Chap 137: Stop Attacking!

Tee had just learned about a Xeno-victim Vergant named Madara-J’nah—someone who had been running to become an elder. It seemed the Vergants not only had a way to restrain the Xenosapian problem, but treated their infected as equals. Could that really be possible?

She continued listening intently to the escort.

Like all hosts of the virus, the Balance Seal had restrained Madara-J’nah’s mutation. During his meditations to strengthen the Seal, he conducted trials on himself in hopes of finding a cure. One such trial created an exception—his mutation triggered despite the Seal. But that wasn’t the only anomaly.

The Xenogene awakened, yet it did not seize full control of his mind nor kill its host. With the balance of life still intact, the Seal did not meet its criteria to instill death. Thus, Madara-J’nah remained alive—and so did the Xenogene.

The elders initially believed that was a positive step toward a cure. But that optimism shattered after Madara-J’nah slaughtered several natives. It became clear that the mutated Xenogene—now referred to as the Xenovore—had gained intelligence from the catastrophic trial. Fortunately, both host and symbiote were contained.

Killing a member of the village was no trivial matter. They had proof Madara-J’nah was still conscious, still fighting for control. He was placed under strict supervision as the elders sought every possible method to save him. Fearing they might kill him themselves, they called upon the Sentinels of the planet to intervene.

“Why are we taking so long to reach this J’nah person?” Tee asked.

The escorts exchanged a look before one answered, having understood her message.

“We make our way unto the containment chamber wherein lieth the corrupted Madara-J’nah. The chamber beareth great restrictions upon transit for the sake of security. Therefore must we journey thither by foot.”

Kie pressed for more information. “About the Xenosapian—what more can you tell us?”

The escorts glanced at each other before continuing.

“Strange and uncommon was it, for the virus sought not the life of the host. Both didst dwell in a symbiotic bond, yet Madara-J’nah strove mightily for his freedom.”

They went on to describe the abilities of the symbiote. It could form spikes, possessed heightened senses, and had enhanced regenerative capabilities. The Xenogene was intelligent, showing an ulterior motive to protect its host. It understood that the death of its host meant its own death. The escorts believed this dependence stemmed from the Balance Seal remaining intact.

When silence stretched too long, Kie pushed again. “Is that all? Since we’re nowhere near, you may as well keep talking.”

The escorts glanced at one another again before offering more information.

“While under watchful eyes, the corrupted Madara-J’nah spake oft unto a voice within his mind. Verily, it seemed he communed with something possessed of intelligence.”

The other escort added, “The voice within Madara-J’nah’s mind bade him cease his resistance. Yea, it commanded him to slay every soul within the metropolis, that he might be accepted. His reward was promised release from grievous hunger and the yoke of control.”

Zod leaned forward. “So… the voice was the Xenogene symbiote speaking?”

One escort shook his head slightly. “It was unlikely the symbiote spake. History recordeth many instances wherein dark forces corrupted intelligence even unto the point of no recovery. And after such corruption… they were summoned by it.”

“It?” Zod echoed, eyes wide as he hovered an inch behind the escort. “Who—or what—is it?”

“The One that lieth beneath us,” said one escort.

“The One accountable for the Reign of Severin,” finished the other.

“Severin?” Saeda asked. “You mean the real leader of the Harbingers?”

Miko’s voice broke through the silence, louder than she intended. “Wait—Isn’t Lilith the leader of the Harbingers?”

Zod slowed his pace to fall beside her. “Severin is the head of the Harbingers, but Lilith is more like the…” His words trailed off. His brows knitted as the pieces aligned. “Hold on. Are you saying this corrupted Vergant is going to become a Harbinger?”

Silence followed. The five Sentinels imagined the possibilities—none of them good. A symbiote-empowered Elite would bring them right back to where they started with five Harbingers again. Worse if it was stronger than the bandaged one.

Saeda suddenly snorted a quiet chuckle, slicing through the tension. Her teammates all glanced her way as she lowered her hands, annoyed with her failed attempt to hide the sound.

“What’s so funny?” Tee asked from the back.

Saeda responded in her usual flat, lifeless tone. “Just a thought. What if there are more Harbingers? Like… thousands. Maybe the ones we fight are only the ones assigned to hunt fragments. And hunting fragments might be just one of many ways they’re planning to end the world.”

Her words carved deep furrows into every face around her before Zod finally groaned.

“Saeda, why must you bring up something so negative? You need a filter on that mouth of yours.”

“If that’s the case, then they all need to be fired—because they’re doing a pretty terrible job if we’re still here” Tee added.

The two escorts stopped, but not to question the unusual context of the word filter. The wall before them melted downward, forming an entrance to a grand room. Inside stood several Vergants in dark attire, surrounding a wide translucent dome. They shifted their attention to the Sentinels and bowed in unison.

The Sentinels had been informed that Madara-J’nah was inside the dome. However, what they saw behind the barrier was not a Vergant in a hooded robe or a Xenosapian. It was a human-sized red cone. They needed no further hints that progress would be slow.

Zod attempted to lighten the mood. “At least it’s just one evil person. No other Harbingers or annoying defenses to worry about. This should be quick.” He nodded, both arms akimbo.

Tee popped the bubble instantly. “We’re not here to kill. We need to sever the bond keeping the chap alive—curing him of the Xenogene.”

