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RUMBLE
"I-Impossible! W-What sort of power…?! Gaaack!"
"Don't worry, I'll be merciful. You're going to become my new friend from now on, after death," Maria said, her face twisting into a chilling smile as she touched the alien's head until it died, blood streaming from its eyes and mouth. "Rise."
FLUOSH!
With a single word, the alien's soul was bound in place, and its corpse reanimated. To the shock of the other Hive members watching, their General rose again, gazing at Maria with unwavering devotion.
"I greet you, my new master."
"Well said. You and I can become true friends. I want to learn about your kind and where you came from, especially your connection to Drakogon."
"There is currently a meeting on the upper floors… Would it be better to see for yourself, master?"
"Oh?"
Maria glanced back at her family and her two new Zodiacron allies.
"Looks like we hit the jackpot today."
As Maria grinned, pillars of black wood erupted from the ground, impaling dozens of aliens charging toward her with ferocious roars. Their bodies were skewered through the corridors, creating a grim and intimidating atmosphere for the insectoid armies advancing from other parts of the spaceship.
The black wood she summoned stemmed from her Qliphoth Magic, rarely used but highly potent, delivering swift, sharp attacks infused with her Death Elemental Power. These attacks spread rapidly and proved remarkably resilient, like the wood itself.
"Quick Hare, make sure to reach Level 100 as fast as possible!" Maria urged.
"Okay!" Quick Hare nodded, bolstered by temporary buffs from Emeraldine. She began charging her energy, surging forward with leaping attacks, crushing, kicking, and blasting dozens of insectoid aliens at a time.
Meanwhile, Maria's family sprang into action. Lucifer incinerated enemies with his deadly white flames and sliced them apart with his scythe, while Nyx mimicked her father, unleashing her breath attack to overcome most obstacles.
Celes, Alma, and Nia combined their elemental magic, conjuring a powerful maelstrom that engulfed the aliens, drowning them, electrocuting them, and then freezing them, shattering them into pieces through a masterful combination spell.
Arachne reveled in the chaos, transforming into her colossal spider form and terrified the aliens, who mistook her for one of their ancient natural predators from their original world. With a single strike of her legs, she effortlessly impaled them and devoured them whole. She noted their spicy flavor and the oddly sweet acid blood within. Maria had no interest in eating them but appreciated the insight.
Emeraldine, Partner, Jonathan, and Arthur stayed close to Maria, on standby. Having already fought extensively, they conserved their energy for whatever might come next.
Maria didn't turn as many aliens into Undead as she would have liked, allowing her family and allies to kill and vaporize them as needed. Their strength was so overwhelming that a single blow often left nothing worth reanimating.
Still, she acknowledged their potential as Undead material. Their durability and resilience made them exceptional, and once transformed into Nightmare Undead, they surpassed most of the Undead she had previously tamed.
As they advanced rapidly, massacring the insectoids, larger, heavier enemies rolled into battle—literally. A new type, unseen by the Zodiacrons, appeared, resembling giant pill bugs that barreled over their foes, crashing with immense force and blazing Mana Auras.
CLASH! BAAM! RUMBLE!
They came in dozens, attempting to overwhelm the group, but Jonathan, Emeraldine, Partner, and Arthur held them at bay. Jonathan cleaved them in half with his radiant sword, while Partner caught them with her spears and hurled them away.
Emeraldine employed direct magic, erecting walls of divine spiritual wood and crushing the enemies with a hand crafted from the same material, aided by her spirits, including Root. Arthur, meanwhile, kicked them back or delivered piercing blows, unleashing blasts of light and darkness with his attacks.
More "Generals" appeared alongside them, the same type of insectoid Maria had tamed. She had yet to name her new servant and was still pondering options.
"Why are you helping the invaders?!"
"You dare betray the Queen?!"
"How dare you!"
A trio of Generals roared angrily at Maria's Undead servant, who gazed back at them without a word, devoid of emotion.
"I simply serve my new master. She showed me the light after death, and you three could do the same!"
The Undead General surged forward at incredible speed, clashing with all three simultaneously. Their scythes and potent magical auras overwhelmed her briefly, but she broke through, empowered by Nightmare Essence coursing through her body, doubling her size and strength.
"Gaze upon the power of my new master!"
CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!
"Gryaaaack!"
The Generals couldn't withstand her might. They fell swiftly, their chests impaled, and heads severed. She dragged their corpses to Maria, offering them to her.
"Master, please grant them the enlightenment you gave me."
"Very well."
Maria had planned to turn them into Undead anyway, and her servant's delivery made the task easier. Her Aura merely needed to touch their bodies for her [Creation of Death] Skill to activate. The wounds on their chests healed, and their severed heads rejoined their bodies.
"Welcome to the life after life! We are now free from the colony, servants of eternal death. Rejoice!"
"Oooohhh!"
"Truly wondrous!"
"My mind feels clearer than water!"
The four insectoid aliens celebrated, raising their massive scythes to the sky and performing a peculiar dance that Maria found somewhat endearing, all things considered.
"They are a little weird, huh?" Quick Hare wondered.
"Yeah, they are," Maria said. "It's honestly fascinating to see how their minds change upon becoming Undead. It feels like, for the first time, they're thinking for themselves."
"I sense more footsteps approaching, heavier and metallic ones," Vyperion said. "Maria, how far are we from this meeting room?"
"Not far. It's at the end of this corridor," Maria replied.
They had already climbed three floors in mere minutes, slaying hundreds of insectoid aliens along the way. About a third of them were in good enough condition to become Undead, trailing Maria from behind.
The group swiftly advanced toward their destination, arriving at a heavily fortified area within the spaceship, guarded by dozens of larger, more muscular General-type aliens wielding mechanical weapons.
Beside them stood over ten Corrupted Zodiacrons, their bodies turned purple and black, their eyes glowing red as they conversed with one another.
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