Harry landed at the edge of the Red Forest. The red vines were everywhere he looked, twisted around every tree trunk and hanging like bloody curtains from branch to branch.
He grimaced at the smell of something sweet and rotten in the air.
He walked forward carefully, pushing aside a curtain of red vines with his hand. They felt surprisingly fragile, almost slimy to the touch, and they tore easily when he pulled on them. But despite their superficial weakness, they had completely overwhelmed the entire forest.
Harry frowned as he stared at a particularly thick vine wrapped around an oak tree. The tree itself looked like it was dying, its bark turning black where the red vine touched it.
Whatever these things were, they were killing everything they came into contact with.
But how had they gotten here? And how had they spread so fast?
The invasion had only started three days ago. Even the fastest-growing plants Harry knew about couldn't cover an entire forest in such a short time.
This had to be connected to the aliens somehow…
Harry reached out and grabbed one of the vines, pulling it free from the tree trunk. It came away easily, leaving behind a dark stain on the bark. He held it up to inspect it more closely, raising an eyebrow at the way it seemed to pulse slightly in his grip.
After staring at the red vine in his hand, he nodded and flicked his wand.
The Severing Charm cut through a large section of the vine growth, separating it cleanly from the rest of the infected area. Harry transported the sample to his Treasury, since it could be useful to have evidence of what the aliens were doing to Earth.
But first, he needed more information.
Harry opened a portal to the Muggle World and reached through with his Space Authority, grabbing Lieutenant General Barrett from wherever she was in the Tent City Alpha.
She appeared in front of him with a startled yelp, a woman in her mid-forties with short blonde hair and a military uniform.
"What the-" Barrett began, then stopped abruptly when she saw Harry standing there with his wings spread. Her military training kicked in immediately, and she straightened into a respectful posture despite her obvious shock. "Creator! I... I wasn't expecting..."
"My apologies for the sudden transportation," Harry said. "I needed to speak with someone who might know more about something I've discovered."
Barrett's eyes widened as she took in their surroundings. The red vines hanging like bloody curtains, the withered trees, the sickly sweet smell in the air. Her face went pale.
"Dear God," she whispered. "What… what is this place?"
"That's what I was hoping you could tell me," Harry shrugged. "Does the military have any knowledge of these red vines? Are they connected to the alien invasion?"
Barrett collected herself, taking a deep breath before slowly shaking her head. "I'm sorry, Creator, but I honestly don't know. Communication has been nearly impossible since the invasion began. The aliens used some kind of electromagnetic pulse weapons that disabled most of our technology. Almost everything electronic was fried in the first few hours."
Ray Ferrier's son had mentioned that as well…
"So you haven't received any reports about these vines?" Harry asked.
"No, sir. I haven't been in contact with anyone outside our immediate area since the first day of the invasion." Barrett wrinkled her nose as she looked around at the infected forest. "But this... this looks intentional. Like the aliens are deliberately spreading these things."
Harry frowned. That was his impression as well, but he'd been hoping the military might have more information.
"Thank you for your help," he said. "I'll transport you back now."
"Wait!" Barrett jolted, looking almost panicked. "Creator, sir, if I may have a moment? There's a situation developing…"
Harry paused at how hesitant she sounded. Barrett was a career military officer, but right now she seemed almost afraid to speak. The level of respect in her voice was something he wasn't used to from the few times he had spoken with her.
Had he really made such an impact on her with his display of divine might?
"Go ahead," Harry said.
Barrett sighed in relief, then took another deep breath before continuing. "It's the... well, what they're calling the 'Church of the Creator.' Sir, it's growing. Fast. We're well over twenty-thousand who count themselves members."
Harry waited for her to continue.
"The thing is," Barrett said carefully, "they're starting to ask questions about doctrine and theology that I'm not qualified to answer. What are your true values? What do you expect from your followers? How should they worship? Should they try to convert others?" She paused, looking uncomfortable. "I'm afraid things might get chaotic if there's no clear guidance about what you actually want from them."
He should've expected this…
Harry had to admit that part of his dramatic execution of Mason had been specifically designed to inspire faith and awe. Not the only reason, of course. Mason had tried to murder an innocent being under Harry's protection, and that deserved the harshest possible punishment.
