As Laura spotted the giant rats poking their heads into the passage, she didn't hesitate. With a determined leap toward the cave entrance, she swiftly drew her Nepali blade from her waist, the weapon glinting as it sliced through the air in a graceful arc.
"Stop the wind and cut off the water!" she commanded, her voice steady and cold, like the blade in her hand.
The giant rats surged forward, their massive forms threatening to block the passage completely. But with a flash, Laura transformed into a blur, slipping through the narrowing gap between them. In one fluid motion, her twin blades struck true, slicing through the bodies of the giant rats. Blood erupted in geysers, splattering the walls as the creatures fell, lifeless.
The once-open passage was now littered with their carcasses, creating a barrier that prevented any more rats from flooding in. As she burst through the exit, the sounds of chaos erupted behind her, the mingled cries of battle and the pungent scent of blood wafting into the narrow tunnel.
[Host is absorbing life force, growth value +6]
[Host is devouring life force, growth value +10]
[Host is absorbing life force, growth value +9]
[Host is absorbing life force, growth value +7]
A flurry of notifications rang in James's mind as he felt life force surging through him. His growth value skyrocketed, increasing by over a hundred points in mere seconds. Yet, he had no time to relish this surge; his focus was solely on pushing his bulk through the constricted passage.
Ten seconds turned into twenty, and finally, after what felt like an eternity, James managed to worm his way to the exit. He shoved aside the remains of the giant rats, finally emerging into the open air. As he stretched out his cramped limbs, he quickly spotted Laura standing several feet away.
She was a striking sight, poised amidst a pool of blood and surrounded by the corpses of giant and strange rats. Her slender frame, though seemingly fragile against the massive bodies littering the ground, exuded a fierce aura.
Laura's hair, once neatly tied in twin ponytails, now hung loosely, matted with blood that trickled from her blades. Despite the chaos around her, she appeared unharmed, and relief washed over James. He knew she was capable, but seeing her unscathed was a comfort.
"Are you okay?" he asked, approaching her cautiously.
Just then, a wounded giant rat crawled from the pile of bodies, charging at Laura. Without a second thought, James reached out, grabbing the creature by its neck. With a swift motion, he snapped its spine.
[Growth value of the host's life force +5]
Laura glanced at his bloodied arm and burst into laughter. "See? I told you I'm powerful! I didn't lie, did I?"
"You're right," James chuckled, giving her a thumbs-up. "You're far more capable than me, an old middle-aged man."
Laura scrunched her face in mock disgust. "Wait, you're really that old? I always thought middle-aged uncles were supposed to be all messy and gross!"
James couldn't help but laugh, the tension of the moment easing as they shared a light-hearted exchange amidst the aftermath of battle. He marveled at her prowess; in under a minute, she had felled more than fifty giant rats at the entrance, an impressive feat that he couldn't have matched.
"How can you even say that looking like you do right now?" James said, a mix of amusement and disbelief in his tone as he eyed Laura, who was smeared with a viscous, sticky substance.
Laura muttered with a touch of resignation, "My teacher is a middle-aged guy too, always getting into messes like this." She then suggested, "Why don't you go ahead and wait? I need to clean this mess off."
"Sure," James agreed, scanning her from head to toe. He noted that apart from a small waist bag, she didn't seem to carry much else. Curious but respecting her privacy, he decided to let it go and walked over to a nearby large rock to sit down. He opened his attribute panel, a personal detail he kept to himself.
[Host: James
Body: Scarecrow
Rank: G-grade top grade
Growth Value: 732.1/1000
Talent: Life Desire (E), Fear Devouring (E)
Skills: Fear (G), Life Harvest (G), Straw Binding (G)
(When you advance to F level, you will get some evolution points, and you can choose the direction of evolution.)
"I'm almost there," James sighed. Laura had explained that humans can't control the pace of their promotion at G level, only nudging it slightly as they approach a breakthrough. Alien species, however, were not as limited, often bound only by their innate traits. He wondered, not for the first time, what exactly he was. Neither fully human nor a typical alien species, did that make him a monster?
Chuckling to himself, "Monster... what an ironic twist," he mused aloud.
"Monster... a monster!" a quavering voice echoed nearby. James, still seated, glanced over and saw a young couple clinging to each other, staring at him with wide, fearful eyes.
[Two G-level high-quality creatures become afraid of the host, growth value +0.6]
Trying to reassure them, James called out, "Don't be afraid, I'm human."
But his attempt backfired spectacularly.
"Ah...! The alien speaks!"
"Ahh! A high-level alien species!" they cried out, collapsing in a heap on the ground, their cries growing louder.
James's expression darkened with frustration.
"Clearly, these two think they've met an alien," he muttered under his breath.
Just then, Laura's cheerful voice cut through the confusion. "What's all this commotion?"
Turning towards her, James noticed that she was drying her freshly washed hair with a towel, now dressed in a clean, light green outfit.
"Where did you find those clothes..." he began, but was abruptly cut off as the panicked couple spotted Laura.
"Beauty, run! That guy's a dangerous alien!" they shouted to her.
Caught off guard, Laura pressed the towel to her face, her body tensing awkwardly.
James's face darkened even further, a mix of embarrassment and annoyance coloring his features. "Please, help me explain to them. And why are you acting so bashful all of a sudden?"