Chapter 7: Hearing Nightmares
The guild members entered the portal silently, each of them raising their guard as they stepped into enemy territory. Axel was among the last to cross, gripping his dagger with both hands as he scanned their surroundings. The place they emerged into was a red platform, seemingly made out of some kind of metal. Red pillars surrounded them, and the inside of the ship was both spacious and dimly lit.
He turned around, watching the portal swirl behind them before it closed, sealing them off from the outside world.
'Classic alien ship for you, just that we should be expecting an attack by now...'
"Stay close!" Guild Leader Kart shouted to his team, jolting them into a defensive stance.
Right on time, a group of aliens rushed into the room, heavily armed with large blaster-like guns and metallic clubs.
These aliens resembled ants standing on two legs, with bulky bodies encased in red armor. Hundreds of tiny eyeballs covered their faces, and horns jutted from their heads like those of a buffalo.
These were the Fetak race.
The guild master and three others charged at the aliens, their weapons at the ready. The Fetak with guns responded with a rapid barrage of boiling-hot lasers from their rifles.
Luckily, the guild members had specially crafted shields, which they used to deflect the searing beams.
'Just like the aliens have advanced technology, we also have our infused weapons to match theirs.'
Axel watched from a distance as the guild master and the others overpowered the aliens one by one, easily tearing through most of them with their weapons.
But they couldn't cover every single alien...
Five of the aliens broke past their defense. Three had clubs in hand, while the other two raised their blasters, wasting no time in firing at them.
Axel stood close to their healer, Veka, feeling obligated to protect her as the last six close-combatants raced at the aliens to fend them off.
'Damn, I would have gone along with them, but I know how useless I am in battles like this. I can barely take down one alien, as I don't have any innate skill that improves my physicality, unlike them who receive special treatment...'
Axel edged closer to Veka.
'I'll do what I can for now...'
A sharp pain in his gut snapped him out of his thoughts.
A Fetak alien had appeared out of nowhere, slashing its sword at Axel's abdomen. Fortunately, Veka pulled him by the hood just in time, but the blade still cut deeply into his side.
"Tsk! Veka, run!" Axel screamed, pushing her away with all his might as the Fetak alien raised its sword high overhead to strike down at his skull.
He swiftly raised his dagger to block, but as the weapon neared, it morphed into a club, and the impact was far deadlier than expected.
The strength and weight of the club knocked Axel's dagger from his grasp, tearing through his gloves and wounding his palms in the process.
"Kahhk!" Axel grunted, now defenseless against any further attack.
'I need to attack it before it attacks me next!'
Axel shifted his weight to the right and threw a punch at the Fetak alien's jaw.
His fist did no damage, merely skidding off the slippery, rock-hard surface and infuriating the beast.
'shit! I'm too...'
The Fetak alien made its move, delivering a powerful kick to Axel's chest. The force was incredible, sending him flying across the room. He collided back-first into a wall, then crumpled to the floor, writhing in pain.
"AHHHKK!" He gasped, clutching his chest. The impact felt like a bomb had gone off inside him, shaking his ribs to the core.
'I don't know how it got behind me, but at this rate, I will die unless... I make do with what I have.'
Axel struggled to rise, his body trembling beneath him, every fiber of his being screaming for rest. As he did, the Fetak alien approached, its club already morphing back into a blade for the final strike.
"You picked the wrong person to mess with!" Axel shouted, tearing off his gloves and pointing his palms at the alien.
At first, nothing happened. But as the alien drew closer, it suddenly stopped, its eyes darting around in agitation.
"Shhdkandnfineksidhdjkdmd!" Axel began to hear, as memories flooded his mind, memories that were terrifying beyond comprehension.
They were the memories of the alien standing before him... Nightmares that, even to his human senses, made every cell in his body tremble in fear.
Even the alien was affected, its body shaking uncontrollably. It dropped its weapon, clutching its head and screaming in a high-pitched tone.
'I can't take it any longer... I'm experiencing these nightmares...'
Axel began to walk shakily toward the disoriented Fetak alien.
'A little more... Get a bit closer...'
He forced himself forward, but the nightmares roared in his ears, causing him to lose control. He nearly fell on his face before regaining his balance. His vision blurred, and suddenly, he would see a six-headed monster, only to be jolted back to reality by another terrifying flash.
This was why he hated his powers... All he gained from his awakening was...
'I can hear nightmares and...'
As Axel drew near the Fetak alien, he placed his bare hands on its armor. In an instant, a decay effect began to spread, consuming the alien as it turned to dust.
The decay spread from its chest, to its hands, and across its entire body, until nothing remained but ashes.
"AHH-hkkk!" Axel cried out, even though the enemy was dead. The pain didn't stop. He collapsed, sitting heavily on the floor, holding his head as a piercing headache tore through his skull.
This was another reason he despised his abilities. He had no control over them. The decay effect was worse than hearing nightmares—by decaying his enemies, he absorbed every single nightmare they had ever dreamt, and those images were now vividly burned into his mind.
'I have a curse...'
Another sharp pain jolted him, this time from behind. Axel quickly turned around.
A Fetak alien appeared just like the last one, emerging from the wall as if it had phased through solid matter.
But that wasn't the most pressing concern—the alien was raising its club high above Axel's head, ready to strike.
'Shit! I can't stop it, my weapon is too far away—'
With no way to stop the club, Axel could only watch as it descended, hoping against hope for survival.