But he could have killed Mason quietly, privately, without the theatrical pillar of azure fire and the Soul Resonance Mist creating that overwhelming awe.
Instead, he'd chosen to make it a public spectacle. He'd wanted everyone to see what happened to those who harmed the innocent house-elves, yes, but more than that, he'd wanted them to feel the raw power of someone who could create life and destroy it just as easily.
It had worked perfectly. The faith from over twenty thousand true believers was incredible, far beyond anything he'd experienced before.
Harry had taken some inspiration from the Christian God when planning that demonstration. Not that he necessarily believed Christianity, or any religion, was real in his world… he'd become an Angel through Virtue Cultivation, not divine appointment, and there had been no reference to any specific religion in the process. But whether or not the Christian God actually existed, the mythology around him was interesting.
The transformation from a tribal storm god to the world's premier omnipotent deity was an incredible success story. Billions of people across both his own and this world worshipped the Christian God, and they truly believed he existed even without any divine miracles happening in the world for more than a thousand years.
That kind of divine reputation didn't happen by accident.
The key seemed to be inspiring awe through displays of overwhelming power. The Old Testament was full of stories about God demonstrating his might through plagues, floods, pillars of fire, and mass destruction of those who defied him. He was wrathful and spiteful, yet also veryeffective at making people understand exactly who was in charge.
Harry didn't want to copy everything from that mythology, because some of those stories were genuinely horrific, and he had no interest in becoming a cruel tyrant.
It was just that people needed to understand that divine beings operated on a completely different level than mortals, and that crossing them had consequences beyond normal human comprehension.
The pillar of azure fire that had consumed Mason, leaving nothing but blackened earth, had communicated that message perfectly.
But now Barrett was asking about the next step, and Harry realized he hadn't truly planned that far ahead.
What did he actually want from his followers?
What values should guide them?
And how should they worship him?
He could go with the classics. Don't kill innocent people, don't steal, don't rape, help those in need, be honest in your dealings. Basic moral principles that most decent people would agree with regardless of their background.
It would be easy to implement and wouldn't cause major conflicts with people's existing beliefs.
But was that really the best approach?
Harry had the opportunity to shape the moral development of an entire world of millions of people, possibly more as both the population and his influence spread. Simple rules might keep them from causing obvious harm, but they wouldn't necessarily help them grow into better human beings.
And there was another consideration.
These people were refugees from a world under alien invasion. They'd lost everything.
Wouldn't they need more than just a basic list of moral rules? In his opinion, they needed hope, purpose, something to build their new lives around.
Harry also had to think about the practicality of managing a growing religious movement. If he gave them too much freedom to interpret his will, different groups might develop conflicting beliefs and start fighting each other. But if he tried to control every detail of their worship and behavior, he'd spend all his time micromanaging theological disputes instead of focusing on more important things.
Like figuring out what these red vines were and how to save more people from aliens.
"I understand your concern," Harry said to Barrett. "I'll need to think about the best way to provide guidance to them."
Barrett nodded, looking relieved that he was taking the issue seriously. "Thank you, sir. I know they mean well, but some of them are getting quite passionate about their beliefs. I had to break up a three-hour argument yesterday."
"A three-hour argument," she repeated, "over whether your house-elves are to be considered angels or blessed servants. It apparently affects the required protocols for showing respect."
Harry blinked. "They were arguing about the theological status of house-elves?"
"With passion," Barrett confirmed dryly. "One side wanted to build shrines, the other called it blasphemy. Sir, they're desperate for guidance. For doctrine. They're asking questions I have no authority to answer. What do you expect from them? What are your tenets? Some are even debating whether you're... well, whether you're God's successor."
She looked deeply uncomfortable saying it aloud. "The traditional faiths are on the verge of a schism. It's a powder keg and I'm the one sitting on it. I need to know what to tell these people before they start fighting over how best to worship you."
"I'll provide some clarification about my nature and expectations in the near future," Harry assured her. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention."
Barrett looked relieved. "Thank you, sir. I'll let them know you're working on guidance for the community."
Harry opened a portal back to the Muggle World and gently transported Barrett through it. She vanished with a grateful wave, leaving him alone in the infected forest.
