While the newcomer was fighting the Alpha's underlings, the female Graniliths watched with wide eyes.
The newcomer was bigger and stronger than the other male Graniliths, but nowhere near as strong as the Alpha.
If the newcomer was to prove stronger than the Alpha, then the females and the tribe would become the newcomer's.
This wasn't some kind of evil scheme, but simply how Graniliths naturally operated.
The females, if they were to see the Alpha lose, would gladly accept the newcomer.
The same was true for the weaker male Graniliths.
Strength decides everything. It is all that matters.
The Alpha losing wouldn't be a problem. In fact, it would be a cause for celebration. Just like the Alpha had defeated the previous Alpha and claimed the tribe, an even stronger one would now take its place. The females would be protected, and be able to bear stronger children capable of surviving in this harsh environment. The males would take orders from the strongest of them.
It was a natural succession of events that would be instinctively accepted by the Graniliths.
A new and stronger Alpha is always welcomed.
What they didn't expect, however, was that, while they watched the newcomer fight the weaker male Graniliths, the new Alpha was being birthed. Right in that rift where the losers had been cast away as failures.
Through the Devourer Skill being upgraded to Level 4, the Paru's natural capacity of changing and evolving from feeding had attained a new height. Not only had the efficiency of that ability increased, but the degree to which the Paru's body was capable of changing had drastically increased.
The Enhanced Devouring Skill reaching Level 3 meant that the changes that would be brought upon were pretty much completely in that Paru's hands.
What exited that rift moments later was a true monster.
'Yes…' The Paru thought to itself. 'This'll do nicely.'
***
"Mmm… He went away again."
"That's what you're worried about?" Liz asked, almost shouting. "We searched everywhere. The Tsero Crystal we spent so long looking for… Fighting for… The thing that would save our people… Do you realize just how many of us died to get it?"
"Ugh…" Raya rolled her eyes. "What do you want me to do about it? Cry?"
"Let it go, Liz." Rea muttered. "This bitch only cares about dick. It's no use talking to her."
Raya stared with narrow eyes for a bit. Her lips curled upwards.
"Exactly." She shrugged. "At least one of you gets it."
"Still…" Kris whispered. "It couldn't have just vanished. If none of us took it then…?"
"Ha!" Raya chuckled. "That's a good question."
"Any ideas?"
"Mmm…" She turned away and gazed at the deep and exotic forest in the distance. "Not really. Maybe someone ate it?" Raya shrugged.
"Of course…" Liz shook her head.
"Always gotta come to Raya for the stupid answers. Don't you get how serious this situation is?" Rea shouted as she stepped closer, and Kris feared that they would fight.
Still. With Liz around, the fight would be broken up pretty quickly.
"Ugh… Just when I thought you got it." Raya pushed herself off her seat and started walking away. "Dick is all I have on my mind, isn't it?"
"Annoying bitch…" Rea cursed as Raya left.
'Still…' Raya thought to herself once she was two dozen steps away. 'Could he have eaten it? Something radioactive with that much energy? It's unlikely. Still, he was inside the spaceship from takeoff at the latest. He could have been inside even before that. He killed the mutt, so it's safe to assume that he did wander around. Still, eating a crystal like that is way different… Too different from eating a living breathing creature.' Raya stretched her arms. 'But if he did eat it…' She let out a tired sigh while rotating her left shoulder. 'Then he becomes our only chance at getting another one, doesn't he?'
Moments later,
Knock- Knock-
"What is it?"
"Commander."
"You're not here to waste my time with nasty and useless remarks, are you?"
Raya chuckled, pushed the door open, and stepped in.
"No, no…" She whispered with a smile. "Just a little something to talk about…"
***
'I'd like to take them head-on and fight, but using Invisibility is too logical for me not too. I could just assassinate them, as boring as that feels like right now. I just got this body, so I'd like to use it. Still…'
The creature reached forward.
'I'm aching to go.'
A hand covered with rocky and jagged skin landed on the edge of the rift as the creature started climbing out of it.
From the creature's slightly parted jaws, a thick fog of mist oozed out due to the energy exerted and used.
[A Side-Quest has been issued.]
[The Side-Quest is related to the Quest "Destroy the nearby Granilith Tribe!".]
[Objective: Clear the Quest "Destroy the nearby Granilith Tribe" without using your Invisibility Skill.]
[Reward: 1 Skill Point.]
'Well…' The creature's hand moved away from the edge of the rift and slid back into it. 'Thanks for giving me a reason.'
The creature slid back into the shade, its back against the rift's wall.
'Back on two feet… This is nice.'
The creature moved its new limbs a bit, as well as clenched and unclenched its fists repeatedly.
'I'll let them run the gauntlet and tire themselves out, then head for the kill.'
A slaughter would soon unfold.