Chapter 178 – Ambush
Deep within the forest, inside a wooden cabin—
A Mountain Man clutching a shattered arm staggered out of the trees and collapsed at the foot of the cabin.
Incoherent shrieks spilled from its throat as it frantically pointed back toward the forest.
Thump. Thump.
The ground suddenly trembled.
A massive shadow emerged from behind the cabin.
It was clearly another Mountain Man—but one so enormous it nearly matched the treetops in height.
Its body was covered in swollen pustules that periodically contracted, spewing dark yellow gas as if the creature itself was breathing it out.
The wounded Mountain Man prostrated itself on the ground, its body shaking uncontrollably.
In the next instant, a thick tentacle plunged straight into its skull.
A wet, gurgling sound echoed.
Within seconds, the Mountain Man's body dried up completely.
Through this act, the towering creature absorbed its memories.
"..."
Rage rippled through the giant Mountain Man.
The pustules across its body pulsed violently, releasing sharp, piercing whistles.
Moments later, the surrounding forest stirred.
Dozens of Mountain Men emerged from the shadows.
"Ngah—!"
A scream suddenly rang out from inside the cabin.
The massive Mountain Man immediately turned its head.
Its followers rushed inside.
Inside the cabin, a female Mountain Man lay sprawled across a dining table, her bloated abdomen heaving.
Before long, she gave birth.
The messenger Mountain Men hurried back outside to report.
The giant creature nodded.
With a sweeping gesture of its arm, it issued its command.
All the Mountain Men surged toward the forest's outer perimeter.
---
Jones and Elena encountered Mountain Men halfway through their route.
With their previous experience, the two worked together and captured one quickly.
But unlike the priest, they had no means of communicating with it—and they were in a hurry.
So they chose to kill it.
After all, the priest had emphasized one rule above all else:
Always finish the job.
A sharp dagger stabbed into the Mountain Man's joints.
It might not feel pain, but being systematically dismembered was another matter entirely.
The creature thrashed helplessly.
Black-red blood soaked Jones's shirt collar.
"Haha! This guy even has a Rolex," Jones exclaimed, pulling a watch from the corpse.
"Wonder which poor bastard it came from."
But Elena stood frozen, terror flooding her eyes.
"What's wrong?" Jones asked, confused.
He turned around.
And began to tremble.
The bushes were filled with figures.
Dozens of Mountain Men stared back at them.
And towering among them was that colossal shape.
Jones and Elena could barely comprehend what they were seeing.
This wasn't human—it was a nightmare.
Worse still…
The Mountain Men had witnessed everything.
They had watched the dismemberment of their kin.
Their gazes burned with nothing but murderous intent.
"F-Father… I was wrong!"
Jones's pants were soaked.
"Please—save me!"
Moments later, two bloodcurdling screams echoed through the forest.
---
The production crew heard the cries while regrouping.
Dale immediately ordered everyone into alert status.
Only then did he realize—
Two people were missing.
"Damn it," he gritted his teeth.
"Those idiots…"
In any military operation, unauthorized solo action is extreme stupidity.
Because it almost always exposes your position.
Sure enough—before Dale could establish contact with Gideon—the ground suddenly began to tremble.
Moments later, everyone saw it.
Mountain Men.
They were everywhere.
And among them stood the tallest one of all, gripping a human being firmly in its hand.
"Please… save me…"
Elena's tears had smeared her makeup completely.
But no one dared to move.
Facing such a monster, Dale felt the will to fight drain from his body.
In the next instant—under the stunned gaze of everyone present—
the towering Mountain Man opened its massive jaws and bit down.
SPLAT.
Elena's once-beautiful body was torn in half.
Nina clamped a hand over her mouth, her face pale with terror.
Though she had never liked Elena—who traded her body for advantage—
seeing her die so brutally sent a chill straight through her heart.
She didn't bother looking for Jones.
The two had been teamed together, yet now only Elena remained.
Jones's fate was obvious.
"Don't panic! Group up—now!"
Dale shouted at the top of his lungs.
True to his past as a soldier, he reacted faster than anyone else.
The scattered teams immediately converged.
Michael's legs were shaking uncontrollably, yet he still aimed the camera at the towering Mountain Man.
"My God… these monsters really exist!" he muttered excitedly.
"This time, I'm definitely going to be famous in Hollywood!"
Dale handed out several bottles of holy water.
"This is what the priest left us," he said firmly.
"It restrains these creatures."
Then he added, voice low but steady:
"I'll fire warning shots. If we can hold out until the priest returns, we live."
He had deliberately distributed the holy items early—to stabilize morale.
At a time like this, panic was the deadliest thing imaginable.
If even one person broke and ran, the group would collapse instantly.
And then everyone would become prey.
Only by standing together did they have even a sliver of hope.
Faces grim, the others accepted the holy water and took cover behind trees.
According to the Safety Manual, when stopping at any location, defenses must be established immediately.
They had already placed traps throughout the surrounding underbrush.
A sharp, piercing whistle rang out.
The Mountain Men attacked.
Roars echoed through the forest.
Jake gripped his machete tightly—the weapon taken from a Mountain Man they'd captured earlier.
Axes and arrows flew past him, striking tree trunks and dirt.
He controlled his breathing, carefully judging the distance between himself and the enemy.
"Father Gideon was right," he thought grimly.
"These Mountain Men are stupid."
Throwing weapons blindly like this was just wasting energy.
Jake was waiting.
Waiting for one moment.
> When facing mortal danger, observe carefully.
Focus all your strength on a single opportunity.
The words from the manual echoed in his mind.
Soon enough, one Mountain Man charged straight at him.
Its foot suddenly slipped.
The creature lost balance instantly.
Jake's trap.
"NGH!"
He seized the opening.
The machete flashed across the Mountain Man's neck.
SPLASH.
Blood erupted.
Jake didn't hesitate.
He immediately dragged the corpse in front of him.
WHOOSH—WHOOSH!
Arrows slammed into the headless body, sticking out like hedgehog spines.
Jake retreated quickly, piling the corpse against a tree root as cover, then searched for his next opening.
Similar scenes unfolded near several nearby trees.
For the first time, the Mountain Men's advance slowed.
Hope sparked in the survivors' chests.
Only now did they truly understand the value of the Safety Manual.
Every rule corresponded to a fatal mistake waiting to happen.
Without those prior warnings, many of them would already be dead.
The realization chilled them.
Just how many lives had been lost to write those rules?
—
Not far away—
The towering Mountain Man watched as its prey dared to resist.
Its fist clenched tightly.
The pustules across its body began to pulse violently.
Thick clouds of dark yellow gas burst out.
Within moments, the forest was engulfed.
Visibility dropped to near zero.
The production crew immediately realized—
Something had gone terribly wrong.