Chapter 4 - Mysterious Figures

BOOM!

The object struck precisely where he had been just a moment before. The impact sent Aric's body flying, slamming into a large nearby rock.

Aric's body was in excruciating pain. He screamed at the top of his lungs, but it was drowned out by the deafening crash.

His skin felt like it was being flayed, his bones seemed crushed to dust, and everything within and on his body seemed shattered. No more screams were heard. The pain was unbearable.

Anyone who saw Aric now would be terrified. His condition was horrific. His arms and legs seemed boneless. His body was covered in thick red blood.

His eyes, too, turned the color of thick blood. Yet he could still see faintly. A very small object was hovering not too high, emitting a scanning light over the area.

Slowly, the light moved over Aric's body before a robotic voice was heard, "Target identified. Host integration process initiated."

1%

2%

3%

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71%

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99%

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'Process? What process? Why does my body feel different?'

During this process, he didn't really know what his body was experiencing. At times, his body was in unbearable pain.

Other times, he felt more at ease. He started thinking about all sorts of things. Is this what it feels like to be on the brink of death? Aric himself was confused.

He could still hear clearly. But he knew he couldn't hold on much longer. His eyes felt very heavy.

"Host integration process compl—"

Before the robotic voice could finish, Aric's eyes closed tightly. He was already unconscious.

The atmosphere at that time was chaotic. There were areas on fire, smoke and dust billowed into the air, obscuring visibility.

Suddenly, a rift in space and time appeared at one corner, not far from Aric's location. The rift opened a teleportation portal.

Three individuals stepped out of the portal. They wore gray robes and different masks, each with an animal motif: cat, snake, and bear.

"We have about thirty seconds before the Novas group arrives. Do your job now, Bear," commanded a voice belonging to a woman wearing a cat-themed mask.

Bear, fitting the name, had a large, almost giant-like build. His height exceeded three meters. A physicality rarely found among humans.

He nodded before walking slowly forward. Even wearing a mask, his nose twitched, sniffing around. A few seconds later, he raised his right hand and pointed in a direction.

Snake also looked in the direction indicated before asking, "That kid?" Snake's voice, a man's, was slightly hoarse and eerie.

Sometimes, he hissed like a snake. Apparently, the direction Bear pointed was toward Aric. Who these three were and what fate awaited Aric was unknown.

Snake transformed his lower body. If he had legs before, now his lower body completely changed. He was indistinguishable from a snake.

Using the natural movement advantage of a snake, he quickly and easily moved over the grassy and rocky area, approaching Aric.

"Hurm?" Behind the mask, Snake's forehead furrowed slightly. He had stopped moving. He observed Aric for a long time.

"What's wrong with you? Can you hurry up?" Cat grumbled. She didn't want to linger there. This mission wasn't her favorite, especially with Snake, making her feel uncomfortable.

"I think this kid isn't the energy source we detected earlier. But, the source has 'merged' with him," Snake said.

"He's just an ordinary human, and it's impossible for a regular human to emit the energy we detected earlier," Snake continued.

"So? What's the problem? Just take the kid along. Leave the matter to Deer to handle," Cat asserted.

Snake hissed. He didn't like how Cat treated him. However, he had to swallow his pride. Because within the organization's ranks, Cat was above him.

He quickly moved his tail to coil around Aric's body. But before any contact was made, a strong and powerful kick landed on his right cheek.

Just one kick was all it took to send Snake flying a hundred meters. He only stopped after hitting the ruins of Rumera Hill. Otherwise, he would have flown further.

The attacker landed stylishly in front of Aric. From his build, it was clear he was a young man with a very fit, strong, and tall physique.

In addition, his uniform, the official attire of the Novas under the Novas Union, made him look more charismatic. On his left shoulder was the bright orange logo of the Novas Union, signifying him as an Expert Nova.

What was more interesting was the young man's face. He bore a striking resemblance to Aric.

"Aric!" The young man immediately went to Aric.

He checked Aric's pulse and breathing. His eyes widened before he shouted urgently, "Amanda! Quickly! I need your power."

Moments later, three more Novas appeared. Like the young man, they also wore uniforms with the same emblem. The only difference was the color.

Their emblems were yellow, indicating they were Specialist Novas. One level below the young man.

Amanda, the sweet girl with glasses called by the young man earlier, hurried to Aric. She placed both hands on Aric's chest, and a green light slowly enveloped his entire body.

"Your brother, Ryan?" This question was asked softly after noticing their similar faces.

The young man was Ryan, Aric's brother. A rising young Expert Nova making a name and reputation on Earth. Ryan nodded, his eyes fixed on the three mysterious individuals before him.

"Who are you? What is your purpose here?" Ryan asked. His tone was calm, but not his aura.

"Kekeke. Expert Nova Ryan? Thanks for your warm welcome earlier," said Snake, getting up from the rubble after being kicked by Ryan. His mask was broken from the cheek down on the right side, revealing his yellow-green scaly skin.

"Oh? So you're Ryan. Sorry. Even though you're popular, your power is average. That's why I didn't recognize you. Unlike your grandfather," Cat said with an elegant laugh. Her real personality could be imagined.

