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🕑 Added 2025-07-29 14:44:37 +0000 UTCChapter 303: Beneath the Oil Rig
Roy grabbed two people—Jack and a security guard—and leaped through the hole in the floor.
"Ahhh!"
Jack and the guard screamed in terror, a purely instinctive reaction to the sudden freefall.
Just before they hit the water, Roy unfurled his gray Nephilim wings and pulled up sharply, preventing all three of them from crashing into the sea. An unprotected plunge from this height would have likely left Jack and the guard severely injured.
"Roy, where’s my tanker?"
"I told the captain to move it farther away to avoid being caught in the rig’s collapse."
Jack glanced at the tilting offshore drilling platform and nodded.
"You made the right call."
Had the tanker stayed in its original position, everyone aboard would have died if the rig toppled over.
"I’ll take you back to the tanker first!"
With that, Roy tightened his grip on Jack and the guard and ascended higher into the sky.
From this vantage point, the sight of the drilling platform was even more staggering. The glowing, multicolored substance—or perhaps organism—continued spreading across the water, its fluorescent reach expanding relentlessly.
If the tanker hadn’t been moved, it too might have been affected by this bizarre phenomenon.
"Why… why is this happening?"
Jack was devastated. Watching his life’s work crumble before his eyes was unbearable. He couldn’t bring himself to look, hoping it was all just a nightmare.
"It’s like cancer!"
Roy, however, had a different concern. He was more worried about the environmental impact of this strange, luminous entity. If left unchecked, who knew what horrors it might unleash?
Looks like I’ll have to call an old friend I haven’t spoken to in a while.
A few minutes later, Roy spotted Jack’s tanker several nautical miles away. When he landed on the deck with his gray wings spread, the crew stared in shock—and fear.
This was exactly why Roy disliked revealing his supernatural form in public. Having so many witnesses to his Nephilim state was… problematic.
If only I could alter memories like Elizabeth.
"Roy… are you an angel?"
Janice blurted out the question, unlike the others, who recoiled in terror.
His gray wings did resemble the traditional depiction of angels—just the wrong color. Angels were supposed to have white wings, not gray.
Roy ignored her and turned to Jack.
"Jack, can I borrow your satellite phone?"
Jack nodded frantically and rushed to fetch it.
Once Roy reverted to his human form, he addressed the crowd.
"Listen up. It’d be best if you all forgot what you saw today. For everyone’s sake."
His tone carried an unspoken threat, sending a chill down their spines.
Many immediately swore secrecy, vowing to take the secret to their graves.
Roy didn’t believe them—some people couldn’t keep their mouths shut, especially after a few drinks.
But as long as their stories weren’t picked up by certain organizations, most would dismiss them as drunken ramblings.
So he added another warning.
"And if any of you leak this… I will find you."
The crowd fell dead silent. Only Janice continued staring at him with an odd expression.
Soon, Jack returned with the satellite phone.
"Roy, who are you calling?"
"I’m actually an agent with the Federal Emergency Agency. This situation is complicated—it’s best handled by federal forces."
Jack’s eyes widened in realization. As one of America’s wealthy elite, he’d heard whispers of secretive federal departments like the FEA.
Then his mind raced to wilder theories—maybe Roy was the product of a government experiment.
How else could a man shift between demon and gray-winged angel forms?
Then again, the U.S. government had a reputation for bizarre projects. The wildest conspiracy theories often turned out to be true.
Could anyone blame Americans for believing in them?
The call connected quickly.
"Director Olin, it’s Roy Black."
"Black? I heard the San Diego sank. You’re alive?"
So Gerald had been keeping tabs on him.
"I’m fine. I’m aboard a tanker now."
"Of course. I knew a shipwreck couldn’t kill you. By the way, what happened? The rescue team recovered the black box, and the data was… unusual."
Gerald sounded confident in Roy’s survival.
Then again, Roy had already taken down three Hell Lords—why would a mere shipwreck finish him?
(And yes, Elizabeth counted.)
Roy was surprised the black box had been recovered so quickly. Salvaging a vessel that size should’ve taken much longer.
"The San Diego was attacked by a sea monster, but that’s not the issue now. There’s something worse happening here."
Gerald’s tone shifted immediately.
"What’s going on?"
Roy detailed the situation at Jack’s oil rig. After a long silence, Gerald finally responded.
