3. To Devour to Death

It was dark.

Suffocating.

There wasn’t anything he could do, but to accept death as it was.

It was way less than a year, yet his death already came. Gruesome, unlike the peaceful deep sleep the doctor told about. Jed didn’t have that kind of luxury.

Instead, he was eaten alive by a monstrous frog-like alien. Swallowed like a damn drug from a dark corner in the street. He didn’t want it.

Trying to get air into his burning lungs, Jed could only gasp in horror at the end of his life. Choking on the alien’s innards, he felt a searing pain in his back. In the middle of his spine – excruciating.

Even so, there was nothing he could do.

[System activated.]

It was dark.

But, the white and blue letters framed by a bluish panel floated in front of his eyes. Did he not close his eyes already?

Shouldn’t it be dark, in this suffocating stomach of a monstrous frog-like alien?

Jed could no longer breathe.

And he’c cry if only he could…

But he’d die–

Ah, he knew it.

There was no way he’d accept death now. It was just too soon. He didn’t want to accept it. He didn’t want to die. At least, not now. Not when he barely started to live his life.

Still, he didn’t regret saving someone he met today. How strange. Where did this heroic act come from?

[Extraterrestrial core located.]

‘Huh?’

The floating blueish panel with those words came back. He didn’t know how, but he could see it clearly while in the frog-like alien’s stomach. Not only that, but he could also see something red as big as a basketball. An alien core, he thought.

[Consume extraterrestrial core to activate Ultimate Skill – Devour.]

‘Whaaaaat?’

Jed’s consciousness started to fade. He couldn’t breathe. The extraterrestrial frog’s innards were crushing him, drenching him with slimy liquid to digest him.

He had to get out of here.

[Consume extraterrestrial core to activate Ultimate Skill – Devour.]

‘Devour?’

Jed didn’t know why, but he felt the urge to do what the strange floating panel told him to. He didn’t even know what Devour was, but it sounded like a role-playing game’s dialogue.

If he did that, would he live another day?

Of course, no one could answer him.

Even so, a new determination burned inside Jed’s chest. He felt as if he had to do that.

Pushing the last bit of energy he had, Jed grabbed the Force’s issued knife from its holster and brought it up. With his three percent synergy force, Jed managed to bring the knife up and exposed the alien core.

The extraterrestrial frog’s inside tightened, its muscles crushed him in response. Jed didn’t stop there. He reached out while he could and wrenched the red alien core from its protective fibres.

He had to eat this?

[Consume extraterrestrial core to activate Ultimate Skill – Devour.]

If he could live another day…

Jed bought a piece of the red alien core to his mouth and swallowed. It tasted like swallowing a cloth that has wiped vomit. A taste he never wish to know.

[Ultimate Skill – Devour activated.]

The floating bluish panel came back like before, flashing through his consciousness and jerking him to the living world once again.

[You have devoured Quorg.]

[You have received rewards as follows.]

[Core +90]

[AGI +17]

[DEX +14]

[PER +9]

[STR +23]

[Active Skill – Grimjaw]

Strengthen jaws and sharpen teeth to deal damage for 1 minute.

CD: 1 hour

Core: -90

[Item – Frogsbane Coil]

A whip made from Quorg’s tongue. Able to extend reach to pull items or enemies closer.

___

With renewed strength, Jed brought his knife to slash through the monstrous frog-like alien with ease. “Aaargh!”

The alien monster screeched and writhed as its stomach was cut from the inside.

Jed didn’t stop until he made a clean cut wide enough for its stomach content spilled. Bursting open, he got out of the grotesque extraterrestrial creature. Digesting slime all over his body, drenching him in disgust.

When he fell on the training ground, the frog-like monster dropped dead on its back. Not even a second later, he gave up fighting to stay conscious.

Darkness once again surrounded him.

___

White ceiling.

White walls.

IV fluids connecting to his hands.

A very familiar scene in the back of Jed’s mind. He was once again admitted to a hospital.

“Mr. Hunter?”

The voice came from the doorway, where two men in black suits stood, asking for permission. One of them had thick round glasses, while the other had a deep frown on his face, whom Jed knew from the selection exam earlier yesterday.

Jed nodded, letting them inside his hospital room. “Captain Reed?”

The frowning man looked him in the eye, “How are you?”

It sounded less like a concerned question and more like an interrogation. Jed sighed, “As you can see, I’m not hurt. Just dizzy and very exhausted.”

