Bizarre Voyage: Summoning The Fourth Crisis

[Hosted Incarnation]

[Tier: Molten Slag]

[Level: 24]

[Warfire: None]

[Talent: Imitation]

[Skills: None]

[Explanation: A transformation of a Hosted Primordial Body. For a nascent lifeform, successfully imitating a powerful being is the definition of progress.]

"What the hell? It even copied the face I customized?"

Shore stared, dumbfounded, at the Hosted Incarnation’s face. Though made of crystal, its features were strikingly similar to his own.

"Hmph?!"

"How audacious! How dare you imitate my good brother’s face!"

Li Miao flew into a rage at the sight and charged forward, his Frost Riding Spear at the ready.

Seeing this, Shore couldn’t help but frown. He had a nagging feeling that something wasn’t quite right.

’Why is this kid getting so worked up over a monster that looks like me?’

However, he didn’t dwell on it and immediately began to assist Li Miao from the side.

The Hosted Incarnation also raised the Crystal Staff in its hand and began to counter their assault.

But after just a few moments of fighting, the two witnessed something astonishing.

It wasn’t because the Hosted Incarnation was particularly strong.

It was because...

SWOOSH!

As if seeing Li Miao perform a roll right after attacking, the Hosted Incarnation tried to copy the move.

But its roll was useless. It clearly had no damage-evading effect, and it was struck by the Mithros Starlight that Shore unleashed, staggering backward.

After witnessing Shore unleash Mithros Starlight from his Magic Staff,

the Hosted Incarnation gave its own Crystal Staff a thoughtful look. Then, it mimicked Shore’s actions, trying to launch the same attack.

But still, nothing happened.

"?"

This made the Hosted Incarnation scratch its head in confusion, turning its Crystal Staff over and over to inspect it.

It didn’t seem to understand why, despite doing the exact same thing, it couldn’t produce the Starlight like Shore did.

"Hahahahaha!"

Shore was momentarily stunned by the sight, then burst out laughing, clutching his stomach.

’This monster is hilarious!’

Li Miao couldn’t help but chuckle as well. He had thought this thing could perfectly imitate Shore, but it turned out to be all for show.

After enjoying the laugh for a moment,

the two, both having reached the Scorching Charcoal Tier, didn’t drag it out any longer. Li Miao finished it off with a clean Frost Piercing.

[You have killed a Hosted Incarnation]

[Obtained: Wax Oil x22]

[Obtained: Crystal Robe (Ordinary)]

[Obtained: Crystal Block]

[Crystal Block]

[Type: Special Item]

[Effect: When consumed, causes unexpected changes in certain lifeforms.]

[Explanation: Creatures of flesh and blood may also consume it, but there is no need. In what state it is eaten, in that same state it will be excreted.]

The Hosted Incarnation wasn’t very strong, so naturally, the dropped items weren’t anything special. Shore had no use for an Ordinary-quality Magic Robe.

But this Crystal Block...

"You wanna try it?" Shore offered it to Li Miao.

"Try my ass. Get lost," Li Miao snapped.

Both the explanation and the effect made it clear this thing wasn’t for them to eat.

So, of course, they could only put it away for now.

After killing the Hosted Incarnation, the two naturally pressed on, their banter never stopping, of course.

"...That Hosted Primordial Body from before... it must be the main culprit behind what happened to the Wind Erosion Tribe, right?" Shore said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.

"Probably," Li Miao agreed, though he had his own doubts. "But that thing just now was completely different from a Parasite... The Parasites are much more disgusting."

The Hosted Primordial Body looked more like a transparent, glass-like slug, whereas the Parasite... well, plenty of players already considered it the Spirit Candle version of a facehugger.

"Maybe... it evolves?" Shore suggested.

Li Miao could only shrug at that. ’Maybe.’ In any case, based on the currently known lore, the Parasite and the Hosted Primordial Body were definitely related. There was even a high probability that one was born from the other.

And so, the two continued onward.

The area they were in descended lower and lower. Eventually, they couldn’t even see the sky when they looked up; their vision was filled with nothing but a thick fog.

At the same time, strange sounds faintly echoed up from the depths of the pit.

They sounded a bit like those weird "sounds of different planets" that clickbait accounts often post.

However, the two quickly had no time to worry about that.

Because another batch of Hosted Primordial Body eggs had appeared before them—three in total.

Near these eggs lay the half-rotten corpses of people in the attire of the Wind Erosion Tribe. They must have been the Guardians of this Tasolomo Pit. Their faces were frozen in terror, and each had a large hole in their abdomen, the cause of death unknown.

"What’s the deal with these corpses? Miaozi, go check it out, will ya?"

Shore suggested.

"Why don’t you go?" Li Miao shot him a sidelong glance, seeing right through his little scheme. "You want me to go first so you can throw a flashbang and mess with me, right?"

"Fuck!"

"Am I that kind of person?"

"My god, you have such a malicious heart! And you always judge a gentleman by your own petty standards! I was just thinking we should conserve our Physical Strength to deal with what’s coming next..."

Hearing this, Shore launched into an angry tirade, but Li Miao just maintained a look that said, ’You really think I’m buying this?’

This made Shore take a deep breath before saying seriously, word by word:

"If I’m lying to you, I’m a dog, alright?!"

Hearing this,

most of the suspicion in Li Miao’s eyes finally vanished. He raised his Frost Riding Spear.

"Alright, I’ll trust you this once. If something happens, make sure you give me some covering fire."