The wind whipped his face, but Deiv felt only one thing.
The rotting smell of parasites ahead.
And fire.
On the horizon, right in the ink-black darkness, crimson flames ripped apart the sky.
He accelerated.
Military base near Dagestan
The soldiers were retreating.
They no longer fought — they survived.
The concrete walls of the base were shattered like eggshells. Parasites crawled over the debris, biting into the mangled bodies of the dead. The air was thick with the smell of gasoline, burning flesh, and... something else. Something foreign.
The commander of the base, breathing heavily, reloaded his weapon, gritting his bloodied teeth. Only a handful of soldiers remained around him.
— Sir! — shouted one of the soldiers, holding a radio to his ear. — We received a message!
— What the hell kind of message?!
— From command... They say that a... "ally" is coming to us.
The commander grimaced.
— What?..
At that moment, a roar sounded.
Through the dusty haze, a silhouette appeared.
Tall. Broken.
Dark eyes gleamed in the light of the flames.
The soldiers raised their weapons.
— DON’T SHOOT! — came from the radio.
The commander still didn’t understand.
— Who. Is. This?!
— It’s that... Parasite... — the soldier nervously swallowed. — He... is with us.
— Go to hell!
The commander grabbed his pistol but didn’t have time to raise it.
The parasites howled.
They charged at the people.
Deiv moved first.
His claws dug into the nearest creature, tearing its body in half.
The soldiers froze.
They saw how he fought. How he tore apart his own.
But that didn’t make him one of them.
The next parasite tried to leap at a soldier.
Deiv was instantly in front of it, grabbed it, and crushed its skull.
His eyes flared.
— Run! — screamed one of the soldiers, unable to hold back.
But the commander didn’t move.
He saw something else.
What was behind Deiv.
From the ruins, a mountain of flesh crawled out.
A parasite of a new kind.
A monster, too large, too wrong.
Its body constantly shifted.
Bones protruded through the skin.
The muscles moved unnaturally.
It recognized Deiv.
"One of us."
"No. Foreign."
Deiv slowly clenched his fists.
— …Shit.
The monster roared.
The battle was just beginning.
Deiv froze, staring at the colossal creature in front of him. The smell of decay and raw meat hit his nose, making him want to vomit. The parasite’s blood-red eyes glowed through the haze of rot, and thick black slime dripped from its massive jaws. This was an elite parasite — a monster whose existence was only a rumor.
For a moment, a memory flashed before his eyes.
Two years ago...
— Alagana, you understand we need help! — Karib hit the table with his fist, looking at the woman with a cold expression. — If your boss sends even one elite parasite, we...
— You don’t even understand what you’re asking for, — Alagana crossed her arms, interrupting him. — They don’t send them for petty matters. Besides... — the corners of her lips twitched in a barely noticeable smirk. — You’re just too lazy to work.
Present…
<
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
Deiv cursed through clenched teeth. The creature opened its jaws, and a long roar escaped its throat. The sound was so deafening that his ears rang. Deiv felt his heart clench in cold fear — this roar was the most terrifying thing he had ever heard.
And in the next second, the parasite lunged at him.
Deiv darted to the side but was too late — the monstrous body slammed into him with wild force. The air was knocked out of his lungs, and the world momentarily went dark. Instinctively, he struck the parasite, burying his fist in its chest. The creature roared in pain but immediately attacked again with new fury.
<
<
His thoughts were interrupted by another strike — their fists collided in a powerful clash. The shockwave spread in all directions, lifting dust and knocking bricks from the half-destroyed buildings. Both were knocked back, landing on the ground with a dull thud.
Deiv groaned. His chest burned with pain.
<>
But the parasite was getting up. Its body writhed, muscles pulsed, and the wounds on it healed in the blink of an eye.
<
<
Deiv didn’t wait for the creature to attack again — he made a leap and disappeared into the ruins. Survivors could be seen in the distance.
When he emerged from the shadow of the collapsed buildings, the people noticed him. In the next moment, a dull click of safeties echoed — dozens of soldiers aimed their weapons at him, and the civilian survivors screamed in terror.
Deiv clenched his fists.
<
— Don’t shoot! — a rough voice shouted in Russian.
Deiv turned and saw the general — badly wounded but still on his feet. The general frowned, eyeing him carefully.
— Something happened… Actually, why am I asking? You don’t even understand my language.
— Really? — Deiv responded in perfect Russian.
A heavy silence fell. The soldiers froze. The general stared at him as if a stone had suddenly started talking.
<
— We’ve got a problem. I can’t kill him. He regenerates and adapts.
— No way to kill him?
— There is one way…
— And what is it?
— Fire.
— Fire??
— Do you have incendiary rounds?
— I think… for the sniper rifle, — one of the soldiers replied.
