Chapter 342: Preparations; Complete
"Shit! Come on, hurry the fuck up! We don't have much time left!"
"I know! I know! I'm moving as fast as I can already!"
"God, please don't screw this up!"
"You guys should calm down and maybe lower your voice. We don't want to be heard by the demons."
"We aren't loud. This is panic whispering. Like an ASMR."
"Dude! Focus!"
"Sorry."
On some corner of the Lost Continent, a squad of soldiers was currently facing a troublesome matter.
Originally, they were here to build one of the traps that is necessary for the grand scheme of humans against the demons of this continent. The operation started out smoothly like any other; everything was calm and okay, but it quickly took a sharp turn simply because one of the soldiers made a little too much noise while working.
This attracted the attention of some stray demons, who immediately attacked them. The fight caused more noise, and the squad had to resort to some strict measures to prioritize the accomplishment of this mission. They barely cleared the horde, and even after this, they couldn't relax.
They're on a time crunch here. The stench of death and blood around them was too thick due to the strewn corpses that were left behind by their clash. The longer this goes on, the further the smell drifts, which could possibly attract more enemies to their location.
"Shit! Okay! I'm done! Go, go, go! Move it, boys!"
The operator growled as soon as he finished installing the trap. They don't have the time to double-check if it's working properly or not. They could only hope for the best right now and retreat, lest they attract the attention of something they couldn't handle.
The rest of the squad knows this too, and they couldn't really refute the decision to retreat. If anything, they all silently agreed to it as they began hauling their asses back to the nearest federal outpost while trying their best to hide their presence and erase their tracks. Read latest chapters at m_v-l'e|m,p| y- r
Roar!
"Shit!" The soldiers collectively swore under their breaths.
That roaring sound just now came from something that they all hope they won't encounter. Truthfully, none of them knows what exactly it is just yet; the demonic fog in this god-forsaken place was too dense, making it hard for them to see anything. Additionally, their senses are suppressed here, especially since they're humans.
But even though they've yet to see what manner of monstrosity they attracted just now, they all know that it's strong. They could tell that much after hearing that roar. They're experienced soldiers, after all.
Even without speaking to each other, they all agreed that they couldn't handle something like that right now. They're not strong enough or have any equipment that will help them deal with that. So, their best option is to continue making their way back to the base, preferably as fast as they possibly can.
Dong! Dong! Dong!
Their hearts tightened as they felt the movement getting closer and closer. Judging from the ruckus alone, they could tell that whatever this thing was, it's huge. It's mere movements were causing the very earth to tremble beneath them.
None of them dared to speak right now. In fact, they didn't even dare to breathe loudly. They just continued moving as a unit, marching away from this place at a decent pace. They can't speed up or slow down at all. It's either moving at this pace or completely standing still.
ROAR!!
The roaring sound of the monstrosity sounded a little too close for comfort this time around. The sound was so loud that the sound waves caused them to feel dizzy. One soldier almost fell down after getting it. Fortunately, his friend was fast enough to react and catch him before he fell; otherwise, they would surely attract the attention of that thing.
They then heard a harsh panting sound behind them, followed by loud sniffing. The expressions of the soldiers hardened because they knew that whatever this thing was, they were suspicious of the situation. The sniffing means that there is a possibility that it could track them down, and that's the last thing they need right now.
But despite knowing this, they can't stop. They have to keep moving, or else they will really die here.
The outpost isn't far from here. They just need to keep going a bit more, and they'll enter the zone where the silvermist is active. Once they enter that zone, they will be fine. So they must keep moving.
ROOOOAAAARRR!!
The roaring sound was louder this time. It came without warning and, once again, caused the soldiers to nearly faint from the sheer impact of the sound waves. Whatever that beast was, it sounded frustrated and angry. It may or may not be because it couldn't find the ones responsible for making the noise just now.
Whatever it is, the soldiers couldn't care less because they're only five meters away from safety. Despite nearly being toppled by the harsh sound waves they experienced just now, the soldiers forcibly bit their tongues and swallowed the bile rising up from their stomachs. They continued marching until they were mere inches away from the silvermist.
BOOM!!!
A loud explosion occurred behind them, sending an impact that almost jostled their intestines and organs. However, it also helped them cross the remaining distance between them and the silvermist. The impact sent them flying inside. They might've been injured by it, but at the very least, they're safe now.
It was at this point that some soldiers were finally brave enough to see what exactly the monstrosity was.
A towering beast shrouded their vision. It's a giant rabid wolf that's about 10 to 15 meters tall. Its fur was like sharp needles that bristled with killing intent and were darkened by demonic corruption. It's scarlet eyes scanned the surroundings coldly, trying to see if there's anything suspicious around. Its nose kept sniffing, trying to track the residual scent of its prey, but to no avail.
Seeing this monster, the soldiers could only thank their lucky stars for making it out alive. They were right after all; this thing isn't something that they could deal with even if they had their equipment with them.
The leader of the squad began dragging his teammates away from this place. Sure, they're within the silver mine right now, but by no means are they absolutely safe just yet. At most, the silvermist will prevent this rabid wolf from tracking them by erasing their presence completely. It will also subtly influence the mind of this beast, making it instinctively avoid this place.
But if this thing causes a rampage, the silvermist won't protect them from any possible harm that might reach them.
Within the silvermist, though, the soldiers could move faster and be noisier. The squad was now moving at full speed towards the gates of the outpost, not even daring to look back lest they accidentally make eye contact with that thing.
The squad leader himself dropped-kicked the gates wide open, and his teammates dragged him inside. Once the gates closed behind them, they collectively collapsed on top of each other, staring at a blank space and panting from too much stimulation.
"I hate this fucking place," the squad leader muttered softly after catching his breath.
"Preach."
"Same."
"Me too."
"Move; I need to shit."
The squad dragged themselves towards the tents to rest. Right now, they truly couldn't care less whether the trap they installed ended up intact or not. All they know is that they're lucky to be alive. If the trap survived, great! That means that their work here is done, and they could go back to the safety of their homes.
If not, then no big deal; they'd just have to install it again, preferably more carefully next time so that they won't experience this kind of thing again. They still have enough materials left anyway.
"Yo, guys! It was a success!"
The engineer of the squad hollered at them in glee. He just did some checks and discovered that the tracker they left on the site of the trap was responding properly. The status showed all green signs, and the trap was completely buried. With the measures they installed in it, they don't have to be afraid of it being noticed by their enemies.
Hearing this great news made the soldiers almost collapse for a second time out of relief. This operation was too close for comfort, but fortunately, they succeeded. They're all safe, and they've completed all the tasks expected of them.
The squad leader swallowed and inwardly wished for this luck to continue. He then told the engineer: "Contact HQ, tell them the results, and ask for our next move."
"On it," the engineer replied.
There's a tense silence for a bit. Nobody dared to speak; they're all inwardly hoping that this mission ends here because, truthfully, they didn't want to stay in this place any longer.
Beep!
The crisp sound of the alert sounded like a bomb to them. The squad leader and the engineer opened the message and read it.
Then, the squad leader looked at his team and said:
"Eat and pack up, boys. We're going home."
"WOOOOOOOO!!!!!"