Chapter 17: Chapter 17 — Outer Ring of the Decaying Forest (Part I)

Surprised by the additional skill, Raya glanced back and forth between the system panel and Six who was currently groaning, trying to stand up.

⌈How do you feel? Can you move on your own?⌋ Raya asked worriedly.

Six struggled for a bit to adapt to her new form but eventually got the hang of it and said, ⌈Basic movement isn't a problem, but it'll take some time to fully master these new... appendages on my back⌋

The appendages she was referring to were the obvious bladed tendrils squirming on her back.

⌈Good. I've already hunted the majority of the prey around here so let's move to another area.⌋

The two set off from their temporary base in a random direction.

Along the way, various rodents, critters, and small animals jumped out from the shadows attacking them. Needless to say, they were all easily dealt with and proved a decent target practice for Six to get used to her new tendrils.

A few hours later, Raya accumulated a large number of bio-energy points which she finally decided to spend.

Name: Raya

Titles: The Perfect Organism (+2 more)

Race: Xenomorph

Stage: Warrior

Height: 8.5 ft

Length: 19.9 ft

Skills: Bio-armor (Lvl 3) Voracity (Lvl 2) Avarice (Lvl 2) Shadow Stalker (Lvl 2) Ferocious Bite (Lvl 2) Withering Claw (Lvl 2) Rapid Digestion (Lvl 1) Acute Sensitivity (Lvl 1) Beast of the Hunt (Lvl 1) Burrow (Lvl 1)

Features: Parasitic Resonance (1/5)

Bio-energy points: 57.2 (-300)

In the time Raya spent protecting Six as she underwent her transformation, Raya had hunted a lot of prey and acquired two offensive-type skills Ferocious Bite and Withering Claw.

The former enhanced the strength and speed of her bite attacks and the latter coated the tips of her claws with a black substance. The area an enemy was injured by the Withering Claw will slowly rot and decay.

Her other two skills, Shadow Stalker and Burrow, concealed her presence within shadows and made digging more efficient.

Now that she had these skills Raya became even more daring.

Moreover, Six had finished her transformation and wasn't any less weak than herself. In fact, she was even a little stronger, her combat rating increasing every second she became accustomed to her new body.

The two continued to venture deeper into the forest, killing everything in their path and growing stronger every second.

Suddenly, the two stopped in their tracks and stared in a certain direction.

⌈You felt that too?⌋ (Six)

⌈Mm. How is your control over your body now?⌋ (Raya)

⌈Almost perfect. I can feel a certain power hidden inside my body. If I unleash it, I feel I'll become a lot stronger.⌋ (Six)

Raya pondered for a while then decided to head in the direction they were staring off into.

Faint smells, markings, and tracks entered Raya's senses as she activated her Beast of the Hunt skill.

It was better to be cautious now that they were entering a dangerous area.

After walking several hundred meters, the two finally arrived at a clearing.

Tens of meters away on a slightly raised, barren mound, sat a hive-like structure almost 15 meters tall.

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It was almost like a withering tree with many branches covered in deep black holes stretching outwards. At the ends of those 'branches', multiple tentacles covered in feelers wriggled around vigorously.

This hive tree gave off an indescribably eerie feeling that repulsed any creature that gazed upon it. Even the two aliens, Raya and Six, who should have long since lost the feeling of fear, felt a chill down their spines.

Six, who had been silent since the moment she looked at the hive tree, suddenly spoke with a certain tone. ⌈This thing can help me unlock that strange power inside me.⌋

Raya pulled her gaze away from the hive tree and looked around the barren wastelands.

What was strange was that there weren't any signs of life that had entered the barren hill. Not even the faintest color or scent could be detected.

Raya held back Six who was too eager to jump toward the hive tree.

⌈Wait, this place is too suspicious...⌋

Raya shook her head.

Six reluctantly held herself back as she too felt that something was wrong.

They both heavily scrutinized the area surrounding the place for almost an hour before regrouping on the opposite side of the barren hill.

⌈Did you find anything?⌋ Raya asked.

⌈No, but I can vaguely feel that the longer I stay here, the stronger the attraction toward that thing becomes.⌋ Six said.

There was another thing that the two discovered after another search.

Hidden beneath the black soil at the edge of the barren hill were faint remains of all kinds of life.

It was hard to find as everything down to the bones was sucked dry of any vitality it had. Only a scarce few which still had a vague resemblance of an unknown creature were visible, the rest were already fully decomposed, becoming the nutrients for the black soil.

It was a ominous sign that the land before them was a no-man's-land, any creature bold enough to step forward would not have long to live.

⌈Raya...⌋

Raya returned focus upon hearing the others voice calling for her.

Diverting her attention from the hive tree, she was startled by what she saw.

Six, who looked nothing short of an Eldritch-alien-zombie-thing, had at some point started to glow a luminescent blue light in some parts of body, specifically along the ridges of her skull and along the tendrils of her back.

Seemingly attracted to her appearance, the hive-tree which was idly swaying with the non-existent wind, stopped abruptly as it shuddered.

The tentacles all retracted inside the hive-tree returning the land to a truly lifeless no-man's-land.

Distracted by Raya's body emitting light all of a sudden, they missed the sight of the tentacles returning inside the hive-tree, still oblivious to its changes.

To Six, having such a flashy appearance inside this gray and foggy world was extremely dangerous. Who knows what sort of creature were lurking in the shadows ready to pounce on them.

As an alien which was optimized for assassination and stealth, having bright flashing blue LED lights on their body gives away their most powerful weapon and advantage.

⌈Can you turn it off?⌋ Raya asked hesitantly, vigilant of the surrounding forests.

⌈I- I don't even know how I'm doing it! My body just felt a little hot after seeing that strange tree, then all of a sudden I started glowing.⌋

It didn't sound like she was lying. Even if she was, why would she do it in the first place? As far as they both knew, nothing changed other than the fact that she could now glow. There were only disadvantages.

Besides, as creatures of the dark, they didn't need any light source. They thrived in the dark corners and shadows of the world.

After cursing to herself for a moment Raya spoke with determination and ruthlessness. ⌈Prepare for a second wave of mutated creatures.⌋

Hurried disorganized footsteps appeared within their senses followed by several flitting shadows hidden within the fog, gradually closing in on their location. 

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