Jump after jump, Leo darted from tree to tree, using their unnatural height to remain hidden from those on the ground. Not that Stealth Shroud didn't do that already, but considering he was up against other invisible creatures, some bonus protection couldn't hurt. He had killed enough of those Hexadrones for now; more fighting could wait until he had gathered more information.

  Though, now it is pretty obvious what has happened here. He grimaced as he passed yet another pile of dead Terrontaurs. Their plant-like bodies were already decomposing, spreading thin green vines that sank into the soil.

  The closer he got to the village, the more common these morbid sights became. Whoever those Hexadrones were, they left no survivors behind. Even with nature's might on their side, the Terrontaurs didn't stand a chance.

  Hell, even his people back in London would struggle against an enemy like this—invisibility was just that overpowered.

  One thing's for sure. I can't just let them be…

  Soon enough, the towering walls of the Terrontaur village came into view. Leo slowed down, digging his claws and talons into a nearby tree as he climbed higher for a better vantage point.

  "Well shit," he muttered, scanning the insides of the village.

  Just like he had feared, not a single Terrontaur was inside—at least not a living one. Their corpses lay scattered everywhere, but aside from that, this place now belonged to Hexadrones, hundreds of them.

  With their invisibility deactivated, Leo had no trouble watching as they worked. They all moved like a colony of ants where everybody had an assigned task—be it moving the corpses, organizing loot, or reinforcing the primitive village.

  He might have called it ironic if he wasn't staring at the aftermath of genocide.

  What a fucking mess…

  Leo's initial plan for returning to Terlasfor had been simple: find the Terrontaurs, talk to their elders, reestablish the alliance, offer assistance with the hostile Void Gate, and leave the rest to Holden or someone else. But with the Hexadrones here, that perfect plan had gone to hell.

  Truly wonderful…

  Yet, in the back of his mind, a much quieter voice tried to convince him that maybe this was a much better opportunity than some fragile alliance with forest centaurs. The Hexadrones clearly possessed technology far beyond what his people in London could ever dream of.

  If he could somehow get them to talk instead of shooting on sight…

  Yeah, let's hope they won't be too mad about me wiping out their squad. Let bygones be bygones, as they say…

  Decision made, a plan began to form inside his head.

  Here they come, Leo noted internally. Only four this time. Should be doable.

  Essence filled his body as he focused on his Decoy skill. An image formed inside his head—one much different than he usually used with this ability—and with a final push, he allowed the illusionary clone to slip out of his body.

  Leo blinked and the perfect human doppelganger blinked back.

  Not bad, not bad at all… You know what to do. Move out.

  The clone nodded and slowly left its cover behind a random tree. Dressed in a simple black cloak, the construct looked a bit out of place in the giant forest, but in the end, that didn't matter—only what would happen next did.

  Once more, Leo forced Relentless Hunger to come online. Despite the lack of any active battle, the skill did just that, but he could feel it wouldn't last long. Which was fine by him—the four crimson silhouettes had already spotted his clone and were slowly circling it.

  They didn't shoot yet—that's good. Time for phase two.

  "I know you're here!" the clone shouted. "I came here to talk, not fight. If you would please reveal yourself!"

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  The Hexadrones stiffened, and before his clone could even react, four energy bullets tore through its form. One of the aliens then jumped toward it, but the construct vanished long before it landed.

  Are they really this averse to talking? Leo shook his head. All right then. Final attempt. Maybe the third time's the charm after all…

  The shadows he had spread across the area beforehand stirred and, like one unit, exploded beneath the feet of the four Hexadrones. The aliens barely managed to release a few shots in random directions before the darkness swallowed most of their bodies, leaving only their heads exposed.

  Now, just please, don't kill yourself.

  Leo dropped Stealth Shroud and left his cover. Even with their invisibility still intact, he could feel it in his shadows how the four froze.

  "Please deactivate your invisibility," he said, approaching the shadow cocoons. "Like my clone said, I just want to talk—face to face. Nothing more. Then, you are free to go."

