Bob was with Milu now, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. If I was honest, I had gotten used to him and his quizzical nature. However, I was also rid of the third eye in the middle of my forehead, which had made me even more monstrous than usual. Thankfully, whatever surgical methods Milu used, not even a scar remained.

Apparently, the two of them could communicate somehow. He didn’t get himself a new body, but perhaps that’s something the two of them could work out in the future. By the looks of things, Milu’s vast laboratory had plenty of bodies and spare parts to go around.

After she explained how I arrived in this world and why, she freed me, and fed me delicious cookies, each one the size of a cake. It was hard to be upset at her after that. Furthermore, now that she had Bob, she didn’t need me so much anymore -- go figure.

“I almost forgot,” Milu said. “But I should warn you about those markings on your limbs, dearie. On the day that you activate the last mark you will surely die … or-” She glanced at her monitor, squinting. “Or, you’ll become like a god. It’s one of those two, I’m .. I’m quite certain of it.”

“What?” I said dumbfounded, looking from side to side, unable to believe what I was hearing. “W-Which is it? Cause it’s-”

“Now that I think about it, I believe there may have been a third possibility.” She shrugged with her tentacles. “You’ll find out.”

I stared at her in disbelief. ‘You’ll find out’ was a terrible answer. “Is there any way you can check to be sure? This is very serious, you know?”

She grumbled. “Just don’t activate the last one for now, but I’ll look into it and will let you know, alright? I promise.”

I sighed. “Sure … thanks. Since you’re the one who pieced me back together, could you make me look more human? You know, fewer horns, no tail, less scales?”

She nodded thoughtfully. “I can manage that, but keep in mind, dear, restoring you to your original form would make you a bit... vulnerable. Rather soft and squishy, I’m afraid. Also … there’s a small chance of failure, maybe death.”

I had a good guess as to what would happen. I would stand to lose [Drakon’s Hoard], and maybe [Keen Eye] too. It would probably affect my skill and passive slots as well.

“Oh. Nevermind,” I said. “It is what it-.”

In the distance, a maroon colored monitor blared an alarm, startling me and Milu.

“Oh, no, no, no no, that’s not good.” Milu whirled about, darting to the back of the chamber to look at the monitor. “It’s awake!”

“What is?”

“R.O. 71. It’s at your settlement, under the building with a pointy top. I have warned you about it, remember?”

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“The chapel?”

“Not for long, dear. It’ll come up from underground any minute, but you’ll be safe here.”

“What? What the hell is it doing there? How dangerous is it?”

“With its armored core, I don’t believe your weapons have a chance against it.”

The creature on her monitor looked downright grotesque, a blobby mess. I dashed to my freshly cleaned pile of gear to hastily throw on my armor, tightening the straps. All these monsters in this world were starting to drive me crazy, not giving me a day of rest.

“You must have access to some high-tech weaponry, right?” I asked Milu while donning my helmet. “Maybe a plasma rifle, or a laser gun, that sort of a thing? … Rocket launchers?”

“I do keep an arsenal for my defense, but regretfully it’s not suited for your sort, dear. Though, I could perhaps stitch on a few things to your body, dear. A tentacle or two never hurt anyone. Myself, I have nearly a-”

“Uhm … you know what?” I chuckled nervously. “I’m good as I am. Thank you.”

“Where are you going, dear?” Milu asked. “As I said, you’ll be safe here. Once it feeds, it’ll burrow back down underground for a while.”

“Feeds? Feeds on what, the villagers? I need to go and evacuate the kids immediately.” Using my Nexus key, I started the long, ten second cast to open the portal.

“Well … if you must, then perhaps I may be of help, dear. Normally, I’m not one for violence, but I do feel rather responsible for letting it loose. Go on and distract it for a while, would you dear, while I gear up? Also, Mr. Bob mentioned that you could open a portal to the village from here?”

I needed every ally I could muster. But I worried the villagers might either flee in terror at the sight of her or, worse, try to attack. I’d have to warn them to stand down and not attack her.

“Yeah … I’ll do just that.”

The portal appeared and I dashed right through to the other side. Before converting the portal to a large size, a thought occurred to me. What if Milu and Bob had some nefarious plot in mind? Maybe it was all a ploy to gain access to the Nexus? But for what reason?

Bob knew about my Nexus key and would have told her about it. She could have easily taken it from me at any point while I was immobilized, or unconscious. No eldritch horror that bakes delicious cookies and knits cozy blankets could ever be evil. Right?

I stole a quick glance through the portal leading to the storage shed. The chapel was shuddering violently, its beams rattling. Something big and nasty was going to emerge, and I had no time to second-guess. What if the chapel crumbled right on top of the portal, blocking it? I could move the portal in the Nexus easily, but outside the Void, it was a bit more tricky.

First, I converted my portal to a larger, trade-sized opening, and hopefully big enough for Milu’s titanic body to squeeze through. Then, without wasting a second, I dashed through the portal to the storage shed. The ground trembled beneath my boots, and shouting filled the air.

Outside, the morning sun was obscured by the massive Cube, but daylight still filtered through the sky, casting an uneasy glow. Many villagers were out of their houses. Kids were yelling, running out of the chapel. Fortunately, Amelia was with them.

I [Leaped] a good distance to a spot along the lake’s shore. Another ten seconds of channeling with the key, and I had a portal opened at a safer location, which I quickly upgraded to a larger size.

I [Leaped] right back to warn Amelia. “Get the kids and everyone inside the Nexus. Right now.”

“Why? What is happening?” she asked in a worried tone, panic written on her face.

“It’s not an earthquake,” I told her. “Something much worse is coming up from under the chapel.”