ere no signs of intrusion yet. Before he could even think too much abou

for any sound. But there was nothing-dead silence. Not even a pin d

re ship. Nothing else. Could I be wrong? Was it really an attack? Or perhaps something else? Rega

ard was in sight. Icaros knew this ship was vast, with many corridor and rooms, yet the

, he told himself, trying to push a

n leave the ship entirely to find others... or check the r

chose the latter. He walked toward

nyone there?" he asked,

t once more, when his ears caught a faint,

O

ed his instinct to use his flying ability to floa

eted him made his

ure-an enormous humanoid creature, nearly eight feet tall. Its skin was the color of bark, yet p

e. As it shifted, Icaros caught sight of a female body beneath it, blood

turbingly human-like, yet t

when suddenly, the creature's head shifted and morphed, transforming into

scles coiling tight like springs

ver leaving his face. "To make such bold decisions at

ld he know what I did i

your first mission," the creature continued. "It is merely by chance that you were in

rupted calmly, cutting off the monologue.

n his face swiftly twisted

cles that slithered like snakes. His legs dissolved into wood splin

sed coldly. "You were never meant to leave here alive. And now... f

er Icaros like a living disaster. Yet Icaros stood his g

ted to its bark-like form

t forth, seemingly having been hidden there all along. They lashed out, coiling aro

for a second as to why Icaros hadn't tried to dod

g doom. The tips of its tentacles hardened into s

s into the wall and launched itself forward

the room, weapons

before impact, a smirk

AC

r. Icaros drove his hand forward, shaped like a sharp blade, straight into

harp weapons failed to pierce Icaros, b

d moved his heart, using a special technique to protect it. It was f

yed across Ica

ed weakly before its body wen

in red, holding a still-bea