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From all the things we expected from today's expedition, finding an alien that has been trapped in these dunes for thousands of years, constantly bleeding, was not one of them. We learned not only that she wasn't from this world, but she was also from a very distant planet. One where there were many like her, people made of minerals, not of our feeble flesh, but of strong metal.

Her name was Sphynxiette, and after we helped her heal herself, because our magic didn't seem to work at all on her body of metal, she was able to calm down and have a sizable meal for herself. She ate a lot of Spirit Stones. Lara was a bit sad about that, but she knew that they were at the end of the day simply a material that can regrow later.

After she ate, she looked much better. Her metallic skin gained a slightly brighter golden hue, and her big, jeweled eyes regained their light. The cracks surrounding her eyes slowly healed themselves back together as well.

Just observing her was amusing, she was such a mysterious living organism. I know it might sound a bit creepy, but I really wanted to know how her whole anatomy even worked. It's not as if we haven't seen beings made of metal or ores before, but they're usually golems.

But her body definitely doesn't work the way golems do. It is much more complex, much more… How do I say this? Fleshy? It feels like her minerals and composition has been weaved through not just magic, but the constant mutations and refinement of evolution itself.

"Thank you for your hospitality…" She sighed in relief, with a faint smile. "It has been eons since… I could hold a conversation with anybody, even more that I've eaten. So much has happened… So, so much… Now I'm lost. I don't even know where to go, or what to do."

"You can… Well, you can stay with us until you figure it out?" I asked her, without shame.

"Sylphy!" My mother was about to reprimand me. "You can't just force her to-"

"No, no, it's fine." Sphynxiette nodded. "I was thinking about asking you, but my pride wouldn't have allowed me to receive even more of your help. You've saved my life. As tough as our kin is, we can face death. Perhaps in a few more years, a hundred or two hundred, I would have surely died. I've lost most of my strength now."

"You lost most of it yet you're as strong as a Tier 10 Entity?!" Celeste gasped. "Just how strong were you before?"

"Is this Tier thing you're talking about some sort of measuring level?" The alien lady asked. "And, well, all of my tribe was strong. I remember battling them. Those selfish invaders you call "Gods", your creators. I killed a few at my prime."

"Y-You killed gods?!" Aquarina, Mist, Celeste, Lara, and I were all left speechless.

"I've told you plenty of times that the Title of "Gods" is not befitting of those beings. They're Etheric Entities of sorts. Made of pure, highly refined energy called Divinity." The lady of gold explained. "I only had to grasp the core of their Etheric Bodies and rip it to shreds, and they would explode into gaseous matter. However, I only killed their weakest ones, the ones they send off as disposable fighters. I've heard they make those… The real threats are the Ancients. Those that control the gigantic moving metallic stars. Those monsters whose power could even block Mother Star from ever blessing us again with her warm light. Last time I remember hearing about them, they were twenty of them."

"You mean the Chief Gods? There's… twelve now." I said. "Have eight of them already died?!"

"Maybe… Or maybe not." Sphynxiette sighed. "As you can see, I am quite clueless about this entire world. Or its history, or what has happened… I- Ugh, I can explain you more of what I know later, as a form of my gratitude to all of you. But for now, I require light… I am so exhausted of living down here."

"Of course, let's head outside." My mother said. "There's apparently another level below us, but we can wait for now."

"Wait… No." Suddenly, Sphynxiette looked down. "W-Where can we go down? If there's another level… Maybe there's more of my people, we can't let them suffer another second."

"R-Right, I guess that could be a possibility." My mother nodded. "But are you sure you can keep going?"

"I sure can! I've eaten and recovered. Don't worry about me." She nodded. "Let's head down. Where is the path? Lead the way."

We looked at Pyuku, who has been silent this whole time just admiring the big golden lady. He nodded and asked the two equally shocked slimes with us, Emerald and Sunshine swiftly brought us to the other side of the level, where there was a sealed gate.

"This place apparently leads down, they think so. Mostly based in the wind they feel coming from it." Pyuku explained. "But they've been unable to open the gates yet, sadly."

"Hmmm…"

We started analyzing the entire hall. Every nook and cranny could contain a clue about how to open the incredibly tough Reinforced Orichalcum Gates. Our new friend looked at the gates with slight disgust.

"To think they would make of our blood their monuments and homes. It is sickening. It feels like I am walking inside a house made out of corpses." She sighed, gritting her sharp teeth.

"I'm sorry…" I sighed. "I wish there could be a way to make up for this."

"Ah… No, no, don't worry." She suddenly looked at me with very gentle eyes. "This is not your fault. You're victims to this, the same as my tribe. I'm sorry if my remarks sound rude. You're my saviors, and I won't blame you for anything."

"Oh, look, Sylphy!" Aquarina suddenly called for me, finding something. She has been inspecting the door for a while, using her water to clean it from dust.

Until she found a large pattern over the golden gate, where some sort of liquid should flow.

"Is this… So the gate opens using liquid orichalcum?" My mother inspected.

"Those sickening bastards…" Sphynxiette sighed. "Let me do this."

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