Chapter 393: Borrowed Flesh
Without a shadow of a doubt, it was a Monarch tier alien in the flesh.
While Michael had defeated the Monarch parasitic entity, which had once dwelled in Earth’s depths and was considered of the same rank, in reality the two beings couldn’t have been farther apart.
The one Michael had killed had relied on absorbing the power from humanity’s home planet rather than killing prey. Not to mention it had made the mistake of weakening its mental state by peeking at the memories of his past life.
While the Monarch that stood before the crew was something else entirely. A true monster that wielded its own unquestionable authority.
Challenging a genuine Monarch tier alien, even with his comrades at his side, was nothing short of suicide. Any strategy Michael might employ would only lead to the deaths of his entire crew... And that was an outcome he would never allow.
"I am really starting to regret coming here..." Enzo shuddered, feeling a cold chill run down his back.
Usually, Richard would have thrown him some kind of witty remark, but he too appeared to be rendered too stunned to react.
This was the first time the crew had borne witness to a Monarch without the assistance of humanity’s powerhouses at their side.
Among the crew, Victoria was the first to gather her composure.
"It’s just an alien, nothing special." She exclaimed, hoping to alleviate the morale of the group.
Claire nodded in agreement. "The behaviors the monster is displaying suggest that unless provoked it will not cause us trouble."
Both were far from calm, but they said what they believed Michael would have.
"Are we sure it’s wise to continue?" Leo asked, peeking through the scope for a better view. "If there is such a monster dwelling in these depths, the soldier regulation states we are to inform a higher authority for assistance."
Bryce eagerly nodded, throwing a hopeful glance toward Claire. "Sunshine, think about this carefully. Risking your life here would be foolish, not brave."
Suddenly, Devil erupted into laughter, uncaring about giving away their position. The thought that the crew was worried about some measly alien, calling it a monster, while they had traveled with Michael... the true menace all this time, was too hilarious to keep a straight face.
"I’m staying!" Ruby declared with unwavering determination. "Even if it’s stupid... I won’t rest until a cure for my people has been created!"
Everyone suddenly felt a wave of guilt. By suggesting they leave, they’d unintentionally proposed delaying the felines’ assistance, which could have worsened the death toll.
"Some of us are exhausted." Michael’s steady voice swooped in. "First, let’s gather our strength with cultivation, then we’ll push deeper. Finding a Monarch was certainly unexpected, but I doubt there are any similar creatures in this hollow valley. If we stay clear of its path, we should be fine."
Constantly having a view of a Monarch in the distance wasn’t all bad... It served as a valuable training tool for the crew, familiarizing them with the aura of the dreadful creature.
The next hour passed relatively quickly. The crew recovered most of their strength while Michael devised a plan of action.
Given that they were in search of humanity’s influence, they decided to tread toward the center of the hollow valley. Even if the cultists they sought weren’t there, they would at least gain a better vantage point and map their path along the way.
"The more I think about it, the more baffling it becomes." Michael murmured, his gaze fixed on the ceiling clustered with spiritual crystals.
"Namely, how did something like this form? It wasn’t dug by human hands. It’s unlikely the aliens here created it. They’re too prideful to hide beneath us... and at the same time, the phenomenon is far from a natural occurrence."
With too many questions and too few answers, Michael focused on the foreseeable present.
Particularly on the field they were currently traversing. Due to the lack of sunlight, no plants should have bloomed on these lands, yet the shimmering flowers they trampled under their feet begged to differ.
Upon closer examination, Michael concluded that just like the spiritual crystals above, these flowers had resorted to absorbing spiritual energy. When stomped, they released a short burst of energy before withering.
"Enemies to our right." Ruby’s warning caused the group to tense up.
These foes were similar to the ones who had attacked Michael from the ceiling, though significantly weaker, barely qualifying as Generals.
"These fools are running toward us..." Devil smirked. "I guess we have no choice but to neutralize them, right?"
