2

Living in and working in the Demi-Human village has taught various life lessons that I never would've learned in the palace. Nual was very harsh whenever I complained about the work, even arguing with him that I'm fifteen and royalty didn't stop him from forcing me to shovel Filolial shit or gutting fish until I just accepted this was now a part of my life. We used literally anything to also power up and improve his gun, like unlocking a gun that shoots bullets to help crops grow by shooting bullets of literal compost.

However, I can't say that I didn't find this life unappealing, as it gave me a new outlook on life and on everything I usually took for granted. Nual though wasn't currently attached to me, I could see the purple ethereal glowing creature showing himself currently and using his more psionic powers to heal some of the villagers who got into a fight with some monsters.

Nual was a surprise to many of the villagers, but the children loved the Guardian Beast, who awkwardly never got used to interacting with them even after all this time. He, however, is not a morally sound creature even with his more humanistic thought process, he rather gladly tortures those who wrong him or those he considers his charge. Even with that, I have never seen him angered or anything else, he is mostly dead with emotions whenever we are bonded. He can be murderous but I've never felt ANGER from him.

Yet, that changed when he suddenly stopped healing the villagers. He flared his tentacles towards the skies, waves of psychic power following a musical pattern started rising and falling from the ground rapidly. The sound of gunfire seemed to erratically follow an ominous, enraged tempo. His usually black, lifeless eyes distorted within his glowing body.

I don't know what's going on, but he isn't friendly currently, which is a bad thing because when he's not being friendly he's prone to murdering anything in this state. When he kills something while in his murderous state, he literally absorbs everything from his victim, soul and all. Which leaves behind barely anything unless it was a person he's killed. Those killed by him personally are apparently used to fuel his own World Barrier abilities which can delay or possibly be used to abruptly end a wave, or stop them completely… if he kills all but one percent of life in this world to stop them entirely.

The adults and I had to stop any children from approaching him as he continued to threaten SOMETHING. That was when something apparently got him to act, as suddenly, he raised his gun in a different form. A form that I would be only allowed to use for specific situations even with my low level when bonded with him. The Dragon King's Shotgun firing into the air at whatever he was angered with, the guns range increasing with his anger. When the shot rang out with an explosive roar of the bullet ripping through the air, the air bled white, and he took off like a rabid animal seeing weakened prey.

A pair of psychic scythes forming in his lower arms free hands with serrated edges and an almost crimson tint along the blades. His appearance and the psychic waves disappeared as he vanished into the air suddenly.

For the first time since meeting the Guardian Beast I felt worried, and unsure if I can do anything to help my benefactor and friend.

//\\ Nual POV \\// 

Chasing the fleeing Ethereal and their Advent soldiers, I lash out wrathfully with my weapons, psychic energy blades cutting a swath of their forces apart in the dimensional tunnel they've opened to possibly capture me. The white Ethereal, panicking as a shotgun blast rips their lower-right arm off and into pieces of whatever our bodies are made of. My gunfire symphony echoed louder and louder as my anger grew. 

I used my abilities as Guardian Beast to cut them off from their dimension. The Ethereal and their forces hitting a metaphysical wall as the dimensions are severed from each other, some of their soldiers exploding as the gap between worlds closes on them. The Ethereal panicking tried to pry it back open, banging its fist against the once open connection even. Pathetic.

Forming chains on the hilts of my scythes, I threw them over the Ethereal's shoulders before yanking them back. Impaling the psychic blades in the shoulders of the Ethereal and pulling them towards me. Abruptly separating them from their soldiers, who upon trying to save them died horribly. They met their untimely end as my powers twitched in annoyance.

Shredding them down to their atoms using the dimensional gaps crumbling walls. As currently we're in my type of domain, as a Guardian Beast and as an Ethereal. Growling as the INSECT landed at my feet, I raised a leg up and slammed my foot through its head. Their skull and ethereal glowing head splattering across the still stable dimensional bridge. Tentacles flailed as their death registered at the last second, releasing a pleased crescendo at killing the enemy of Humanity.

The Ethereals are only trying to prepare for something in the depths of spaces void. Yet how they're going about things is horribly wrong in my view. One even came here to possibly enslave me, to enslave MY WORLD. THAT IS A CARDINAL SIN, AND ALL WHO TRY SHALL MEET THEIR END. FOR THIS IS MY WORLD AND MY PEOPLE, ADVENT AND THE ELDERS HAVE NO SAY IN IT. THEY'RE FOOLS IF THEY THINK SO.

A Berserker bellowed at me and charged at me, snapping me from my angered thoughts. Glancing towards them as they charged me, only for me to yank my scythes free of the Ethereals corpse and upwards at an angel, cutting them in half. That was when I noticed something, a child by their race's standards probably. A Viper cowered at the sight of my ruthless slaughter, looking at them, they were, but a young life.

With their master's death, the worthless Ethereal at my feet, I took control of their chip, rewriting its functions in the process. I will not kill a child who is still there, even with the chip's influence and an Ethereal controlling them. They still had a semblance of self and individuality. Mentally pulling the young Viper over to me, I wrapped my tentacles around her and crushed the rest of the Advent forces.

With my eyes turning into pin prick holes, the tunnel between dimensions and worlds shook. The crumbling walls devoured them as parts flew towards me during the massacre. Using my psionics I began gathering pieces of them that went flying, and the Ethereals entire corpse for my gun. Leaving the gap between worlds with my new charge secured in my tentacles. The tunnel between dimensions and worlds closing and forever erasing the bodies left behind inside of it.