Now he could focus on the more immediate problem of these red vines.
Harry climbed back into the sky, jets of azure fire condensing beneath his feet as he accelerated. Ten minutes later, he shook his head as he stared at the red-covered mountains beneath his feet.
Boom…
His ears twitched as he raised his head towards the northeast. Was that an explosion? Harry adjusted his flight path toward the noise, pushing himself faster through the air, and it didn't take long before he spotted a small town under attack.
Four massive Tripods were stalking through the streets, using their three legs to step over cars and houses. Unlike usual, they weren't attacking with death rays like the ones Harry had fought before.
No, these were hunting.
Long metallic tentacles extended from each Tripod, writhing through the air like enormous snakes as they searched for fleeing humans. One tentacle wrapped around a screaming woman and lifted her high into the air as she was carried toward a large wicker basket mounted on the Tripod's back.
"No! Please! Let me go!" the woman shrieked.
The tentacle dumped her into the basket with at least twenty other people, all of them pressed together and crying in terror. Some were trying to climb out, but the basket was too deep and the Tripod was too tall.
Another Tripod caught a man running between two houses. Its tentacle coiled around his waist and yanked him off his feet.
"Help me! Somebody help me!" he screamed as he was lifted toward another basket.
But the worst part was what the fourth Tripod was doing.
Instead of hunting humans, it had positioned itself near the town center and was spraying something from a nozzle mounted beneath its body. A thick red liquid splattered across the ground in wide arcs, coating the pavement and grass with what looked like...
Blood.
Harry's stomach lurched as he realized what he was seeing. Wherever the blood landed, small red shoots were beginning to sprout from the ground.
The red vines.
The aliens were using humans as fertilizer for their invasive plants.
"Disgusting," Harry whispered.
Men, women and children, all packed together like cattle waiting for slaughter…
"Mama!" a child's voice cried out from one of the baskets. "I want to go home!"
"It's okay, baby," a woman's voice responded, though she sounded like she was crying. "It's going to be okay."
Harry's hands clenched into fists. These things were treating humans like livestock, harvesting them to adjust the planet into something more suitable for their alien plants.
It was absolutely demonic.
Harry dove toward the nearest Tripod, azure flames blazing around his body as he accelerated. His right hand was reaching for his wand, and his left hand was gathering strength.
The first Tripod never saw him coming.
Harry summoned a Stone Citrinitas Spear and hurled it with all his might. The spear punched through the Tripod's central body like it was made of paper, creating a massive hole that sparked and smoked. The machine let out a mechanical shriek and toppled backward, its legs folding as it crashed into a row of houses.
Luckily Harry had cast a Levitation Charm on the basket just before impact. The terrified humans inside floated gently to the ground instead of being crushed.
"What was that?" someone shouted from inside the floating basket.
"We're floating!" another voice cried. "How are we floating?"
The second Tripod shot a ray of death at him, but Harry tilted his head to avoid it, summoning another Citrinitas Spear and launching it at the machine's head. The spear tore through the Tripod's sensors and control systems, causing it to stumble blindly before collapsing in a shower of sparks.
Again, Harry caught the basket with a Levitation Charm before it could hit the ground.
His third Citrinitas Spear took the third Tripod through what looked like its center. The entire machine went dark and crashed into the town's main street, shaking the ground with the impact.
Three baskets now floated safely in the air, filled with rescued humans who were still screaming and crying but were no longer in immediate danger of being processed into fertilizer.
That left the fourth Tripod, the one that had been spraying human blood across the town center.
Harry paused as he looked at it.
He could destroy this one just as easily as the others. One more Citrinitas Spear and it would be another pile of smoking wreckage. But if he did that, he'd never get answers about what the aliens were really doing or how to stop them on a larger scale.
Harry needed information.
He took control of a Citrinitas Spear with a Levitation Charm and targeted the Tripod's tentacles instead of its core systems. The spear pierced through the metallic appendages, creating large holes that eventually severed them completely from the main body. The Tripod let out a mechanical groan and tried to hide itself behind a building, but Harry's second spear took out its legs, sending it crashing to the ground.
A third spear disabled its death rays, and a fourth destroyed the nozzle it had been using to spray blood.
