RE: Reality Smuggler (R-18)

"Don't move, or the Loli gets it!"

I viciously told the Stalker Leader, a roided-up Stalker that stood around 8m away, pointing a desert eagle at Primrose and a sniper rifle at it.

Of course, this is a farce I made up on the spot, with Primrose catching on and playing along masterfully. Her instant tears and desperate and frightened reaction made me almost buy it! I felt like a total villain here!

At least, the agitated Stalker leader in front of me froze, staring at me with a gaze full of hate as if I killed its entire family.

I am unsure if it is a part of her Inherent Knowledge, natural talent, or personality, but she can make it big as a child actress.

Anyways, for my guns...

I loaded the most potent rounds I got inside the sniper rifle. AP Incendiaries.

Not only would they penetrate its flesh, but also explode inside, dealing massive damage.

I once saw a test video on a human torso replica. Let's say if a person gets hit by it in the chest, his dead as dead can be. Although I am unsure it can kill this monster with a single shot, it should be crippled to a degree, right? Right?!

Well, back to the present...

"Grrr..." - The Leader barred its teeth, apparently incensed.

However, even when angered to near insanity, it was still rational, keeping its beady eyes on my trigger finger.

Technically, at this range, I can fire at it, but it would predict it and dodge it. It wasn't because it could see the future, but because it could see my trigger finger and line of fire. That is also why I aimed at its sternum and not the head.

It probably knew getting shot by a sniper rifle this up close would hurt like a bitch.

This deadlock lasted for a few seconds before it took a step forward.

"Step back, or I shoot!" - I ordered, sticking my pistol harder to Primrose's temple.

This had an effect, as the Leader visibly froze before reluctantly stepping back.

Honestly, my instincts were blaring warning signals right now. A fraction of a second is all it takes for it to take the opportunity to either disarm me, literally, or decapitate me. That is how fast the Leader is.

Conversely, it also likely knows that it would take only a fraction of a second to pull the trigger on Primrose.

It was this kind of deadlock.

If it reaches around 5-6m, I don't doubt that it will kill me then and there. I even doubt whether I can teleport in time or not.

While we were stuck in this deadlock, I heard approaching roars coming over.

The Leader likely called reinforcements.

"Call back your forces, or I'm blowing her pretty little head off!" - I ordered, threatening like a B-list villain.

This time, it hesitated, seemingly pondering its next move.

"Tell him to do it!" - I pressed the pistol hard against Primrose's skull, pushing her head to the right.

"Sorry, Primrose. I will make it up to you later..." - I promised in my heart.

"D-Do as he Hick* says! I don't want Hick* to die!" - Primrose said between sobs with a tearstained face, snot dripping from her nose.

"Jesus, her acting is good." - I praised in my mind.

The Leader visibly shook, finally giving in. The roars stopped, and its forces were withdrawn. Or, at least, that was on the surface.

I felt Primrose's finger rubbing against my leg, signaling that the Stalkers stayed.

However, I didn't reveal I knew it. Primrose can interrupt the Stalkers before they attack me. It was better to let it think it got a hand over me.

I faked being relaxed a bit, and it pretended to be angry.

And then, back to our stalemate.

However, this deadlock can't continue for long. I can't afford it.

For over ten minutes now, I held a bonafide sniper rifle with one hand, pointed at the Leader. Even with my evolved and strengthened body, this wasn't easy. Soon, I will slip for a moment. That moment is all it takes to close in and disarm me. Literally.

It was time to implement my impromptu plan into action.

"Empower Words."

Basic Energy: 130.5 -> 120.5

"Ȼħ'nǥłᵾɨ'Ⱥħ๘ǥ."

I said the Break word, aiming at the Leader's mind, every syllable like a hammer smashing against its mind.

But this time, unlike the weak glass-like minds of the Minions, the Leader's mind was more like a steel plate, stout and hardy.

It only flinched for a fraction, but that was all I needed.

Bang* Pa*

The bullet intended to hit its sternum but hit its left hand, exploding in a fiery blaze, tearing flesh, bone, and sinew.