"Black, that location is near Antarctica, in international waters. The FEA technically has no jurisdiction there. I’ll need approval from headquarters—maybe even the White House—before we can intervene."
The FEA, like the FBI, primarily operated domestically.
But just as the CIA sometimes meddled at home and the FBI occasionally worked overseas (as long as no one noticed), the FEA might bend the rules—if the stakes were high enough.
Still, without immediate authorization, Roy was on his own.
"Fine. I’ll try to contain the situation. Hope you guys move fast."
"I’ll have the L.A. branch on standby. Once we get the green light, we’ll contact you immediately. Until then, it’s up to you."
"I’ll do what I can."
Gerald hung up.
When Roy turned back, everyone was staring at him.
"What?"
Jack cleared his throat awkwardly.
"So… what did the FEA say?"
"They need authorization before acting. For now, I’m on my own."
Roy gazed at the distant oil rig, deep in thought.
Even in the darkness, the rig stood out—primarily because of its flare stack, which burned off excess gas during drilling.
Now, the stack was completely engulfed in pulsating flesh-like tendrils, coated in those same glowing, rainbow-hued filaments.
Suddenly, the ocean trembled again—this time, violently.
And with it came another wave of hallucinations.
Every single person on the tanker froze, entranced by the nightmare unfolding before them.
Roy, having experienced this before—and with his high Willpower stat—shook off the illusion instantly. But the others weren’t so lucky.
With no other choice, Roy resorted to punching everyone awake—except Janice, who got a lighter tap on the backside.
(Jack’s debt was repaid. No need to hold back now.)
Janice was the first to snap out of it, blinking in confusion before blushing furiously.
"Roy, you—"
"Shh. Not now."
Roy proceeded to rouse the others. They all looked dazed, as if they’d witnessed something unspeakable.
"Captain, keep moving away from this area—but not too far."
Janice frowned.
"Roy, what about you?"
"I need to contain whatever’s happening on that rig. If we don’t act now, things will get worse."
The glowing expanse was spreading visibly. Without intervention, the contamination would spiral out of control.
"But—"
Before she could finish, Roy shifted back into his Nephilim form and took off.
The captain hesitated, then turned to Jack.
"Boss… do we follow his orders?"
Jack wanted nothing more than to flee. But if Roy survived and found out…
After a tense pause, he gritted his teeth.
"Do as he says. Take us 10—no, 20 nautical miles out. We’ll wait for him… for one day."
As the crew dispersed to their duties, only Jack and Janice remained on deck, watching the distant rig.
Roy flew straight for the derrick—the most heavily infested part of the platform, completely encased in pulsating flesh.
"Let’s see what you really are."
Roy forced the derrick open, revealing a grotesque, tunnel-like passage lined with meaty tissue, resembling a giant birth canal.
Something was gestating inside.
Retracting his wings, Roy encased himself in a shell of Chaos energy and jumped in.
He fell for what felt like an eternity, tearing through countless glowing filaments before finally landing in a pool of oil.
"Ugh, disgusting!"
Swimming in crude oil was a first for Roy. He quickly spread his wings and took flight.
The rig had been operational for years, leaving the reservoir cavernous enough for him to maneuver.
The entire chamber was infested with the rainbow filaments, even floating within the oil itself.
Noticing Roy, the tendrils began converging toward him. Thankfully, his Chaos armor shielded him from their hallucinogenic effects.
"Disgusting things."
Roy drew his Executioner’s Blade and slashed through the mass.
To his surprise, some filaments recoiled.
They’re intelligent?
If these things possessed even hive-mind-level cognition, they were far more dangerous than he’d thought.
From a human standpoint, they had to be eradicated.
"Roy… come to us."
A strangely familiar voice echoed in his mind.
"Who’s there?"
Roy activated his True Sight, scanning for the source.
"We are here."
The filaments parted, forming a tunnel.
The voice seemed to originate from deep within.
Another player?
Roy flew forward. Behind him, the tendrils sealed his exit.
Soon, he arrived in a dry, oil-free cavity.
At its center floated a massive, radiant mass—the source of the filaments. It resembled a glowing dandelion, its "seeds" drifting outward.
"Roy… come closer."
The voice grew seductive—a mother’s lullaby, a lover’s whisper. It tugged at his will.
But with 61 points in Willpower, Roy resisted.
"What are you?"
