CHAPTER 132: CHAPTER 132: FURY

Richard then broke the silence, his voice steady. "While Jack and I were on the way to the HQ almost three months ago, we were ambushed by some NPA members near Iligan City." He paused, letting the information sink in, before dropping the bomb. "I... kinda read their minds."

Estello’s eyes widened further, if that were possible. "You can read minds now?!" The words were a strangled whisper. Estello knew Richard had changed, had become powerful beyond human comprehension, but this was another level entirely. It was an intrusion into the most sacred of spaces, a power that transcended physical might.

Richard nodded, his gaze unwavering. "Yes, I can and one of the memories I accessed, one of the most chilling, was of this particular monstrosity." He pointed a finger at the suspended Krill, his voice hardening. "It was slaughtering and cannibalizing their camps, leaving only a few survivors. Those survivors were then ordered to kidnap me and Jack. By it." He pointed again, indicating Alpha-0. "I don’t know the full reason yet, but I would guess it was acting under orders from a higher rank."

Estello ran a hand through his hair, his mind racing, trying to assimilate this new, impossible reality. Not only did these monsters exist, but their capability to use human insurgents as pawns was unimaginable, a level of insidious control he hadn’t conceived of.

Then, Lina’s calm, synthesized voice cut through the stunned silence, pulling their attention to her analytical station. "Sirs, I have additional, critical information regarding their race. Information obtained during Subject Alpha-0’s exchange." Her words, precise and chilling, laid bare the terrifying history and structure of the Krill Empire.

"The Krill are an interstellar civilization, their empire brutally founded on power and close-quarters combat. Their hierarchy ascends from the common Krill, through Chancellors, then Dukes—who serve as Nobles and military commanders—and four Kings, all culminating in their Emperor, Krill Mainu. The Emperor is of immense scale, approximately two hundred feet tall, with golden scales, powerful wings, and crowned horns that allow him to breathe fire, a similar form would be the mythical dragons—the paramount symbol of honor among their kind."

Jack let out a low whistle, almost a gulp. "Dragons? Like, actual fire-breathing dragons from legends?" His voice was laced with a mixture of childlike wonder and growing horror.

Estello’s brow furrowed, a grim expression spreading across his face. "This gets worse and worse. Myths turning real. What else have they ’inspired’?"

Lina continued. "Krill diligently seek to earn silver scales, wings, and horns throughout their lives; these marks of immense hardship and evolution are believed to ensure their souls’ safe passage from a ’Great Eternal Fire’ to join their revered ancestors in an afterlife."

"The true horror began with their ancient arrival on Earth—then called Terralia—around four hundred and fifty thousand years ago. The planet teemed with early humans, a species possessing inherent supernatural abilities. The Krill, initially curious, became consumed by envy of these powers: your capacity to conjure structures with thought, communicate telepathically, and achieve flight without mechanical aid. This envy culminated when Emperor Mainu himself violated a sacred rule, killing and consuming a human child. From this barbaric act, he discovered that Krill could gain these coveted abilities, this very essence, by ingesting humans, specifically their blood."

"For millennia, humanity waged a desperate war against the Krill. Despite your innate supernatural talents, humans were outmatched by Krill technology combined with a physiology unnaturally enhanced by human blood. Thousands were captured, their blood systematically drained. Over time, the Krill’s subservient races, tasked with their technological development, made a chilling discovery: human blood contained a minute five percent of ’Anu-blood’—the critical component responsible for the Krill’s accelerated enhancements and extended longevity. Processors were then developed to efficiently extract this precious, silver-colored Anu-blood."

"Over the course of thousands of years, the relentless harvesting of humanity led to a profound genetic dependency among the Krill, an absolute need for human blood for their very survival, akin to a vital ’opium.’ However, ancient human civilizations, particularly the Atlanteans, eventually unearthed this horrifying truth. In a final, desperate gambit, they unleashed a catastrophic bomb that caused the ’Great Flood,’ nearly annihilating all life on Terralia, it was a mutual destruction. Thousands of Krill perished, weakened and unable to sustain themselves without their vital Anu-blood supply."

