing in from the direction we were heading carrying the scent of damp grass and soil with it.


    ¡°Great rain¡­ Why not. It¡¯s not like things can get much worse.¡±


    If it wasn¡¯t for the shock of me speaking out loud, my voice hoarse, gravely and¡­ Inhuman I might have just facepalmed at my tempting of fate.


    Unluckily for me, it seemed like the flakey goddess was listening and more than happy to oblige my request as a monstrous roar erupted from the direction we had come from.


    Somehow, deep down I didn¡¯t think we had escaped whatever was lurking in that forest but, like any good person in denial, I ignored the sensation.


    Rolling to my side, my muscles screaming in protest at moving so soon after exerting themselves, I briefly noticed that my small, child-like arms were much thinner than when I first woke up, the muscles almost none existent as they shook while pushing myself to my feet.


    The Alpha moved towards us, defeat evident in its eyes as it tried to rouse the remains of its once glorious pack yet, against the dire situation, I found myself laughing, earning a disgusted look from the once mighty beast.


    Not just a simple laugh, but a maniacal cackle escaped my throat as I held my sides and threw my head back.


    As the laughter petered out, mainly due to having not completely caught my breath, a raindrop hit me in the forehead as the rumble of thunder echoed menacingly in the distance.


    What Would I give for a simple light right now? Maybe I should find the other humans and sign up at the local dole office. Life was determined to shit on me, no matter what and honestly, I was starting to get a bit bored of it.


    Survival might seem glamours if you weren''t drinking your own piss like Bear Grylls, but the reality was... tedious.


    I looked towards the alpha, who had managed to get the others on their feet and moving away and reluctantly started to follow. My gut telling me that making a break for it on my own would be a very, very bad idea.


    ==============================


    [ALERT: Notifying Overseer and handlers of case 67673]


    Sign of the SSS value subject Dybbuk discovered.


    Appearance match: 0%...


    Genetic Match: 32% += (48% Subject[PTS5643])...


    Match within parameters. Reassigning handlers¡­.


    ¡­ Updating status


    Status updated from Deceased, MITE (Missing in test environment) to living.


    Elapsed time from last contact: 4580 hours.


    [WARNING]


    New record set for the avoidance of Hunters, RRT and recovery squads.


    Requesting genetic update of Hunters¡­..


    Notifying Special Investigations unit¡­.


    Reviewing data collected from observation posts...


    Category tags updated [Stealth(Rank A)][Combat][Regenerative(Rank A)][Immortal(Rank D)]


    Reviewing known data¡­


    Stealth (Rank A) increased to stealth (Rank SSS)


    The subject was only observed due to travelling with Generation 3 descendants. Detection, including audio, visual, thermal, infrared have proven ineffective. Attributed to change in subjects skin and muscle composition.


    Regenerative(Rank A) increased to Regenerative (Rank SS)


    Rapid regeneration and breakdown of muscles, bone, skin and hair observed to meet the subjects environmental demands. The limit is theorised to be based on available biomass.


    Immortal (Rank D) has been degraded to Immortal (Rank F)


    Subjects disappearance linked to the recovery time. The drastic change in physical appearance indicates extreme changes in all aspects.


    [Error¡­]


    Opposing Rank generated by system¡­


    Physical and neurological changes detected that the subject has achieved true Biological Immortality [Rank B].


    Conflicting data detected¡­ Elevating to Overseer.


    Observation status set to Priority


    Capture status has been revoked.


    Subscribed parties notified.


    [Warning]


    The subject is in a weakened state.


    Initiating minimal interference protocols¡­


    The scenario which increases survival changes from 62% to 74% found.


    Recalculating input based on collected HRE data¡­.


    Survival Rate increased to 93% based on subjects response.


    Approved.


    Executing...

 Chapter Seventeen - Alpha [Draft]

    Lightning, accompanied by the booming crash of thunder, rippled across the dark, intimidating sky as I circled a spike hound, staring into the animal''s captivating, silver eyes.


    Another flash of lightning, this time in front, resulted in me becoming momentarily blind, causing me to curse as I focused on my other senses.


    It was a weakness I had recently discovered with my improved vision and, alongside the tingling sensation crawling up my spine, which I had come to understand as a warning, I took an urgent step to the left to avoid the, somewhat prophesied, attack which whistled past.


    Sighing noisily in irritation, I blinked rapidly to clear my vision.


    It seemed that while I had almost super-human vision during the day or even at night, during twilight hours and where there was the stark contrast between light and dark at the same time, my eyes couldn''t decide what they wanted to do and so, decided to cut the feed.


    Well, the last bit might just be me closing my eyes. The first few times I experienced the sensation, I tried to keep them open, not knowing what was going on, which resulted in almost crippling nausea and the urge to violently vomit for the next few minutes.


    Regaining my sight in short order, I watched as the creature fell back onto its forearms, my premonition of danger proving correct, as it was once again was forced to land so it could turn towards me. I didn''t know how many spine-like barbs the creatures could fire, but the most that I had seen was four sets of two and even then, I had only discovered that number as the last one we encountered, caught me by surprise. Something that nearly cost me my eye.


    -"Once bitten, twice shy."


    A white blur emerged over the crest of the hill, bearing down on the hound''s back and enticing a weary smile to appear on my face.


    I brushed the black and white hair, something I had only discovered when I plucked a strand, which was plastered to my forehead by the torrential, monsoon-like rain, out of my eyes as I watched the slaughter unfold.


    With all the grace of a natural predator, the Alpha''s front paw swiped the hounds back legs out from under it, flipping it on its back before tearing out its throat with unbridled urgency.


    Realising that we had probably spent too much time getting the hound into the ambush spot, I jumped forward, making sure not to get in the way of the wolf pup that was already bounding towards the kill, saliva dripping from its jaw.


    Like we had done multiple times over the last few weeks... or was it months? I had long since lost track of time during our flight from the still unknown creature, we descended into a feeding frenzy, tearing apart and consuming the corpse at a pace that would shock even the Sin of Gluttony.


    Tearing off one of the hound''s legs, I ramed it into my mouth, crunching flesh, muscle, bone and sinew before swallowing it without actually chewing.


    Table manners were reserved for those with time, and that was something we did not have. We needed to eat our fill befor-


    As if confirming my thoughts, as it had done for what seemed like an eternity now, the monstrous roar of whatever chased us echoed across the surrounding grassy hills, startling us from our meal and galvanising us into action.


    Wincing as I moved my numb yet somehow, against all logic and reason, incredibly painful muscles, I rose to my feet, wiping the blood and gore from my mouth as I stretched.


    My body creaked, poped, and cracked as I got ready to leave.


    Run, hunt whatever we came across, eat, sleep half an hour or so, rinse and repeat. That had become my life, and yet, it seemed the cycle was finally broken.


    Unfortunately, it wasn''t in a good way.


    Our pursuer was finally catching up, and it looked like the hunt was about to enter its final, bloody stage.


    A low, rumbling growl escaped my throat, yet instead of fear, anger or depression, it was because I was almost trembling with excitement.


    It had taken me a day or so into our journey to realise that for some reason, every time I looked at the alpha I was intimidated, yet the moment I realised this fact, the feeling stopped and my mind became a lot clearer.


    The same had happened with the roar, and now, instead of terrifying me at a primordial level, my insides coiled in anticipation of the potential showdown.


    I had thought that the alpha was the top of the food chain, setting her as my goal but now that illusion had been shattered, I wanted to confirm if this new contender was a worthy replacement.


    The intimidation was obviously some sort of ability the creatures shared yet, unlike the alpha, who had steadily been losing strength as the lack of sleep and rest took its toll, with every meal and pit stop, no matter how short, I had grown in leaps and bounds and was almost chewing at the bit to get into a real scrap.


    Weeks on the run, through the seemingly endless grasslands, was enough to drive anyone crazy with boredom yet I didn''t think that was what was driving my desire for battle.


    Right now, I felt better, stronger, faster and well, more powerful than I had ever done before but, I somehow knew this wasn''t my limit. Actually, I discerned it was far from it.


    If I was an insect, I would guess that I was in something like my larval stage. My body had completely changed since I woke up, yet it was constantly growing the more I consumed. All I needed to do was keep eating. Well, that is the feeling I got.


    It could just be my mind playing tricks on me but, as a famous guy once said, ''Perception is reality and reality is perception''. In other terms, the mind is more powerful than the body and a little bit of confidence is good for you.


    The movement of the alpha, picking up the pup with its mouth before bursting into a quick jog, caused me to erupt into action, quickly matching pace and casting a quick glance backwards, hoping to catch a glimpse of my elusive, yet ever present, foe.


    -"Soon... And then we will see who chases who."


    I had no idea where my bloodlust had come from, but the moment I had lost my fear of it, I instinctually knew I had to face the creature that it was hunting me. Not just face it, but dominate it, destroy it and finally, consume it.


    If the wolf was the Alpha predator, then I would describe the monster as the Apex. As I wanted to become something... more, I knew that I would need to use whatever the thing was as the foundation of my growth.


    Though that didn''t mean I had to run towards it like an idiot.


    From the time of that realisation, which was probably a few dozen days ago, I started to formulate a plan that would give me the best chances of victory.


    The largest boon I could think of was that by travelling with the alpha, even if she were wounded, I would gain an ally when the time came to fight.


    The next was, the longer I drew out the chase, the stronger I would become. Not only did my body stop consuming itself as quickly in its desperate need for energy, I had quickly started gaining body mass and strength with every meal.


    I put it down to my body slowly optimising itself and getting used to the strain I was putting on it, however, without a doubt, I knew that my adaptation phased was over. I no longer felt my insides squirming around as they had done when I first arrived or the vague sensation that I was changing.


    I sighed, wishing that I had used my time more efficiently. Maybe done some training or something.


    Then again, it seemed like, even if I was jinxing myself by saying it too early, my body had done a pretty good job left to its own devices.


    The first signs I noticed was that I was consistently cold, finding that although my core felt warm, my skin was nearly the same temperature as my surroundings. This was soon forgotten as something slightly more worrying occurred to me.


    Since I had awoken, I no longer needed to excrete any waste. Hell, I didn''t even sweat, and I knew that was actually a beneficial, bodily function that was required by your average human.


    It vaguely made sense, at a huge stretch of the imagination, seeing as I would have been unconscious as my new body was... built, and unable to gain any extra nutrients. So, if I forgot that my muscles should be generating heat and there would be substances my body should not be able to utilise, thus needing to get rid of, it was kind of like dealing with money. Energy and resources saved were bonus resources earned.


    Yeah... I had no clue what was going on with my body. I just hoped it didn''t kill me in the end. Dying because you can''t take a shit would be... an awful way to go.


    Another roar, this time close enough to elicit a whimper from the pup to my right, caused my muscles to tense as I resisted the urge to stop and fight.


    I felt a vein pulse on my head as I clenched my jaw.


    That noise was really starting to get on my nerves.


    Deciding that we didn''t have long, the creature gaining on us faster than ever before, I cast an eye over the alpha and, within moments, shook my head.


    I had hoped that we had another few days for me to increase my strength, feeling like the more I consumed and stored, the better my chances would be in the upcoming confrontation but, without even trying hard, I could see the Alpha wouldn''t last much longer.


    Since the other wolf succumbed to its injuries, falling to the ground and refusing to rise, the Alpha had taken to carrying the pup, anguish emanating from the poor beast that had lost everything. Her pack, her family, her home. She only had the pup left and to her, her entire world.


    A twinge of regret boiled up from deep inside.


    It wasn''t only because I was using the alpha to save energy as we killed prey or even by staying with her, forcing the unwitting wolf to become an ally in case my paranoia was right and the beast was really after me.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    No, it was because when the adult wolf fell, the alpha was failing to coax it to continue no matter what it tried, a dark, chilling thought took root in my mind.


    I hoped that the wolf would remain down and appease the hunger of whatever was chasing us, for why else would it continue its pursuit?, or at least buy us time and I continued onwards, not even looking back.


    The alpha caught up quickly, giving me a look of utter hatred and contempt but did not do anything else, so I let it pass.


    It wasn''t until we were a fair distance away that the howling wind brought with it the agonising screams of the one we left behind, a chilling sound I didn''t even know canines could make, and instantly regretted the thoughts I had harboured.


    No creature deserved such pain.


    I shook my head, trying to dislodge the memory that still chilled me to my core, unbalancing myself in the process and stumbling for a few steps on the wet, muddy slope.


    I caught the alpha glancing at me out of the corner of my eye, before abruptly returning its head to the front. It had never forgiven me for abandoning its comrade, yet I think deep down, it understood.


    -"It''s easy to blame and push the fault on someone else."


    The alpha''s attitude irritated me slightly. I hadn''t forced the Alpha to follow, and in fact, if they had all stayed, they might have distracted the beast long enough for it to lose my trail. Not that it would be the end of the matter. I really didn''t like being hunted and vowed that even if it gave up, I would return for it.


    Still, that didn''t change how I felt.


    I shuddered, the image of the poor wolf flickering in my mind. I had happily condemned the creature to, what I felt like was a fate worse than death, just to buy myself some time. What was I becoming?


    What made me feel even worse, was that I had a sneaking suspension that I knew why the monster had done it.


    Fear is a powerful tool if used by the right hands. Couple it with running your prey into the ground, exhausting them completely to the point they start dropping one by one, it was easy to see that whatever chased us was smart, cruel and above all relentless.


    That and it needed to die.


    A crooked, half smile, half snarl bloomed on my face as I once again growled, more to appease my restlessness than anything else.


    It needed to die painfully. Oh, so painfully.


    Looking again at the alpha, trying to gauge how long she could run while having enough energy to put up some form of resistance, my planning was thrown completely out of the window as a roar, feeling no more than a hundred or so feet away, shook my very bones.


    It seemed like the creature had become impatient and wanted to end this farce, have a meal or maybe all of the above.


    I couldn''t stop the grin blossoming on my face.


    -"About time... I am sick of running."


    I looked over to the pup, instantly noting that it was going to be a massive hindrance in the upcoming fight.


    After having spent so much time with the wolf, seen her pain and despair as she pushed herself to carry on moving forward, I knew she couldn''t abandon the pup and that if it were to die, she wouldn''t be far behind it.


    Her eyes locked onto mine and I knew that we had come to the same realisation.


    The chase was over, at least for the wolves. She was too slow carrying the pup and didn''t have the energy or willpower to keep going.


    The alpha started to slow, as did I, yet my insides screamed at me to not only keep running, but to sprint away as fast as I could. Make as much ground as possible as I continue to grow. In fact, the alpha might get a lucky blow in and incapacitate the creature all adding up in my favour.


    Life wasn''t fair and why should I be?


    I could hunt on my own. It wouldn''t be efficient, but as long as the targets continued to be spike hounds, I didn''t feel like I would have much of a problem.


    The wolf continued to slow, and pretty soon I felt its penetrating gaze on my back, as judging me for my actions.


    -"What do I owe the wolves? I partook in the hunts, so a share of the spoils was rightfully mine. I only ran with them. It''s not like the alpha has saved my life or done something that I should feel indebted to."


    I shook my head as it twitched and jerked erratically. Since waking up, I hadn''t really felt myself. As if I was an image... or a memory. Or that I wa-


    -"NO!"


    I bellowed in my mind, forcing myself from the topic I greatly feared.


    As an atheist, I didn''t really believe in a soul and so, with the destruction of my old body and brain, for how would of it got out of my skull?, even if I had the memories, the old me... the real me, was dead. I was...


    Bitting my cheek, drawing blood, I focused. This was not the time to have a crisis of existence.


    Concentrating on the problem at hand, I knew what I had to do.


    Even though I had often contemplated what I would do in similar situations, often ridiculing people who made the obviously stupid, emotional choice, thinking that whatever they were about to die for was worth it, I now found myself doing the very same.


    Yes to live was to win but who said I had to die here? Wasn''t I meant to thrive?


    Would I always run away from the risks? If so I might as well go find a deep crevice of the world to throw myself in and become a hermit.


    I also had the strange feeling that if I continued down this path, although I may become the Omega, I would not be happy or fulfilled. I was a human and as such, greedy. I wanted my cake and to eat it and it wasn''t as if the entire idea was without value.


    Herds, packs, pride, flocks even human society had a purpose. To increase the survival rates of the individuals that made them.


    Would I walk the path of the loner or that of a group?


    Also, would I become what I despised so much in humans? To use what I could, discarding it the moment it became a hindrance and not even looking back?


    -"Why is the grass always greener on the other side."


    There was a choice before me, and without needing to think about it, I had already decided.


    Growling at my own stupidity, my feet skidded to a stop, creating two muddy trails behind me.


    I was about to break a rule that I had always set for myself, becoming a hypocrite and a liar yet, it felt right, and honestly, when all is said and done, that is all that matters.


    I turned, intending to return to the wolf, and it wasn''t a moment too soon.


    With a shout, I lept towards the wolf pup, who had been dropped on the floor, grabbed its tail and pulled it away from the closing jaws of the alpha.


    ''What are we doing? We know this is wrong. We must Run. We must survive. Leave those who do not matter."


    Sliding the pup under me, I glared into the crazed eyes of the alpha as the voice that had been absent for so long, returned in full force.


    If I was honest with myself, something I wasn''t really ready to accept yet, even though the voice was emphasising everything I had decided to act against, I had missed it.


    It was as if a part of me was missing, yet wasn''t. I was half completed, yet whole at the same time. It was a strange, unnatural, almost indescribable feeling which was another reason for my increased levels of irritation as the days passed.


    I chuckled, rising to my feet as I placed myself above the pup.


    -"Not only suicidal but completely crazy. Fuck it, Who''s going to judge me?"


    Confidence seemed to surge forth, now that I was complete, as I felt my muscles rapidly contracting and expanding, preparing for the fight ahead.


    ¡®How can you miss us? We are always with us. We cannot be separated. I am you, and you are me.¡¯


    The feeling had lasted no more than a few seconds yet, it was already gone. Replaced with renewed irritation at basically admitting to myself that I had missed... myself.


    Making a mental note that I would need to talk to myself later, my head tilted to the side, listening for signs for when we would be interrupted.


    The alpha, as if forgetting we were about to have company, growled in an attempt to intimidate me, the vibrations resonating through the water streaming down its coat, shaking it into a light mist as she took a step forward.


    Once again, my ability to somehow know what the creature was feeling hit me full force.


    Pain, anger, resentment, fear but most of all, despair, emanated from the creature.


    She had given up and, in her last act, she wanted to spare the pup the same fate that the other wolf, and probably us shortly, would face.


    However, instead of understanding her emotions, my own anger exploded forth as I released a threating hiss, magnitudes louder than the wolf, and stomped forward.


    "Back. The. Fuck. Off. Bitch."


    Our eyes locked and the raindrops between us seemed to slow, then fade out completely, as we glared into each other''s eyes.


    Two opposites stood opposed to each other. One was on the edge of being crushed by the cruel hand fate had dealt it, the other had been reborn by a similar lot, though instead of succumbing to despair, it had used the tribulations to forge itself anew.


    The standoff continued as the wolf took another step forward, its teeth bared as it tried to impose its will upon me. It didn''t want the pup to suffer. She thought it was doing what was best for it.


    "Over. My. Dead. Body."


    My jaws were so tightly clenched that it was hard to speak, yet I did, making my stance on this matter, even if it was to a different species, absolutely clear.


    Even though the alpha was seven or eight times the size of me, probably around about the same magnitude difference in physical strength, instead of retreating like any sensible, self-preserving animal would do, I advanced aggressively.


    At this moment in time, even with our true enemy about to charge over the nearby hills, I was ready to kill the alpha if I was forced to.


    Whats more, I had no doubt that I could pull it off.


    While on the outside I showed no sign of weakness, inside I was terribly conflicted.


    Not only did one-half of me want to continue running, including the voice that I really should name if I am going to accept that I am crazy, and gather strength but the other half was prepared to fight and kill what I had stopped to protect.


    It didn''t make a hint of logical sense to me, but I was committed to this path. No matter where it would lead.


    My body tingled and the bones in my arms started to ache, yet I pushed it from my mind as a cold, pressure-like sensation starting at the tips of my fingers, expanded outwards before beginning to crawl up my fingers.


    For the first time in my life, my mind was not in control, and I gave into my emotions and instinct.


    -"You can fight many things in life, but you cannot fight yourself."


    I was a man, yet also a monster. A human, yet a beast. An angel while at the same time, a devil.


    ''Why must we always take the difficult path? Risk is bad.''


    My resolve hardened as I glared into the beautiful, amber eyes of the alpha, my jaw clenching so tight I felt muscles start to pop as the beat of my hearts competed with the thunder.


    Even as it did, my mind was conflicted.I was willing to stay and fight, yet willing to kill what I was fighting for, and that was... me. I was the contradiction, and deep down, I loved the freedom it gave me. The shackles of humanity were coming loose.


    The sensation that had started in my fingers reached my wrist as I took a deep breath and cleared my mind.


    I stepped forward, solidifying my intent into images. Somehow the wolf had been able to understand me before. I needed it to do so now.


    We were running out of time.


    Either the wolf would submit and fight alongside me, or I would kill it and remove the threat.


    The creature I had once respected had lost the right to rule, giving up and condemning one it was responsible for.


    If it came to it, and all hope was lost, I would kill the pup myself but not a second before.


    Why? Because I wanted to.


    The wolf leaned forward, bathing me in its smelly, hot breath.


    I knew that I had crossed the line. Either one of us would back down, or monster or not, one of us would die at the others hands.


    The alpha''s gaze flickered to my hands, and I had to resist the urge to check what was happening to my body, as I moved forward once again, my face almost touching the muzzle that was lowered enough for me to look into the creature''s eyes.


    My lips curled, revealing my teeth, not that she would be able to see from how close I was, yet as I was preparing to attack the alpha, she stood back and... lay down before looking up at me.


    It wasn''t a complete act of submissiveness, more like she was willing to give me a chance, yet I could see the seed of hope sprouting throughout her body as her muscles relaxed, while some semblance of sanity returned to her eyes.


    Not even giving me a moment to collect my thoughts, the rumbling groan, the sound of multiple feet smashing into the soft ground, reached my ears.


    I released one last growl at the ex-alpha, daring her to disobey me and injure the pup, and turned towards the pending arrival of our guest.


    The feeling of power and control over another washed over me but was quickly subdued by the adrenaline coursing through my veins and the irresistible urge to fight.


    I felt my bones pop and creak as my muscles tensed and relaxed, slowly walking back in the direction we had come.


    I was pissed off, and it wasn''t entirely at the alpha. I was furious with myself.


    Spitting on the floor, something I had not done in decades, I attempted clenched my fists, hearing a bone-like clacking noise before feeling resistance as my fingers turned out to be too long to form a ball.


    I didn''t even have the chance to check as the hill in front of me exploded, sending dirt and lumps of stone flying in all directions, as the creature that had been hunting us, the one that had, for one reason or another, had not only caused me so much trouble, but it has also prompted me to question my entire existence, appeared before me.


    As its nightmarish head rose amongst the falling debris, apparently trying to make some sort of terrifying, grand entrance I released my frustration in the form of a roar. It was so powerful that it forced my body back, my feet sliding on the wet ground yet I barely noticed, so focused on my foe.


    "Well?" I bellowed, causing the creature to, what would almost be comical if it wasn''t so grotesque, tilt its head in confusion at my aggressive attitude, confusion evident on its horrendous, tooth-filled face. "Is that it?"


    I knew the creature couldn''t understand me, but that didn''t matter. It was obviously one for theatrics, and my blatant disregard for them had, at least from what I could tell, infuriated it.

 Chapter Eighteen - Knowing oneself

    The howling wind flowed around the house-sized, grassy hills, forcing the icy rain to fall in an almost horizontal manner, harshly pelting my small body as lightning flicked overhead.


    Eyes locked with my monstrous opponents, I smiled through it didn¡¯t last, turning into a grimace as I nearly gagged at the stench that assaulted my nose.


    Not only did this thing, with its dozens of spider-like legs, centipede-worm shaped body covered in what looked like mattered, brown fur, look repulsive, but it also carried the worst smell I had ever had the displeasure of encountering.


    -''How the hell did I not smell this thing from a mile away?''


    It seemed, along with the rain, the wind brought with it the pungent smell of rotting, putrid flesh, the kind that makes a decomposing body smell like roses.


    Eyes watering from the odour, a quote from a film I had once watched almost perfectly fit my initial impression of the beast, and I couldn¡¯t help but repeat it under my breath.


    ¡°You are one, ugly mother fucker.¡±


    The knee-high grass whipped my legs as it was pressed against the hills in the raging wind, which also made it increasingly hard to keep my eyes open without squinting, as the pulses of light cast both of us, one man¡­ boy and one monster, in differing shades of otherworldly grey.


    Thankfully, even though I could tell my pupils were rapidly dilating with the changes in light, it did not prompt the momentary blindness I had been plagued with earlier, allowing me to focus on the true threat.


    In some primitive part of my brain, I knew that even the slightest distraction or lapse in concentration could be fatal and so pushed the question of what could be different, if it was due to another rapid adaptation or somehow more environment/situational, away as I focused on the creature¡¯s grotesque head.


    My chest rumbled a challenge, filling me a sense of immense power while I felt the adrenaline coursing through my body as heartbeats thundered in my ears.


    For the first time since I woke up in the pool, I felt increasingly warm as my body became lighter, faster and stronger, the condensation from my breath being blown away the moment it left my mouth.


    Even without the visual cues, I could still tell that I was releasing copious amounts of heat, drying my skin as fast as it was getting wet, as my body prepared to fight.


    I shivered, though, unlike what I would have expected, it wasn¡¯t from fear, but excitement and anticipation.


    This was my chance to discover what I had become and, maybe, answer some of the darker questions that lurked in the recesses of my mind.


    A flicker of movement in my peripheral signified that the seemingly terrified, shaking ex-alpha wolf was stalking away to the right, just like she had done when we hunted spike hounds and, even though I felt like I couldn¡¯t rely on her in this instance, I felt a tinge of relief flow over me.


    In this game of life and death, I needed every advantage I could get and, due to the pup still being some distance behind me, I had no fear in her trying to escape while using me as a distraction.


    I blinked, only now realising the eerie, end of the world atmosphere created by the elements that surrounded us and felt the overwhelming urge to laugh.


    If this wasn''t the perfect setting for an epic confrontation, I didn''t know what was. It was as if something had set the stage and now, it was up to the actors to adlib.


    Ignoring the twinge of paranoia, I quickly reviewed my senses, knowing that when the real battle actually commenced, I wouldn''t get time.


    If it weren''t for the aches, pains and cold tingling sensation continuing to crawl up my forearm, my lack of panic and self-preservation would have me think that this was nothing more than a vivid, game-like dream.


    ''Stop! We are not thinking clearly.¡¯


    -''Define clearly?''


    ¡®We are releasing hormones that we do not recognise and suppressing segments of our brain vital for survival. We need to retreat while we are still can. We need to survive, and this is not the way to do it.''


    It seemed that the voice in my head was developing a personality. The broken sentences were becoming slowly more articulate but, even though its points made logical sense, it didn¡¯t mean I was going to start listening to it.


    Also, unfortunately for me, it was a developing into very mother-like personality and I couldn¡¯t resist sighing. Still, I managed to stop the eye roll which felt like, at least to me, a small victory.


    I had a dinner date with a monster and not even the devil himself would be able to stop me, let alone a mother-like creation of my mind.


    I took a step towards the gigantic abomination, that appeared to be a mix between a centipede, dragon, spider and mongoose, and started mentally preparing myself as I gathered as much information as I could.


    The first thing I noticed, was the copious amounts of green saliva being expelled from its mouth through five or six foot long, needle-like teeth, which were way too big for its head as they extended outwards like some mutated deep sea creature, hissing noisily as it splashed on the floor.


    ¡®Please stop. We need to think this through.¡¯


    -''What is there to think about? It dies, or we do, and personally, I have plans for the future so I will have to insist that it¡¯s not me. Anyway, what is the worst that can happen?''


    ¡®If you die, I die.¡¯


    -¡®No we? I thought we were one? And haven''t I already died once? Isn¡¯t that where you came from?¡¯


    The voice became silent, though I didn¡¯t really notice as I was too focused on the foul-smelling vapour emanating from where the saliva had landed.


    I didn¡¯t know if the reaction was due to heat, acidity or something else but I didn¡¯t really care.


    I had no intention of getting eaten and, given my smaller stature, even a slight nip would probably end me in a very bloody fashion. So, all in all, the properties of the creature''s saliva meant little to me.


    That was unless it could spit...


    The creature had not taken its eyes off me since its arrival, which was only probably about thirty seconds or so, and instantly noticed my approach.


    After regaining its composure, not expecting me to walk towards it, the monster''s dragon-like, red slitted pupils condensed and released a wave of emotion, of what only could be described as pure hatred, towards me.


    The rumbling in my chest turned into a growl as I continued to stomp forward, lifting my chin in defiance at the pathetic attempt to intimidate me.


    The creature did not like what it saw in the slightest.


    "Human, know your place."


    My left eye twitched as the voice hammered through my mind. The creature''s lips, if you could call them that, not moving giving me the impression that its communication was somehow psychic.


    I didn¡¯t bother responding, carefully watching its many, three digit, claw-like feet pawing the ground as its head continued to rise higher into the air as if trying to make the already obvious point that it was taller than me.


    I chuckled, realising that one, no two, of the questions I previously had had just been answered.


    After seeing this creature''s feet, I had little doubt that it was the one responsible for the massacre in the clearing and, with how many legs it had, that it probably had been alone.


    The beast snarled, a sight that would have made the Sarlacc look like a hot date in comparison, yet I just smiled back. Though admittedly, it wasn¡¯t as stoic as it seemed, as I was trying not to breath through my nose.


    After discerning the intimidation ability of the ex-alpha and this beast''s roar, as well as taking into account its humongous size, which was easily around 30ft high, or 60ish long if you included its body, it seemed that nothing really scared me anymore.


    -¡¯Did I discover a way to combat the ability or did block my own senses?¡¯


    Another step forward, this time noting that the creature¡¯s eyes widening in astonishment, my smile transformed into a grin.


    There was a theory I wanted to test and so far, everything was going to plan.


    A low, quiet, howl, behind of the monster caused the grin to widen.


    The alpha had signalled that the area was safe, something she had done since we somehow managed to survive attacking a den of spike hounds on the second or third day of our little run.


    My body shuddered in joy, the one thing that could ruin my day, excluding any strange abilities of the beast, had been confirmed not to be an issue.


    It was alone.


    The smile that plastered my face began to hurt, refusing to stretch anymore, the rain splashing against my teeth, at the realisation that I wouldn¡¯t be getting any unexpected surprises in this grassy wastelands, at least from other sentients.


    This may be a trial by fire but, so far, the cards were being revealed in my favour and who was I to question the goddess when her dice rolled in my favour?


    Yes, the fact that it could speak hinted that it was intelligent, which would have made the average person more cautious but, through past experience, I knew that if I played my cards right, intelligence could also be a fatal flaw.


    Emotions, like everything, had a time and a place, but the battlefield was not one of them.


    There was also the hidden meaning behind its words. It had met humans before and, unless they had stolen its eggs/children and managed to escape,the monster didn¡¯t appear to have come out on top.


    In fact, as this wasn¡¯t fantasy and knowing humans pretty well, having been one for the entirety of my life, there was a high chance that any sane person would probably attempt to nuke this thing from orbit, you know, just to be sure, and eradicate its entire species with extreme prejudice. I had only just met the thing, and I felt a similar urge.


    If this thing hated them to such an extent, having chased one for what could have been weeks, then it meant that the humans it had run into were, or had been a threat.


    With that in mind, and the fact that it had decided to try and smack talk me, a trait that was often used to buy time to think or analyse a situation, even if one was in the position of power, suggested that it was not entirely confident in its victory.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    That or it was playing with its food, but from the info I gleaned from its words, I doubted that.


    One thing confused me though. Why had it expended so much energy and time to hunt a single, child looking human down?


    -¡±Ah¡±


    Realisation hit me.


    Humans rarely ever move alone, always preferring groups, especially in dangerous situations and like most mammals, and some reptiles, would not expose their young to needless danger.


    From my outwards appearance, I must look like an easy target. An object to release its anger and frustration but, at the same time, it must be confused why I would be so vulnerable. The chase had probably been down to it trying to work out if it was a trap.


    -''... I am probably overthinking things. Maybe it is just a natural sadist.''


    I chuckled, shaking my head, causing the creature to stomp a few of its many feet in anger.


    My jaw clenched at the thought of how badly I was being underestimated.


    -¡¯You thought you cornered a mouse when, in fact, you have confronted a lion.¡¯


    ''We are not thinking clearly. There are many glaring flaws in this logic. We do not have enough information, and our opponent is, of course, stronger than us or even that of a typical human. We need to retreat and reevaluate our options.''


    -¡¯... What are you? A computer? And it''s stronger than us... so what? You only become smarter by playing a smarter opponent. Stronger by surpassing your limits. This is the path I have decided on. If I am to fall here, it just means it wasn¡¯t intended to be.''


    ¡®The reaction to your belief that the old you has expi-¡¯


    -¡¯Enough! That subject is forbidden. Mention it again, and I will let that thing shishkabob US on its teeth.¡¯


    I was sick of arguing with the voice and didn¡¯t want to hear its thoughts on that taboo subject. I wasn¡¯t quite ready to deal with it head on especially when I had bigger, much more interesting, fish to fry.


    Taking a calming breath, I returned focus to my, apparently confused, foe who by the looks of it, couldn''t figure me out.


    I doubt that any creature had calmly walked up to it, ignored all of its attempts at intimidation, before and it was struggling to work out why I am so confident.


    It seemed I was right.


    It looked like the thing was aware that humans could possess varying abilities and the fact that I hadn''t revealed any yet, only served to put it on edge, hesitating to attack when it should hold the advantage.


    Just like most things, the perceived fear and threat of something was always more terrifying than reality.


    I knew I was taking a huge gamble, one that I would need to pay off soon, but this was the safest way I could think of to get closer to my target and, even surprising myself a little bit, it seemed to be working.


    Infuriated and not knowing what to do, the creature released a bone-chilling screech, one which I shrugged off as I enjoyed the waves of panicked emotions washing over me, watching a new sentiment appear on its haunting features.


    Doubt.


    Was I poisonous? Diseased? A parasite that wanted to be eaten? Was I stronger than I looked? Made of acid? A hallucination created by pheromones¡­


    I had to admit, that last one was an interesting idea, and if I weren''t about to spring the trap, I would have liked to reflect on it over a bit more but the first round was drawing to an end and time waits for no man.


    I was now all but certain of my earlier assumptions and couldn¡¯t resist the urge to lick my lips as I took another step forward, my eyes taking a quick glance at its legs.


    They looked strong, powerful and deadly but at the same time, it seemed that was only true at a distance, just like its head. The creatures shape, as well as the position of its legs, meant that it probably could only reach its body in a few places if it curled up and even then, I doubted it could see what it was doing.


    This creature intimidated its prey to keep them at a distance. Where its body would have the largest advantage.


    The old me would have never taken this risk, even if I was in a tank, preferring to play it safe but¡­ that me was dead. I was nothing more than a ghost. Memories from a being that had once existed somehow passed along to a new container.


    While it was ultimately depressing, at the same time, it was truly liberating.


    -¡¯The dead do not concern themselves with the trifles of the living.¡¯


    With my next step, the creature flinched, much to my delight.


    This is exactly what I meant by how intelligence could be used as a weapon.


    Doubt, fear, anger, resentment. All emotions that were attributed to sentient beings and given high value, those that could override reason given the right triggers, could be lethal in life and death situations.


    A true underdog had never won by determination, perseverance or all that other crap that modern society would have us believe.


    It was because they won the psychological war and gave themselves the ability to overcome their opponents strengths just as much as their own weaknesses.


    Was I susceptible to the same flaw?


    Of course, in fact, that was the reason why I was standing here, in front of a beast that even its mother would find difficult to love, instead of running with my tail tucked between my legs¡­ if I had a tail of course.


    Thinking about it, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the Devil performed a mercy killing on this creature, deciding that to look so grotesque was an unbearable burden, a suffering that no entity, no matter how vile, should suffer.


    -''Well, in the devil¡¯s place, I shall administer the medicine.''


    Logically what I was doing was madness but at the same time, I needed to do it. I needed to define who, or more likely, what I was. The body was only one-half of the coin and I needed to reassure my fragile, uncertain spirit that it was me that was alive and calling the shots.


    The creatures shriek came to an end as it ran out of breath, the waterlogged fur running down its neck settling down as the vibrations diminished.


    My strides continued onward, closing the gap between us until we were no more than ten meters apart.


    I was so close I could almost taste it, feel the monsters rampaging emotions. The desire to fight, to flee, despair and wrath. I felt it all and... I loved it¡­ I wanted¡­


    -¡¯MORE~¡¯


    ''No animal would ever consider getting close to something like that. This plan of yours is insane. STOP AND THINK YOU IDIOT.''


    The voice snapped me back to my senses and I took another calming breath. It would not be good if I lost myself, at least not yet, so I decided to focus on what the voice had said.


    -''Hmm, seems like you are getting better at speaking. Anyway, you might be right, but that is exactly why this should work. If it has developed abilities to intimidate to keep its opponents at a distance, it should be specialised in mid to long distance. while I have nothing by my hands. We need to get in nice and close.''


    "I WILL DESTROY YOU AND YOUR KIND FOR THE SINS COMMITTED."


    -¡¯+1 for my theory. Somebody had finally pissed this guy off.¡¯


    It seemed that I was finally too close for comfort for the creature, and in one smooth movement, it arched its neck, similar to a snake that was preparing to strike, and released a mighty roar.


    ''This is stupid. We cannot face such a creature. We must flee.''


    The creature''s head shot forward, mouth opened impossibly wide, at an incredible speed causing me to flinch and throw myself to the side, my body too small to sidestep the attack as I had originally envisioned.


    Luckily for me, the creature''s bottom jaw smashed into the ground a few feet away, enabling me to dodge the strike by the skin of my teeth.


    I had grossly underestimated its speed, yet as the head sailed past me, revealing its outstretched neck, It left me in the perfect strike zone.


    A hiss tore from my throat as my heel dug into the ground, the tingling, warning sensation fading from my skin let me know that the immediate danger had passed, slowing me down enough to turn and, with all my strength, launch myself back towards my assailant''s vulnerable neck.


    It was time to water the seeds of doubt that had started to bloom in this creature and that even monsters bleed.


    It had hunted me, tortured an innocent animal in order to instil fear, condemned me for the crimes of my species and for what? Just so it could enjoy killing me?


    It wanted me to fear it... Ha.


    I would make sure it trembled at the mere thought of a human before I was finished with it.


    Moving faster than I had ever done, my aim had been to land a punch on the creature¡¯s neck, thinking that the improvements to my new body would at least make the creature feel it. Yet, fortunately for me, I had forgotten what I had transpired earlier, and things didn''t quite go as planned.


    The head, still continuing on its path, only getting a mouth full of dirt, continued to stretch the beast¡¯s neck, while my right hand plunged forward, unable to form a fist due to the elongated fingers until a surge of electricity, at least that is what it felt like, caused my muscles to spasm, straightening out my fingers into a point.


    Having winced, expecting to have broken my fingers as the tips smashed into the creature¡¯s neck, I would have been more distraught at the feeling that something had been controlling my body if it wasn''t for the pain filled roar that almost deafened me, as I sliced into the creatures tough, leathery flesh with my... ivory-coloured, claws.


    Dark green blood gushed from the wound as I rapidly jumped backwards, almost slipping on the wet ground, trying to gain enough distance to examine my hands. I could no longer ignore what was going on with my body, especially if it provided such a convenient advantage.


    When I had reached the opposite hill, moving so fast that the creature was still reeling from the shock of receiving such a gaping wound on its neck, I quickly examined my hands, my mouth dropping to an O-like shape as my brain struggled to comprehend what I was seeing.


    Ivory, bone-like hexagonal plates covered my hands, wrists and the lower portion of my forearm while my fingers had turned into, what I could only describe as, gruesome dagger-like appendages.


    I flexed my fingers, noting that although I could bend them at the point where they connected to my hand, that was the extent of their mobility. It was if I had strapped knifes to my fingers, similar a well known, nightmare based character. But instead of looking somewhat cheap and fragile, the ones decorating my hands were hauntingly elegant, looking more like works of art than a lethal weapon.


    Well, that would be the case, if it wasn¡¯t for the foul-smelling blood that corrupted their appearance.


    Dropping to a knee as an irrational anger threatened to take hold, I wiped my terrifying claws on the muddy grass, preferring the dirt over the green, corrupting, sludge.


    The memory of the alpha''s gaze flickering to my hands while I stared her down appeared in my mind''s eye, I finally realised why she had so easily submitted and backed down.


    She wasn''t looking at a young human.


    She was looking at a monster. One that, at least if she could sense feelings like I thought she could, was oozing a crazy amount of bloodlust and prepared to kill her.


    Shaking my head and getting back to my feet, noticing that the monster was trying to rub the wound I had inflicted with one of its outstretched claws, probably thinking that it was injured far worse than it was, I looked higher up my arm in an attempt to work out how the white armour had been created.


    My question was instantly answered.


    Thick, white liquid seeped out of tiny, pin-sized holes that appeared just above where the plates had formed and, as if it had a will of its own, flowed into shapes, lying over each other in a similar fashion to the chainmail of the medieval ages or the dragon armour provided in more recent times, before instantly hardening into, what I felt like, was its final form.


    As the armour grew, the holes continued to appear higher up my arm and I finally realised why my body ached so much.


    The reason that, although I was feeling stronger, I knew I was also rapidly getting weaker. I was making this armour from my own body.


    It was when I noticed a small crack at the wrist, slowly being repaired by some of the liquid, that I realised why the substance was so familiar.


    It wasn''t just bone-like, it was bone. Though just by looking at it I could tell it was much harder than it should have been.


    My body was creating an exoskeleton for itself. Amour and, with my fingers, a weapon combined into one... just like I had wanted.


    I didn''t need to use weapons, I had become the weapon.


    My skin tingled as my ears picked up the distinct sound of air being parted and raindrops being smashed out the way as something flashed towards me.


    Reacting without thought, I jumped, gaining much more height than I thought I would, as I looked down on the spot I had been just moments before.


    The monster was through playing games and, while I had been distracted with my new discovery, had attacked with such speed and ferocity that a large chunk of the hill where I was standing was now missing.


    Releasing a hiss of irritation, my intent of repaying the sneak attack back in kind failing before it had even started, I stared down at the creature, knowing I was in its blind spot yet powerless to do anything.


    While I was airborne, I couldn''t do anything but let gravity take its course. This was not like the films or movies and I finally understood why in any martial arts, jumping was frowned upon.


    -''The Perfect opportunity ruined.''


    ''We will not be able to win. We must retreat.''


    Not knowing where I was, the creature rapidly pulled back, all but confirming my theory on its weakness as it quickly checked the area around its body before attempting to taunt me.


    "HUMAN! YOU CANNOT DEFEAT ME! SHOW YOURSELF, YOU SPINELESS COWARD."


    My skin erupted into goosebumps as I shivered, almost wanting to close my eyes and savour the moment.


    If there was one thing people avoided doing back on earth, which I would have to admit made me seem very childish at times, was to tell me that something could not be done or, heaven forbid, that I couldn''t do something.


    Where normally I was lazy and apathetic, once those magic words had been uttered I became a machine, my sole purpose to prove the person wrong.


    -''Challenge accepted.''


    Not that it changed anything. My mind had already been set on ending this bug¡¯s life but this just added to my motivation and eagerness to start tearing this overgrown worm apart.


    The creature had always had to die, but now, it had to die in style.


    My body reacted on its own as I fell towards my nemesis, a snarl etched on my face. The time for mind games and thinking was other. It was time to release the beast.

 Chapter Nineteen - Victory through defeat

    A bestial roar, one what would put any monster to shame, caused the nearby raindrops to be thrown outwards as my two claw-like hands cut ten deep groves into the creature''s neck as I used it''s flesh to slow my rapid descent.


    Thick, dark green blood sprayed from the vicious wounds, the agonised scream and sight making my lips curve in joy, only to be replaced with an evil laugh as my feet slammed into one of the creatures many spider-like legs generating a sickening crunch.


    My sneak attack from above had, at least to the naked eye, been devastating and as I hit the ground and rolled out of the way of the many stamping legs, I had a brief respite to inspect the damage I had caused.


    -¡¯Oh yes~.¡¯


    -''... that actually worked!?!''


    The bottom half of the leg I had landed on had snapped in half, confirming my suspicions that it was pretty brittle, causing the beast thrashed around in confusion and pain.


    Within moments it managed to regain its senses, its beady, yellow eyes locking onto me, the pupils going wide in shock with a hint of fear.


    Not wanting to waste the opportunity, I launched myself forward with my own roar.


    Compared to the monster''s, it was pretty pathetic, but it was enough to cause my chest to vibrate menacingly and cause water vapour evaporating from my skin to seemingly shake in the air.


    When I was no more than two steps forward, a brown blur entered my peripheral, causing the now familiar tingling sensation to ripple across my body in warning.


    Without a seconds hesitation, I kicked off the ground with my right foot, my body suddenly rotating in the air due to the unbalanced force, letting the appendage tear through the air harmlessly under me and smash into the ground.


    Paying the attack no mind, I continued forward at an incredible speed and was soon upon my target. Weaving between the spindly legs, I worked my way towards what I hoped was the soft underbelly of the beast.


    My goal was to eviscerate my opponent and then retreat, using hit and run tactics similar to wild dogs on Earth to wear it down slowly.


    Somewhere, in the deep recesses of my mind, there was a small part of me that was concerned by my bloodthirsty, almost rabid ways but it was silenced the moment my ivory coloured claws, the hardened substance now so far up my arms that I couldn''t see where it ended, sliced into the creature.


    Before I could even do a fraction of the desired damage, the beast slightly lifted its body before slamming it down towards the ground, forcing me to throw myself to the side as it attempted to flatten me.


