All Hell Broke loose

Earth wasn't faring any better.

**BOOOM!**

A loud explosion rang through the air, sending waves of trembling throughout the earth.

The sky turned gloomy, and an ominous fog shrouded the world. ㅛㅕㅑ

Then a series of buildings plunged to the ground, causing dust to rise up as the wails of people who were unfortunate to be crushed resonated.

"Help! Somebody help me! My leg is stuck!" A woman whose body was half crushed by a flat giant concrete tried to wiggle herself. Perhaps due to the adrenaline, she didn't feel any wrenching pain.

But then the pointy building adjacent to her came crashing down on her. She closed her eyes, hoping for some red or black-capped superhero to come save her.

But... no one came.

She was crushed to a paste!

Thud! Thud!

Grrrrr! Grrrrr!

Feral growls were heard everywhere. The humans who were in berserk mode running through and sliding across the honking cars momentarily froze.

They looked up, and terror flashed like an ignited fire.

A crude-looking black behemoth ship with a domineering aura, as though it was the harbinger of death itself, appeared in the gloomy sky. Its sight was threatening.

"Christ! What is that?"

The colossal ship instilled a sense of dread in all of them. For every second that passed, the thumping on their hearts accelerated, their muscles stiff to a point where it was a hassle to move.

"Mommy, what is that?" A cute little boy pointed at the ship as he hid behind his mother.

The boy's silent whisper seemed to echo everywhere, snapping everyone out of their trance.

Having woken up from their dazed state, panic... panic ensued. And then a large pod-like object plunged down and hit the ground, raising dust into the air.

The humans caught their breath. Their gaze fixed on the strange pod.

Then, with a chilling sound, the pod jerked open, and a giant creature stepped out.

It was a beetle, a humanoid beetle. Its body was covered in thick chitinous plates that glinted in the dim light like shards of obsidian. Its limbs were spindly and jointed, ending in razor-sharp claws that dripped with viscous, noxious secretions. Its face was twisted into a permanent snarl, revealing a set of jagged, venomous mandibles that could crush bone and shred flesh with ease.

While its eyes were gloomy, like black soulless pits, its exoskeleton was sickly greenish-brown, streaked with veins of pulsating purple, as though it were infected with some sort of virulent disease.

The humanoid beetle moved with a disturbing, insectoid gait, scuttling across the ground in a manner that looked both unnervingly graceful and utterly unnatural.

Its presence filled the air with a sense of foreboding, as though it were the harbinger of impending doom. With every movement it made, it emitted a low, guttural growl that sent shivers down the spine of all the humans.

Suddenly, the air reeked with an irritating stench of fear as the humans scrambled for safety. Every hair on their body stood on edge.

The sound of their frenzied footsteps echoed through the dark alleyways, mingling with the ominous clicking of the beetle's sharp mandibles as it gave chase.

The beetle emitted feral growls that shook the very ground beneath their feet, each one a reminder of the imminent danger that they faced. Its eyes glinted with a savage intelligence, and the humans could almost feel the hunger radiating from its razor-sharp

claws.

At that moment, several other pods similar to the one the humanoid beetle had emerged from came crashing down.

"Fuck! There are more of these things," a muscular man said with terror. "Everyone, run to the nearest military barracks!"

Upon hearing his scream, everyone veered to the west and began to sprint with all the muscles they could summon in their legs.

However... the terrifying growls just seemed to draw closer and closer. Some of the humans began to feel the hideous creatures lurking behind them, with murderous killing intent radiating out.

Curious, some of them turned back, and that was it. The giant beetle pierced them with its razor-sharp claws before flashing a creepy grin, showing its venomous jagged fangs, dripping with blood.

Then, without rumors, it bit the human head off before flinging it to the side as though it was a rag doll.

Crashing into an already destroyed building, the headless corpse staggered to its feet.

A woman who was running with a child not older than 8 soon bumped into a sturdy, rough body. At first, she thought that it was a wall, but then her eyes noticed that obsidian chitinous skin.

"It's not them, Rita, it's not them, just continue to run." She finally looked up.

Tip-top.

Those deadly noxious secretions hit her forehead. It was the giant beetle. And a deep circular hole appeared right through her skull. Then, after a searing pain, her skull exploded into a gooey chunk of brain matter.

"Mummy!" The boy's eyes went bloodshot as he stared at his mother's headless body.

Truth be said, this sight wasn't something a boy this young was supposed to witness.