"It was only twenty thousand years ago that the Krill rediscovered humanity, survivors who had repopulated the planet but were significantly weakened, having forgotten how to hone the natural abilities dormant within their blood. Grateful for this renewed resource, the Empire’s strategy evolved from direct conquest to insidious, underhanded manipulation. They shrewdly exploited humanity’s innate greed, exchanging mere gold for a steady supply of human slaves.

"From that point on, the Empire decreed direct intervention if humanity ever threatened to wipe itself out again, thereby safeguarding their continuous supply line. In the present era, every human country was meticulously assigned a ’harvest leader’—a young noble heir of the Empire. These harvest leaders subtly exerted control over the globe’s elite families, who, in turn, manipulated and managed powerful companies, corporations, and governments. This intricate web ensured the continuous monitoring and harvesting of the human population, a process that garnered immense honor for the Krill nobles."

"Furthermore," Lina continued, her voice deepening slightly, "Subject Alpha-0 provided critical insight into the Anu race. The Anu are described as an extraordinarily ancient and powerful civilization, whose god-like powers allowed them to rule the galaxy for eons. They were unique in their defiance against the devastating ’Swarm,’ sacrificing themselves to protect the cosmos. Their bodies and essence became priceless, as a single drop of pure Anu-blood is known to grant immense powers and immortality to all races, making it universally coveted across the galactic expanse. Therefore, if the wider galaxy were to learn that Anu blood existed within humans, every single human being would face a fate worse than death."

Richard listened to Lina’s every word, his face a mask of granite. His jaw was clenched, the muscles working subtly, barely visible beneath his pure white skin. His silver eyes, fixed on the inert form of Alpha-0, burned with a cold, contained fury, a rage barely suppressed beneath the surface. The full, insidious extent of the Krill’s millennia-long manipulation, their parasitic dependency, and the terrifying implication of his own Anu heritage—a direct vulnerability for galactic exploitation—all ignited a silent, burning promise of retribution that thrummed just beneath his skin. He was furious, barely holding it back. This is what those visions meant. Holding back punches would result in catastrophic backlash.

Lina continued, her voice grim. "The Krill have confirmed their immediate plans. Chancellor Shuha’dar and the various harvest leaders have decreed to all Krill stationed on Earth to cooperate with their assigned harvest leader to increase quotas and that would mean more people will disappear when their emperor decreed that. The war with the so-called Federation is imminent, inevitable. Specifically, Subject Alpha-0 had been assigned by the harvest leaders in China, Krill Shen and Krill Kai, to disrupt economic operations in the Philippines, and the country’s opposing nations, by kidnapping the core founders of the company."

Lina concluded, her cyan eyes meeting Richard’s. "That would be you, sir Richard, and Jack."

Jack flinched violently, a choked gasp escaping his lips. "Kidnap us?! Like, for real? They’re coming for us?!" The abstract threat had just slammed into him with horrifying reality, cold dread seeping into his very bones. His gaze darted frantically between the monstrous Krill in stasis and Richard, seeking answers, reassurance, anything to anchor himself.

Estello’s face was a mask of grim realization, a profound weariness etched into his features. His hands clenched into fists at his sides. "So, this isn’t just about money or power, Richard. This is... an extinction-level event in the making. And they want you. And Jack." He looked at the still form of Alpha-0, then back at Richard, a new, desperate resolve hardening his eyes. "What are we going to do?"

Richard, for his part, remained eerily still, a focal point of barely contained power. The silence in the lab stretched, broken only by the low hum of the stasis field and the distant whir of Lina’s diagnostics. His mind was calculating on how he would proceed with this. He expected they would eventually gained their attention. But, he has a hard time understanding why they would kidnap them, he wouldn’t be surprised if they were offered, a membership to the Divine Concordance or the Deep State whatever they call it.

His mind, now fully illuminated by Lina’s revelations, churned through strategies, plans for counter-offense and contingency plans. The world was not what they thought it was, a horrifying reality Lina’s words had laid bare. And Bytebull, their company, was indeed a direct target. If the lizard overlords had decided that their company must be wiped off their board game, then they were in a deep shit than he imagine. He must’ve keep his toes on the water for too long that these crocodile cunts, decided they were a threat. He needs to reorganize everything from the ground up. He made himself impressive enough in hopes of being recruited and destroy it from inside out, but he kinda overdo himself there a little bit too impressive.