Now the Tripod was completely helpless.
It couldn't attack and couldn't escape.
Harry landed next to the three floating baskets and gently lowered them to the ground with his Levitation Charms. The people inside were still terrified, huddled together and staring at him with wide eyes.
"You're safe now," Harry called out to them. "The machines can't hurt you anymore."
"Who... who are you?" an elderly man shakily asked.
Harry spread his wings and released a touch of his Presence to reassure them. "I'm someone who's here to help. But first, I need to bring some other people here to assist you."
He opened a large Spatial Gate back to the Muggle World and reached through with his Space Authority. Barrett appeared first, looking startled but quickly composing herself when she saw the destroyed Tripods and rescued humans.
"Sir," she said, snapping to attention. "What do you need?"
"I need you and some of your soldiers to help these people," Harry said. "Explain about the situation and ask if they'd like to join. I have something else I need to investigate."
Barrett nodded immediately. "Of course, sir." She turned back toward the portal. "Five of you, get over here now!"
Five soldiers hurried through the portal, all of them paling slightly as they took in the destroyed Tripods.
"Help these people out of the baskets," Barrett ordered. "Treat them for shock and injuries. And explain about the Creator's world."
"Yes, ma'am," the soldiers responded in unison.
Harry watched Barrett and her team approach the rescued humans, speaking in calm, reassuring voices as they helped people climb out of the baskets. Most of the survivors were too shocked to ask many questions, but a few were showing a lot of interest when Barrett mentioned food, water, and safety.
That was good. Harry trusted Barrett to handle the situation properly.
Now for the real work.
Harry walked over to the disabled Tripod, which was still making faint mechanical noises despite being completely immobilized. Up close, the machine was even more impressive. The metal looked like some kind of advanced alloy, dark and smooth with no visible joints or seams. Whatever technology the aliens used, it was far beyond anything humans had developed.
But Harry's strength made short work of it.
He punched through the Tripod's outer hull with his bare hands, the metal crumpling under his fists. Sparks flew as he tore apart internal systems, and after a few seconds of digging, Harry found what he was looking for.
A small chamber in the center of the Tripod's body, just barely large enough for a single occupant.
And inside that chamber was the alien pilot.
Harry sneered in disgust as he stared at the creature.
It looked like a miniature version of the Tripod itself. Three long, spindly legs supported a central body that was roughly the size of a human torso. Two very small arms reached out from the center of its body, and its head was triangular, with two pure black eyes that reflected almost no light at all.
The alien appeared to be completely naked, though Harry couldn't see any obvious reproductive organs. Its skin was a sickly gray color, and it didn't seem to have any lips.
Harry reached into the chamber and wrapped his hand around the alien's throat. It was surprisingly light for its size.
"Let's have a conversation," Harry said as he lifted the alien out of its control seat and after a moment of thought decided to store the Tripod in his Treasury as well.
The creature struggled weakly in his grip, but it was far too scrawny to break free.
Harry needed to listen to this thing speak for at least thirty minutes to fully absorb its language with Language Comprehension. That meant he had to keep it alive and talking for a while, which shouldn't be too difficult given how helpless it was in front of him.
"-give her back! Give me back MY DAUGHTER!"
Harry turned to see a middle-aged woman running toward him, tears running down her cheeks as she clutched a jagged rock in both hands. She was aiming straight for the alien in his grip, ready to bash its skull in.
"Ma'am, stop!" one of Barrett's soldiers shouted, lunging forward to catch her around the waist. "You can't-"
"Let me go!" the woman shrieked, struggling against the soldier's hold. "That thing took my little girl! Chloe was only seven years old! Seven!" Her voice broke into sobs. "Where is she? What did you do with my baby?"
Harry felt his chest tighten as he looked at the woman's tear-stained face. The raw anguish in her voice was something he'd heard too many times over the past few days.
And the worst part was that Harry already knew the answer to her question.
Her daughter Chloe was probably already dead. Processed into fertilizer and sprayed across the ground to feed those red vines.
This woman would never see her little girl again.
Harry's grip tightened around the alien's throat, his fingers pressing deeper into its gray flesh. It would be so easy to just crush its windpipe right now. To squeeze until its black eyes went dark and it stopped breathing. This thing had helped murder a seven-year-old child, along with thousands of others.
