“No way, we can’t get through up ahead.”
Jin Jianshu took his hands off the steering wheel, a look of despair on his face. A burning tree had fallen, blocking the only road leading to the docks.
The buildings beyond the blockage were completely ablaze, making it nearly impossible to pass.
“Damn it,” Alexander gritted his teeth, pounding his thigh. Nothing seemed to go right, and reaching the docks had become unexpectedly difficult.
“If there's no other choice, we'll have to abandon the car.” He thought for a moment and made the decision.
“That means we’ll have to leave all this stuff behind,” Jin Jianshu frowned.
“That means most of the supplies we gathered will be useless.”
“Take a few essential supplies, and carry all the ammunition and firearms we can. We’re running out of time.”
Having anticipated such a scenario, they each packed a hiking backpack with some essential supplies and set out on foot.
Their pace was slow, and they proceeded cautiously, fearing an encounter with the terrifying Deep Ones.
Alexander held a crowbar in one hand and a pistol in the other.
After about half an hour, they heard the sound of gunfire not far ahead.
“There’s a fight with Deep Ones!” Eric raised an eyebrow.
A gleam flashed in Alexander’s eyes as he sternly said, “Let’s go check it out…”
...
Bullets were flying as Spain and his squad faced off against several fierce creatures hunting them down.
These were small Shoggoths summoned by Janet, amorphous and glowing with eerie eyes moving across the ground.
Ordinary bullets were almost useless against these creatures. Fortunately, Janet couldn't summon full-sized Shoggoths, which, after numerous evolutions, had become much more powerful, with a diameter of about 15 feet, capable of driving one mad.
The small Shoggoths were about the size of cats or dogs, early versions designed by the ancients as slaves and food. Through evolution, they eventually became akin to giant excavators and high-end laborers.
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Shoggoths’ amorphous bodies could constantly transform, and some powerful Shoggoths could even mimic human forms.
Though these small Shoggoths didn’t have such abilities, their bizarre bodies made them difficult to hit, and even when hit, it was largely ineffective.
They sprouted numerous limbs from their slime-like bodies, sliding across the ground towards the group, or swelling like yeasted dough, extending arm-like appendages to attack.
In reality, it was futile to fight such creatures. The mere courage to not flee was extraordinary for an ordinary person.
Spain and his men were hardened American soldiers, accustomed to the battlefield’s cruelty, with stronger mental resilience than most. Those with weaker minds had already broken down upon seeing the “Star Spawn.”
“Damn Janet, trying to silence us. What kind of mission did we get involved in…” Spain, who never bothered with mission details before, felt regret for the first time.
“Tekeli-Li! Tekeli-Li”
The small Shoggoths emitted ominous sounds, using limbs to leap from nearby trash cans.
Suddenly, a flashbang was thrown, landing perfectly on a small Shoggoth.
The explosion of light and heat forced it to retreat, a rare occurrence, while Spain, though at a distance, was still affected, feeling dizzy and falling to the ground.
Luckily, his comrades quickly pulled him to safety.
In his blurred vision, he saw someone rushing over to join the battle against the Shoggoths.
...Soon, his vision faded into darkness.
Spain awoke later, unsure how much time had passed, to find his old partner Pete sitting nearby, smoking.
“How long have I been out…?”
“About twenty minutes…” Pete exhaled a smoke ring.
“Now that you’re awake, we can talk.” Alexander leaned against the door.
Spain instinctively reached for his gun but was stopped by Pete's quick reflexes.
“Stop it, Spain, he saved us…”
“Why did you do it?” asked the recently awakened Spain, eyeing him with suspicion.
“Because we need each other to survive this mess.”
Alexander spoke confidently, “I know who you are—NRO Delta from MJ-12. Unfortunately, the renowned NRO Delta is just a pawn to MJ-12 now…”
“You’ve been sold out, discarded like trash. Those who betrayed you aim to blame you for everything, branding you as terrorists, stripping away your dignity, turning you into enemies of the state.”
“Even if you die, there won’t be compensation, no honorable funeral, no grieving family—you’ll be like rats dying in a ditch, without a trace!”
“Say that again!” Spain snapped, flipping off the safety of his gun and pressing it against Alexander’s head.
“But, I can change all that…”
Alexander spoke persuasively, “I know a way to turn the situation around. Not only can you escape, but you can also counterattack.”
“What do you mean?” Spain was confused.
“This whole thing is a ‘scheme’ to obtain something the masterminds both fear and value greatly!”
Alexander asked, “I believe you know something, which is why you’re being hunted.”
Spain and Pete exchanged glances before speaking to Alexander: “We don’t trust you, and what could you possibly do to change this situation?”
“Reversing this nightmare is ultimately up to you, not us…”
Ignoring the gun to his head, Alexander slowly moved to find a chair and sat down.
“You’re the ones they want silenced. Even leaving here won’t change that unless you draw the trump card to turn the tables. My goals differ, but our path is the same.”
“Alright, I’ll tell you. The item is called ‘Nemesis,’ and it’s just a tape.”