Secret Mission

On the far side of the globe, debates had waged for two days. Each country proposed dispatching a team to the Himalayas to establish contact with the Extraterrestrial Being. Despite the heavy guard surrounding the Himalayas, they remained unexplored. Within the United Nations, deliberations on initiating contact with the Extraterrestrial Being persisted for over thirty hours. Eventually, a compromise emerged. A joint task force, composed of top talents from multiple nations, would undergo training before venturing into the Himalayas in four days' time to make contact. Naturally, China assumed leadership of the team as the Himalayas fell within its territory.

Uncharacteristically, the American delegate, usually at odds with China, remained silent this time. Unbeknownst to the others, the United States had clandestinely dispatched its own elite team from Nepal, infiltrating the Himalayas.

"Sending a joint team four days later? By then, we'll have made contact with the Extraterrestrial Being!"

"The United States should have the opportunity for this initial contact!"

In a secluded corner of Nepal, amidst the Himalayas, the American special forces team awaited action. Eleven fully armed individuals stood ready, led by a man sporting a neat beard, once a soldier.

"Remember the mission objective."

"No firing unless authorized by me!"

"I know you're all elite soldiers, accomplished in the modern battlefield."

"But don't underestimate what awaits; it's beyond anything we've faced before."

"You must adhere to my command!"

"Yes, sir!"

The ten special forces members responded in unison, though skepticism lingered. Wasn't it just a meteorite? Did they truly need to exercise such caution?

Marching through the Himalayas in the howling wind, the American team pressed forward. Despite the perpetual snow cover and sparse vegetation, the biting cold failed to deter these seasoned soldiers.

"Remain vigilant, observe your surroundings," the bearded leader advised, scanning their environment with heightened awareness.

"Yes, sir," the group murmured in reply.

As the leader turned away, one soldier whispered to another, "What do you think we'll find up here in the Himalayas?"

"It's likely just hype over a meteorite," came the dismissive response.

"Yeah, probably just a falling rock," chimed in another.

A third, with a relaxed demeanor, added, "Or maybe the meteorite's radioactive, causing mutations in local wildlife?"

Rolling his eyes, someone retorted, "Where'd you get that idea?"

"Isn't that how it goes in the movies?"

Shrugging, the soldier said, "Whatever, let's just follow orders."

"I'll snap some pics of that golden meteorite if we stumble upon it. Could fetch a pretty penny," another suggested.

"Forget photos, we've got micro cameras. Let's grab it and hope we don't get caught," proposed one.

"You'll vouch for me?"

"Forget it."

"Fifty-fifty?"

"...Fine."

"Deal!"

As the two finalized their plan, another nearby soldier interjected quietly, "Hey! Enough chatter, let's stay focused. We're on a mission here!"

The two chuckled in agreement, their casual demeanor betraying their lack of regard for the Himalayan mission. What was it anyway? Just retrieving a meteorite!

Further ahead, the bearded leader suddenly signaled a halt.

"Halt!"

The special forces immediately dropped to the ground, scanning the area as directed. A black bear was spotted.

Motioning for silence, the bearded leader led the team cautiously, fully aware of the danger posed by encountering a bear in the snowy mountains.

Approaching stealthily, they successfully ambushed the bear, which only noticed them when they were within ten meters, thanks to the blizzard providing cover.

The encounter with the bear, though potentially perilous, was swiftly managed by the well-prepared special forces.

"Thunk."

The bear was swiftly dispatched, with one soldier wiping his dagger with a disdainful laugh.

"This bear was too lax in its vigilance, wasn't it? Only noticed us when we were upon it."

The soldiers shared laughs, feeling the encounter had been too easy.

However, the bearded leader remained uneasy. He alone knew the truth: the Himalayas harbored not a meteorite, but an Extraterrestrial Being. Tasked with making contact, he had been strictly instructed not to disclose this information. He bore this burden alone, having learned of the being shortly before departure, requiring hours to recover from the shock.

"But is this Extraterrestrial Being truly as formidable as rumored?" Doubts gnawed at the bearded leader as they pressed on.

He tightened his grip on his firearm, questioning the necessity for such caution.

Hours later, some of the special forces made a discovery.

"Captain! Come see this! Tracks!"

Rushing over, the team spotted the footprints of a massive creature imprinted in the snow.

"As expected, it must be nearby!"