    Rolling to my feet, I pounced on the creatures brown, furry side and used my claws as makeshift ice picks as I started to scrabble up, sensing that the beast was about to roll.


    This fight was not going how I expected, and although so far it could be said I was winning, a chill ran down my spine.


    The humanoid monsters or those similar to the creatures I had seen on earth were easy to deal with. They moved and, in most cases, acted in predictable ways.


    This creature was something else. It was smart, fast and if it wasn''t for my small size and speed, I doubt even if we were evenly matched, I would even have a chance.


    As if summoned by my grim thoughts, I wasn''t even halfway up the creature''s side when my luck finally ran out.


    While my earlier speculation that the creature''s legs would not be a threat if I got close to the body was correct, that didn''t anticipate that the monster''s legs could reach from the other side of its body, effectively eliminating the weakness.


    ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhh!¡± I couldn''t stop the scream that tore from my lips as a finger-like spike stabbed into my calf, pinning me to the monster''s side.


    Without giving me time to catch my breath another leg from further down the body swiped at me, tearing me away from its host, leaving a large chunk of my calf behind, and sending me spiralling away from my prey.


    I cursed as I watched the ground rapidly approaching me. Everything had turned from excellent to fucked in a matter of seconds and I could tell that the injury I had just sustained was going to be a severe handicap.


    -''Still, could be worse~.''


    Oh, how I hate my optimistic side. Fates favourite bitch.


    The ability of my new body had gone too my head slightly and so during my final flip, I extended my arm, intending to use it to continue my rotation and land on my feet like some sort of superhero or ninja.


    My eyes widened in horror as my sharp, claw-like hands slid into the thick mud easily, stopping its sideways trajectory as my body continued onwards.


    *CRACK*


    Luckily, my momentum was mostly spent and so, instead of tearing off my arm, I pivoted and slammed onto the thankfully soft floor.


    -''...'' The voice didn''t say anything. It didn''t need to. I was royally fucked.


    -''No. We are royally fucked,'' huffed the voice with a resigned sigh.


    Seems like the know it all bitch could read my thoughts, not that I had the time to think about that at the moment.


    My vision pulsed as the world seemed to turn more monochrome. Pain wracked my body, but what was worse, I felt utter disappointment.


    Not at the situation but at myself.


    Not only did I let the creature hamstring me, I even broke my arm in a moment of apparent stupidity.


    Staggering to my feet and pulling my mangled arm out of the mud, I wiped the mud from my eyes and was momentarily distracted by the white, snowflake-like shards falling from where it had broken in three places.


    A white liquid was seeping through the large cracks at an alarming rate as the feeling of weakness joined the pain as it coursed along my arm.


    "Impressive."


    The creature''s telepathic voice boomed in my head, my vision dimming as it spoke.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Looking up and seeing that it was just watching me, I realised how dazed I must be to just ignore my foe and took a step forward in an attempt to gather my wits.


    The pain from my leg almost brought me to my knees as sucked in a deep breath through my teeth. It was only then that I realised that a warm liquid was steadily flowing from the gaping wound, muscle and bone visible.


    -"Fuck."


    In my mind, I was always prepared to retreat, however, with an injury like this, that was impossible.


    Shaking my head, which was now feeling extremely sluggish, I focused on my foe, surprised that it had not attacked.


    "You have fought well, human spawn. Unlike the rest of your species, you have fought like a true Jarknock."


    What could only be interpreted as laughter caused me to wince as I struggled to remain standing.


    "No. A Jarknock still knows fear and restraint. You remind me of the Falx. It is fortunate that I have met you while you are still young. Not only do I eliminate a future threat, but I will absorb your potential strength for my own."


    Dark green blood seemed to erode the ground, pooling below the creature, as it cautiously approached, no longer displaying any contempt.


    -''Tsk, couldn''t you look down on me for a few more minutes.''


    Swallowing back the blood vomit that tried to escape my mouth, revealing that the hit I had taken from the leg had done a lot more internal damage than it first appeared, I steadied myself as I wracked my brain for a solution.


    -¡¯My mobility has been destroyed, and offensive ability is halved. Shit. I am about to become bug chow¡­¡¯


    I felt my lips curl into the beginning of a smile. A crazy, no insane idea starting to take form.


    *Bang*


    My world once again spun before I slammed into the ground and skidded to a stop.


    Spitting out a mouthful of blood, I struggle to my knees and laugh. Or at least I attempt too as it seems that last hit had broken a few ribs.


    I needed to come up with an insult. Something to enrage the creature enough that it wouldn''t tenderise me first.


    The monster circled, my laugh seemingly unsettling it enough to hesitate.


    I shook my head. In the end, I knew nothing about this creature, bar the fact that he had an issue with humans.


    Luckily, it didn¡¯t seem I needed it as the beast seemed to decide that ending this as quickly as possible was in its best interests.


    "You put up a valiant fight but it ends here. Meet your ancestors with dignity.¡±


    Steam slowly rose from my skin as my heart thundered in my ears and I revealed what felt like a feral grin.


    This was it.


    The moment where my future is decided on one of two roads. Almost like flipping a coin. Heads I live, tails I die yet instead of fear, I felt excited.


    I had never felt so alive.


    A low crunching noise rose from my arm as, without conscious effort, it slowly ground back into place, the bone-coloured liquid seemingly pulling it into position before solidifying.


    I chuckled. I was running out of time. I was almost sure now that I could regenerate pretty well and, like all things in life, it wasn''t free. No, to heal at this advanced rate, I was rapidly consuming my own body from the inside.


    With each moment that passed, I was noticeably weaker, my cheeks feeling hollow and gaunt and that was without the loss of muscle. What others would see as a cheat was, in fact, a huge weakness in prolonged fights. Especially if somebody wanted to take you alive.


    -''Not that Mr ugly here wants to do that.''


    Noticing I wasn''t about to grace it with my final words, the creature coiled its body and lowered its head, similar to how a serpent prepares to strike.


    -''The dice have been cast. Now I just have to sit here and wa-"


    My thoughts ground two a halt as a white flash appeared behind the creature. The Alpha was about to launch its sneak attack.


    -¡±NO!¡±


    My smile faltered, and I did the only thing I could do. I launched myself towards the beast in an attempt to trigger its attack.


    I needed it to attack as it had done at the start and if the Alpha got in the way, or made it any more cautious, I would lose my only chance at pull a victory from the jaws of defeat.


    I could not fight this monster toe to toe. It was stronger, faster and most importantly, more resilient to attacks than I was. The injuries I had inflicted, although looking extremely painful, were not serious.


    Much to my delight, my sudden movement caused the creature to shoot forward, opening its disgusting, tooth-filled mouth wide as a transparent membrane slide across its eyes.


    Time seemed to slow as I leapt forward, imagining myself to be nothing more than a missile, my arms out to my front as if trying to tear the very air apart.


    I took a final look at the creature''s eyes as I passed out of sight, confusion and shock evident in them, and started my flight into the maw of the beast.


    Now was the time for my biggest gamble. If the monster bit down too soon, it would be over.


    Just as the jaws were starting to descend, they froze as a howl, followed by savage growling, tore through the air like a hot knife through butter.


    It seemed the Alpha''s attack had saved my skin or at least made it so I wouldn''t be snapped in half.


    Lightning struck nearby, illuminating my outstretched arms and seeing as I had nothing to do as I hurled towards my doom, and I was trying to distract myself so I didn''t tempt fate again, I was able to take note of the changes.


    Long, razor-sharp claws, attached to boney joints were at the tip while lines of jagged, curved, blade-like spikes ran down my arms which appeared to be covered in hexagon like plates. They seemed to allow movement while providing armour like protection.


    -"I wonder how far it goes?"


    All in all, they were terrifying, deadly and at the same time, beautiful.


    I loved them.


    The stench of death and decay brought me back to my senses and along with it, time seemingly returning to normal, I realised I was right where I wanted to be. I was inside the creature''s enormous mouth.


    Inwardly cursing I started to curl up, noticing that the jaw was descending in my peripheral but I was too late.


    It seemed my damaged leg wasn¡¯t as responsive as I had hoped and the sudden stabbing pain just below my ankle revealed that I had not been fast enough.


    Instinctively, or at least that is how it felt, I knew I had lost the foot, but it didn¡¯t matter, I had achieved the first objective.


    If I were to die, I would drag this overgrown worm with me. Even if I had to choke it with my own corpse.


    Using the rest of the momentum, that had only been slightly slowed due to my foot getting caught by the teeth, my arms shot out to the sides, tearing into the creature''s mouth as I threw myself down its throat.


    Pain from my injuries and a light-headedness threatened to overwhelm me, darkness whispering sweet words of release and comfort but I quickly shook them away as I continued my journey downwards, ignoring the deafening roars and thrashing of the beast.


    -¡¯Bit off more than you could chew did you Mr ''I am impressed''?¡¯


    I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as my body and mind started to numb, conscious thought becoming harder and harder as something far more primal started to take over.


    -¡¯Almost cost me an arm and a leg. Well, it did cost me a foot. Guess I could even say I have one foot in the grave. I... I... I~¡¯


    An irony taste fills my mouth as I start chewing, swallowing down the warm, exquisitely tasty item that somehow found its way into my mouth.


    Screeches, of what my addled mind assumed to be terror and agony, assaulted my ears as my body jumped, flipped and sloshed in some sort of hissing liquid. Every time I hit one of the rough yet soft walls, my hands reached out and returned to my mouth with more of the delicious food before darkness enveloped me.


    Every now and again, the shrieks roused me from my unconsciousness periodically, time losing all meaning as I continued to act on instinct. That is, I kept my eyes tightly closed as I shovelled anything I could get my hands on, into my mouth before swallowing.


    After a while, feeling in my body started to return, bringing with it agonising pain, as if I was in a vat of acid yet I ignored it as I continued my relentless routine. It felt like my body was being destroyed and recreated at an alarming rate, a battle of life and death that I had no say in, yet all I could do was to continue eating.


    Eat.


    Fall unconscious.


    Repeat.


    At some point, the thrashing stopped, along with the screeching, enabling me to get a good grip on one of the sides as I started tunnelling into my food source. My life. The only thing that made sense to my mind. Eat to live, live to eat.


    After an unknown amount of time had passed, I slept instead of falling unconscious, only waking to eat my fill.


    Eventually, I hit something hard yet malleable and, as if it was waiting for this moment, the haze cleared from my mind and I was once again myself.


    With the adrenaline gone, or whatever else was affecting my mind, and the realisation of what lead me to my current predicament a familiar panic seeped from my core.


    I was in darkness, trapped on all sides by a cold, wet¡­ sludge. Unable to move freely.


    Claustrophobic panic set in as I started to frantically attack the barrier in front of me, ignoring the muffled sounds of a language I had not heard for what felt like an eternity. I needed out, and I need out now.

 Chapter Twenty (Arc 2) - Humans

    Subconsciously enjoying the warm rays of sunlight falling on his face after the week-long storm, a muscular man dressed in an assortment of leather and furs surveyed the devastated landscape in front of him as he sat on a large clump of earth.


    Letting out a deep breath as he shook his head, he looked at the thin, mousy-blonde woman that was kneeling at his side as she attended to the bloody wound on his arm. ¡°Just what happened here?¡±


    ¡°Apart from you using your arm as a chew toy for a Dire Wolf? I have no idea boss,¡± replied the woman in a tired voice as she held her hands over the wound. The air shimmered around her hands as the man¡¯s flesh rapidly knitted back together and started to scar over.


    The man frowned. ¡°How the heck was I meant to know it would stand its ground. We know Crawler meat is poisonous unless drained of blood and cooked and the thing was half dead. It even had a pup. Why would it defend that lump of rotting meat?¡±


    ¡°Mark, did you ever stop and think that maybe it was just pissed off you were trying to kill steal?¡± laughed a nearby man who was currently twirling a wooden branch that looked like it had been coated in a think layer of metal as he cautiously scanned the nearby hills. ¡°That or it was just worried you were going to take its pup. Your outfit just screams caveman paedophile.¡±


    Both Mark and the woman glared at the man, causing him to snicker. ¡°OK. I know, no jokes during a mission but if you exclude the whole paedophile bit, it makes a weird kind of sense.¡±


    ¡°You know Dire Wolfs are as smart as us and those with taming abilities like that woman in Red¡¯s group; they have been pillaging every young animal they can lay their eyes on. I am surprised we haven''t witnessed a monster horde of angry mothers attempting to get their young back.¡±


    Mark spat on the floor. ¡°Damn manipulators. Think they are so much better than the rest of us and couldn''t even give a fart to the consequences of their actions." He took a deep breath. "If those abducting bastard¡¯s up there told us what we really needed to know, I am sure many of us wouldn¡¯t have made stupid choices or been so lazy during evolution week.¡±


    Mark winced as the woman healing his arm glared.¡°Sorry Clare, you know I didn¡¯t mean you, right? You¡¯re one of the few good manipulators. The rest are cocky bastards who want to lord it over everyone.¡±


    The spear-wielding man chuckled. ¡°You can¡¯t blame manipulators for your own choices Boss. I know it looks like they got the good end of the stick now, but us augmenters aren¡¯t weak either. In fact, I heard that its likely that we will have an easier time improving compared to them. Something about our body constantly adjusting whereas they will have to have insight and breakthroughs and meditate for years or some crap. The way I see it, it won''t be long until they are bowing before us.¡±


    ¡°Frank, please tell me we aren¡¯t going to start this debate again? We finally had a reason to let go of all our prejudices against each other and come together in the face of adversity, and you want to start drawing lines in the sand,¡± sighed Clare, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she worked on healing the last bit of Mark''s arm. It would leave a nasty scar, but it should be fully functional.


    ¡°Oh yes, the great and powerful force known as humanity,¡± mocked Frank.¡±It¡¯s not like we were plucked from our beds, injected with shit that mutates us and thrown on a reserve and told ¡®Hey, you have a few months to prepare before others will come and try to kill, eat, maim and if you are really unlucky, use you as hosts for their parasitic young¡¯.¡±


    Mark shook his head. ¡°I know we have seen some fucked up shit Frank, but honestly, we haven¡¯t seen half the crap you have imagined. I am starting to worry about you.¡±


    The spear stopped spinning as it came to rest on Frank¡¯s shoulder as a mischievous grin appeared on his face. ¡°Hope for the best, fear the worst, prepare for the unexpected. That and incinerate or boil anything that is about to enter your body.¡±


    Clare laughed. "I wonder if Lisa follows your advice every time you have a tumble in the grass?"


    Before Frank could respond, the air violently shook behind Mark before being filled with small dots of colour, eventually forming into the image of a man, grinning from ear to ear. ¡°AREAS CLEAR BOSS!¡±


    Mark and Clare jumped, the latter falling to the ground and scrambling for her nearby staff while Mark bellowed. ¡°DAVE! How many times do I have to tell you not to appear behind me like that? One day I am going to bash your brains in, and God help me, I am going to enjoy it.¡±


    ¡°Twat,¡± muttered Clare, her leather armour creaking as she moved back to Mark''s arm. ¡°Just you wait. Next time you get an injury I am going to turn your blood into salt.¡±


    Frank laughed as Dave paled. "You can do that?"


    Clare didn''t respond which made Dave sweat even more. Though they had not been on this planet long, they had learnt the two essential rules when trying to survive in a group. Don¡¯t piss off the healer or the cook. Dave seemed to be an expert at both.


    At least he had the common sense to at least look regretful. ¡°Sorry Boss, Clare. Old habits die hard.¡±


    It did not seem to appease Clare in the slightest. ¡°Old habits my arse. You have only had that ability a short time yet you are almost as bad as that bloody pervert who can shape-shift. I swear, if I see him ogling himself in the form of a woman when he thinks no one is looking again, I will bury you both in a shallow grave.¡±


    Mark ground his teeth as the rapid regeneration Clare was triggering turned painful. ¡°You¡¯re on first and third watch tonight Dave. Now, are you going to tell me what you found or are you going to keep digging that proverbial hole for yourself?¡±


    Dave sighed, knowing that he wasn¡¯t going to be getting much sleep that night. ¡°Honestly Boss, it doesn¡¯t make sense. That creature is defiantly the Crawler that escaped the purge a few weeks back, and the damage to the surroundings and its body indicate that it was involved in a titanic battle but¡­¡±


    The man paused as he scratched his beard, collecting his thoughts. ¡°It was not killed by any of the creatures we have encountered or heard about from the other rangers reports.¡±


    Both Clare and Frank cursed while Mark momentarily closed his eyes. ¡°So we found a new species? Do we have enough evidence to make a report or are we going to be stuck out here for god knows how long hunting it down?¡±


    ¡°Why did it have to be us?¡± grumbled Clare. ¡°I know we have a duty to the rest to get as much info we can on any threats but we are so close to the barriers coming down it seems pointless. Can¡¯t we just say the Dire Wolf killed it and return home? We should all be getting recalled in a couple of weeks anyway.¡±


    Ignoring her, Dave continued as he subconsciously checked his surroundings. ¡°We have evidence Boss but¡­ it makes no sense. The evidence points towards a human augmenter. More specifically, an amour type which is considered the weakest regarding combat ability.¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Frank, Mark and Clare all looked at Dave like he was mad.


    ¡°How the hell can a single augmenter take out a Crawler, it is ranked as a C++ or low B rank monster?¡± Frank was the first to speak what they all were thinking.


    Mark shook his head. ¡°I still don¡¯t know why we let those geeks impose their terminology. I guess it makes a weird kind of sense, but at the same time, it doesn''t. And before you say it, no I don¡¯t have a better option.¡±


    Clare closed her mouth while her lips twisted into a pout.


    Dave shrugged. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t shoot the messenger. Anyway, a humanoid creature, at least in terms of footprints and the body impressions from where it failed in its attempts to fly, fought the Crawler here, inflicted these wounds and then¡­ vanished while the crawler seems to have had a seizure, attempted to tear out its insides and died. All this happened around two days ago.¡±


    He continued onto the real reason they were there. ¡°There is a fair amount of damage to the hide, though it is salvageable. Same with the power core and the teeth however the meat is spoiled. It''s already rotting.¡±


    "Thank the heavens for small mercies," joked Frank.


    Mark nodded, expecting as much. ¡°Lucy has gone to get the collectors?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she helped me analyse some strange¡­ samples and then left to inform the outpost.¡± Dave noticed the curious looks from his companions. ¡°The samples? Turned out to be blood with similar properties to the troll-like monsters to the east, regenerating until it consumes all of its energy and turns to normal blood, and a white powder which Lucy thought was made from bone. She took samples so the Geeks can have a look.¡±


    The group fell silent, absorbing the information as they surveyed the destroyed landscape around them. Almost all of the hills had scars of the violent battle that took place, large tears gouged out the ground, and there wasn¡¯t a single patch of grass that hadn¡¯t been torn up within a fifty-meter radius of the Crawler corpse.


    ¡°Good job the meat¡¯s poisonous of this place would be covered in flies and scavengers,¡± muttered Clare, breaking the group from their musings as she wiped the sweat from her brow and stood, finally having finished healing Marks wound. ¡°Why did I ever want to be a healer? My bones are going to ache like a bitch tonight, and there isn''t even a hot spring in sight.¡±


    Mark stood, flexing the tight skin on his newly healed arm, resisting the urge to comment on Clare¡¯s constant whining. ¡°Any chance you can pick up its trail?¡±


    ¡°Lucy won¡¯t be getting back for a day or so, so I wouldn''t hold your breath." Noticing Mark''s glare, Dave continued "I will have a look around. Doesn¡¯t help that I have to keep an eye out for that damned wolf. Can¡¯t we just finish it off? Would hate to end up like little red riding-hood.¡±


    ¡°You know the rules. Unless it is a ¡®real¡¯ threat, we are to let the natives be. They are to act as a natural barrier and early warning system for when we lose our ¡®protection¡¯,¡± mocking responded Frank as he planted the butt of his spear into the dirt.


    Suddenly he turned serious. ¡°Dave, do you think it was an infiltrator type? You know, like the elementals and sprites in the north? I heard they overrun a couple of outposts before the manipulators that could enslave them came to the rescue?¡±


    Already walking away, Dave shook his head. ¡°Beats me. One thing I have learned since we arrived on this damn world is not to expect or assume anything.¡±


    He paused. "Though if it were anything like those elementals, it wouldn''t have fought in the form of a human."


    ¡°Umm~ guys~.¡± The apprehension in Clare''s voice immediately put everyone on guard, Mark raising the large chunk of metal that appeared to be a club while grabbing a round wooden shield that was leaning against his former seat as Dave pulled out two, rough metallic daggers. ¡°We are sure the Crawler is dead¡­ right?¡±


    ¡°So dead that is actually starting to smell better,¡± responded Frank, who had personally stabbed the creature through the eyes and into its brain multiple times just to be sure.


    ¡°So~,¡± Clare was slowly backing away from the monster¡¯s corpse. ¡°Why is it moving?¡±


    The others, who had been scanning their surroundings for threats and not paying the corpse much attention, focused on it.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± mutter Mark as he frowned, putting his shield up as the others started moving into formation behind him.


    From the Crawler''s side, at an increasing rate, a bulge continued to rise and fall as if something was trying to smash its way through.


    ¡°I fucking told you. Parasites!¡± hissed Frank, his face going pale.


    ¡°What. The. Fu-¡± Dave¡¯s words died in his throat as ten whitish spikes pierced the tough hide before violently pulling apart and releasing a torrent of rotting, green sludge, far more decayed that it should have been, onto the war-torn floor.


    The stench of decay that washed over them would typically be enough to make them gag. However, their brains hadn¡¯t even registered the smell as they watched in mute horror, something pulling itself out of the Crawlers corpse.


    Out of the gruesome hole, a terrifying, gore-covered head emerged. The head was around the size of a human''s with a slightly extended jaw. Serrated, backwards curved teeth scraped together menacingly as the spikes protruding from the back of its head, widened the hole as they tore through the hide.


    Instinct screamed at them to run, but the group¡¯s minds were in a state of shock.


    Although this world was strange, it still held onto some semblance of logic, appearing to be more dreamlike than anything, however, what was before them was more akin to a nightmare.


    With a splash the creature fell into the puddle of rotting flesh that has spilt from the crawler, a whip-like, spiked tail failing around as if it had a life of its own.


    Dave was the first to regain his senses. ¡°FUCK THIS SHIT!¡±


    Without even looking at his friends, he turned and started sprinting as fast as his legs could carry him.


    He was not born brave, far from it and his skins ability to mirror its surroundings, making it seem as if he was invisible was directly related to his personality. The fact he enjoyed scaring people was mainly a bluff.


    The others, though fear danced in their eyes, had more restraint and moved back slowly while keeping formation prepared to defend or dodge at the slightest hint of aggression.


    ¡°Is the barrier already down?¡± muttered Clare, asking the question everyone feared. ¡°I knew things were only going to get worse but¡­ that doesn¡¯t look like something we can take.¡±


    Frank and Mark nodded, their own instincts telling them that whatever the thing was before them, it was beyond their current ability to fight.


    Wobbly attempting to stand, the creature fell, seemingly unused to its body as it chest shook. Two large rows, or at least the ones that hadn''t snapped off in its escape, of fragile looking spikes, ran down its back.


    ¡°Kill or retreat Boss? Make your choice now as I think it may be the only chance we get.¡± Seeing that the creature couldn''t move very well, Franks heart slightly relaxed as he thought they still had a chance. "For the record, I say we run like the devil is chasing us and never speak of this again."


    Suddenly, the creature retched, half-digested green meat catching on its teeth causing it to choke before it fell onto its side and cleared its mouth with its monstrous claws.


    Mark¡¯s mouth was half open, about to call a retreat, when a rough, gravely voice interrupted him.


    ¡°I... Hate... Enclosed... Spaces.¡±


    ¡°It talked,¡± said Mark.


    ¡°It talked,¡± responded Frank.


    Clare just whimpered, her body shaking as if she had heard the herald of her demise.


    Having finished emptying its stomach, the creature rolled onto its back, apparently looking up at the clear blue sky.


    A low rumbling noise steadily grew from its chest, causing its vomit and the surrounding gore to vibrate. However, just as they feared the worst, the rumbling turned into a laugh. ¡°Pfft, bit of more than you can chew. Did I really say that? Cost me an arm and a leg...PFFT¡±


    The creature burst into hysterics, greatly confusing the Mark and his team.


    Mark''s mind was a mess. He had no idea how he should react in this situation. It was their duty to collect any information on new species and eliminate any threats. However, the being in front of them could speak English fluently. -"Unless it''s a telepathic"


    "What is it?" Clare¡¯s voice, although nothing more than a whisper, ended the creature''s laughter.


    As its head was closest to them, it slowly titled its head up, going far beyond the flexibility a human neck could achieve and faced the group.


    Its brief tumble on the ground had wiped off most of the green gore, revealing patches of an ivory-white colour. Now that they could get a good look, they noticed that while the teeth were very prominent, bar the gaunt, haunting shape of its head; it had no features.


    No eyes, no nose, not even ears.


    A deafening silence descended for what felt like years but was only actually around half a minute. Finally, the creature broke the silence as a white powder started to float away from it in the breeze, the creature''s shape seemingly disintegrating before their very eyes. "Boo?¡±

 Chapter Twenty One (Arc 2) - Trust Issues

    Suppressing a groan of exhaustion, I rolled onto my back and focused on the tranquil, beautiful blue sky in attempt distract myself from a throbbing headache that had made me so nauseous moments before.


    Fragments of memories, from when I forced myself down the monster¡¯s throat, filtered across my mind''s eye and I couldn¡¯t help but laugh. I wasn¡¯t only overjoyed that I had survived my retarded strategy but, what could have been my final words, were incredibly entertaining.


    -¡±Maybe I am really losing it this time?¡±


    I flexed my arms and legs, noting how weak and strange they felt as well as, what I could only describe as, the sensation of a strong pull at the base of my spine.


    The feeling was strangely familiar, similar to when I woke up in the devastated clearing, and a subtle sense of dread washed over me.


    -"I wonder what changed this time? At least I don''t feel like a toddler."


    -"Our body mass and profile have moved towards its optimal build, however." The voice hesitated, -"It appears that the biomass we acquired had many toxins and indigestible components. The available amount of potential sustenance seems to have tricked us into a growth state without providing the nutrients to support said growth."


    I squeezed my eyes closed. I had so many questions, but I decided to focus on what I deemed to be the most important. -"Is the damage permanent?"


    -"No." The voice sounded extremely happy. -"If we find the nutrients, our body with adapt appropriately or we will need to enter another metamorphosis stage. While it can be done at an accelerated rate, taking no more than a few minutes, it will be excruciatingly painful. I don''t want that and I know you don''t so I suggest we make finding a food source our top priority."


    During this whole time, I had still been laughing, the euphoric feeling not diminished much by the voice in my head. I had defeated a gigantic monster. How hard would finding something to eat, be?


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    A light, feminine voice, vastly different to the one I was used to hearing, interrupted my thoughts.


    My laughter died as I felt my face contort into a frown. That didn''t sound like it came from inside my head but behind me.


    Watching the vapour from my breath diffuse into the air I cringed. I hadn¡¯t checked my surroundings for threats as I escaped that fleshy tomb.


    Shuddering from the memory of feeling trapped, I tilted my head slowly upwards, the bright blue sky gradually being replaced by green hills and... the upside down view of three people.


    Typically, looking at people upside down should be disorientating, however, for some reason, it didn¡¯t affect me in the slightest and even felt utterly natural.


    Around twenty meters away, stood two men and a woman, wearing clothes that looked appropriate for beings from the stone age or some post-apocalyptic world. They were in a triangle like formation, reaffirming the belief they weren''t here for a stroll.


    My eyes scanned the group, noting the staff, metal club and shield and twin daggers the strangers were carrying.


    -"These guys are armed and judging by their stance; they aren''t amateurs."


    I didn''t know how I could judge them, having little to no experience of this back on Earth but the feeling I got from them was around one third less danger than the monster I had torn apart from the inside.


    I felt my eyes narrow, my instincts screaming to eliminate the threat in front of me, but at that moment, the female voice in my head spoke.


    -¡±It was at this moment he knew; he fucked up.¡±


    Resisting the urge to laugh, especially as it was done in the correct voice, my mood instantly lightened and the bloodlust I had been feeling moments before all but vanished.


    -"Good, you have calmed down. We need to think this through clearly. Our actions will have consequences."


    Humor had always been my weak point, almost resetting any mood I was in, and now I could think a bit better, I realised that my unnatural aggression was not really me.


    -"Says that guy who slaughtered their way through a forest or jumped down the throat of a monster when he realised he had no chance to kill it by conventional means."


    -"I meant unprovoked."


    I was sure the voice was trying to distract me from something, I just wasn''t sure what.


    -"What did the monk-"


    -"Shut it; I think I liked it better when you couldn''t string a sentence together. Anyway, we have guests so stop distracting me."


    Focusing on the people and ignoring the voice, by the look of fear and confusion on their faces, as well as the fact they looked like they were about to turn and flee at any moment, it seemed like this situation was as much as a surprise to them than it was for me.


    -¡±Though I wanted my first meeting with other humans to be¡­ more discreet, it seems Life doesn¡¯t like me in this world either.¡±


    It was at this moment that I noticed the strange silence and decided I needed to break the ice. I needed to say something but what?


    Frowning, I said the only thing that came to my mind. ¡°Boo?¡±


    I sighed. -"Did I really just say boo? Was that all I could think of? Why not hi or hello. Hell, whats up would have been better."


    -¡±That makes two of us that hate you. You decide that being eaten is a good idea again and host or not; I am going to turn you into a vegetable,¡± said the voice in a joking tone.


    However, it seemed that the voice didn''t know me as well as it thought it did. The moment the threat was uttered, my goodwill towards it instantly evaporated.


    How dare it! And what the fuck did it mean when it called me a ho-


    ¡°Hello?¡± A deep voice once again interrupted me.


    I clenched my jaws.


    There was one good thing about being alone, and not having an irritating, retarded voice stuck in your head, the quiet. I started to miss the first days I was stranded here. How peaceful and simple things were. No Giant bug monsters, voices in my head or irritating humans.


    -"I guess some things never change. My irritating species being one of them."


    ¡°Can you understand me?¡± It seemed like the group wasn¡¯t about to go away if I just ignored them. I mean, I just burst out of a monster. Shouldn¡¯t they be running away in terror?


    The image of a film I had watched, where a parasitic organism would burst from the chest of its victims came to mind.


    -"Are they idiots? I would have left nothing but dust after seeing something like that."


    I know I was distracting myself from the real issue. My anger and desire to strangle the voice but at the moment what could I do. Stop talking to myself? Maybe I could do a self-lobotomy?


    "CAN. YOU. UNDERSTAND. ME." One of the men was definitely English. Only we were that obnoxious to think that by yelling while speaking slowly would make anyone understand us better. -"Prick."


    I released an irritated sigh. ¡°Unfortunately I can. What do you want?¡±


    Okay, I was in a terrible mood. My body hurt like hell and my plan of observing the other humans from afar was shattered, but that wasn¡¯t what was really pissing me off.


    Yes, the threat had irritated me but what it brought to the surface was something I had been trying to repress since I regained the notion of myself. While I was inside the monster, it was as if I had lost control, like someone had taken over and that was something that terrified and enraged me in equal measures. The fact that that had happened and then the voice mentioned the ability to turn me into a vegetable was a coincidence I wasn''t inclined to believe. It also seemed to be reading my thoughts which meant that, in theory, I could be nothing more than a puppet.


    In no more than a few words, the voice had gone from annoyance to potential threat. And the one thing about me, a trait that would never change as long as I was me, was that I eliminated any risk to me or my own without restraint.


    -¡±I would never hurt us. I¡­ I just don¡¯t want you doing that again. I thought we would die. I was scared. I wanted to let you know I was upset about it in a joke form. Please~ Stop thinking like this. Please don''t treat me like the rest. We are one. I will never harm you. Your paranoia will create a conflict in our very being.¡±


    The voice sounded terrified.


    And damn, right it should. It had made its way to the top of my hit list, not that there were any others on it at the moment since I had already dealt with the previous entity.


    The mummers of the man talking in the background finally penetrated my concentration. ¡°Hello? Are you still listening?¡±


    "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT?" I roared at the man, my eyes narrowing.


    "I have literally been beaten to a pulp, eaten alive by a monster before fighting my way out of its guts. Then, instead of getting a chance to catch my breath and enjoy a few moments of peace, I have the voice in my head threatening me and a group of Mad Max wannabees that won''t shut the fuck up.


    I would have said it was impossible having seen their expressions earlier, but the three people eyes widened even further.


    Taking a deep breath, I was about to continue, when I realised what I had just said.


    -"Great, now they will think I am crazy as well. I was never great at first impressions, but this is ridiculous.


    Focusing on the group, trying to analyse their facial expression, I watched as the fear that they displayed slowly changed to confusion.


    WAIT!


    Why do they all look like supermodels? Even the gross bodybuilder type, looks like he could charm his way into a nuns underwear with a single wink.


    -"Don''t tell me..."


    I always had thought humans were vain creatures; I even included myself up to a certain point but, did they really want or desire to look ''hot'' so badly that it triggered a mutation? If that was the case, what else had they pointlessly changed?


    My gaze moved to the woman. Her mouse blonde hair was tied into a Viking style braid, her strong cheekbones and pouting lips only accentuating her almost perfect, hourglass figure.


    -"REALLY? You get dropped onto a hostile planet that the first thing you want to do is increase your sex appeal? Sure that''s a smart thing to do when you are surrounded by men and no laws exist."


    As if sensing my gaze, the woman flinched and took an unconscious step back, frowning slightly.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Pushing the thought that maybe I was now the ugliest, smelliest and most repulsive human on this planet, something I didn''t mind as much as I thought I would if it meant I wasn''t as retarded as the rest, I struggled to think of a way to improve the situation.


    Judging by their stances, they were becoming less scared of me, which would have been good if they weren''t growing more aggressive as a result.


    The sensation that unless I improved things quickly they would attack, washed over me as the tingling of danger started to spread across my skin.


    Not being able to think of anything, I decided to go with the make a joke and make them smile approach. It seemed to work on Earth.


    ¡°So~" I mentally cringed, already hating myself for what I was about to say. "What is a good looking girl like you doing with Captain Cave Man and Billy the Kid on a crappy world like this?¡±


    The woman¡¯s lips twitched, slowly turning into a smile before she burst out laughing, the tension in her body slightly relaxing. ¡°You could learn a thing or two from it, Frank. It might look like a demon from hell but it knows when to compliment a lady.¡±


    It? Creature from hell? Hey, thats rude.


    The two men displayed nervous grins, apparently not finding my words as funny or disarming as the woman, however, the muscle man did lower his shield slightly.


    The battered thing looked like it would fall apart at any moment, seemingly made from branches and animal hide. Then again, I doubt many twentieth century humans would know how to make a decent shield.


    ¡°My name is Mark Travion; these are my comrades, Clare and Frank. As representatives of the human race, I wish to express that we come in peace, though if needed, we are ready and more than able, to commit to the path of war.¡±


    ¡°Pfft,¡± I couldn¡¯t help myself as I started laughing. Really, what was with that introduction? I know I have the arms of a monster, but the rest of me should be reasonably human.


    Muscle man, I mean Mark looked at me with concern and I had a distinct impression that he thought I had just rejected, or maybe insulted, his introduction.


    He cleared his throat as his fist tightened around his metal club. ¡°Are you friend or Foe?¡±


    Realizing that I must look pretty pathetic on my back, I rolled to the side, this time unable to resist the groan as my muscles cramped and spasmed, seemingly wiggling around my body. I shakily stood up. ¡°First I know exactly what you are, human, as I am one myself.¡±


    Quickly adjusting to the new dimensions of my body, I noticed that I couldn¡¯t feel the heat of the sun or the gentle breeze that seemed to be carrying a white and green powder away from me.


    ¡°My name is Al, and at least for now, I am neutral. You don''t know me and I don''t know you, how could we be anything different?¡±


    Mark scowled in suspicion, and I picked up the scent of adrenalin and sweat rolling off him and the others, their muscles tightening and relaxing as if they were ready to fight or flee at any moment.


    -¡±Are my arms that terrifying?¡±


    Their continued stares started to unsettle me. I had never been one for standing in the limelight. ¡°Didn¡¯t your mothers tell you it¡¯s rude to stare?¡±


    The man next to him chuckled. ¡°For a parasite, at least it has a sense of humour.¡±


    -¡±Parasite? What because I came from inside a-¡±


    The missing piece of the puzzle clicked, and I felt something tremble deep within me.


    -¡±Ah~ So that is what you are my little, feminine voice~. Or should I say, my little water snake.¡±


    There was no response, but I could feel the fear radiating from my lodger. It looked like my theory was on the mark.


    ¡°So, you are also from Earth?" said Mark in a tone that made it apparent he didn''t believe me. "If so, what country was Einstein president of?


    Mark, who I now recognised as the leader, took a tentative step forward while moving his weapon into a better position.


    Looking at it carefully, I couldn¡¯t even think of the lump as a weapon anymore. I mean, yes if you hit someone with it, it was bound to do some damage but really, it looked like its edges would damage him as much as his foe.


    -¡±Oh shit.¡± I realised they were looking at me weirdly again, better answer.


    ¡°Yes, and he wasn¡¯t a president but a physicist from Germany. Pretty smart man.¡± I paused.


    Thinking about the question and what it could represent, I sighed. ¡°The real problem is why you would ask that question. The first thing I can think of is that there are dangerous creatures out there that can imitate humans. The next is that you are trying to lure me into a false sense of security with your position by putting me on the defensive. Which would mean you are either humans that prey on their own kind or creatures that prey on humans.¡±


    The man snorted, lifting his shield and weapon as the others tensed. ¡°Unfortunately, the first idea you had was correct. Some creatures can shape-shift and sound like humans and, unfortunately for us, they are less than friendly."


    The woman looked confused at Mark''s actions, seemingly wanting to talk things out, while the man called Frank, just smiled. "The question was a common test. However, every human who was brought to this godforsaken world knows this is standard practice. Your story was almost perfect if it wasn¡¯t for that fact that you would know that if you were human, you would have fooled us.¡±


    ¡°How would they know?¡± Thinking about it for a few seconds, I answered my own question. ¡°Oh, you all landed together? I thought everyone got the single pod express ticket to this shit hole and would have been scattered about.¡±


    I mentally sighed, things were about to get ugly. They were now approaching in a very aggressive manner.


    All bar the woman that was, she was watching me with a complicated expression. ¡°He¡¯s way too human. If this is the level of imitators in the south, we are in serious trouble if they are hostile. I mean, look at him, he is slowly turning human as he sheds his shell.¡±


    ¡°Turning human?¡± I subconsciously said the question out loud. There was too many inconstancies from what they were saying unless¡­


    Had my appearance changed that much since I saw my reflection in the pool? If th-


    The air around the woman was shimmering intensely, and for brief moments, I lost track of the movements of the man to Marks right, causing my skin to crawl.


    -"FUCK."


    I had forgotten entirely that everyone else was, more than likely, the same as me. They had been injected with that mutation shit and dropped on a planned to evolve and survive. The group in front of me looked like normal humans, bar their ragged cave-man style clothing, but that didn¡¯t mean they were simple. If anything, to survive in this world they would have needed to evolve other aspects than the looks.


    A subconscious hiss, one that was so primordially terrifying that it chilled my own blood, erupted from my throat as I started to back away, my straight posture turning into a crouch as my arms moved to the sides as if I would pounce at any moment.


    This was bad. I knew I was in an extremely weak state and needed sleep and eat to recover.


    They, on the other hand, looked fresh and ready.


    Suddenly, I lurched forward, making the two men approaching jump as my weight changed. It was as if something heavy had just dropped off and I could no longer feel the pull from the bottom of my spine. Even though I was concerned, I couldn¡¯t spare the time to look back.


    The men split up, one going to the left while the other moved to the right.


    I almost wanted to cry as for how unfair life seemed to be.


    -¡°Out of the fire and into the frying pan.¡±


    My skin tingled as my heart rate increased. I felt so weak compared to when I fought the monster. It was as if my body had been broken down and rebuilt a million times.


    I pulled my fingers together, expecting to hear the clatter of the bone-like substance hitting each other but what I felt instead was¡­ flesh.


    Glancing at my left hand, not wanting to take my eyes off the threat in front of me for too long, I saw the last of my claws hit the ground, the rest already there in various states of turning to dust.


    -¡±No no no no no.¡±


    -¡±Prepare yourself; this is going to hurt.¡±


    -¡±What?¡±


    The fear in the voice had vanished, now booming with an iron like resolve. What it had said confused me, but at the same time, I felt a strange sort of comfort from the words. My earlier anger at it was diminishing slightly at the realisation that if I died, I would be taking the voice with me.


    Calming my mind, I focused.


    I knew my options were limited. I couldn¡¯t bluff as it looked like I was falling apart and negotiations would fail as they, at least if I were them, would assume that they had the upper hand.


    Run or fight.


    Fighting an unknown was a bad idea, especially three of them, but running was just as risky.


    Suddenly, my body violently shook as my jaw locked together. Intense pain, as if I was slowly lowered into magma as fire ants consumed my nerves raged across my body, forcing my eyes closed as I subconsciously tried to scream with all my might.


    Though the pain, I could feel my flesh, bones and muscles distort and move, as if they were alive, vaguely reminding me of my time in the pool and the belly of the monster. I had experienced this before, but for some reason, I couldn''t remember it clearly.


    As sudden as it started the pain stopped, and I opened my eyes, the memory of pain causing me to gasp for breath. The time I spent in agony felt like hours but, judging from the position of the sun and two men, who had halted in their tracks, only a minute or two had passed.


    I clenched my fists, feeling much stronger than I had earlier as I glared at my assailants.


    Wide eyes, with their mouths open the three people stared at me as if I was some sort of walking miracle. However, that wasn¡¯t the strangest thing.


    -¡±Why do they look so much bigger?¡±


    Mark seemed to be the first to recover from whatever had happened to me. ¡°Well, he looks pretty human now.¡±


    He spoke in nothing more than a whisper, but the voice resonated like thunder in my ears. I did not realise it earlier, but my senses were severely dulled in my weakened state.


    My mouth twisted into a grin. Though nowhere near as strong as I had felt before, I felt as if I had just drunk a bag of sugar diluted into a dozen energy drinks.


    My body was still violently shaking as I felt the nerves and muscles seemingly reconnecting, then adjusting themselves as they seemingly adapted to their new positions.


    Bringing my hand in front of me, not willing to let the humans out of my sight, I was once again greeted by a small, childlike appendage.


    It was only then that it struck me that earlier when I looked at my hand, it was back to its normal size.


    -¡±What the fuck is going on? Is this what the voice meant when it said metamorphosis?¡±


    Shaking my head, I sighed and pushed the thoughts threatening to overwhelm me from my mind. Why did I always have so many damn questions? It seemed that for every one I got answered, another ten would stand in its place.


    ¡°I say we kill it. It looks weaker than before,¡± hissed the dagger-wielding Frank. ¡°It''s more than just a shape-shifter. We can¡¯t let this get back to outposts.¡±


    Mark shook his head, a conflicting expression appearing on his face. ¡°Al, why do you now look like a human child? Do you think it will make us hesitate in capturing you? Actually, how do you know what a human child looks like?¡±


    ¡°CAPTURE?¡± roared Frank, disbelief evident on his face. ¡°Do you not see what is in front of you. It killed a Crawler, can change its shape and appearance and is intelligent to the point of, if you ignored its previous appearance, could fool even the truth manipulators. It needs to die. They can study the corpse.¡±


    Mark sighed, his shoulders slightly sagging. ¡°Alive.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t even blinked but the moment the words left Frank''s mouth, he had disappeared into thin air.


    Thankfully his outburst had put me on edge, and the moment I felt my skin begin to prickle, I dove forward, twisting as I regained my feet.


    -"Huh? I have both feet?!?"


    I didn''t have time to be shocked at the reappearance of my foot because, where I had been moments before, Frank stood, his hand outstretched to where my neck had been, his face a picture of disbelief that I had dodged him.


    I released a rumbling growl as I felt a cold, wet sensation start to flow on my arms. It was time to get serious.


    However, in the next instant, my growl was cut short as, what felt like a brick wall, slammed into my side and sent my flying.


    Slamming into the ground and rolling, I dug my fingers into the earth, giving me enough leverage to flip myself back on my feet.


    Mark was a couple of meters away, getting back to his feet and Frank slid to a halt, ending his charge, as my eyes locked with his. He swallowed hard as fear once again crept onto his features.


    Cursing myself for my stupidy, focusing only on one opponent, I wracked my brain trying to think of a way out of this solution. I had been knocked to the back end of the creature, however, without turning around, I wouldn¡¯t know where it ended. If I ran blindly, I could be running into a wall and revealing my open back to the two opponents in front of me.


    My pupils constricted. -"Two!?!"


    A soft, delicate hand fell on my shoulder as something hard pressed into my spine, causing me to tense. For some reason, my ever so reliable sixth sense failed to activate.


    I wanted to roll away, turn and attack or even kick backwards, however, the two men in front of me made that impossible, at least without giving them an opening and I was almost certain they were a bigger threat than the woman.


    A seductive, sickeningly sweet voice whispered in my ear. ¡°Relax, I will not hurt you and neither will they. Let''s just calm down and talk this through.¡±


    The two men that had been advancing steadily stopped. Mark nodded in approval, but Franks face twisted. ¡°We should just kill it. There is no way we can get it there without someone dying. What are we going to do, hog tie it?¡±


    ¡°Shut it, Frank,¡± hissed the woman behind me, her voice turning into a domineering sound. "We won''t need to if we don''t become enemies. This isn''t our world anymore. We are not the undisputed rulers. You remember the council meeting. We need strong allies."


    She cleared her throat, her voice returning to what I had heard earlier. "This creature took on a Crawler, which five of us were sent to kill, alone. It also can talk, think and react. It displays feeling and emotions just like us. Also, it hasn''t acted aggressively without being provoked."