If you’re trying to tempt me, at least shape-shift into a 36E bombshell.
A rainbow LGBT mascot isn’t doing it for me.
As if reading his mind, the glowing mass shifted.
From it emerged a stunningly beautiful woman, radiant as the sun.
Roy had never seen anyone so perfect—even Elizabeth and Michael paled in comparison. She was tailor-made to his preferences.
"Roy… come to me."
She stretched out her arms, inviting him into an embrace.
"Tell me what you are first."
Roy remained wary.
Despite her beauty, her eyes were hollow—lifeless, even compared to a silicon-based being like Claudia.
"We have no name. But other civilizations… called us The Color Out of Space."
The Color Out of Space
Chapter 304: The Color Out of Space
"Wait a second! I think I’ve heard of this thing before!"
Roy’s thoughts instantly flashed back to his previous life.
Back then, there was this super popular mythology setting online called the Cthulhu Mythos. It was created by a 19th-century fantasy novelist named Howard Phillips Lovecraft. Some folks might not know the name, but Lovecraft’s ideas have seeped into tons of art and media.
A lot of people have probably watched movies or shows with a Cthulhu vibe without even realizing it.
Roy vaguely remembered that The Color Out of Space was part of Lovecraft’s novel series. He hadn’t read the original book, though—just knew the name.
"We wander the cosmos, and by chance, we arrived at this backward planet. Merge with us, and you’ll unlock the mysteries of the universe! Come to us!"
This thing kept referring to itself as "we." Huh, maybe it’s some kind of collective mind? Definitely not human.
"Quit yapping! You barge into someone else’s home without even a hello? Time to die!"
No matter how much The Color Out of Space tried to pretty itself up, it was still an alien species from outer space, and it was seriously messing up Earth’s ecosystem.
Roy’s eyes began to glow with chaotic energy. Two gray beams shot toward the glowing, beautiful woman-like figure. In a blink, she was reduced to a puddle of vibrant, multicolored liquid.
The chaotic beams didn’t stop there—they pierced right through the massive glowing entity.
The ground shook violently, and the entire oil field quaked.
Suddenly, the glowing entity sprayed a torrent of colorful foam at Roy, accompanied by a blinding white light.
The whole cave was engulfed in that white light. Roy’s vision went blank—he couldn’t see a thing. It felt like he was standing in a psychedelic, rainbow-colored world. Everywhere he looked, it was just… colors.
Am I back in some mental realm again?
Roy frowned, ready to transform into his angel form and bail out of this weird world. But then, a distorted, humanoid figure appeared in front of him. It looked a lot like Jennifer.
Ugh, it’s turning into people I know to mess with me? Roy was not happy.
"Why won’t you merge with us?"
"I’m doing just fine on my own. Why would I want to merge with you?"
As he spoke, Roy shifted into his angel form, staring coldly at the fake Jennifer.
Another distorted figure appeared, this one resembling Nidi.
"If you merge with us, we can share memories and knowledge. Isn’t that a good deal?"
Roy crossed his arms.
"Nope. I think people deserve some privacy."
A third figure popped up, looking like Heather.
"But everyone else has accepted us. They willingly merged with us."
That got Roy heated.
"Willingly? They were tricked! Don’t think I’m clueless!"
A fourth figure appeared—Penny.
"At least in that moment, their hearts were fulfilled. Isn’t that enough?"
"So you feed them fake illusions to make them happy, then ‘eat’ them? Where I’m from, that’s called shameful deception!"
A fifth figure showed up, this time Elizabeth.
"What’s fake? What’s real? Is it better to live in a miserable physical world or a blissful mental one?"
That… kinda made sense. Wait, hold up! Why was he even entertaining this?
Damn it! Trying to rope me into a philosophy debate?
Roy realized The Color Out of Space was pulling him into a mental trap. It probably knew it couldn’t beat him in a fight, so it was trying to confuse him with deep thoughts.
Philosophy’s the worst when you overthink it. You start spiraling, and it never ends. Since no one ever wins a philosophy debate, Roy decided to just shut it down and clear his mind.
"Get lost! Stop bugging me!"
Roy summoned a holy light sword and effortlessly sliced through the illusory figures The Color Out of Space had created.
But the mental world kept spawning new figures, each spouting more vague philosophical nonsense. Their voices were like an annoying buzz, drilling into Roy’s head and driving him nuts.