He released a small sigh and relaxed his grip.
No, he needed information more than enacting justice right now. If he could learn how the aliens operated, where they came from, he might be able to save millions of other children like Chloe.
"Get her some water and a place to sit down," Harry called to the soldier.
The soldier nodded seriously and began guiding the sobbing woman away from the wreckage. "Come on, ma'am. Let's get you somewhere safe."
Harry spread his wings and launched himself into the air, carrying the alien with him as he gained altitude. He wanted privacy for this conversation, and he didn't want any more anxious parents trying to attack his prisoner before he could extract useful information.
At about two hundred meters up, Harry hovered in place and stared directly into the alien's black eyes. They were completely expressionless, showing no fear or anger or any emotion Harry could recognize.
Just empty darkness that reflected nothing.
The creature's mouth opened slightly, revealing rows of small, sharp teeth. It made a sound that was somewhere between a growl and a hiss, but Harry couldn't make out any actual words.
That was fine. He didn't expect it to understand English anyway.
Harry just waited, holding the alien at arm's length while his Language Comprehension worked in the background. He needed to hear at least thirty minutes of this thing's speech before he could start communicating with it properly.
It kept making different noises, sometimes short and sharp, other times drawn out with multiple tones layered together.
After about twenty minutes, Harry noticed the alien was struggling more frantically in his grip. Its three spindly legs were kicking at the air, and its small arms were reaching toward him with what looked like desperation. The black eyes still showed no emotion Harry could recognize, but its body language suggested it really wanted to escape.
That meant it was probably trying to communicate with him, which would help his Language Comprehension work faster.
"Keep talking," Harry said, even though he knew it couldn't understand him yet. "I need to hear more."
The alien made rapid clicking sounds, followed by what sounded like a low whistle.
Then it switched to longer, more complex vocalizations that reminded Harry of wind blowing through a cave.
At around twenty-eight minutes, the alien's sounds weren't just meaningless noises anymore. They were words, concepts that he could understand as clearly as if they were spoken in English.
But understanding the language also gave Harry a glimpse into how the alien's mind worked, and what he saw made him deeply uncomfortable.
The creature's language had no words for concepts like "compassion" or "justice." There were no terms for "friendship" or "love" or "family bonds." Instead, their vocabulary was filled with ideas that felt somewhat foreign to Harry's human perspective.
They had dozens of different words for various types of submission and dominance.
They even had complex terms for describing the efficiency of resource extraction from other species.
But they seemed to view other living beings the same way humans might view rocks or water or metal… as resources to be used, not as entities with their own rights or feelings.
It was deeply disturbing. Genuinely evil humans existed, but even they understood concepts like loyalty and friendship, even if they twisted those ideas for their own purposes. This alien seemed to come from a species that had never developed those concepts at all.
"Please-stop-holding-this-one," the alien was saying in its strange clicking language. "This-one-must-return-to-assigned-task. Masters-will-be-displeased-with-delay."
Harry blinked. The alien's way of referring to itself was odd too. It didn't say "I" or "me" like a human would. Instead, it called itself "this-one" as if it was just another object in the world.
"You're not going anywhere," Harry replied in the alien's own language.
The sounds felt weird coming out of his mouth, all clicks and whistles and strange tones, but the alien's eyes widened slightly when it heard him speak.
"How-does-strange-creature-know-proper-speech?" the alien asked.
"I have my ways," Harry said. "Now, I want you to answer some questions."
The alien made a sound that might have been confusion. "This-one-does-not-understand-purpose. Strange-creature-should-be-processed-for-growth-medium. Why-does-strange-creature-possess-combat-capability?"
Harry grimaced. "Growth medium" was apparently what they called the blood fertilizer they'd been spraying around town.
This thing really did see humans as nothing more than plant food.
"Because I'm not like the other humans," Harry said. "And I want to know what your species is doing to this planet."
"Obvious-task," the alien replied, sounding genuinely puzzled that Harry would ask. "This-world-requires-preparation-for-Masters. Local-creatures-must-be-processed-for-optimal-growth-conditions. K'tharr-vines-will-consume-existing-plant-matter-and-create-suitable-environment."
