Stronger with Crimson Modifier

The wings unfolded in a way that defied the laws of physics, occupying the entire space above the altar.

Just then, a beam of light slanted across the statue’s face.

This allowed the group to see its face clearly.

It was that of a stunningly beautiful woman.

Strangely, however, its face was marred by several cracks.

She was clad in shattered Battle Armor, both hands gripping a Giant Sword plunged into the ground before her, her gaze fixed straight ahead.

To this,

Lev merely gave it a cursory glance, careful not to look too long.

Even with his specialized goggles,

there was no guarantee of immunity from the influence of these Alien Origin Bodies.

However, just then,

the new team member behind him, Sogil, let his tactical flashlight waver. The blinding beam shot directly onto the statue’s face.

In that instant, everyone froze.

—CRACK!

The sound of grinding stone was chillingly clear.

A terrifying scene entered Lev’s peripheral vision.

The five-meter-tall statue’s neck had turned, and a grotesque liveliness had appeared in its facial muscles.

The moment its head finished turning, its heterochromatic pupils contracted to pinpoints in the light, locking directly onto Sogil.

"Don’t look! Avert your eyes!"

Lev’s expression changed as he lunged forward, slapping his hand over the flashlight’s beam.

But it was too late.

THUD!

Sogil suddenly dropped to his knees.

His gaze was fixed on the angel statue.

"My Lord!"

The words escaped his lips in a hoarse, fanatical cry.

SQUELCH!

The next second,

with a sickening tear, the back of Sogil’s protective suit was stretched taut and burst open.

Two black, mucus-coated wings erupted from his body, their feathers streaked with blood.

Even more terrifyingly, as the first pair of wings unfurled, a sickening cracking sound came from Sogil’s shoulder blades.

A second pair of wing buds were squirming beneath his skin.

His body hunched over.

His limb joints began to bend backward, and his fingernails elongated into hooked claws.

He now looked identical to the monstrous stone figures they had seen embedded in the walls earlier.

PFFT!

But before he could make a move,

a red beam of light shot from a gun, piercing straight through Sogil’s skull and leaving a scorched mark on the adjacent wall.

The one who fired was none other than

Lev.

Having completed six containment missions, Lev understood.

Sogil’s condition was clearly beyond saving.

Although the guns they carried were powerful,

they were largely ineffective against an actual Alien Origin Body.

This was because nearly all Alien Origin Bodies shared a common trait:

They were indestructible.

If they weren’t, there would be no need for elaborate containment procedures; they would simply be destroyed.

More often than not, the guns were for situations just like this one: dealing with teammates who had been compromised by an Alien Origin Body.

With that done,

Lev glanced at the angel statue out of the corner of his eye.

It showed no reaction.

He breathed a silent sigh of relief.

He then gestured to his two remaining teammates.

The two nodded in perfect sync.

Each of them pulled a silver, rectangular object from within their gear and planted them in the ground around the statue.

Fortunately, the process went off without any further incidents.

Once they were done,

the four silver objects instantly emitted beams of light that converged into a single, dazzling point about three feet above the statue’s head.

A translucent curtain of light cascaded down from this apex like a waterfall,

forming a cube that sealed the angel statue inside.

With their work done,

the three of them quickly headed for the exit.

Their mission was complete.

As for subsequent research, testing, and other matters, that was a job for other personnel.

...

Twilight fell. The setting sun was the color of blood, its last crimson rays sinking below the horizon.

A layer of darkness descended.

The moment he stepped out of the church,

Lev couldn’t help but let out a long sigh of relief.

The mission had been tense, but ultimately successful.

They had lost a teammate, but the mission was complete.

This meant he could finally leave his life as a Cleaner behind and return to normalcy.

"Gods... what is that?"

Just then,

one of his teammates cried out in alarm.

Lev’s heart skipped a beat.

’Did something happen to the angel statue?’

He instinctively glanced back.

The church was unchanged.

He relaxed slightly.

Then,

he noticed his two teammates staring up at the sky as if they’d seen something utterly unbelievable.

Seeing this,

he followed their gaze.

And saw.

High above, the dim clouds seemed to squirm.

It was as if something enormous was slowly unfurling within them.

At this,

Lev at first thought it was just some rare atmospheric phenomenon.

But very quickly,

he realized something was wrong.

The pale silhouette behind the clouds was becoming clearer.

It was a vast, pale form, like a giant python, like a dragon, like the world-serpent of myth, coiled across the entire Celestial Vault.

Its scales were bone-white, gleaming with a deathly luster in the twilight.

It was like the very incarnation of cosmic annihilation.

And then,

he realized a terrifying truth.

The thing was alive. Its body was moving, causing the clouds to churn and rip apart like waves in its wake.

As a result, its body became even clearer to him.

Suddenly, he saw a pair of enormous, blood-moon-like serpentine eyes.

In that instant,

it felt as if the entire world sank an inch, crushed by some invisible weight.

The air grew still. Birds fell from the sky, stiff as stone.

Lev’s knees gave out, and he crumpled to the ground. His vision twisted as he clutched his head, a loud ringing filling his ears.

It also felt as if some unnamable whisper was pouring into his mind.

He convulsed twice.

With a dull POP,

blood instantly splattered across the inside of his goggles.

The other two suffered the same fate.

...

「Inside the church.」

The moment Lev and his men died,

the curtain of light that had sealed the statue abruptly shattered,

revealing the angel statue within.

Now, it was as if it had come to life.

Stone dust and flakes cascaded from its body.

It raised its head, its ashen-gray pupils swiveling.

Its gaze seemed to pierce through the church roof, locking onto the massive, pale shadow hidden within the clouds above.

A mental wave, tinged with horror, suddenly resounded through the area.

’You can ignore the rules of this realm... How is that possible...?’