However, I made a mistake, as the flash from the explosion and the recoil made me slightly stagger.

Before I knew it, ignoring its grievous injury, the Leader closed the distance. It was now 3.5m away.

I let go of the sniper rifle and looked at the broken window.

"Tele—"

Slash*

"—port!"

And so, I reappeared in the window and escaped to the streets, leaving three items behind; My sniper rifle, pistol, and the hand holding it.

 

...

 

The Leader looked at the space in front of him, stunned.

Just after succeeding in amputating the arm holding the pistol, it was gone.

"It vanished?!"

However, this thought was soon extinguished.

Crack*

The sound of glass being stepped on made him look back.

He saw the Human Stalker, clutching its left, bleeding stump, jump down to the street.

"It teleported!" - The Leader finally realized.

All this time, this detestable Human was avoiding him thanks to teleportation.

He narrowed his eyes and looked at his left hand. The bullet hit his forearm, breaking some of his bone and tearing a large portion of his flesh. His left arm is crippled.

"Hindrance." - He thought and sliced off the arm without a second thought.

The arm will regrow in the next few months, but now he had to kill.

Without looking at the newborn, he sent her a message through the crystal.

"Stay here." - He instructed and rushed out to the streets.

Very quickly, he saw the Human running away. It was already 30m away.

A murderous look flashed in his eyes.

"ALL STALKERS, ATTACK THE HUMAN!!!" - He roared.

At his orders, the Stalkers he instructed to hide in ambush jumped out, blocking its escape route.

In the meanwhile, the Leader was closing in the distance. He was now only 20m from the fleeing Human.

The Leader could already see the Human's death.

"When I catch you, I am going to eat your guts alive—"

But then, something unexpected happened.

"All Stalkers, stop."

A contradicting message entered the minds of all the Stalkers. He sensed it through his connection to the Stalkers.

This order was also on the same level of authority as his, making them all freeze.

He knew who gave this order, but it made him feel incredulous.

Feeling confused and irritated, he sent a message to the newborn.

"Newborn, what are you—"

Pa*

Before he could finish, he felt something hitting his back, followed by an explosion inside his torso.

"Another Human?! Where?!" - That was his first thought.

He immediately turned his head back, but what he saw stupefied him.

The newborn he saved was by the window, aiming the Human's sniper rifle at him. A small cloud of smoke came from the muzzle.

The newborn shot him.

He could only squeeze one word.

"Why?" - He asked her through their connection.

The answer he got made him even more stunned.

"For God." - The newborn replied, firing a second shot.

Pa*

This time, his right knee was hit from behind, exploding and rendering it useless.

He was now crippled, without an arm and a leg.

Ta* Ta* Ta*

He heard someone approaching him, so he looked forward.

He saw the Human holding his left stump, calmly looking at him.

The Leader shook, rage filling his mind.

"What did you do, Human?! Cough* Cough* What did you do to her?!!" - He demanded to know, coughing blood due to his internal injuries.

An Ascended wouldn't backstab him like this... Unless something was done to her mind.

Perhaps the Human understood his words as a hint of pity flashed in his eyes. The Human sighed and said one word.

"Sorry."

And then, he felt something hit the back of his head.

Pa*

Pa*

His world went black.

So ended the life of a Stalker Leader who selflessly risked his life to save a brainwashed backstabber.

 

...

 

{Gained 100.5 Basic Energy}

 

I stared blankly at the splattered head of the Stalker Leader, killed by my Zealot after two headshots.

Sure, it tried to hunt me, amputated my arm, and nearly killed me, but I felt a hint of pity for it.

That look of absolute rage and indignance, those last roars, I could guess what it was trying to say.

It likely asked what I did to Primrose. It died at the hands of a brainwashed backstabber he risked his life to save.

Such an unjust death... was painful to watch.

I then raised my head and looked around. The Stalkers who tried to attack me were now frozen in place. They stared blankly at their dead Leader.

They probably couldn't understand what was going on.

"Now that the Leader is dead, these guys are under Primrose's complete control now, hah? That means they answer to me." - I thought.

