Chapter 1592: Another One

Cody’s expression grew serious as he studied the strange creature. It had attacked without warning and the force behind its attack was pretty strong. He still didn’t know if it acted on instinct or deliberately tested their defenses.

"Nobody lower your guard," he warned his team. "We don’t know what it can do yet."

The three soldiers tightened their formation and kept their weapons ready while Cody maintained the protective shield.

Across from them, the creature crouched among the tall grass with its long limbs bent beneath its narrow body, ready to spring forward again at any moment.

Now that he could observe it more closely, Cody realized that the creature looked like some kind of lizard, although its proportions were not normal.

Its neck stretched longer, and its limbs were also long and slender. Its entire body was covered in black scales that resembled obsidian. Sunlight glinted on its smooth surfaces, yet the scales also seemed to reflect the shadows around them, giving the creature an unsettling appearance as though darkness clung to its body.

"What the hell is that?" the male soldier asked with a deep frown.

Cody did not answer. His attention fixed on the creature while his mind raced through the possibilities.

The strange Magic signature and the creature’s unfamiliar appearance made him suspect that it came from another dimension. Perhaps it had accidentally opened a portal and become stranded in this world, or perhaps something had deliberately brought it here.

He could not determine which possibility was more likely.

"Should we shoot, sir?" one of the female soldiers asked. Her pistol pointed at the creature, her tense posture made it clear that she was ready to pull the trigger.

"Wait," he replied. He reached for his communicator again without taking his eyes off the creature. "Base, what’s your order?"

"We’re observing it now," Captain Adrien answered. "Based on the information we’ve gathered, it appears to be a creature from another world. For now, maintain your distance and don’t engage unless it attacks first. We don’t know enough about it to justify provoking it."

"Roger."

Cody lowered his communicator and continued watching the creature.

Neither side made an immediate move.

The soldiers remained behind the protective shield with their weapons raised, the black-scaled reptile crouched in the grass and watched them with caution.

As Cody studied the creature’s posture, he began to suspect that it was afraid. Its movements were tense, its eyes darted between the soldiers.

Perhaps it had never intended to attack them in the first place. If it had suddenly found itself trapped in an unfamiliar world, surrounded by strange beings carrying weapons and wielding Magic, then its aggression may be just a desperate attempt to survive.

The possibility gave Cody some sympathy for the creature, but he could not afford to let that sympathy cloud his judgment.

Whatever its circumstances, it had already demonstrated enough strength to threaten his team.

If it attacked again, he would have to defend himself and his soldiers, regardless of whether the creature acted out of fear or hostility.

"That thing is ugly," one of the female soldiers muttered.

"You’re not wrong," the male soldier replied, still frowning at the creature. "I’ve never seen anything like it."

"Maybe it really did come from another world," the other woman said. "What kind of place produces something like that, though?"

Their comments continued for a few moments as they tried to make sense of what they were seeing.

Cody remained silent, unwilling to take his attention away from the creature.

The creature suddenly opened its mouth and released a harsh hiss. Its eyes darted rapidly between the four soldiers, studying their positions before shifting toward the edges of the protective shield.

Its long neck swayed slightly as it lowered its body closer to the ground.

Cody’s expression hardened. "Everyone, stay alert."

Before anyone could respond, the creature sprang forward with startling speed, sending blades and loose dirt flying behind it.

It charged directly at the soldiers and slammed its obsidian-like body against the shield for the second time.

Another loud crack echoed across the plain.

The barrier rippled violently beneath the impact, but Cody had already prepared himself for the attack.

He braced his legs and reinforced the shield with more Magic energy, preventing the creature from breaking through.

The force still made his body tense, and the impact reminded him that he could not afford to underestimate the reptile.

The creature bounced away and landed several meters from the group. It immediately twisted its body as though preparing to charge again.

He decided to use his own ability.

Cody’s Magic was different from the abilities of most soldiers in the unit. Rather than focusing on destructive attacks or strengthening his body he could interfere with the Magic of other beings and disrupt their ability to control it.

Against an ordinary opponent the effect might have been difficult to notice, but against a creature that relied on Magic, it could make a considerable difference.

He focused on the black-scaled reptile and released his power.

An invisible force reached toward the creature and interfered with the flow of its Magic.

The reptile immediately let out a sharp shriek. Whether the sound expressed pain, frustration, or simple annoyance, Cody could not tell, but the creature’s reaction showed that his ability had affected it.

Its movements became erratic. It stumbled sideways, shook its long neck, tried to regain its balance while its limbs moved in conflicting directions.

Cody seized the opportunity. "Shoot!"

The three soldiers opened fire almost simultaneously.

Gunshots rang across the plain as bullets shot through the grass and struck the creature’s black scales.

Several rounds hit their target and dark blood appeared along the reptile’s body. However, the wounds were not as severe as Cody had hoped. Most of the bullets seemed to just scrape across the hard scales or glance off them, leaving only shallow cuts.

"Those things are tough!" the male soldier shouted as he continued firing.

"Keep shooting!" Cody said.

The soldiers adjusted their aim and fired again. Cody maintained the disruption, interfering with its Magic whenever it attempted to move.

The creature struggled to regain its earlier speed, and its attacks became less coordinated as it tried to escape the effects of his ability.

For a moment, Cody believed they had managed to gain the upper hand. The creature was injured, its movements were restricted, and his teammates had found opportunities to land their shots. If they maintained their coordination, they might be able to drive it away or incapacitate it without suffering any casualties.

Then Cody felt something approaching from above. A sudden sense of danger ran through his body. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, his instincts screamed.

He immediately looked up, but there was no time to identify the source of the threat.

"Get away!" he shouted.

The three soldiers reacted on instinct. Their eyes widened in surprise, but they immediately threw themselves in different directions, abandoning their firing positions to escape whatever was coming.

A massive shape dropped from above. It hit the ground where they had stood moments earlier with tremendous force. The impact shook the plain and sent dirt, broken grass, and loose stones flying in every direction.

The ground beneath the creature’s landing point cracked under his weight.

Had they remained in place for even a moment longer the impact might have crushed them outright.

Cody landed several meters away and quickly turned toward the source of the attack.

His heart pounded as he tried to make sense of what had just happened.

Something else had joined the commotion.

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