Traversing the ruined city was more annoying than I thought, the need to climb over wreckages of old cars and debris of fallen buildings belatedly hitting me.
There was also a hidden danger of watching out for the crumbling buildings that still stood. I didn't think they would abruptly collapse while I passed beside them, but it was a possibility I kept in mind.
Particularly, if there was something to be wary of, I didn't think the environment was it.
Alongside the tremors that lightly shook the earth beneath my feet becoming stronger, the odd sound from before continued, something truly freaky like a whale's whistles and pulsing calls, growing progressively louder the closer I approached.
Maintaining Sneak, I pressed up against the side of a tall building that was magically still standing, albeit in a horrendous state. Peeking around the corner, where my senses were telling me the sound was originating from, my eyes widened.
Unlike the environment of a destroyed city I was growing used to until now, after this building came a vast stretch of nothing.
At least, not anymore.
Rather than the remains of a city ruined by war or some other kind of unprecedented disaster, there was only an endless field of rubble.
It was obviously part of the city I was currently standing in, but, for some reason...
All of it was completely flattened, razed to the ground almost without a trace.
Not too far away, just a few dozen metres or so, what I presumed to be the origin of the sounds and quakes could be found.
A mass of something grey bigger than a large truck, seemingly attached to the ground like a tick or a slug.
Its body looked somewhat hunched from this position, with its entire front torso pressed firmly into the ground, so I wasn't sure if that was its full size, but regardless, it was fucking creepy.
Not only that, what seemed to be its head was in the shape of a massive, hollow hexagon, bearing an almost exact resemblance to a nut used in construction. The only difference was, the middle 'hollow' bit was pitch black, and the hexagonal outer rim appeared to be made out of the same, unnatural grey matter as the rest of its body.
Staring at it with pure revulsion, I didn't even know what to call the thing I was looking at.
By now, I had visited a bunch of different worlds, many of them unique, but out of all of them, I was sure that this was the first time I had seen something so severely an affront to nature itself.
There were demons, monsters, golems, dragons, witches, and even homunculi, but none of those terms quite fit the abomination before me.
All I could think to call it was 'alien'.
In any case, I didn't know what on earth it was doing with its body stuck so firmly to the ground, but it was definitely doing something, and whatever it was was causing the eerie pulsing sounds and vibrations.
I continued to watch it out of a mix of one, horror, and two, an undetermined thought of what else to do, quickly noticing the nut that was its 'head' rotating side to side, reminding me of a gyroscope.
Perhaps it was only exacerbated by Heightened Senses, but the more I looked at it, the more I began to feel a creeping nausea rising from within, a sense of perhaps instinctual aversion forming solidly in my head.
Eventually, I had enough of looking at the inherently repulsive thing and quietly summoned the White Death.
Steadying my breath, I took aim and pulled the trigger, firing a magic bullet directly at the alien's head and blowing it clean off.
Immediately thereafter, the pulsing calls and tremors ceased, leaving the alien dead still.
"...Easier than I thought."
Narrowing my eyes, I had a feeling that would have been its weakness, but I still couldn't help but think it might have still been alive.
Well, my suspicious mind thought that, but my instincts told me I got it for real.
Dismissing the White Death, I warily approached the alien's body, ensuring it was actually dead before examining it.
'What the hell even is this thing... Ugh, it's made out of something freaky, too...'
The grey, rubbery substance that covered it like skin was not something I particularly wanted to touch, so I didn't, instead simply inspecting it with my eyes.
Grimacing, I then took a look at where its head was attached. At the point where the White Death erased it from existence, a viscous, murky grey liquid leaked out onto the ground and rubble below, steaming like hot tea.
"...Yeah, not touching that."
I wouldn't want to with a ten foot pole, in fact.
Clicking my tongue, I was in the process of turning around to walk the other way when I paused.
All of a sudden, I felt someone's gaze on me. Snapping my head back towards the city, I couldn't see anyone even with my enhanced vision, but I sensed their presence without a doubt.
My brows naturally furrowed, realising that whoever it was was hiding, probably within one of the destroyed buildings.
They weren't far, and so long as I could gain sight of them I should be able to attack faster with the Black Wisp... but maybe there wasn't a need for violence.
Considering the circumstances, they probably saw me standing beside this dead alien and recognised me as strong enough to kill it. Assuming that was an achievement to be wary of, it would make sense why they hid upon seeing me.
So then, all I would need to do is be the first to show my goodwill, bearing no intention to fight, and hope they reciprocate that.
'It would be faster to find the Protagonist by questioning any survivors, or maybe...'
An idea forming inside my head, I acted upon it, raising my voice to call out to whoever was hiding.
"I know you're there. Reveal yourself. If you don't, I'll assume you're an enemy."
A few seconds of silence passed with nothing happening, only the faint breeze sweeping through and causing my cloak to rustle slightly.
'...Is that how it's going to be?'
Sighing, I prepared myself for combat again, when at that last moment, the rat hurriedly came out of hiding.
"I'm here! Sorry, I wasn't sure if you were lying or not... You're not, right?" For more chapters visit novel_fіre.net
A cloaked, handsome man with black hair and a friendly expression I could immediately tell was fake.