— What about a barrel of gasoline?
— We have one… but why do you need it? The general nervously answered.
Deiv smirked.
— Because I’m planning to shove it down this bastard’s throat, and one of you will set it on fire with a shot.
A silence fell.
— Are you crazy? — the general exhaled.
— Maybe. But we don’t have a choice.
The general looked around at the soldiers.
— Who’s willing to fire?
The crowd of soldiers remained silent. All were terrified.
But suddenly, a man with a scar over his eye stepped forward.
— I’ll shoot.
Deiv nodded.
— Where’s the barrel?
— In the warehouse, — the general pointed toward the half-destroyed building. — But... the problem is, the warehouse is next to that monster.
<
He looked at the sniper.
— How much time do you need to prepare?
— Five minutes.
— Then wait for my signal.
Deiv leapt into the air and landed right on the parasite’s head. The impact made the monster stagger.
The fight resumed. The blows were lightning-fast. Each time Deiv dealt damage, the parasite regenerated, almost mocking his efforts.
But finally, Deiv noticed the flash of the sniper's scope.
<
He abruptly dropped to the ground, hitting it with such force that thick dust flew up. Seizing the moment, he dashed toward the warehouse, rushed inside, and quickly started checking the barrels. One was full.
At that moment, the warehouse ceiling was shattered, and the parasite burst inside.
— Shit…
Deiv grabbed the barrel with both hands and shot out of the warehouse.
The monster charged after him.
But Deiv was faster.
He jumped high into the air, twisted, and like a Hollywood hero, shouted:
— OPEN YOUR MOUTH!
With force, he shoved the barrel straight into the monster's throat.
The signal was given.
A shot rang out.
The incendiary round pierced the metal. In the next second, flames erupted, and the barrel exploded, engulfing the monster from the inside.
The parasite screamed so loudly that the walls shook. The flames consumed it, leaving no chance for regeneration. The fire burst from its mouth and eye sockets, tearing it apart from the inside.
One final gasp — and it collapsed.
Deiv looked at the sniper.
The sniper saw him through the scope and nodded.
Deiv gave him a thumbs up.
— Good job.
Deiv sank heavily to the ground, staring at the ashes of the parasite. He had just saved these people, but there was no satisfaction in his chest.
<
At that moment, a calm, but threatening, female voice sounded:
— Not bad for someone like you.
Deiv tensed and slowly turned his head.
In front of him stood a tall, thin woman with pale skin and long white hair. Her face was strangely beautiful, but her expression was predatory, almost amused.
— Don’t be afraid, I’m not mad at you, — she added, tilting her head slightly. — He was my least favorite spawn anyway.
Deiv thought to himself:
<
But before he could even fully process her appearance, she disappeared from the spot and appeared right in front of him.
IMPACT.
Deiv didn’t even have time to react — he was thrown back several meters, landing heavily on his back, and then, coughing, he got up.
— Why am I so interesting to women… If I were human, I’d probably be happy about it… — he muttered, rubbing his cheek.
The woman didn’t respond — she just disappeared again.
Another hit.
And another.
And another.
Again. Again. Again.
He tried to parry, tried to predict her movements, but she was faster than he could comprehend. Each of her strikes was precise, accurate, and deadly.
But finally, after another attack, Deiv found the moment for a counterattack.
Through the blow, despite the pain, he turned and drove his fist into her stomach.
There was a loud THUD, and her slender body flew backward, crashing into the ground.
When the dust settled, she slowly rose, a malicious smile on her face.
— Listen, could you stop smiling? — Deiv exhaled, wiping blood from his lips. — You’re scaring me…
She laughed quietly.
— You’re funny.
— Yeah, one already told me that… — he remembered Galian and winced.
Deiv took a step forward, narrowing his eyes.
— But you know what surprises me? Why do you parasites pay so much attention to me? Why are you trying so hard to kill me?
The woman stopped smiling.
— Because you are the only problem in these lands.
Her voice became harder, almost icy.
Deiv exhaled.
— And out of curiosity… can I at least know your name?
She tilted her head, as if thinking, and then calmly responded:
— Val.
— So, Val… You seriously plan to fight me?
She smirked slightly.
— Fight? Heh-heh… — contempt flickered in her eyes. — You’re nothing more than a bug trying to defy what you’ve become.
Something unpleasant stirred in Deiv’s chest.
He clenched his fists.
— If I’m a bug to you… then why didn’t you kill me right away?
She smirked.
— Because I’m curious to see how strong you are before I kill you.
But then her expression changed.
Her eyes filled with rage.
— And also, — her voice became cold, almost hissing. — I want you to experience hellish pain… for trying to harm my daughters.
Deiv froze.
What?!
She… a mother?
Alagans… and Galian?!
Deiv tensed up.
— Oh shit… — he whispered.