[Suitable Host for the Apex Hunter System discovered]

All of a sudden, a cold synthesized voice spoke within Raya's head causing her swishing tail to pause mid-air.

[Unknown Universal System detected within the suitable host. Forcefully entering the hosts' code...]

[Remodeling the hosts' code...]

[Insufficient energy required to unlock the Apex Hunter Systems many features. Host, please complete the following task]

[Consume 1,000 points of Bio-energy]

For a moment I didn't know what to do until it dawned on me as a thought surfaced in my mind. 

⌈ The Legendary gold finger is real?! ⌋

Tanya beside me who was happily flipping through the pages in her comic was taken aback by my sudden exclamation. We both stared at each other and I could feel the weird look she was giving me. 

"What gold finger?"

⌈ Uh, nothing Tanya. Sorry for disturbing you, you can continue reading your comic ⌋

Having calmed down a little, Raya excitedly thought to herself in the depths of her mind to avoid Tanya giving her more weird looks. 

'Hey, system, are you there?'

[Yes host, however, I am currently unable to sustain myself for long due to the restraints placed on me by the universe. For now, please complete the task so I can bypass these restraints and officially assist you]

'Alright'

Reluctantly putting the questions aside Raya slowly stood up attracting the attention of the little girl silently reading.

⌈ Tanya, I'm going to go outside to gather some more food for you ⌋

"Can't I come with you?"

⌈ No. At least, not right now. Stay here and behave alright? ⌋

"Oh... Then be careful okay Raya"

Raya responded with a nod then swiftly and silently exited the room leaving behind a little girl hugging her comic as she watched the alien's figure disappearing into the shadows.

***

[Incomplete human corpse. Marine soldier. 2.1 Bio-energy points]

[Incomplete human corpse. Marine soldier. 1.9 Bio-energy points]

[Xenomorph corpse. Runner. 4.4 Bio-energy points]

[Incomplete human corpse. Scientist. 1.1 Bio-energy points]

[Incomplete Xenomorph corpse. Runner. 3 Bio-energy points]

The view inside the corridor was a nauseating one, not for the faint of heart, with piles of corpses strewn about. The blood that covered the floor had already started to dry up but due to the sheer amount of it, the process was quite slow giving the texture a sticky feeling to it with every step Raya took.

Probably due to her acceptance of her new identity but there were little fluctuations in her emotions upon witnessing this scene. Crouching closer to one of the incomplete human corpses, Raya ripped off his loosely hanging arm, took a light sniff, then chomped down hard on his hand. 

Crunch

Gulp 

[+0.2 Bio-energy points]

A surge of invigorating energy swelled within her belly as her stomach acids quickly digested the hand and sent the energy circulating throughout her mind, body, and soul, slightly strengthening each area by a small amount, though it was a negligible amount, it was some nonetheless.

Such a small amount of human flesh wasn't nearly enough to satisfy Raya's growing hunger, thus she indulged herself in an all-you-can-eat buffet.

[+0.3 Bio-energy points]

[+0.3 Bio-energy points]

[+0.1 Bio-energy points]

[+0.5 Bio-energy points]

[+0.2 Bio-energy points]

[+0.3 Bio-energy points]

[+0.1 Bio-energy...]

[+0.4...]

The feeling of satisfying one's hunger along with growing stronger by the second was a terrifyingly addictive one. Raya herself would know from witnessing her voracious behavior.

Just like that, Raya self-employed herself as a Janitor, gleefully cleaning up the mess left behind by the aliens' outbreak and the humans' resistance.

While doing so, she couldn't help but think about the things she didn't have time to think about earlier. 

More specifically the new system. Why did she accept it so fast? In her past life, she would read novels as a hobby, the majority of which had systems to help the MC.

So it's a given that she would accept it right away as the system being her 'privilege of a reincarnator'.

⌈ I just hope it isn't a useless system... Then I'd really be living miserably in my second life ⌋

***

Several hours had passed since Raya left to search for more food. With no entertainment other than her comic, Tanya had fallen asleep but her complexion was pale and sweating, clearly a sign of having a not-so-good dream.

"Stop... No, don't... Raya... Raya!?"

Looking around the room there was nothing but darkness and silence. The closest object being a few destroyed tables faintly discernible if one squinted their eyes and focused hard enough.

"Raya?"

There was no response to her call. 

"She's still not back? Did something bad happen to her? Should I... Go find her?"

The little girl sat quietly, mumbling to herself in the darkroom with a hesitant look in her eyes that stared in the direction the door should be in.

The scenes from her dream flashed by which scared her into taking action. 

Gathering the little courage she had, Tanya blindly made her way to the door, comic book in hand.

Creak

As she pushed aside the door its usually inaudible creak was abnormally loud, breaking the silence and spooking the little girl.

"Silly door, why are you misbehaving now?"

She questioned with a cute frown. 

When the door finally opened enough to walk out, the stench of blood assaulted her nose prompting her to cough. 

"Raya?"

Still no response, however, so she followed along the wall. With every few steps, she came to a halt asking if Raya was nearby. 

Along her journey down the corridor, she tripped and stumbled a few times over the debris or acid pits (pits formed from alien blood) dirtying herself.  Nonetheless, she continued to search for her only friend's whereabouts.

***

[+0.6 Bio-energy points]

[995.7/1000]

Raya had glanced at the upper left corner of her 'vision' to see the progress of her task, only to be frustrated by it. 

The cause of her frustration was the fact that she was a few points away from completing the task but there were no more things to eat. She had already cleared the entire facility.

She then left the lowest floor to return to Tanya, not forgetting to pick up what food she could find for the little girl. 

To Raya's surprise, she could sense the location of something moving around the floor above her. 

Almost immediately Raya jumped into the vents silently making her way closer to the unsuspecting prey.

⌈ The feedback from my senses is a bit weak. Is it a rat? Some kind of small animal? ⌋

The possibility of it being Tanya was slim to none as Raya had already memorized the kind of 'pulse' Tanya gave off.

Step

Step

Step

The prey that Raya was stalking was now directly above her, merely inches away from her clutches.

Slowly exiting the vents from the floor, Raya suddenly pounced onto her prey ready to kill it when something unexpected happened.

The door ahead just a few tens of meters away was kicked open as a team of heavily armed marine forces entered fully alarmed. The light which shone in from the door illuminated the corridor presenting to the outside world an Alien and a little girl. 

"R-Raya?"

⌈ Tanya? ⌋

"Non-lethal ammunition! Get that bug away from the girl!"

tls123

For convenience, I decided to give Raya sight. It's exactly the same as the protomorphs POV in the covenant movie (I assume most would know what I mean as this is an aliens fanfic)

Thanks for reading