    "And if you insist on fighting it, think about this. Yes, it is injured, but Lisa isn¡¯t here, and Dave has run for the hills like the coward he is. If we continue this, it''s likely that only one or two will walk away and unlike you, you speedy piece of shit, I don''t rate my chances very high.¡±


    ¡°You have the drop on it though?¡± growled Frank, the skin around his knuckles turning white from how hard he was gripping his daggers.


    "I''m a fucking healer, you moron. Not only are my attacks weak as shit but you just saw its regenerative ability as it moulded its body in front of us. What should I do? Heal it to death."


    Frank closed his mouth.


    "With my ability, I can see a hint at what its body is capable of." The woman''s voice quietened, fear seeping into it. "I don''t think we would be able to kill it and if it was at full strength, I doubt even Lucy would be able to put up much of a fight one on one. The best we can do is incapacitate but that is something I am not willing to risk my life for."


    Both Mark and Frank had a look of ¡®Why the fuck did you tell him that.¡¯ On their faces, but I ignored it. Healing is only one side of the coin. Damage is the other. Medicine and poison are, most of the time, interchangeable. Either she was playing down the threat she represented now she had her hands on me or, she was ignorant to the full potential of her abilities.


    Plus, you don¡¯t have to be a fighter to kill something. The first few days I was here was a prime example. What I really wanted to know was how she got the drop on me.


    The grip of the delegate hand resting on my shoulder tightened slightly. ¡°I told you the truth and by doing so, put myself in danger to prove my sincerity. Can start afresh? My name is Clare; I am a mutator with the power of healing. I have a proposition for you, one that will benefit both sides.¡±


    I could hear my teeth grinding. I had made so many mistakes. If I were to become an alpha, to rise to the top of the food chain, I would need to learn from them and fast.


    But to do that, I would need to survive this encounter.


    The aches and pains from my shoulder received as a eutrophic-like feeling spread from where her hand was touching, slowly whittling down my will to fight as the urge to sleep started to make thinking hard.


    I bit my lip, angered at myself for succumbing to the gentle warm feeling that threatened to send me into a deep sleep. I knew that the feeling was a positive one, I could feel my body gradually healing, but how could I trust the people in front of me willingly. In fact, I would be stupid to.


    My muscles tensed and, just as I was about to move, the woman called Claire whispered into my ear. "I''m sorry, maybe when you wake up safe and sound, you will be willing to give us another chance.


    Against my will, my muscles relaxed, and I felt the wind against my face as I fell into darkness.


    -"... Bitch."

 Chapter Twenty Two (Arc 2) - Goodbye Humanity (Part One)

    A wolf-like howl, along with snarls, shouts and human-like cries of agony, danced at the edge of my consciousness as I mindlessly floated in the darkness.


    It was so quiet, so peaceful that even though I couldn''t form much of a coherent thought, I knew that I didn''t want to leave.


    The excruciating pain since I had awoken in the pool, only exasperated by the following events, had been crippling. The vague notion that something had been helping me block out the agony flittered through my mind, but I blissfully pushed it away and returned to nothingness.


    However, my lasting peace was not to be.


    The incessant sounds of battle continued to rouse me from my slumber as the scent of blood washed over me.


    I had never been a morning person, and my thoughts slowly became clearer. The memories of the chase, the battle with a beast called a Crawler and then meeting Mark, and his group washed over me like a cold bath. Especially when that woman called Clare had...


    -"THAT BITCH!"


    My mind jolted fully awake as I attempted to move, Clare''s words ringing in my ears as a sense of utter rage started to envelop me.


    The last thing I remembered was feeling unbelievably tired, the woman''s hand on my shoulder as her two companions confronted me.


    Trying to open my eyes, then flex my hand, dread washed over me as I realised I couldn''t move.


    -"What has she done to me?"


    -"Sorry, that was me. It seems we no longer have the ability to subconsciously disable our body while we rest. We needed to do this so that the muscles cou-"


    -"LET. ME. MOVE. NOW." The rage swelled and bubbled, like the lava in a volcano that could explode any moment.


    Almost instantly, my eyes started to open, though it felt like someone had coated them with lead, as my hand flexed. The clear night sky, dotted with stars and a blood-red moon, greeted me as the orange flicker of what I assumed to be a fire radiated in my peripheral.


    Forcing myself to remain calm and keeping my breathing steady, I slowly tested my extremities, the feeling quickly returning to them.


    -"I''m so sorry. I didn''t think we would wake up so soon and wanted to make sure we were as prepared as possible. You have been unconscious for almost an entire day, and they were tak-"


    -¡±Shhhhhhhhh.¡±


    The reason for my restraint, when all I wanted to do was burst forth and destroy everything around me, was that my instincts were screaming that something was wrong.


    The stench of fresh blood hung heavy in the air and the only noise around me, bar two faint, laboured breaths, was the crackling fire.


    It was obvious we were in the plains, and so, there should be the constant noise of insects at a bare minimum.


    There were two people nearby and by the sound of it, they were not in good shape.


    Seeing how I had underestimated my kidnappers earlier, I wasn''t going to do it this time and made sure I was fully prepared before revealing that I was awake. Luckily, it didn''t seem like they had bothered trying to restrain me.


    When I was sure I had full control of my body, I rapidly flipped to my feet, throwing the fur quilt, that was wrapped around my naked body, to the side as quickly as possible.


    Scanning my surroundings, prepared to react to attack or retreat at any moment, my brain struggled to comprehend what I was seeing.


    A few feet away, lay Clare clutching the stub that used to be her left arm, the air shimmering weakly around her as tears carved paths through the blood that covered her face. Her hair was matted and combined with her other injuries, none that looked light, she looked like she had fought a chainsaw and lost in a spectacular fashion.


    -"Good." I felt my lips twitch. This was the woman that had incapacitated me.


    My rage continued to burn, but I pushed it down. I needed to ensure that my surroundings were safe before I pursued my petty revenge and got some answers.


    Scanning the small valley, nestled between three hills that the campsite resided in, I quickly found the mangled corpse of Mark and the wolf pup. Their faces were frozen in the hatred of their last moments.


    It looked like they had taken each other out, the pup''s neck at an odd angle with the blunt, metallic weapon next to it while Mark''s hands were clutching a hideous wound on his thigh. A considerable chunk of his flesh and muscle was missing and guessing by the vast pool of blood under him, in such a quantity it hadn''t been absorbed by the ground, he had bled out pretty quickly.


    Further to the left lay Frank. His throat had been torn out, his face warped into one of absolute terror.


    I let out a sigh, the vapour of my breath rising in the light of the fire.


    On the bottom half of Frank, lay the Alpha. She was still alive, struggling for each breath as pinkish bubbles were pushed out around the two daggers that had been slammed into her chest. Fresh slashes and stabs littered her body complimenting the wounds I knew she had before we confronted the Crawler.


    After deciding that everyone was accounted for and not wanting to approach the Alpha just yet, I decided to analyse the ground and try and work out what had gone on. I was by no means an expert, and I had to make a few assumptions to complete the story, but after a few minutes, I believed I knew what had happened.


    It appeared that the pup had launched a sneak attack against Mark, distracting the other two as the Alpha squared off with Frank after tearing through Clare, who by looking at the tracks on the ground had either been trying to protect me or ensure that I didn''t escape during the attack.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    The reason for the attack could either be because the Alpha was trying to rescue me or, more likely, she wanted to eliminate a growing threat. If her pack had been decimated by the Crawler and she had no choice but to run from the monster, then I after I had defeated it I would by default, become a severe threat to her.


    A threat to her position as Alpha and to what remained of her pack. I was a different, unknown species. If I were her, then I wouldn''t take the chance of me potentially being reunited with my own kind.


    ¡°Al¡­¡±


    Confused at the sound, I looked down and saw Clare looking at me, hope dancing in her eyes. ¡°Thank god¡­ you''re... OK.¡±


    Claire''s words caused a frown to bloom on my face as I took a deep breath.


    -"That was not the reaction I was expecting."


    -"I think you need to stop twisting reality to suit your theories and fears. Your paranoia is taking over and colouring your view on things."


    -"It''s not paranoia if they really are out to get you. Just like if the voice in your head turns out to be a parasite that can control your body. Back on Earth, they had such creatures that would force the host to drown itself so it could reproduce."


    -"I am not like tha-"


    My temper flared and the voice instantly silenced. I could feel it retreating from my anger into the depths of my subconsciousness.


    I had not forgotten what it was, nor had I forgiven. When the time was right, there would be a reckoning.


    -"Forgive me," whimpered the voice, a warm, loving sensation wrapping around me which was promptly stomped down and ignored. -"I will never harm us."


    My gaze turned to the woman laying on the ground, and I noticed that her wound was slowly closing. Her blood floated around the injury, seemingly pushed back into her body by some invisible force.


    Straightening up, as a cold chill crept down my spine at the sight of what could only be described as magic, I walked towards the woman who had tricked me.


    On the way, my stomach released a ravenous rumble, the fresh smell of blood and flesh causing almost unbearable pain, even if the thought of what was making me so hungry disgusted me at an emotional level.


    With each step I took, Claire''s eyes widened, and even though she was at Death''s door, she attempted to slide herself backwards, away from me.


    ¡°Wait¡­,¡± her voice was strained, obviously taking an extreme amount of effort to get out. ¡°We¡­ didn¡¯t¡­ let.. You get hurt. I.. promise.¡±


    I tilted my head, wondering how she knew about my intentions. I had kept my face without emotion and didn''t believe in such a notion as bloodlust.


    -"Maybe it is one of her abilities?"


    I stopped beside her, slowly losing myself to my knees and smiled.


    I didn''t think it possible but her pale skin turned even paler.


    Slowly reaching out, I grasped her remaining wrist before slowly pulling it away from her stub.


    Panic flashed across her face as she fought against me, though whether it was due to my strength or how weak she was, she barely put up any resistance.


    Without her hand applying whatever ability she had, the blood started flowing again in earnest.


    ¡°Why?¡± Clare continued to struggle, fresh tears seeping from her eyes. ¡°I protected¡­ you.¡±


    ¡°You tricked me.¡± My voice was cold, devoid of any emotion. "You tried to take away my freedom."


    ¡°I¡­ healed¡­you¡­ exhausted. Slept.¡± Her pupils started to widen as her breathing became fainter. ¡°You¡­ fainted. I just tried to... help.¡±


    I saw no lies nor deceit in her eyes.


    Thinking about it, what Clare said made some sense. With the state my body was in, even now feeling like I could pass out at any moment, it was only a matter of time until I succumbed to exhaustion. The pleasant release from the pain could have relaxed me enough to put me to sleep... Maybe.


    I had always been good at detecting lies, well it helped that I didn''t trust most people in the first place, yet I somehow knew her words were true. That or she had deluded her self as she prepared for death. No one wanted to be answering the great question, will they be judged when they die, with millstonesaround their neck.


    Clare looked at me with pleading eyes.¡°Please¡­ it¡­ hurts.¡±


    Revealing a conflicted expression, I sighed and gently moved her hand back to her arm.


    The air shimmered around the wound, and the blood stopped pooling on the floor.


    Honestly, I no longer believed that she had intended me harm, even if she did basically kidnap me while I was unconscious, but all that knowledge did was make what I had to do more difficult.


    In fact, if the Alpha had intended to eliminate me while I was unconscious, then Clare could have well saved my life. A debt that, logically, is not quickly forgotten or ignored.


    My small, child-like hands rose to her face, wiping the tears on each side of her cheek as I moved my head closer until our foreheads touched.


    I saw her reveal a relieved smile, guilt erupting in my heart.


    "I''m sorry." The whisper was so quiet I doubt she even heard it.


    With as much strength as I could, I grasped the sides of her head and twisted with all my might, breaking her neck before Clare even realised what was happening.


    Swallowing the complicated emotions that were trying to surge forth, I moved back on my heels.


    Even if I accepted that she had done nothing to harm me, and may have also saved my life, I had no choice.


    Her companions were more typical of the human race that I knew, one clearly wanting me dead while the other wanted nothing good, and it was clear they had an alternate motive for approaching me the way they had.


    That coupled with her admission that she could see the state of my body, and even had an idea of what it was capable of, sealed her fate.


    In a world such as this, even the smallest amount of knowledge leaked could prove fatal. My abilities were my trump card, and I couldn''t let them carelessly become common knowledge.


    -"She was also a threat we couldn''t have around us. She managed to sneak up on us, and we don''t know if she was really telling the truth."


    I knew the voice was trying to comfort me but ignored it. We weren''t exactly on friendly terms.


    Clare''s shocked face stared at me, a confused expression of her final moments now etched into my mind as I reached forward and closed her eyes.


    I wasn''t really that upset by her death though I had to admit that it didn''t feel right. The thing that was really concerning me was how easy it had been to do.


    I don''t know if it was my experiences since I arrived or if I always had it in me, but I had just killed my first human without as much as a moment''s hesitation.


    I shook my head in bemusement. Somehow I felt that if this had been a man, or if I believed she deserved it, I wouldn''t be feeling this conflicting emotion and could carry on as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.


    I had always had a soft spot for women, especially the cute or slightly crazy ones. Scratch that, even though I couldn''t remember them since whatever the ''alien overlords'' had done to my memory, I knew I had never had a ''healthy relationship''. The nickname ''Psycho Magnet'' popped into my mind, making me chuckle.


    Life was boring, well it was before all of this, you had to add some spice to it.


    My stomach grumbled as I looked at the woman, the urge to feed was becoming unbearable.


    -"I''m becoming a damn monster. Who looks on their own species and thinks ''Oh, looks tasty''."


    -"Well, not in that way at least." I shook my head clearing the thoughts. While standing next to a mutilated, dead woman, the last thing I wanted to do was be having those kinds of ideas. There is a special place in hell for those types of people.


    Standing and taking one last look at Clare, I chuckled. "Well, it''s not like I will be too far away from there when I meet my end... If it exists."


    I started moving towards the Alpha as I had been delaying this for far too long. The deep-rooted fear that she had actually decided to kill me for her own gain, making the Alpha no better than humans, resulting in a sick hope that she had already expired and I would never know the truth.


    Not that she could actually tell me anything if she was still alive.


    I let out a deep breath. I guess I just didn''t want to see the creature that had become an idol of strength and power, even if she was already injured, fall into such a pathetic group of humans.

 Chapter Twenty Two (Arc 2) - Goodbye Humanity (Part Two)

    I steadily walked through the wreck that must have once been a reasonably comfortable campsite and approached the Alpha wolf, the vapour of her laboured breath dispersing in the night air.


    -"Weird." I focused on my skin, realising that I was cold but that it didn''t bother me in the slightest, not that it was important at the moment. -"Ahh, the things I do to distract myself when I don''t want to think about something."


    The thought that although I was different I was still me, at least habit wise, lifted a huge weight off my shoulders and enabled me to reveal my first natural smile in god knows how long even if it was short lived.


    All too quickly, I had come to a stop before the once mighty beast and knelt down, my knees sinking into the gory mud.


    The Alpha was laying on her side so I could only see half her face as her magnificent, golden eye locked on mine.


    My skin momentarily crawled, a similar feeling to when I was in danger before realisation appeared in the Alpha''s gaze and she relaxed. I didn''t even need to look carefully to tell that she wasn''t long for this world. In fact, I was shocked that she was still breathing.


    Doubt and suspicion clouded my thoughts as I watched her watching me.


    Was she as cold-blooded as my thoughts? Could I blame her for following what I considered the safest course of action after what I had just done? Did it even really matter?


    Even if she had come to an end my life, I felt no hatred for her and at a base level, I understood why.


    It was natural. Survival of the fittest, reverse Darwinism, kill or be killed, eat or be eaten.


    Thinking like this, I started to feel better. There was no revenge or hatred to be had here. No schemes or pointless plots.


    My hand reached out and fell on her head, and I started stroking the soft, warm fur as I found a weird inner peace as my perception of life began to change.


    Unlike on Earth, everything here was simple.


    I didn''t want to rule or dominate, conform or obey. All I wanted was freedom and a goal I could work towards. Fortunately for me, they were one and the same. To be free, I needed strength, and for that, I needed to continue growing until I reached my limits and then, somehow surpass them.


    Without warning, an enormous pain erupted inside my head, blurring my vision.


    The pain subsided, and the image of the Alpha appeared in my mind. She was sitting in the clearing where we had first met with, emanating a warm, welcoming sensation.


    My thoughts were a mess because even though I could see the image in my mind, I could also see her before me with my eyes. Not knowing how I could remove the image from my thoughts, I closed my eyes, instantly alleviating the vertigo I was feeling.


    I was vaguely aware that I was stumbling back, clutching my head before falling onto my backside at the disturbingly familiar sensation.


    This felt exactly like the time the Crawler had communicated with me, only instead of words forming in my mind, it was images and feelings.


    The image distorted and suddenly, there was a vision of me, or what I assumed to be me, walking towards the Alpha before the wolf, and I rubbed our heads on each other''s shoulders, or at least the ''other'' me tried to with the vast difference in sizes.


    Kinship, reassurance, loyalty, respect. The emotions were intense, almost feeling as if they were my own.


    The Alpha was greeting me. Not as a stranger or even one of her pack but as an equal.


    The doubts in my mind were extinguished. I was now confident that the Alpha had come to rescue me, sacrificing not only her self but her pup in the process.


    The Alpha vanished, and the other me straightened before turning into twisting shadows, rising high into the air before a gigantic mouth opened wide and devoured the blood red moon above it.


    Darkness, destroyer, death but most of all, a single sensation floated to the surface of my mind. Devourer.


    Without needing to think about it, I subconsciously knew that the feelings were referring to me. This is what the Alpha saw me as. This was her name for me.


    To say that I wasn''t confused was an understatement but before I could contemplate on the meaning, the vision warped once again as if it knew what I was asking.


    Monsterous creatures, looking like the amalgamation of every nightmare known to mankind marched across a barren desert with a relentless determination.


    On the other side, thousands if not millions of creatures stood. Wolves, insect-apes, giant snakes, dragon looking reptiles, boar-like bats and countless other species. Every single one of them watching the abominations with fear and hatred.


    At the front stood the Alpha. No, it wasn''t the Alpha but a creature that looked remarkably similar. It was larger and had a deep scar across its face and chest. Somehow I knew this was the Alpha''s ancestor.


    Questions assaulted my mind. Was this the Alpha''s doing? Was this real as the previous vision was seemingly made up, as that never happened? What was its purpose?


    The questions were blown from my mind by what happened next.


    As one, the horde of creatures charged the abominations, realising howls, roars and screeches as they charged towards their vastly outnumbered foe.


    I was expecting the abominations to be swept away in the tide of bodies but what happened next, shocked me to my core.


    It was as if war gods had descended from the heavens. The abominations cut through the horde with devastating efficiency, slaughtering all around them as they moved towards the strongest of the swarming creatures.


    Though it was evident by the injuries being inflicted, even with the incredible speed that they were healing, that the abominations would probably lose, it didn''t seem to phase them in the slightest. They continued butchering anything in front of them, eating anything they could shove into their mouths. When they ate, their eyes glowed a murderous red, and a black, mist momentarily seeped from their torsos.


    I lost all track of time as I watched the raging battle in front of me.


    The horde of creatures was beyond impressive, however, compared to the abominations, they were inconsequential.


    The abominations were terrifying, mysterious entities that could make you question your sanity but most confusing of all, I felt a weird connection with them.


    The first abomination fell, a giant snake having dragged it to the ground in its death throws and was quickly swarmed and ripped apart.


    The tide had turned. Though their losses were so massive that I was almost sure that a few of species would become extinct after this battle, they continued onwards with reckless abandon.


    It wasn''t long until the second, then third fell starting a domino effect.


    The closest abomination to me was dragged down and ripped apart, the stench of blood assaulting my senses and the hunger that I had felt before roared to life, compelling me to move forward and devour abomination and creature alike. To join the fray and consume them all in my rise to the top of the food chain. To become the apex predator. To dominate all.


    As if terrified by my unrestrained bloodlust, the scene flickered before changing and the desire to devour all quickly diminished into a gnawing hunger.


    I was now standing at the edge of a scene I remembered all too well, though it looked completely different from my current point of view. Standing next to me was the Alpha, watching the past me devour the organs of an insect monkey.


    The ground and nearby plants were covered in bright yellow blood as I ripped into the corpse and almost inhaled its contents.


    However, the vibrant forest and blood could have been shades of grey for all it matted because there was one colour that sent chills, dread and... a hint of excitement through me.


    My eyes were glowing red. Not even close to the haunting colour of the abominations but it was there and only a blind fool would attempt to say they weren''t linked somehow.


    Suddenly, the name the Alpha had given me made sense. Not only that, but the warning she had given me was loud and clear. The abominations had alienated themselves from all in their quest for power, forcing the other species to unite which ultimately lead to their downfall.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    They had reached the pinnacle of the food chain but, in their arrogance and greed, the triangle had opened up and swallowed them whole.


    Killing intent radiated through me, the need to protect the pack from the monstrosity before me¡­ no, from me, surged through every fibre yet at the same time, the tantalising, almost drug-like sensation that an answer had been found.


    My species, I mean the wolf¡¯s species was in jeopardy. They had split into smaller packs and separated, but it was only time before they lost all of their territories and were either subjugated or slaughtered. We were amongst the first to live on this world, and as such, our need for evolution at that time was much less.


    Generations of wolves flickered passed my eyes, foes appearing before them that I had never seen before, changing and mutating before my very eyes. Within moments, the wolves as a species had been left in the dust, but it didn¡¯t stop. New species continued to fall from the sky, fighting with each other, usually ending in the extinction of the new race as the older species united against them in fear of what they could become, however, if the new arrivals survived, they were almost always at the top of the food chain and dominated the, what could be considered, natives.


    Countless iterations of this, including the appearance of the Crawlers midway, flickered past.


    This was the world I now inhabited. It was a cruel world were nothing was static. A world where even if you reached the peak, just by your presence, you would provide the conditions for those who would surpass you.


    Then there was a naked ape again, no it was me. A being that appeared to be a newborn entering the clearing. Alone and scared. At first, not a threat but now it, no I, had revealed that I was a Devourer¡­


    It was common for multiple species to work together, especially the smarter ones, as shown in the previous vision and the idea, that had seemed so foolish at the start, now started to bloom.


    The clearing vanished, and I was back at the insect-ape kill site. The Alpha¡¯s killing intent ended, her mind made up as she started returning to the clearing.


    If the devourer pup survived, she would raise it with the pack and make it one of us, I mean them.


    I shook my head. My sense of self becoming distorted the longer the visions continued, the Alpha''s emotions and thoughts becoming as if they were my own, but thankfully, that seemed to be the end.


    The real world greeted me like a brick to the face, and I fell to my knees, struggling to comprehend what was happening. Everything was so vivid that it was almost unbearable. Sound, smell, touch, I could even taste the air caused my body to lock up from the stimulus.


    -¡±Hold on, I lost control of our senses.¡±


    Before I could question what the voice meant, the wolves whimper drew my attention.


    With my senses seemingly in overdrive, I watched her pulse slow, the skin beneath her fur slacken, and her pupils relax.


    This was her end.


    With a small growl, a faint vision appeared in my mind. The detail was almost no existent compared to the last time, but the meaning behind it was clear.


    Our escape through the plains and hunts we shared.The fact that I didn¡¯t abandon them even though I would have been faster alone. That she had come to rescue me, her pack member.


    Family.


    I ground my teeth. I didn¡¯t need this, yet I couldn¡¯t force myself to leave. I had already bitten into the sales hook and was stuck on the line.


    Anger bubbled below the surface, knowing that I would have felt so much better if I hadn''t known or felt these feelings, but it was too late.


    A shaky, fragile vision appeared. Many wolves were silently howling into the sky at a blood red moon as the body of the Alpha lay on a hill.


    A body that I was eating, the remains of the humans surrounding me having already been devoured and were nothing more than bones and sinew. The image of me then stood and released an ear-splitting howl into the sky.


    A declaration that I was one of them. A proud hunter but it had a spine-chilling undertone. That I would one day rule and to do that, I would devour everything in my path.


    Bursting into a sprint, along with the wolves, the image of myself vanished into the distance, and I returned to reality. Thankfully this time, my senses were back to normal.


    I rose to my feet and looked down. The Alpha was dead.


    Something deep within me wailed, a monstrous screech and the urge to find a way to resurrect Frank and kill him, again and again, was overwhelming, however, it quickly passed as my mind cleared.


    This was the path I walked. The path of nature. Death was as much a part of it as life.


    The Alpha had been a magnificent creature, and even though she thought to use me, I could tell that she meant to in the best possible way. She wanted me to be family and by doing so, ensure our mutual survival and prosperity. A concept that I found strangely appealing.


    Pushing the sensation from my mind, I couldn''t even find a hint of resentment inside of me, but that didn''t mean I would bend to her will.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I will not become an ally of your species. Anyway," I spoke in nothing more than a whisper. "The dead do not fret over the concerns of the living. Rest well."


    My stomach grumbled as I turned around, seemingly in protest that I hadn''t fallen on the corpse right there and then.


    I had some serious doubts about what I had seen, however, even if I believed them, it would change nothing so I didn''t fret over it too long.


    I had known it since I woke up after my fight with the insect apes that I could no longer count myself as a human. The more I learned, the clearer it became that I had become something more fitted to nightmares.


    Even without the voice''s information, the strange abilities of my body, my experiences and my newly awakened instincts were more than enough evidence to squash any doubts.


    That did not make what I was about to do any easier. I just couldn''t pass up the opportunity, even if it meant forsaking the last of my humanity. To do so would be spitting in Fate''s face, tempting it to come back and bite me in the arse at the most inconvenient moment possible.


    Thinking back on the abominations, I couldn''t help but release a sigh as I watched the approaching dawn. -"He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. Shame the monster I was fighting was within myself. I can''t blame this on anyone else, not even those who abducted me."


    -"I am not a monster," whimpered the voice.


    I sniggered, amused by the fact that the parasite had misunderstood my thoughts. It seemed that it wasn''t as all-powerful or knowing as I had feared.


    -"It seems that I made the right choice when I eliminated the woman. My existence, or at least what I am, must remain hidden at all costs or I will be hunted down and destroyed."


    I glanced back at the Alpha. -"If those visions were real, how desperate must she have been to go against generations of pre-dispositional fear and try and bring me to her side."


    My heavy footsteps squelched in the gory mud.


    -"It''s not like anything has changed. As the strong rise, new challenges will present themselves. The tiger doesn''t care about insects, but will happily eat those that feast on them."


    My hands clenched into fists as I forced myself to talk to the voice. ¡°Can we grow back to my adult form?¡±


    I said it out loud, I was sick of speaking in my head.


    ¡°And did I get the ability to communicate with the Alpha from consuming the Crawler?¡± I had an unsettling suspicion after watching the abominations in the vision.


    -¡±We should remain small as it is easier to condense our body and make it stronger but yes, we should be able to. But we will need to eat a lot, far more than what is here, to reach the limit of that body.¡±  "Also, yes, even now, our brain is changing due to some unknown influence. Most likely, it is down to something we ate and as that beast had the same ability, its the only thing that makes sense."


    "None of this makes sense." Letting out a deep breath I stopped. The ability to absorb the traits of others was indeed potent. So powerful that I was confident there would be drawbacks to such a capability. "It won''t change who I am, will it? You know, changing my brain."


    -"No, your brain is now pretty much redundant since we merged.My kind can survive seemingly fatal injuries and, similar to the creatures you call abominations, as long as our body is not destroyed too much, our spirit will condense into the piece with the most energy and we will be able to regenerate. If there are no remains or if there is not enough energy, we will die."


    I felt sick. Was I really this much of a monster? Ignoring that, what were its limits. "Will it create clones if I am split in half? You know, two bits with the same amount of energy?"


    -"When I had my old body, the largest part containing the most energy would remain. The other part didn''t do anything and could be eaten or abandoned. I don''t know what happened as I was always the largest part. No that is wrong. I was all of it, but it just felt like shedding skin. This is why I said that the spirit, or whatever you want to call us, condenses in the most suitable container of our previous body and yes, it does need to be a part of us. We can''t take over others." The voice was getting more cheerful as it talked, probably thinking that I had forgiven it or at least, that I had given it a chance. -"It is not as powerful as it sounds. If we drown, suffocate, get burnt to ash, get poisoned or starve, we will die as there is nothing left for us to connect with."


    -"Anyway, we are distracting ourselves. We need to finish up here so we can use the remains as a lure for other creatures and grow in strength. It is a good plan that means that we will expend less energy while increasing our stores."


    I ground my teeth. I knew I was procrastinating, but the really irritating thing was that the parasite was reading my mind and knew what I was up to.


    -"I am not a parasite. Not anymore. We merged and are now one. Please, your spirit is too strong and domineering. It feels like a huge weight is crushing me."


    I was about to grin at the discomfort of my hitchhiker when movement on the crest of the furthest hill drew my attention. A spike hound was cautiously approaching indicating that I was running out of time.


    "Eat to live, live to eat." The memory of my words back when I fought the insect apes resonated with me.


    Dread swept over me as I lowed myself to Frank¡¯s corpse, a cold sweat forming on my forehead. I needed to grow stronger, and if my body was anything to go by, I was no longer human. If that was the case, there should be nothing wrong with what I was about to do.


    I shook my head. It didn¡¯t matter how I tried to reason it out, it just felt wrong on so many levels.


    It was like I was standing on the edge of the abyss. I could turn around, and return the way I came or step forward and become one with it.


    -¡±Can we grow while we¡­¡± I repressed the vomit that surged up my throat. -¡°Eat?¡±


    The parasite seemed to have been able to control, or at least predict when it happened earlier.


    -¡±It will be excruciating if we do it while we are conscious. It is far easier to consume ourselves than expand. We should eat enough biomass and then find somewhere safe to sleep. We can grow our body then.¡±


    -¡±Do it. It needs to be painful. ¡±


    A cold, wet feeling flowed on my hands as I watched the white substance seep through my pores and flow into the shapes I had already seen before hardening. My razor sharp claws and armour wrists, now sporting small, jagged backwards pointing spikes along the outside, seemed more haunting now than ever.


    My gaze shifted to the man who had wanted to kill me when we first met. He would be the easiest to... I couldn''t even think about what I was about to do.


    I have become the thing of nightmares. A true monster that had been made, not born.


    Reaching out with a shaky hand, the name that the Alpha had given me reverberated through my mind as I tried to distract myself from my actions.


    -"Al the Devourer... What a stupid name."

 Chapter Twenty Three (Arc 2) - The quiet before the storm

    It had been four days since the night where I had forsaken my humanity and committed myself to the path of a monster.


    It was a weird feeling. Half of me felt as if I had been liberated, casting off the imposed shackles of my birth while the rest of me felt as if I had been condemned to some unknown fate.


    -"I guess only time will tell where this path leads me."


    Although it had been difficult at first, my conscience seemingly eating away at my sanity, as the hours turned into days the weight that felt as if it would crush me started to alleviate.


    It probably helped that I had let myself revert to an almost beast-like existence as I hunted the scavengers who came to claim the little remains left in the campsite and experimented with my new body during the quiet times, leaving little time for reflection.


    The wind shifted direction, now blowing towards me as I resumed my slow, silent crawl to the top of the hill in my bone-like armour.


    It was not long after I had finished my gruesome task at the campsite, laying the heads of both Clare and the Alpha to rest, deep in the ground where they would not be disturbed, that I had discovered that the white substance did not stop at creating an exoskeleton of bone around my hands and arms.


    While I could not see myself due to the lack of water or reflective material, I quickly discovered through touch that the hardened substance had encased my entire body. The image in my head was terrifying yet fitting after what I had just done and, in some small, unexplainable way, comforted me greatly.


    Restraining the urge to swish my tail, a habit I had picked up now that biting my nails was pretty much suicidal, I continued my painfully slow crawl to the summit. If I were too fast, I would likely spook my prey and have to extort a significant amount of energy.


    Something that I was way too lazy to do willingly.


    At the start, the spike hounds had been drawn in by the stench of blood and been easy prey, almost walking right up to me as if I were nothing more than a fellow scavenger. That golden time of plenty ended roughly after my fortieth kill, the hounds becoming extremely wary of my presence and even started avoiding the area.


    Af first I had thought that it might be due to the growing heap of flesh and bone that used to be their kin, the parts that I didn''t consider worth digesting, however, after getting sick of them keeping their distance, I gave chase.


    The new power of my body was intoxicating; however, when I returned from the slaughter, I discovered six more, as well as a vulture-like creature happily eating, defecating and even sleeping at my makeshift lure. It seemed that the animals were not wary of the place, but of me, which was weird as I had ensured there were no survivors to tell any tales.


    From that day onwards, I was forced to leave periodically, using the time to condense my body, get a couple of hours sleep and run around a bit, before returning to slaughter the next batch.


    Flexing my sore muscles, feeling a deep ache in my bones, I couldn¡¯t help but shudder at the relentless regime I had undertaken.


    Kill, eat, grow, condense, sleep and repeat.


    I threw myself into improving my body and reflexes, using the seemingly never-ending supply of volunteers for nutrients and combat experience as I honed my deadly craft.


    I spent nearly all my time in my ''combat'' form which felt more natural and due to the incredible flexibility of my joints, had significantly altered how my body moved, suiting my new mindset.


    While casually travelling, I moved on the balls of my feet, using my tail to balance me as I stalked forward. When I was giving chase or needed to move quickly, I reverted to all fours, giving me a massive boost in speed, agility and precision most could only dream about.


    It was while my movements evolved that I learnt the most significant boon to possessing a tail, which had become by far my favourite body part. Even though spikes lined its side and top, making it appear to be a weapon, it was for balance and, if used correctly, could rapidly change my speed and direction as well as be a good distraction.


    Much to my dismay, it would fall off when I reverted to my human appearance making that form even more unappealing.


    While this was great, there was a problem with how readily available and easily killed, my prey was. I gorged myself until I could barely move.


    Initially, I solved this problem by, very painfully, increasing my size as I continued to feast, however, it wasn''t long before my body became sluggish and difficult to manoeuvre, making it increasingly difficult to catch the more agile prey.


    Instead of being satisfied with what I had, and sleeping it off as any big cat would, I did something radical. If I could grow and shrink, why couldn''t I condense and enhance?


    The process was agonizing, so much so that I was forced to ask for the voice''s help to continue the process before promptly passing out but the results were staggering.


    After each iteration, it was if I was an entirely new creature, nearly doubling in speed and strength compared to my previous self. Even my exoskeleton improved drastically, becoming smoother, the spikes and claws sharper and incredibly durable. A small negative was that when I shed my armour, it no longer turned to dust but that actually provided to be a slight advantage as I could eat the remains and regain some of the energy spent.


    While challenging at first, then only in large numbers, the spike hounds, giant vulture-like birds and the occasional lone wolf soon couldn''t even compete with me.


    Soon their numbers slowed to a trickle, the ones left much smarter and more cautious than their overconfident peers.


    It mattered little. It wouldn''t save them.


    That wasn''t the only change my body had undertaken. I had proven my theory, at least in part, about my ability to ''steal'' skills of others.


    My suspicions were first aroused when I was somehow able to communicate with the Alpha before she succumbed to her wounds, the feelings eerily familiar to what I felt when the Crawler had used to speak to me.


    Unfortunately, the process, like everything else in my life, was nothing but a pain.


    After consuming the man named Frank, I nearly doubled over in pain as I felt something, or more specifically seven things, forming around my body before releasing worm-like tendrils that connected themselves together. Not long after the last one connected, somewhere near my chest, my muscles started tingling and the thought that if I squeezed the newly formed object, I could force my muscles, no my body, to move at a much higher speed.


    Trying it out, I was ecstatic with the results. It was almost worth the pain, however, after four or five bursts, I knew it was spent and would need to regenerate the energy somehow.


    After calming down from the adrenaline rush that had taken my mind away from what I had been doing, I moved onto Mark.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Although I didn¡¯t feel anything new being created in my body, the sensation of my muscles changing and developing, slightly reducing the effectiveness of the speed improvement in exchange for increased strength was apparent.


    Frank had used his speed to get behind me during our confrontation while Mark has used his strength to send me flying. The Crawler has spoken to me through its mind. The pieces of the puzzle started to come together.


    However, with the sensation that I would never be able to move as fast, at least without improving in other areas, as I had done before I absorbed Marks ability, I knew that there was a balance to be met and that I didn''t have any control in what the end result be.


    I also instinctually knew that it would only work on areas that I already had the potential for, that the objects that had seemingly been created were already there, just in a near none existent state and forced to awaken as my body realised this through the consumption of another.


    As if to prove my point, when it came to Clare and the Alpha, I didn''t notice a single change. While this was relieving, it also troubled me as I started to wonder if there was a limit or unusual conditions that I had to meet.


    My sombre mood was replaced as my head peaked over the hill, my lips twitching in anticipation, spotting a few spike hounds milling around the edge of the valley.


    Looking up to gauge how long it would be before nightfall, I slid down slightly and settled in.


    Due to the white colour of my exoskeleton, if I tried to approach any closer now I would be seen long before I reached them. It was a personal point of pride, as well as practicality, that made me take the cautious route. There could be no survivors as I knew they were intelligent and could communicate.


    The last thing I wanted to do was to walk into the same fate as those from the visions.


    I shrugged, it was still a few hours from getting dark and even then, instead of returning to wherever they came from, the spike hounds would, more than likely, bury themselves in the sides of the nearby hills. I suspected that this wasn''t only so they could sleep somewhat safely but so they could ambush any potential prey that wandered by like I had done when I first arrived.


    At that time, with my vastly improved senses, finding and dispatching them would be child''s play. So much so, that I had consciously started limiting my strength and speed. This wasn''t because I was conceited, but because I always wanted to struggle so that I could improve.


    The theory was, that not only would I increase my workout, improving my muscles naturally, but it would force me to improve my movements and gain much-needed experience.


    I didn''t know if it worked, but I definitely felt better for it.


    Closing my eyes, which didn¡¯t seem to do anything as I could somehow see through the solid lump of bone in front of my face, I focused inwards and started to condense my structure further.


    I knew I was coming to the limit of what I could do, at least in this environment as, although my size shrunk considerably, my weight didn''t.


    At first, it seemed like a good problem to have, the extra weight making my charges much more devastating. However, I quickly revised my thoughts.


    At full speed, it took over ten meters for me to stop or change direction, killing any momentum and resulting in a few, almost comical escape attempts by my prey as they ducked to the sides.


    That wasn''t the only problem. When it rained, it was if I was thrown onto a frozen lake with boiling blood coursing through my feet.


    Not only did I find it extremely difficult to find traction to move, thankfully due to my clawed feet I somewhat mitigated this problem, but the moment I attempted to turn, I would slip and slide off until I had built up enough dirt or hit the side of a hill.


    I quickly decided that I was a fair weather preditor, and during the few times it had rained since, I hunkered down and slept. My exoskeleton doing an excellent job of keeping me dry and warm.


    My tail flick in annoyance. It wasn''t as if I had instantly given up.


    Due to the seeming flexibility of my bone amour, I had tried making the surface area of my foot more substantial, but it only resulted in a less than satisfactory conclusion.


    My form was set, and I could not change it.The only things that I could manipulate, excluding the overall size, were the elevation of the spikes on my back, tail and arms.


    It was a weird sensation, like a muscle but at the same time not.


    I could push the spikes out, almost making them stick at 90 degrees, relax and let them point out naturally at around 45 degrees and pull them flush with the bone. It even seemed there were little grooves in the bone, allowing the spikes to catch so I didn¡¯t need to concentrate on keeping them down all the time.


    Of course, I needed to expend extra effort to push them out again, but it was a welcome change as the spikes got in the way more often than not, especially when stalking my prey or trying to lay down.


    Releasing a deep breath, I tried to get comfortable as I felt the suns warm rays on my shell, another welcome change but the best one by far was the waste I produced had been pretty much eradicated.


    Yes, I still needed to relieve myself from time to time, the concentrated toxins almost nauseating if you were unlucky enough to breathe in, but it meant I didn¡¯t have to keep breaking off parts of my armour multiple times a day, especially with the amount I was eating, so I considered it a good thing.


    The silence of the plains echoed around me, letting me listen to slow, rhythmic heartbeat, gently putting me to sleep.


    -¡±Umm, Al?¡± A warm, encompassing feeling enveloped me as the feminine voice of the parasite that called my body, or if what she said was true, home, spoke yet unlike before, hostility did not burst forth from me.


    Two days ago, during one of my more painful transformations, she had tried to distract me by telling me that she could separate from my body for a short period of time and eager to get rid of her, I jumped at the opportunity.


    As soon as I had finished, I forced the subject, and after some very heated words, she relented.


    Initially, my plan was to gain as much distance from her as possible, the thought of a parasite infecting my body with the ability to control my thoughts and emotions almost too much to bear but, when it happened, it felt like my world had ended.


    I felt empty and, for the first time since arriving here, alone. It was as if a part of my soul had been torn away.


    Despair threatened to overwhelm me as what appeared to be water, seeped from my shell before forming into a three-foot water snake, wrapping itself around my arm. A much larger version of the creature who bit me back in the clearing.


    My body and soul shook as I forced myself not to scream out in pure misery. This made the pain from my body seem like lovers kiss in comparison and I wanted to do nothing more than make it stop.


    The snake didn¡¯t show the same restraint, flailing around as its pained, sobbing screeches echoed in my mind, what it felt a perfect sync for my own raging emotions.


    However, nothing prepared me for the sensation when it¡¯s struggles resulted in it falling from my arm. The moment I lost contact with it was honestly the worst moment in my entire life, being locked in a box and dropped onto an alien planet included.


    My armour clacked together as I shuddered violently at the memory, my body and mind not wanting to recall how it had felt.


    Not even a moment has passed since we lost contact but my hand was already on the snake, and I instantly pulled it to my chest, squishing its body into mine.


    As the creature was seemingly made from water, it flowed around my fingers, but as if suddenly understanding my intent, it started seeping through the bone and back into me.


    I lay on my back, alone in the dark, convulsing for hours. The warmth slowly returning to me as the voice and I mentally latched onto each other and refused to let go.


    I finally understood what she meant. We were one and my position on the subject of her occupancy completely flipped as I realised that I would never force her to leave as that would be like throwing away part of myself.


    Not only would I never force her to leave, but I also would never allow it. I would burn the world and everyone in it before I would feel that sensation again. No, not only burn, I would destroy everything.


    Such strong emotions and sentiment were foreign to me, and I felt irritated at myself for feeling this way, but I quickly accepted it. It wasn''t the strangest thing to happen to me, and honestly, it didn''t feel too bad to need someone, even if they were technically a parasite fused into your very being.


    It was at that moment, I decided to give the voice a name. I know it was unoriginal, but it felt right. I didn¡¯t know if she had a natural gender or if she selected it due to my biases in sex, but she was female and a talking snake. To me, there was only one thing name that suited her.


    -¡±What do you want Eve?¡±


    Even though I had changed my mind so drastically, I couldn''t alter my attitude too quickly, my pride wouldn''t allow it.


    Not that it mattered anyway. I could sense that Eve knew how I felt about her now and, in her own way, she had become extremely clingy since our few seconds of separation, often attempting to talk to me even if we had nothing to talk about.


    -¡±It''s silent.¡±


    -¡±And?¡± I asked, even when the answer was already forming in my mind and I pushed myself back down the hill and into the long grass.


    The grasslands were always noisy, especially with my enhanced senses. Mainly insects and birds but every now and again you could hear the larger creatures that called this place home, however, at the moment, even my heartbeat sounded like thunder.


    There was only one reason a place like this went silent. Something dangerous was nearby and it wasn''t me for a change.


    I couldn¡¯t help but grin. I had been getting bored of the spike hounds and needed to challenge so I could measure my progression.


    Sadly, that bitch called Fate wasn''t quite bored of me just yet.

 Chapter Twenty Four (Arc 2) - Unwelcome Visitors

    The last golden rays from the setting sun cast deep, menacing shadows across the hilly grassland as several figures silently scouted the area before stumbling across the campsite turned death trap.


    Standing on the edge of the surrounding hills, the lead figure revealed a few hand signals and all but one other separated and moved to the surrounding hills. It was clear from their positions and how they scanned the area that they were on the lookout for potential threats.


    After confirming the surroundings were clear, the pair cautiously descended the hill, their black, cloth-like cloaks almost completely masking their appearances.


    ¡°What in Roarn¡¯s name is this?¡± After reaching the bottom, and taking a good look at the carnage before them, the figure that had taken the lead couldn¡¯t help but reveal his surprise. Though it had looked bad further away, now they could see the state of the remains, a hint of fear crept into their souls. ¡°Could this be the work of the new species?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe so, Kelek.¡± Responded the person following him as he lowered his hood, his scaled, bald head and lizard-like face clearing distinguishing him from a human. ¡°From the small group we captured near the border, they don¡¯t seem to be a hive species or aggressive enough to do this.¡±


    Kelek did the same, revealing his almost Identical head, bar the jagged scar down the left side of his face. ¡°Kelok, there are no hive species near here nor any that support the dark ways. Could their species already have branched?¡±


    ¡°I highly doubt it, unless the seekers failed to extract truthful information,¡± grumbled Kelok as he kicked over a pile of half-eaten bones with his clawed foot. Excluding the cloak, the pair were naked, the black scales of their body making it seem as if they were wearing some sort of chain-mail.