Bear remained silent, not reacting. He stood firm in his position just like before. Seeing their calm demeanor, Ryan knew he and his group had to be more cautious.

To this day, only those on par with him were unfazed by his super strength. His power grade being on par with his grandfather was no longer a secret.

Almost everyone on Earth who followed Novas' developments knew about it.

"Ralph, stay alert. Use your senses fully. Any suspicious movements, deploy the earth dome. Full power. Your job is to protect everyone as best as possible," Ryan ordered.

"Jaclyn, be ready to attack from the enemy's blind spot. I'll be the main striker." Ryan walked calmly toward their enemies.

He cracked his knuckles and neck, ready to fight. After a few steps, he turned to Amanda, who was treating Aric.

"Amanda, is Aric okay?" Ryan asked.

"He's just unconscious. But there's something strange inside his body right now," replied Amanda.

"Strange? I want you to explain in detail later. I need to take care of a few things first," Ryan said.

His eyes sharpened towards Cat. There was a very unsettling aura emanating from her. Ryan's instincts strongly suggested she was extremely dangerous.

"Bear, I think he's just right for you. Go," ordered Cat.

As usual, Bear complied. He marched powerfully towards Ryan. Each of his footsteps was intimidating. Ryan, on the other hand, remained vigilant, ready for anything.

He had no idea what the intentions of the three mysterious individuals before him were. Nor did Ralph, Jaclyn, or Amanda. They stood in formation and positions as directed by Ryan earlier.

When Bear reached Ryan, he raised his right hand high in the air. The sleeve of his robe fell back, revealing his muscular arm.

Suddenly, that arm slowly changed shape. It grew larger, furrier, and radiated a strong aura.

At a glance, Ryan and his team concluded that their enemy had the power of a werebear!

An individual with this power could transform into a bear. All their senses and strength would be multiplied several times over.

SWOOSH!

Bear's hand swung like a giant ax aiming to strike Ryan. Fast and forceful. Yet, Ryan remained calm and composed. He lifted his left hand, intercepting the strike with a firm grip.

BOOM!

A loud crash echoed as their hands clashed. Their auras spread outward. Everyone present had to use their own auras to shield themselves.

"Kekeke! Even with your super strength, it's impossi—" Snake's words were cut off by the sight before him.

"What? Did you mean impossible?" Ryan taunted.

Bear's attack was halted by just one of Ryan's hands. Snake was speechless because Bear ranked among the top five in physical strength within their ranks!

"Next time, know the host before you visit," Ryan added.

His hand gripped Bear's wrist, and Ryan braced himself.

Pulling his right hand back, preparing for a strike, his fist clenched and aura began to gather. Typically, aura had no mass. It was only felt.

But not in this case right now. Ryan's aura formed a white ball of light from his energy. He unleashed his punch at Bear's sternum with incredible speed.

"Cosmic Punch!" Ryan roared as he delivered the blow.

The sound of impact as Ryan's fist hit Bear's sternum was horrifying. From the sound alone, one could gauge the devastating power behind it.

It took just one punch to send Bear's massive body hurtling toward Cat and Snake.

Not stopping there, Ryan launched himself forward, following Bear's body, and delivered a downward kick directly to Bear's head, "Cosmic Stomp!"

This time, Bear's massive body fell to the ground, causing a huge crack. The impact generated a minor earthquake.

Amanda, cradling Aric, struggled to maintain balance. Ralph and Jaclyn, more experienced, had no problem holding their ground.

Seeing the situation unfold, Cat felt uneasy. She had to act. "Snake, your turn," Cat ordered.

"Me?" Snake replied harshly.

Fortunately, Cat held a higher rank. Otherwise, he would have dealt with her long ago.

Ryan, who had just landed after attacking Bear, wasted no time. He quickly sprinted, using his extraordinary leg muscles to close the distance between him and his enemies.

Seeing Ryan's move, Snake couldn't help but laugh. "You think you've beaten Bear? And... you think you stand a chance against us?"

Moments later, Bear, who had been lying down, sprang up using his arm strength and sprinted in the opposite direction from Ryan.

He was heading toward Aric and the others!

"Damn!" Ryan was furious, realizing he had been deceived. He thought Bear was unconscious after receiving two of his full-power attacks.

Cosmic Attacks. Many of Ryan's attacks were named with the word cosmic, fitting his powers that were often considered to come from the universe to Earth.

Ryan stopped and prepared to change direction. Bear's strength wasn't something his team could handle.

"Where are you going?" Snake whispered in Ryan's ear.

Who knows when Snake had coiled himself around Ryan. Due to his vast experience, Ryan was neither surprised nor flustered by what had happened.

Ryan leaped high into the air and, upon reaching fifty meters, gripped Snake's head with all his strength.

"Arghh!" Snake's scream filled Rumera Hill. Coupled with his already eerie voice, the scream was truly horrifying.

"You asked where I was going earlier?" Ryan asked.

"I'm sending you to meet your Creator!"