The aloki had shifted to a defensive stance after losing two of its tentacles, I could see fear in those deep, green eyes—a clear indication that the aloki was beginning to recognize my superiority.
"hahah...." My lips burst in a frantic laugh, which echoed off the broken market walls, even without a functioning brain, the aloki recognized something was wrong, my insane laughing and predatory presence had triggered its impulses, in its own way, it recognized that it was up against a powerful foe—me.
As the aloki attempted to flee, its vast size hampered its efforts, the increased load of losing two vital tentacles, along with the pain tormenting its body, made its mortality appear increasingly inevitable, the aloki, despite its limited intellect, was well aware of its approaching demise.
The aloki's panicked state made it easier for me to catch, my own speed matched or possibly exceeded the aloki's, especially with its injured state, the space filled with crevices and uneven terrain, further hindered the aloki's escape, making my job all the easier.
In a final act of desperation to survive, the aloki launched another tentacle at me, however, the force behind this attack was significantly weakened due to its injured state and the additional challenge of attempting to flee simultaneously.
Taking advantage of the aloki's momentary vulnerable state, I avoided its last attack, with its main body left exposed, I seized the opportunity to strike, swinging my weapon and slicing its defenseless eyes, Undeterred by the incoming tentacles, I raised my hand and swung my weapon with all my might towards the aloki's body, with one final strike, I brought my axe down upon the injured creature, putting an end to its resistance before the tentacles could reach me.
As the aloki breathed its final, weak cry, its echoing voice filled the destroyed marketplace, the pitiful sound marked the end of our encounter, a stark reminder of the consequences of underestimating my great power.
I picked up one of the severed aloki tentacles, watching as it oozed warm green blood, staining my clothes in the process. Ignoring the mess, I brought the raw flesh to my mouth and took a large bite, compared to the cold, preserved meat served at the base, this freshly harvested aloki flesh tasted incredible, there was no comparison—the warmth and natural flavor of the raw meat made it far superior to the preserved sustenance provided to me.
As I finished devouring the tentacle, a wave of anticipation washed over me, If the taste of the tentacle was already this good, I couldn't help but wonder how the main body would compare, my gaze fell upon the aloki's spherical body, my eyes filled with a fierce hunger.
The head wasn't full of meat, the skin was rough and uneatable, and behind that skin, barely any meat before the skull bone, I took my time chopping that meat, the room changed to a slaughterhouse, that's what anyone who saw me would say.
I settled down on the ground, disregarding the lack of utensils or any formal dining setting, my hands, still stained with aloki's blood, served as the only cutlery I needed as I prepared to indulge in my hard-earned feast, as I bit into the aloki's main body, the taste exploded in my mouth—a sensation beyond description, despite being compelled to fight and kill the aloki for the sake of the humans, I found myself oddly content with the arrangement, if eating something this delicious was the result, then aligning myself with these relatively weaker creatures wasn't such an unpleasant arrangement.
"beeb, beeb"
my army-issued sophisticated outfit produced a high-pitched, constant beeping sound, this unpleasant noise, which was designed to monitor my consumption patterns, signaled that I had surpassed the permissible amount and should cease eating.
I sighed before tossing the piece of meat on the ground, pressing a few buttons on my outfit, and left the building.
Where did the boy said I should go? Oh, the south, he stated the big battle is there, he appeared to have been crushed there before the old man carried him on his back, how pathetic.
After that delicious meal, I feel as if there is fire coursing through me, If I encountered another Aloki, I would easily defeat him.
With a few taps on my digital watch, a holographic map materialized before me, highlighting the location of the ongoing battle in the south, the battle is not far from where I am, so I will be there in 30 minutes. I believe all of the Seventh region's conjurers are currently fighting there, as are my squad members, it appears that the situation there is quite serious, possibly to the point where that obnoxious woman will die.
With that thought in mind, I headed south, cheerful and relaxed.
------------
I reached my destination, but there was no noise, I anticipated to hear many explosions and weaponry smashing with the Aloki's hard skin, but there were none, my footfall was the only sound heard here.
Because the southern section was the site of the most intense battles, it was predicted to suffer the most damage, the fume from the factories, combined with the ash and building crumbles that had turned into sand, made vision impossible, without my unique eyes, I would have had difficulty seeing more than a few feet in front of me.
Acknowledging the heightened risk of being mistaken for the aloki due to my unique eyes and large physique, I carefully maneuvered through the haze, the overpowering stench of blood filled the air, its intensity rivaling that of the fumes, hinting at the numerous soldiers who may have fallen victim to the toxic environment before even reaching the main battlefield.
Slowly proceeding through the area, I came across the first corpse, their body floating in a puddle of blood, their right half almost wholly annihilated by a brutal attack, not far away from the body, I spotted the soldier's personal rifle, having dropped from his grasp at the moment of death. Perhaps he hadn't even had a chance to fire a bullet before being struck down in such a gory way.
my relationship with humans is complicated; they see me as a monster, a time bomb that can detonate at any moment, a sharp knife that can deliver a lethal blow when they are not looking, and a hybrid that will return to its true origin and attack them one day, which is why they place so many restrictions on me, and I understand.
I perceive them as weak beings, and as I was born powerful, it is my responsibility to protect them while they serve me, they refer to what they do as restrictions, but they provide me with everything, people have anxieties throughout their lives about providing a living, paying bills, paying rent, and other responsibilities, I've never had to think about any of this, my food is delivered to me at a particular hour every day, I've never been without power or water, and I've always slept soundly in a lovely bed, The restriction they imposed on me is a desire they pursue without even acknowledging it.
Whenever humans eye me with those dagger-like gazes, I try to hold back a chuckle, their eyes may burn with anger and trepidation, but their bodies are too frail to act upon those emotions, sure, I have to put up with some bothersome conditions, like being confined to the base unless it's for a mission, but compared to them, I still feel considerably freer, therefore, I don't hate those humans who harbor hostility towards me; I actually have a certain fondness for them.
The sight of the lifeless body lying on the ground stirred intense anger within me, though I didn't know this person, his passing still stung, I might not know this ant-like human who regard me with fear and disdain, but his demise still provoked a certain level of anger in me, I'm not heartless—feeling nothing at the view of this gory tableau would suggest there's something wrong with me, despite not being human, I still possess a certain sense of empathy, and my family is human after all.