    ¡°Do your thing and let''s get back to the raid. I don¡¯t want to miss out when it comes to splitting up the spoils, especially those females.¡± mused Kelek as he scanned the gruesome scene, his eyes falling on a human skull and frowning. ¡°Though they have useless mammal fat, they are always available to mate, unlike our kin.¡±


    Kelok snorted as he started drawing runes into the bloody dirt. ¡°So you didn¡¯t learn your lesson last time. The ¡®Human¡¯ females were not welcoming of your advances, even after you killed one of their males to display your strength. I don¡¯t think they are that good, even just as incubators. It''s likely they are not advanced enough to realize the benefits of a strong mate.¡±


    Kelek glared at Kelok. ¡°Nonsense, every female desires a strong male. It''s natural.¡±


    ¡°The Felnek Queens? Helthans? Lethnals?¡± responded Kelok dryly. ¡°Any male stronger than them, but not strong enough to force them into submission, is a threat and eliminated unless they are enslaved.¡±


    Though it would have been almost impossible to see the mocking look Kelok was revealing, at least from a human perspective, to Kelek it was as clear as day. "Though it is our purpose to fight and give offspring, I think you need to find balance."


    ¡°Hurry up. Once we have reported something of worth, we won¡¯t need to do this lowly scouting anymore,¡± growled Kelek, growing frustrated with his subordinate. "And this will definitely interest the Karn."


    Nodding, Kelok spits on the floor, causing the runes he had drawn to glow in a white light before a hazy mist rises and flows towards some of the nearby bones. ¡°Best I can do is a half a minute before death and only the freshest spirits at that. The amount of dark energy here has started to corrupt the land.¡±


    The white mist spiralled around the bones before moving away and forming into five spike hounds, each milling about as they scavenge from the nearby bones.


    Kelek nodded in respect for the spirit wielder¡¯s skill. He was one of the best outside the core of the clan.


    Suddenly, one of the ghost-like spike hounds fell to the side, a large chunk missing from its neck before disappearing into the white mist.


    Without pause, the nearest one is killed, this time split in half and sent soaring into the air as something hit it from below with incredible force.


    Another two fall, almost simultaneously, the mist revealing horrific wounds before dissipating into nothingness. The last spike hound had barely enough time to stand on its hind feet and release its projectiles before something grasped its head and pulverized its skull.


    The last of the white mist seeped into the ground as both lizard men swallowed hard.


    While one of the weakest and most numerous creatures on the planet, the speed and brutality in which the spike hounds had been defeated caused a chill to run down both of their spines.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Feeding grounds.¡± Muttered both in unison, realization that they had entered one of the most dangerous types of location, appearing on their scaled faces.


    Normally, the starting zone for a new species would be free of high level, semi-intelligent beasts, however, seeing a large number of remains and the spiritual vision, they were now sure that something extremely dangerous was stalking these lands.


    Looking up, Kelek scanned the hills for his men, only to realize they weren¡¯t there. ¡°Fall in!¡±


    Though he was extremely worried from their recent discovery, he didn¡¯t let it seep into his voice. That was until his command was greeted with nothing but silence.


    Kelok, shifted his feet, as his tongue flicked out before grimacing. ¡°Fresh blood of our kin. They are dead Kelek. We walked into the beast''s lair. We are not prepared for a hunt.¡±


    ¡°We need to get out of here and report,¡± whispered, Kelek. ¡°Our main force is only comprised of raiders. If the humans put up much of a fight and cause significant losses, our return will be like a death march if the beast catches our scent.¡±


    -¡±Catches your scent? This beast has already tasted your flesh~¡± A cold, emotionless voice bombarded their minds, startling the two lizard men.


    ¡°Mind Breaker!¡± hissed Kelek, his stance lowering. ¡°This is bad. Really bad.¡±


    ¡°Silence your thoughts,¡± hissed Kelok. ¡°It could read our minds.¡±


    -¡±Welcome to our parlour, said the spider to the flies,¡± laughed a feminine, bloodthirsty voice.


    ¡°Back to back, there are two of them,¡± hissed Kelek, feeling Kelok¡¯s presence appear just behind him.


    -¡±Seems we were right.¡± mused the masculine voice. They can hear us and although they speak a unknown language, we can somehow understand it.


    -¡±Over here.¡±


    Kelek spun to face the location he thought the voice emanated from, only to realize it was still in his mind. ¡°Damn it, a level three mind breaker. Don¡¯t let your guard down.¡±


    -¡±Over here,¡± whispered the female voice.


    -¡±Over here,¡± repeated the masculine voice, seemingly from the other direction.


    ¡°Show yourselves. Do you have no honour?¡± roared Kelek


    -¡±Honor is for the dead and stupid,¡± responded the male.


    -¡±Just like your men,¡± echoed the female voice. -¡°Just like the one you call Kelok.¡±


    Kelek turned his head slightly, sure this was another trick of the voices only to see the mangled remains of his trusted subordinate, his chest and throat torn out. -¡±How did I not hear.¡±


    -¡±Over here.¡±


    -¡±So you hunt humans?¡±


    -¡±Behind you.¡±


    Kelek flinched at the last one, sounding so close that someone could have been whispering in his ear. ¡°We do. As a new species, we need to put control or eliminate them before they grow too strong. You should know this, you must be a native to have bypassed the barriers.¡±


    -¡±Native?¡± chuckled the voice. -¡°No, I am¡­ Was a human but I cast off the shackles of my kind.¡± The last words were spoken with such a chill, that Kelek couldn¡¯t help but shudder, darkness seemingly encroaching on his vision.


    Drawing from his wealth of experience, Kelek hardened his resolve. ¡°We respect the strong. Join us. You will have all you need. Food, mates and a nest.¡±


    Kelek remembered there was two of them, seemingly different genders. ¡°Unless you have already paired. In that case, we won¡¯t press you to mate with any others though if you are as strong as it seems, it would be desired.¡±


    The silence was almost deafening as Kelek slowly span in the centre of the valley, not knowing which way he should make a bolt for as the voices seemed to come from everywhere, yet nowhere.


    Every now and again, the sound of metal hitting metal, or the rustling of grass would catch his attention, only to discover that it was yet another mental illusion. -¡±They are practising their skills on me. It is already at a different level from when it started. Such adaptation is¡­ terrifying¡±


    -¡±You do make a tempting offer, lizard man.¡± The voice snapped him from his thoughts.


    ¡°I am a Rakorn,¡± responded Kelek. ¡°We are an honourable species that has been here for over a hundred cycles.¡±


    -¡±But~¡± chuckled the feminine voice, which descended into a bone-chilling hiss. -"No sale."


    -¡±I am afraid that if I am to chose between the devil I know and the one I don¡¯t, I¡¯ll pick the former. At least that way, I can manipulate the situation to my advantage,¡± continued the male in an emotionless tone.


    While he was still processing the meaning behind the words, a blistering pain erupted form Kelek¡¯s leg as he fell to his knees and a hand wrapped around the back of his neck, holding him in place.


    After the shock of the sudden pain passed, he tried to move only to find that he couldn¡¯t even budge, as if the thing clasping his neck was a mountain.


    Lifting his head up, he looked onto the almost featureless face, excluding the terrifying teeth, looking down upon him. The creature was at least six foot tall, with lethal spikes rising out of his body.


    Instinctively, the Rakorn knew that the creature before it was a predator. One made for a single purpose, to kill and judging from its grip, Kelek knew that his life would be over with a simple flick of its wrist.


    Even though the situation looked dire, hope bloomed in the Rakorn¡¯s stomach, the fact that he wasn¡¯t dead yet meant that his life had some value, however, the next words he heard turned that feeling to one of dread.


    ¡°Now comes the fun part,¡± chuckled the voice, multiple times more terrifying than when it was a mental projection. ¡°Let''s play a game called Truth or pain.¡±

 Chapter Twenty Five (Arc 2) - The devil you know

    My exoskeleton cracked as I stretched in the early morning sun, watching panicked guards rushing about in front of a wooden palisade wall, a couple of hundred yards ahead of me.


    While I tried to give the impression that I was extremely laid back, on the inside, I was still contemplating if I made the right decision.


    -¡±We can always make a run for it?¡± repeated Eve, for what felt like the hundredth time. -"Or stroll, it doesn''t look like they would be keen on stopping us. I mean, we could probably roll away while singing a song. They are so terrified they keep fighting for who will be at the back of their group."


    -"Nonsense, I have reduced my body size to around their average height and pulled in my spikes." I tried to deny what she was saying, but by the looks of things, I had kicked the ant''s nest pretty hard with my appearance.


    While the last few days hunting the lizard men scouts had been somewhat delightful, the internal debate about what I would do with the information gained from the Rakorn known as Kelek had sullied most of it for me.


    The result of my ongoing, internal debate was that I was now sitting atop of a large, smooth boulder, surrounded by corpses arranged into letters.


    I sighed. -¡±Nothing is ever easy.¡±


    -"Look, let''s just leave the bodies and go. Our presence, along with all these bodies should be enough to scare them into action. They will likely send out their scouts or double up on patrols or something and stumble across the lizards."


    -"Come on Eve, stop tempting me when you already know that''s what I want to do." Who needed a Devil sitting on your shoulder when you had Eve? It seemed I had, for once, given a name that was spot on. I wonder if this is how Adam felt when Eve was trying to get him to eat the forbidden fruit.


    -"Hehe, that sounds dirty~."


    No, I doubt he had to put up with someone that had gone from a fact-based, straightforward personality into a child-like personality with far too much knowledge for her own good. Then again, I suspected that Eve had modified her personality to be more appealing to me. I mean, it''s not like I didn''t think the same thing when I thought about the forbidden fruit.


    Time to distract her, even though she knows what I am thinking, yet again.


    I sighed.


    -"You know that if what that lizard told us is anywhere close to being true, we will need to prepare for the worst. We can''t even assume we can slip past their armies in case they have someone with an ability that can detect us."


    I felt my shoulders slump. It appeared that, just like a new transfer student entering a private academy, humanity was going to get a ''special'' welcome. Unfortunately, it wouldn''t be as pleasant as bars of soap in socks on bare skin, and I was pretty much included no matter how much I wanted to deny my heritage.


    -"And anyway, this gives us the perfect opportunity to see what my former kin have done to themselves and if they have any value. If it looks like they are a lost cause, we will head to the mountains and wait for the barrier to fall before making our escape."


    -"Shame we can''t just walk through the barrier like the lizards," responded Eve. -"Do you think that if we wear their sk-"


    -"No, it doesn''t work like that from what we have been told. It also seems we can''t go over or under it. It''s like a sphere. Come on Eve; you know all this already."


    I hesitated.


    -"And~ I don''t really feel trying to wear other sentient beings. There are lines that shouldn''t be crossed you know?"


    -"Oh, because eating them is A-OK?." The annoying parasite called Eve chuckled. -"Anyway, I was just making conversation~."


    Kelek had informed me, much to my surprise, that the barrier wasn''t down and the fact that his kind could cross it was because whatever had been injected into their ancestors had diluted over the course of generations, making the invisible barrier tingle instead of feeling like walking into a brick wall.


    In fact, many older species used this as a way to gain an advantage over the new arrivals by launching preemptive strikes while they were still reeling from the shock of being dropped from orbit.


    To get this information took some minor persuasion, as well as the removal of a few limbs but all in all, it was worth it.


    After that, Kelek was singing like a canary in a jailhouse to whatever tune I wanted. -"And they said physical encouragement didn''t work... Ha."


    However, it wasn''t all good news. It seemed that once the barrier fell, every established species nearby would attempt to enslave, destroy or eventually ally with humanity, unfortunately in that order.


    If they couldn¡¯t enslave, they would attempt to destroy. If the new species was too resilient, then only at that point would they try to create an alliance and pick of one of their weaker neighbours.


    I believe Hitler called it ''Living space'' but Kelek seemed to think it was natural. It seemed that due to the near constant stream of new species, this world was in a constant state of war or recovery.


    The Rakorn were just the first and probably the weakest of humanities opponents.


    Which when you thought about it, was very concerning but, if human history were anything to go by, an event like this would likely galvanise humanity and prepare them for the trials that they would face.


    I say they would face because, quite frankly, I planned to get out of this little fish tank as soon as I could.


    Nothing unites us, I mean them, as quickly as a common enemy. Add the fact that they are lizard men that will eat or enslave the men and plan to use the women as mobile incubators and pleasure toys and boom; you are going to get a ¡®fight to the last man, woman and child¡¯ scenario.


    I frowned.


    It had been a while since the lookouts had noticed me and my message but before they raised the alarm I had been watching a few children running around near the, now closed, gate as they played. It didn''t seem strange to me at the time but now I was thinking about it, I couldn''t help but shake my head.


    -¡±Looks like they even abducted children¡­¡±


    Something deep down stirred as a cold, murderous chill started to rise from my depths. If I ever reached the top, no when I did, I would make sure that those who orchestrated this¡­ whatever it was, would pay. And the bank of Al only accepted flesh. Preferably measured in pounds.


    Why did I feel this way? Because I felt the paternal pull any father would, even if I couldn''t remember any details about my loved ones. I had been or maybe was even still, a father.


    Then again, I couldn''t remember so although it felt weird, I couldn''t say I was deeply upset. That didn''t mean I was going to let them off the hook. They had taken something from me after all.


    I mentally added them to the list.


    -¡± Crawler (Dead), Frank (Dead), Eve (Forgiven), Unknown alien overlords (Pending).¡±


    -¡±Knew you couldn¡¯t stay mad at me.¡±


    -¡±Eve (Punishment temporarily postponed).¡±


    -¡±Sure~. I know you couldn''t live without me, both metaphorically and in reality. Then again, I couldn''t live without you either, so I guess its fair.¡±


    I let out a quiet growl, irritated that I couldn¡¯t hide anything from the damned parasite.


    -¡±Hey, use my name!¡±


    A centre of calm in the chaotic storm that was made of guards running around drew my attention. Five people had gathered, had a quick discussion before they started to march towards me.


    My stomach lurched a bit, and I sincerely contemplated retreating. I knew there would be significant rewards if I pulled this off but I wasn''t a hundred percent sure it was worth the risk.


    I also felt that my decision had been influenced by the fact that desired some social intera-.


    -¡±Whats wrong with me? I¡¯m a not just a figment of your imagination. We talk all the time. We don''t need others.¡±


    -ction. To say I wasn¡¯t lonely would be a lie, especially since the death of the Alpha and though I would never admit it to her, Eve had been a godsend, but I couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit... empty. It was steadily growing, and I somehow had to admit that what they said was right.


    No man was an island, no matter how much he wished to be.


    Of course, I would likely have had my fill of company in a day or two and leave, not that I was planning to stay here longer than a single conversation, so maybe this brief bit of communicating with my former species would scratch that proverbial itch and I could return to killing things.


    That or I could always swap sides and join the lizards. Their society seemed to be strength based, so all I had to do was kill a few of them, fulfil my social quota and wander away.


    I shook my head, I had made my decision, and now I needed to focus on making it work.


    For me of course. I didn''t really care about what happened to humanity in this world. Or at least that''s what I kept telling myself.


    -¡±Tsk, you¡¯re no fun unless there is something to kill or torment.¡±


    Seemed Eve was getting as restless with the current situation as I was. I could sense her unease.


    -¡±You are here to torment, so that means I am always fun.¡±


    I couldn''t help but smile at Eve''s response. The image of a pouting snake made out of water appearing in my mind. It didn''t really work, but it looked cute none the less.


    Taking a deep breath, remembering why I hated meeting new people so much, I refocused on the group of people that had just come to a stop, probably around two dozen feet from me.


    Secretly I was impressed.


    Though I had tried to deny it, I was pretty sure my body looked pretty scary yet they held themselves with a certain amount of dignity, even if their eyes still held a healthy level of fear and caution.


    I made a quick mental note to find a body of water or something shiny and find out what my new form looked liked when I got the chance.


    -"Ha, if they think that will save them from us, they are already doomed. At this distance, we could crush their skulls, make a picture out of their entrails and have a nap before they had time to even piss themselves."


    Grinning at Eve''s words, knowing that they weren''t just a boast, I watched as the group of five examined the bodies in front of them, something that had taken me almost half the night to set up.


    Luckily for me, the night was cloudy, and it appeared that either none of the guards had night vision or that they were too lazy to do their job, so I managed to complete the task without causing a scene.


    On the left stood a white-haired man in what appeared to be grey robes and a wooden staff in his hand. The air crackled around him in a similar sort of way to Clare, and I could sense the same kind of energy emanating from him.


    He seemed to sense my gaze and looked at me, nodding politely, which slightly surprised me.


    -"Wizard type."This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Next to him, riding on top of what looked like the love child of a Silverback and Rocky Balboa, was a skinny, unhealthy so, twenty-something looking girl with white fox ears and three tails. Her red irises made her look incredibly dangerous and, much to my amusement, rather cute.


    -"Umm, cute weeb?"


    -"What is it with you and cute things today? Are we entering puberty? Do I need to start worrying about acne?"


    Ignoring Eve, I moved onto the next man in the lineup. He dressed in black leather, which was a startling contrast to his incredibly pale skin, and had a crude metal sword strapped to his back with two smaller versions at his waist.


    -"Well, there''s a death knight if I have ever seen one."


    Feeling a heated gaze on me, I moved to the next person.


    A red-headed woman, in what appeared to be a metal bra and mini skirt was glaring at me. Small flames sporadically burst into life around her, making me wonder if her clothing was due to her ability instead of a fashion statement.


    -"Sorceress? Fire mage?"


    -"Elementalist?"


    -"Could be. Or maybe she''s just a pyrotechnic."


    -"Or pyromaniac. I''d stay away from her... you might get burned...Pfft."


    OK, I take it back, Eve was worse than me.


    Noticing the odd silence, I quickly moved to the last person in the group. A black haired, or should I say fluffed, girl with large fluffy hands and a short, stubby tail. It looked like she could push claws out of her fingers if she wanted to and the white strip running down the centre of her hair and tail reminded me of a skunk, though I was sure it was something else.


    -"Beastkin. Ha, beat you to it."


    I rolled my eyes which luckily, the people in front of me couldn''t see due to my mask-like face.


    The black-haired woman looked to be in her late twenties and seemed incredibly bored as she scanned the bodies in front of her.


    ¡°So~¡± coughed the man in black, gesturing to the fifty or so corpses in front of him. ¡°You wanted to talk?¡±


    OK, so maybe using the corpses I had gathered from the advanced scouting parties to write, in huge letters, ¡®Hey, Let¡¯s talk.¡±, using half of a lizard man as the apostrophe and the other half as the comma, wasn''t the greatest of ways to start a conversation but honestly, I couldn''t think of anything else and what do you know? It seems to have worked.


    I had thought about many approaches to this problem, most of them ended up with me, or the humans dead. The majority of the rest resulted in bitter hatred for each other which in turn lead to, yep you guessed it, death.


    There were a few, like kidnapping one of their patrols and winning them over but, I didn''t have the time nor patience for that. Plus it probably wouldn''t work.


    By using the bodies of their soon to be foes, I indicated that I wanted to talk, presented myself in the open to show I meant no harm while having enough distance to escape if needed. It also meant I could approach the conversation from a position where I would avoid most of the awkward questions or require any more evidence other than the bodies on the floor. Well, to at least get them moving in the right direction.


    Having said all that, the deciding factor for me was that I didn''t want to reveal my human body. The less the humans knew, the more they would imagen and, if I provided the right stimulus, it should be in my favour.


    -"Or get us killed~."


    ¡°Please, Geoff. Look at the thing. I doubt it can understand us,¡± spat the redhead, scanning the unnaturally flattened hills around us, quite a good idea I might add, looking for any sign of a trap.


    ¡°Oh, it can spell but can¡¯t speak? Sure~,¡± muttered Geoff as he shook his head, apparently pissed that the redhead had called him out in front of me. Or maybe it was the others. I was struggling to make sense of the hierarchy in this group. They all walked in a line and no one stood out above the others.


    -"Game time," happily stated Eve. -"Don''t fuck up~."


    ¡°Oh, but I can talk, my pretty little-redheaded friend.¡±


    I almost couldn¡¯t resist the urge to laugh, the group''s eyes had gone so wide as I spoke directly into their minds.


    Talking was another thing I did not want to reveal, mainly because the Mind Breakers I had encountered could understand others through their projected thoughts and not their language, I didn''t want to appear to be any different.


    ¡°A psychic,¡± muttered the fox girl.


    ¡°Astute observation, white fox.¡±


    I grimaced in shame at my naming sense, but I needed to give the illusion that I wasn¡¯t human or understood any of their cultural connotations.


    That way I might be able to bend some of the rules in my favour, at least until they corrected me.


    ¡°Kitsune,¡± grumbled the woman before attempting to sink into the silver-fur of her mount. However, he eyes shone with curiosity as they bore into me. I knew she wanted to ask me a question but, at least compared to her companions, she seemed incredibly shy.


    The robed man opened his mouth, but I stopped what he was about to say by raising my clawed hand in a silencing gesture.


    I needed to get the ball rolling in the direction I wanted and could skip the introductions, they weren''t important to me.


    ¡°I seek to come to an agreement with your species. I will be hunting these lands and would like to avoid¡­ unnecessary unpleasantries as well as have the option to trade for items that I will find it difficult to acquire naturally.¡±


    ¡°So what do you offer in return,¡± scowled the Redhead, only just recovering from the shock of me speaking into her mind.


    Waving my arm in front of me, I indicated the corpses before them.


    ¡°I have already provided you with a most generous gift."


    I paused, enjoying the confusion on their faces.


    "I bring you, dead scouts of an advancing army, here to enslave your females and those able to do menial work, while eating the rest.¡±


    ¡°Advancing army?¡± Geoff stepped forward, imposing, black lines snaking across his body. ¡°The barrier has not fallen. We would know if it had.¡±


    ¡°And yet they are here, and you are missing two of your¡­ packs? Prides? Whatever you creatures move in, in the direction that they come from.¡±


    I nodded my head behind me.


    ¡°Whats to say you didn¡¯t kill them?¡± asked the man in robes, clearly thinking about as many possibilities as he could in the limited amount of time I had given him.


    I was somewhat impressed; technically I had killed one of the groups, well the Alpha did, I just cleaned up, so his first guess, at least the one he voiced, was pretty close.


    ¡°Nothing but the corpses of an unknown, predatory race laying at your feet and the fact that it would take me far longer than a single night to bring all of them here. Your patrols check the surroundings daily yet you have not seen me nor them before."


    He looked unconvinced. -"Clever boy~"


    "Also, even this tiny fraction of the group that approaches is still too large survive for long with the limited resources in these grasslands. Why else would they be here and is such numbers? Please don''t tell me you are as stupid as you look? I would hate to have wasted my time."


    The man was far from stupid, apparently the only one who was thinking things through, but it didn''t hurt to provoke his pride and try and lead his thoughts in a particular direction.


    My gut continued to churn. Though I considered myself above average, which wasn''t hard considering the stupidity of the human race, I felt like I was trying to be too smart and, more than likely, about to put my foot in it.


    ¡°Why help us?¡± mumbled the fox girl, her ears twitching cutely and thankfully stopping the next question of the wizard-like man.


    I was about to quote the enemy of my enemy is my friend before realising that would probably give me away.


    I let out a deep breath, which evidently must have seemed intimidating as the group backed away a couple of feet.


    ¡°I happened to come across one of your packs as they were attacked. Only one survived the fight, though she was wounded beyond saving, my curiosity lead me to remain with her while she passed.¡±


    Frowns appeared on all but the black-haired woman''s face; she was now picking her fingernails absentmindedly. A fool would think that she was an easy target or not paying attention, but by the way she stood, and her gaze wandered, I could tell she was an experienced fighter and would be the first to react to any danger.


    ¡°I believe her name was... Clore.¡±


    The black-haired woman''s eyes snapped to me. ¡°You mean Clare? So the rest are dead then?¡±


    ¡°Clare?¡±


    I made it seem as if I was testing the word.


    ¡°It could have been, the female only mentioned it once, and unique names are an unfamiliar concept to me. Yes, the others were dead."


    I resisted the urge to shrug, feeling the movement was too human as she turned her head and glared at Geoff. "I told you I needed to head back with the others."


    Deciding that they could have their fight later, I continued.


    "Clare told me that if I warned this place of the impending attack, I would be given free reign to hunt these lands without needing to remove you first. From what she said, your species is very tenacious and bothersome to deal with.¡±


    -¡±Don¡¯t you think you are going too far?¡±


    -¡±I think the dead lizards prove already that I am a threat. Let them believe that I am simply too lazy to start something with them and that I can be reasoned with."


    ¡°If you are as powerful and determined as she states, you would also act as a good buffer from annoyances. I have grown tired of the constant fighting. I simply wish to hunt in peace.¡±


    -¡±And that bit? You are even confusing me here?¡±


    -¡±Dunno, it just felt right. Actually, I don''t really feel well. I feel quite sick actually. Better get a move on.¡±


    ¡°Also,¡±


    I decided to add a bit that, at least to them, would seem to sweeten the deal.


    ¡°I will aid you when the Rakorn arrives at your den, which should be in light cycles. However, any kills I make are mine. They don¡¯t taste that great, but defiantly help the claws grow.¡±


    ¡°We will consi-¡±


    ¡°We accept,¡± Geoff interrupted the robed man. ¡°Though you will not be given access to the garrison until we are sure you can be trusted."


    He paused for a moment. "Don''t take it the wrong way; I am sure you understand that we can''t be too cautious when it comes to the protection of our own. Until your words are verified, although we won''t treat you with hostility, any act of aggression, real or suspect, will be dealt with severely."


    I chuckled, watching them flinch and deciding it was a welcome bonus.


    ¡°Good... good.¡±


    I had always wanted to say that, though I instantly regretted it as the redhead lifted a single eyebrow.


    -"Hahaha, careful oh great and mighty mastermind. She''s onto you."


    I decided to move on quickly.


    ¡°Then as a token of good will, the large brutes are their standard warriors. They are strong and fast.¡±


    I pointed to a body that I had just described, then moved onto the one next to it.


    ¡°The slimmer version, I believe they are females though I have had little desire to go digging around and they do not share the typical traits of mammals.¡±


    -"Ahh shit, I shouldn''t have called them mammals."


    Thankfully, they didn''t seem to notice as curiosity overcame the the blacked haired girl, robed man and Geoff as they took a step forward to see what I was pointing at.


    ¡°The thin ones, covered in bones are called Mind Breakers. They can talk telepathically, like me, as well as confused the mind in ways that can be deadly.¡±


    I didn¡¯t feel right about revealing this, as it seemed remarkably similar to my ability but at the same time, I needed to earn a bit of trust and when they verified this, my words should hold more weight.


    I was extremely impressed that they were suspicious of me, yet unwilling to let this opportunity pass. Their hands were never far from their weapons, and two were always overseeing me as the others examined the bodies.


    I had half expected to be attacked, coerced or even threatened, but instead, I was being treated with cautious respect. It seemed not everyone was impulsive retards.


    It felt like our talks were going to easy and that often meant that something was going to go wrong. -"Time to wrap this up and leave."


    ¡°The fat ones have¡­.¡±


    I paused, the only word I knew to describe this would potentially reveal my origins.


    ¡°The ability to control things seen and unseen. Fire is the most common, but I killed one that could use earth, so I am unsure of the extent of their abilities.¡±


    ¡°Mages,¡± grumbled black haired girl. ¡°Fucking cowards.¡±


    The robed man chuckled, his voice trying to impersonate one I had heard so long ago. ¡°Honey badger don¡¯t give a fuck about nothing... except magic.¡±


    -"Oh yeah, she looks like a honey badger... though with her attitude I think she should have gone with a cat or something."


    ¡°You starting something old man?¡± The woman''s face twisted into a snarl as her claws extended and she puffed out her chest.


    -"Or~ not. I can see the honey badger now."


    ¡°Not at all Lucy, just a casual statement with no malicious intent behind it,¡± chuckled the man as he held his hands up in mock surrender.


    Yawning, causing everyone to flinch, I stretched my body again. I had been stationary for far too long, and I disliked stressful situations.


    Slipping off the rock, my feet impacted the ground loudly and caused the group to jump back, their reaction times almost on par with my own as they drew their weapons.


    Realising that I could have done that better, I turned away from the group.


    ¡°I will return in three days.¡±


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± shouted the redhead. She had not moved closer when the others did, so I assumed she wasn¡¯t yelling in anger but because she didn''t realise my senses were so acute that I could hear her heart beating half a mile away.


    I turned my head slightly, not that I needed to, I could tell where all of them were without looking.


    ¡°Why, the hills are swarming with tasty lizards that can¡¯t be allowed to return to their kind and inform them that not only are you aware and preparing for their arrival, that a certain majestic creature gifted you this knowledge and their now dead comrades.¡±


    The fox girl opened and closed her mouth a few times before lowering her gaze, piquing my interest. -"Yep, she definitely wants to ask something."


    Without waiting for them to respond, I clenched the muscles around the seven objects in my body, squeezing the energy they contained out and into my muscles before leaving behind a small craterwhere my feet had once been.


    I felt the wind howling past me.


    Within moments I reached the intact hills and disappeared into the winding mini valleys between them, but not before taking a quick peek at the shocked expressions on the group''s faces. I guess it was pretty surprising to see a creature clear two hundred meters in less than a second.


    -¡±You just wanted to show off, didn¡¯t you? Trying to impress the Redhead? Or do you have a thing for skinny beast girls.¡±


    -¡±Nope, just making sure to put enough doubt into their minds that me being an enemy would be a terrible idea.¡±


    With glee, having resigned myself to the fate of my decision and the potential consequences, I encountered my first Rakorn scout and ended his life quickly.


    Strangely, against everything I felt I knew about myself, I was somewhat happy that I decided to help out the humans, or at least, give them a chance.


    Though I found it hard to admit and ended up making the excuse that, I had given them enough rope that, if they chose incorrectly, they would hang themselves and give me all the justification I needed to eliminate them on sight.


    -"Umm, I think its dead."


    Looking at the scattered remains of the poor Rakorn, I chuckled. -"Whoops~. Got a little carried away there."


    It was good to kill things and attempt to forget about all the obvious blunders I had made in my conversation with the humans.


    Deep down, I wanted things to work out, but at the same time, I kind of hoped they didn''t. Every single person I saw looked like they had fascinating abilities. Abilities I might be able to absorb.


    Suddenly I stopped as an obvious question hit me. -"Did they even have the authority to agree to my proposal?"

 Chapter Twenty Six (Arc 2) - The Southern Garrison

    A cold breeze blew across the newly flattened landscape, causing a shiver to run down the spines of a group of five as they continued to stare at where the strange, terrifying creature had just vanished as their minds attempted to catch up.


    They had planned for many scenarios, some peaceful while others were based on the worst possible outcomes, yet like the saying goes ''No plan survives contact with the enemy.'' they had not anticipated what had actually occurred.


    "So~." Geoff, the death knight, was the first to break from his stupor. "That was... interesting. Initial thoughts before we head back for debriefing?"


    The redhead flinched at the sound of his voice before bitting her bottom lip. "That you are fucking retarded. Next time you feel suicidal do us all a favour and do it alone, preferably where we won''t be forced to clean it up."


    Geoff chuckled, shaking his head slightly as a smile appeared on his lips. "Someone had to greet it, and after reading the reports, I couldn''t send anyone in good conscience."


    "Yet you dragged us with you?" hissed the woman, flames licking her arms as she scowled at Geoff.


    "The burden of command. I command the Southen Garrison, and you are my squad, advisors and the only people I really trust. Who else could watch my back?"


    The flames died down slightly. "Guess that''s true but I don''t see Val out here with us? Guess some are more valuable than others."


    "Plus," Geoff''s smile grew as he tried to distract the woman. "If I am going to die, why not be surrounded by beautiful wo-."


    "Ahem," coughed the robed man, trying to stop his commander from putting his foot in it. "Apart from the fact that if you complete that sentence, Val will make the rest of your life extremely short, I reluctantly have to agree with Karen on this. It was a foolish move."


    The man straightened his robes before scratching the white stubble that adorned his jawline as he displayed a puzzled expression. "Also, even if we exclude the fact that the creature saw through Ren''s illusion magic, nothing really adds up."


    "He what?" shouted the white-haired woman, her fox-like ears twitching as she finally started paying attention to the conversation. "You must be wrong William. Only mind types can distinguish between my illusions and reality, that and those with sixth senses but they just get the sensation that something is wrong."


    Nodding his head in agreement, Geoff put his hand up to calm the fox-girl, her voice was carrying over the grassy plains and this was not the place to talk about such sensitive matters. "We will talk more about it when we get back inside the barrier but for now, think about what it said."


    Ren frowned. "He could use telepathy so I guess he could be a mind type but that would go against his physical appearance and aura. The creature was most definitely a physical enhancement type. Hell, he is probably the best one I have ever seen. I don''t want to believe that there are hybrid creatures out there. That would mean that until we produce a second or third generation, which by the way will take a long time as nearly all of us women now have complete control over that sort of stuff eliminating the chance for accidents, we would be at a huge disadvantage."


    It was clear that Ren wasn''t going to drop the subject, causing Geoff to sigh noisily before gesturing for William to continue. He knew the mage would be much more discreet than him.


    "The creature was definitely something that would have attacked at the slightest provocation. It was either not threatened by its use or, more than likely from his body language, he didn''t even know we had attempted it." William''s staff lightly tapped on the grass as he turned and walked back towards the fort, motioning the others to follow. "Now, we were meant to all look like average, if a bit ugly humans. His attempt at flattering Karen was an impressive development, the mention of red hair somewhat alarming but what confirmed it was when he called you ''white fox.'' He saw through the spell without effort."


    Ren''s eyes flashed with understanding. "Ah, so he basically couldn''t have known that unless he could see through the illusion. Is that what you meant by nothing makes sense? That he did not call us out on trying to deceive him?"


    "Let''s wait until we get the all-clear before we continue. I would like to go over everything before we report to the Council and the..." He paused, irritation flickering across his features. "...others."


    The cry of a bird caused the group to look up momentarily.


    Ren raised her arm, allowing the shadow-like eagle to land before it started to dissolve and merge with her own shadow. "Good, I hate waiting. He has passed the eighth marker, and all known hostile scouts have been eliminated. Either by him or those wannabe genetic soldiers."


    "They like to be called Spartans, and I suggest you avoid antagonising them. For some reason, their mutation has dampened their emotions to varying degrees, and it makes it extremely difficult to beat them into submission," muttered Lucy as she rubbed her arm, the phantom pain of her broken arm lingering in the bone.


    Geoff pulled a small, transparent crystal from his leather pocket and placed it on his forehead. "Send out the first two divisions, they are to run interference until the defences are complete. It appears that our illusion barrier may not be as foolproof as we originally hoped."


    Chuckling, Karen rolled her eyes. "Geoff, you don''t have to speak out loud you know, just project your words. Even that white monstrosity from hell could do it."


    Ren scratched her head. "Actually, on that note. Why would an obviously predatory species be white?"


    "Could be poisonous to eat, discouraging other predators, come from a place that it would act as camouflage or," William paused. "Worst case scenario, because he has reached an apex rank and has no natural predators to fear or the need to hide while he hunts. Judging by that burst of speed that he displayed, and the fact that his insides didn''t turn to mush at the forces involved, I strongly doubt it was one of the former explanations."


    Ren sighed. "Such a confusing creature. Its aura was violent, yet gentle, pure hatred mixed with love, self-reliance yet the need for others. I wonder if all his species are the same or if he is a castoff like those that left us in the early days."


    Geoff kicked a small clump of dirt. "You say that like we didn''t evolve into multiple species. On the side of the high humans, we have the elves, dwarfs, Spartans, beastkin, and the others that chose to remain mostly human. Then you have the monsters. Vampires, werewolves, arachnids, nymphs, demons, orcs, elementals and even those muppets that call themselves gods."


    William laughed. "I think they would be pretty pissed to hear you calling them one of the monster subraces. I''ll have to remember that one next time you start shit flinging."


    "That guy who turned into the system wasn''t any better," grumbled Geoff. "I mean, he became a parasite, even if people had to willingly accept him, I don''t think any sane person would like to live inside hundreds of others."


    Ren shuddered. "Fucking creep."


    "Agreed but apparently the information shared and gained is pretty useful and he can give you detailed statistics on your body and equipment that has been blessed by him," said Lucy, though it was clear that although she had stated the benefits, she would not be taking him up on his offer.


    "William?" Geoff''s steps hesitated for a moment. "The creature was obviously interested in the girls, even slightly flirting with them. Do you think we could get one of the Succubi to try and lure him to our side? Even if his combat potential is useless, the information a native of this world would have would be amazing."


    Both Karen and Ren looked at Geoff with a disgusted expression while Lucy nodded her head. "We could always eliminate him if he is a threat after we deal with the lizardmen. A man is weakest when he is thinking with his nob."


    William shrugged. "Crude but valid point. Now that you mention it Geoff, the only conversation he had that wasn''t business was towards the Ren and Karen and his body language indicated that he was less on guard with them than us. Maybe in his species, the females are not as strong or dangerous as the males?"


    "Sexist pig," grumbled Lucy. "Letting his guard down just because we are women. I thought as much but he just seemed so inhuman, I pushed the thought aside. Next time we meet, I will show him the error of his ways."


    William chuckled. "I would avoid that if I was you. Though I say he was less on guard, he was prepared to kill us all without a moments notice. Maybe its the fact that showing outward hostility to females of his kind is akin to committing suicide?"


    Lucy snorted, not believing Williams words for a second.


    "He also saw Lucy and Geoff as the biggest threats," added Ren. "His aura indicated that he would attack her first, then go for him."


    "Hmm," William frowned. "To sum it up, we believe that we are dealing with a highly intelligent predator, capable of killing around fifty lizard men scouts, ranked at B+, with little to no problems. Due to observations, we believe he can be categorised as an argument type with mental abilities that allow him to see through illusions and gauge the threat of others and has a predisposition towards females."The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "He might be a cultivator?" interrupted Ren. "Similar to those monks in the Northen Garrison. His burst of speed was too sudden, and I sensed a similar energy coming from his muscles."


    "Compared to what?" laughed Karen. "Common sense has no place here. We have people who have turned into elements, self-proclaimed gods and god knows what else. It''s like a dream. Everything seems possible. Who knows how he moved that fast."


    "Or nightmare," spat Lucy. "Anyway, that ability looked like an inferior version of Frank''s boost. Yes, it was much faster but at the same time, the energy and control were nowhere near as good as he was. We should be careful, maybe he is like that bitch that can copy other peoples skills?"


    William sighed. "There is so much we don''t know, but I guess what we need to decide on is what we will recommend to the Council."


    The group walked silently for a moment, before Ren spoke up. "I say we create an alliance."


    She then glared at William and Geoff. "And that would mean not throwing those sluts at him. He would never trust them and anyone with a working brain cell would be put on guard, especially him. It won''t be easy to gain his trust."


    "And how would you know?" grumbled Lucy.


    "His aura," replied Ren with a smug expression. "If we provide good food and..." she hesitated. "hot water then we should create an environment he will stay with, even if only for a little bit."


    "Hot water?" the others mumbled in confusion.


    Ren could only shrug. "Don''t ask me, that''s the vibe I got from his aura."


    William frowned, during their conversation something had been bugging him, precisely over the words the creature used, but he couldn''t put his finger on it. The gnawing sensation only intensified as he crossed the forts outer barrier.


    Wincing as the quietness of the plains was blown away by the clang of stone and metal, the shouts of men and women and the occasional explosion as a mage hurled their chosen element down the firing range, William continued walking.


    "Home sweet home." Sighing loudly, Geoff was the next person through the barrier. "We really need to work out how to make smaller barriers.


    The rest of the group followed, Lucy and Ren initially recoiling before gaining control of their heightened, animalistic senses.


    Infront of them, excluding the hundreds of men and women training, was not a fort, but a stone citadel under construction. Thirty foot high walls were having the final meter long blocks of stone placed while on the multiple layers of the massive towers, the beginnings of Scorpio and catapults were starting to take shape.


    A couple of feet from the walls, nearly twenty meters wide and equally deep, was a moat filled to the brim with spikes.


    In each of the dark grey stones that made the wall, strange runic writing glowed in a variety of colours as a few robed women placed their hands on them, standing on unstable looking scaffolding and chanted seemingly nonsensical words.


    To the outside world, beyond the barrier, the area looked like nothing more than a small town however that was just an illusion.


    While the Southern Garrison had been considered to having the lowest importance, thus only getting a fraction of the resources the other three and the capital had been allocated, now that there was a threat, the Council was sparing no effort in bringing it up to par with its sibling cities.


    A massive explosion drew their attention momentarily, a small crater surrounded by hastily erected mud walls smouldered in the distance.


    "Looks like the mines will be ready on time, though they still seem a bit unstable?" muttered Ren, a disapproving look appearing on her face. "A lot of innocent creatures could be killed by them."


    The group started moving towards the enormous gates.


    "I agree with Ren, we should ally or at least come to a friendly agreement with the creature. Though it has provided no new information, it has saved us from risking our forward squads in eliminating the hostile scouts and, from the few prisoners we have taken, it seems that he is having a negative impact on their morale." William attempted to get the conversation back on track while they could still speak freely.


    "Is the enemy of my enemy my friend, or my enemy?" muttered Geoff.


    "Having said that," William continued. "My skin didn''t stop tingling while we were with it. Most of us have developed some kind of threat detection, the ''sixth sense'' being the most common but that is only triggered due to the intent of another to cause harm."


    "It always confuses me that we have developed into similar groups instead of completely unique beings," said Karen to no one in particular. "Maybe the other species will have similar traits making this a lot easier?"


    Ren tilted her head as her ape-like mount avoided a pothole, ignoring Karen as an idea popped into her head. "I could always see if I could tame him?"


    William looked at her with suspicious eyes. "So trying to get him to fall in love with a lust demon is out of the question but for you to use your ability to control his thoughts is fine?"


    Ren huffed. "I don''t control their thoughts. We become friends and work together. They can break it off at any point if they think I am being unfair."


    "Mmmhmm," grumbled William, not that he disagreed with her methods but because she was so quick to shoot anything that he proposed and ignored the similarities to his own ideas.


    "Anyway, even though I have never used my ability on projected thoughts before, those mind types being slightly defensive when I asked if I could experiment with their abilities, it appears everything the creature said was the truth, though a very loose version of it. He should be somewhat trustworthy and if we ignore his appearance, the first meeting was very positive."


    Geoff looked over his shoulder, back to the hills in the distance. ¡°You mean like when it said that they would arrive in the next three days when our reports say two?¡±


    "What direction was he heading in?" chuckled William. "If I were a betting man, I would say that the main force will be moving much more cautiously now that their scouts have been eliminated and being stalked by something that obviously enjoys the hunt. It wouldn''t surprise me if System ranked him as an SS level threat."


    "Rank SS?" Lucy did not look amused. "You are saying he is stronger than me?"


    "Stronger is a vague concept. While I am pretty sure you could overpower the creature regarding raw strength, something tells me that even if we were to gang up on it there and attack, we might as well dig our own graves."


    Lucy tucked a strand of her black hair behind her ear as she glared at the mage, carts of wood and stone appearing from a guarded portal nearby, originating from the Northen Garrison, all but ignored.


    "My intuition is something I have great pride in. It rarely lead me wrong on Earth and now..." William paused. "It''s almost like a kind of foresight, though nothing near the same level as Val."


    Geoff nodded. "Two in favour, Lucy? Karen? We need to give our recommendation to the council then get back to the grindstone. We don''t have much time to prepare."


    "Don''t you mean your recommendation. You are the garrison commander after all," snarled Lucy. "You just want to share the blame if you make the wrong choice."


    "Or, he just wants to have the advice of his most trusted friends," sighed William. "High risk, high reward. If we can nurture good terms with the first ''peaceful'' interaction, excluding the lizard corpses, with another species, we could gain so much."


    "We already know what your thoughts are Old Man," grumbled Lucy. "Let me fight it, and if it wins, it is worthy."


    "Decline its offer but keep things civil. We don''t need its help or know anything about it. If it wants to hunt in peace, as long as it doesn''t harm humans, I say let it hunt," said Karren in a solemn voice.


    "OK, so, Two for, one abstains and one neutral against,"


    "Hey! I did not abstain!" roared Lucy.


    "Its called a filter Lucy. Stupid ideas get removed before we make idiots of ourselves," chuckled Geoff. "Maybe you should apply it to your own thoughts once in a while."


    Ren waved her hand in front of her, trying to blow away some of the dust originating from a geomancer creating mud golems nearby. "Geoff, just make sure to tell them that we must not antagonise this creature at all. His aura may be conflicted, but it''s clear that he would not forgive, nor forget. We don''t want an enemy like him."


    Karen laughed, at the fox girls words. "Sounds like the perfect man for Lucy. Maybe we should set them up. Let them exhaust all of that aggression... hopefully far away from the fort. No one should be forced to listen to Lucy''s angry sex sessions."


    "Fuck off," spat Lucy as the others joined in. "That thing didn''t even have a dick."


    "It did have a bulge though, indicating something could be under that armour of his?" sniggered Karen.


    "The fact that you looke-" The laughter abruptly stopped as Geoff''s world span before he hit the floor, feeling as if he had been hit by a truck.


    Trying to gain his senses, he sat up only to be grabbed by his leather armour and hauled to his feet.


    Geoff swallowed hard as he came face to face with his assaulter. "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?"


    The angry face of a raven-haired woman, her entirely black eyes and marble-like skin standing in striking contrast to each other, glared back.


    Ever since walking into the kill zone of the creature and sensing the threat it represented, Geoff had been dreading this moment. "Val, Wa-"


    "Don''t you Val me." snarled the woman as she pushed Geoff, sending him staggering backwards. The whole scene would have seemed extremely strange as Val was extremely thin while Geoff looked like some sort of bodybuilder in comparison, but to everyone present, they knew that the weak looking woman had held back. ¡°Do you know how many times I had to witness visions of your death in less than five minutes? Do you? I know this world is fucked up, and it''s only going to get worse but for the love of god, play Russian roulette or something next time, you made it through that by the skin of your teeth. You swore to me when we got together that you wouldn''t take unnecessary risks.¡±


    Soldiers and builders alike hurried from the surrounding area, not wanting to be caught up in the woman''s wrath because they knew exactly who she was, even if many had never seen her before.


    The woman that was currently twisting the Southen Garrison''s commander''s arm was the fifth strongest ranked human. Val the immortal.


