The sharp signal from Omnis's hand was barely a flicker before the air itself seemed to solidify. The next second moved so fast that most of the men on the ground couldn't process it. A black blur tore through the dry field, cutting straight to the center of their formation, then vanished behind Omnis as if the rest of the world was merely background noise. Everyone froze. Their eyes locked onto the creature.
It didn't look like a normal predator. Its entire body was a matte black, resembling carbon crystal that harder than stone, yet shimmering with a faint metallic sheen. Neon blue lines, like veins, pulsed across its surface, glowing softly then flaring with an inner rhythm. Its joints elbows, knees, and the center of its chest were split by thin fissures leaking molten gold-orange light, as if burning lava was trapped inside a transparent shell. It wasn't massive, standing somewhere between a large cat and a small labrador, but its presence was so heavy it felt like the ground itself was groaning under its weight.
Omnis realized instantly that it was Small in size, but the density and power level are abnormal.
Then, a strange realization hit him. No one had attacked yet. Everyone was paralyzed by shock.
"Ruhi! Attack now, Lead everyone!" Omnis shouted, summoning his virtual card with a quick command.
As the order left his lips, a hidden mark on Ruhi's chest activated. A dark symbol flared beneath her clothes, rising to the surface like a scar. In an instant, a slave-crest pattern flashed across her body, and her eyes glowed with the same mark for a split second.
"EREM formation! Full assault!" Ruhi's voice rang out across the field with pain of slave mark.
Immediately, a storm of powers descended. Fire streams, water lances, ice spikes, compressed wind blades, acid bursts, wooden spears, and strange, unidentifiable abilities all converged on the alien. But before a single attack could make contact, a transparent, curved shield formed around the creature. The impacts shattered, slid off, or dissipated harmlessly. No damage or reaction.
"Continue! Don't stop!" Ruhi gritted her teeth, raising her bow.
She fired arrow after arrow, precise shots from every angle. Yet, the shield deflected them, or the arrows shattered against the crystal skin. The alien remained untouched.
Meanwhile, Omnis was already moving, trying to drag the creature's attention. "Ruhi, what's the Status," he asked via virtual card.
"There's no damage, it's blocking everything with its shield," she replied instantly.
"Mimic," Omnis commanded, his voice cold.
"I don't have that ability," Ruhi said.
"Try."
Ruhi closed her eyes, forcing her will through Omnis's command. The next scene shocked everyone. Dark chains erupted from the air, wrapping around her body and replacing her clothes with a chained battle form. Her eyes reignited with the slave mark, her expression shifting to an unnatural focus. She analysis the alien's shield, then began to copy its toughness and vibration pattern.
For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then, her arrows changed. Translucent coatings appeared on the arrowheads. She fired again. This time, some arrows slid off the shield, others found an angle through the structure, and two or three ricocheted off the alien's body instead of shattering. The damage was still minimal, but for the first time, there was a reaction. The alien turned its head toward Ruhi.
Omnis saw this and immediately created distance. But the creature didn't chase the others; it locked onto Omnis as the primary threat. Realizing that dragging it on the ground was pointless, Omnis activated his mimic ability. Wings of Red Eye energy expanded from his back, and he shot upward in a violent burst.
100 meters, 250, 400, and Nearly 600 meters.
He looked down. The creature seemed small now. For a second, he thought he was safe. Then, the ground split.
The alien jumped. 200… 350… 500… nearly 550 meters. It was coming straight for him. Omnis froze for a split second. If he reacted late, he'd be torn apart in mid-air. He dove sharply, shifting sideways just in time. The creature crashed back to moon with gravity's full force, creating a massive crater.
"Master… everyone here is exhausted. No one has the strength to move," Ruhi's voice came over the virtual card, with pain and heavy breathing.
Omnis made the decision instantly. "Retreat, Get everyone back to a safe distance, Rest now."
Ruhi passed the order without argument. The formation broke. Exhausted fighters retreated in groups some injured, some drained, some in shock. The alien didn't pursue. It seemed its interest had temporarily waned.
Later, the group stopped in a flat area far from the mountain range. Tents were pitched, fires lit, and guards assigned. People collapsed the moment they touched the ground.
Omnis pulled Ruhi aside. "Go to the tent. Change. Once the slave mark fades, the chains will vanish."
Ruhi just looked at him, then took her clothes and disappeared into her tent. Omnis stood outside, staring at the dark sky, his mind racing with one thought: That creature is beyond our level.
Night deepened. The campsite grew quiet, the fires burning down to low embers. Omnis eventually retreated to his own tent.
He didn't know how long he'd been asleep when a strange sound woke him. Not a scream, not a beast's roar, but a mix of metallic and violent impacts. He burst out. The camp was silent. No movement.
Then, he listened closely. The sound was coming from the direction of the mountain range.
Omnis didn't waste a second. Wings activated, Red Eye suit wrapping around him, he lifted into the air and glided toward the mountains in the dark sky.
Moments later, he saw flashes below green poison bursts, black impacts, streaks of energy. He descended further. Then, he recognized the scene.
"Poison Queen…" Omnis whispered.
She and her people were fighting the same alien. How did she get here? How did she find out?
There was no time to think. The alien struck without warning, sending a shockwave across the ground. Several of Poison Queen's men were blasted into the air. Some bodies fell dead; others collapsed unconscious. Poison Queen herself was thrown back by the impact, landing far away.
But she stood up again. She launched a barrage of poison blades and corrosive mist. Her men supported her from the sides. But after a long fight, not a single scratch marred the alien's body. The shield held. Its movement didn't slow.
Poison Queen created a gap, breathing heavily. Standing amidst the dust and poison mist, she glanced up and spotted Omnis hovering above.
Her voice carried both exhaustion and venom. "Did you come here to hunt…" she asked with a faint, bitter laugh, "…or to take your revenge?"