  Silence met his request, and for a moment, he feared they would follow the example of the Hexadrone who had self-destructed. But to his surprise, the four complied, revealing their wasp-like heads.

  "See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" he spoke, ignoring the glares sent his way. "Which one of you is the leader here?"

  "That would be me," the largest alien announced, its voice a buzzing chorus of countless insects. "Why have you captured us, Shadow Hunter? This isn't your home. Have we done something to anger you?"

  Shadows Hunter? Leo quirked an eyebrow. Already gave me a title… What an interesting species. But why are you so cooperative all of a sudden?

  "Me specifically? No," he said aloud. "But you see, my people were planning to ally themselves with the natives of this planet—natives that you have killed. Now"—he quickly added—"I'm not saying this makes you my enemy, but you can see the issue here, right?"

  The large Hexadrone nodded. "That I do, Hunter. What is it that you wish from us then? For us to leave this planet? Or perhaps... another alliance?"

  Leo suddenly grinned under the hood. "Potentially. What would you say to that?"

  The alien's face twisted into something akin to a scowl. "I would refuse. The glorious nation of Hexarion has no need for allies."

  "Oh really now?" he muttered. "What about a non-aggression pact and a trade agreement? We can still help each other."

  "That's something only the High Leader can decide. If the Shadow Hunter desires it, we can organize a meeting."

  "Is that so?"

  The Hexadrone nodded again. "Release us, as you've promised, and you shall have an audience with the High Leader. You have my word."

  Leo smiled as he approached the alien and laid a hand upon its shoulder. "You know," he began. "I might have believed you—if I were a complete idiot, that is. Have fun in hell."

  Just like that, slashed sideways, ripping out the Hexadrone's throat. As that happened, the entire forest came alive as hundreds of blue energy bullets came flying at him from all directions.

  Nice try… Leo grinned, disappearing in a Blink and activating his own failsafe.

  The shadows trapping the three Hexadrones tightened suddenly, crushing their bodies in a shower of gore. Stormveil also erupted from the ground, taking the shape of dozens of crackling elemental wolves. The violet creatures leaped into action and pounced on the invisible Hexadrones spread around the forest.

  Screams of pain filled the air, each cry feeding Leo's bloodlust as he sped from one hidden alien to another, ripping their bodies apart with a blade and tail. Their green, acidic blood painted the ground of Terlasfor as their ambush failed before it could even begin.

  Cooperative, my ass… Fucker was just buying time. He laughed, slicing through another Hexadrone. Maybe it would have worked against someone else, but you can't hide from my Resonance and Hunter's Pulse. Unlucky, I guess.

  Before long, the screams quietened as not a single alien remained standing—well, alive really. Leo dismissed his elemental creations and, like before, gathered all the useful loot. This time, he found a few swords and some weird energy bows. How did they even work? He hadn't the faintest clue.

  "Such a shame…" he muttered, taking another look around the battlefield. "No need for allies," he snorted. "You brought this upon yourself… idiots."

  Tendrils of Stormveil erupted from his body, each connecting to the corpses strewn around him. Devour escaped next, consuming every single alien within seconds.

  No notification about bonus attributes appeared, but Leo didn't expect it to. He only did this to cover some of his tracks in case the Hexadrones inside the village didn't know about him yet.

  At least the Ether isn't that bad, he noted internally, looking at the only System message that came after the battle.

  Greater Hexadrone x28 slain | Experience awarded | 9631 Ether absorbed

  Well then… No point in delaying the inevitable.

  With that, Leo left the battlefield behind and retook his place among the trees. Once he was far enough, he reached into his soul and removed the TEK transmitter.

  A few clicks later, a call went out, connecting almost instantly.

  Leo sighed and mentally prepared himself for another draining conversation. He just knew his sister wouldn't let him live this down.

  "Hey, Lily. You ain't gonna believe what just happened."

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