    ¡°My death?¡± Geoff stuttered, confused by her words. He knew that Vel could see possibilities of the future for those she held dear, but although he sensed danger during the meeting with the creature, he never felt that he was close to losing his life.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she screamed, now hugging him, her attitude changing faster than the wind. The scene looked comical, but beside Karen, everyone was making sure be focusing on something else. William and Ren even looked like they were about to make a run for the nearby gate in case things turned sour.


    With Geoff''s sense of humour, it wasn''t exactly a rare occurrence and they quickly learned to get out of the crossfire.


    Geoff hugged the woman back and tried to lighten the mood, though thankfully he decided to be somewhat tactful. ¡°Haha, its OK. I know you would avenge me if the worst happened.¡±


    ¡°Ha,¡± the woman didn¡¯t seem to find it reassuring, and instead squeezed him tighter. ¡°At least I wouldn¡¯t have been far behind you I suppose.¡±


    The five of them paled as if they had seen a ghost. Though Val hadn''t openly said it, she all but confirmed that if she were to face the creature, she would lose her life. If that was the case, what hope did they have?


    Just how much had they underestimated the creature?


    Val straightened, using her hands to force Geoff back as she looked him in the eyes. ¡°Geoff promise me, you must never fight that man. Never. If he demands that you lay down and kiss his feet, you will do it.¡±


    Geoff frowned, along with the others. ¡°What man?¡±


    "The one covered in a shell of bone without a face?" During Val''s many visions, she had seen some possibilities, even some in which the creature had taken considerable damage and as such, had seen what was under the exoskeleton. "Promise me, Geoff. Not only for your sake but for the rest of us. Though he was once human, his humanity is gone. He is an abomination in human skin that we must not anger until we are stronger. He makes the two devils look like children throwing tantrums."


    For the second time that day, the group stood in stunned silence.

 Chapter Twenty Seven (Arc 2) - The Cult of the White Hunter

    Clouds rolled over the red moon, the blue, Earth-like planet hovering on the horizon. The light breeze and the occasional insect noise the only things to break the near deafening silence.


    At least they were.


    A shrill scream erupted through the night air, and the moment it faded, dark silhouettes burst into life, snaking towards one of the winding hills bathed in the warm, orange glow of fires in the distance.


    One of these figures, a young, black-cloaked Rakorn, stumbled around the foot of a large hill, nearly losing his balance as he recklessly ran for his life, having discarded his weapons and anything that might slow him down.


    His name was Meken, a warrior of his people and follower of the Sun Deity, Amork. A religion that saw retreat as one of the greatest shames they could suffer, yet on this night he, along with the rest of his war party, ran.


    Just ahead of him, not even twenty meters away, another Rakorn was running, as if Death himself was on his heels, his tattered cloak revealing a large, claw-like gash on his chest that was bleeding profusely.


    The hunters had become the hunted, yet this was not a situation where the weakest would be devoured while the rest could retreat and recover.


    This was an extermination.


    They had come seeing the new species, to capture samples and to put them in their place but what they had found, was a true monster.


    No mercy.


    No honour.


    No respite.


    For nearly two and a half days their numbers had dwindled, yet instead of being exhausted, like any creature that exerted itself for long periods of time, the beast continued its slaughter with clinical precision.


    "Whether a King or a road sweeper, everyone gets to dance with the Grim Reaper." The words that had invaded every member of the Warband''s minds days ago echoed in the young Rakorns head.


    Though they did not understand some of the words, like King, road or Grim Reaper, the emotional intent sent alongside the foreign words was clear.


    Mindcrafter, warrior, elemental, male or female, young or old, Karn or serf. No one was safe.


    Meken wanted to call out to his comrade ahead, as there was safety in numbers and as he was already wounded he would likely draw the predator''s attention first, but he couldn''t get enough air into his lungs to shout and so, stumbled behind him as fast as his weary legs could carry him.


    Lucky, as a Rakorn, Meken didn''t need to blink often, or he would have missed what happened next.


    In a fraction of a second, just as a shadow passed over the red moon, momentarily blocking out the eerie purplish light, a blur smashed into the Rakorn ahead, sending him tumbling behind a hill and out of sight.


    The exhausted Rakorn slid to a halt, unintentionally giving him a few moments to catch his breath, as the blood-curdling screams of his kin echoed in the hills around him.


    He knew there was nothing he could do besides try to live through this nightmare. He didn¡¯t have the time to worry about anyone else.


    They had tried so many times to saved those taken only to realise that the reason they made any sound at all, instead of being instantly killed, was that it wanted them to scream.


    It wanted them to fear it. Fear the death it brought and, feared the creature they did.


    A new word, that the creature had introduced when it first announced its intent to them, had entered the Rakorn vocabulary.


    Reaper. One that brings death and fear.


    And so, the creature was named, as only the most worthy of foes were.


    The White Reaper.


    After what felt like forever, but only had been a few dozen seconds, the silence once again descended on the plains.


    However, just like before, it didn''t last.


    A howl-like roar, a mix between a dire wolf, crawler and, though they didn¡¯t know of such a being, a dragon, caused Meken''s heart to beat furiously.


    Meken¡¯s bones felt like they were vibrating in his chest at the intensity of the howl, as he made a ninety-degree turn that would have made even the fastest of Rakorn impressed, and sprinted towards a trench that he had spotted in the dim light. -"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit. That was too close."


    It had only been a couple of hours since the war party had separated from the main force, who were due to reach the human settlement tomorrow, so they could eliminate the threat that had been stalking them from the shadows.


    The jubilant atmosphere that they were about to surprise a fledgeling species had all but evaporated. Not only were their brothers and sisters being killed without honour, none of the scouts they had sent ahead had returned.


    Initially, they had believed this was the Reaper''s doing, but something didn''t feel right. A monster of this level should not have been inside the barrier, and the War band had lost contact with the group that had been waiting with the captives, as they couldn''t pass the barrier until it fell.


    Luckily, their scouts had reported a small settlement before losing contact with the Mindcrafters, or this whole expedition would have been in serious trouble. Even now, due to the losses suffered, the elders would probably strip the Karn of his title and position.


    Meken swallowed, his dry, cracked throat feeling like it was bleeding. -"That''s if any of us make it back."


    Night and day their forces had been terrorised by the vicious, White Reaper, that refused to fight honourably. -"It''s just like that damn cult. I wouldn''t be surprised if they tried to tame the damned thing."


    At first, it had picked off scouts and lone sentries, however, it soon moved onto the weak, injured or old. Then, against all Rakorn understanding, it started attacking the most powerful and capable, eliminating them within the blink of an eye before, seemingly, playing with the subordinates that had seen the act.


    Tonight, half of their warriors had stayed behind to ambush their pursuer in an attempt to bring down the despicable creature and secure their path home.


    Though they were confident that as long as they moved in large groups, that the Rakorn Warband would return relatively unscathed, in the chaos of battle to come, if the Reaper attacked their rear while they were dealing with the humans, it could inflict incredible casualties.


    Not only that but their return would undoubtedly be slower due to the loot, captives and wounded. Each one a deadly liability if they are being hunted.


    That wasn''t the only reason.


    Being territorial creatures themselves, they understood that this was far more than just seeking substance. They had invaded its territory and so until they left, and maybe even after that, the Reaper would not stop.


    At first, it seemed the beast was killing for survival, eating the majority of the corpses but that thought quickly changed once they realised it appeared to be hunting for sport. It almost felt like it was practising on them. Like a newborn Rakorn in his first few trials.


    Meken grit his teeth as he ran. The thought that this was nothing more than a newborn terrified him. Just what had they provoked?


    It was at this point that they had sent out death squads, elite parties of four Rakorn, to hunt down this rabid creature, however, that only made the situation worse.


    In the early hours of yesterday morning, the signs of a Thunder Rakorn using his ability drew in the surrounding squads.


    One of the few survivors that made it back to camp, carrying the severed, bone-like arm of the creature, told a terrifying tale.


    It was of an unstoppable, self-regenerating monster that tore through the warriors, caused the mindcrafters to fall dead, blood pouring from their eyes as their abilities backlashed, as it shrugged off any type of magic they had thrown at it.


    They had managed to injure it, or the Thunder Rakorn had, blasting a hole so big into its chest that it lost its arm, but that had only infuriated it. From that moment on, the Rakorn''s numbers had started to plummet.


    "Fucking cowards, couldn''t even finish the job." Meken spat as his lungs burned for air, though he did not hold any hatred for the Thunder Rakorn that severed the arm, or those that had chosen to dishonour themselves by showing their back to their foe, he couldn''t help but curse them for not pushing the advantage while the creature was weakened.


    Within hours, survivors from the rearguard started pouring in, telling similar, harrowing tales, though without causing any significant damage to the beast. It seemed that it had become even more cunning and dangerous after its injury, taking no risk as it confused, eliminated and then devoured the Rakorn.


    It soon became clear that the creature was attempting to cut off their retreat, a move that the Karn of the Warband could not allow.


    With the theory that if they could remove an arm, and cause the creature to bleed, it could be killed, a daring plan had been put in place, and the Rakorn forces had split.


    One would eliminate the human warriors, taking their non-combatants prisoner, while the other would remove the threat from behind then join up with their Karn.


    Most of the terror and mindcrafter squads had been sent towards the humans, their tactics and abilities were ill equipped to deal with the Reaper as the ambushing force dug in and prepared.


    Tunnel systems, trenches and lookouts on the highest hills had been set up, creating a vast interconnected network in which it was believed the Rakorn could react quick enough to overwhelm the creature, tearing it limb from limb until it could no longer regenerate if need be. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    In their minds, they prepared themselves.


    No matter the cost, the beast would die.


    Meken shuddered. That was the plan. However, the network of tunnels and trenches turned out to be more suited to their foe and quickly became deathtraps.


    The creature could move along walls, ceilings with incredible, terrifying grace, twisting its body into positions that looked impossible as it burrowed through the soil and stone like a high-level Earth Rakorn.


    In the confined space, where they could not use the most powerful of their weapons or spells, it was nothing more than a one-sided slaughter.


    By the time the majority of the ambush force realised that they had in fact, created a clear path to small, scattered groups of their troops and tried to consolidate on high ground, it was too late.


    As if their strategy had given the beast insight, it burst from the ground, dragging many to their deaths in the dark tunnels if it not outright massacring those in the immediate vicinity.


    The Reaper''s adaptability was incredible and, in a way only a Rakorn would understand, the fear they felt was accompanied by a grudging respect.


    Not that it would help them.


    Entire hills had been dyed in the dark blue blood of the Rakorn yet, those that followed the Rakorn Deities did not falter, only sending runners to alert the Warband to the dire situation and the true threat the creature represented.


    None of them made it, the mindcrafters shaking their heads and cursing the empty hills in front of them as they felt the connection to the runners flicker and then fade into nothingness.


    They were alone. There was no way that the Karn would even suspect such a large force to succumb to a single creature, at least that is what the seers and mindcrafters had identified, and so, until he had dealt with the humans, they couldn''t even begin to hope for reinforcements.


    They had made a grave mistake, assuming the creature was a simple, semi-intelligent beast.


    What a crushing mistake that had been.


    The creature was highly intelligent, calculating and above all, it seemed to delight in the terror it generated. Almost to the point that it was considered that it might be rabid though no one could argue against that fact that its attacks were far too coordinated for one to lose themselves to the blood rage.


    Still, they had a job to do, and through communication and willpower, they tried to hold on and support each other as best as they could.


    It was as the sun was setting that the Rakorn realised that the cries for help, that they had slain the beast, or reinforcements coming from nearby were false. The Reaper was once again playing in their heads


    When the Reaper realised that they had discovered his ploy and he would not be getting any more small groups to leave the well-defended hills, he started whispering to them individually.


    Through false sound and visions, slowly all order began to break down and, a couple of hours after the sun had forsaken them, the first hill went dark. Their elemental mage that had been creating a bright, white light, dead.


    As the light was extinguished, the screams of pain, terror and despair assaulting them from every direction, the remaining captains made their decision. If they waited, they would never see another daybreak.


    Although it took some convincing, especially from those who worshipped Amork, the terror and exhaustion of the day ensured that within half an hour, they were all ready.


    It wasn''t much of a plan.


    They would rely on their numbers and flee towards the nearest supply camp. It should have provisions for a siege, hardened earth as a base and wards and shields to defend them.


    They all knew that, due to their strength and speed, the captains and high ranks were planning on using the regular soldiers to slow them down, but it didn''t matter. It was a chance and, in the end, from all the bodies Meken had passed, it seemed the Reaper was more interested in them than the regular soldiers. -"Serves them right."


    Half tripping, half diving the Rakorn dove into the trench, knowing that it was a risky gamble and he would only be able to stay there until he caught his breath.


    The earth was the monsters domain, then again, so was the hills around him. It seemed only the sky was safe and he cursed his ancestors for not having winged Rakorn blood.


    Meken landed in a dark blue, lumpy puddle. The nearly unrecognisable remains of what appeared to be a Death squad littering the trench.


    Hissing in disgust, Maken quickly crouched, feeling for the slightest vibration in the soil indicating that something was approaching as he gasped in the precious air.


    He was so close, he could almost smell the magical wards of the supply camp.


    He shuffled his feet, impatient to move yet knowing that if he obeyed his instincts, he would not recover enough to make it in a single dash, even if the area should be safe for a moment.


    The creature never seemed to remain in one spot, using hit and run tactics so, although the most recent attack was close, he felt he should be safe for a small amount of time.


    -"That is if I am not the last."


    Another scream, this time much higher pitched, indicating that a female had been caught, broke the unnatural silence causing Meken to curse. "Helok damn it."


    Deep down, while he was glad it wasn''t him, he was enraged that he couldn''t do anything but run like a spinless gecko when his kin were being slaughtered.


    "Run boy, run~."


    The terrifying, yet in tune, voice echoed from everywhere and nowhere at the same time, and before it had even ended, Meken was over the top of the trench and sprinting towards the light in the distance.


    He knew that voice entailed. It haunted his waking moments, always at the edge of his consciousness since he had first heard it and, much to his despair, he knew what it meant.


    He was next.


    After running, for what seemed like forever, a crooked, tooth filled smile appeared on Mekok''s face as he felt the sense of dread that had been enveloping him, diminish. -"The distance I have travelled, this should be the supply camp. I just need to get to the centre, and I will be safe. I will live to fight another day~."


    However, his relief vanished as the voice returned, this time in a feminine tone. "This world is not meant for you~."


    Pushing his body to the limits, he continued on at an incredible speed, his insides twisting as he burnt his life energy. He didn''t care.


    Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a female Rakorn running in the opposite direction and silently prayed she would distract the beast.


    He knew it wasn''t a noble thought, but neither was dying unknown and unremembered. He was meant to fall on the battlefield, bathed in glory and in honour to his people and the yellow deity, Amork.


    A tingling sensation seeped down his spine, and he activated his inherited ability, shadow step. Instinctually Meken knew that if he didn''t, he would die.


    He prayed that he was close enough to the camp as, when his skill ended, the backlash would disable him for an hour or so.


    The world turned grey, and his body became incorporeal as five razor-sharp, serrated claws passed through his body.


    "Tsk, that''s an interesting ability."


    "That will teach you for playing with our food, that could have been useful."


    Ignoring the voices as he gasped at how close he had been to death, it seemed as time accelerated for Meken as he exploded towards the supply camp, appearing in front of the outer row of fires, just inside the exterior wards.


    Colour returned to the world as he collapsed to the floor, his muscles refusing to respond to his commands.


    He was so close. He doubted that the outer wards would be enough to repel the Reaper but a whistle nearby, and the sight of many, scaled feet, made him want to scream out in joy.


    He was safe.


    "He''s alive, Master Hunter" hissed a voice that, to the exhausted Raken, was comforting even if it did carry a hard edge.


    Something at the back of the Rakorns mind squirmed in unease, but he was too tired to think about it and put it down to the decrease in fight stimulant in his bloodstream, now the threat was over.


    "Good, take him to the others. We must leave before sunrise."


    Another voice, this one aged with time fell upon Meken''s ears. -"Yes, let us leave this place. I would prefer to be anywhere but here."


    Two Rakorns, wearing white cloaks, manhandled their fallen comrade, lifting him uncomfortably by the arms and started dragging him to the hilltops centre, where a massive fire roared.


    Confusion raged the the Rakorn''s mind.


    This was no way to treat the warrior cast, this level of disrespect was reserved for slaves. It was at that moment his lolling head saw the centre of the camp, and his blood ran cold.


    In front of the roaring fire, stood a makeshift altar with the white, bone-like arm, still connected to a portion of its shoulder, of the Reaper.


    Yet the sight of the limb from the creature that had killed hundreds if not over a thousand of his kind wasn''t what terrified him, it was the dozen or so kinsmen that had been tied up and gagged on the floor.


    Releasing a hiss, he struggled. However, it just made the two carrying him chuckle. "It''s a shame. This one shows the White Hunter''s spirit. The others gave up pretty quickly."


    An old, hunched Rakorn stepped before the altar and raised his hands into the air. "Brothers and sisters of the Hunt, we are blessed to be the first to witness our deities physical embodiment and be part of his majestic hunt."


    Cheer-like hisses erupted from the edges of the circle.


    "The White Hunter has not only returned but chosen to test us in both our faith and in the ways of the hunt." the old Rakorn continued.


    "The hunter or the hunted." chanted the other Rakorn as all but the two holding the incapacitated lizardman, fell to their knees, their bodies shaking with excitement.


    "We must return to our cities and prepare for the White Hunter''s arrival, removing the filth and corruption that has marred our once glorious race." Cheers of approval rippled through the ungagged. "but to do that, we need to show that we are hunters, followers of the ways of the immortal white one. We must make a sacrifice to show that we are not weak of heart. We must spill the blood of ''prey''."


    "The hunter or the hunted." echoed the others.


    "We hunt, and thus, we kill. We have gathered the unbelievers here as an offering to the White Hunter. Hoping to appease his anger and hunger so that we may fulfil our role in the great circle of life."


    The two Rakorn dragged their prisoner, Meken, towards the altar, even as he started to regain the use of some of his muscles and twitched his body in a vague attempt to resist.


    He knew enough about the Cult of the White Hunter. He knew what was coming.


    There were three main religions of the Rakorn. The first was that of the sun deity, Amork. Warmth, affection, pride and honour. Most of the warrior cast followed in his teachings.


    Then there was the dark deity Thelsia. Cold, logical, judge of the dead and the wife of Amork. Mindcrafters and Elementalists commonly followed her as she favoured knowledge over strength.


    The last, was the White Hunter. His name had been lost when he fell to the mortal plane, having plunged into despair when his love, Thelsia had chosen his brother Amork causing him to literally rip out the parts of himself that made him weak.


    He turned into something less than a god, but more than a mortal. Hunting down those who reminded himself of his past weakness.


    The cult had by far, the smallest following. Its members often succumbing to their own mantra ''the strong eat the weak'' and devastating power struggles that were internally encouraged, making them extremely unstable. That being said, they were by far the most powerful of the religions, even the fledgeling followers were highly skilled in the art of war, combat and displayed cunning, seemingly dishonourable tendencies that the other faiths frowned upon. To them, the only dishonour was defeat, and the end always justified the means.


    Due to this, they were often shunned. Only openly accepted in times of war or great turmoil, so to see so many gathered in one place, was shocking. Not that Meken was worried about that as he watched the glimmer of the polished bone knife appearing in his peripheral as it swept towards his neck.


    "No" he managed to force a whisper of complaint, his body still refusing to move, causing the old Rakorn holding the knife to smile. "You should have joined our order, brother. Even when all hope is lost, you still fight. It is a shame that you are nothing more than the hunted."


    With a sudden grace, the bone was drawn across the Meken''s throat, blue blood pouring from the wound as his eyes darted about, looking for any chance of salvation even though it was hopeless.


    Within moments, his eyes started to dull as his body convulsed, shutting down.


    Meken''s thoughts were of pure shock. He had survived the Reaper, only to be killed by his own kind. Darkness enveloped him as he cursed the White Hunter and his followers, praying that the Reaper would come for them.


    Turning around and picking up the white arm, the red flesh inside hissing ominously as it died, only to be dissolved by the living remains, the old lizard lifted it into the air. "Spill the blood of the others, We return this holy artefact to our temple. Let no one stand in our way."


    Cheers erupted into the night, however surprisingly the old man''s voice carried over it almost magically. "Oh great White Hunter, see our sacrifice and be satisfied. We will forever follow your trail and purge the world of the weak and foolish."


    Little did the Cultists of the White Hunter know that everything they had done was pointless. The Rakorn that they had just killed assumption, that the Reaper would not attack the camp was correct.


    The one they had bestowed the title upon was, after losing his arm, more cautious than ever and had decided to opt for easier pray, trailing the fleeing lizard woman and was already a couple of miles away.

 Chapter Twenty Eight (Arc 2) - Cognitive dissonance (Part one)

    As the first rays of sunlight peeked over the horizon, bathing the lower half of the grey clouds in an orange hue, Al silently navigated the grassy hills, stalking his prey.


    Flinching as a flicker of white appeared in his peripheral, Al ground his teeth.


    He had been forcefully heightening his senses; however, just like the countless times before, the thing that had startled him was nothing more than the new, ivory-white exoskeleton that had regrown after being ripped from his body.


    Though he was relieved that his arm had grown back, it reminded Al of his perceived near-death experience with the lightning lizard.


    Ever since their fight, which in reality was only two attacks, Al getting hit by the elemental Rakorn''s lightning bolt and Al promptly ripping the lizard limb from limb, starting with his head, Al had been on high alert and had pushed his body and mind to their limits.


    Fortunately for him, though it was incredibly annoying, more often than not, whatever his senses alerted him to turned out to be a false alarm.


    -"We are going to need some downtime after this," said Eve, making sure to give Al the sensation that she was about to speak before actually doing it.


    Though she didn''t quite understand why Al had become extremely jumpy, they had not only survived but discovered how to combine two of their abilities, she knew it was down to the physiological impact that the attack and losing a limb had and so, believed that time would solve the issue.


    However, if Al or the situation didn''t change soon, she would have to act.


    It had been a little over twenty-four hours since the fight, and she could already feel their nerves fraying and the occasional muscle spasms that rippled across their body.


    Al hissed in irritation at the offending appendage, which was the leading cause of the false alarms due to the stark contrast between the regrown areas and the rest of his body. While the new parts of his shell were strong, well coloured and slightly flexible, the rest of it, at least the bits that were not hidden by gore or dirt, had become discoloured and brittle.


    Theoriginal areas were covered with small, white hairline fractures, looking similar to a network of spider webs, chips and large gashes that Al had consciously stopped himself from repairing in an attempt to improve his control over the ability.


    The wear and tear the last few days had taken on his body did not stop there.


    For nearly every single one of Al''s claws and spikes, entire sections had been replaced at different times, making his exoskeleton seem mismatched in colour, texture and appearance, breaking up his silhouette as the grime provided a small amount of camouflage for his large, white frame.


    It was through analysing the different states of his shell that Al realised that his exoskeleton had somewhat of a time limit. Instead of strengthening with age, as he expected, it weakened.


    He guessed that this was because once the white liquid left his body and hardened, excluding the soft bone-like muscles that enabled him to move his tail, that it was dead and so, could not maintain its condition like his body.


    That and even the best armour, no matter the material, would be falling apart after the beating Al had been through.


    Though he couldn''t recall how many Rakorn he had killed, the huge amount didn''t mean it had been easy.


    They were aggressive, intelligent and, depending on if they were the slim magic types of the larger brawlers, extremely crafty.


    The lightning bolt had been the worst attack that had landed, but there had been a few other close calls and many glancing blows that had highlighted the point that he wasn''t invincible.


    -"On the upside, being covered in filth makes stalking our prey much easier," hummed Eve, trying to distract Al for a bit as his brooding thoughts were heading back to dark places. -"Did you even think about how we would keep a low profile during the adaptation stage? Anyone would think you wanted to be seen?"


    He didn''t respond, his mind refusing to be easily distracted, so she decided to try a different approach and make a joke. -"We could have just put a bell around our neck like those animals you call cats instead if you wanted to give our prey an advantage? That or have gone for a neon pink. I think we would look good in pink."


    Al swerved to the right, one hand touching the ground to keep his balance at the sudden change in momentum, and increasing his speed. After a few hundred feet, he slowed down and veered back to the left having successfully avoided a warren of Spike Hounds.


    Though he didn''t consider them much of a threat anymore, due to their instincts they took a more effort to sneak up on and Al didn''t want to lose his target.


    A large chunk of the spike that extended from the back of his right elbow fell off from the rapid deceleration, causing Al to frown.-"Maybe I should shed my exoskeleton? It''s not like it takes long to regenerate if I combine that speed skill with my healing ability."


    -"You''re joking right?" replied Eve''s angry voice, trying to ignore the fact that if he was paying enough attention to avoid the Spike Hounds, then he was ignoring her earlier. -"You do realise that amount of energy that skill needs? Or the biomass we must convert? And it''s even worse when we combine the speed skill we gained from that human and your natural regeneration."


    -"Yes, it is incredibly fast, but the cost is almost three times as much as when we use them separately. We already lose a huge amount of energy breaking down, digesting and then melding our foodinto our body. That also ignores the energy cost to break it back down to be used when needed. Though we can store a lot in a very compact form, it is much harder to utilise. If we continue like this, we will end up starving to death while gorging on a mountain of food."


    -¡±Hmm? Where were you when I needed an accountant? Well, at least it will stop us getting fat. No matter how much I eat, I never seem to get full. I am just concerned about how brittle it is.¡±


    Eve''s anger significantly diminished as Al seemed to be returning to his old self.-"Or by using it needlessly, we won''t have enough when we get into trouble, which could lead to our deaths.


    -"We have already been over this. After this we deal with the lizards and see if the humans will uphold their end of the deal, we will find somewhere that is safe, and we can ''shed'' and generate a new one. It will only take us a few hours, and we need the rest anyway,"huffed Eve.


    Releasing a faint rumble from his chest, irritated that Eve was right, Al continued to skirt the nearest hill, using his enhanced senses to keep track of the Rakorn he was pursuing while remaining out of sight.


    This wasn¡¯t his standard tactic when engaging enemies, and he had quickly learnt that it would never be one of his favourites, but something about the female Rakron had put him on edge and had stopped him attacking when he had caught up with her.


    That was coupled with the caution of almost getting incinerated by lightning, so he was even more hesitant to jump into something he didn''t understand.


    Al didn''t want to take any chances.


    -"Uh huh. Just like that ghost Lizard that you played with until it escaped. Turned into mist right before our eyes and our claws just passed through it. Totally wasn''t taking any chances like toying with him, " teased Eve. She was still irritated that they had lost the chance to potentially gain a very powerful ability but the way Al was going, they would get him eventually.


    Eve''s real problem was why Al was playing with, what she considered, his food.-"I don''t get why you still desire interaction with others so severely. It is not like we are alone. We have each other. Maybe we should look into getting a pet or finding another island of trees, that is home to some wolves or sentient animals, and claim it as our territory?"


    Al resisted the urge to growl, not wanting to give away his position, and decided to focus on trying to solve the puzzle of why this female Rakorn troubled him so much instead of responding.


    The female was smaller, much smaller, than the ones he had previously encountered, with a slim snout and greeny-blue eyes. The oval sand coloured scales that represented the Rakorn''s belly, that ended just under her chin, highlighting her utterly flat chest, accentuating the many differences between her species and humans.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    -"Maybe it''s because she is a reptile. Even though she has a humanoid shape, that wouldn''t be a reason to develop characteristics more common in mammals."


    The only sign that she was a female from her species at a glance, excluding the difference in muscle mass and sharper features, was that she was missing a, what most males would consider vital, body part between her legs. In that regard, if you ignore the lack of hair and the scales, Male Rakorn were strikingly similar to most men.


    Eve sniggered. -"So the first thing you analyse is the lack of boobs and then if she has a dick or not? Pervert."


    -"I am regretting our little talks between hunts." A warm feeling, commonly used when Eve was trying to make him feel better or apologising washed over Al as she went silent.


    Even though Eve could recall his memories as if they were her own, she didn''t want to let him know that she had that ability due to his extreme paranoia. The conversations were the perfect alibi in case she ever slipped up and revealed something she shouldn''t.


    Even if she was bored out of her mind.


    Al continued recalling what he had learnt about the Rakorn, hoping that he would spot something he had missed as, without more information, he would be forced to take the risky approach and attack or let her go.


    Unlike the other Rakorn''s he had seen, with black, grey and in the case of the ones that could manipulate the elements, red, blue and green scales, the scales that covered the female''s body had a green-sandy camouflage tint to them, a slightly darker tone than her stomach and chest.


    Though she was different from the rest of her kind that Al had encountered, seemingly built for stealth, that wasn''t what had attracted his attention in the first place. It was the small bundle of rags that she clung to as if her life depended on it.


    Al dropped to all fours, using the added traction to sidestep one of the many traps that had been placed by the Rakorn in their failed ambush, before returning to his feet.


    The movement reminded Al of one of his early false assumptions. He had thought that the naked creatures, only covered by coloured cloaks that seemed to indicate their status, would revert to four limbs like their Earth counterparts, something that he found more and more comfortable, but it appeared that their joints couldn''t hand the angles needed.


    Al sighed and shook his head slightly, taking a calming breath. -"In some ways, they feel more human than I am."


    -"You say that like its a bad thing," mused Eve. She found it confusing that on one hand, Al wanted to become something greater than a human but on the other, seemed like he was sad as that it was happening.


    Eve had learnt to ignore such statements but at the moment, she was willing to make any sort of conversation.


    There was only so many times you could watch someone stalk, kill and then eat a lizard, even for a former ''dumb'' parasite.


    While Eve continued to get smarter, absorbing the knowledge from Al and having an abundance of energy, it was actually starting to become a hindrance as she required more and more stimulation, mainly because all she could do was think while watching Al do his thing which primarily consisted of killing, eating or on the rare occasion, sleeping.


    Eve had the suspicion that he was trying to distract himself from something, but even with the ability to read his thoughts and memories, she couldn''t work out what it was.


    Well, if she really wanted to, she could do other things like control parts of their body but that was something she was extremely reluctant to do.


    Even though after their attempted separation, Al had accepted her, it was still early days and she could sense that if she were to overstep her bounds, they would be right back at the beginning or possibly something worse.


    Suddenly Al changed the direction he was moving in and, on all fours, scaled the nearby hill, reachingthe summit at such a speed that he shot over the top, arched in the air and, after a fraction of a second, that almost looked like he was hovering, plummeted downwards.


    The Rakorn warrior, who had been trying to stealthily return to the Warband, didn''t even have time to contemplate what was casting the strange shadow on the ground before his head was crushed in Al''s vice-like grip and his brain matter was scattered across the grass.


    Landing softly, Al usedhis tail to reduce the velocity of the falling body, not wanting to make too much noise, even if the body hitting the floor would be barely audible, before he was on the move again. Not even sparing a glance at the Rakorn he had just killed.


    -"Damn~." Eve whistled in Al''s mind, impressed at how far he had come in such a short amount of time. Though she now found it tedious, and if they weren''t eating them, the slaughter pretty pointless, she couldn''t deny that Al was a natural when it came to killing.


    -"I didn''t even notice him until the last second, and before I could even warn you, the lizard was already dead. You didn¡¯t even flinch in surprise or hesitate. Pure instinct. Top of the food chain here we come." Eve sounded extremely happy.


    Al snorted, having already come up with a mental list of the mistakes he made.


    His approach was too noisy, he attacked from upwind and most of all, if anyone had been watching for him, his assault had revealed his position.


    And those weren''t the only things he was displeased about.


    Eve was right, he had reacted and killed the Rakorn on reflex which, while beneficial while he was alone and had no allies, would be a disaster if he killed someone or something he shouldn¡¯t.


    Tilting his head as he continued to follow the female Rakorn, he heardher curse as she stumbled, probably from exhaustion, and decided to take a look. He often checked her visually just to make sure she didn''t have an ability to trick his other senses.


    Crawling up the hill like some nightmare creature, Al¡¯s head barely peeked over the top as he continued moving.


    The Rakorn was still running, but it was clear that she was tiring and wouldn''t be able to continue this pace for much longer. Al found it weird that she avoided others of her kind but it worked well for him because it presented the opportunity to eliminate them while continuing his observation.


    Without being able to point out anything else, Al had put his unease down to the bundle of rags she was carrying, coming to the conclusion that it was either something valuable she stole or, more than likely, a bomb or some kind of trap.


    Eve mentally sighed. She hadn''t corrected him initially because she wasn''t sure as it was based off his memories and without complete context, could be wrong but after asking many leading questions and focusing their senses, she was pretty sure she knew what was hidden in the rags.


    Now she just had to work out a way to point out the obvious in a way that seemed natural.


    -"Al, every time she has fallen, she has protected whatever is in the rags, putting its safety above all else. What could be so important to a woman that she would risk serious injury?"


    -"A delicate trap, maybe something that will go off if damaged?" Al answered absentmindly as his eyes focused on the female''s sprained ankle, the ability to see weakness in his prey another act that had become second nature, which is the only reason he could efficiently run around her and kill any stragglers that she avoided without risking losing her trail.


    Al ignored the mental groan of his companion, thinking it was just her letting him know she was bored again. -"It''s too suspicious."


    Eve decided that enough was enough, not only were they wasting a huge amount of time, but the direction they were heading in was taking them even further from the human settlement and it was today that the Rakorn forces should reach it. If they wanted to pick out the ones with abilities that might be transferable, they needed to get there before the battle started.


    -"You know you are an idiot right?"


    -"Huh? Why now?" huffed Al. -"You know, to criticise someone without giving information is basically moaning, and I can''t stand moaning."


    -"You can''t stand a lot of things." The image of a grinning snake made of water, mocking him, floated into his mind''s eye.


    The image vanished as Eve prepared herself. -"Look, Al, while I think we are doing really well, I am concerned about how you are becoming blind to the obvious. You see everything with a tainted view. Not everyone is a threat that is trying to kill or take advantage of us.


    Eve knew she was provoking him, but she needed to highlight this worrying trait that had started to develop.


    -"It''s not paranoia if they are really out to get you."


    -"Al," shouted Eve. -"Stop using that as an excuse. Think about it. The sun doesn''t revolve around us, and neither do the lives of others. The Rakorn are here for the humans, the humans are worried about themselves, we are just a... complication to their plans."


    -"Meaning?"


    -"Meaning that not everyone is an enemy. I know we are exhausted. We have barely slept with your need to kill as many lizardmen as possible due to some weird belief that you won''t have to think about our mortality if you are busy, but please stop ignoring the obvious."


    Al was becoming irritated. -"And that is?"


    If Eve could roll her eyes, she would. -"I am not going to even bother mentioning the fact that you seem to refuse to investigate the bundle with our enhanced senses. A young female is running like she is being chased by a pack of wolves, carrying an object that she deems more valuable than her own life, avoiding her own kind and seems to have abandoned her Warband, which from what we have learnt, is a huge taboo. Can you think of no other reason for her behaviour than an elaborate trap or the fact she is a thief?"


    A reptilian scream, accompanied by a dull crack, distracted Al as he focused on the woman.


    It appeared that her foot had landed in one of the many small pitfall traps, causing her to fall and, by the sound of it, break her leg in the process.


    Even as the woman tumbled down the steep slope, she ensured the bundle of rags in her grasp was protected at all times, finally coming to a stop at the bottom.


    -"Umm?" Al stopped. This was the last thing he expected to happen yet, as Eve''s words were sinking in, a dull headache, in the form of pressure, began to form at the back of his mind, the sensation eerily familiar to what he started to feel when he had seen the children at the human fort.


    -"The high and mighty hunter has chased his quarry to the point that they have crippled themselves," chuckled Eve, relieved that, one way or another, this would soon be over. -"The terror of newborns and mothers everywhere."


    -"Huh?" Al blinked, not that he really need to as he usually had his eyes closed as he used a strange ability to look through the surface of his exoskeleton mask. -"She''s carrying an egg?"


    -"Egg? You idiot, since when do eggs breath?" grumbled Eve, -"If I didn''t know how you thought, I would swear you were doing this on purpose. Seriously, what is wrong with you?"


    Al winced as a headache became a migraine as everything started to click into place. The unsettling, churning sensation in his gut telling him that there was something wrong.


    Not with the female Rakorn or its child but with him or more specifically, his mind.

 Chapter Twenty Eight (Arc 2) - Cognitive dissonance (Part Two)

    -"Al?" Eve''s tone was laced with concern as Al''s distress resonated within her. -"We are releasing increased amounts of hormones into our bloodstream. Ones related to extreme stress, anxiety and aggression. I can also sense that you are in pain, but for some reason, I can''t feel it myself. What''s wrong? Do you sense danger? Are we under attack?"


    Al raised his claw-like hands and clutched his head, his vision pulsating in time with the pain. -"It''s nothing, just a headache."


    -"Al, we have been stabbed, mutilated, ripped apart, half-digested and had our entire body rebuilt. Every single time, I have shared the pain with you, but this is different. I can''t feel anything, and nothing is wrong with this body''s brain. There are no electrical signals that are suspicious." replied Eve as she began to panic, trying to find the cause of her companion''s pain.


    -"This pain must not be linked to the body but the spirit." It only took her a few seconds to check and dismiss every possibility she could think of before she started looking to external sources -"Wait? It''s not the female Rakorn is it? Some sort of mental attack?"


    -"No," hissed Al as he swayed precariously. The only reason he was still upright was that he had been crouching when the pain had struck.


    -"It''s something... inside. It''s similar to the feeling I had when we saw the children at the human camp. It''s... It''s... like a weight. Its heavy..." Al''s words petered off as the pain threatened his consciousness.


    -"Huh?" Because she was so worried about Al, Eve hadn''t even bothered to check herself, however, now that she did, she could feel a gentle tug where her memories were kept.


    Her soul shook with fear.


    If Al could access her memories, then he would know that she had seen all of his, but that wasn''t the worst thing. He would discover that she had been keeping it a secret and, even though she did it in his best interest, Al would instantly distrust her which would only serve to create a divide between them.


    However, even though she was terrified of the consequences of Al discovering her secret, she was more worried about his welfare as she started frantically trying to come up with a solution.


    These were not Al''s memories but hers. The ones she made when his original body had succumbed to the wounds from the insect-ape attack. She had been forced to engrave them into their newly merged soul and as a result, permanently bound them together as well as seeing his entire past flash before her figurative eyes.


    If she hadn''t, whoever Al had been would have ceased to exist and, even though she didn''t have the intelligence to realise what she was doing at the time, her instincts screamed at her to save as much of him as possible.


    Eve focused on the memories that Al''s subconscious was trying to access and was shocked to discover that what he had said earlier revealed a massive clue to the potential cause.


    The memories he was trying to view involved a female and two children. Entities that were obviously important to him and that had apparently been erased.


    They started off happy enough, or at least it looked that way to Eve''s alien mind, but soon turned dark and she couldn''t fathom why Al was subconsciously trying to remember them.


    It would bring him nothing but pain and misery.


    Even more so since she had access to his thoughts and subconscious. Not the persona he created for others, nor the one that he had made for himself but the real him. His soul stripped naked of all its defences and laid bare before her.


    There she had seen what kind of entity Al really was.


    His indomitable will, the drive to adapt and overcome any challenge that was thrown at him and a ruthless streak, one that would make most shiver, impressed her greatly.


    But, along with the good, he held traits that, as a creature born of instinct and logic, she could see only as weakness.


    To Eve, Al was a glaring contradiction that was so mesmerising, that even if she could, she wouldn''t be able to turn away.


    Al yearned to be trusted and loved but feared betrayal so much, he could never wholeheartedly accepted it and ended up pushing people away.


    He wanted to protect, yet his methods and personality would only lead to destruction.


    He desired to evolve and shed any weaknesses but at the same time, knew that if he did, he would no longer be himself and so he guarded them zealously.


    And, what Eve both respected and feared in equal measure the darkness that wrapped around him as if embracing a lover.


    It was cold, lonely, vicious and brooding. It was like a dark, ominous ocean that leads into the abyss promising a swift, merciless death to any that would encroach upon his inner domain.


    For any but Eve that was, after merging with Al, it almost felt welcoming yet, at a primordial level, she was worried about what it would signify for him.


    Eve felt a pang that, before Al, she had never experienced before. The desire to become the significant other to Al and support him, even if they were technically one entity.


    This confused her considerably and so, she had been ignoring the sensation but, on the off chance that it might help, she examined everything that was even remotely related to intense scrutiny.


    It was at that moment, where Eve was examining the memories along with her feelings that Al suddenly started to make sense.


    She had been trying to understand Al by applying her own views and understanding of the world to him. Her mindset was a creature that had learnt and grown from the the memories of a human without context or emotions, trying to emulate them as best as she could to appease her host.


    During the time that they had been together, Al may have become increasingly feral with his thoughts and behaviours, but she had also become more human bringing them closer and closer to being able to understand each other.


    Eve felt her insides lurch as a fragment of a memory temporarily broke free of whatever was restraining it before she sensed Al''s pain increase tenfold.


    She needed to do something and fast.


    Analysing what little information she had, Eve started putting together a theory.


    She didn''t know how it was possible, but whatever the entities that had brought Al to this world had done to his mind, it wasn''t something physical and had somehow transferred with him when they merged.


    It was strange that it only affected him and she didn''t know nearly enough about spirits or souls, but she could only guess that they had somehow placed some sort of conditional restraint that would be activated in certain conditions.


    One that no matter what he became, would remain. The ultimate failsafe in case any of the bits of information that had been wiped from when he was abducted would aid him, or at least that was her assumption for its purpose.


    Al mentally screamed as the pain continued to increase and Eve realised that she needed to distract his subconscious with a different topic or risk their relationship and intervene directly and potentially reveal the amount of control she had. Control that he would undoubtedly see as a threat.


    Eve decided she would try to distract him first as, by knowing him so intimately, she had a good idea of what might work.


    -"Al, do you remember when we fought the Crawler? The feeling of when you stared into its eyes? When you drew first blood? When it kicked your arse and turned you into a light snack?" Eve lightly pushed the memories of the encounter to the surface hoping that he would latch onto them.


    A low, rumbling growl tore from Al''s throat at the provocation.


    The pain that was becoming almost unbearable diminished slightly as he began to remember, with Eves gentle prodding, the battle with the enormous, chimaera-like creature.


    Moments later, the pain returned to an almost regular headache as Al''s mind focused on the thoughts as if they were a lifeline, realising that they were somehow linked to the relief he was feeling.


    Al panted, not realising he had been holding his breath. -"What What did you do?"


    -"I didn''t do anything Al. I think I know what is wrong but~." Eve paused, internally grimacing as she prayed this wouldn''t create a rift between them. "To find out, we will need to try something, and the pain might return. If that does happen, I would like your permission to help you overcome it."


    Al frowned as sweat rolled down his forehead, the inside of his exoskeleton turning into an enclosed sauna. -"What is it? Why would you need my permission?"If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    -"If I tell you, it could affect how effective it will be as you might subconsciously resist. If I have to do it, it would be completely reversible if you disagree. I promise to tell you when the time is right, and I won''t leave out any details."


    Al''s paranoia exploded.


    -"Al, please. What if this happens again when we are in a dangerous situation. It could get us killed, and we need to know if my theory is right and now that you know something is wrong, the moment you realise what it is, you won''t be able to help but provoke it. Like when we got that splinter and couldn''t remove it because it would reveal our position."


    Al nodded, swallowing hard as he fought an internal battle. It wasn''t just the pain that was making him hesitate. It was the fact that Eve seemed to know something that she didn''t want to tell him.


    After a few moments, he came to his decision. -"OK Eve. You asked me first and have promised to tell me about it later but if I feel like anything is wrong, anything at all, I will fight you or whatever it is every step of the way."


    Eve was silent for a moment before responding, deciding that as he had just shown a high level of trust in her, she should trust him a bit more as well. She also hoped that it might soothe his concerns or at least, give him someone else to blame. -"It''s to do with the memories the aliens sealed. Your subconscious is trying to remember them and somehow, whatever they did is trying to stop it."


    Al could sense Eve''s nervousness, and although he was dying to know what she might need his permission for, and more than a touch concerned, he forced himself to calm. So far, she hadn''t done anything to harm him and while he still didn''t trust her completely, he trusted her more than anyone else he knew. Not that he could remember anyone he had spent any significant time with that wasn''t dead.


    -"Can you imagine a wolf pup for me? Try to focus on what it looks like"


    Al did and apart from the slight headache that was still receding, he felt no different.


    -"Can you think of a beautiful woman. One you find attractive and would like to have a future with."


    Once again Al complied, though he found it difficult to envision anyone when he focused on it and was met with the same results.


    -"Can you think of your mother."


    The headache intensified but compared to earlier, the pain was laughable. A dull throbbing at the forefront of his mind.


    Al frowned. He couldn''t remember anything about his mother or, for that matter, anyone of importance but it apparently had made the pain worse. -"Eve, just what have you worked out?"


    Eve sighed, it looked like she was right. -"Can you tell me about your children."


    Al''s thoughts stopped as excruciating pain dropped him to his knees, his weight and the rough texture of the scale-like bone, preventing him from sliding down the hill.


    -"Al, will you let me suppress the memories to stop the pain?" Eve''s voice was faint as if she was extremely far away and with the agonising pain, he struggled to make sense of what she said.


    -"Al" Screamed Eve. -"Let me help you."


    A hospital, Cots, pushchairs, small children''s toys, birthday cake.


    Al felt his body roaring in pain and the sense that he was falling but he paid it no mind as his senses were overwhelmed.


    Blurred photos, a grave, a courthouse full of blurs.


    Raw emotions that were seemingly not linked to anything surged from the depths of his being.


    A house that he had once lived in, taken from him. A small flat, four rooms, all that he needed after the...


    Despair, bitterness, resentment, anger.


    Instantly Al knew what these were.