And then, I turned my eyes to my left arm. Half of my forearm was cut off, leaving a partially scabbed stump.

"He got me good..." - I muttered bitterly.

"Will I need to wear a prosthetic in the future?" - I asked myself.

{No. Touch of the True Sun can restore lost limbs as long as the person is alive. Of course, currently, the energy expenditure is beyond your recommended budget. I suggest finding your amputated arm and reattaching it after unlocking Touch of the True Sun 1.} - Trod answered voluntarily.

"Good to know." - I said and looked down.

Next to the blown-off head of the Leader was an Onyx Crystal initially connected to its forehead.

I walked forward, picked it up, and without hesitating, offered it.

 

{Gained 25 Evolution Energy A}

{Gained 25 Enhancement Energy A}

{A new complete evolutionary strand compatible with the host's Stalker genome has been detected.}

{Extracting... Success.}

{Optimizing... Success.}

{Unlocked new Evolutionary Route: Shadow Hunter.}

 

Basic Energy: 220

Evolution Energy A: 145.1

Enhancement Energy A: 30.6

 

"Shadow Hunter, hah? I guess this whole scenario is unfair as fuck to it." - I muttered.

A Shadow Hunter, or a hunter of the night, needed to fight head-on in a hostage situation. What a horrible matchup.

While I was thinking about it, I heard rapid footsteps approaching me.

"GOD, GOD!!!" - I heard a frantic and hysterical young voice.

I turned around to look.

A naked wax-colored little girl with fluttering pale-green hair and golden eyes ran toward me, holding an amputated arm that stained her waxen skin red. Her eyes were filled with tears, crying over my amputated arm.

She soon arrived in front of me.

"God, your arm!" - She cried tearfully.

"Primrose, I am fine." - I forced a smile while clutching my arm.

I didn't know if it was because of the adrenaline or being a Stalker, but I could tolerate the pain much easier than I thought.

"B-But, BUT! If I didn't call the Minions, this wouldn't happen!" - She cried while hugging my amputated arm.

"Hah... It's not your fault. I forgot to warn you." - I sighed and patted her head, ignoring my now-scabbed injury.

How can I blame such a loyal kid for my blunder?

"Besides, you did wonderfully. Thank you, Primrose." - I smiled and ruffled her hair.

"Mm..." - She closed her eyes, perhaps finding solace in my touch.

While coaxing my depressed Zealot, I communicated with Trod.

"Trod, unlock Touch of the True Sun 1."

 

{Power: Touch of the True Sun 1 Unlocked.}

Enhancement Energy A: 30.6 -> 20.6

 

Touch of the True Sun 1: Cover the Host's hand with True Sun Flames, either damaging his foes or healing his allies, including himself.
Cost: Up to 1 Basic Energy per second. (Replaceable with mental energy)
When Healing: Gradually restores the body and soul to their complete state. It also has a soothing effect to mask the excruciating pain caused by restoration.
When Damaging: Gradually destroys the body and soul of the target. The target will feel every ounce of pain as it is disintegrated.
Note: The Host can choose to exclude the body or soul of the target.

 

"Good." - I secretly nodded.

I then spoke to my Zealot.

"Primrose, I have a mission for you." - I said seriously.

"Y-Yes, Sniff*, Anything!" - Primrose looked at me reverently, her face stained with tears and snot.

"Please help me stick my amputated arm to the stump. Make it as accurate as possible." - I told her, showing my crippled arm.

"Y-Yes! I will do my best!" - Her eyes revealed determination, perhaps to make up for her previous blunder.

After several attempts, she finally stuck my amputated arm to the stump.

Luckily, the Stalker Leader cut my arm off cleanly. If it was crushed or something, it wouldn't be that easy.

Seeing my detached arm and stump connected, I endured the pain as I placed a hand over it.

"Touch of the True Sun."

I activated it, black flames covering my right palm and wound.

As the description says, I felt a soothing sensation as my arm was being reattached.

Reconnecting nerves should be as painful as hell, but the flames bypassed it. Convenient.

