—You're All Monsters? —
John made a funny face. "Eren, you don't need to feel sad for Sis Nadia."
"Big Bear, how can you be like this? Sis Nadia sacrificed herself, and you're not even a little bit sad?"
Eren's eyes burned with anger. Nadia had been his commander, after all. How could these people not grieve at all?
Xunhuan Lee leaned in mysteriously. "Brother Eren, you really don't need to be sad. As for the reason... you'll find out once we're out of the black mist."
"This is ridiculous!" Eren muttered, completely baffled by their cryptic talk.
The group moved quickly, and since they hadn't ventured too deep, they emerged from the black mist within minutes.
The moment they left the mist, Carlos, who still had a sock stuffed in his mouth, let out a pained groan. His body convulsed violently several times before he fell unconscious.
Eren thought for a moment. "Once someone is corrupted by the shadow energy, they can't survive outside the mist—stepping out throws them into an instant coma."
Ethan nodded gravely. "If only we could eliminate this black mist, the people inside could be saved."
A thought struck Eren. Perhaps he should find a chance to sneak back in alone and absorb this mist.
As he was contemplating this, his eyes widened in shock—the familiar figure ahead, who else could it be but Nadia?
The delicate features, long eyelashes, those large, captivating eyes, the beauty mark near her right eye, the alluring makeup...
It was Nadia, identical to the one who had just died inside the mist.
Sis Nadia... had she been resurrected?
Eren stood dumbfounded. A terrifying thought flashed through his mind. "What kind of monster are you, daring to impersonate Nadia?" he shouted sharply. "Show your true form!"
Before the words fully left his mouth, threads shot out, instantly wrapping around the slender neck of the figure.
"Pathetic trick," Eren sneered, preparing to retract the threads.
"Eren, stop!" John hurriedly tried to intervene, but he was too late. With a soft sound, Nadia's head separated from her body.
However, in the next second, Eren's expression froze solid, as if he'd seen a ghost in broad daylight—
The headless body did not fall. Instead, it reached out, caught the falling head, and calmly placed it back onto the neck. The skin at the neck healed at a visible rate, restoring itself completely in the blink of an eye.
"You... you..." Eren stood rigid, as if struck by lightning. This scene defied all logic and assaulted his senses. Even after experiencing supernatural events, he felt a deep chill of horror.
"B-Big Bear, do something! This is a monster!" Eren's tongue felt stiff. He prepared to attack again, but John grabbed him firmly.
"Calm down! That is Field Commander Nadia herself!"
"What?" Eren whipped his head around, then promptly kicked John away. "Even Big Bear is fake? What are you all?"
He retreated rapidly, scanning everyone with suspicion. "And you? When were you replaced?" Cold sweat soaked his back. These 'monsters' could perfectly replicate his comrades' every mannerism.
"Dammit! We grew up together in diapers, and you suspect me?" John rubbed his backside as he got up, his face full of exasperation.
"You need proof, huh? Remember Miss Isabella? We used to sneak peeks at her bathing when we were kids, and you always found excuses to hug her and cop a feel..."
"Shut up!" Eren frantically covered John's mouth, his face bright red. "I believe you! You're the real Big Bear!"
Seeing the meaningful looks from the others, he quickly defended himself, "That was all Big Bear's doing! It had nothing to do with me!"
John rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right. You were way worse than me as a kid."
Eren hurriedly changed the subject, pointing a trembling finger at Nadia. "Then her... just now, her head came off..."
"Pfft—" Xunhuan Lee, standing nearby, couldn't hold back a laugh.
John facepalmed, looking at Eren with the pitying gaze one reserves for the intellectually chErenged. "Haven't you noticed, kid? Sis Nadia 'died' twice, and not a single drop of blood was shed."
With this reminder, it suddenly dawned on Eren.
Then Nadia spoke calmly, her expression still cool and detached. "Don't panic, this is just my special ability."
"Special ability?" Eren was flabbergasted. Returning from death?
That was a heaven-defying power!
The GVA was truly unfathomable.
"Sis Nadia, I'm sorry, I just..." Eren stammered an apology, feeling awkward remembering how he'd grieved for nothing.
"It's fine. Staying vigil is good," Nadia said, then shifted the topic. "Eren, since you can absorb the shadow energy, Carlos is your responsibility."