"Enough already! Sword of Heaven!"
Channeling the Archangel Michael’s ultimate move, Roy split the mental world in half.
In the next second, he was back in reality, just in time to see The Color Out of Space trying to wrap him up with rainbow-colored energy tentacles.
Wait a minute, why do these tentacles look so familiar?
It hit him—The Color Out of Space’s tentacles were weirdly similar to his Dark Touch ability.
Dark Touch, activate!
Six pitch-black tentacles sprouted from Roy’s back, stabbing into The Color Out of Space’s body like syringes.
"How do you have that?!" it screamed.
The Dark Touch was like tapping into an artery. A flood of energy poured out, overwhelming Roy. It felt like he’d eaten way too much.
Even when he fought the Kraken, he hadn’t felt this stuffed. The Color Out of Space’s energy was on another level.
But if he kept draining it, Roy risked overloading his body and exploding.
Is there something that can hold this energy?
Then it clicked—the Eye of the Reaper, hanging around his neck. If it could absorb Samael’s power, maybe it could handle The Color Out of Space’s energy too.
Roy grabbed the Eye of the Reaper and channeled the excess energy into it.
The Eye of the Reaper was like a bottomless pit, greedily sucking up every bit of The Color Out of Space’s energy like a kid who could never get full.
Now The Color Out of Space was the one in trouble. It had planned to overwhelm Roy, but he was holding his own.
It couldn’t outfight him, and it couldn’t outlast him. Only one option left.
Run!
Roy noticed cracks forming on the surface of the giant glowing entity, like an eggshell about to shatter.
Then, a vibrant energy pillar shot out from the top, piercing through the ocean floor and rocketing toward the sky.
Roy instantly knew The Color Out of Space was making a break for it. If it escaped, all his hard work would be for nothing.
Gotta take this thing down!
The problem was, The Color Out of Space was a pure energy being. Roy’s only effective weapons were his Dark Touch and the chaotic beams from his Nephilim form. Those wouldn’t be enough to finish it quickly.
Unless…
Roy gripped the Eye of the Reaper and muttered under his breath.
"Reaper, buddy, I’ve fed you a ton of energy. Help me take this thing out, and I’ll store all the extra juice in this gem!"
As if answering, the Eye of the Reaper glowed faintly, and Roy’s vision shifted to that familiar gray world.
By now, The Color Out of Space had broken through the ocean floor, causing seawater to flood the oil field.
Time was running out!
Did energy beings have a weak spot?
They sure did.
The Eye of the Reaper’s ability to find a “death point” was more of a conceptual thing. As long as something existed in this dimension, it could be killed.
When Roy looked at the ascending Color Out of Space, he saw a moving death point.
Hitting it wouldn’t be too hard. The real challenge was The Color Out of Space’s speed. If it got out of the ocean before Roy could strike, he’d never catch up.
Chaotic energy gathered in his eyes again. This time, Roy cranked the chaotic beams to max power.
Two thick gray beams merged into one, blasting toward the rising Color Out of Space.
It was fast—crazy fast—but not light-speed fast. If it was, Roy wouldn’t even bother chasing it.
Sensing the threat, The Color Out of Space started zigzagging, making it harder for Roy to hit the death point.
No big deal. Just a little extra work.
Roy slipped into bullet-time mode, slowing the world down and fine-tuning the beams’ trajectory.
The Color Out of Space kept juking, but it couldn’t shake the beams. They were locked on.
Finally, the beams pierced the death point, killing The Color Out of Space on a conceptual level.
[Ding! Obtained The Color Out of Space’s Fate Chest! Open it now?]
The vibrant energy pillar exploded, lighting up the dark ocean floor like a massive firework show.
Roy shot out of the oil field, absorbing the loose energy. His Dark Touch was stretched to its limit, and he knew a lot of energy was going to waste.
But whatever—he had energy to burn now.
With The Color Out of Space’s main body dead, the colorful, glowing substances started fading fast. Roy had to collect as much as he could before it all vanished.
The next morning, a naked man floated on the ocean’s surface. It was Roy, who’d spent the whole night diving and surfacing to gather energy. He was exhausted.
Right now, he just wanted to float, soak up some sun, and chill.
But his peaceful moment didn’t last long. Some dumb seagull decided to mess with him, pecking at him like he was lunch.
