The city, once quiet and peaceful, was now filled with thousands of two different life forms battling each other. The Humans and Granians, two intelligent species, were locked in combat. The Humans defended their lives and homes, while the Granians killed indiscriminately in search of two children with their 'weapon'.
It would have been easier for Grim to inform the humans why he and his forces had arrived, but he preferred to let people die and torture Ace and his sister psychologically. However, the Granian warrior was surprised and impressed by the resilience of the humans.
The humans' soul weapons and beast weapons made them harder and more annoying to kill, which further surprised him. The one thousand Granians sent out were slaughtered, losing more than half of their forces and leaving the humans with a false sense of hope.
"Interesting. I never thought humans would crack soul weapons," Grim thought to himself. Each planet he conquered had resulted in the transformation of wild life into beasts with crystals, which provided valuable knowledge and energy for their weapons. However, he did not expect this species of flesh beings to learn the power of beast crystals and their soul ties. "This truly has been a fascinating journey. I don't remember the last time I smiled or praised those I conquered."
"Lord Grim," Lilly, a Granian turned human and then Granian again, spoke to Grim with a worried look on her scaly face, "Our numbers are decreasing. The humans are proving to be more stubborn than we thought."
"Okay. And?" he asked, showing no concern for his fallen comrades. "Why should I care?"
"Our forces..." Lilly's voice trailed off as tears welled up in her eyes. "We're losing more and more with each passing moment."
"Relax, child," Grim groaned. "Those Granians were destined to die anyway. If you've forgotten, the Grand Master was going to have them executed as most of them are traitors. This was their only way to atone for their sins and prove their loyalty to him."
"Can't we at least help them?" she pleaded once more. "It's better for us to avoid any casualties."
"Don't forget your place, child." Angered by Lilly's persistence, Grim wrapped his tail around her neck and lifted her slowly. The smaller, weaker Granian squirmed and kicked as her airways were constricted. "If you dare, even for a second, to develop feelings for those traitors or these humans, I will ensure you die by my hands. Do you understand?"
"Y-yes..." Lilly choked in response, her eyes turning green. "I...understand..."
Grim released his grip on Lilly and left the main control room of his ship. Huntress followed closely, her body glowing strangely.
"Patience, Huntress," Grim smiled. "Your bloodlust fills the air. You'll have your chance to kill soon."
"When will we go?" she asked, her voice deepened as she struggled to contain herself.
"I have no plans to go out. I have been working on something during our stay here. These crystals are compatible with our bodies, so I have been experimenting. Behold," Grim smiled as he and Huntress entered another room filled with cylindrical tanks containing growing Granian bodies.
The tanks were filled with a green liquid, and the bodies floated swiftly inside them. Smaller Granians, slightly smaller than Grim and Huntress, monitored the growth of the Granians and made occasional discoveries.
"I have been working on something, my dear," Grim explained. "These crystals grant humans strength, making them almost as powerful as us. If we use them on ourselves, we will become invincible."
"What's the downside?" Huntress asked.
"Our bodies are only compatible with one
type of crystal. We have grown and tested over two hundred Granian clones, but only four have been successful. Behold," Grim and Huntress stood in front of four massive tanks with four enormous Granians inside. The Granians were three times larger than Grim, with crystals on their chests supplying energy to their bodies. "I call them the Elite Granians. We have yet to test their strength, but I doubt these ordinary humans can handle them."
"Are we sending them out now?" Huntress asked once more.
"Not yet. They will be released when the boy and girl come out. Once the boy is out, his blonde human friend will be set loose to play. If he kills the blonde, that's when we will intervene. As for the Elites, I am sending them out now."
[Tank Drainage In Progress.]
The tanks in which the four Elite Granians swam began to drain as the crystals in their chests glowed even brighter. Their bodies stood upright, full of life. The Elites woke up, and the first thing they saw was Grim injecting the same green material he had injected into Jason days ago.
"Go and play," he smiled, and the four Elites walked out of the room, their bodies somehow growing larger than before. They already knew where the weapons were and each grabbed a weapon of their choice. They ran through Grim's ship, out of the exit, and into the wide, open world they had never seen before.
"Lord Grim," one of the smaller Granians bowed while expressing their concerns, "we are deeply afraid that the Elites will not be able to handle the outside world. We haven't given them a chance to learn, and they know nothing about this strange planet."
"Patience," Grim grinned. "The Elites carry my DNA within them. Whatever I know about this world, they know as well. They are slightly more aggressive and less intelligent versions of myself, so there is no need to panic. If they die, we will create more, and I will be sure to speak your name before the Grand Master so you will be greatly rewarded."
"I will forever be grateful, Grim," the smaller Granian bowed. "But I am not most worried about them. I am concerned about the damage they may cause to our enemies and to us. They are completely unstable."
"I will judge for myself. If they prove to be unstable, I will dispose of them."