Whether young or old, everyone present there didn't even spare a glance at the boy as they ran past. In times of crisis, it was only natural for everyone to care about themselves, and it wasn't wrong.

The boy looked at the creature with his big black eyes that would have made even the devil turn good again, but this monstrosity grinned.

It wasn't a caring grin.

Instead, this one was murderous.

Its jaws widened beyond human capability as it loomed over the boy, and globs of saliva dripped from its mouth.

The boy closed his eyes.

Tears streaming down his face.

Just a few hours ago, he was angry at his mom for not getting him a candy. And now she was gone. His little heart ached. His mom was no more, and the worst thing was that he was angry at her before she died.

"God! If you exist, do something!" All humans had had this kind of moment once in their lifetime. A moment where they would pray to any god that cared to listen.

However, they never got a reply.

Time stood still.

The tears flowed out.

The blurry footsteps passed by.

Then the beetle lunged forward.

Blackout.

Bang! Bang!

The boy waited a little before opening his eyes again. He was still alive!

"Everyone, calm down! This is the U.S. army!"

"We're saved!"

"Thank God!"

With several armored vehicles loaded with powerful deadly ammo and military jets firing a relentless storm of projectiles, the people shed tears of joy. The casualties had since surpassed a few thousand, but they still felt happy to be alive.

A few unfortunate survivors who had lost loved ones blamed the government for not showing up earlier while some thanked the military in their hearts.

As for The boy, he gave one final look to his mother before running away, with tearing eyes, witnessing a sight that would hunt him for the rest of his life.

The next moment, she staggered to her feet.

Several military choppers buzzed in the air, firing at the strange creatures.

A moment of rest returned as a few survivors gained confidence a bit more. A few family members who had left each other reunited, hugging and sharing tears.

In the jolly atmosphere, something fell from the sky.

It was a briefcase.

And suddenly, everyone became silent and hollow again as many held their breath. A few fled the scene, thinking that it was a bomb.

The soldiers approached the briefcase cautiously. One brave man with an eye patch and a device scanned the briefcase before opening it.

It was empty.

The soldier sighed in relief. He was frightened to the core.

"There is nothing inside—"

**BOOOOOOOOM**

Hope... so fragile.

***

Location: China, Beijing

Thud! Thud!

The giant pods hit the earth under the terrified eyes of everyone there. They stared at the pod, waiting for whatever it was inside to emerge... then a moment later, the pods jerked open.

The beetle stepped forward and flashed a creepy grin.

Similar scenes happened all over the world.

The famed nuclear weapons, dubbed to be one of the strongest weapons owned by humans, didn't even leave a scratch on the colossal ship that was hovering over them.

Its dim sound, although low, was heard by everyone all over the world. Each second reminded them that something far greater than they could comprehend was about to happen.

This day, 1 billion humans perished under the vicious fangs of the humanoid beetles. Newborns, children, adults, the elderly; none of them were spared.

Reactions:

["The United States military lost 10,000 brave soldiers this day at the hands of the humanoid beetles."]

["Is this the famous Armageddon?"]

["Mr. President, what do we do?"]

["I don't know! I don't fucking know!"] The president clenched his brows together

These creatures had wiped out his family. His first daughter, his wife, and his son. All of them... except his youngest daughter, Ophis, who was currently lying stiff in his strong arms.

The president suddenly stood up with a new murderous glint in his eyes.

["Assembly all our military forces! Bring out all the big guns! Bring out the bombs. Let's show them why we're the strongest nation on Earth!"]

["Today, a thousand people entered what scientists could only describe as a deep slumber, a state they couldn't wrap their heads around or explain accurately, and now this?"]

["Is this the end of the world?"]

***

In the dark alley, all the homeless children had long run away, leaving the place dwelling in grim silence.

In the distance, with light sobs, a girl with a skinny build and bald hair caressed her brother's face.

"Brother, wake up! Please wake up!"

Then, a giant beetle with its predatory gaze suddenly appeared, looming over the frail-looking Mia. Its bloody claws shot out.

Tip-top.

Blood dropped to the ground.

Mia's chest tightened.

She looked at her brother.

Then, tears fell from her eyes as she hugged him.

She couldn't leave him... he was the only one she had in this world. She would rather die alongside him. "This time, I will be the one to protect you, brother..." Mia got up, her legs wobbly, but she stood and glared into the creature's eyes.

"Stay away from my BROTHER!"

At this moment, it dawned on every living thing walking on two legs this day that humanity was officially doomed.

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