Roy wasn’t having it. He grabbed the bird by the neck, roasted it with hellfire, and ate it as a snack.
After a night of nonstop work, Roy was starving. One seagull was barely an appetizer.
Then, he shifted into Nephilim form and flew off to find Jack’s oil tanker.
On the tanker, nobody had slept. Everyone in the dining hall looked like pandas with dark circles under their eyes.
“Do you think Mr. Black’s coming back?” someone asked.
It had been almost 12 hours since Roy left. The crew was starting to doubt.
Especially after last night’s light show in the ocean—flashes and glows brighter than an Olympic closing ceremony. It was obvious a huge battle went down. If Roy had won, wouldn’t he be back by now?
Even as dawn broke and the ocean went dark, there was no sign of Roy.
Some folks on the ship were already assuming he was dead.
Janice shot to her feet, glaring at the guy who spoke.
“No way! Roy’s not dead!”
Her outburst made Jack’s face darken. He tugged at her clothes, trying to get her to sit, but Janice stood her ground.
“Janice, sit down!” Jack barked, his tone sharper than ever.
Their age-gap marriage had always been gentle and loving, but today, Jack’s attitude was different.
Janice stared defiantly at Jack, making him feel awkward. The crew in the dining hall pretended to mind their own business, desperate to leave but too scared to move and catch Jack’s wrath.
The tension hung heavy until a voice broke the silence.
“Hey, got any food? I’m starving!”
Janice whipped around and saw Roy standing in the doorway.
“Roy!”
She rushed to him, throwing her arms around him in excitement.
Jack reached for her but missed.
As Roy and Janice hugged, the crew regretted being in the dining hall instead of their cabins.
Jack’s face cycled through emotions, but in the end, he could only watch helplessly as his young, gorgeous wife embraced another man.
What could he do? Forgive her, of course.
That afternoon, after eating his fill, Roy was ready to crash and recover. But then Janice barged into his room.
“Janice? What’re you doing here?”
Janice looked at him shyly.
“Sorry, Roy. I tried to hold back, but I can’t. I feel like a volcano about to erupt. If I don’t do something, I’m gonna explode!”
Roy smirked. All that poetic talk just to say you want to hook up?
“Does Jack know about this?”
To his surprise, Janice nodded.
“I talked to Jack. He’s okay with forgiving me… just this once. Roy, can you make my wish come true?”
She gazed at him like a starstruck fan, leaving Roy a bit speechless.
But what really blew his mind was Jack. He actually agreed to this? Is this just how America works?
Sure, some elite Americans played around, but that was usually in political marriages. Janice was clearly dependent on Jack—she didn’t have the leverage for this kind of arrangement.
After thinking it over, Roy figured it was probably his own intimidating presence that forced Jack to compromise.
Well, when a beautiful woman throws herself at you, you don’t say no. Call it a fun fling.
With that sorted, Roy playfully lifted Janice’s chin with his finger, looking into her eyes.
“Janice, you sure you’re ready for this?”
“I’m sure!”
Janice (Kelly Brook)
Chapter 305: Little Greedy Cat
“Hey, this is Roy Black.”
When the satellite phone suddenly rang, Roy thought it was Gerald calling, but to his surprise, it was someone else entirely.
“Roy, it’s really you! I knew you’d be okay!”
The excited cheers of several women came through the phone. Roy could hear Penny, Dalia, Amy, and Serena all in the background.
It was Heather calling him. Had Gerald gotten in touch with her?
Back when Roy was in Los Angeles, Gerald had met Heather and Penny a few times, so they definitely knew each other.
“Was it Mr. Orin who told you?”
“Yeah! As soon as we got back to land, Gerald called and said you were fine. He gave us your satellite phone number—Roy, what’s that noise?”
What noise? Oh, just the sound of a rolling pin flattening dough!
Roy didn’t tell the truth, though. Heather and the others were genuinely worried about him, and he didn’t want to spoil their joy.
“Uh, I’m just eating!”
Heather didn’t suspect a thing. Everyone knew Roy could eat like a horse, so it wasn’t surprising.
“Heather, let me talk to him! I wanna chat with Roy!”
Eventually, the phone made its way back to Heather, who seemed to remember something.
“Oh, right, Roy! Mr. Orin said they set out at 4 a.m., but they couldn’t get through to you then, so he asked us to let you know.”
