Wallace struggled to catch his breath, his back against the trunk of a massive tree that loomed above him.
The vast sky stretched endlessly without any dark spots that could hide the deadly assassin bug lurking nearby.
He glanced at his own shadow, realizing it offered no comfort.
These assassin bugs, dwelling in the forest, were as big as dogs, too large to come out of his slender silhouette.
So heave a little sigh of relief.
Just as relief started to take hold of Walace, a system screen appeared on his visor, displaying urgent digital letters:
[ Ding!
[ Energy 0 percent.
[ The host will return to normal.
[ Armor retraction activated! ]
Wallace muttered a curse, "damn this!" growing increasingly frustrated.
He may have stamina because of armor, but his battery had failed him at a crucial moment, now he didn't have any armor and he would get tired if he fought them and dying right at this moment was a possibility too.
In an instant, his predator battlesuit vanished, leaving him soaked in sweat as he collapsed to the ground with a loud thud.
"Can I escape this?"
Wallace wondered aloud, his little human head was racing for a solution for this situation. He knew he was defenseless without a weapon, and his only chance was to flee from this dire situation.
However, just as he was about to make a desperate run for safety, his wrist trembled, drawing his attention to the futuristic bracelet he wore.
His eyes darted between the bracelet and the approaching swarm of assassin bugs, his frustration reaching its peak.
"Damn it!" he cursed, slamming his hand on the button embedded in the sleek device.
Clang!
A hologram appeared before him, displaying a crucial message:
[ Would you like to use the Predator armor again? 0/200 Neutral Magic Crystals. ]
Wallace's heart raced as he considered the options before him.
His gaze shifted to the counter showing the number of magic crystals he had:
[ Magic Crystals:
[ Neutral Magic Crystals (205).
[ Crawler Magic Crystals (123). ]
At first, Wallace would smile, but then he would freeze.
Should he risk it all and activate the Predator armor once more, depleting his precious resources?
Or should he just leave the army of assassin bugs and run, armed with nothing and focus on his safety?
He felt that if he allowed this giant creature to remain alive until tomorrow, even if he is with armor, a lot of people in the town would be killed by these creatures.
Therefore, failing his mission.
Each passing second carried uncertainty and the potential for irreversible consequences.
Soon, the ground shook beneath him, Wallace felt a surge of alertness, a sign that a massive bug creature was approaching.
Each tremor reverberated through his body, adding to the tension that filled the air.
Knowing the creature was clever, Wallace instinctively closed his eyes, seeking comfort in the darkness to gather his thoughts.
"This creature is no ordinary enemy," he pondered, his mind racing to come up with a plan.
"Earlier, it used its army to attack me at first and get a sense of my strength. And when it understands a little of what I'm capable of, this creature uses that knowledge to its advantage.
"After that, it hid among its many minions that it controlled after sensing my strength, it intended to catch me off guard and force me to retreat, exhausting my energy. Is this the true power of magical creatures? Are they usually this smart? I need to think quickly because time is running out."
With a determined exhale, Wallace opened his eyes, determination shining in their depths.
"What plan should I do?" he declared, his voice strong and unwavering but it has hesitation to it.
Bringing his wrist close to his mouth, he positioned his futuristic bracelet within reach, a lifeline to his transformation.
He didn't know what will happen, but if he couldn't think of a plan, he could just instantly change into his powerful predator suit, prepared to face this army of creatures head-on.
…
Back in the dimly lit dungeon of enlightenment, the air was heavy with excitement, fear and discovery as the alien movie started playing on the big screen.
Knight Alistair, Cedric, Eldric, Gideon, Ivander, Jasper, and Mage Marcus gathered around, their eyes fixed on the screen.
The scene unfolded before them, showing the crew of the Nostromo, a spaceship for mining in space, waking up from their cryogenic sleep.
The ship's computer, Mother, had woken them up, informing them about a distress signal from a nearby small planet.
"They are humans too?" Mage Marcus's voice echoed in the dark room. He tried to observe them. After a few minutes, an understanding suddenly struck him—they were not magical knights like them, but regular humans.
The crew consisted of seven people: Captain Dollar, Executive Officer Cane, Warrant Officer Riley, Navigator Lambert, Science Officer Ash, and Engineers Parker and Brett.
As the second scene of the movie played out, Knight Alistair, Cedric, Eldric, Gideon, Ivander, Jasper, and Mage Marcus remained silent, completely focused on the screen.
Three members of the Nostromo crew—Dollar, Cane, and Lambert—landed on the mysterious planet to investigate the distress signal.
Seeing the stars, the Mana Knights were curious, and then they exchanged puzzled looks, trying to understand the idea of space and faraway planets.
"Does that sky look like a new realm?" one of the Mana Knights wondered out loud.
"It's so dark," another commented.
"Sparkling... like the shadow realm," someone whispered.
Each member of the Mana Knights reacted differently, struggling to make sense of what they were seeing.
Suddenly, the knights stop reacting.
These fellas felt a sense of unease, silently understanding that something was wrong.
The tension in the air was intense as they caught sight of the abandoned alien spaceship, revealing a room filled with strange eggs.
Knight Alistair, Cedric, Eldric, Gideon, Ivander, Jasper, and Mage Marcus couldn't hide their astonishment.
"Those eggs...?" one of them stuttered, disbelief evident on their face.
"You're not telling me those are facehuggers, right?" another whispered, fear creeping into their voice.
The knights exchanged worried glances, their minds filled with questions.
They had never encountered anything like a facehugger before—after all, they have never seen where they came from. And yet, their instincts proved to be correct.
In a horrifying turn of events, Cane was attacked by a creature that attached itself to his face, its presence both disgusting and terrifying.
Knight Alistair, Cedric, Eldric, Gideon, Ivander, Jasper, and Mage Marcus couldn't help but recoil in horror.
"Those really are facehuggers," one of them exclaimed, their voice filled with dread.
"Oh no!" another cried out.
"What will happen to him now?"
Their words were marked with traumatized concern, for the sight alone felt like a violation, an assault on their very being as men.
They could still taste the revolting sensation, having witnessed the crew being enveloped by the facehugger—it felt like the scene reminded them of this; after all, they had already tasted it.
It felt like a violated mouth, even though they were men.
The feeling was deeply unsettling.