Landing back in MY WORLD with my new charge, I gently set the young serpent girl down and touched her forehead with a finger. While my weapons either disappeared or hung now at my side. Speaking directly into her mind, I paid attention to the people of the village and the princeling, my anger was still there, so when someone armed tried getting close, my tentacles would lash out at their feet as a warning.

'Calm, little one, I will not kill you. You are free to live and be yourself with me around, yet this world isn't like Earth or the rest of your previous universe. So you'll need to learn new things to adapt and survive. Do you understand?'

With a nervous hiss, she nodded her head, looking around at the villagers as she tried to come to terms with what just happened. Eventually, her shoulders slowly sagged, and I heard her speak softly, almost as if her sense of self was ready to disappear at any moment.

'Yesss my lord….'

'None of that, I am just Nual, Guardian Gun of this world and its people. You are now a part of that, so live, live little one, live and learn to be your own Viper. I shall always be around to make sure you can discover things once denied to you should you need it.'

With that, I let my form disappear and float into the air, isolating myself from reality temporarily so none may find me. I had much to think on and much to reflect on as I watched the young Viper look towards the prince who slowly approached, the little knowledge of the Melromarc language I put within her mind helping her to understand him. Looking at the new weapon form names I had and then something I didn't think would appear as I never attempted to see if it's possible.

[Commander Assault Rifle] [Viper Vector] [GateKeeper RPG] [ShieldBearer Ballistic Shield Gun] [Sectoid LMG] [Ethereal Dual Desert Eagles] [Muton FMJ Shotgun] [Chryssalid Dual Scythe Guns] [Sectopod Rail Cannon] [Berserker Explosive Breach Shotgun] [Purifier Holy Flammer] [Faceless Hand Cannon] [Silacoid SMG] [Titan Orbital Cannon]

Below all those weapon forms was a system box of a party menu, and I was surprised about it appearing. I never truly tried forming one, yet there was one before me right now.

[Party Members

Nual, Guardian Gun

LVL: 25, HP: N/A (500,832), MP: 27,384

Lancrest Q. Melromarc

LVL: 16, HP: 230/230, MP: 400/400

Lithasz Neuanfang

LVL: 1, HP: 25/25, MP: 50/50]

The Advent Series, after I had studied the party menu a bit, wasn't that impressive honestly in my opinion. However, it did improve my species itself with the various abilities and bonuses. So I'd have to master them and then work on increasing their skill levels, either with points or using them. However, I thought a bit about my new charge as well, the Viper I have essentially taken in could be considered a Summoned Vassal. As she isn't from this world and has effectively been made my priestess, thus concepts such as time and age will soon cease for her.

After an entire day of thinking and calming myself I finally decided to make myself known. Yet I didn't bond with Lancrest. I bonded with my charge to help her learn everything she'd to know to have a basic understanding of this world.

//\\ Lithasz POV a month later \\//

Coming to this world has been strange… the matriarch sent me here with the Ethereal to capture a newborn Ethereal. Yet it ended horribly… so horribly… the Ethereals found us first and attacked with palpable murderous intent. Their symphony was heard from the still materializing gate before the White Ethereal leading us was wounded. Them fleeing like a coward seemed to entice the Purple Ethereal into hunting.

When they breached the gate, everything went awry with everyone but myself dying. I survived because the Ethereal of this world known as Nual didn't want to kill me. For they recognized I am still a hatchling and so they took me under their care. While friendly Nual is terrifying and a ruthless murderer, which I learned first hand. Yet now after a month I realize why that is so and I can't help but feel their wrath was justified.

We invaded his world, a world plagued with dimensional invaders, and he already knew of Advent and what would happen to him and his world. So he acted with the sole intent to protect it from a threat on par with these Waves of Calamity. A month I have been here and the Ethereal has opened many doors for me as I now belong here. It is a blatant kidnapping yet I'm fine with it, I enjoy this new life. Lancrest is also an interesting Human, a Human who according to Nual should be dead.

Yet he's alive because of his interference and growing into a fine patriarch slowly but surely. The villagers of this Lurolona Village were also friendly and helpful in getting a new life started here. A pulse of amusement reached me from my connection with Nual and I couldn't help but place a hand in my snout. The purple Ethereal sometimes embarrassingly finds my thoughts to be amusing. Which is also why I can't help but find him endearing since he is admittedly a great friend.

While learning that because of him I've become semi-immortal isn't nice. I understand that it also wasn't intentional so I didn't get that upset just… just stressed about it. However, it didn't help that he essentially made a life pledge like a mate would to make sure I wasn't alone through it all. When he learned that he just stared at me before I could hear a chuckling crescendo of gunfire, and him saying that's fine if it ever happens.

He's a strange Ethereal but that's good, he won't try anything like the others… like the one who… the one who… snapping out of my spiraling thoughts when a pulse of calm washed over me. I didn't need to see him to know that he was likely looking lifelessly ahead while doing this and finding a way to help me come to terms with the memory. Lancrest would do the same, if not more awkwardly as he floundered trying to comfort me.

My life has become strange, yet I wouldn't give up this life for anything. If these Waves or God want to threaten it, then I will show them how a Viper strikes. Crushed to death in my coiled body would be the least of their problems.

I am Lithasz Neuanfang, Priestess of the Guardian Gun and an ex-Advent Soldier before all else. My life is nothing compared to the freedom Nual, Lancrest, and these villagers have given me.