Reborn as an Evolving Space Monster: Harem Of Otherworldly Beauties-Chapter 285 Puppeteer’s Leash

"Thanks to Rea, you managed to heal little by little."

"Yeah. I also learned a thing or two…" Cero said as he moved his hand towards his third caffeinated drink.

His index finger approached the surface and, upon coming into contact with it, the surface slowly started moving away from the tip of his index finger.

"Don't eat with your hands." Liz playfully slapped the back of his hand. "Literally." Read new adventures at novelbuddy

"Yes, quite literally." Cero chuckled as he moved his hand away from the drink. "Would be a shame to drink it this way anyways, can't feel the taste."

"Freaky…" She whispered with a mischievous smile. "So you -Learned a thing or two- huh?"

"Yeah." Cero answered with a shrug.

"I feel like it gave way to a bit more than that."

"Well… That's something I'll have to see with Raya later-"

Cero's words were cut short as the hand gently stroking the back of his arm suddenly zapped him.

"Still not getting used to that…"

"Why do you say that?" Liz asked innocently as an electric spark appeared between her index and middle fingers. "I did get used to it."

"I'm sure you have." Cero nodded. "It's great, now we'll have more to worry about next time you lose your mind."

"...!" Liz suddenly looked away and let her body collapse against the back of her chair. Her crossed legs also were swayed in the opposite direction, getting as far away from him as was possible without leaving the table they were seated at. "I guess you will have more to worry about."

"Sassy."

"Snappy."

His hand stealthily moved closer while she looked away.

"Zappy."

"Ugh, no, please! I told you! I zap, you don't!"

"That's so not fair. Zapping was my thing before it became yours."

"So? It's mine now. Deal with it." Liz retorted as she stuck her tongue out. "Everyone got something. I got zapping, which is the coolest. And now it's mine."

Cero took a deep breath in as he watched the passerbys for a moment.

"You shouldn't use it too much."

"I know. Not until we see how the lab rats are doing. I'm not stupid, you know?"

"I know, I know." Cero nodded. "It's just that sometimes it feels like you don't listen, you know? Like you're there physically, but you're not really there, you know? Like the only thing that can wake you up-"

Zap!

"What did I just say?"

"You deserve it." Liz rolled her eyes. "Only thing that can wake me up is a good punch, huh? That was crazy."

"It really was. Hell of a punch, too."

"I can only assume it was."

"Yeah… Pretty sure it was. I mean… I didn't see it either."

***

As the fight between Roka and Liz raged on, a difference in endurance, exacerbated by the Simbiora Lianas' boost, started to show, and victory was starting to lean towards one of the parties.

Meanwhile, the tip of the machete's blade was halfway out of Cero's heart.

His eyes could finally focus through the pain, just a bit.

[A Side-Quest has been issued.]

[Quest: "Vegetal Apex Predator!".]

The sourc𝗲 of this content is freēwēbηovel.c૦m.

[Objective: Devour the Hybrid.]

[Reward #1: 2 Skill Points.]

[Reward #2: Obtention of the "Skill Share" Skill.]

[Reward #3: "Partial Invisibility", "Electrical Perception", and "Regeneration" Skills Level Ups!]

[Reward #4: Obtention of the "Puppeteer's Leash" Skill.]

'Do I look like…' Cero clenched his teeth through the pain. 'I'm in any position to do that?!'

His hand squeezed Rea's wrist, and he turned towards Kris.

Bang! Bang!

"Sorry…" Roka smiled nerveously as she wiped a drop of sweat. "I'm getting a bit tired, you see?"

Liz growled. With Roka's shots, two of the tentacle-like lianas had been cut off from Liz's body.

"I'll be using my gun more often now."

It was a struggle for Kris, but he had managed to do as Cero had instructed.

"Oh no… So heavy…" The former complained without meaning to as he pushed Cero's shoulder upwards, trying to rest that shoulder on his folded legs.

"W-What about me?" Rea asked, her shaking hands wrapped around the machete's hilt. "What do you want me to do?" She gulped, waiting for instructions.

He couldn't give any. Neither talking nor breathing could be done before the blade was completely out of his heart.

'What are you looking at them for?' Rea clenched her teeth as Cero looked in Liz and Roka's direction. 'You have a blade through the heart, tell me what to do!'

The Commander was frowning.

'I just shot two out of four. You would expect the control to lessen or something. But no, absolutely no difference-'

After a momentary blank, the corner of her lips curled upwards.

"Welcome back." Roka whispered with a smile as she took aim.

With his back not against the ground anymore, Cero could pull out his tentacle-like Serolia-crystal -covered limbs, allowing the use of the "Plasma Ray" Skill.

Four plasma shots had been fired. Feeling something was amiss, Cero activated his "Hyper Sensitive Eyes" Skill, which allowed him to detect that there were more than the four Lianas attached to Liz's lower back.

Of course, the System message informing him that his Partial Invisibility would Level Up upon Devouring the enemy was part of the reason why he felt something was strange.

'Those four, two of which Roka has already shot… And another two attaching to her nape. Two invisible ones attached to the nape.'

"W-What are you doing?" Rea asked a moment before the -Plasma Ray- Skill was used. Kris braced himself as he was behind Cero.

Still, just as the two feared, the use of the "Plasma Ray" Skill caused Cero to gasp intensely with pain because of the recoil.

As all six tentacle-like lianas were cut off, Liz's eyes closed, and her body started falling forward.

"Liz!" The Commander shouted as she ran closer.

'No…!' Cero squeezed Rea's ankle due to the intense pain but wasn't able to say a word, currently basking in the worst pain he had ever felt.

His eyes could see it though. The signals hadn't stopped. While Liz had been disconnected from the main body, the end of the lianas remained stuck to her.

'What the-' The world suddenly started spinning around Roka. A well-timed, lightning-quick punch to the chin had landed. A leg kick made her stumble, and a stealthy hand reached for her side, stealing away her revolver.

A very useful evolutionary trait.

The Puppet would keep fighting for the Puppeteer even after the strings are cut off, taking care of any threat perceived until the end of the Leash runs out of energy. Or until the Puppet....

The threat previously thought eliminated had come back into the picture.

Liz aims her gun at the wounded Cero.