---
— Sucked Him Back —
Eren nodded and stepped forward, placing his hand on Carlos's abdomen and circulating his technique.
As the Obsidian Sigil in his mind slowly rotated, tendrils of black energy were drawn out from Carlos's body.
The dark discoloration faded from his eyelids and lips, and his eerily red hair returned to its original jet black.
A moment later, Eren withdrew his power and stood up. Though Carlos was still pale and weak, the sinister aura about him had completely vanished.
A golden glint flashed in John's eyes. "His life flame has turned red again! You did it, Eren! You sucked him back."
Eren shot him an annoyed look. "What do you mean 'sucked him back'? If you don't know how to talk, just say less."
Just then, Carlos groggily regained consciousness. "Pah! Who stuffed a stinky sock in my mouth?" He jumped up, holding the sock and glaring at everyone.
Nadia spoke sternly. "Carlos, report your experience inside the black mist. Even though you were corrupted, your memories should be intact."
Carlos was stunned for a moment. He looked around, and a complex mix of emotions—fear, wild joy, remorse—flashed across his face before settling into deep shame.
Eren was inwardly shocked—how could one person's face show so many emotions at once? What had he experienced in that mist?
"Field Commander Nadia, I deserve death!"Carlos dropped to his knee. "To raise a hand against my comrades... please punish me!"
Nadia's tone was even. "Being corrupted by shadow energy wasn't your true intent. Don't blame yourself excessively. But remember," her voice sharpened, "the GVA values reason, but values rules more. If you err again in the future, the punishment will be severe."
Carlos was profoundly grateful. "I understand,Field Commander!"
Watching this, Eren nodded inwardly. The GVA had both warmth and authority. An organization like this was worth joining.
—Witnessed by the Mist—
"Now," Nadia's voice pulled him back to the present, "report everything you saw and heard inside the black mist in detail."
Carlos took a deep breath, a trace of lingering fear in his eyes, and began slowly:
"That day, shortly after our three-person squad entered the black mist, we encountered puppets controlled by the shadow energy. The first wave was easily dealt with, followed by a larger wave. Fortunately, those were just weak, peripheral grunts, and the three of us handled them without much trouble."
His voice suddenly grew heavy. "But the change happened right then. Before we knew it, we were killing in a frenzy. After clearing the puppets, we actually... actually turned our blades on each other."
Carlos closed his eyes in pain. "Just as we were about to mutually destroy each other, Operation Leader Olga suddenly snapped out of it and forcibly separated us. From then on, the three of us got separated in the thick fog, and I... gradually lost myself."
He clenched his fists, his knuckles white. "As I kept absorbing the shadow energy from the mist, my power grew, but my heart was eroded by killing intent and desire. While wandering in the mist, I saw too many terrifying things—the devoured residents had completely turned into walking corpses; and many more Vigil-Wyrm like me. My power was among the weakest of them."
"Even more frightening were the beasts," Carlos's voice trembled. "Pigs, dogs, cows, sheep... They were even more frenzied and cruel than the human puppets. And this was just the periphery. The deeper you go, the stronger and more horrifying the puppets become. To clear this black mist, I'm afraid..."
He didn't finish, but his grim expression said it all.
"Those Vigil-Wyrm comrades," Nadia pressed urgently, "are they still alive?" This was her primary concern—every Vigil-Wyrm was a valuable asset.
Carlos thought for a moment. "I can't be certain, but based on my judgment, the possibility of their survival is quite high."
"That's enough," Nadia relaxed slightly. "As long as they're alive, there's hope for redemption."
Eren chimed in at the right moment. "Do you know where the source of the black mist is?"
This question sharpened everyone's focus. If they could strike at the heart of the problem, things would be much simpler.
But Carlos shook his head. "I don't know the exact location, but it's likely deep within the mist's core. The closer to the center, the purer and denser the shadow energy becomes."
"Can't we just heli-drop into the center?" Eren asked. "This mist covers hundreds of kilometers—coming in from the edge will take forever."
Nadia shook her head. "No. The airspace above the mist is a dead zone. Birds and insects die crossing it; instruments fail from the chaotic magnetic field. A helicopter would crash before it got close."
Eren sighed softly. "It seems we have no choice but to explore our way in, step by step."