Henry asked, “Do you remember what happened at the selection exam?”

Jed looked at his hands, collecting his memory. “I was with Ricky Mitchell when one of the alien monsters came to us. He froze and couldn’t move, so I tried to drag him away. But the monster quickly charged at us and its tongue grabbed me. I was eaten. Thankfully, I still got the knife to cut its stomach open.”

The frown deepened as Henry listened. “Strange. Mitchell said you kicked him and let yourself be grabbed by the alien. Do you want to be a hero that bad?”

Winced as he was caught half-lying, Jed told his reason. “My body moved on its own. I was scared of dying earlier, but I’d regret letting my friend get eaten while I can only witness.”

“How did you get out of the alien’s stomach?”

Jed tilted his head, “Like I said, I used the knife to slash it open from the inside.”

“A soldier with twenty percent synergy force had to shoot the alien five times to make the core visible. How did you do that with only three percent synergy force?”

Gulping, Jed thought of an excuse that wouldn’t raise suspicion. “I guess the inside is a bit softer, making it easier for me to slash its stomach open. Or maybe, my rushing adrenaline somehow made it possible to do that earlier.”

At the very last, Henry’s frown lessened. “But the selection exam didn’t happen earlier.”

“Huh?”

“It was one week ago.”

“What?!” Jed pushed himself up from the shock. “I was unconscious for a whole week?!”

“Yes.”

“B-b-but how was the exam? Did I pass?”

Henry curled an eyebrow. “After all of this, you still want to join the Force?”

Jed looked away, thinking by himself. He joined the selection exam just so that he could wear the EADF's cool combat suit. He wore it on the third exam. It felt good, like the best bullet proof armour there was. In fact, the fibres were also the smoothest kind of cloth he ever wore.

Even so, he had no reason to risk his already short life for it. Besides, he had many things he wanted to do before he died out of this ridiculous incurable illness he had no idea about.

The frown came back. Henry waited for his answer.

“Now that I think about it, I don’t really want to join.”

The man wearing thick glasses looked at Henry, trying to confirm something. When the frowning man nodded, he opened the leather case and took several papers. “Can you please read the terms and conditions for joining the EADF first? We will leave this to you here for consideration. You can ignore this paper if you don’t want to join us. However, if you changed your mind, just sign this and come to the appointment ceremony three days from now.”

Jed didn’t say anything as the papers were placed on the hospital’s bedside drawer. When they were done and about to leave, he stopped them. “Can I ask one more thing?”

Henry stared at him.

“Can you see it too? The floating panel, I mean.”

“What floating panel?”

Jed’s shoulders slumped.

It confirmed his guess. He shouldn’t ask Henry, because it’d only make him suspicious. “N-nothing. Maybe the nurse gave me too much drugs… ugh, I was diagnosed with Xenorespiratory Failure Syndrome three weeks ago. I only have one year left. I think…” Jed stared at his hands, noticing how nimble they were from years of working in front of a computer, “I think they gave me strong drugs when I was unconscious.”

“Ah,” the eyeglassed man chimed in, “I heard people with rare XFS suffer from hallucinations from time to time. I’m sorry to hear that, though.”

Jed nodded.

Meanwhile, Henry emotionlessly said, “If that’s all, we are leaving now.”

As they left, Jed sighed in relief. Although, that shouldn’t be how he felt, because now, he didn’t have any idea what happened to him. He was the only one who could see it. Nobody else. Not the nurse, not the doctor, and certainly not Henry and his companion.

Jed was the only one who saw it.

[---STATUS---]

HEALTH = 83/100

CORE = 98

___

AGI = 17

DEX = 14

END = 0

PER = 9

STR = 23

___

Active Skill:

Grimjaw – Strengthen jaws and sharpen teeth to deal damage for 1 minute.

CD: 1 hour

Core: -90

___

Item:

Frogsbane Coil – A whip made from Quorg’s tongue. Able to extend reach to pull items or enemies closer.

Effect – Paralyzed: Attacked enemies have a chance to become unable to move.

STR +8

___

But that was fine.

Whatever it was, Jed was still alive because of it. He only had one year left to live, he wouldn’t let anything shorten his already short life expectancy.

Now, what to do with his free time?

.

.

.

Bucket list of things I want to do before I die:

…

9. Get a pet

10. Wear the EADF’s cool combat suit X

11. Smoke a real cigarette

…