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