At 4 a.m., Roy was still underwater playing master fisherman, with his satellite phone tucked away in his inventory. No way he could’ve answered Gerald’s call.
“Got it! Heather, I’m still eating, so let’s wrap this up for now. I’ll head back to reunite with you all as soon as I can.”
“Roy, we love you!” ×5
But while Janice was full, the “cat” she was raising was still hungry, so Roy had to keep working hard.
The only tricky part was that Janice’s “cat” acted like it was one second away from starving, gobbling up everything in a frenzy.
Roy tried to reason with her.
“Janice, slow down. There’s plenty of time.”
Janice, tears streaming down her face, sobbed, “No, there’s never enough time, waaah…”
Who cries while eating?
Most women cry after they’re full, but Janice doing this made it seem like Roy wasn’t doing a good job!
So, Roy decided to make Janice lose all ability to think, so she’d stop worrying about goodbyes or running out of time.
[Ding! Obtained Janice’s Conquest Chest! Open it now?]
Looking at the chaotic “battlefield” and a deeply sleeping Janice, her face still streaked with tear marks, Roy couldn’t help but think this was one weird fight. It felt a bit like eating stir-fried noodles.
Luckily, Roy’s “chicken essence” was top-notch, so Janice wouldn’t catch any illness that’d take ten months to recover from.
Patting the fluffy “greedy cat,” Roy decided to open the chest.
[Opening Francesca’s Conquest Chest…]
[Gained 1 Mental Attribute Point!]
[Gained 1 Willpower Attribute Point!]
As expected, Francesca’s chest didn’t yield anything great.
Though this Italian woman was stunning with a killer figure, Roy didn’t have much of an impression of her, meaning the actress playing her probably wasn’t famous.
A beauty like that, if she’d starred in a few big commercial films, Roy would’ve remembered her better. Either she retired early to get married, or she was an artsy type.
Time to check another chest.
[Opening Antonia Grassa’s Fate Chest…]
[Gained 3 Mental Attribute Points!]
[Gained 2 Willpower Attribute Points!]
Still nothing special?
Roy started to wonder if his luck was off today.
Was it because Janice’s “greedy cat” wasn’t up to par, or were these chests just duds?
Frowning, Roy summoned Francesca from his revolver.
The cursed dual daggers were still with Heather, so Francesca was the only female ghost by his side right now.
When Francesca appeared, her eyes immediately landed on the sleeping Janice. As a seasoned ghost, she knew exactly why she was summoned.
So, Francesca tossed her hair back and prepared to get to work.
“Wait a sec, let me pet the kitty first!”
Francesca gave Roy a playful eye-roll but complied, letting him “wash his hands” with the “kitty.”
After washing up, Roy let Francesca “wash his hair” while he continued opening chests.
[Opening the Color Out of Space Fate Chest…]
[Gained 3 Memory Attribute Points!]
[Gained 3 Mental Attribute Points!]
[Obtained Color Out of Space Embryo!]
Finally, something good!
But what’s with getting a Color Out of Space from its own chest?
[Color Out of Space Embryo: The Color Out of Space is an incomplete material entity from the cosmos, capable of affecting ecosystems and all life within them through a special energy. Fortunately, this is just an immature embryo.]
So it’s an unripe Color Out of Space. Sounds like a plant.
Roy pulled the embryo from his inventory. It was a transparent hollow sphere with colorful substances flowing inside, looking more like a marble than an embryo.
But what was it good for? It seemed like it could only pollute the environment.
Roy wasn’t some unethical jerk who’d go around dumping pollutants.
Guess he’d have to store the embryo for now and hope to find a use for it later.
Francesca, looking up in surprise with a muffled voice, asked, “Roy, what’s that? It’s so pretty!”
“It’s a seed from space. Francesca, hush and keep going!”
At that, Francesca focused on her task.
Roy had lost hope for today’s chest openings. The last one was Janice’s.
Kelly Brook only played roles in low-budget films, so it probably wouldn’t yield anything good.
[Opening Janice’s Conquest Chest…]
[Gained 1 Strength Attribute Point!]
[Gained 1 Agility Attribute Point!]
As expected, just the bare minimum 2 attribute points. Roy sighed, closed the system panel, and vented his frustration over the lousy chest results on Francesca.
Francesca went all out to please Roy. Honestly, her limits in this department were lower than any of the women around Roy—on par with Lilith.