I saw in real-time as my bone, flesh, and skin reconnected.

After 20 seconds, I stopped and checked.

There was no scar, no anything. My hand got readjusted perfectly.

I clenched and unclenched my hand and felt around for anything weird.

Nothing.

I pinched my left palm. I felt pain.

That confirms it.

It is a perfect limb reattachment.

While I was observing my hand, Primrose stared at my hand, dumbfounded.

"Is this the power of God?" - She asked, blinking her worshipful eyes.

"Yes, you can say that..." - I answered vaguely.

Even though I know she is dead loyal to me, sometimes it is better to keep your mouth shut.

At the very least, I can bullshit my way out of anything by saying "God's Power.".

It was better to tell her a white lie.

I then looked at her naked and bloodstained body and tearful snot-filled face.

I took out a packet of wet wipes, took one out, and cleaned her face. I almost felt like a father cleaning his child. I am unsure why I felt this way.

Perhaps my connection to her was influencing me. As they say, God is like a loving father, and a believer is like a filial child.

"God, please let me do this myself..." - She protested.

"Hm... Fine. Clean yourself up a bit first. I need to get my guns first." - I gave her the packet and went to get my stuff and the fallen blanket.

By the time I returned, Primrose was done, and a pile of wet wipes surrounded her.

"Primrose, put this on." - I gave her the blanket.

"Yes." - She obediently nodded and put it on again.

Better than nothing.

"Let's go get you some clothes now. And this time, no Minions." - I said with a wide smile.

I got traumatized enough as it is.

"I... Yes." - Primrose wanted to say something but stopped herself.

She probably understood resistance was useless.

"Okay, hop on my back. I don't want you to walk barefoot like this." - I kneeled, showing my back.

"B-But..." - She hesitated greatly.

"It's an order." - I said firmly, denying any chance of resistance.

"... Yes..." - She said demurely and climbed on my back.

Seeing that she hooked her hands on my neck, I rose to my feet and was about to walk away when I noticed the Leader's carcass.

"Primrose, what do you think I should do with it?" - I asked her opinion.

"I think you should give it to one of the Minions. It should evolve into a Stalker." - She said in an uninterested voice.

"Don't you want to eat it yourself?" - I asked, raising an eyebrow.

This carcass was full of super nutritious meat. I was sure she would want to eat it.

"I don't want to eat it. It's full of metal fragments and gunpowder residue." - She said, disgusted.

"Fair. Have one of the Minions monopolize it." - I nodded and dropped the topic.

I then started walking to the shopping strip.

On the way there, I asked her.

"By the way, all the Soldiers, Stalkers, and Minions are under your control now, right?" - I asked to confirm.

"Yes." - She replied.

"How many are there?" - I asked, wanting to confirm.

"I sense 31 Soldiers, 35 Stalkers, and 40,852 Minions in a 5-mile radius." - She said after some thought.

"Woah! That's a lot of Minions..." - I exclaimed, surprised.

"Not really. A 5-mile radius of fertile soil can produce tens of thousands of Minions a month if not managed and protected. If managed well and protected, around 10 million a month, possibly more with the proper technology." - She said respectfully.¹It isn't a random number. I calculated it.

"Ssss...." - I took a deep breath.

Ten million Minions a month for a 5-mile radius. That is an insane number.

"Ten million Minions... That's 5m Basic Energy points and 1m Enhancement Energy and Evolution Energy points. And that is each month."

My mind shook at the concept of it.

It should be pointed out that I still didn't surpass the 1,000-point mark, let alone a million.

"But now... I have Primrose. All of these Soldiers, Stalkers, and Minions are mine to control. Oh, that reminds me. Trod, what will happen if I evolve into an Ascended?" - I asked to confirm a suspicion.

{You will change species and become a Kin. Of course, I optimized the gene and removed the vulnerability to hierarchal commands.}

"Nice... Then, if I can harvest 10,000 Minions, I can unlock devolve and re-evolve into an Ascended! I won't need to fear getting attacked by the Kin again!"

At that thought, my eyes shone.

As they say, if you can't beat them, join them.