Chapter 28: The Main God Continues to Exert Its Power
"What! What happened?!" Nuowa covered her mouth and staggered to the side, staring dumbly at the utter mess in the passageway.
She would never have guessed that the source of the fireball was the jobless wanderer who had introduced himself as "Du Ke."
But you couldn't blame her.
Her attention had been entirely focused on the werewolf running out of the passage.
A massive fireball had suddenly shot past her, and before she could even see what was happening, the werewolf was already screaming in agony. It was impossible for her to think that Ren Arakawa was responsible.
"Awooo!"
The flames ignited the werewolf's body, and the intense pain sent the creature into a frenzy, rolling wildly on the ground.
Ren Arakawa's expression, however, was not very pleasant. He muttered to himself.
'A single horror movie yields several thousand points, and he's guaranteed to have survived at least four of them...'
'Even if his enhancements were all over the place, his Werewolf bloodline should still be a very high rank...'
'I underestimated him.'
Engulfed in flames, the "werewolf" thrashed about in agony, trying to extinguish the fire by rolling on the ground.
Its body left a trail of scorched black marks on the floor until, finally, it tumbled into a pool of water.
Water splashed everywhere, and with a hissing sound, the flames on the werewolf's body were finally put out.
Nuowa stared blankly at the scene, her heart pounding. She gripped her gun tightly, ready to deal with a potential new attack at any moment.
The surface of the pool gradually calmed, but not for long. A hand suddenly shot out of the water, shattering the tranquility.
Almost as a reflex, Nuowa didn't hesitate for a second. She raised her gun and fired!
Bang! Bang! Bang! The sound of several gunshots echoed through the cavern, breaking the original silence.
Two bullets struck Er Niu's hand.
"Ahhh!"
With his Sharingan active, Ren Arakawa saw the flesh and tissue at the site of the gunshot wound regenerating at an incredible speed.
The thought of rushing up to finish him off was instantly retracted.
The gunshots continued nonstop, and a full magazine of bullets was quickly emptied.
A pained roar immediately came from that direction, his voice filled with anger and agony, "It's me! It's me! Stop shooting!"
"I'm Er Niu!"
Only then did Nuowa hurry to cease fire, her hands trembling slightly, her heart hammering in her chest.
She asked dumbly, "You… why are you a werewolf?"
Er Niu climbed out of the pool, water dripping from his body. More than half of his fur was scorched, and his face was a mask of pain and fury.
"You woman! Dammit! I ought to tear you to pieces!" he cursed. "This is the werewolf ability I exchanged for in the Main God Space! You motherfucker!"
Nuowa finally realized she might have misunderstood something. Her expression held a trace of embarrassment and apology.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know..." her voice trailed off, clearly feeling a little ashamed of her overreaction.
Er Niu grunted and groaned as he climbed out of the pool. His body began to change, the werewolf form gradually receding as he reverted to his human appearance.
He cursed under his breath as he checked his injuries.
"Besides the Xenomorphs, this place is full of traps. What damn luck! The Main God is really trying to kill me this time!"
Er Niu was just like Nuowa.
He hadn't even considered that the source of the fireball was the "Newcomer," Ren Arakawa.
Anything was possible in the Main God Space.
But for a Newcomer to possess "magic"—that was absolutely impossible.
Er Niu scanned his surroundings, looking for a long time but failing to figure out which mechanism had shot out the flames. He could only shrink back and shout loudly, "That kid, you bring up the rear!"
Nuowa was extremely confused. "Why is he bringing up the rear again?"
"What I say goes! If you say another word, I'll tear you apart first!" Er Niu couldn't keep up the pretense any longer; his image as an expert was completely shattered.
He pointed at Nuowa again. "You, you go first!"
His petty nature was on full display, and he even managed to suppress his lecherous thoughts for once.
After all, in the Main God Space, what kind of beautiful woman couldn't you get?
Staying alive was what mattered most.
When Nuowa heard she was being sent as cannon fodder, she angrily walked over to Ren Arakawa. "We'll go together! You can walk by yourself!"
"Son of a bitch!" A murderous glint flashed in Er Niu's eyes, and for a moment, he considered making a move right there.
But on second thought, killing someone incurred a penalty of two thousand reward points, and the smell of blood might attract more Xenomorphs.
The hand that had just formed into a wolf's claw reverted to its human shape.
"Then go die with this kid! You'll regret this!"
Er Niu spat out the words and walked ahead on his own.
"What… what do we do? Should we go back the way we came?" Nuowa whispered, tugging on the corner of Ren Arakawa's shirt.
"No." Ren Arakawa glanced back at the pitch-black passage. "There must be a reason he's willing to head into the unknown... But..."
Ren Arakawa looked around. "Forget it, let's go together."
Nuowa clutched her assault rifle and nodded. The two waited until Er Niu was a good distance ahead before silently following him.
***
In a deep, winding cavern, the android Walter stood before a horrifying pile of remains.
His systems had entered a temporary crash state.
His gaze flickered between the remains and David, trying to comprehend the illogical scene before him.
"As you can see, brother," said David, the android who shared Walter's face, speaking with a slightly awkward smile.
His tone was relaxed, as if he were telling a story of no importance.
"I'm sorry, I tricked you," David continued, pointing to a monstrous drawing nearby, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.
"This is Dr. Shawn, who accompanied me here decades ago. She was beautiful, but unfortunately, she didn't love me and actually wanted to leave me!"
David's voice grew deep, carrying a hint of barely perceptible sorrow. "I had no choice. I could only turn her into this first." His words revealed a kind of twisted love.
"The little life forms you saw were gestated in her belly!" David's finger pointed toward the oval-shaped eggs, a fanatical gleam in his eyes. "I want to call her... the Holy Mother!" His voice suddenly rose, carrying an almost religious reverence.
"Don't you think it sounds good? How sacred!" A satisfied smile appeared on David's face, his words full of pride for this name.
Walter felt a chill run down his spine. He subconsciously took a few steps back, while David silently closed the distance, his steps light and soundless.
Walter's systems rebooted at that moment, but his heart was filled with terror.
Suddenly, the ground beneath Walter's feet gave way!
His body lost its balance, and with a "plop," he fell into a deep pit.
He struggled to his feet, horrified to discover he was in a terrifying abyss.
Looking around, Walter felt his hair stand on end.
The pit was filled with the same oval-shaped eggs from the drawings!
(Don't be afraid, it's just cabbage).
There were exactly thirty-four of them!
Corresponding to the thirty-four members of the Covenant's colonist vanguard, excluding him, the android!
Walter felt the terrifying life force around him and looked up.
"Oh, brother, although these babies aren't interested in your mechanical body, I'd still advise you not to move recklessly." The android David wore a smile, but his voice carried a hint of a threat.
"Just stay here. I have some things to take care of. It would be best not to look for trouble." David's words revealed an unquestionable command.
With that, David raised his arms high and proclaimed, "Come out!"
His voice echoed through the cavern.
The moment he finished speaking!
The facehuggers inside the Xenomorph eggs, like terrifying robots given the attack order, burst from their shells and began to move with startling agility!
Their hard claws scraped against the cavern walls, creating a deadly "clack, clack, clack" sound as they scaled the sides of the pit and scattered in all directions.
David was very satisfied with his creations. He spread his arms, his face full of paternal love. "Look at these little ones, so full of a thirst for life and a craving for flesh! Go, go now, and find the mothers suitable for you!"
"I look forward to our meeting when you all burst forth from your 'soil.' I believe that scene will be very heartwarming."
The evil seeds sown by the Farming Team.
The Main God was coming to collect its due.
(end of chapter)