"Search in the direction of the tracks, and let's move!"

Suppressing their excitement, the special forces pushed forward forcefully.

Suddenly, one soldier paused, perplexed.

"Hey, is it just me, or does it feel colder here?"

Meanwhile, in the icy wilderness, a colossal figure resembling a mountain stirred. Lithos slowly opened his eyes, his gaze fixed towards the east, where Japan's Mount Fuji lay.

"The energy fluctuations have intensified. We won't have to wait much longer."

"Perhaps another five days."

The frigid wind continued to howl.

Though seasoned in traversing deserts and swamps, some special forces couldn't help but shiver. One, trembling, voiced his concern.

"Captain! Are you sure we're in the right place?"

Amidst the biting wind, a soldier exclaimed, "By trajectory, this should be it!"

But why was there no sign of the Extraterrestrial Being?

"Is it truly here? Captain, all these snow-capped peaks look alike. Could we be searching in the wrong place?" Another soldier rubbed his hands together, releasing puffs of breath.

"Yeah! There's no meteorite crater here!"

Surveying the landscape, all they saw was ice and snow.

Not even a stone, let alone a meteorite!

Aside from the biting wind, there was nothing but cold!

However, the swirling snowflakes felt akin to stones striking their faces!

"By our calculations, this should be the spot!"

Even the captain was bewildered.

The coordinates had been triple-checked, so they couldn't be wrong. If they couldn't find it... it meant the Extraterrestrial Being had relocated!

They had discovered massive footprints earlier. Wasn't that a clue?

"Curses!"

The captain slammed his fist into the ground, teeth gritted. Then, he rallied, "Keep searching, press on!"

The special forces took a deep breath and resumed their search.

But after fruitless hours, they found nothing.

In the Himalayas, shrouded in frost, vegetation was scarce due to the high altitude. Besides the snowflakes, all they could see were the icy black rocks.

"Hey, this cliff is unusually hard!"

One soldier pounded on the rock face.

Perhaps due to the relentless icy wind, the cliff was exceptionally smooth. The exposed rocks gleamed with an unusual polish.

When touched, they felt cold and smooth, resembling metal.

Moreover, they exhibited a faint black and gold hue!

"Is this a new rock type? I've never seen anything

 like it."

"And it's black and gold."

"And so smooth, more like metal."

A soldier tapped it, producing a dull sound.

After a moment's thought, he struck it forcefully with his knife!

"Clang!"

Sparks flew!

But to the soldier's astonishment, his blade, originally sharp, now curled!

The recoil numbed his arm!

"Is this still stone?"

The special forces attempted to chip off a piece, but to no avail. Their efforts only resulted in numb arms and shock.

Just as they were about to give up and resume their search, a sudden change occurred!

The ground trembled!

Without warning!

The special forces instinctively dropped to the ground!

"What's happening? An earthquake... My God! What is that?"

The fierce wind howled!

In the distance, a blurry black shadow rose from the horizon!

Towering and majestic, it seemed to pierce the sky like a mountain!

"Boom!"

A wave of pressure descended!

Accompanied by howling wind and frost!

Then, a glaring red light illuminated the icy wilderness!

All the special forces stood transfixed, gaping at the colossal figure before them, rendered speechless!

It was a towering entity, akin to a mountain!

Standing between heaven and earth, each breath stirred storms!

How terrifying!

The "cliff" they had regarded earlier turned out to be its body.

And they... were standing on this giant's body!

All the special forces felt their spines chill, cold sweat drenching their backs!

They had faced countless life-threatening situations, yet before this giant, they couldn't even muster the courage to flee!

Their minds whirled, their thoughts scattered, unable to articulate the terror they beheld!

"My God..."

"What... is this..."

"Have we witnessed a deity?"

The special forces stood there, staring blankly, trembling uncontrollably.

Only the special forces captain, reacting swiftly, crawled and rolled off the giant's body.

"Hurry, run!"

The captain turned back, feeling a chill down his spine!

A surge of cold bore down on him!

His legs wobbled, nearly buckling!

He witnessed the giant stir, flames engulfing its form.

A fiery tendril landed where they had stood moments before.

Then he saw his comrades, reduced to nothing by the flames!

Not even ash remained!

And Lithos, barely awake, paid them no heed. Neither the surviving captain nor the fallen special forces members captured his attention.