"If you don’t wish to tell me, that’s completely fine. I’ll simply refrain from telling you the truth about us and..."
"It’s called Umbrasol."
The words echoed softly through the cave, drawing Miliani’s gaze to Arlo’s.
"The world I come from is called Umbrasol, and Magic is an ordinary part of our everyday life. We don’t possess the metallic weapons the humans carry, as our civilization revolves around runes and the power they bestow."
He explained.
"So... your world is a primeval one. A civilization from an ancient era," Miliani inferred, and Arlo shrugged quietly.
He wouldn’t exactly call Umbrasol a primeval world.
"An unfortunate incident led to me drowning and at the bottom of the sea, I discovered a dark portal."
"It pulled me inside, and when I opened my eyes again, I found myself aboard the ship that brought me here. The Humans think I’m one of their enlisted soldiers, and I followed the script."
"That’s how I arrived here on Earth."
Miliani remained silent for a moment before speaking.
"You truly have no idea about this world... do you?"
Arlo slowly shook his head.
"My race, the Vorath, came from a world much like yours."
She began.
"We also possessed this thing you call magic, although we never referred to it by that name. To us, it was simply a natural part of our existence."
Arlo listened without interrupting as Miliani continued.
"Everything changed during the apocalypse that struck our world. One day, the sky split apart, and enormous vortexes appeared above us."
"They possessed an irresistible force that dragged members of our race into them, and when we opened our eyes again, we were no longer home. We have arrived on Earth."
"When we first appeared here, a couple centuries ago, both races were cautious of one another. But from what I learned, humanity was surprisingly welcoming."
"They welcomed you?" Arlo asked in disbelief. "Even though your race resembles... well... beasts?"
Miliani raised her hands, looking at her scaled skin.
"This isn’t our true appearance. This... is merely our combat form. It is created through the manipulation of dark magic."
The darkness surrounding her body immediately began flowing like liquid.
Arlo watched in stunned silence as the grotesque scales melted away, the claws gradually shortened into delicate fingers, and the writhing tendrils that formed her hair slowly receded.
Moments later, a completely different person stood before him.
Long dark hair cascaded over her shoulders, while her smooth light-brown skin contrasted with the pitch-black eyes calmly fixed upon him.
Beneath them rested a pair of soft pink lips, and the savage appearance from moments earlier had vanished without a trace.
She now looked no different from an ordinary human woman.
"Do I look any less a lady from that female captain of yours?" Miliani asked.
Arlo simply stared, with several seconds passing before he finally recovered from his shock.
"No... you look completely human."
A faint smile appeared on Miliani’s face, before her expression focused,
"The humans welcomed us, and many wished to live alongside us."
"Our natural affinity for magic greatly accelerated their technological research, while in return they offered us food, shelter, and a place where we could rebuild our lives."
Her smile gradually faded.
"But not everyone among my people shared that vision. The male Vorath understood something: There was no returning home."
"Our world was gone, and Earth had become the only place where our race could continue to exist."
She lowered her gaze.
"They believed that although humans were weak at the time, helping them develop would only create a future threat."
"Once humanity grew powerful enough, they might no longer need us, and when that day came, our fate would once again lie in someone else’s hands."
"So rather than entrust their future to humanity’s mercy, they devised another plan."
Arlo’s brows slowly knitted together, before he whispered
"To conquer Earth."
Miliani’s eyes widened.
"...How did you know?"
"You said your people possess powers humans naturally lack."
"You were stranded on a foreign world with no path home, meaning Earth became your only possible future."
"If that future depended entirely on another race’s goodwill, then it would always remain uncertain."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"The safest yet riskiest option would be to seize control yourselves. If humans are weaker, then conquering them before they can catch up becomes the most logical military decision."
"Once the original rulers are removed, Earth naturally becomes your new homeland."
He slowly shook his head.
"It is ruthless. But strategically... it is the correct move."
Miliani remained silent for a moment before slowly nodding.
"You understood everything."
Arlo returned the nod before another question surfaced.
"Then why is the war still ongoing?"
"You’ve told me your people possess magic while humans don’t. These weapons the humans carry certainly look impressive, but where I come from, they are toys."
Arlo’s expression turned thoughtful.
"If my kingdom had fought this war instead, a well trained cultivator who had opened the Second Gate could have slaughtered that entire squad."
"So why hasn’t your race already won?"
"Because humanity adapted."
Miliani’s expression grew solemn.
"They fused themselves with their technology. The technology that we’ve used our own magic to help them evolve."
"They implant energy cores directly into their hearts and use them to power the countless machines integrated throughout their bodies."
She looked toward the direction where Captain Ennessa’s squad had disappeared.
"Your captain is one such example. Although she appears completely human, a powerful core rests inside her chest."
"It supplies energy to the machinery hidden throughout her body, drastically enhancing her strength, speed, reflexes, stamina, and even the precision of her weapons."
"Humans possess seven stages of Core Enhancement. Your captain has only reached the Second Stage, but those who stand at the Seventh can fight our greatest leaders on equal footing, leading to a stalemate."
She paused before letting out a quiet sigh.
"And then there is humanity’s greatest advantage: Their numbers."
"When strength alone is insufficient, they simply overwhelm us with countless soldiers... and weapons designed solely for war."
"It’s easy for one to think a race without magic will be easy to conquer, but don’t be fooled"
"When Humans are pushed to the brink, fighting them will be akin to fighting gods!"