Chapter Six: Are You Here to Save Us?

Chapter Six: Are You Here to Save Us?

Let us set aside our protagonist who cannot cultivate immortality and shift our focus to Rose, who has already set out. She is speeding down the road, her destination a forest ten kilometers away. Perhaps thanks to careful environmental protection, the trees here are tall and thick, their trunks carpeted in moss. Behind one such tree, a black-and-red figure flickered past, leaving in its wake an eerie, chilling wail.

Deep within the woods, a small ranger’s cabin concealed five people: three civilians and two soldiers. Among them were one man, two women—one of whom was a child. Both soldiers bore wounds, and one had already fallen unconscious. The male civilian strained to staunch the bleeding, murmuring comfort all the while. The other soldier leaned against the wall, his attention fully absorbed in vigilance.

Just then, the black-and-red figure lurking nearby seemed to catch a scent. It dashed towards the cabin, but paused upon arrival, circling it as if confirming something. Noticing there was only one door, a cruel delight flashed in its scarlet eyes.

The cabin door was kicked open, startling everyone inside. They saw their assailant: a humanoid creature clad in red armor, with a dog’s head and hairless skin. It stood about two meters tall—hunched, but if upright, it would be even more imposing.

Wei Qi had already loaded his gun. He fired two shots at the intruder, but the bullets merely sparked off the armor, leaving no mark—barely even jolting the creature.

Seeing the humans dared attack, the dog-headed entity gripped its blade tightly and strode toward Wei Qi, clearly intent on cleaving him in two. Wei Qi, realizing his weapon could not penetrate the armor, aimed for the head. He fired several hurried shots, but the creature moved too quickly, and most bullets struck only its armor.

Sensing the threat of firearms, the creature closed in, swept away Wei Qi’s gun, and delivered a brutal kick to his abdomen. Wei Qi crumpled against the wooden wall, clutching his stomach in agony.

With his threat neutralized, the creature prepared to strike down the red-clad youth who had tried to ambush it. Unexpectedly, the youth—whom it had previously ignored—launched an attack. In haste, the creature kicked him aside with little force. Having just disembarked from the spaceship and been assigned this task by its superiors, it was to offer the deaths of these humans in service to its masters’ god.

It had intended to kill these humans with all its might, being cautious of the unknown, lest a mistake lead to its own demise. But the humans proved so weak—a light kick sent one flying. Amused, it decided to toy with them; killing outright was far less thrilling than torment.

After being kicked, the red-clad youth’s ferocity was awakened. He snatched a gun from the floor and swung it at the creature’s head, but to his astonishment, the creature caught the weapon in its jaws and bit down, shattering it.

The creature raised its blade, ready to strike. At that moment, Wei Qi, behind it, grabbed the creature’s leg. Seeing his companion in mortal danger, Wei Qi ignored his injuries, clinging to the creature’s leg to buy precious seconds. Annoyed, the creature kicked Wei Qi away yet again, intent on finishing the daring youth.

Wei Qi had no choice but to draw his knife, shouting, “Damn you, come on! Duel! Duel!”

The creature seemed to understand, turning from the youth to swing its blade at Wei Qi. Wei Qi managed to parry the powerful blow, and with his combat experience, retaliated with a quick slash before disengaging. Now tense and alert, he faced the creature, whose eyes burned redder, preparing another attack.

Just then, a micro-wormhole rippled, and a striking figure emerged. With a graceful flying kick, she sent the creature crashing into the wooden wall. As the observers marveled at her prowess, the figure spoke.

“Even alien dogs can be armed now.”

“You’re... Rose from the Super Soldier League?” Wei Qi asked in astonishment. Though he’d fired a flare, when the creature entered the cabin, he thought their fate was sealed.

After all, reinforcements take time, and by then they could have died seven or eight times. At least leaving behind this alien monster would make their deaths worthwhile. He regretted only the little girl. But to everyone’s surprise, the first to arrive was a super soldier of the League, filling them all with hope.

“Duck down, there’s a sniper outside,” Rose ordered, ignoring Wei Qi’s question. Hearing her command, the two still standing wasted no time obeying.

“Are you here to save us?” A timid voice emerged from the corner—it was the little girl, whose mother had been shielding her eyes. Somehow, she’d wriggled free and glimpsed the woman who had brought the creature down with a single blow, prompting her cautious inquiry.

“Not to save, but to protect.” Seeing a child who had once played and learned in kindergarten now so fearful, Rose was flooded with overwhelming responsibility. These odious aliens had destroyed her homeland, killed her people, left them homeless and living in terror. They deserved to die—all of them.

Suddenly, a whistle split the air. Before their eyes, an arrow struck Rose’s helmet. Fortunately, the armor’s built-in protection mechanism deployed her helmet just in time. Had it not, Rose might not have survived, or at least would have lost her combat ability. As it was, she merely shook her head and remained unscathed, even able to analyze the arrow’s power.

“This could pierce an armored vehicle.” She was unharmed, but her anger surged—ambushed like that, she needed to vent, and the alien dog was the perfect target.

With that resolve, she kicked the creature out of the cabin. It smashed through the wooden wall and collided with a tree, which shuddered under the impact—a testament to the force of her kick.

Rose strode over to the fallen beast. It struggled briefly, then lay still. She ignored it and silently activated her genetic engine. A cold electronic voice rang out:

“Calculating material worm gate rules based on first contact. Initiating computation.”

On the crown of a nearby tree, an alien hound drew its bow, aiming at Rose standing some distance away. It loosed an arrow, confident the black-armored warrior would not dodge. Though her helmet had a visor, it only protected the eyes and was transparent—not very sturdy. This realization brought a cruel smile to the hound’s face.

Yet before it could fully savor its expression, Rose performed an unexpected move. She raised her hand, and the incoming arrow vanished into the portal she had just opened in her palm. Before the alien hound could react, the very same arrow struck from behind, piercing its throat. Perhaps due to its tenacity, the arrow did not end its life outright, so Rose leapt behind it, twisted its head, and left it gasping for breath.

“You should be able to translate my words and spread them through your forces, right?” Though phrased as a question, her tone was declarative. “Remember: red hair, black armor, Rose. Come find me—or I’ll find you.”

On another nearby treetop, an alien wrapped in black-and-red exoskeleton spoke: “Black armor sighted. Two hounds killed. Estimated ability: rumored... spatial control.” His voice was deep and hoarse.

Having just dispatched her enemies, Rose glanced at her wristwatch. She thought, “Looks like Yunyang’s special ability can’t be tested—just two alien hounds, easily handled.” Suddenly, a shadow flickered across the dial. Someone was moving behind her. She spun around to see a black-and-red figure concealed in the treetops.

The gluttonous scout observing Rose saw her gaze shift toward him, and his face beneath the mask turned grim. Though he worshipped the god of death, not every Gluttonous One received divine blessing. Death and the blessing of death are two different things; without sufficient merit, one does not earn the god’s grace. Clearly, this scout belonged to the unblessed.

His mind raced, but his movements were swift. He turned to flee—their flight device was just beyond the forest’s edge, not far. If he could reach it, he could escape alive. Seeing the shadow bolt, Rose pursued without hesitation. Thanks to his exoskeleton, the scout’s speed matched hers for the moment, and his energy reserves were ample. Joy surged within him.

He was one who had escaped from super soldiers before. Surely this feat would earn him a great merit, and with it, the god’s blessing of death. In less than a minute, the chase brought them to the forest’s edge—the flight device was now within reach.