The tall figure finally revealed itself before Xeno’s senses. He had already heard about the humans of the ‘Union’ as they were at its very pinnacle. They were its founders and the ones that pulled the strings behind the scenes.

Yet one must not confuse them with the likes of the earthlings, as they are a lot more primitive and barbaric. The enhanced humans of the Union resemble more a kind of android rather than their terrestrial cousins.

Here it was, a serious silvery metallic face, characterized by its hard features. The android had long golden hair and various white lines engraved onto his cheeks and chin. Furthermore it had two black horns protruding from its forehead. It was wearing a white tight suit that only covered its biological components. As both its right arm and left leg were mechanical ones, they weren’t covered by the uniform. On the left side of its chest was printed a symbol, just a simple white humanoid figure standing on a black background. The android distinguished itself even more thanks to its long metallic tail.

“Jake right? Tell your group to follow me, I am going to guide you to the meeting point. It’s a single story building I have found near the future location of the System base. I’ll keep you safe and help you learn the way of the System. Hurry up.”

Xeno wasn’t able to understand the answer of the primitive human called ‘Jake’, probably the two were using a translation device of some sort. Yet from the short response, I shouldn’t be anything important. As the Alien kept observing the group leaving the area, he silently stalked them by moving on the roofs of the buildings.

‘The human of the Union will notice me sooner or later, even with my stealth perk active. Yet I cannot let this occasion slip by, I would get a good number of cattle plus the location of the System base in this zone.’

As more time passed, Xeno continued to monitor the group of humans. He noticed that to get rid of the few brave parasites that underestimated the group, the android didn’t need to spend much effort. Just his crude physical prowess was enough to annihilate the infected. He even sensed the surprised expressions of the primitives, as they dreamed of possessing such strength too.

In particular, one occasion had piqued Xeno’s interest. As the android had immobilized an infested that tried to assault the group, he quickly immobilized the host with his left hand and penetrated its belly with his mechanical right one.

Indeed, Xeno understood that the enhanced human wanted to teach or show something to the group. As he didn’t directly punch the abdomen to instantly destroy the parasite hidden inside.

As expected, with the extraction of the metallic hand from the dead host, there was another life form. The true body of the parasite.

It was a 0,5 meters long red worm like being. It had a sort of mouth to one of its extremities, simile to that of a lamprey. On the other end of its body it had various tentacles like attachments, probably needed to interact with the dead nervous system of the host.

“This are the parasite that have been launched during this first challenge of the conquest game. Yet you must not be fooled by the System, it is an independent being, wicked and focused only on increasing its own profits. These things are not dumb at all, this is still their infant stage and as such they are quite greedy for power, they need to grow. Otherwise they wouldn’t even dare to come near me.

What I am trying to say is that the System didn’t spawn these creatures on your planet for the sake of the game, but because of a contract. A pact he made with their mother. Keep it in mind.

Now, the motive I am showing you this is that there is a hidden quest regarding these mobs, you need to kill a hundred of them outside of their host. A special reward will be given to those brave enough.

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I see some potential in you Jake, I hope you will make humans prosper again in this planet. Do your best. By the way, we are almost arrived, tell them to speed up the pace.”

From the speech of the android Xeno perceived some uneasiness, a sense of anxiety that one would feel when observed or stalked.

‘He must have perceived me, yet he doesn’t know the level of threat that I may represent. Otherwise he wouldn’t speak of such matters with me nearby. He is underestimating the unknown, you must have had an easy life under the Union.’

[Jake’s POV]

We should arrive at our destination in a few minutes. I should be happy and grateful for the help that the Union is giving us. They promised it to the association years ago and now they have kept their word.

I still remember the desperation I felt inside the McDonald. Me and Brian were trying to defend the door against the three infected, while Jhin and Cloe were trying to block up the broken windows with the wooden planks. Yet it wasn’t enough, we were slowly getting injured and the few planks that they managed to utilize were on the point of breaking.

Captain Stark came just in time to save us. He is responsible for saving the members of the association in Manhattan Island. We should be the last group he were tasked to save.

Yet I couldn’t not notice the strange vibes the android is giving off lately. Something must have alarmed him, although he doesn’t seem that worried about it.

At last we arrived at the meeting location. This small villa that has probably already lost its owner will now be our shelter.

I have to admit that the technology provided by the system is truly marvelous, Captain Stark called them ‘tools’ if am not wrong. Devices capable of almost anything available for the price of ‘coins’.

Just looking at the nano-energy based cupola that is protecting the building is really impressive. Stark told us that it should repel the parasites without problems for now.

“Yo! Cousin stop daydreaming, the tin can is already inside, we gotta follow him.”

This is my cousin Chris, he is a hot headed youth that always thinks to be better than the others. He always tends to find faults in other people works, rather than admitting his own.

He is a little pampered bastard, he got lucky and managed to escape the parasites until finding Start and grouping with us.

He doesn’t respect our guide one bit, as the android can only understand me that I am carrying a universal translator.

Through his narrow brown eyes I can see how he is looking at Mary, a friend of ours that we picked up near the McDonald. She told us that she managed to hide herself in the bathroom of the coffee shop in front of the fast-food.

She is quite the gentle and beautiful girl, with right curves, a gentle expression and long blonde hair. I doubt she will survive with these new changes going on, she will need help.

“Jake, do you perhaps know something about our parents? Could you ask your ‘friend’ about it please?”

Speaking of which, her gentle words did inspire a sense of pity inside of me. But I was prepared about the helplessness of the innocent. In fact I already knew the answer, yet I couldn’t deny her request so easily as she wasn’t the only one in need of it. All the members of the group were worried about their families.

“Captain Stark, Sir, may you possess knowledge about the state of our family? Are other members of the Union dispatched to save them too?”

The Android which was just a few meters from the barrier protecting the villa, suddenly sopped and turned around. His expression was dead serious, maybe my tone had been a little rude, yet it was a totally legit question. In our place I doubt he wouldn’t have been worried about his family.

In the next seconds the air around us became incredibly heavy, as if gravity itself started to increase around us.

As this suffocating feeling kept rising, I took a glance at Captain stark. The lines engraved on his face had become of a bright red, His eyes were giving off a strange blue glow and his hair were strangely undulating. Furthermore I felt a strange sensation all around him, a sort of power I had never seen before. I knew what it was, as my life will depend on it from now on, nano-energy.

Still ignorant about the reason behind his behavior, I could just wait for the android’s instructions.

“Go! Jake quick run inside the barrier! Now!”

He suddenly shouted to run, his tone implying the seriousness behind his orders. Soon enough I signaled to my group to quickly get inside. As shameless as it might seem, I held my life quite dear. I run with all my might, uncaring for anything or anyone else.

Just as I got inside the blue cupola that was protecting he villa I heard a loud crash just outside it.

Then as I turned around I saw it. This creature that had just descended, just by looking at it I could feel the immense power it contained.

Compared to It, I was but an ant. For the first time in my life I understood the vastness of the universe. I, now, do fear the unknown.