But since Lilith was using Jennifer’s body, she had to consider Jennifer’s feelings sometimes.
Francesca, on the other hand, was a ghost who’d fallen hard for Roy and was willing to do anything.
Unlike Sadako or Kayako, who needed Roy’s guidance, Francesca just needed a glance from him to get started.
After releasing all his negative energy, Roy lay down to rest.
For the next few days, Janice didn’t leave Roy’s room. It was basically eat, sleep, eat, sleep. Roy had to go out to grab food and bring it back for her.
Feeding two mouths at once was no easy feat!
Maybe she figured this was her last chance, so she wanted to eat her fill.
As long as she didn’t leave Roy’s room, this “session” wouldn’t end.
It wasn’t until Gerald arrived in the area that Janice finally left.
By then, Roy had unlocked every “position” with her, clearing every path—even places Jack never reached.
When Roy saw Jack, he felt a bit awkward, like Jack had turned entirely into the color of forgiveness.
But Jack had no complaints about Roy. After all, Gerald had shown up with an entire carrier strike group to find him.
Talk about a grand entrance. Even Roy hadn’t expected Gerald to go that big.
“Let me introduce you. This is Lieutenant General Frank Hammer, commander of the carrier strike group, who’ll be assisting FEA with this mission.”
Gerald’s tone was formal, acting like he barely knew Roy.
In such official settings, it wasn’t the place for personal familiarity.
Frank Hammer was a tough-looking military man, probably in his fifties, with a stern demeanor.
“To be precise, we’re protecting FEA to complete this mission, Mr. Orin!”
Gerald’s face showed a hint of exasperation. This General Hammer didn’t seem easy to deal with.
“Nice to meet you, General Hammer.”
Roy shook hands with Hammer, who gripped Roy’s hand like he was squeezing a stress ball.
What was this about?
Did this old geezer think he could hurt Roy’s hand with his nearly 90 Constitution points?
Roy smiled as Hammer strained, veins popping on his neck, but to no avail.
Gerald noticed something was off and quietly asked, “General Hammer?”
Hammer suddenly let go, flashing a stiff smile.
“Haha! No wonder you’re the heavyweight boxing champion from this year’s Sydney Olympics! When Mr. Orin first mentioned your name, I thought it was just someone with the same name.”
Roy’s lips twitched. He wanted to say, “Kid, that’s not funny.”
Hammer’s smile faded as he looked at Roy.
“Mr. Black, what’s the situation with the drilling platform?”
Roy briefly explained last night’s events to Gerald and Hammer, who both frowned.
“An energy-based alien lifeform? Mr. Black, can you tell me how you dealt with it?”
Hammer’s eyes bored into Roy.
Roy glanced at Gerald before answering.
“General Hammer, that’s personal.”
“In matters of national security, there’s no such thing as personal!”
Hammer wasn’t backing down, determined to get answers.
Roy’s brow furrowed.
What was this old man’s deal? Why was he picking a fight right off the bat?
Roy wasn’t one to take it lying down and glared back.
“General Hammer, are you doubting me?”
As the tension spiked, Gerald quickly stepped in to mediate.
“General Hammer, Mr. Black is with FEA. If there’s any investigation, it’ll be handled internally.”
Gerald subtly implied Hammer was overstepping, which was never a welcome move.
But Gerald’s status was lower than Hammer’s, who’d arrived with a carrier strike group.
FEA, on the other hand, only brought some FEAR agents from California—not even the full team.
The military tended to be overbearing. After Gerald’s subtle jab, Hammer didn’t apologize, just snorted and walked off.
“Mr. Orin, what’s going on?”
Roy looked at Gerald, annoyed.
This guy’s forehead was getting shinier, looking more and more like a certain bald agent. Roy wondered if he should get Gerald to try an eyepatch one day.
Gerald sighed.
“It’s complicated. After I reported the drilling platform issue to headquarters, they passed it to the White House. Then the Pentagon got wind of it. They lobbied the President to get involved, and, well, here we are.”
Fine, everyone knew the White House leaked like a sieve.
Presidents come and go every four or eight years, but some bureaucrats stay forever.
No need to spell out what choices some people make.
“What a hassle! Mr. Orin, just get me out of here already!”
Gerald gave a wry smile.
To be continued with Janice
-500
(End of Chapter)