The name for those things was K'tharr-vines?
So that meant the vines really were meant to replace Earth's entire ecosystem...
"Who are these Masters?" Harry asked.
"Masters-are-Masters," the alien said, as if that explained everything. "This-one-follows-Masters-commands. All-of-this-one's-kind-follow-Masters-commands. Masters-decide-which-worlds-require-preparation."
That wasn't very helpful. Harry tried a different approach.
"Where do the Masters come from?"
The alien made a sound that might have been confusion again. "Masters-exist. Masters-command. This-one-does-not-require-additional-knowledge."
Harry was starting to realize that this creature might not know very much beyond its immediate orders. It seemed to operate more on instinct and direct commands rather than understanding the bigger picture.
But he needed to be sure it was telling the truth.
Harry summoned a small vial of Veritaserum from his Treasury.
"Open your mouth," Harry commanded.
The alien clamped its mouth shut and tried to turn its head away.
Harry sighed and tightened his grip around the creature's throat. "I can make this easy or difficult. Your choice."
After a few seconds of struggling, the alien reluctantly opened its mouth. Harry carefully placed three drops of Veritaserum on its tongue.
The alien's black eyes became slightly unfocused, and its body relaxed in Harry's grip.
"Now," Harry said, "tell me everything you know about why your species came to this world."
"Masters-gave-commands-to-prepare-world-for-their-arrival," the alien said in a flat, emotionless tone. "This-one's-kind-received-specific-instructions-for-processing-local-creatures-and-establishing-K'tharr-vines-across-all-land-masses. Masters-require-specific-atmospheric-conditions-and-plant-life-for-optimal-survival."
"How many of your kind are on this planet?"
"This-one-does-not-possess-knowledge-of-total-numbers," the alien replied. "This-one-was-assigned-to-single-harvesting-unit. Other-units-operate-in-designated-sectors."
Harry frowned. So this thing didn't even know how many of its own kind were involved in the invasion. That was frustrating but he guessed that military operations usually kept individual soldiers in the dark about the bigger picture to prevent information leaks if they were captured.
"What about the larger Tripods I've seen?" Harry asked.
"Large-units-contain-higher-ranking-of-this-one's-kind," the alien said. "Higher-ranking-possess-greater-knowledge-of-Masters-plans. This-one-follows-their-commands."
Now that was actually useful information. If Harry wanted real answers about the invasion, he needed to capture one of those bigger Tripods instead of wasting time with these foot soldiers.
"Tell me about your weapons," Harry continued. "How do the death rays work?"
The alien's unfocused eyes stared past him. "This-one-does-not-understand-weapon-mechanisms. This-one-thinks-destruction-thoughts-at-targets. Metal-shell-responds-to-thoughts."
Harry tried several more questions, but it became clear that this creature really didn't know anything beyond its immediate orders. It couldn't tell him where the Masters came from, how long the invasion would last, or even basic details about alien technology.
It was essentially a slave ordered to follow commands without understanding them.
After twenty minutes of increasingly useless answers, Harry decided to try something different.
He needed to test whether his Presence would work on these aliens. The last time he'd used it during a Tripod battle, the machine had kept firing at him after a minor pause.
Maybe that was because the alien inside had been protected somehow?
Harry let the full weight of his Presence press down on the alien in his grip.
The creature's three legs started kicking frantically, and it made a high-pitched keening sound. The small arms that had been reaching toward him before were now pressed against its chest in what looked like a defensive posture.
"Please-cease-domination-pressure!" the alien begged in its clicking language. "This-one-submits-completely! This-one-will-follow-any-commands!"
Harry pulled back his Presence, genuinely surprised by how effective it had been.
The alien was still trembling in his grip, making small whimpering sounds.
So the aliens weren't immune…
"Tell me about your metal-shell," Harry said, using the alien's own term for the Tripod. "How does it protect you?"
"Metal-shell-is-extension-of-this-one's-body," the alien replied, still shaking slightly. "When-connected-this-one-thinks-metal-shell-thoughts. Metal-shell-suppresses-fear-responses-for-optimal-task-completion."
"How do you connect to the metal-shell?" Harry asked.
