Chapter 68 - "Mountain Shadows: Unveiling Perils in the Dark"

The teams enroute to Death Mountain continue their journey.

A select few, discovering a shortcut, raced to the mountain's base before nightfall.

Leading this squad is Captain Clark, a seasoned veteran scarred by real battles in distant lands. Disliking conflict, his initial plan was to use his hard-earned savings to return to his hometown, open a farm, and tend to crops and animals.

However, a recent battle left his body permanently damaged.

The subsequent events unfolded with relative ease. Representatives from Osborn Industries approached him. Despite exhausting a lifetime of savings for a cure, he found himself compelled to seek employment once again. This time, he enlisted in the private armed forces of Osborn Industries, reluctantly picking up the gun again.

As night descended, he led a small contingent of fifteen soldiers and established a camp in a sheltered cove at the mountain's base.

The kindling of a bonfire not only illuminated the surroundings but also dispelled the chill that accompanied the night. Gathered around the warmth, everyone sat by the campfire. Only Clark, armed with an M16 automatic rifle, remained on guard outside the camp, his gaze fixed on the ominous mountain. The quietude and darkness added to the eerie atmosphere.

Due to certain unique circumstances, Clark's sense of danger had heightened since his recovery. Upon entering the vicinity of the mountain, an ominous premonition stirred within him. As he gazed at the ominous mountain, this foreboding feeling intensified.

Just as Clark pondered the situation, a hefty hand suddenly landed on his shoulder!

Clark instinctively raised his gun and turned, prepared to retaliate, but the voice from behind halted his movements.

"Hey, old man, it's cold and dark. What are you looking at standing here alone?" The speaker was a black man, his dark visage illuminated by moonlight, with only his white teeth standing out conspicuously.

"It's you, brat! You scared the hell out of me!" Clark couldn't resist playfully punching the black guy.

"Hey, here." The black guy, undeterred by the punch, smiled and offered a piece of roasted meat to Clark. "You seemed a bit off when we first entered the mountain. What happened?"

"You rascal!" Clark grinned, teasingly cursing at the black guy. Suddenly, his expression turned serious. "When we first entered the mountain, I felt uneasy, like there's a deadly danger lurking within. Strange, huh?"

With that, Clark picked up the meat, took a bite of the roasted portion, chewed it thoughtfully, swallowed, and let out a sigh of relief. "Perhaps it's just my imagination!"

As the black guy was about to respond, his eyes widened in alarm. A sturdy figure emerged from the shadows behind Clark. "Be careful!" he shouted, hastily kicking Clark's body away.

Due to their proximity, the black guy reached the stout figure first. He found himself facing a massive object, larger than a washbasin. It took him a moment to register that it was actually a person's fist.

Before he could react, a blow landed, and he lost consciousness, a shocked expression frozen on his face.

After the black guy took the punch, it was as if a powerful locomotive had struck him. He disintegrated, transforming into a projectile of broken flesh and blood that scattered toward the ground.

"Pa~Pa~Pa~..." Clark lay half-conscious on the ground, staring blankly at the gruesome scene before him, the sickening thud of falling flesh echoing in his ears

"Hu~hiss~" Just as Clark began to process the black guy's tragic fate, the ominous sound of a fist cutting through the air reached his ears. It snapped him back to full consciousness, but before he could react, a tremendous force struck him from behind!

In an instant, Clark's body, akin to a broken doll, soared through the air and crashed into a large tree. After two somersaults, silence enveloped the scene.

Under the stark moonlight, the ground bore witness to a gruesome spectacle. The mutant tyrant named 'Tank' extended its equally massive arms and emerged from the shadows. Its emotionless eyes surveyed the lifeless Clark, confirming his demise before turning away to depart.

Unexpectedly, as the 'Tank' shifted its gaze, Clark's lifeless body beneath the tree underwent a grotesque transformation. Tan and bright yellow fur intertwined, rapidly covering his exposed skin. In a matter of moments, the entire body underwent a furry metamorphosis, culminating in elongated canine teeth and a grotesquely distorted face resembling that of a beast.

Sensing an anomaly behind it, the 'Tank' pivoted to investigate, only to witness Clark's corpse vanishing. In its place, a four-legged, tiger-like monster emerged, completing the bizarre metamorphosis.

"Roar~" A sound akin to a tiger's roar, yet with a distinct nuance, resonated from the monster's mouth. A pair of beastly pupils emitted an eerie green glow in the darkness, fixated on the colossal form of the 'Tank.'

Observing this peculiar sight, the 'Tank' cocked its head, a bewildered expression momentarily softening its cold visage. The discrepancy arose from the inability of the information recorded in the controller to rationalize the unfolding scene, creating cognitive dissonance within the mutant tyrant.

In the next heartbeat, the 'Tank' lunged towards the monster. While the controller lacked pertinent information, the virus impelled the 'Tank' with the instinct to obliterate the creature before it, despite having already vanquished its adversary moments ago.

The monster observed the 'Tank' charging toward it, and though its instinct urged retreat, an unfamiliar emotion surged within, compelling it to stand its ground and counterattack.

Simultaneously, at the distant camp, where soldiers engaged in warming up and conversation, the absence of two individuals had gone unnoticed for an extended period. However, a few vigilant soldiers began raising questions.

"Hey~ Where's Ben?" A soldier, harboring suspicions, cast a glance around the campfire, inquiring of those seated nearby.

"Ben? I'm not sure." "Wasn't he here just now?" "Probably went to look for Clark."

"Most likely with Clark. You know, Clark treats him like a son since he can't have kids of his own due to the war injuries. Saw them leave with some barbecue just now. No need to worry!"

"Yeah, don't worry!"

As everyone reassured each other, the cautious soldier began to ease up. However, at that moment, a faint sound caught his attention, causing him to abruptly change his expression and anxiously ask, "Hey, didn't you guys hear that?"

"Sound? I caught a distant tiger roar. Surprising to find wild tigers in these mountains. Once the mission's done, I might explore around and try to spot one!"

"Really? Tigers here? Where did you hear them?"

"..." Excitement filled the air once more!

However, the anxious soldier persisted, speaking louder, "Not talking about earlier, I mean now! Did anyone hear something just now?"

The soldiers, sensing the urgency in his tone, fell silent, and the atmosphere shifted to one of concern.

In the hushed silence, a faint yet increasingly distinct sound reached their ears.

"Hiss~uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu..."

A woman's sobbing echoed through the dark mountain, breaking the stillness with an eerie lament.