Chapter 24—Despair

As the hallway is filled with the sounds of waste monsters, filling the glorious space with chaotic screeches—They all suddenly came to halt when Angela rounded to stop at the far end of this particular hallway, emotionless, she started walk again and passed through path filled with monsters, passing by the baffled spawns.

Three seconds and they got over the bafflement and came to a realization, it's the human! they screeched frenzied and rushed to her. With their claws and teeth opened wide, she casually walked like no danger is near. She didn't mind them, like a fearless lion walking in the hyenas' den. She can't really be concerned.

As they quickly neared her, their bloodlust heightened. Excited by the meal they'll be having, and the praise of their leader they'll get.

But they soon came to a stupid realization, that humans are harder to catch than an annoying fly. As they went through her, a matterless image before they landed at her side.

If one can understand their language, they can hear this:

"Haha! We got yo- hey, what the hell? You using some kind of invisibility witchcraft shit? We can't touch you, human, how the hell can we capture you then?- oh wait, there's another one there! Haha! We got you- ... Fuc..."

From the other side of the hallway came Markus walking with a smile, not minding them like Angela before. The parasites saw him and went to frenzied mode again, but they were again welcomed with another matterless image.

While they're busy about the chicanery Angela deployed, small cars passed through them with a flat sphere above the remote-controlled objects, moving by the silent electrical motors behind the plastic cover that resembles a car. Each stopped to the corners of the manor, waiting patiently for the next command. Their first plan is now done.

--

In a brightly illuminated white room, a muscular man stood at the center, wearing his riped work suit—flexing the flesh through the cloth's rips, hanging on his chest, the name tag stating "Guard: Kreg" can be seen.

He smiled as the paintings hanging on the wall soothed his feelings, along with the musical opera playing through the near radio, he was filled with satisfaction, "what a beautiful room this is, so gracious, and calming. I wish I can stay here forever."

But as it marveled the beautiful canvas in front of its eyes, a screech echoed from behind. Ruining the atmosphere it truly loves, "what?" He asked displeased, before another screech echoed.

"These brats think we can't differentiate a projection from a real being? Didn't it crossed their mind that we might have a thermal vision?" It pondered as the rat behind remained quiet, "Wait, of course, you stinky spawns cannot differentiate the difference, it's a freaking diversion!... Keep searching through the whole manor, and use your thermal visions!..." It's angered, Facepalming by the stupidity of his spawns.

He heaved a breath and calmed, before it gave words patiently, "As my vessel can remember, the chimps can only escape using the main gate or the guard's door, either way, they can't because I can see the two exits through this window. So do your job properly, maybe I'll consider you as my right hand."

The rat behind screeched again before it left the room, stopped after the door before it proceeded to run. They communicate with radio waves, but at a common distance unless they use a transmitter. So it went to the sala where the group left, and went above the table. Its thin limbs went out before they went to the wires of the transmitter Marus left, an undefined sound then echoed and every parasite stopped. After three seconds and the others answered with chaotic screeches.

To the king who also heard that announcement, started to notice something. He looked at every wall with confusion before it turned into a smile.

He went out the hallway with that certain thoughts in mind and started walking.

---

"The bombs are now all set to where they should be, now I just can just to press this button and we can lead the majority of the parasite to the basement." Marcus said as he watched the screen in front of him, Angela beside him also watched, but she suddenly asked out of curiosity and concern, "you sure they can't pick up the waves this remote control is using and expose our location?"

"Well let's just hope they can't perceive it." He said while watching, not minding the reaction of Angela to his answer. "Hope? So it has the possibility."

"Well... Let's say, like an encrypted message. The waves sent can only be understood or access by a certain receiver, which the remote-controlled cars have." He explained while watching the screens, Angela pondered and asked again, "then they can, if they found the receiver inside the cars?" She asked him with a scary glare, he couldn't help but turn away and swallow his saliva.

"Don't worry Angela, those cars will explode after Valor got here, which is very near. So it wouldn't hurt if we left those receivers there, besides, the parasites don't know they're there either." Rein at books assured her that it should be fine, so she shrugged and waited quietly, but she still couldn't help but sweat her palms.

"Thirty-minute to go," Marcus said as he saw the clock tick to 6:30, he played with the button to ignore his anxiety, worried about his friend and their lives.