Devil’s thirst for slaughter was evident, yet he had a point. Killing them now would lessen the burden on their backs.
In a flash the crew changed direction, meeting the Generals head on.
Boom!
A fist collided with Heaven’s Judgment, failing to penetrate her defense. In retaliation, Michael delivered a decisive kick, blowing the torso of the creature into two halves.
Even if the Hreh’tar were using human vessels, it didn’t deter the crew from neutralizing them on the spot.
Hesitation was defeat.
With the battle over, everyone threw a cautious glance towards the faraway Monarch. The tyrannical creature continued to devour the spiritual crystals on the ceiling leisurely, allowing them to let out relieved sighs.
They weren’t discovered.
Just as they were about to continue their journey, Michael noticed that Ruby was closely examining one of the slain corpses.
She carefully removed the vessel’s tattered attire, piece by piece, until a tail came into view. Its fur was rough, unlike Ruby’s soft one... yet it was a tail nonetheless.
"I knew it..." Ruby bit her lower lip in frustration.
With the heads having been replaced by tentacles, the tail at the rear became the surest way to discover the corpses’ true nature.
After inspecting the others, it became clear... The human vessels the Hreh’tar had been using were all felines.
"Just as we thought, the cultists must have used the alien’s parasitic nature to design the plague. This must be one of their vile creations." Michael murmured, observing Ruby’s response.
Surprisingly, she didn’t grieve, nor did she give in to anger. After they burned the bodies, her eyes seemed sharper, carrying a greater resolve.
After a moment of consideration, Michael gently patted her on the head.
"?!"
Startled for a moment, Ruby’s body tensed, but she relaxed when she realized it was Michael. Clearing her throat, she asked. "Is something wrong?"
"No." Michael shook his head with a warm smile. "I am just proud of how far you have come."
"..."
Her face slowly flushed red as she let out a soft purring sound.
The moment didn’t last long, unfortunately.
As they passed one of the giant, tower-like pillars, they were spotted by a group of aliens. These weren’t the same as the ones using feline corpses as vessels. Instead, their bodies had grown lighter, with tentacles twisted into wing-like formations, allowing them to fly.
Like a flock of birds that had just spotted their prey, they soared towards them at full force.
"Overlords..." Michael analyzed from a distance. Unlike last time, there were fewer than a dozen aliens, and the crew had time to prepare.
Playing their cards right should lead them to victory.
"Let’s take the terrain advantage." He declared.
In any other circumstance, Michael would have taken to the sky as well, meeting the foes on their level. But with the last blunder still fresh in his mind, he reconsidered. He was reluctant to risk drawing more monsters by needlessly exposing himself.
Given these Overlords had evolved with the ability to fly, fighting in a confined space would surely put the crew at a massive advantage.
Accelerating, they sped off towards a nearby crevice. The curvature of the ground would reduce the Overlords’ potential moveset, making them helpless prey.
Or so was the plan... Until an arrow flew over the crew’s heads, heading straight toward the alien bird-like creatures.
The projectile missed by a wide margin. But the Overlords suddenly tensed, flaring their wings. They diverted their course, heading directly toward the hurled arrow. Completely forgetting about the crew in the process.
"What the hell?" Michael frowned, his eyes scanning the area where the arrow had been launched.
Rather than a cultist, like he had expected, he was met with a surprising sight.
A woman, dressed rather primitively, stood with a bow resting on her back and another arrow in her grasp. A bright smile stretched across her face as she waved at their confused group.
"Hey! Over here!" The echo of her shout easily reached the crew.
Understandably, the crew didn’t relax just yet. All of this could have been just an act to get them to drop their guard before being stabbed in the back.
"What do we do?" Ava glanced at Michael, knowing he had the best vision.
Heaving a sigh, he allowed his shoulders to relax.
"She doesn’t appear to wish us harm... at least, this way, we might finally get some answers."
Michael answered. His gaze lingered on the woman’s feline features.