    These were fragments of the memories and emotions that had been taken from him. The people were white blurs, their voice nothing more than static but he could tell they had been real. It was almost as if he knew them, their names and faces just out of reach.


    Something within him felt like it was breaking as the pain continued to increase until it even blotted out the memories and emotions.


    There was nothing but pain as his mind felt like it was dissolving.


    Suddenly, as if someone had turned on a light causing the darkness to vanish, it stopped, and Al took a gasping breath.


    Al was laying on his back, shaking violently, at the bottom of the hill. The spikes on his back had torn deep lines during his decent, and he was covered in soil from his thrashing.


    -"What just happened?" Al tried to recall what had happened after Eve had asked her question but couldn''t.


    Everything was a blank.


    -"I''m sorry," Eve''s voice shook, -"You weren''t responding, so I had to do it without your permission."


    -"Do what?" Al ground his teeth.


    -"Repress the memories," whispered Eve.


    -"Memories? What memories?"


    He felt Eve recoil at the anger in his voice. -"I had to do it, your spirit was falling apart. Whatever they did to you before you arrived was designed to destroy you if you started to remember. They weren''t even your memories. They were the ones I had gained from you when we merged. I don''t know anything else. It makes no sense from what I know but all evidence points to this."


    Al sat up, snapping one of his back spikes in the process as it refused to leave the earth.


    -"You suppressed my memories? Can you only affect your memories or are mine at risk as well?" Al''s paranoia spiked as he released a bone-chilling growl.


    -"This is why I wanted your permission. I would never do something that would jeopardise us. If I had messed with them, you would know. The only reason you can''t with these is that they were already blocked and so, you will think its normal."


    Al was silent as he dealt with emotions Eve''s actions had generated. One side, she had asked and even probably saved his life but on the other, she had messed with his mind, one of his greatest fear.


    -"What the fuck do you want from me?" The silence was unbearable for Eve.


    -"How would I know if you had messed with my mind. The memories would be gone so I wouldn''t be able to tell, would I?"said Al in a flat voice, he had already decided that Eve wasn''t in the wrong but he couldn''t help but ask more questions.


    He wasn''t sure he wanted answers as, although he had grown fond of her and even protective since he forced her to form her original body, he wasn''t sure how he would respond if she told him she could do something like changing his personality.


    Eve sounded like she was about to cry, yet there was a definite undertone of anger in her voice as she believed her worst fears had come to pass. -"Oh, you wouldn''t notice glaring holes in your memory? Sure, I am not that stupid Al. We are one. Together forever. Nothing will separate us, and I will not do anything that would risk that unless we are in mortal danger."


    -"So you are saying you would do it if my life was in danger?"muttered Al. He considered the response somewhat acceptable which shocked him greatly. He had never trusted others easily and even if it seemed like it on the outside, he was always watching and waiting for it to go wrong. Eve saying that she would turn against him if it meant saving his life was somewhat heartwarming.


    -"Our life, Al. I would do it so we could live. What would you expect me to do, wait for death? Let us die because you are scared that you will stop being you?"


    -"Wake up, they have already taken your memories and made it so if it looks like you will regain them, you will die. If the loss of the memories will change who you are, then its too late. They have already changed you.They are the enemy, not me. I just tried to save your life and by doing so, have changed absolutely nothing about you."


    Al ground his teeth but after a moment, breathed out as he felt his eye twitching. Eve was right, it wasn''t her fault. I was those who had abducted him in the first place.


    -"It''s fine Eve." The gentle breeze rustled in his ears as he chuckled sadly. -"I just don''t like the idea that I can''t control my own fate."


    An electric-like sensation wrapped around his core and somehow could sense Eve trembling but, unlike the times where she displayed fear, this was anger. He was confused, though he wasn''t exactly being thankful for what she had done for him, he wasn''t exactly attacking her either which he felt was a huge thing.


    Al was about to apologise, another strange thing for him to do, and thank her but he was interrupted as Eve''s voice cracked. -"Can''t control your own fate!"


    -"Like a certain companion that saved your life multiple times has no control over what they do, say or even feel. I can''t even have a conversationon topics that don''t interest you as you will just ignore me. I can''t even turn my head and look at what I want."


    -"Oh~ Yes~ I completely understand what you mean about not having control over your own fate. I probably know it better than anyone else. I wished I stayed ignorant of everything. Life was simple when I only had to worry about my next meal and not some mentally unstable psychopath who enjoys killing so he doesn''t have to think about his feelings."


    The silence that suddenly appeared in Al''s mind was deafening after the Eve''s barrage and while he initially wanted to argue back the more he thought about it, the more he felt sorry for her.


    He knew he was a bit of an arsehole and that would never change and had been hostile to her as he felt like she had invaded him. But, if he thought about it, this wasn''t even his original body and she wasn''t just the simple voice anymore


    Al shook his head, shocked at her sudden outburst and the realisations that he was having before sighing and feeling his shoulders hunch. He was never good at saying sorry. -"Time of the month?"


    -"FUCK YOU!" screamed Eve, not really understanding what he was saying but instinctively knowing it was an insult.


    Al''s chest started to shake as he released a hiss of air through his teeth. Somehow Eve''s outbursthad not only calmed his paranoia, but he felt as if a weight had been removed from his shoulders. He finally felt like he was seeing the real her and not just what she wanted him to see. -"Finished?"


    The silence was his only response.


    -"Guess I deserve that but why don''t we try to calm down." Al internally cringed at his words and he prepared himself for another barrage while hoping that as Eve wasn''t a human, she might let it slide.


    -"I am sick of always having to tiptoe around your emotions and feelings. What about me? Why do I have to show you consideration when you treat me worse than a lizards shit. Why don''t you go kill something to avoid dealing with any real issues like normal. I''ll just remain in your head, doing nothing."


    -"A lizards shit?" chuckled Al, feeling that Eve''s rage was almost cute. -"And I have to say your silent treatment could use a bit of work."


    -"The female lizard is getting away," snarled Eve, not wanting to talk with Al at the moment.


    She had been frantic with worry and used a significant amount of her consciousness to mask the target memories form Al''s subconscious only for him to throw it back in her face. She had stopped monitoring most of his thoughts and emotions in her anger and so, didn''t realise that the anger she felt wasn''t directed at her in the slightest.


    Walking up the hill, not really caring that he was spotted, and saw the female Rakorn crawling on her back, staring back in horror. -"Hmm, guess she heard us."


    -"You. She heard you. I don''t my own body to make sounds anymore remember."


    Al rolled his eyes as he started walking towards the woman, still clutching the bundle of rags noting that he wasn''t feeling any pain.

 Chapter Twenty Nine (Arc 2) - Cultural Differences

    Even the warm, gentle breeze caressing my scales didn''t dissipate the intense fear, strong enough to cause my insides to squirm and my blood to feel like a thick soup. -"Come on Kellis, remember your training. Pull yourself together."


    Years of my clan''s special training finally kicked in, keeping my mind focused even as body rebelled against it.


    A few minutes ago, a blood-curdling roar, the likes I had never heard or could imagine, caused me to scream in fear as I fell to the floor and protectively wrapped myself around my newborn.


    Though if anyone saw me in my current state, they would call me a coward and a weakling I had little doubt if they had heard what I had, they would be little more than a quivering wreck.


    That wasn''t to say I didn''t lose my senses for a while, the moment they returned I checked my newly hatched daughter and almost cried in relief that I hadn''t hurt her in my moment of weakness.


    My heart soared, only to come crashing down as I remember the situation I was in, as I watched her burrow deeper into her temporary nest of rags, trying to hide from whatever had made the terrifying noise and sought comfort from my presence.


    A cold chill crept down my spine as my thought about the situation we found ourselves.


    Unlike my daughter, I knew what had made the noise and what it meant for us.


    I cradled her closer, cursing myself and the idiot who had placed the trap that had broken my leg. If I weren''t so exhausted from my escape, I would never have fallen for such a pathetic thing.


    While my race, the Rakorn, wasn''t considered the strongest of the sentient beings, due to our hardiness and rapid reproduction, there wasn''t a significant species on this side of the continent that we genuinely feared.


    Even with that being said, we never entered open waters or cross one of the many landbridges to the other landmasses. As far as we knew, this was the safest place in this world as those that had left to explore never returned.


    That was until the White Reaper appeared.


    Our expedition started out so well. We had captured a small hunting group, they called themselves humans, and while they proved to be weak for a new species, they were extremely adaptable and held a huge amount of potential as slaves or even, for the stronger ones, allies.


    Then one day, one of our scouting parties vanished. They had been sent to secure our flanks as we headed in the supposed direction of the human nest. We had expected some losses and so, without much thought we had carried on thinking they had succumbed to the areas, natural predators.


    A few days later, our vanguard confirmed the location of the human nest with our Mindcrafters before disappearing without a trace. Our Karn, worried about the implications of this, slowed down the march and assigned more warriors to the watch.


    It didn''t help.


    The next morning, a mysterious voice resonated in everyone''s minds, revealing a rhyme which, due to the intent and emotions that flowed with it, was seen a thinly veiled threat.


    While most of us tried to ignore the display of power, having reached the minds of over two thousand Rakorn at the same time, and laughed it off as a lousy hoax, it was clear that the Karn and his men didn''t feel the same way.


    Our delusions died as we passed the funeral pyres of the previous nights watch, their mutilated remains stacked high before they were given their final rights and their ashes returned to the earth.


    Whatever creature the voice belonged to, it was something that we couldn''t take lightly and so; hunting parties were formed to sweep the path ahead of us, making sure we didn''t fall into any ambushes.


    It wasn''t even an hour before the first survivors started returning. They told tales of a single, spiked, white creature that tore through them with ease, shrugged off magic and liquidised any Mindcrafter stupid enough to attempt a link.


    While the descriptions varied, a few things remained constant.


    The creature hit the hunters with speed and stealth, most of their comrades falling before the alarm was raised or, something that sent a chill down my spine, that the beast would almost toy with them, similar to a land Drake. It seemed to be experimenting as it hunted, adapting and changing its strategies and, to our horror, growing more powerful and cunning by the hour.


    The Karn was quick to point out that, because there were survivors, it wasn''t as deadly as the stories suggested as well as it appeared to be a youngling, learning and growing but it did little to ease our fears. The excitement that we had held in the hope of obtaining slaves, honour and the spoils of war, all but vanishing.


    It only got worse as not long into the second day, the Cult of the Hunter announced that, even when the Karn threatened them with death, they would be returning to our capital. They preached that the expedition was against the will of the Great Hunter and so was cursed.


    Not willing to weaken his forces any further, the Karn let them go, but even as we mocked them for their cowardice, also going far enough as to question what the Great Hunter would think of them for running away, I could see in my comrade''s eyes the doubt that I also felt.


    The fear of the unknown, dishonourable creature, which had even been brazen enough to kill a captain in the middle of the camp and leave his head on a spike, slowly eating away at our sanity.


    The next group of survivors to return to us weren''t so lucky. Even before they got to our formations, they were rounded up and quickly executed.


    The Karn stated that this was because, due to their weakness, they had fled the creature and left their brothers and sisters to die needlessly.


    It was apparent that this was an excuse, his attempt stopping the stories while creating an equal presence that we should fear but it didn''t work. Instead, we saw the first signs of weakness from our leader and the Warband continued to fall apart.


    A stabbing pain flared from my broken leg, breaking me from my thoughts, as I used one arm and my good leg to push myself away from where the roar had originated.


    I cursed the day I signed up with the Karn.


    I was twenty summers old and, much to the despair of my tribe, none of my eggs had been blessed with the gift of life. As tradition dictated, I was seen as expendable and required to prove my worth through a trail of blood to remain.


    That my stomach was large with egg didn''t concern me as, just like the ones before it, I was sure it would slowly rot as I kept it warm. However, much to my surprise, a week ago, my beautiful baby daughter hatched.


    I finally had what I had always wanted, and my bloodline was secure. I quickly pleaded my case to the Karn and was removed from my squad and allowed to take up a less taxing position. It was a shame that it had happened so late in our journey. It was too far to return alone and so, with little else to do; I helped with the cooking and preparation of the camp.


    The fact that I was one of the few females, one that had proven to be fertile as I had my daughter, drew a lot of interest from the males, but I ignored their advances. It wasn''t uncommon for my kind to eliminate the offspring of others, especially young mothers, so they would ovulate faster and reduce the competition for their own young.


    The arrival of the White Reaper ended what should have been one of the happiest times of my life, quickly turning it into a nightmare. Our numbers dwindled, our warriors and mages killed without honour or respect. Slaughtered like fodder.


    Realising the direction that things were going, I used my body to win the affection of one of the Warband lieutenants and stayed within the centre of the camp, trying to keep a low profile.


    It didn''t save me.


    With so many of our scouts killed or missing, and the prospect of the mission failing, the Karn called together all of the Shadowblenders, which included me, and gave us our orders.


    Thankfully it wasn''t to hunt the White Reaper but, at least to me, it was equally bad. I was to leave my daughter with the supplies and launch a daring raid on the human nest while our forces kept them busy.


    Murmurs of discontent, because we had such a distasteful job, was quickly quashed as it was revealed that our abilities apparently didn''t work on the Reaper and so, without the psychic skills, strength or magic of our kin, we would be helpless before him and that was who we would face if we disobeyed. That or we would be executed.


    I don''t know if it was my new maternal instincts kicking in, but I was disgusted with the Karn''s plan. Not only was it dishonourable but if the human females felt anywhere near as protective as I was to my child, they would tear us apart the moment we located them.


    An old Rakorn had spoken up, the scars of his many battles littering his skin. He proposed a theory that, even though it seemed unbelievable, was possible. What if the creature had not somehow been trapped inside the barriers when the humans arrived. What if, in fact, it was a human outlier? What if the group they had captured had been sent on a trial of blood as they were seen as too weak to bother with?


    No one responded, many going to try and rest for the upcoming battle. However, the Rakorn''s words helped me make up my mind.


    I couldn''t take the risk.


    With the Warband, especially the way things were going, my fate was sealed. I would take my daughter and leave. At least that way, I might have a chance.


    I knew that if I were caught, by either the humans or even my kind, it was likely that I would be killed without mercy but, after analysing the facts and praying to the Goddess, I knew it was the right choice and so, in the dead of night, I made my escape.


    I used my stealth ability, trying to conceal my daughter as best as I could, as it only affected my scales and the magic cloak I wore, and ran in the opposite direction of the forces sent to ambush the Reaper. I was forced to skirt the many supply camps that had been set up for our return, the Karn expecting the humans to retaliate, as I headed towards my ancestral lands.


    Stifling a sob as tears stung my eyes, I tried to flex my broken leg a bit, the painful, tingling sensation setting my nerves on edge.


    Instead of saving my daughter, I had delivered her to her death.


    Ideas raced through my mind but, without any aid, I couldn''t see any realistic way that I could ensure her survival.


    I thought about burying her but knew that although the Reaper might not be interested in such a small being, she would starve or be found by scavengers.


    The idea of trying to call out to the few Rakorn I had avoided was also quickly rejected. They would be unlike to help as she was too young to be of use and not of their blood.


    I had even thought about what I would do if humans stumbled across us, thinking that maybe the cuteness of my daughter would trigger some protective instincts like it did in other species.


    The restrained sobs of ever-growing despair caused my chest to jump but, as if they were never there, they vanished when a low, rumbling growl shook my soul.


    Even though I knew it was hopeless, I continued to push myself back. If we were to die here, then I would die with no regrets having expended every available opportunity to save her.


    Movement caught my attention, white spikes rising over the ridge of the hill before a head, and the rest of a body appeared. For the first time in my life since I had stepped upon the path of being an adult, I accidentally emptied my bladder.


    We had referred to it as a Reaper, giving it the name White Reaper, even if we didn''t know if it was a standard colour of its species, due to the feelings and emotions that were carried over with the foreign words when it spoke to our minds.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Though I knew that the beast represented an unstoppable eventuality, death, it did not prepare me for what I saw.


    Forcing myself to resist the urge to curl into a ball and play dead, if only for my daughter''s sake, I studied the horror as it slowly made its way down the slope.


    Though I could see no eyes, it''s head never stopped looking in my direction giving it an eerie, unnatural feeling.


    Once again, I thanked father for the training he bestowed upon me. I doubted a warrior or mage would have been able to keep their wits about them under this pressure. I started analysing the Reaper, trying to find anything that might help me.


    Strangely, even though it was covered in dried gore, I could not smell the creature. I open the nearly invisible holes, just to the side of my nose, and try to sense its body temperature, an excellent way to predict movements but was shocked when I could see no change. The creature seems to have the same body temperature as the cold surroundings. -"Impossible."


    Clicking my tongue to create a wave of sound, a skill I had inherited from my mother, I was once again shocked that no echo returned. I felt my pupils shrink as I realised something else.


    It was making no noise.


    If it weren''t for that fact that I could see it, I would have doubted what my eyes were seeing.


    My body violently shook, ignoring the signals from my brain telling it to calm down, as my arms wrapped protectively around my daughter.


    "Just what in the name of the Three are you?" I mumbled, not expecting an answer.


    Even though the Reaper was walking slowly, carefully observing me, deep down, I knew that trying to fight or run, even if my leg wasn''t broken, was pointless. I was well within its kill zone.


    The unnatural grace the Reaper moved with, the stance that was always prepared to react along with the spikes that slowly rose and fell, probably with his breathing, revealed that this wasn''t just a mear preditor. Like the mighty water dragons, this was a King of his domain. An apex predator that lived for the hunt.


    Though I couldn''t hear anything, each time the Reaper''s clawed feet touched the ground, I felt as if thunder had erupted and imagined it to be akin to the sound of my approaching doom.


    I felt my instincts taking over as I started to crawl backwards again, knowing it was useless but at the same time, I needed to do something.


    I didn''t get very far.


    Before I could even blink, the creature flickered and appeared before me.


    Strangely I could now sense the Reaper with my heat vision, the heat pooling around his legs and core and, without a doubt, knew that the Reaper had some powerful abilities. The heat was probably generated by his muscles with his rapid movement.


    Not that I could contemplate much in my current state.


    The Reaper''s foot came crashing down, pinning my leg to the ground painfully, as it continued to eyelessly stair at me.


    A cry of pain escapes my lips, but I quickly seal them and resist the urge to try and pull my leg away. While all I want to do is run and hide, the fact that my daughter and I are not already dead gives me some hope.


    Some creatures do not prey on the weak and injured. Maybe this was one of them. There was also the saying that amongst the great predators of the wasteland if you survived the initial encounter, your chances shot up incredibly. -"I can do this."


    Fragile words that I didn''t even believe but what other option did I have.


    "So~." The cold voice pounds my mind, feeling heavy and foreboding. "What are you doing here, Mother Lizard?"


    My mouth opened and closed a few times, my body struggling to form the words I wanted to say.


    Forcing myself to calm down, the fear that the Reaper generated making my insides feel like a bowl of worms, I tried to take some deep breaths.


    Surprisingly, the Reaper tilted its head and waited patiently.


    "We have come here to ca-"


    "No. I know why your kind has come," the voice echoed in my mind, but unlike the Reaper''s appearance, I couldn''t feel any hostile intent with his words. "Why are you here?"


    Even though the feelings projected by the voice were not aggressive, they still caused me to whimper, the ultimate humiliation for a Rakorn, and pull back slightly.


    Silence returned as the creature''s featureless face continued to meet mine and even if it had no eyes, I felt as if it''s gaze was boring into my soul causing me to shrink back even further.


    "Fine, if you think you can do better," hissed the voice, confusing me.


    -"Shit, it''s lost its mind." Hope and fear collided. If the creature had indeed fallen into madness, then as well as being incredibly dangerous, there was a chance it might just let me go.


    "Look lizard," An angry, feminine voice joined the masculine one in my mind. "We want to know why you are running with a child and avoiding the other Rakorn."


    Startled by the new voice, I search around before realisation hit me.


    The Reaper wasn''t alone, and with its abilities to avoid detection, if I couldn''t see them, I wouldn''t know they even existed. The one in front could just be a distraction, the rest circling me in case I tried anything.


    My body trembled.


    Pack hunters like the wolves and raptors, that were exterminated quickly by my people, especially the intelligent ones, were the most dangerous foes. Without having seen it in combat, I could only guess, but my instincts screamed that I would be better facing a pack of raptors than the solitary creature in front of me.


    "Ha, I at least got her to talk," rumbled the first voice. "You got silence."


    The second voice huffed, dismissing the first. "Listen! If you want to live, answer my question."


    I steadied my beating heart and tried to make sense of the situation.


    Even though things might initially seem worse for me, it appeared that the Reapers were not on friendly terms and so, the hope that had been slowly building, continued to grow as a plan started to form in my mind.


    But for it to work, I would need more information. I couldn''t just ask the Reapers so; I would need to try and observe their reactions as I told them my story.


    "I didn''t expect my egg to carry life and so when my daughter hatched, my priorities changed. I was too far to return home, so I stayed, but once they asked me to leave my daughter at camp and infiltrate the human nest, I decided that even if it made me an enemy of the Karn and his tribe, I would leave. I needed to protect my daughter, and I felt that if I did that, we would both die."


    Though it was short, I told the truth. I wasn''t willing to test if this Mindcrafter could distinguish between truth and lies.


    "Really?" The voice sounded surprised and slightly disappointed. "So you took your daughter into an area where a creature was slaughtering your kind thinking it was safe? Either you think very little of me or you are stupid."


    Lowering my head, a sign of submission, I reduced my voice and tried to add as much reverence as I could. Though I couldn''t tell anything from its body language, his words had given me a clue to the creature''s personality.


    "No White Reaper, even though you fight without honour, your prowess on the battlefield is well respected and rightfully feared. I believed that you would be busy killing those sent to ambush you and ignore an insignificant weakling like myself."


    I didn''t want to seem too false, so I made sure to criticise him at the start and follow it up with compliments.


    I had learnt from the best.


    Though in Rakorn society the males officially ruled, that was only because the dominant females let them and, no one knew how to manipulate men like my mother.


    I expected either anger, bemusement or happiness but when I received nothing, not even a slight shift in the Reapers weight, I was forced to look up.


    Disappointment fills me as I realise that not only did my attempt fail but it had been seen through.


    I release a light, depressed hiss. -"What is my honour worth if I can''t protect my daughter. It looks like I have no other choice."


    "Oh great Reaper, I wish to make you an offer?"


    The white face tilted more, looking extremely strange but suggesting it was waiting for me to continue.


    "I offer you my mind, body and soul in exchange for my daughter''s life and a promise that you will find a place where she has a good chance to survive."


    I wasn''t naive to think that it would let me live and I knew from the rumours that it feasted on Rakorn flesh. My only hope was to try and tempt it with the possibility of a willing plaything for something that could be achieved easily. Especially if he intimidated whoever he found into making sure she was safe.


    Before I could even flinch, I was being held in the air by a clawed hand that had wrapped itself around my neck. I had forgotten the incredible speed the Reaper possessed.


    "Noble. So you are willing to sacrifice everything you are for your young." The voice paused, allowing the breeze to fill the deafening silence. "But let me ask you this. What are you offering that I don''t already have?"


    I blinked in confusion, ignoring the irritated sigh of the second voice, followed by grumbling, before realising what the Reaper meant.


    It was right; I was at the Reaper''s mercy already. I had nothing to offer if I was to be used in a similar fashion to the women the male Rakorn captured but considered not good enough to keep.


    It wasn''t like I could escape with my broken leg and, like a moron, I had just revealed that I was willing to do anything for my daughter.


    My saliva felt thick in my mouth as I tried to wet my cracked lips and attempted to steady my voice. "Some things are more enjoyable when given willingly."


    I tried to make the hiss-like sound as seductive and submissive as possible, hoping that the masculine feeling the first voice gave was correct and I might appeal to his natural urges.


    It wasn''t uncommon for species to mix, both through mutual acceptance or slavery and, even though I couldn''t see anything that would indicate the creature in front of me was capable of normal reproduction, at this point I was willing to try anything. I couldn''t help but pray that this wasn''t one of those parasite-like species, but I placed my fate into the hands of the Gods.


    I was still clutching my daughter with one hand, the other had been holding the wrist connected to the hand that was wrapped around my neck, but I let it drop to my side.


    While I was hoping it would be perceived as an act of submission and acceptance, I was preparing for the worst case scenario as I pointed my fingers and elongated my nails.


    If this failed, then I would die as a proud Rakorn mother should, protecting her young until the threat lay dead, or she did.


    I had little doubt about what the outcome would be but at least I would die with honour.


    The Reaper''s head moved back at my response, and after a few moments, I thought I heard a light rumbling sound.


    I blinked. It was a sound I had heard from some of the other species. It was often one that was used to signify amusement or joy.


    The rumbling sound stopped and the Reaper seemed to take a deep breath. "Sorry, not in the mood."


    "Can we end this farce already?" hissed the second voice, the perceived meaning of her words causing me to shiver in dread.


    "It doesn''t have to be now. I can follow you until you tire of me. As long as my daughter finds safety, I will do anything you ask without complaint."


    The creature''s chest rose sharply before a hiss of air escaped between its serrated teeth and, completely against my expectations, the Reaper seemed to deflate a bit.


    I was lowered to the floor, and with a surprising amount of carefulness and put into a sitting position.


    "So, this feeling is linked to the memories, right? The ones you are blocking?"


    The anger in the tone of the second voice dropped significantly. "Yes and no. Let''s face it, the moment that you knew she was a mother and was willing to do anything to protect her child, we were never going to kill her unless she was a threat. This is just who we are. This is why I told you to just kill them quickly. Loose ends."


    The Reaper sighed again, the spikes running down his back and tail lowering slightly before he turned and started to move off. "You know, just because you are a woman doesn''t mean you always have to be right."


    "Wait," The sound of my own voice shocked me as I stopped the Reaper from leaving, something that I thought would have made me jump for joy.


    Though I didn''t understand most of what they had been talking about, it seemed that this creature in front of me had powerful paternal instincts and respected my devotion to my child.


    Half of me wanted to scream that I was mad but the other half knew this was the best chance I would get. Without aid, I would still die here. In fact, the quick death offered my the Reaper might be considered a blessing compared to what might find me and my daughter. "If you leave me here, after putting me through so much stress, you would be killing me. Not directly, but the result will be the same."


    "Do you think with how many of your kind we have killed that two more deaths would matter to us?" responded the feminine voice, however, even though I could tell she was annoyed, she also sounded resigned.


    The Reaper turned drawing my attention away from looking for the other one. "What''s your daughter''s name?"


    I couldn''t resist smiling. Only respected enemies and those that could mean something to you were worthy of wanting to know their names. It was considered one of the first bonds that could be formed.


    "Kariss, daughter of Kallis."


    In a sweeping motion, I was picked up, along with my daughter in a matrimonial carry and, without another word, the Reaper moved towards the rising sun.


    "You are going to want to hurry if we want to see any action." The voice sniggered as the Reaper started to jog. "Not that we aren''t being offered any here."


    "Thank you," I whispered, cradling my daughter to my chest as I rested my head on his cold, hard chest, surprised to discover that my fear had all but evaporated. -"I wonder if its a projected ability?"


    "I will serve you well for the rest of my life, no matter how short you decide it to be. All I ask is that you keep my daughter safe." My eyelids drooped, I was thoroughly exhausted after my flight and the recent terror.


    "No." the voice seemed to recoil from me.


    -"Have I found a weakness?"


    "I cannot be bothered to take care of you or Hope. I will take you somewhere that you will be safe."


    "Hope?" My sleepy brain was confused at the strange word.


    "The name you gave your daughter?"


    "Hope," I repeated the word, finding it to my liking as I realised the strange word and sensations projected from the Reaper were very similar the Rakorn word Kariss. The desire to see another rising sun.


    As culture dictated, if I allowed another to name my daughter they would gain a status equal to that of the parent, and the responsibilities that came with it.


    It was actually a good thing too. Believing I couldn''t conceive, I didn''t pay much attention to those I had paired with and without a father, she would face a lot of danger. Now I had abandoned the Warband, I couldn''t see the priests help identify who it was and would need to either return to my clan quickly or find a guardian.


    I felt my lips crease into a smile. With a protector and teacher as strong as the Reaper, my daughter''s future was all but secured. She might even reach the ranks of Karn with his backing. She could even grow enough to attract him or one of his kind as a mate.


    "Hope, daughter of Kallis and the White Reaper." the words left my lips as I felt the warmth of the sun warming my scales. It seemed I would be proving my mother wrong. I wasn''t worthless. Even in the worst possible situation, I had turned it around to the benefit of my daughter.


    The Reaper stumbled, his arms momentarily tensing as his head swept down to look at me as the feminine voice howled with unrestrained laughter.


    Even though he was still terrifying, I smiled back. I couldn''t afford to offend my daughter''s guardian. Especially if, when I was recovered, I wanted him to teach me how to become stronger.


    One did not waste the opportunities the Gods had gifted.

 Chapter Thirty (Arc 2) - War on the horizon

    Flashes of multicoloured light illuminated the underbelly of the ominous clouds on the horizon as the wind howled, carrying thunderous rumbling sounds, tinted with explosions and screams of pain and anger.


    "Keep going brothers," hissed a Rakorn that was running ahead of three of his kin, their speed and recklessness a testament to their plight.


    The Rakorn sucked in another gasp of air, barely managing to avoid stumbling, as he tried to encourage his comrades. "Not far now. The first supply base should be a few leagues aw-."


    Before he could even finish his sentence, a cold metal hand wrapped around his neck and slammed him violently into the ground, forcing what little air he had remaining out of his lungs.


    The Rakorn twisted as best as he could while pinned in an attempt to see his assailant and what had happened to his group, only to momentarily close his eyes in defeat as he realised that their flight was over.


    With knees in his comrade''s spines and their dominant arms pulled back to restrain them, similar to the sensation on he felt, were seven-foot tall humans wearing heavy, green metal armour that covered them from head to toe. The Rakorn couldn''t even see their eyes through the horizontal slits.


    Intimidating would be one of the words he would use to describe them. Physic-breaking, though in his language it was called something different, would be another. -"How in the name of the Great God did they manage to catch up with us so silently wearing that?"


    Studying his captors in an attempt to calm his mind, the Rakorn noted that if it weren''t for the distinct differences between human males and females, as well as the white marks on the top right of their chests, even with his keen senses, he would not be able to tell them apart.


    A flicker of movement ahead drew his attention; the Rakorn''s scaled snout scraping along the ground as he turned to face the two human females that were casually walking towards him as his tail flicked pathetically. -"We never had a chance did we?"


    "Looks like more broke through than System reported," said Ren as she glanced over the recent captives, unwilling to hold eye contact with them,


    "Request that he pays better diligence and..." A look of guilt and pity flashed across Ren''s face before she turned her back on the Rakorn. "You know what to do."


    The Rakorn couldn''t understand what the human female had said, but her body language told them everything they needed to know and fear started to gnaw at their insides.


    As Ren turned her back, the woman next to her walked forward with a solemn expression, past the lead Rakorn before coming to a stop and kneeling next to the one furthest away.


    The way she moved made it apparent to him that she wasn''t a warrior. The thick, brown leather armour made her steps clumsy and awkward; however, instead of relaxing them, it sent a chill down their tails.


    To the Rakorn, the only non-combatant that would accompany a war party this experienced would be an incredibly skilled Elementalist or a Mindcrafter.


    The four Rakorn prayed that it was the former, having little to no mental defence against mindcrafters or the human equivalent.


    However, it did not seem that their gods were listening, as a calm, gentle voice soon entered their minds. "You have been captured. Surrender or Die."


    "We gladly meet our ancestors," hissed the last Rakorn in the group, only to be silenced a second later as his head was violently jerked back and a metal blade sliced across his throat.


    The human race had learned, painfully, that only when a Rakorn had surrendered, were they relatively safe and so, the order to execute any none priority targets after their first refusal was given.


    "Death before dishonour," uttered the next Rakorn, his language nothing more than a hiss to human ears, who quickly met the same fate.


    In less than a minute, the second from last putting up a semblance of a fight, only the lead Rakorn remained as the corpses of his brethren were dragged to a rapidly forming pit that was being dug into the side of a nearby hill.


    Brutal, efficient and merciless. The Rakorn couldn''t help but feel a hint of respect for his foe as he prepared to meet his God. There would be little dishonour for meeting his end at their hands.


    Though their Warband was extremely weak by Rakorn standards, their Karn only newly appointed, the humans had pretty much run circles around them. If they hadn''t fallen back when they did, accidentally running into the humans that had been preparing to cut off their retreat, he was pretty sure that they wouldn''t have lasted an hour.


    Not that it mattered to him now.


    With a shaky nod of his head as he glared into the sad, sky blue eyes of the woman, the Rakorn felt a cold sensation along with stinging pain, flare across his throat, only to vanish as his consciousness faded into the void and he breathed his last.


    Releasing a deep breath, Ren turned her gaze to the horizon as her sensitive ears picked up the sounds of battle. "Why can''t they just surrender?"


    "Most of their females do. The males seem to have some kind of honour system that won''t allow them to," mumbled the leather armoured woman as she stood up and returned to Ren''s side. "Doesn''t help that most of them are religious fanatics."


    Ren grunted her acknowledgement of the statement as she continued watching the horizon.


    To her, it looked so surreal and otherworldly that, from this distance, she found it hard to believe that her friends were probably fighting for their lives.


    "Captain, location secure," one of the armoured soldiers walked towards the two women, the white lettering on his chest reading 001. "Orders?"Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    "Secure the area and tell your men that if they confront a white humanoid creature they are to avoid any signs of hostility at all costs."


    "Capta-" 001''s eyes defocused for a moment as if he was reading something. "System has updated our orders. Understood."


    With a salute, a fist to his chest, 001 turned and started organising his troops, sending out scouts to the nearby hills.


    Ren''s head turned towards the woman by her side, distrust apparent in her voice. "Mary, what did System say?"


    "We are to follow your lead and await a potential ally," mumbled Mary as she looked at her feet.


    "And?" Ren crossed her arms as she scowled.


    Mary looked embarrassed as she fidgeted."Rewards for any information on it. Especially strengths and weaknesses. You know he knows everything I do right? System will stop giving me all the info if you keep pressuring it out of me. He even gave me a quest to get you to merge with him which I see every time I make a query."


    Ren clicked her tongue. "No thanks and if he stops giving all the info based on his selfish desires and others find out, he is going to be in a world of pain. The reason many accepted him was that he claimed to be impartial to all humanity."


    Mary put a comforting hand on Ren''s thin shoulder. Dark bags appeared under the foxkin''s eyes, and it was clear that she hadn''t slept well in days. "Why don''t you get some rest? Your shadows will alert you if the potential ally is close and we can always wake you up if anything changes."


    "No. I''m fine." Ren''s, fox-like ears flattened against her head as Mary''s words unintentionally reminded her of why she was here and not with her friends. Although she was seen as incredibly powerful, given a B+ ranking by System, she wasn''t a fighter in any sense of the word.


    Her magic required concentration and time, based on emotions, illusions and, at a push, the purple flames Ren called Foxfire that were more suited to distractions than inflicting damage.


    Sighing, Ren shook her head. She wouldn''t have minded as much if the battle was going as planned, even if she wasn''t sure what was worse, facing the man pretending to be a monster or fighting hordes of lizards. She just wanted to know that her friends were safe and it seemed that System wasn''t prepared to let her know without taking some form of payment.


    It had started out so well.


    The Lizardman''s initial attack was not only repelled, but their first wave was slaughtered down to the last without a single casualty on humanities side.


    However, unlike the war-like, honour bound creatures the information gained those captured previously indicated, instead of standing and fighting, they instantly fled into the hills and straight into the emerging human forces, rising from the tunnels dug to specifically encircle and trap the invading army.


    A desperate battle ensued. One which forced humanity to reveal far more than it had initially intended as the casualty rate skyrocketed and parties, a term that had been quickly adopted from System, were isolated and trapped.


    Ren felt her skin prickle just thinking about the casualty reports.


    Even though, if a body was recovered within a specified time limit and could be healed enough to support life, a person could be revived by one of the priests, no one, not even the monster-type humans felt even remotely comfortable about dying.


    Well almost everyone.


    Surprisingly enough, those that had brought their religions from Earth were the only ones that openly embarrassed the chance of a second life and, excluding some monster types or the three known necromancers, were the only ones that could resurrect the fallen.


    A whistle in the distance, a sign that the sentries were set up, broke Ren from her musings as she cringed at the conflicting emotions that threatened to burst forth. Having nothing to do, she tried to distract herself by looking up to the brooding clouds as her stomach squirmed.


    Though she believed she would like nothing more to go and help, the prospect of having to join the battle terrified her.


    Ren had been disabled in an accident back on Earth and wanted nothing more than to enjoy her new found freedom, make friends and live a peaceful and happy life.


    It seemed that while one wish was granted, that she would be able to move again without a wheelchair, it came at the cost of the other. Ren had been thrown into a world where, like many of the books she had enjoyed, strength and psychopaths seemed to rule and danger lurked behind every shadow.


    The respect those calling themselves gods showed their former kin, as well as System''s interest in the White Reaper, a name taken from the interrogation of Rakorn captives, was proof enough to Ren. While at the start it seemed that they wanted to make a positive difference, now all she could see was them furthering their own goals at the expense of humanity.


    All of the gods had propositioned Geoff and his party, vying to meet the strange creature with the intent to lure it to their side while System had openly declared lifetime preferential treatment for any who could get it to merge with him. Something that had caused a bit of an outrage amongst his supporters and given those that deemed him a threat more ammunition to try and convince those yet unswayed not to merge with the parasite-like organism.


    Ren sniggered.


    From what she had seen of the man''s aura, System would have better luck trying to form a new body that getting him to accept what amounted to a hallucinogenic parasite.


    "What is the creature like?" asked Mary, her eyes scanning the area for danger, even though her senses were far inferior to those guarding her.


    Ren frowned as she contemplated the question.


    After a lengthy discussion, it had been decided to keep the man''s secret, about him seemingly being human under his bone shell, and no one in the group had a good reason to disagree.


    Not only did they feel that it was his choice to make, but they were concerned that if others discovered this fact, they would attempt to recruit him under the banner of a united humanity forcefully. At best pushing him away and at worse, creating yet another enemy they would need to face. -"United humanity indeed. How can we even call ourselves a single species anymore? Appart from those that basically became high humans, like those military freaks over there, there is no longer any common linkage bar our mentality."


    The first cracks had started to appear in humanities united front, and Ren was sure that if not for the threat of annihilation from another species, a multi fractional civil war would have already broken out.


    The so-called Gods versus System and the multiple species, both human-like and monster already starting to separate into factions seemed to hint at a bleak future for the once humans.


    The limited resources and the vast range of incredible power each person had been able to acquire only seemed to make it worse as people started to believe that their abilities made them invincible or above others.


    Ren was sure that, if there ever came a time where they were safe, the uneasy alliance would fall apart within days.


    A thunderous explosion caused Ren and Mary to flinch, the clouds in the distance glowing red for a moment.


    "Will it really be able to help us?" Mary asked, fear in her voice as it seemed Ren wasn''t going to answer her previous question.


    "If the stories from the lizards we captured are even somewhat true, he already has," responded Ren. "This is at best, only half their forces. The rest have been killed by the White Reaper or left to increase the defences of their supplies and ensure he doesn''t get behind them at the wrong moment."


    Mary frowned. Though she had been given a vague mission from System before they left the Southen Garrison, it had only stated to protect and Aid Ren. "A single creature is that powerful? Why is it helping us? What if it turns against us?"


    Ren shuddered remembering the man''s aura. The thick, blood-red seeping from his body, intermingled with a faint, calming blue.


    Two opposites that seemingly were perfect for each other.


    Though one appeared violent and the other calm, Ren instinctively knew that they were both as dangerous as each other. The red parts of the aura tore at the air around it as if trying to rip it to shreds while the blue did the same but in a much more clinical, relentless manner.


    Ren''s voice came out flat. "Then a lot of people will die."


    An eagle-like screech echoed in the distance behind her, followed by two more, and then a much higher pitched one causing a faint, mirthless smile to appear on Ren''s lips as she turned and walked in the direction the noise had originated. "Looks like our break is over. our guest approaches."

 Chapter Thirty One (Arc 2) - Reflection and Desire

    In the direction that Ren and her companions were moving, standing atop of one of the taller hills that littered the landscape as he watched the vivid, unnatural display, was Al.


    -"So~" Hesitation laced Eve''s voice. "Are we really going to walk into that?"


    On the horizon, dark, ominous clouds were illuminated by forces of terrifying power, both natural and unnatural, as screams of fury and pain, along with the stench of blood and more unsavoury scents, carried with the breeze.


    -"Hmm? I guess that depends on our hosts. They might have changed their minds or come up with some stupid plan like trying to kill or enslave us."


    -"Yes, that is the first thing that comes to your mind when approached by a creature that kills fifty hostile enemies and looks like a horror from their nightmares. ''Oh, they look like they could rip my throat out and eat my intestines for breakfast, let''s piss them off''."


    Al couldn''t help but shrug as watched what appeared to be a massive boulder soaring through the air get hit by multiple streaks of lightning originating from the ground. -"True, I would opt for the ''Nuke it from Orbit'' approach."


    -"Anyway, we really need to try and make sure as few of the Rakorn return as possible. Though I have no delusion that we can get them all, the fewer stories they tell regarding us, the less info they will have if we meet them again."


    The scene ahead both terrified and excited Al, his two hearts thundered in his chest and, although he was as still as a statue, he was rapidly becoming restless and, it wasn''t for Kallis, Al wasn''t sure he would have stopped.


    -"Sure~," chuckled Eve. -"And the fact that we have actually halted the near-mindless cycle of kill, eat, sleep, repeat the last few hours while carrying Kallis here, and you have started thinking about our existence again has nothing to do with it? Right?"


    Al shook his head. -"Well, you have to admit it is pretty weird. Seeing your own skeleton lying in a pit while you have regressed into the body of a child, having probably survived so many near-death experiences that a cat would be envious of how many lives I seemed to have, and am talking to an ex-parasite in my mind while killing and devouring sentient creatures so that if I have my body torn to shreds, I can rebuild it."


    -"Hey, why did you bring me into it?" hissed Eve, not liking the direction the conversation was turning.


    Al sighed. -"Well, what if you are just a figment of my imagin-"


    -"Don''t drag me into your existential crisis," bellowed Eve, anger with a tint of fear in her voice. -"I exist. I am me, but also, I am part of you. You are you but also a part of me. We are real, both together and separate."


    -"Just what a voice in my head would try to convince me of," chuckled Al darkly,


    -"Oh fuck you. Don''t think I don''t know what you are doing. You are bored, and instead of getting too deep into your own thoughts, you are going to torment me," growled Eve, her behaviour and speech becoming more similar to Al as the days passed. - "I think I liked it more when you silently brooded over the most mundane things."


    -"What can I say. It''s nice to have someone to talk to that can''t run away or hang themselves." Al went to rub his tired eyes but stopped when his claws tapped the surface of his bone mask. He was absolutely exhausted. -"When this is over, I am going to sleep for a week."


    -"Promises, promises. You do realise that until we are dead, it is never over right? Nature doesn''t have weekends or fridges so that we can kick back and relax... Now where the fuck are these humans? Maybe I can have a somewhat intelligent conversation for once."


    -"Alright, don''t get your body in a twist water snake," sighed Al. He had decided to stop at a reasonable distance from a familiar scent, though he couldn''t tell which of the five humans that Al had previously met was close. -"They should be here any minute."


    Al had allowed the weird bird-like shapes in the sky to see him as he approached, not that he could have done much with the limited cover available, and noted that they had flown in the direction of the group.


    Not long after that, the familiar scent and their accompanying group had started moving towards Al confirming his suspicion and allowing him to avoid, at least what he considered to be, an awkward approach.


    Awkward or dangerous. Whoever the scent belonged to was surrounded by people that reeked of blood, metal and sweat.


    -"I still say that walking up to them wouldn''t have had as much of a negative impact on our image as you think," sighed Eve. -"Everyone walks. Even confused, slightly psychotic killing machines that have forsaken their own race. I think you just like forcing people to your rhythm."


    -"Hey, if I just appeared, they might have attacked, then I would have to kill them and then not only would we have a horde of angry Rakorn to deal with, but humans to deal with. Also, you know I hate walking up to people, it feels like they are judging me."


    -"Of course they are. They are trying to work out if we are going to eat them, maul them or just scare them to death."


    A column of fire erupted in the distance, causing Al''s eyes to narrow as he tried to see what was going on.


    Even though his sight was magnitudes better than what it had been back on Earth, due to the hills and distance, he could only make out small shapes and what he believed to be the flashes of spells.


    Noticing the hiss of the female Rakorn who was laying on the ground at his feet, probably warning her child, who was currently using its tiny claws to scale Al''s scale-like exoskeleton like a jungle gym, Al took in a deep breath. -"They shouldn''t be too close, and I want to see this with my own eyes. Not like I will get a chance when its over."This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    -"I''ll be on watch. Like always~."


    Al''s arm rose, and he grasped his bone mask before squeezing, shattering it and, for what felt like the first time in weeks, he felt sunlight on his skin.


    Movement at his feet told him the female Rakorn had moved forward to try and see his face but, for some reason, he didn''t feel the need stop her.


    Amber eyes blinked rapidly as they adjusted to the light as a smile appeared on Al''s face. While the exoskeleton felt like a second skin, it muted all of the sensations that he would usually feel.


    Sighing noisily, the mask quickly started to rebuild as disappointment appeared on his face. -"Seems my natural eyesight is worse than I thought it would be. I can''t see half the distance."


    Eve chuckled. -"Well~ If you try to think of the face of our exoskeleton basically being one giant eyeball, it kind of makes sense.¡±


    -"How does it even start to make sense?" Al could only frown at Eve''s comment. -"In fact, how can I see anything at all?"


    -"Later," playfully cooed Eve. -"We have guests."


    Al tilted his head, straining his ears until he could hear the muffled sound of conversation, mainly a female voice that was being overly loud. -"Seems like they are trying to be noisy."