Currently, they sit inside a room that can be discovered anytime soon by the parasites, and if the signal stating their location were sent, they can't do anything but activate quick travel. Even without Valor.

"So can you guys explain since when has this been going on?" As rein closed the book, she asked them about their situations. Her hand moved and placed the book on the shelf, she looked at them, demanding answers to her question.

Marcus who was looking at her inquired about the abstract question, "what do you mean by "this"?" He asked. Rein looked at him with hued eyes, and clarified, "whose fault is this? You guys for sure had got into trouble and now the manor is going to explode."

Marcus quickly answered and explained, "no one's fault, we just stumbled the news a few hours ago, that there was once a lab that exploded in an attempt to kill their mistakes, but one survived and now we're getting attacked by the multiple clones of that survivor. What a turn of events right? We just wanted to discuss things about our paths and now we're in this dangerous situation." Giving the whole situation, but not some info.

Rein looked at him in the eyes, this made him rethink if his explanation has flaws in it. But he couldn't ponder more, she asked him with a stiffened emotion, "so this events is just starting?"

"I'm afraid so, Yes." He answered with resolve, like admitting that he broke something and is prepared to get his ass whooped.

"Great then!" She smiled and exclaimed silently, confusing Markus who was ready to take her rant. "What do you mean great?" be asked her puzzled about the reaction she's showing, so she answered. "Well of all people, I don't want to miss something exciting as this. This vacation will be fun!" she answered excitedly.

Markus who was looking at her turned his gaze to Angela, she was already looking at him with the meaning: look what you have done, idiot. He can only shrug his shoulder to deny liability and get backed on looking at the screens, where he saw the parasites recovering from the confusion. They'll look at the image first before moving on to find the real them. 'Looks like they can adapt fast, wait... Does Valor know they have infrared? That suit can erase his body heat emission, is it a coincidence or he knows.'

And as he said this in his mind, a knock came from the door. It is Silent but was heard by their ears, the three looked at it first before they looked at each other. With a nod, Marcus went to near the door, tip-toeing in stealth.

"Oh, what a chicken." Angela couldn't wait for Marcus so she took the lead, passed by him, and opened the door, with the expectation of seeing the image of a thirteen years old boy. But what came to sight wasn't Valor.

A man with a ripped build, bulging muscles, with a fair height. He smiled while his eyes squinted, "I would have blown the door but you opened it, I give you my thanks for that little girl." With the thank he said, his hardened arm by the stiffened hair-like limbs covering it, turned brown again, while the tin limbs came back to the flesh of his hand.

Angela surprised by the boss's appearance was petrified on her position, she wants to move but her body doesn't listen to her. The two at her back are also the same, the malice made them unable to move, it made them lose the ability to run away.

The boss looked at the three and asked, "So, who here wants to become my next vessel? You see, this vessel of mine has a bit of problem, so I need another one. One that is young and is easy to modify." he smiled at the end, amused by the three's expression.

'We need to run.'

'Shit, If I can just pour mana to the magic circle, we can get out of here. I'm too far!'

'We can't do anything about this abomination, why is it here? Did Valor failed?'

They had different thoughts, perilous thoughts, despair, and fear. "Too scared to talk, Little girl?" It asked once again, but Angela has only one thought, to get near and activate the spell. At least then they have the chance to go away.

"You must be questioning how I saw through your "foolproof" plan, I'll tell you now kids, it's because of my x-ray vision, using my pawns to send x-ray across the manor, I discovered that I can see through every wall if they're directly looking at my direction. And looks like you all run out of luck." The boss explained its ability because for him, they're nothing but a bunch of carcasses ready to be called abode by him and his spawns.

They didn't answer out of fear, causing the face to smile more.

Horrendous and unnatural. A slith opened from the lips as he opened his mouth-- it extended to the ears, ripping through the flesh of the muscular cheeks and jaw, before sharp teeth grew to the empty flesh where blood can be only seen. "NOW WHO SHALL BE MY NEXT VESSEL." The mouth opened wide, and the slither ripped through the ears and extended to the back of his head—it made the opening larger and revealed the parasite's body inside oldkreg's head. As big as a human's brain, with a luminescent glow and countless limbs that connect to every part of the body. Anyone who sees this will throw up and probably faint, but the three can't. Death only awaits them if they do.