บท 334: Human
From his hiding place, Green Lantern could hear loud, heated voices in the distance. Though the ring provided some translation, the words were still muffled, so Charlie moved Green Lantern closer, keeping a low profile as they approached. Soon, they reached an open plaza where two groups of aliens faced each other in a tense standoff, with more than a dozen beings on each side.
Charlie had Green Lantern stay hidden behind a stack of metal crates, using the ring's energy to project a floating, green, transparent eye above the scene. This eye acted as a remote camera, letting him get a bird's-eye view of the situation without drawing any attention.
As he scanned the area, Charlie could see that each group was a mix of various alien species. Some had tough, stone-like bodies that looked as though they'd been carved out of rock. Others were soft and squishy, with tentacles instead of arms and legs. A few were so strange that it was hard to tell what their features even were. The aliens came in every shape, size, and texture imaginable, each one seemingly stranger than the last.
At the front of each group stood a leader who seemed to be guiding their side. The leader on the left was massive, towering well over two meters. He had a thick, muscular torso and arms that seemed too long and slender for his body, almost like they'd been stretched. His appearance was intimidating, though his odd proportions made him look a bit unbalanced, as if he'd been put together by mistake.
The leader on the right looked completely different. His body had a metallic, silvery sheen, almost as if he were made of liquid mercury. His head was perfectly round, with deep, dark pits where his eyes should have been, giving him a hollow, eerie expression. His body reflected light in a way that made him glow, standing out sharply against the rough, alien landscape.
Green Lantern watched as these two leaders argued back and forth, their voices sharp and heated.
The silver figure spoke first, his voice cold and metallic. "Aval United may be a powerful force on your own planet," he sneered, "but you think you can just waltz into Krafal and act like you own the place? This is Second United territory. Show some respect."
The aliens behind him rumbled in agreement, their voices a mix of strange hisses, clicks, and hums.
The massive figure from Aval United didn't flinch. "We have no interest in causing trouble with the Second United," he replied, his voice low and steady. "The reputation of Krafal's alliance is well known throughout the star region. We're here to negotiate, not start a fight. Our leader, Lord Aval, respects your alliance, and we want to continue working together."
The big man paused, and then his gaze hardened. "But we've heard that you may have something—a certain item of great value. And that changes things."
The silver figure's tone grew colder. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
The big man smirked, his eyes narrowing. "Let's not play games. We both know that if this 'item' exists, it could change the balance of power in the entire star realm. Whoever controls it could reshape everything."
"As I said," the silver being snapped, his voice sharp and cutting, "we don't have it. We've heard rumors too, so we sent a search team, but they encountered a gravitational storm and lost contact. Only two ships made it back, and neither had anything of value."
Charlie's mind raced as he pieced together what they were saying. The "Second United" sounded like the group Claire and his crew had belonged to on the ship he'd just left. The crew had found something important, an artifact that seemed valuable enough for them to risk everything. It seemed likely that this "super treasure" they were talking about was the statue he'd taken. The way the crew had gone mad hinted that the statue had some dark power that affected the mind. But why did these aliens want it so badly if it drove people insane?
The big man's voice cut through Charlie's thoughts. "Maybe you're telling the truth," he said, his voice laced with suspicion. "But if someone had found this item, I doubt they'd be eager to share that information."
The silver being's silvery surface seemed to darken, as though he was offended. "Are you accusing us of lying?" he demanded.
The big man's smirk widened. "Who knows?"
Before he could finish, the silver leader suddenly lunged forward. His arm extended in a whip-like motion, streaking toward the big man like a silver snake.
The big man was ready for it. He sidestepped quickly, dodging the attack and reaching out with one of his strangely long arms. His arm extended even further than it appeared capable of, wrapping around the silver being's shoulder.
It was a strange sight. The big man's arm, though thin and almost flimsy-looking, moved with surprising strength and flexibility. But the silver being was no easy target. His shoulder melted and shifted, slipping free from the big man's grip like liquid.
Seeing their leaders clash, both groups erupted into action, rushing forward with battle cries and alien shouts. The quiet standoff exploded into a chaotic brawl, with aliens clashing in a mess of limbs, claws, and strange weapons.
Charlie kept Green Lantern hidden behind the crates, using the green eye to observe the alien fighting techniques from a distance. This was a rare chance to study how these strange beings fought.
One of the rock-skinned aliens charged forward, swinging his fists in a boxing style, each punch heavy and brutal. But when an opponent tried to strike back, the alien's body softened, absorbing the blow like a sponge before hardening again to counterattack.
Nearby, a creature with six tentacle-like arms moved gracefully, each tentacle twisting and striking with precision. It attacked with a fluid motion, creating a whirlwind of slaps and strikes, making it hard for opponents to get close.
Further along, two aliens from opposing sides faced off. One opened his mouth wide and fired a beam of crackling energy toward his rival. The other raised a spiked tail, and with a flash, fired his own energy beam to counter. The two beams collided in a blinding light, pushing both aliens back with the force of the impact.
Charlie noticed something interesting. The ring's analysis showed that the energy these aliens were using was remarkably similar, even though they were from different races and different factions. It was almost as if they were drawing from the same power source. This similarity puzzled Charlie. How could these different beings, with separate alliances, be using the same type of energy?
The more he watched, the more he was reminded of certain mystical energies from Earth, like Chakra or Ki. Perhaps this was the universal energy that Claire had mentioned, something tied to the gods of the star realm.
As Charlie continued to observe, a figure suddenly appeared at the edge of the battlefield, stepping into the chaos with a calm, confident air. Almost immediately, the air seemed to change. An intense pressure filled the plaza, as if an invisible force had blanketed the entire area.
The fighting stopped as every alien turned to face the newcomer, their faces filled with shock and even fear. Charlie could sense their hesitation through the screen.
"What's going on?" "Who is that?" "M!"
The aliens muttered among themselves, some even cursing in their own languages. Despite being enemies, both sides seemed to recognize the power of the newcomer. Then, as if driven by a shared instinct, both groups turned and rushed at the intruder, attacking together.
The figure barely moved. With a single, sweeping motion, they unleashed a powerful wave of energy that blasted the aliens backward. The sound was like a thunderclap, and every alien within the blast's range was sent flying. Some tumbled across the ground, while others crashed into walls or rolled to the edges of the plaza.
Charlie zoomed in with Green Lantern's ring to get a closer look, his eyes widening in shock when he saw who—or rather, what—the intruder was.
The figure was a human.
Or at least, she looked like a human. A woman stood there, calm and unbothered by the chaos around her.
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