    -"If you were them, would you want to sneak up on something like us?"


    Al chuckled, though to Kallis, it sounded more like a warning growl and she immediately tensed and slide herself back to his feet not knowing what had caused his outburst.


    However, even though Hope had felt the same way at Al''s reaction, instead of returning to her mother, she quickly climbed onto Al''s head, avoiding the multiple sharp spikes, and released her own hiss as she scanned for threats.


    The somewhat cute hiss caused Al to chuckle again as he recalled how quickly the little creature had adapted to his presence.


    It seemed that unlike human babies, Rakorn were similar to most reptiles in which their young were born fully developed.


    The moment that Hope had realised that Al wasn''t a threat but a protector, having witnessed the quick deaths of her kind that he had come across on their journey here, she had quickly started trying to subconsciously emulate his mannerisms considering him as the Alpha male and thus, the one to impress.


    Al had, much to Eve''s wonder, taken to the little Rakorn surprisingly well.


    She had thought that by repressing the memories that Al''s subconscious was trying to access, he would treat Hope just like an annoyance or maybe even had killed or abandoned the pair after he had gained the information he wanted. Eve didn''t know whether it was his past experiences that had changed his core temperament or that his weakness for young was his nature, but it pleased her at an instinctual level.


    -"I wonder when I am going to have a child of my own?" Eve mused, not realising she was openly projecting her thoughts. -"I can''t wait to become a mother."


    "Wait! What?" Al''s mind stopped working for a moment. -"You want to become a mother?"


    Eve mentally grimaced, only now realising Al had heard her. -"Well, of course, I do. My instinctual desire to have healthy offspring has been increased by my new intelligence. Even you believe it is pretty much the main driving force of life. To survive and procreate, passing on the genetics to the next generation."


    Al was shocked at Eve''s statement, mainly at how she had used his own logic against him, and decided to quickly change the direction of this conversation. -"But aren''t you forgetting something?"


    Eve was silent as she pondered what Al meant. He had got better at hiding his thoughts from her.


    -"You were just a parasite before we became one so even if you were a female, that was in the past." Al had, in the interest of self-preservation, subconsciously decided to take what Eve had said at face value. Even if she was a parasite before, he didn''t consider her one anymore. If he didn''t, then he would have never been able to accept her messing with his memories or, even though she tried to hide it, having control over his body. -"If anything, we would be a father. You know, that thing between dangling between our legs and the fact we don''t have the... facilities to grow anything."


    -"Huh?" Eve was almost shocked speechless. Out of all of the responses she had imagined, this wasn''t one of them. Not only did Al not immediately dismiss the subject or ignore her entirely, but he actually referenced their body as something that was both of theirs and not just his.


    Al was oblivious to this, as the train of thought latched onto something deep within him. -"Plus, I don''t think I want to have children with just anyone. Ignoring the fact that it might be impossible to impregnate another due to what I have become, or them for that matter, but..."


    A dull, throbbing headache returned in the back of Al''s mind, only to be quickly crushed by Eve.


    -"I don''t think I want children." Al''s projected voice was filled with pain, why, he didn''t know. -"I..."


    -"Enough," Even though Eve felt they would have to tackle this situation eventually, she didn''t want to press Al now.


    Though she had never been a human and the emotions did not carry over from Al''s memories, she was still a sentient creature. What Al had endured, while those of a more Darwinistic tendency might consider natural, was one of the of the only things that she deemed increased intellect a disadvantage. -"I think we are too young for little Al and Eves running around destroying the local ecosystem anyway. And we can always release our frustrations with the Rakorn. She seems like she could be receptive to our advances and it would be unlikely to get her pregnant."


    Al wanted to argue that he had no intention of staying with the female Rakorn or its child any longer than it took to get them to safety but the lump in his throat and the sense of an unknown loss kept him from responding.


    He knew it came from the memories Eve said she was repressing and was tempted to ask her if she could do something about the mental anguish that was still present.


    "Hello?" Eventually, a familiar voice broke him from his thoughts, causing him to shake his head as his gaze turned towards the new arrival, his expressionless mask once again, covering his face.


    "Little Fox." Al''s voice thundered in the minds of the three people standing at the bottom of the hill, his abilities having been significantly increased from all of the Rakorn Mindcrafters he had consumed, causing them to stagger.


    Even though the ability wasn''t very different from the Crawler''s, with each one Rakorn consumed, the small variations in each that had been caused by tiny mutations had refined his own.


    Ren''s mouth open and closed as she shivered. While Al had been intimidating when they first met, comparing the him then to now would be like comparing a kitten and a lion. Unlike before, Al had forgotten to retract his spikes and, due to the optimisations during his hunt, his body was over eight foot tall and covered with the dried gore of his victims.


    After a few moments, she finally found the courage to speak.


    "Welcome back, Reaper or do you prefer the name, White Hunter?" Ren''s voice was nothing more than a whisper, but Al was paying more attention to the tall, armoured men behind her as his body weight shifted in subconscious preparation.


    Ren finally noticed the little lizardman laying on Al''s head and frowned, only to instantly forget it as the threat in his voice caused her to take a step back.


    "Seems you brought more company than last we met. Expecting trouble, little fox?"

 Chapter Thirty Two(Arc 2) - Who I am (Part 1)

    -"Excluding the three before us, I can confirm fifteen humans visually. Armour seems to be plates of basic metal, and their weapons are mostly swords, a few maces and shields."


    I focused on the men in front of me, watching for any sign of hostile intent or movement as Eve started analysing them in great detail.


    -"Maces are the highest threat to us, though I suspect a sword thrust at a joint or between the bone ridges might give them enough leverage to penetrate if they had enough force behind it. The shields are large enough to obstruct our vision, but as a defence, I believe we should be able to pierce or crush them easily."


    Dividing responsibility between combat and analysis was a habit Eve, and I had picked up when we had to fight against multiple opponents.


    Well, it had become so after I had lost track of the lightening Rakorn and as a result, was separated from my left shoulder and arm.


    I could fight and respond to immediate threats, but I became so engrossed in the actual combat that my surroundings became a blur.


    -"Two more out to each side, trying to circle us by using the hills as cover while there are three or four in the direction that they came. Probably to keep a path of retreat open so if the shit hits the fan, they can run for it."


    Without consciously intending to, I released a rumbling growl which caused the three in front of me, the fox woman, a green armoured man and a leather-clad woman, back a few steps.


    Having grown up on Earth during the console revolution and played my fair share of games, I knew what the armoured soldiers were meant to be and the potential threat they represented.


    -"Threat level?"


    -"As long as three or more of them aren''t mages, or they don''t have any special abilities we don''t know about, none. Their weapons are pretty much ineffective."


    -"Wouldn''t that be the same for me? I only have my claws and teeth?"


    The image of a water snake smiling in an evil, creepy way entered my mind.


    -"Don''t forget the blades from out elbows or the spikes. Anyway, armour of that level won''t be an issue. Even at this distance, if I have to compare it to something, I would say it was slightly inferior to the hide of a Rakorn which doesn''t even give us indigestion."


    Trusting in Eve''s assessment, a small part of me wondered at the mentality or age of the humans.


    I knew everyone had some silly fantasy of what they wanted to become, but I just couldn''t see the benefit of becoming a physical superhuman.


    It felt so~ lacking, especially after the changes to my body and the fact that I had witnessed magic, or at least what had categorised as such. I didn''t understand what the Rakorn, who could seemingly bend the elements to their will, were doing or how but it impressed me greatly.


    Deep down, I regretted not even thinking about the possibility when I first arrived.


    I knew that I was already making assumptions, the worst being that I was ignoring the possibility that they could have multiple traits other than enhanced strength, speed and reflexes that would elevate them into a league of their own, but my instincts dismissed it quickly.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    It had never been wrong before, and I wasn''t about to start doubting it now.


    The first soldier hit the figurative line in the sand I had set up. The point that once crossed, I had decided I would act.


    I felt my pupils constrict as my muscles coiled. It was a weird, bizarre sensation but I had gotten used to it over the weeks or was it months?, that I had been here.


    "Stop" bellowed the little fox-woman as she finally noticed what the soldiers behind her were doing. "I told you that if you were to come, you were not to do anything that could antagonise our guest."


    The soldiers didn''t falter in the slightest as they kept spreading out, never taking their eyes off me.


    "I would advise you listen to your leader. That includes the four pathetically trying to use the hills as cover to our sides. I have somewhat of a short fuse and am the type that eliminates all threats, no matter how insignificant, with extreme prejudice."


    I watched the soldiers hesitate, some even slightly shaking as they grasped their weapons at their sides in a vice-like grip.


    "By extreme prejudice, I mean ripping them limb from limb and devouring their flesh. In fact, keep going. I haven''t tried human before."


    -"Really? You want them to think that you would eat them given half the chance?" hissed Eve, who I could imagine shaking her head. -"Moving swiftly on, I suggest we tone down the mental power a bit. That woman in the brown leather is bleeding from the nose and looks dazed."


    The fox-woman didn''t notice her comrade''s distress as she turned and glared at the seven-foot-tall man, with 001 on the right side of his chest. "Tell your men to stand down Lieutenant. First, you insist on being here, even though I told you it would make negotiations more difficult and now your men are not even pretending to listen to me."


    The small, thin woman, who looked incredibly fragile poked her finger into the man''s armour with each of her words. "Do. You. Understand. Me?"


    -"Cute~" grinned Eve. -"I like her."


    I wasn''t entirely paying attention as I scanned the hills and focused on my other senses, searching for a threat. -"Distraction?"


    -"I don''t think so. The fox appears to be telling the truth but, something is off. This sort of behaviour isn''t how I would approach an enemy let alone a potential ally. It seems so~ amateurish."


    -"I agree, while the ones in the little fox''s vision have stopped, the others have started moving again. Coup?"


    -"Don''t think so." Eve sighed. -"But I don''t like how they are looking down on us. I mean, how dare a lamb glare at a wolf."


    I couldn''t help but release a small chuckle at Eve''s words. -"Steady on the Xianxia speech."


    -"Fine~ Anyway, It''s clear that the fox-woman has some level of authority or else they would just get rid of her. They could be preparing for a worst-case scenario, that we decide to munch on them, but now we have called attention to their actions, it''s more like they are trying to provoke us or they would have stopped."


    -"I told you it was a good idea to make them come to us. I wonder what we might have walked into if they had time to prepare."


    Though it sounded like I was gloating, I didn''t feel any joy from my thoughts. Instead, I could feel my stomach lurch as I realised that things were taking a turn for the worst and for once, I didn''t think I was the cause.


    -"I don''t think this is an act; the other woman seems conflicted about what to do. Also, her eyes keep going unfocused as if she can see something in front of her. Might be a skill or something? We need to be careful."


    -"It could be a power play? It would make more sense if they were trying to intimidate us before negotiations and discredit the fox, especially if that group she was with last time was influential."


    I felt uneasy. Though only a couple of seconds had passed since the fox woman''s words, the more Eve and I thought about it, the more certain I was that this little meeting was going to end in bloodshed.


    -"Defuse, fight or flight?"


    One one hand, I knew I could take them all on without risk, on the other, I knew that if I did, that would be the end of any peaceful human interactions.


    -"Fight."


    Eve''s responded without hesitation, and I could hear her hiss in irritation. The behaviour of the humans had offended her significantly, and while I thought I knew the reason, I wasn''t entirely sure.


    -"It''s not like we can''t interact with other species or that all humans will turn against us. If they do, well, poor them."

 Chapter Thirty Two(Arc 2) - Who I am (Part 2)

    -"Are you playing Devil''s advocate?"


    -"Not at all. I can just look at the humans objectively unlike you. From your memories, I can see why you would want to distance yourself from such a species. Their behaviour isn''t logical in the slightest, well at least with the information we have at the moment. Anyway, if we retreat now, they will never see us as equals and more than likely to give chase either now or in the future."


    My view of the world tilted along with my head as I thought about it. Eve wasn''t saying anything new. I understood all her points because I was thinking them myself. I just knew that taking the easy road now would come back to haunt me.


    -"Creatures like this need to learn through consequences. Good or bad, then, even if things turn sourer, they won''t be in a hurry to repeat their mistakes."


    The armoured man, who I had mentally dubbed 001, shook his head, apparently not agreeing with the fox woman that they should stand down. "System''s orders outranks yours by far garrison captain."


    The man continued, his words laced with contempt. "Our top priority is to evaluate the threat and, if I deem it necessary ac-"


    The wind hissed past my ears, or whatever on my exoskeleton had, as I moved. I felt my lips curl into a snarl.


    Not only did they show a blatant disregard for my presence, treating it as if I wasn''t there, but they also wanted to evaluate me.


    I had come with nothing but gifts, knowledge and the elimination of the Rakorn scouting out their homes, and ensured that every encounter I had, even if I released a little threat here or there, was polite and respectful.


    -"See, this is what I was saying."


    I didn''t understand what was going on between the fox woman and the rest, but I was sick of letting the humans dictate the flow of this conversation. It might sound spoilt, no I definitely was acting spoilt, but I felt like if I let this continue, there would be no going back.


    The choices were to kill them all, kill the soldiers and leave the fox woman, or retreat. Eve was against the last and I was against the first. Even so, I knew the middle ground wasn''t a good option either.


    Though I didn''t trust the five humans that I had initially met, what fool would after a five-minute conversation, they didn''t set off any warning bells unlike the armoured soldiers spread out before me.


    While this was weird, my senses telling me that the fox woman could give all of the soldiers present a run for their money in terms of combat ability, it appeared that the woman didn''t have the personality for direct confrontation.


    When the soldier snapped on yer, her eyes had gone wide in surprised and stepped away from him.


    -"I vote for killing them all but if we don''t give a fuck about the repercussions and just want to let the fox woman live because you feel like it, go for option B. Not that you haven''t already made your mind up.I swear, it could be so easy if we wanted it to be but no~ we always have to make things hard for ourselves."


    Eve''s words causing me to smile inwardly.


    Even though I was acting on instinct and impulse, and it was evident Eve was against the half-baked plan forming in my mind, I knew she was behind me a hundred percent.


    -"Less thinking more action. We are the focus," hissed Eve.


    I chuckled, the sound my body made still alien to me, as I looked into the visor slits of 001, finally able to see his eyes and the fear swimming inside of them.


    The reason the armoured man had stopped talking, along with the fact that the other, leather-clad woman was now sprawled on her back a couple of meters away while the little fox, still standing but now less than three feet away and staring in terror, was simple.


    I had one clawed hand around his armoured throat as I suspended the wannabe super soldier in the air.


    Surprisingly, against my expectation, he was incredibly light.


    -"Or we are just that strong," said Eve sarcastically, annoyed that I was taking the option with the most risk. -"Not like we have been training our body, absorbing, compacting and enhancing every fibre of muscle, sinew and bone, since we were born."You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    "Let me g-" The man reached for the sword at his waist but, as his words were cut off once again by a slight squeeze, he soon abandoned the attempt as the sound of warping metal caused him to shiver in fear.


    -"I have to say, my senses have improved quite a bit over the last few days. To be able to tell what he is feeling and his bodies reaction even through metal."


    Eve snorted, her irritation fading. -"Al, focus. The approaching soldiers might have stopped, but it''s clear they are looking for an opportunity to attack."


    I slowly rotated my head, not that I needed to do that to see the area in front of me but more for effect, and noticed that the other armoured soldiers were a lot closer than they had been when I first moved.


    Their weapons had been drawn, but it seems like they had stopped when they realised that all I had to do was clench my fist and their leader would die.


    I could smell their fear, hear their rapid, shaky breaths as hesitation and doubt wrapped around them like a lover''s embrace.


    A sense of power washed over me as a song from my past started playing in my mind.


    -"And~ It''s so easy when your evil~."


    -"Al! You are going to be the death of us. This is why everything always fucks up. Get out of your head and deal with the situation at hand. This is exactly what you did when you saw that Rakorn that could control lightning, started singing a song about thunder and lightning before getting our arm blown off. You can piss about with your thoughts later."


    Even with Eve''s heated words, my smile didn''t disappear, my insides squirming in anticipation as my hunter''s instincts roared to life as the people in front of me changed from humans, to pray.


    -"The fox is in the chicken coop."


    -"AL! I. WILL. HURT. YOU~"


    -"Love you~."


    Eve snorted at my obvious attempt to return her earlier taunt. Even though I had done it to irritate her, the thoughts squirmed uncomfortably and I decided that this kind of joke would not be used again.


    My joy was cut short as 001''s voice reached my ears. "Let me down this instant, or you will regret-"


    "Oh? I will regret it, will I? And what is a weak, pathetic human in a metal shell going to do to make that so?"


    Even I was surprised by how venomous my voice sounded.


    "As you can see." I ran one of my claws down his chest, the screech of metal at it tore into the metal caused the fox woman nearby to flinch. "This pathetic armour means nothing to me. Your weapons mean nothing to me."


    I pulled the man closer to my face as my tail flicked behind me. "Your life means nothing to me."


    I heard him swallow.


    "So~ Please enlighten me, little snack. How will you make me regret breaking your neck and then slaughtering those loyal to you?"


    The man''s voice shook, yet it still had an undertone of iron. "I am the envoy of the Human race. Syst-"


    Another squeeze, this time my claws cutting into the metal ended his words as his hands shot to my wrist as he started to panic.


    "Envoy? No, the little fox is the ambassador for your kind. You are... an annoyance."


    A hiss, urging me to claim the kill, came from my head reminded me that the little Rakorn was still there causing me to release a hiss-like sigh. -"Well, that is going to kill the intimidation factor a fair bit. Little lizard using my head as a viewing platform. I couldn''t really imagen my form, but I was starting to feel a little stupid. Especially as I didn''t really desire to kill the humans so they would undoubtedly remember it."


    As if in protest to my thoughts, a cold, crawling feeling started seeping up from the depths of my soul.


    It demanded that I slaughter the humans and feast on their flesh. The thoughts of the high-quality meat and the potential skills I might gain caused my mouth to water.


    -"Do it~" seethed Eve, her voice rough with bloodlust.


    The muscles in my hand started to tighten.


    "Please, put him down."


    Though I didn''t move my head in the slightest, my gaze drifted towards the fox woman, who surprisingly hadn''t backed away any further. "If you hurt him, it will be hard to convince others that you are not dangerous. System is watching all of this and will probably put a bounty on your head."


    She took a deep breath. "While we standing around fighting, more people are dying. Please, put him down. Consider it a personal favour to me. One I promise to repay."


    I had intentionally not pushed the fox woman away, letting her get into my danger zone for a few reasons.


    Firstly, I didn''t feel she was a threat and she had been the only one that seemed to be taking this seriously. I presented my side to her to see if she would attack when I grabbed 001 but probably the most significant reason was that I was pretty sure that if I had to kill 001, she would be the best hostage and didn''t want her too far away.


    My head moved towards the woman, her three tails competing to flatten themselves while her ears were almost horizontal with her head.


    -"Doesn''t hurt that she looks weak and vulnerable but is trying to act tough. What weird tastes we have," said Eve, her voice returning to normal as the desire to kill everything and anyone in the immediate vicinity started to sin back into the depths. -"They made the right choice with the eye candy."


    I wanted to shake my head but had to stop myself as it would probably look like I was rejecting her offer. The fox woman had given me a way to de-escalate the situation while saving face.


    Eve laughed in my mind. -"Not the typical approach when searching for a mate, especially for a predator but your idea of what is appealing seems to have rubbed off on me somewhat. I approve"


    -"Eve."


    -"Yes?"


    -"Shut up."

 Chapter Thirty Two(Arc 2) - Who I am (Part 3)

    I felt Eve''s smug consciousness sink back in the depths of my own and I couldn''t help but let out an irritated breath. -"Damn parasite."


    -"Love you too~."


    Ignoring the confusing emotions that threatened to surface at Eve''s words, I checked to make sure none of the wannabe super soldiers looked like they were about to do something stupid before focusing again on the fox woman.


    "Little Fox, in future I suggest you pick your allies more carefully. Not only have you shown me, a potential ally, that your species is fractured and weak, but it seems that your kind also can''t be trusted."


    "I''m sorry," the fox woman looked at the ground, which confused me greatly.


    -"Arnt we scary and terrifying? Who takes their eyes off something that could kill them?"


    -"Watch her ears and tail. She is expressing traits that those animal documentaries, the ones that you use to love watching, stated were signs of submission. Maybe she is more animal-like than human?"


    Eve''s words turned harsh, but the undertone was jokey. -"It would also explain why your guard is not as high as it should be around her but you should remember, some of the most dangerous predators are female. No matter how badly you want to grab their tails to see if feels as fluffy as it looks."


    -"I hate you."


    I couldn''t deny the desire to touch the fox woman''s ears or tail hadn''t crossed my mind, just to see if they felt like the real thing, but having Eve say it out loud sickened me.


    Eve laughed in my mind, though I could tell she was still paying attention to everything and would alert me the moment a threat appeared.


    Sighing, a sound that sounded more akin to a hiss, I threw 001 towards his men and watched him roll to a stop, his basic armour seeming to do more damage than protection.


    Even though things weren''t unsalvagable at the moment, at least to me, things were going far from planned but then again, it wasn''t as if I had thought this far ahead.


    Meet the humans, pass off the Rakorn and its young and then go kill and eat.


    -"Some things are never easy."


    A hissing sound, vastly different from human language sounded from behind me. "I am here, White Hunter. My leg slowed me. I have your back."


    "Lizardman rogue," shouted one of the soldiers to my left, making me wonder why they had only just noticed Kallis. She had been sat by my feet at the top of the hill the whole time.


    In fact, I suddenly felt a little stupid for leaving her there. Two could play the hostage game and I wasn''t entirely sure what I would do if they had got hold of her.


    The soldiers quickly paired up, one watching me while the other guarded his companions back.


    -"Least they can''t spread out as much now they have to watch their backs," said Eve in a thoughtful voice. I could almost hear her mind starting to come up with something.


    Even the Fox woman jumped, looking around with fear in her eyes as a dagger appeared in her hand.


    -"I don''t think they can see her?" said Eve. -"That or they are blind."


    -"Seeing as we can only see the eyes of the two women, and they are trying to look everywhere, I think you might be right." I had to agree with Eve. Unless they were great actors, it didn''t seem they could see Kallis, and I doubted it was because of my body blocking her from view.


    001 was still struggling to his feet, but it was clear after a quick glance at the nervous soldiers, that it was getting to a point where one of them might do something stupid.


    -"Her name is Kallis. Try to remember it this time. It might add a bit of humanisation to her." As always, Eve knew what I was about to do.


    I was sure that some of the Rakorn telepaths could communicate with each other individually, but I had never tried to do so and doubted this was the best time to try.


    I just had to hope she would follow my lead.


    "Reveal yourself, Kallis. The humans are so jumpy you almost made them defecate themselves."A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    -"Why not just say shit?"


    -"Umm, because it sounded more intimidating?"


    -"Uh huh."


    The fox woman yelped as I felt a strange sensation spike behind me, all but proving my theory that Kellis had some sort of stealth ability.


    -"Why have we never seen this ability before? I would have thought she would have used it when she ran? Maybe it takes a lot of energy? It can''t be movement based as they only just noticed her."


    -"Maybe," Eve was momentarily distracted as one of the female soldiers to her left, shifted her weight. -"Maybe we have but it was ineffective. Our vision is not what I would consider typical. Our brain restricts it to what we are currently expecting but as you have probably noticed the small differences that are slipping through. It also explains why the Spike hounds didn''t seem to notice her while we were following."


    "It''s with the lizardmen!" spat 001 as he was supported by one of his subordinates as he attempted to draw his own sword.


    -"Ah, didn''t think of that."


    I felt Eve mentally shrug. -"Neither did I to be fair, its somewhat obvious if we think about it. The Rakorn are their enemies, and we are with one."


    Eve''s voice gained a sadistic edge. -"However, after looking at the damage done to the armour around his neck, I wonder how easy it will be for him to change? It looks like the clasp was crumpled."


    Eve had all but resigned herself to the fact that we were going to have to fight and seemingly given up on focusing me, however, I wasn''t quite ready to admit defeat, especially with the lifeline the fox woman had thrown me.


    My mind raced to find a solution and meet my objectives.


    Excluding the fact that I wanted to keep my human heritage a secret, I had three objectives.


    The first was to start, at a bare minimum, a neutral relationship with the human race so I could set up a relatively safe home base. Preferably far from any hills of grasslands. I had seen enough of them to last ten lifetimes.


    The second was to secure a safe place for Kallis to heal and look after her daughter. Though on the outside it seemed like an act of compassion, I felt it was more to appease the unease I felt if I was to abandon them to their deaths. I wasn''t particularly attached, but at the same time, it would leave a bitter taste in my mouth.


    A new addition to the list, one that was in last place regarding priorities but strangely linked to the reasons for the second, was that I didn''t like the fact that the fox-woman seemed to be on the verge of being usurped and, if I could help her solidify the woman''s power, at least regarding negotiations with me, I might earn her trust and gratitude which would greatly aid my first objective.


    Eve chuckled in my mind, reminding me that although I could mask my thoughts, my subconscious was free for her to pillage as she pleased.


    "Not everything is black and white... Lieutenant. Just like the motives of you and your followers."


    Even though the conclusion that I was working with the Rakon was a given, seeing as a Rakorn had just emerged behind me, probably looking like she was trying to protect me, the man was starting to get on my nerves.


    "Do you deny it?" shouted the Lieutenant, though it was clear that our previous encounter had shaken him. "Answer or be considered an enemy of mankind."


    "Lieutenant! you don''t have the ri-" The fox woman''s words were cut off.


    "System has already permitted it. It is suspicious that this... thing turns up at the same time as the lizards and now travels with them." Even though I couldn''t see his eyes, I could tell that 001 was glaring at me with hatred. "Are you really so naive to want to continue this? This is a monster. It should be killed or captured. "


    "What the hell are you talking about? Yes, he is with a Lizardman, but it''s clear that, not only is it injured, that it is under his control." Shouted the fox-woman, her face turning red. "And his requests are reasonable. The right to trade and travel in our lands and he even offers to help us with the war. How would that benefit the lizardmen?"


    "Simple. Its a spy" responded 001 as if it was a fact.


    -"Logical conclusion." Though it quite concerned that the possibility didn''t occur to the fox woman, I found her flushed face quite endearing.


    "Master, this pathetic species continue to insult you. Give the word, and they shall blight this land no more." Eve''s feminine voice, though laced with anger, floated from the hills to my left.


    -"Huh? Are we bluffing now? Also, don''t you think that you laid it on a bit thick? It''s kind of obvious that you said that for their benefit."


    -"Well, you seem against the idea of doing the right thing and killing them all, and it seems like our presence isn''t enough to make them back down. What was it that you kept mumbling about when we hunt? The greatest fear is fear of the unknown. "


    Another Feminine voice, different but strikingly similar to the first erupted from the right. "Yes Master, Please allow us to remove this filth from your presence."


    "Mary, hostile count," shouted the 001. The soldiers started folding back in on themselves, creating a circle.


    Something brushed the edge of my consciousness, similar to when the Rakorn mindcrafters were searching for me and, just like then, I retaliated.


    Well, I did hold back. I was almost sure that if I liquified the woman''s brain, all hell would break loose.


    The woman''s scream as blood poured from her nose and fell to the ground caused two of the warriors close to her to rush to her side and drag her to the centre of their defensive circle. The fox woman was the only one who didn''t retreat, though it was clear from the fear in her eyes she wasn''t expecting a good outcome.


    "Do you think I was just standing here admiring the sights... Lieutenant?" The hostility in my voice caused everyone to freeze. "The fate of you and your men was in the palm of my hand the moment our paths crossed. The only reason you are still breathing is that your race somewhat interests me."


    -"Oh, and now who is giving it too thick now? Oh mighty and evil demon lord," giggled Eve. -"But if you want my opinion, you should have said that it was because of the captivating little fox. Women love honesty."

 Chapter Thirty Two (Arc 2) - Who I am (Part 4)

    "Is Mary OK?" asked the fox woman, more to the soldiers surrounding the psychic than me, as she quickly moved to put herself between us.


    -"Brave~."


    -"Stupid~," hissed Eve though I could tell it was out of amusement. -"As if putting herself in the way would stop a non-physical attack."


    I mentally chuckled. -"Its the thought that counts."


    -"Ha-de-ha. Think that one up all by yourself?"


    Noticing the soldiers bristling with aggression as they protectively surrounded the woman on the ground, I decided to answer before they jumped to conclusions.


    "The human female is fine. It was foolish of her to try and enter my mind. The many Rakorn that have attempted something similar were left in a much worse state. Or better depending on your outlook. If they had survived, they would have had to live the life of a vegetable."


    -"Al~ that sounds pretty close to what humans say, at least from your memories. How would we know what a vegetable was?"


    -"Hey, we could eat vegetables too. Remember, its intent that is shown not words."


    -"When we are thinking another language yes. At the moment, we are projecting English, so they are hearing English."


    -"Ah."


    I couldn''t help but grimace and wonder if any of them had noticed.


    -"Well, too late now.." Eve was enjoying my discomfort. -"Keep going oh great and mighty overlord. Put the infidels in their place."


    -"..."


    OK, maybe I had been getting a little too caught up in the act, but I still felt a small amount of resentment for Eve ridiculing my attempts.


    "Now, let us start again." My gaze focused on the fox woman, who had visibly paled. "This female Rakorn and her young are under my protection."


    A relieved hiss emanated from behind me. It seemed Kallis was nervous about what I was doing. -"Maybe I should have told her some of the plans."


    "Any slight or injury to them will be considered an act of aggression against me and, as such, will be met with severe, some might say deadly, consequences."


    All I got in response was silence.


    "Do you understand little fox?"


    The woman nodded, resisting the urge to look at the circle of soldiers behind her.


    It seemed that they were in no hurry to get closer as they scanned the hills for, what I assumed to be the Eve, as they paid careful attention to every movement I made.


    "Next, I will only deal with you and the four that I have previously met. I have no time for the puppets of others."


    Another nod and what I could only interpret as a slightly relieved smile.


    "So, with that said, I believe introductions should be in order. I already have told you that I am not used to the concept of unique names, but by the sounds of it, you have already heard what others call me so you can use one of those."


    My insides squirmed. I had never been good at ad-lib and everything I was saying sounded arrogant and pretentious. Especially as I remembered Eve''s words from earlier.


    The fox tailed woman started to open her mouth.


    "What is your name?"


    "Ren," replied the woman as her ears slightly perked up.


    I sighed, while it was clear that the woman called Ren was willing to work with me, the soldiers were only becoming more and more hostile. Their defensive circle had slowly started getting closer and closer to the woman and I doubted they were thinking happy thoughts.


    -"This isn''t going to work, and honestly, this is starting to bore me."


    My tail flicked in annoyance as my gaze looked into the distance. The sound and smells of battle becoming more tempting as the minutes passed.


    -"Can we kill them then?" replied Eve with a forced bored tone. I knew she was enjoying this, mainly because we hadn''t interacted with many creatures since we merged.


    For a moment, I was seriously tempted, but just as quickly, I pushed the idea away. By the progression made in their armour and weapons, I was almost sure that being on friendly terms with the humans would be beneficial.


    I almost shuddered in joy as I thought about having a hot shower or bath. I loved relaxing in hot water. The thought of a properly cooked meal, with spices, herbs and slightly burnt meat, floated to the surface of my mind, all but cementing my resolve.


    Unless the humans did something stupid, I would give them a chance.


    It was pretty much impossible to continue with my original plan. Things had changed, and I was no longer sure that Kallis and Hope would be safe with the humans.


    "After witnessing this," I waved my arm at the soldiers who were hesitating about approaching anymore. They were around fifteen feet away. "The old deal is void."


    I saw Ren swallow hard as her ears flattened.


    Both Eve and I had to restrain ourselves from trying to reassure the woman.


    -"It has got to be a passive ability," mused Eve and I could only agree. I wasn''t precisely the soppy type, especially to people I didn''t know but Ren generated the desire to protect.


    "I require a patch of land, far from you devious humans while the female Rakorn heals. It needs to be on the edge of your territory."


    Ren started to open her mouth again.


    "The only reason I am allowing you to select it is that the moment I claim it, I do not want to be disturbed. Any who do so are forfeiting their lives. Once she is healed, and the barrier falls, we will leave your lands."


    Something deep down, deeper than the ruthless coldness, seethed with disagreement at my decision but it didn''t change my mind.


    Ren frowned. "You will leave?"


    "Yes. I was never going to stay."


    "What about the others..." Ren searched for the right word, "of your kind out there?"


    The fox woman''s head flicked towards the surrounding hills.


    "We are one. Where I go, they go. A pack if you will,"


    -"Not like ''we'' have a choice, is it.," snarked Eve.


    "OK." Ren nodded, relieved for some reason but I didn''t let it bother me. "I understand your decision, and on behalf of the Southen Garrison, which is its own independent entity, I agree to your terms."This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    After giving a meaningful glare at the man I had dubbed 001, finally getting the confidence to turn around, Ren''s gaze returned to me and then to, at least I assumed, Kallis behind me. "Do you or the lizardman know why their rouges have infiltrated the fortress?"


    "Why have the Rakorn entered the human settlement?" I knew Kallis didn''t understand the human and it wasn''t as if I was able to act as a translator so I could only ask the question directly


    "It is one of the reasons I chose to leave. Such a disgraceful act that will blacken our souls and keep us out of the light of the Great Three." Kallis hissed back.


    -"Poison the water supply or food? Release a plague or virus? plant explosives?" Ideas of what Kallis could be referring to raced through my mind.


    "What is the mission?"


    "They are to take the human young, sacrificing half to power the ritual to bend distance and return home instantly while trapping the souls of any powerful warriors to enter the rebirth pool."


    "Sacrifices? Kidnapping? Trapping souls?" My mind jarred at Kallis'' explanation and for the first time, I spoke in front of the humans.


    "The younger the soul, the better for the sacrifice but they are also the targets so they may try to use adults instead. One human for each of the returnees will have their souls ripped from their bodies and implanted into soul crystals. From there they will be shattered destroying the soul within, and if the person who shattered it envisions home, a tear in the distance will appear in which they can move through for a few seconds."


    Kallis explained it as if she was talking to an animal, which instead of being insulted, I was grateful. Not that I noticed that as my mind finally caught up with what she had said.


    "They will kill children and abduct human children?"


    Vaugley in my peripheral, I saw the fox woman tense as the soldier''s heads jerk, however, it was almost unnoticeable compared to the pain that burst forth in the back of my mind.


    "Lieutenant, get System to put out a red quest out to anyone close to the shelter. We need to make sure the children are safe." Ren''s voice was faint as if she was far away.


    Even though I could sense the atmosphere change, for once not due to my own emotions, I paid it no attention.


    -"AL! STOP!"


    Eve''s panicked voice did nothing as I felt the world around me slightly dim as a chill crawled down my spine.


    A gravestone, the lettering blurred and a children''s toy bear engraved onto its side replaced all else. Wilted flowers next to as rain fell, running down the stone and onto the muddy grass.


    I leant forward slightly, causing Ren and the soldiers to flinch. It seemed all conversation had ended as they were staring at me.


    -"Eve... block it. Now."


    -"I can''t Al. I''m trying." Eve''s voice twisted in pain as my entire body started to shake. The spikes rattling against my bone exoskeleton.


    -"Please!" The pain, the despair, the rage threatened to overwhelm me as it surged through my being like icy lava.


    The loud thump from one of the new organs in my chest resonated outwards, scorching heat, the cracking of bone and tear of muscles as they broke down and rebuilt rapidly reached my ears.


    I felt my shell crack and fall away as it was replaced. The new bone, stronger, sleeker, more deadly.


    The organ in my chest was the only one I had ever used, normally when I used the speed or strength ability, but in rapid succession, the others quickly came to life. My insides screamed in agony but, compared to the emotional pain I was feeling, it felt like a drop in the ocean.


    -"I will show you how to do it. You must help me suppress them, Al. If you don''t, we might die. Something is trying to kill us."


    I snarled, my instincts registering the threat.


    A man walking down stone steps, a tall building behind him, all but his smile blurred. A smug smile. One of victory. One I wanted to carve from his face in a way that would make a psychopath cower in fear.


    The word rage was inadequate to the feeling that burst forth. Yet, at the same time, unnerving tranquillity, a thousand times more chilling, started to take over. It wrapped around the anger as if it was protecting it.


    "Whats going on?" shouted the fox woman. She was on her rear and pushing herself away from me as fast as possible.


    Obviously, something was happening to my body, but I didn''t care much about the humans anymore. I had new targe- new prey.


    A blur of sandy green passed my vision, hit the floor and rapidly moved behind me. Even though I could no longer feel the presence of the Female Rakorn, I knew Hope had run to her.


    I breathed out and was met by a wave of steam as it rose in front of my face and leant forward, the tips of my claws digging into the soil as my tail slammed into the ground behind me with a dull, echoing thud.


    "Protect the Female Rako- Lizardman and her young with your lives." I vaguely heard Eve''s words at the edges of my conscious. I was too busy ripping the emotions from the memories that I wouldn''t just block, I would destroy.


    They were a threat.


    "Inform your people that we are going to eliminate the Rakorn infiltrators entering your settlement. Any act of hostility against us will result in death. There will be no second chances."


    It sounded like a debate was going on but it was just background noise.


    The lettering on the tombstone became readable, and I felt something inside me snap, and I couldn''t repress the growl as I felt my teeth fall out, replaced with new, sharper versions.


    Creatures would die today. A lot of them.


    Part of my brain liquified, only to be rapidly regenerated and destroyed again. Whatever was trying to kill me seemingly targeting the parts of my body that, if damaged, would kill a normal creature.


    I snarled. Unlucky for the aliens above, I wasn''t normal, and I basked in the pain generated from the memories that I would never have again.


    I finally knew the real reason that I distanced myself from the world. Why I wanted to be anything but a human but, at the same time, I couldn''t let it go. If I did, it would be like saying that they never existed.


    Why I continually tried to distract myself with any pathetic detail I could. The reason why I consistently filled my mind with useless chatter and noise. The anger, the hate, the paranoia. It all made sense.


    I was human, yet I was not. My humanity had been lost long before I fell to this planet. Some might say it was taken from me, others, which I just lost my mind in grief and anger.


    Despite the hatred and despair flowing through me, I smiled.


    I finally knew who I was and what I wanted to do with this new life. I knew the reason for the strength that I desired. No, that I would have.


    My back foot slammed into the ground as my muscles coiled and I my tail hissed through the air.


    Wrath and Tranquility mixed through my veins, the sound of two hearts hammering away as the twelve organs pumped strange energies into my body, tempering it for what was about to come.


    I knew what I was going to do wasn''t smart.


    Far from it. Not only was it against everything that I had previously decided and would reveal my strength and limits to potential enemies, but I was also wasn''t even technically required.


    I wasn''t doing this to survive or benefit from. I was doing this because I wanted to.


    I was going to put myself in huge amounts of danger, something that could get, not only me, but Eve killed.


    The reason? Because the Rakorn had to die. The fact that they were capable and willing to put such a plan into motion had, in my mind, sealed their fates.


    I could lie and say it was to save the children because I didn''t want others to feel the pain that I knew all too well but it would be a lie. I just wanted to kill them because they reminded me of the man.


    That isn''t to say I wouldn''t try, just that it wasn''t the driving factor in my decision.


    -"Al I''m sorry-"


    -"Focus." My voice rampaged through my mind as if it was the thunder before a storm.


    I attached the emotions I was feeling to concepts and ideals, Eve''s knowledge aiding me greatly and then, with a deep breath, I began the purge.


    I knew that if I didn''t then I would die, whatever it was wasn''t just attacking my body but my spirit, but I had to ensure that I secured what made me, me first.


    Blanks in my past began to appear, vastly different from the missing people that the aliens had removed but, to my relief, the emotions remained, and after the last memory was lost to god-knows-where, they continued to boil inside of me.


    The human was dead. Long live the beast.


    -"I am your eyes and ears; you are the teeth and claws."


    Eve''s voice sounded sombre, shaky, nervous yet at the same time; I could feel the anticipation.


    I finally knew who I was. What I was.


    A monster that kills and feasts on the flesh of others without remorse.


    A selfish, hypocritical being that would burn the world to the ground just because he felt like it.


    But that was not all.


    I was a protector. I felt burning regret at the deaths of the alpha wolf and her pup. It quickly turned into undying resolve.


    Those under my care would come to harm over my dead body.


    The greatest of allies, the most terrible of foes.


    At the moment, that only extended to Kellis until I could find somewhere safe for her but by the looks on the human''s faces, I was confident they would make sure she was safe until I returned.


    I felt the bone-like plate on my face crack as I grinned. It seemed that my expression was translating to my exoskeleton for the first time.


    If the expressions of those in front of me were anything to go by, it didn''t look pretty.


    It didn''t need to. I was a monster, both in body and soul and I was damn proud of it.


    I had purged a lot of memories, even ones that I didn''t need to and by doing so, I felt like I had opened the doors to my true self.


    I was no longer the pathetic human from Earth or the hapless creature who had left its bones at the bottom of the pool. Not even the beast that, in a desperate attempt to take its opponent to the grave with it, was swallowed by the Crawler.


    No.


    I was both a demon and an angel. A killer and a protector. A knight and at the same time, the dragon. Death and life.


    A force of nature.


    -"Al?" Eve''s worried voice echoed through my mind, my senses vaguely aware that blood was pouring out of every orifice I had, filling up my shell before escaping through the teeth of my exoskeleton and unnaturally flowing through the groves on my body.


    -"You''re mumbling nonsense. It''s scaring me. What did you do with my memories? Wait! What did you do to yours? What have you done?"


    -"They were killing me, no killing us, so I had to dispose of them. Weakness kills. Only the strong survive."


    I could tell Eve was shocked and scared which confused me. She had nothing to fear. She was safe with me. I would protect her.


    I released a rumbling growl as I felt the wind against my bones, the world turning grey as colour started to fade.


    Kill the Rakorn, outside the human settlement and within. Earn their trust, invoke their fear.


    -"Al, we can''t jus-"


    I felt the ground crack beneath me as I exploded forwards, the world becoming a blur as I hit the bottom of a nearby hill and used it as a ramp, catapulting myself into the air.


    Explosions in the distance attracted my attention, and I growled in anticipation.


    My grin grew. With my current mood, why would I go round when I could go through.


    The Rakorn had called me, among other things, the White Reaper.


    The only thing I knew for certain was that I wasn''t going to be white after this.

 Chapter Thirty Three (Arc 2) - Start of a legend [Draft]

    Karen showed a weak smile as a tall, black-haired man dropped a blanket into her lap before elegantly sitting down beside her.


    The pair, although given plenty of room, was two of many people that were resting at the end of a large, underground tunnel that disappeared off into the darkness. Orb-like crystals were embedded into the wall at regular intervals giving off a soft, white light.


    Muted voices echoed off the magically reinforced earth walls, accompanied by the occasional sob or pain filled cry further down the tunnel.


    Everyone became silent as they nervously looked up at the roof after a dull thud, accompanied by many smaller ones, shook the ground above them and tiny amounts of dirt shook free from the ceiling. After they subsided, quiet, barely audible prayers were muttered, mainly focused on not being buried alive.


    The milk-white skinned man, now sitting next to Karen, sighed as he flicked his long hair behind him, his slightly Asian features and feminine face making him seem entirely out of place amongst the grimy masses that surrounded him. "They already collapsed the tunnels back to the fortress, why are we still using them as cover. I swear if we get buried alive, I am going to come back and haunt the Earthies for all eternity."


    "That''s if any of them survive this," replied Karen with a sigh of her own, casually readjusting her metal bra and skirt and making sure they were cold enough not to set fire to her new blanket. "After the porters, they are the most pressed group out here, and the lizards know how essential they are."


    Tentatively wrapping herself in the corse fabric, she kept an eye out for any smoke. "I tell you what though, my love for fire is quickly disappearing. I would kill for a soft bra and some pants. I am sick of people keeping their distance or following me around with a bucket of water in fear I am going to combust at taking the area with me if I do as much as stub my toe."


    Karen knew she was just projecting her frustrations and trying to, for at least a moment, forget what was going on around her.


    It seemed the man had noticed what she was doing and attempted to join in. "Don''t forget finding it hard to have relations without taking things like ''burning passion'' and ''hot and steamy'' to a new level."


    Karen''s face flushed as it dipped down a bit, small sparks of fire igniting in the air around her causing a dim glow emanate outwards.


    "Sorry." The man patted his hand on her shoulder, flinching at the heat, as guilt apparent on his almost perfect features. "I''m an arsehole. I know you are only yourself around a few people and yet I continue to tease you. You will get the hang of it, and then things will get back to normal."


    Karen shook her head, still embarrassed. "It''s OK John; I know you are just trying to lighten the mood."


    John shook his head as he chuckled. "You need to stop, or I am going to fall head over heel for you. Act all cute and shy around me and then turn into an arse kicking fire goddess of destruction when you are around other people."


    "Thought you batted for the other team," laughed Karen, turning a deeper shade of red. She liked John, and she couldn''t deny she wasn''t interested but he had made it abundantly clear that appart from seeing her as a good friend, he saw her as competition.


    "Cute is still cute, and they have toys that can sort out your... lack of physical bits," shrugged John. "Plus with how hard you have been working, your muscles are going to put those ''warriors'' to shame soon. Won''t be long before even the ladies are drooling over you."


    Karen snorted at the considerable grin John was revealing. "So, Let''s say I do manage to spark your interest, do you give or take?"


    "Is that an offer?" sniggered John.


    The pair laughed for a few moments, enjoying the banter that momentarily pushed the horrors that they had witnesses into the back of their minds. However, it soon returned as their laughter died out.


    Karen''s eyes turned to the floor.. "We have lost so many."


    "Not as many as we could have lost," responded John as he revealed a smile that did not reach his eyes. "After the initial confusion, the porters managed to retrieve lots, and the priests revived those that were passing on. It''s just a shame it took us so long to get our arses into gear. It''s sickening to think even with people that can teleport anywhere within a certain distance and people that can revive the dead, that so many were left until it was too late."