Kie caught the determination in Tee’s eyes. He liked that she was firm on orders.

“Here’s an idea,” Saeda added. “How about we do nothing and let Miko do her work? Still don’t get why the rest of us are here.”

Miko gulped.

The Sentinels said nothing more once their bodies began glowing. They quickly realized the Vergants were chanting over them.

“Sentinels, make haste as ye pass through the dome.”

They rushed forward, pushing through the barrier, which felt like forcing themselves through a wall of gum. The moment it peeled from their skin, spikes shot from the red cone toward them. They leaped aside, narrowly avoiding the sharp tips.

Spread out, the five Sentinels summoned their swords as the spikes retracted back into the cone. The sheer distance the strikes had traveled left tension hanging in the air. All but Tee got their swords to glow—Kie’s shining brightest.

Cracks should have formed beneath Miko’s feet from how hard she anchored herself. That dome meant they were trapped until the task was done. If only she knew how to repeat what she’d done to the possessed Saeda.

The cone then rippled like living skin, reshaping into a bulky body. Its head remained incomplete, one side of the host’s face exposed—black-filled eyes staring through. But attention shifted to the unnaturally wide smile stretching beneath. A deep, ticking chuckle followed as thorns rose across the being, forming something that could only be described as a monster.

The monster flashed closer and fired darts from every part of its body. The Sentinels slashed them away, gaining distance instead of engaging.

It darted toward each of them in turn, launching a dark red substance from the spikes covering its skin. The substance melted Tee’s swords but not the glowing ones of her teammates. She summoned new blades again and again, her life flashing before her eyes each time she dodged another red blast.

After several rounds of dodge-the-red-lunatic, Zod had enough. He fired energy blasts straight at the creature.

The monster’s thick red skin stretched from its torso and morphed into a shield. It absorbed the blasts, then redirected them back toward him.

Zod evaded the reflected shots, which continued past him and dissolved harmlessly into the dome. He reminded himself this wasn’t an average Xenosapian—but a monster was still a monster.

Tee bit back the urge to yell at Zod not to kill the host. She didn’t want to seem like she cared too much, because only another Xeno-victim would care. And she was not one.

Miko had no idea what to do and fought to keep a straight face. Her lips were nearly trembling. Too many people were depending on her even if none of them said it.

Kie spoke through his telecom. “I suggest we destroy the Xenogene’s manifestation to sever the bond.”

Saeda asked, “Can we get specific instructions on how to do that?”

Kie replied, “I have no idea. It sounded less complicated in my head.”

“Miko,” he continued, eyes locked on the beast, “let’s test the span of its shield.”

Blue flames burst from his swords as he whipped several blazing waves at the monster. It expanded its shield wider, and Miko dashed toward the unguarded side.

She made it within five feet when a mouth opened at the back of its head. A red glow formed behind its jagged teeth—a blast charging. She teleported just in time. In the next instant she was sprinting toward another section of the dome. She stamped her foot to stop herself before slamming into the barrier.

Unlike running, where distance approached gradually, teleportation gave Miko no time to adjust. Surroundings flashed around her, and trapped inside that dome, she had a new fear—teleporting straight into her doom. It didn’t help that she still couldn’t control when or where she teleported.

Kie ordered the team, “New plan. Attack the monster with everything you’ve got. Hopefully we can sever the bond when it is near death and unable to retaliate.”

Tee didn’t like the plan, but they were out of options. Never had a host survived a triggered mutation, and she could not let the chance to find a cure slip away. Her future hung on the outcome of that mission. She would not allow anyone to kill that host—no matter what it took.

A deep, rumbling voice echoed from the monster. “I shall fulfill the task that hath been given unto me.”

Its red skin slithered over the host’s face, closing around its head, while two large, glowing eyes formed on either side. Long tentacles protruded from its shoulders, writhing in the air.

A hollow dread spread through the Sentinels. Xenosapians could not speak. That confirmed the host was alive. The terrifying reality hit them. They were not here to kill, but to save.

Zod held his breath and unleashed a steady energy blast at the monster’s shield, leaving no opening for it to redirect. Kie, facing him from the other side, threw spinning swords at the unshielded portions. Tee and Saeda leaped high, sending razor-edged blades crashing down on top of the creature.

The monster tried to stretch its shield around itself, but the swords pierced through. Its shield faltered, and it took the full force of Zod’s blast, hurtling through the air and smashing against the dome. The Vergant natives watching from outside the dome stepped back in alarm.

Zod dropped to his knees, gasping for breath after holding it too long. Miko reached the monster, but it lashed sharp-tipped tentacles at her before she could strike. She sliced them away, only for red blasts to erupt from their exposed ends.

Tee, Saeda, and Kie joined in behind her. They cut the protruding tentacles and sent multiple swords at the monster. It formed another shield from its tentacles, but the glowing blades tore through it and struck its body. Its shield failed again, and it collapsed to its knees.

With the shield gone, Kie unleashed his strongest energy waves. The monster tried to form a shield, but that time it couldn’t absorb or redirect the attacks. The energy split the shield and slammed the monster several feet, sending it crashing into the dome.

The red mana peeled away, revealing the host’s face and parts of his robe. The host screamed in a strained male voice, black-filled eyes wide in terror. Black goo dripped from his mouth, making his words incomprehensible.

The screams struck Tee’s heart. She shouted.

“Stop attacking!”