The alien lifted one of its small arms and showed him small holes along its wrist. "Connection-ports-link-this-one's-nervous-system-to-metal-shell-controls. When-linked-this-one-becomes-metal-shell."
Harry stared at the small holes along the alien's wrist, nodding slowly. That explained why his Presence hadn't worked during the earlier battles.
There was one last thing he might want to do, though. If he ever decided to create a species like this in one of his Textures - which seemed extremely unlikely given how disgusting they were - he'd need a blood sample.
Harry pulled out a small vial from his Treasury and ignored its screeching as he tore off one of its three legs and squeezed the dark purple blood out of it.
Harry capped the now-full vial and stored it back in his Treasury.
Then he looked down at the trembling alien in his grip.
This thing had helped murder thousands of innocent people, including children like seven-year-old Chloe. It had been part of a harvesting operation designed to turn humans into fertilizer for invasive plants. And given the chance, it would continue doing exactly the same thing without any remorse or hesitation.
There was no point in keeping it alive.
Harry snapped the alien's neck with a sharp twist. The creature went limp instantly, its black eyes losing what little light they'd contained.
He let the body fall, watching it tumble through the air until it disappeared into the red-covered forest below.
Harry flew back down to where Barrett and her soldiers were helping the rescued humans. Most of the survivors were sitting on the ground, wrapped in blankets and drinking water from military canteens. A few were still crying, but they looked much calmer than they had when he'd first found them.
"Barrett," Harry called as he landed.
She immediately turned toward him, straightening into a respectful posture. "Yes, sir?"
"I'm going to be rescuing more people soon," Harry said. "I'll probably need your soldiers' help more often to handle the survivors and explain the situation. Can you make sure a team is ready for deployment when I need them?"
"Of course, sir," Barrett nodded. "How many soldiers should I have standing by?"
"Start with ten," Harry said. "And make sure they understand that a house-elf can be informed when a portal needs to be closed. The information will make its way to me."
"Understood. We'll be ready."
Harry smiled. "Excellent. Thank you for your help."
He spread his wings and launched himself back into the sky, leaving Barrett to coordinate with her team. There was still a lot of work to do, and he wanted to clear out those K'tharr vines before they could spread any further.
Looking down at the infected forest, Harry was grateful that he had devoured that Fear Spirit back in the Spirit World. Without the ability to sense fear, this next part would be much more difficult to do safely.
He held out his right palm and began gathering chi from his dantian. Instead of creating a simple fireball or flame stream, Harry kept feeding more and more chi into the technique. The azure fire started as a small jet, barely larger than his hand, but it quickly began pulsing as massive amounts of Chi concentrated within it.
More power. More heat. More destruction.
When Harry judged that he'd gathered enough chi, he fully released the jet.
The result was absolutely devastating.
What started as a narrow stream of azure fire exploded outward as it traveled, growing from a hundred meters wide to five hundred, then to a full kilometer. By the time it reached the ground, the torrent had swelled into a roaring, radiant river of destruction an incredible five kilometers wide.
Everything in its colossal path simply ceased to exist.
The red K'tharr vines across entire valleys vaporized instantly, leaving behind nothing but superheated air. The trees they'd been strangling burned away in seconds. Entire hillsides melted under the heat, stone and soil flowing like liquid before being scoured from the earth completely.
Harry flew forward, carving a path of absolute destruction through the infected forest. His fear-sensing let him detect any humans in the area, allowing him to adjust his flight path to avoid harming them by accident.
But everything else burned as he released his full power for the first time since the Heaven-Earth Soul transformation had purified his body through Transcending Beauty.
The azure flames consumed hundreds of square kilometers of corrupted forest in minutes, leaving behind a vast, glowing and vitrified scar across the world. Where there had once been kilometers of twisted red vines choking the life out of the earth, now there was only smooth, glassy ground that reflected the sky like a mirror.
Harry kept the flames pouring from his palm as he turned toward the direction Barrett had specified for NORAD. If there were more K'tharr vines between here and there, he might as well clear them out during the trip.
He wasn't going to let them terraform Earth without putting up a fight.
Because if they had spread this far within two or three days, how much longer was it going to take to infect the entire planet…?