    "Over half our forces froze up, a fair few ran and the rest..." Karen''s voice cracked. "The rest forgot everything we have trained for in the last few months and turned into street brawlers.!


    John nodded. "We should have expected it. We are lucky to have a few people like you, who served and had some sort of combat experience or it would have been a lot worse. We were taken from our homes, dropped on an alien world and mutated in ways that even now, seem impossible. Even though we struggled at first, I don''t believe many accepted this was our reality, and many of those idiots treated this as nothing more than a game. It''s all so... impossible."


    A woman in leather armour, large elf-like ears sticking away from her head, bobbing as she walked, passed by the many buckets littered at the edges of the cavern, waving her hands about above them as water condensed from the air and fell into them.


    "I think I like the normal elf ears better," John muttered as he leaned his head against the wall. "You know, the ones that stick out backwards, like those dark elves in the third division. Those are cute but... not very sexual."


    "Why is everything about or related to sex with you?" Karen chuckled as the woman gave them both the stink eye, clearly hearing them even though John tried to be quiet. "I think she heard you."


    "No shit," muttered John as he returned a polite smile that was instantly dismissed. "It''s because I am a man trapped with a subsection of humanity which have mainly been selected to propagate and survive. Not sure why they picked me with my preferences but~ I wish they picked a few more that at least swung both ways. With all these straight men fulfilling their fantasies to become the ultimate male, I''m like a man dying of thirst in the ocean.


    Another rumble, small amounts of dirt falling from the ceiling as the stone lights dimmed slightly before returning to their usual glow.


    "Seem''s Val is still..." Karen''s words cut off as a tear ran down her cheek.


    "I''m sorry about Geoff." John put his arm around her and pulled her closer, ignoring the heat. "Though, it seems his misses is going to make sure he has more than enough company in the afterlife. I just hope she doesn''t do anything stupid."


    "If we had just accepted System they might have found him sooner. Before his soul left his body. They could have brought him back." Karen''s bottom lip trembled. "But we didn''t. We didn''t trust him.


    Another tear ran down her cheek. "But now... System has really stepped up. Without him, we would have lost instantly."


    Around them, men and women were sleeping, trying to eat or staring into nothingness, however, at the mention of Geoff''s name, like throwing a pebble into a pond and watching the ripple, they all became silent for a moment.


    Geoff had sacrificed himself to save hundreds. Most of the people here wouldn''t be alive without him, and deep in their hearts, they felt the pangs of grief and sadness.


    "We thought we were so prepared," mumbled John as he lightly hit the back of his head against the earth wall a few times. "We thought we were ready. We outnumbered them, had defences and traps in place and, pretty much every one of us is more powerful or has better abilities than their best and yet we are only just hanging on. We are more powerful but compared to them, it''s like giving a toddler a machine gun and telling him to fight against a one-armed cripple who holds a toothpick but has been fighting for every day of his life."


    The ground shook violently, and a few people appeared from their left and raced down the tunnel towards the dead end just visible in the distance. The small group drew their weapons as they disappeared up a stairway that appeared in the wall before them before collapsing in on itself.


    The remaining people in the tunnel ignored them.


    They had seen it many times before. They probably were on some critical mission but not important enough for the porters to take them.


    Karen shook her head. "We weren''t ready. We let the changes to our bodies and the feeling of power get to our heads. We should have trained more against the beasts, each other. We needed combat experience. The first battle after we repelled them from the walls and they pulled back into the hills was a massacre."


    Karen''s head turned to look further down the tunnel, spotting those from her command that had become incapable of fighting, not due to injury but because of the physiological stress they had suffered in that battle. She knew that what they had seen and done would scar them for life. Many would recover.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    She sighed.


    But none of them would be the same.


    "Thank God we had you," smiled John, as he looked at Karen with respect. "Army medic or not, you saved a lot of people today. I speak for most when I say that I am not keen to see if my soul sticks around long enough for a priest to revive me. You rallied us, organised the rescue for those isolated and helped us break through to the other units."


    Looking down at the floor, Karen bit her lip. "So why am I here instead of up there? Why am I leading instead of saving people? I can''t do both. I''m a medic, not a leader."


    "Your strength isn''t in saving one or two people, we have healers for that. Your strength is in making sure people don''t need them and getting the job done. Geoff and William were right when they put you in command and as for the reason why we are here? It''s to rest and recover so that we can go out there, kill those who would harm our friends and save as many people as we can in the process," chuckled John, the first real sound of mirth in the tunnel occupied by hundreds of people. "We couldn''t let the goddess of fire and destruction burn herself out."


    Karen''s eyes locked onto John, her face twisting into a snarl. "I ignored it last time but stop calling me a goddess. I am nothing like those pricks."


    "No. You are not." John had to hold his hands up as he flinched away from the incredible heat Karen had suddenly released. "You are not hiding away, refusing to use your power and letting good people die. You stood on the front lines. You rescued those that were cut off. You saved us when we were about to be overrun. You showed us what to do, and when this is all over, the troops of the Southen Garrison will remember it. Unlike all those crappy stories where strength rules and people drool and cower in fear, action not strength will win loyalty. I know for a fact that the first three divisions are behind you and most of the others. You lead by example, and we are more than happy to follow."


    A few people nearby, who couldn''t help but overhead the heated exchange nodded their heads.


    The ferocity of Karen''s eyes almost instantly died as sadness replaced it and she was forced to look away. "Without Geoff... I''m just..."


    "We will stand behind you and the rest of Geoff''s team. They aren''t going to take over the Southern Garrison. It would create an uproar, and especially after their blunder with the defences, probably a civil war and they know it. Besides the gods and council leaders have shown where their priorities lie, and it''s not with us ''common'' folk." John placed a hand on her shoulder, noting how the temperature had rapidly cooled and subconsciously noted how easy it was to read a lot of people with their new abilities.


    The earth trembled again, this time lasting a few seconds.


    "I wonder if she''s going to destroy the planet?" A smile that wasn''t a smile appeared on the fire elemental''s face. "To be honest, I am not sure I am not sure I would stop her."


    "She is going to need you guys when this is over." It was John''s turn to stare at the floor. "What doesn''t kill us will make us stronger, but only if we have direction. Otherwise, we will just split."


    Suddenly, John, along with most of the others in the tunnel flinched, their eyes becoming unfocused.


    Seconds passed before he responded. "Fuck."


    "What?" Karen immediately stood, her blanket falling to the floor. The tone of John''s voice immediately set her on edge.


    "The lizards are going after the children. Using some sacrifice spell to escape. System has ordered all capable troops to the surface and to prepare for an all-out assault to give those closest to the garrison breathing room so they can return to the fort and save them. He''s initiating the Armageddon plan that was meant to be kept as a last resort. The necromancers have already started resurrecting the lizardmen dead, and those with the ''taboo'' abilities are being mobilised."


    John''s lips twitched. "Maybe System isn''t so bad, he has given the Gods and other garrisons an ultimatum. Aid us with everything they have or lose all future support. William has sided with him as acting commander of the Southern Garrison and will declare independence if they don''t step in."


    The sound of metal clanking and creaking leather erupted as men and women stood with a grim look on their faces. Even a few of those that had previously been unable to fight getting to their feet.


    Karen was amongst them and already pushing her way to the front. "What are the chances that they will help."


    "Pretty good." John quickly caught up with Karen, who was marching towards the end of the tunnel, those prepared to fight, falling in behind her. "We believe that one of the prerequisites for selection for anyone over twenty-five was a strong moral tendency to protect and nurture the young. I guess the Lizards didn''t realise this when they came up with this plan as it was pretty much the only thing that could galvanise every human."


    John''s eyes unfocused momentarily. "Even the monster races seem to be on board. "


    Karen''s face was grim. "They want our species to survive and prosper, for whatever reason and so they selected those with strong maternal or paternal instincts. It did help us unite early on, having over one-quarter of us below eighteen and stopped us turning on each other but..." She glanced back at the simmering rage in the faces of people, noticing the rage flicking across their faces. "You didn''t tell me everything did you?"


    "They are torturing children, extracting their souls into stones and then using them to power some sort of portal," John hissed. "System is actually sharing visuals of what is happening back in the fort. I... I had to dismiss it. I can''t watch."


    "Fuck," hissed Karren, her voice becoming chillingly calm. "Open it up."


    Karren had reached the end of the tunnel where three men, in dark, dirt-stained robes were waiting. One of the men had a yellow crystal against his head.


    One of the men flinched at her words. "We are waiting for the second division to clear the area. If we open up now, a well-placed spell or ranged attack and everyone could get killed. I know how important it is to get out there but getting everyone killed isn''t going to help."


    Karen nodded and turned back, her gaze pausing momentarily on the rows of bodies neatly lined up at the edges. These had been the ones that the porters had been unable to collect before their souls left their bodies. They couldn''t leave them out there, but at the same time, they couldn''t waste the energy to get them back to the garrison while the living were still in need.


    As the third division leader, Karen felt responsible for the under her command, but she knew that she was going to be leading more to their deaths. The Lizards, though individually weaker fought with such ferocity, that even in the throes of death, they would still inflict devastating wounds on their foe.


    Karen cursed internally. She had been a medic, not a leader, and now she was expected to lead a bunch of inexperienced soldiers, now of different races, weapons and abilities, on a world were logic had been thrown out the window.


    She reminded herself that things were different now. She was one of the most powerful in the second garrison. Her responsibilities had forced her to pace herself earlier, but now they were going all out, she didn''t have to hold back. She just needed to get to the front, so she didn''t commit any friendly fire, and let loose.


    Flames flickered in her eyes.


    "Form up into your groups. Those that have lost members will merge and act as support for those still intact. Priority is aiding the Second Division and clearing a path for their wounded. After that..." Karen paused, "System will let us know what to do. Those without system, you are to listen to his commands as a priority."


    Karen had decided that the time for internal strife and mistrust was over and she needed someone to delegate to so she could see what she needed to do.


    John stepped up beside Karen. Although he was thin, he was tall. Much taller than Karen. "What our leader means is that while we take the ''safe'' roles and stay out of harm''s way and behind the Second, she is going to go be on the front lines. Burning every lizard stupid enough to glance in her direction to a crisp and putting herself at risk, so we don''t have to."


    More than a few chuckles came from the people behind, though it was clear that these were the ones that didn''t have access to System.


    "First and second units with me. We will provide our selfless commander with an escort to the front lines and make sure she leaves enough for the rest of us." Groups started moving as people stretched and began to prepare. Most having learnt their lesson from their earlier battle. "The rest of you, you know what you got to do. Get to it."


    Karen glared at John. "What the fuck? I just gave you an order and you didn''t only dispute it, you changed it."


    "What was the first thing you said this morning?" A serious look appearing on his face.


    Karen frowned.


    "No heroes. Heros die. Stick together, work as a team, treat the men and women next to you as if they were your own family." Johns'' voice echoed down the corridor as he leaned in, many of the nearby people nodding. "And this is your fault. You said that if we were given an order, we didn''t morally agree with, not to do it. That I was ordered to is NOT an excuse."


    The ground behind them rumbled as one of the earth mages shouted. "Ten seconds."


    Heat radiated off Karen as she turned around, refusing to give into the impulse to throw John into the wall and see how far he bounced off or to see if his remarkable healing abilities and defences could withstand her flame. "When this is over, we are going to have a long talk."


    John nervously chuckled, a bead of sweat almost instantly appearing as the people closest took a step back from the heat. "Your place or mine?"


    Karren raised an eyebrow but said nothing as small wisps of flame started dancing around her as she stood before a faint outline of an opening. "Make it a ramp; the stairs earlier were a cluster fuck."


    "Yes." One of the earth mages responded, sweat dripping down his face as he focused on what appeared to be a rune on the floor.


    "Five seconds," the one closest to the wall bellowed. "A few hostiles still in the perimeter but the best we are going to get. First waves are going to have to push through, or we are going to be stuck in a bottleneck or trample each other."


    The lights along the side of the tunnel brightened, preparing their eyes for the world above. Another lesson they had learnt.


    As if dissolving, the earth fell away, revealing the open, dark grey sky above, and the sound of battle, like thunder, swept past them.


    Lightning arched over them, fireballs rained through the sky, along with arrows and other projectile weapons as the ground shook violently from many explosions, the soldiers no longer insulated by the earth mages.


    With a roar, the group charged up the ramp, many of them watching the small maps appearing in their peripheral as System pushed himself to his limits.


    "Ren and her team will be joining within five minutes." Bellowed John, trying to be heard over the noise. "Their mission is deemed a success. Allied reinforcements ETA 30 Seconds."


    Karen frowned as she pushed her hand forward, incinerating a Lizardman rouge who has appeared behind a falling wolf-like, blood running down its bone dagger.


    However, instead of gaining ground, Karen and her troops slowed to a halt as the dark tide of lizardmen flowed over the hills. The other human forces had all responded in the same manner and sensing their doom, the Rakorn had committed themselves to a single point in the human lines in an attempt to break out of the encirclement.


    Unluckily for Karen, it was her location, and it was almost impossible to use her abilities as everyone packed together.


    A shadow loomed over Karren, and she felt a shiver run down her spine as she stared up into the eyes of a gigantic Lizardman, a considerable bone club in one hand.


    "Karen!" Bellowed John as he weaved through the horde of Lizardmen to get closer to her. Each one of his punches, twirling kicks and graceful acrobatics ending the lives of countless Lizardmen.


    Though John''s shout was enough to deafen those closest to him, Karen hadn''t heard.


    Her entire world was focused on the club as it tore through the air and approached her head.


    Karen''s flames spluttered out as she froze, her mind refusing to work while the giant lizardman grinned menacingly.


    He knew she was one of their leaders and prayed that with her death, her troops would crumble and allow them to escape.


    A freezing chill, seemingly from the depths of the abyss ran down her spine, and she knew it was the end.


    What she didn''t know was the Rakorn felt the same sensation.


    And it wasn''t just them. The the intensity of the fight disappeared almost instantly as dread weaved descended on the battlefield.

 Chapter Thirty Three (Arc 2) - Start of a legend (Part 2) [Draft]

    Even though the battle continued to rage, the ferocity in which each side fought, the Rakorn for their survival while the humans protected themselves and their young, noticeably diminished as every sentient creature in the nearby felt an instinctual, self-preserving fear coil around them.


    While those that had previously been human couldn''t place the unnerving sensation, the Rakorn, who had travelled across the rolling plains to reach the human settlement, had felt a similar sensation before.


    Though it was similar, the sensation in the past had never been as tyrannically terrifying as what they now sensed, and a few of the more religious amongst their ranks began to pray to their Gods.


    They had given the creature, the one that had struck from the shadows, many names. The most prominent amongst them, depending on their religious affiliation, is the White Reaper or White Hunter.


    Though a few fanatics declared that the beast was the mortal incarnation of one of their fallen gods, the White Hunter, most had assumed it was just a powerful creature that had managed to cross the mountains to the east or had washed ashore from one of the other, much more dangerous, continents.


    The creature had been such a nuisance, killing their scouts and small war parties with hit and run tactics, that the Rakorn had left a little under half of their remaining forces to eliminate the beast and secure their route home.


    Yet, it was clear from the sensation causing their scales to itch, that those left behind had failed. Not only that but with the limited information they had, it appeared that they had enraged the beast.


    Most tried to reason that it slipped past their other forces but deep down, they knew that wasn¡¯t the case. They had lost contact with their brothers and sisters a day or so earlier.


    Since then, dread had gnawed through their insides as they waited for the creature to appear, the fear had built up to such an extent that they had attacked the humans with such ferocity, searching for any distraction and to finish their task as soon as possible, that they nearly overran them within the first few hours of battle.


    It was at this moment that a few humans stepped forward, rallied those under them and turned the tide of battle. Humanities first hero¡¯s had risen and encircled the Rakorn forces.


    Mere seconds had passed since the sensation appeared, yet, unbelievably, it continued to grow.


    At the start, it had only been uncomfortable, a gut feeling of impending danger, similar to when one would look down from a great height but what they were experiencing now was multitudes worse. It felt like they had plunged into the waters of an icy river, only to discover thick, unrelenting ice sheets above them.


    A few, John included, vaguely felt it was wrong that they couldn¡¯t see their breath in the air, that such an ominous feeling should be affecting the temperature and individual fights slowed. The opponents half-heartedly attempting to eliminate their foe as they nervously kept an eye on their surroundings.


    That was everyone bar Karen. The fire elemental was oblivious to her surroundings as her eyes tracked the implement of her demise.


    Though she felt the same sensations as those around her, Karen could only attribute it to the rapidly descending club, its brutal shape illuminated by the lightning, fire and explosions that case the world into haunting colours.


    Somewhere, beyond the current capability of her mind that had ground to a halt, she knew that this was it.


    Her life was over. This small, unmarked hill would be her final resting place.


    Karen''s abilities to manipulate fire, although devastating, did not give her many benefits bar being able to deliver destruction on a massive scale and it required her concentration. With her mind as it was, feeling like it had shattered into a thousand rampaging thoughts, she had no chance.


    As William had put it, she was a glass cannon or, if she listened to John, someone who needed to be protected.


    Not that it mattered to her anymore. She was about to be shattered, or more than likely turned into a bloody smear.


    Not that she could truly comprehend her fate at this moment. There was no life flashing before her eyes, no slow motion, nothing. She felt empty as if every thought, the ones that had been rampaging just moments before, had fled her body.


    Nearby, John had turned into a blur of carnage, something that could only be described as the avatar of war, as he continued to slaughter his way through the Rakorn in an attempt to reach Karen.


    Deep down he knew he wouldn''t be able to reach her in time, but that didn''t stop him from trying.


    He pushed his body to the limits, his unique physique developing at an outstanding rate as it rapidly improved under strain yet he paid it no mind.


    He was on autopilot, just like most of the ex-humans that had noticed Karen''s plight.


    Tactics, responsibilities and even their fear were thrown from their minds as they fully committed themselves to reaching their leader, the woman who they owed so much.


    As they moved, each one of them prayed for something to buy them time.


    Time to reach Karen, time to save her, time so they would not live with regret.


    The club was halfway through its descent when Karen''s eyes started to close as she accepted her fate.


    She didn''t want to see her end.


    Just as her eyes closed, she saw a flicker of white, the same flash drawing most of the nearby combatant''s attention as a dull boom, the air seemingly ripping apart, resonated in front of her.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Human and Rakorn alike watched in stunned horror as the massive Rakorn''s upper torso, still gripping the club, soared high into the air. The bottom half of its jaw was gone, along with a gigantic hole in his chest. With each rotation, the Rakorn¡¯s insides spilt from where his lower half use to be as blue blood sprayed outwards.


    The world seemed to freeze, the sound of intense fighting continuing in the distance as all eyes focused on the new arrival.


    Under the dark grey clouds, surrounded by mud, gore and those fighting for their lives, stood an ebony white, bone scaled creature that had seemingly appeared from nowhere.


    Standing atop the remains of the Rakorn¡¯s lower half, towering at just over eight foot tall, the creatures released a rumbling growl that seemed to cause the air to ripple outwards.


    To those that could see the creature, it appeared as if a nightmare had escaped from the deepest, darkest depths of hell. The white, clean colouring belying the deadly, vicious aura that seeped from the beast.


    Vibrating, jagged spikes stood out from the back of the creatures head, back and along the top and sides of its menacing tail, accompanied by two deadly, blade-like appendages that stuck out of its elbows. Two huge, terrifying, claw-like hands, covered in chunks of blue Rakorn flesh and blood, twitched as its featureless face, if you ignored the rows of vicious, razor-like teeth, scanned the battlefield before it.


    Instincts, both natural and enhanced by the biological mixture that had been injected into them, screamed at those nearby to freeze, those further to run for their lives, to abandon everything they held dear.


    The creature before them seemed to be built for a single, terrifying purpose. To kill.


    The instinct was so strong that those humans that had merged with System could not see the flashing boxes indicating that the monster before them was an ally, not that any of them even contemplated provoking the beast in front of them.


    Karen opened her eyes and her mind, already in a dire state, couldn''t comprehend what she was seeing.


    Due to this, unlike everyone around her, she didn''t take a step backwards.


    Vaguely she felt like she knew the creature, the image of the small, bone humanoid, who Val insisted was human underneath, an entity that was scary, yet in a manageable way, floated to the surface of her mind.


    "Took you long enough," Karen spoke the words without thinking, her body shaking violently, as her eyes were naturally attracted the the pulsing lines of purple liquid that pulsed along the grooves in the creature''s scale-like amour.


    If she had been paying attention, she would notice that the blue blood and flesh that had covered the creature¡¯s hands had already started to disappear, flowing into the grooves and absorbed into the purple liquid before moving towards the creature''s mouth.


    Two glowing orbs appeared where the creature''s eyes should have been, making it seem all the more intimidating.


    The creature¡¯s head cocked to the side slightly as the glowing orbs to focus on her. "Pathetic human~. Accepting your fate so easily."


    The voice hissed from the creature''s teeth as it returned its gaze to the Rakorn cowering before it.


    It¡¯s body blurred before the chilling sounds of slaughter filled air once again as it cut a bloody trail into the horde.


    Karen finally took a breath she didn''t realise she was holding as her heart thundered in her chest, watching in awe as the creature moved through the Rakorn like a rabid beast.


    At the start, the Rakorn were still in shock having finally come face to face with the being that had become something of a legend to them in the last few days and did not fight back but as countless comrades began to fall, their instincts kicked in and they started their desperate struggle for survival.


    The carnage the creature left as he passed through their ranks made it seem as if the Rakorn had been thrown into a blender. Every single move of the creature delivered a mortal wound to another Rakorn.


    It didn''t even touch the ground as it used its claws to leap from Rakorn to Rakorn, its tail stabbing, slicing and whipping, its hands grasping, clawing, crushing and its feet stomping, tearing and kicking.


    Just like those that attempted to flee, all those who stood their ground or had gathered enough courage to attack quickly fell. Their hiss-like screams filling the air.


    In what felt like moments, the creature had vanished into the horde. The surrounding Rakorn quickly filling the gap it left in its wake as it plunged into its depths. Though against all expectation, it wasn¡¯t to surround the beast.


    Their leader was dead, and the screams of their dying, coupled with the aura of the White Hunter brought the Rakorn to a horrifying conclusion.


    They could fight and die honourably trying to escape the encirclement or, they could face a creature that knew no honour. A rampaging beast that seemed to be purposefully avoiding blows that would outright kill and causing the most pain possible as it consumed their flesh, one of the highest insults a Rakorn could face. For if they were consumed, it meant they were only food for the strong and would never reach the afterlife intact.


    The Rakorn battle cries, both in fear and anger, snapped the humans back to their senses and the battle resumed with a roaring intensity that rippled outwards.


    John, having regained his senses much faster than the rest, pulled Karen back into humanities ranks, panic and anxiety evident on his face as he checked her for injuries.


    She smiled an empty smile as he forced her to make eye contact with him, tears streaming down her face.


    Her voice cracked. "I don''t want to die."


    John pulled Karen close, wrapping his arms around the woman as she started to sob as she broke down.


    Knowing that he couldn''t afford to waste any time but unwilling to leave Karen in her current state, John scanned Systems notifications as he finally noticed the men and women surrounding him and Karen defensively.


    Relief was evident on their faces, and there wasn''t even a hint of negative emotion aimed towards the sobbing woman, in fact, they all displayed signs of relief that she was safe.


    John took a deep breath. "Reinforce the front lines. We hold them here."


    "What about that... thing?" asked one of the men, black orb-like eyes and cracked skin giving him an otherworldly appearance as he shuddered at the recent memory.


    "That was the reinforcements we were promised," responded John, repressing his own shudder as he looked down at the woman in his arms that now seemed so small and fragile. "Just... just make sure to stay out of its way. System Ranks it as triple S. That thing outranks all but the top five."


    The group nodded before separating and joining the front lines. Triple S was the second highest rank they had yet not one of them thought of debating the grade. They had felt and seen enough to understand the difference between them.


    Meanwhile, deep in the Rakorn horde, surrounded by mutilated bodies of the dead and dying, Al continued his onslaught, heading towards the centre of the swarm and what he hoped to be its leader.


    Eve watched in silence, mixed emotions flitting across her consciousness.


    Al''s evolution had finally completed. He had destroyed the last subconscious resistance, and his body had undergone its final changes as he fully embraced the darkness within.


    While it should have been a joyous moment for the pair, Eve''s felt a deep sadness.


    Al was a being of emotion, even after purging his memories and reaching his evolutionary peak, and would never be able to make the hard choices that would ensure their happiness, safety and continuation of their fledgeling species.


    Filled with love and concern, Eve''s resolve hardened.


    For Al and their fledgeling species, she would have to act. Even if he believed she had betrayed or abandoned him at the start, he would come to understand. Know that she had done what was best for them.


    She hoped.


    It would hurt him, hurt them both, but a little pain now would save them in the future.


    Now she just needed to work out how she could achieve what needed to be done.

 Chapter Thirty Four (Arc 2) - Fighting the Rakorn

    A sharp, crackling sound resonated through the air, merging with the wails of pain, despair and anger, as Al chewed then swallowed the arm he had viciously torn from its previous owner who was now bleeding out a few meters behind him.


    The stench of iron, similar to what he would expect if he was killing humans, filled the air, along with more unpleasant odours that caused his face to scrunch in displeasure.


    Another chilling scream joins the others, quickly turning into a gurgling choke, as one of the spikes on Al''s tail slams into the chest of yet another Rakorn, already lost in the panicking crowd as the creature fell to its knees.


    The Rakorn had committed most of their forces to their attempt to break out of the encirclement and, even for a being seemingly built for a single, deadly purpose, their numbers would have overwhelmed him if they hadn''t all pushed forward in a single mass and attempted to steamroll their way through the humans.


    Al moved through them like a fish in water, their weapons and magic almost useless, as most were obstructed by their kin.


    Due to the speed and ferocity of his attack, they didn''t even have time to plan or organise themselves though Al was still occasionally wounded, it was more by luck and individual skill than any concentrated effort.


    Though not a single surviving Rakorn that had witnessed him pass would ever believe it, Al wasn''t capitalising on his advantage.


    His objective wasn''t to kill them all, or even make life easier for the humans that he had already passed. He was merely passing through, using the most direct route to reach the human fortress.


    The few Rakorn that managed to get out of his way in time were ignored, just like those that had fallen to the floor and were too far or in an awkward position for him to effortlessly kill.


    However, just like a force of nature, any that stood in his way, those that remained were put down with brutal efficiency and a cold detachment.


    Male or female, young or old, innocent or guilty, it didn''t matter to Al.


    There was only a single entity in this world he felt he could not harm, and two that he would be reluctant to if the need arose.


    The thought struck him as weird, as he was here slaughtering Kallis and Hope''s kind without a slither of hesitation but Al quickly came to the realisation that it was merely that he had, at least provisionally, accepted responsibility for them and into his pack.


    Al span, dodging a bone-like sword as he deflected a club, delivering lethal blows to their wielders and used their corpses to propel him closer to his objective, his mouth watering at the prospect of catching those he had deemed worthy of becoming his prey.


    His prey had infiltrated the human fortress, where those too weak to fight had been kept, and hunting children with the aim of kidnapping half and sacrificing the others to power portals.


    A muffled thump rumbled deep in Al''s chest, and his speed increased, steam seeping from his mouth as his body was pushed to its limits.


    While purging the memories, for now, lost reason, Al ensured that he would remember his objective, however, much to his surprise, the rage that he felt gave credit to a theory he had been quietly mulling over for some time.


    That his core personality, what made him, him, was not entirely created by the experiences he had gathered throughout life.


    This theory started when Eve had told him about his bodies ability and was furthered when his brain was destroyed and rebuilt but, at least to his knowledge, did not affect his personality.


    Eve talked about the merging of souls, and if his abilities were anywhere close to what Eve suggested, then religious or not, he had no reason to doubt its existence.


    And Al''s soul was telling him, no demanding one thing.


    That those that would harm the human children needed to die.


    A growl rose from the depths of Al''s being, and his speed increased once again, his blue, gore-covered claws blurring as they tore into the horde.


    At the edge of his consciousness, he knew he was burning energy too fast and needed to slow down or at least replenish his reserves but whatever it was, a moral obligation, his soul or something more incomprehensible, kept pushing him forward at a reckless pace.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    He would feast on their corpses when he had achieved his goal. Until then, he would have to make do with the snacks he could pillage on his way.


    Al heard a snap, and felt a dull ache and momentary sense of weakness in his arm, and noted that while extremely deadly, his spikes and blades were too fragile for prolonged use, especially against the Rakorn''s thick, leathery hide.


    His body was replacing them as soon as they broke adding yet another expenditure of his dwindling energy.


    He needed to get through the Rakorn fast, or he would need to slow down and eat.


    If anyone could see under his thick, scaled exoskeleton, if they could see through the steam that was rising from his sweat covered body, they would find that his human body was quickly becoming gaunt.


    Al had been expecting Eve to say something, to tell him to slow down or suggest going around the horde. Maybe even abandoning the children as the humans should be able to take care of their own but she didn''t.


    It struck him as odd, just like the eerie sensation that he was being watched and studied by something but, unlike before when he would have tried to analyse the situation, he continued forward.


    He had died four times since coming to this world. The fall, the pool, the crawler and finally, the purge. The old him was dead, and he had never felt so liberated and free before.


    Smashing a kneecap before decapitating a female warrior, flicking her body into the path of an earth spear, Al noticed that the distance between the Rakorn was rapidly increasing.


    -"Tsk," He knew that things were about to get easier or, expecting the worst, get much more difficult and within moments he had his answer as he burst through the final line of Rakorn and almost fell on his face at the sudden lack of resistance.


    Stamping on the ground with his leading leg, something that no human, no matter how flexible, would be able to do, Al caught himself at the last moment. Just as he was about to sprint forward, a booming voice caused the hairs on the back of his human head to stand on end.


    "FIRE!"


    Though, it wasn''t the voice that had triggered his subconscious reaction. It was something much more powerful and, due to his recent, painful experiences, familiar.


    The world seemed to dim, causing a red hue to brighten around the nearby Rakorn, at least in Al''s vision, as streaks of lightning, followed by muted thunder, ripped through the air and hurled towards him.


    The attack had been made in such haste that Al didn''t even need to try and dodge the first two bolts which smashed into the Rakorn behind him and added the stench of burnt flesh to the already putrid mixture in the air.


    The next two, arching practically forced him to twist and leap into the air as they passed through the space where his tail and legs had been moments before.


    Though nowhere near the speed and power of a real lightning bolt, from experience, Al knew the destructive power they represented and immediately focused on dodging the fourteen remaining attacks as he twisted, lept, jumped and at one point threw himself at the ground, breaking his wrist in the process.


    His muscles and bones screamed in protest but, against all the odds, he dodged the last one and skidded in the light mud.


    Ahead of him, no more than a couple of dozen meters, a group of Rakorn.


    Al recognised seven of them as those that could cast magic, their hands still steaming from where they controlled their elemental attack and felt the spikes on his back shake in rage.


    Between them, were a few Rakorn and what looked like the remains of hulking golems. By the damage to the construct¡¯s mud, metal and in some cases, crystal-like surfaces it was clear that they had fought the Rakorn.


    By the mounds of bodies, it appeared that even if defeat, they had delivered a crippling blow to this segment of the Warband.


    All the Rakorn who had witnessed the assault, including the seven who had their hands stuck in the air, were frozen solid, their eyes wide in terror at what they had just seen.


    Covered in the remains of their kind, the creature that was covered in strange pulsing, purple lines, had spectacularly dodged an attack that even their highest ranked warriors, back in their capital, would have difficulty surviving.


    Small sparks of electricity crackled around the White Hunter, residue from the attack, at least for those watching, the world seemed to freeze as their resolve started to crumble.


    Behind the seven, a large, scar-ridden Rakorn, carrying a giant, two-sided bone axe swallowed hard as he calmed his nerves. Unlike most that had been seen as expendable enough to go on this expedition, he had extensive knowledge regarding the arrival of new species.


    He immediately knew, when they encountered the human''s forces that it had been a mistake to antagonise them. While the few they had captured seemed weak, the majority were far from it. Individually they were robust, diverse and unpredictable but together, mainly after they organised themselves after the initial confrontation, they were a force to be reckoned with.


    They continually adapted and improved, changing strategies to capitalise on their opponent''s weakness while minimising their own.


    Not only that, it was now apparent that this was just the rank and file of their forces. Like the pale skinned man earlier he had duelled before, they had incredibly strong and mighty warriors, and even the weakest looking could not be underestimated.


    Letting out a deep breath, he shouldered his axe and started moving forward, feeling the small sense of relief that he had sent his scouts to secure the human young and return them to the capital. With any luck, the children would show his leaders that it was either peace or extinction with the humans. They were too dangerous to allow to develop and propagate if they were hostile to the Rakorn. Especially those like the one in front of him.


    He momentarily wondered if it was worth trying to bargain with the creature but instantly dismissed the idea.


    Their history was one of blood, both his subordinates and the creature''s own.


    Death was the only outcome. He just prayed it wasn''t his.

 Chapter Thirty Five (Arc 2) - Rise of the Dybbuk - Part one [Draft]

    I watch in amusement as the large rakorn, who I can only assume to be the Warband leader, casts his gaze around and inspects his troops while tentatively approaching with as much bravado as it can muster.


    The shocked, almost depressed face the rakorn makes as he realises the state that his followers are in creates a strange, warm, comforting feeling deep in my chest and I almost feel at peace. The sensation is vaguely weird as it contrasts significantly with my violent actions and what remains of my humanity rebels against the notion.


    Unfortunately, at least for me, the key phrase there was almost at peace.


    Inside, I feel both alive as the adrenaline pumps through my veins and, at least figuratively, dead.


    The warm, encouraging sensation builds a small amount as I take note of the shaking rakorn warriors and mages, their fearful, reptilian pupils almost human-like in shape as they begin to falter.


    I am pretty sure that it wasn''t supposedly against their honour, which from my recent experiences, was something that they subjectively follow, most of them would have fled by now.


    The Warband leader''s stance straightens as he comes to some sort of decision, sucking in a lungful of air before lifting his head, locking eyes with me, and releasing a rumbling roar.


    Impressive for what I deem to be an overgrown lizard.


    I maintain eye contact as I reach out and grasp the neck of the nearest warrior and, with a flick of my wrist, break its neck wishing that my mask could reflect my smile.


    His shrinking pupils and tooth-filled snarl cause my blood to boil in anticipation yet I can''t focus on the feeling as the rakorn around him roar creating a ripple-like effect, like a stone falling into a pond, and they stop shaking in fear. Hisses, howls, growls and snarls greet me as they enter something I can only describe as a berserker-like state and, as one, charge forward.


    Very impressive but, all the same, foolish.


    I feel my dry lips crack as a smile spreads across my face as I explode forward to meet them. If they kept their distance, stayed separate and bombarded me with ranged attacks, I would have been in trouble.


    Twisting my arm and elbow, almost reversing it so that I can utilise the blade-like protrusion, I spin and nearly decapitate one rakorn before destroying the eyes and bridge of the nose of another with my claws. My skin crawls, alerting me to danger, and I quickly drop low and flip over to dodge a barrage of stone spikes as they hiss through the air.


    I want to sigh, but my breathing is already rapid from the strain. No matter how many I kill, more rakorn replace them almost immediately.


    Since the purge, I had gained complete control over my body and, now that I am at the end of my evolution, coupled with a better understanding of what I desired to be as a human, I finally had a good idea of what I have become and my capabilities.


    I hide that knowledge from Eve, along with my thoughts, and let her believe that I am too distracted or that the purge damaged me somehow while I continue to weave forward and close the gap between me and the seven lightning throwers.


    They are the most substantial threat here and are in the way.


    -"Al, we need to pace ourselves. We are using too much energy."


    -"Yes."


    It surprises me that Eve is so distracted, that she hasn''t realised I have partitioned most of my mind and emotions from her or that I can read her thoughts and feelings now, even the ones she wants to keep from me.


    I know what she is planning, I know how she feels. I have many theories on what will happen to use when it happens, at least to my own body.


    My chest tightens as I feel emotional pain, quickly followed by physical pain as I fail to dodge a few light attacks and am forced to push the thoughts into the depths.


    While I am hurt, now that I can sense her emotions and see her inner thoughts, not only do I understand her motives, I somewhat agree with Eve. The pain of this realisation is so much that, at the moment, I can''t say anything more than yes or no without revealing that I knew.


    The same fears and paranoia that had made it so difficult for us to form a relationship at the start now made her indispensable. She stabilised me, gave me a sense of security and someone to depend on. I believe she could never leave me, that we were stuck together until death and pain for one would be agony for the other.


    I was right, yet at the same time, wrong.


    Two could never become one. If we did, then one of us would cease to exist.


    Focusing on the rakorn in front of me, I pushed forward using the golem-like wrecks and the rakorn themselves as cover from their ranged forces.


    I had a mission to complete. Reach the fortress, kill the rakorn kidnappers, instil fear and respect from the humans and ensure Hope and her mother would be safe.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    When Eve started formulating her plan, straight after I had purged the memories and she had seen my plan, her resolve hardened and I had almost broken.


    Even now, as I was venting on the rakorn and trying to focus on a mission I had set myself, I felt dead inside. What was best for Eve and our new ''species'' wasn''t what, at least to my logic and feelings, best for me. I didn''t care about starting a species, in fact, I was against it.


    The fact that she was trying to convince herself to go through with it, and knowing that she wouldn''t be able to, made it worse. She was about to go against her very nature and what seemed to be her dreams for me.


    Of course, she didn''t know she wouldn''t yet, but the one thing I have learnt since arriving in this shithole of a world was that you couldn''t fight who you were.


    Eve loved me, and I loved her. We weren''t ''in love'' or anything so fleeting. We generally wanted what was best for each other.


    Even out of breath, I still managed to sigh. -"If you love them, you let them go."


    -"What? Did you say something?"


    I let the silence, at least inside, return as the air around me hums and I slam my right foot into the floor, propelling my body left and through a rakorn, the speed and impact of my exoskeleton tearing the flesh from its bones.


    I momentarily lose myself in the carnage, blue blood and limbs filling my vision as the warm sensation grows as strength flows through me when I chew, then swallow a rakorn''s throat.


    I fall back and allow my instincts to take over, realising that I am already reverting to my old, overthinking ways and this wouldn''t be the time to confront Eve.


    Not only were we in a life and death battle, but it didn''t take a genius to know that things wouldn''t go well.


    I can''t let go entirely as my instincts scream at me to abandon the mission, to hunt, kill and devour all but I manage to override them. Before the purge, I had come up with a ruleset to live my life.


    The previous me, with the extra knowledge that I couldn''t keep, knowing that what he was about to do could create the very thing he despised an hated and put, well, thought of some safeguards to put in place.


    It was a pretty simple philosophy to live by.


    Always keep my word, protect those that are worthy and kill anything that threatens me or the first two rules.


    Though it had been Eve that had told the humans that I was going to intervene and hunt the rakorn kidnapers she falls, at least for now, into the first two categories.


    My chest tightens, and once again it''s not from the multiple arrows, some seemingly enchanted with weird markings, that bounce of my amour or digs into the joints painfully, but from the thought of what is to come.


    Unlike before where I was entirely in control, the feelings turn into a raging storm that needs to be released, and I rise to my full height as I suck in air.


    Just as I am about to vocalise my emotions, I hear a shout and, due to not needing to move my head to change my focus, I look at the Warband leader who is charging forward with a substantial bone-like axe.


    "Don''t let it use its ability. DEATH AND HONOUR."


    "DEATH AND HONOUR." The other rakorn quickly join him as the archers, a type of Rakorn I had not encountered before breaking through their lines, and mages seemed to prepare their most potent attacks.


    -"Ability?"


    -"We inspire fear in them. Maybe he believes we have an ability similar to that roar he used?"


    Eve''s voice is as comforting as it is painful to hear.


    -"Maybe."


    Eve returned to her musings as she continued to provide my mind with extra information regarding my surroundings and warning me of any incoming threats that I had missed.


    Believing I had enough time, and because I was slightly irritated that the rakorn thought he could stop me from doing something I wanted to do, I lifted my head. I totally wasn''t lashing out at something childishly.


    I opened my jaws, only to throw myself to the ground as bolts of lightning and stone passed through where my body had been moments before. Rolling as I deflected a sword bone aimed at my wrist, I punch my clawed hand through a female rakorn''s chest as she was about to hit me point blank with some kind of glowing, blue mist that had formed on her body.


    The mist evaporated as she dropped to her knees, her face locked in an expression of disbelief.


    I growled as the intensity of the charging rakorn reduced me to doing and counter-attacking. All of their intelligence seemed to have vanished as they rushed towards me, sacrificing their lives for the smallest chance of inflicting damage.


    It was a costly strategy, but it was working. I was suffering more damage than ever before, and while it wasn''t crippling, combined with my dwindling energy, I was approaching the point where the injuries inflicted would soon outpace my regenerative abilities.


    The image of the Devourer''s, swamped by the numerous other creatures floated to the surface of my mind, I knew I had made a colossal mistake.


    With my abilities, at least in theory, it was almost impossible to kill me outright, however, like a stone in a river, I could be whittled away until I had become nothing but sand.


    Releasing a hiss of irritation, which caused those nearest to me, a group of four coming in from each side, to hesitate even in their beserker-like state, I twisted my body in ways that should have been impossible and dodged the incoming barrage of weapons, projectiles and even a few claws.


    With a flick of my tail, I moved to the most abundant group approaching me and let myself go. As I passed through their ranks, I would rip off or cripple a limb if I couldn''t strike a vital point.


    However, I did so at a much slower, more conservative rate and couldn''t help but laugh as they attempted to swarm me.


    I was back in my element. The rakorn''s own bodies acting as my shield as I swam through the living mass delivering death and destruction. As long as they kept sending fodder that I could dodge and kill quickly, I was safe.


    Unlike earlier, this time I kept my feet on the ground and focused on avoiding attacks and counterattacking where appropriate as anything of substance that I could grab while moving entered my mouth and was rapidly consumed.


    My previous strategy was too aggressive and, even though I was still confident of surviving unless it was absolutely necessary, I would never enter a direct confrontation like this again.


    Eve was right. I could feel my frail human body inside withering away as my armour and wounds continuously healed and the multiple strange organs around my body absorbing energy at an outstanding rate.


    I had entered this battle as an enraged human would, not a predatory animal. My strategy had been too aggressive and straightforward and I had not utilised any of the advantages I had.


    The moment my blitz had been bogged down, it had failed.


    To survive, one must use what is at their disposal and adapt to the changes life would undoubtedly throw at them. I had let my bodies strength and abilities go to my head. It was strange but, when I had been playing with my foes, testing my limits and honing my skills, I had been far more effective.


    My body halted for a moment, the strangeness of the action taking my foe by surprise so much that they didn''t take advantage of it.


    -"So, that''s what it is. I am fighting my nature."


    A grin appeared on my face, which was hard to do as I was chewing the remains of whatever I had just shovelled into my mouth.


    Just like I had always said, I wasn''t just going to survive, I was going to thrive.


    It was time to play.

 Question Time

    Hi All,


    Firstly, I want to thank you for all your well wishes </img> It means a lot. It''s not quite 50/50 at the moment, if it''s going to get better or worse, but that seems to be life >.<.


    In terms of the next chapter (report), I have got all the information in that I wanted but as I was coming to the end, I realised that this would be a great opportunity to answer some of the questions you guys might have so far. This will be the last chance in this book as the chapters will start speeding up until the end of book one now.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    I will hold off on releasing the chapter until Tuesday </img> Please post any questions as a comment here and I will see if I can''t add them in, if they won''t fit, I will add them to the author notes.


    Remaining Chapters (Might get split up) (Doing this for word count so I can post </img> )


    Boss fight - Next


    Hunting the hunter


    Evils of Magic


    Overreaction


    When the dust settles.


    The Future - (Intro Chapter to book 2)

 Status Update - Indefinite hiatus

    Hi All,


    In keeping with my spree of updates, I am sadly announcing that Once Human will be hit with the Indefinite Hiatus spree.


    The reasons are the same as BOM (Time, energy, enjoyment). Unlike the Forgotten Hero, I would love to come back and finish OH, with a little re-write to fix some plot holes, and maybe even publish to an e-book but that would all be in the distant future.


    For those who are interested in how the story ends, please read the spoiler below.


    Spoiler: Spoiler<input class="spoilerButton" type="button" value="Show">


    Al enters an intense 1v1 with the Lizardman general, displaying his remarkable combat skills and regenerative abilities but even with that, he only barely wins, removing his opponents head in a desperate, last-ditch attempt.


    As the lizardman army falls into chaos and the battle turns in the human''s favour but then a portal abruptly appears near Al, sending a bolt of lightning that hits him in the chest and flings him across the battlefield before disappearing.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Al is brought back to his sense by the screaming Eve. A red gas, in the shame of a slimmer Al, is being dragged towards the portal by the strange lightning. Supprised that their plan to abduct the soul of their fallen god, the surviving lizardman rebels, quickly escape to the portal with Eve as Al drags his body, desperate to reunite with Eve yet the pain to his soul from their separation causes his consciousness to waver and, as soon as the portal closes, he roars before falling unconscious.


    The humans, feeling they owe Al, return to their city with Al''s body, the bone armour slowly falling away due to the damage sustained and they realise that he is human. Putting him in a temporary hospital while they deal with the aftermath of the battle, they are not aware that Al has woken up, and stealthily escapes the walled city.


    Having a vague indication to the direction Eve is located, he walks through the hilly grassland while enduring agonising flashes of pain that originate from his soul. His goal to rescue Eve and slaughter all who harmed them.


    Due to the server wounds, he has suffered, Al doesn''t know that two figures, a female lizardman and its infant, are following him at a distance. (End of book one)


    Once again, sorry for any disappointment this has caused,


    All the best,


    Skada