On a strange night, I dreamed I met a little boy—not in combat, no monsters, but in a strangely peaceful place. The boy was playing some simple game. But as I watched from a distance, I couldn't speak, couldn't interact, only observe, like watching a locked memory. Gradually, the scene began to change: the bright sky turned dark, the sound of childish laughter faded, the boy started to turn his head, but... his face blurred as if erased from memory. Then it all shattered. I woke with a start, my heart pounding, cold sweat on my forehead, thinking:
~What is this piece of memory? Why am I dreaming of a boy? He looked a lot like me when I was little...~
Suddenly, HighG looked at me and asked:
"Are you okay? Did you have a nightmare?"
His deep, slightly hoarse voice rang in my ear, startling me. I turned to see him sitting in the chair next to me, chin resting on his hand, his familiar deer antlers tilting slightly as he watched me intently.
"You look like you just got run over," he continued, his tone half-joking.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm my heart.
"I just dreamed of a little boy..."
He looked at me and said nothing... I paused for a few seconds and continued. In my mind, the image of that boy playing by the stream was still vivid, and the moment his face disappeared still sent a chill to my core... then I went on:
"That boy looked like me as a child, but then... it all vanished. Like someone just disappeared from memory."
HighG frowned.
"That doesn't sound like a normal dream at all."
I gave a weak laugh.
"Yeah, and I can't remember why I dreamed it... But that feeling, it was so real."
He was silent for a moment, then crossed his arms and leaned back.
"It could be a forgotten piece of memory. Or a warning from someone. Whatever it is... don't ignore it."
I didn't know how to reply. In the quiet room, his words echoed in my head, heavy as a stone dropped into water, creating ripples that wouldn't fade.
...Two kilometers south of the base, in a neighborhood shrouded in pre-dawn fog, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed between the trees, followed by the ferocious roar of monsters.A figure sprinted as if his life hung by a thread. His clothes were torn, a long bag slung over his back emitting the clatter of metal. He gasped for air, each breath feeling like it would tear his chest apart.Behind him, monsters that looked like logs carrying clubs taller than a man gave chase. Their skin was brown, their eyes wide open, one hand gripping a wooden club stained with blood. The ground trembled with their every step, toppling trees.The man glanced back—and almost tripped. A monster had nearly grabbed his shirt, its hot breath scalding his back. His heart hammered.
"Don't... don't stop..."
He mumbled, eyes wide with fear. He knew if he paused for even a second, it would all be over.Further ahead, the faint light of an old building flickered through the fog. He grit his teeth, pushing forward with his last ounce of strength... but the roars behind him were closer than ever. His heartbeat grew erratic, his breathing ragged. The monsters were just meters away from pouncing.But just then—to his left, amidst the thick fog—a tall, slender figure appeared. A long cloak covered their body, a hood obscuring most of their face, revealing only strangely bright eyes.
"This way!"
The voice rang out clearly, strangely calm amid the roaring behind him.He hesitated, but survival instinct took over. Without a second thought, he dashed toward the figure. The person didn't run wildly but moved quickly, precisely, as if they had calculated every path through the dark neighborhood.The figure led him down a slope, through a narrow crevice, then suddenly stopped before a large, moss-covered boulder. Slender hands pushed it aside—a mysterious mechanical sound—the rock opened, revealing a dark tunnel.
"In."
He hesitated, glancing back: the monsters were already squeezing through the crevice, snarling angrily. With no choice left, he dove in. The stone door immediately sealed shut.Inside the wall, the dim yellow light of an oil lamp cast flickering shadows on the cold stone. He looked up, about to thank his rescuer, only to realize... the strange figure was staring at him intently, saying nothing, leaving a question hanging in his mind:
"Who... who are you!"
I am Varen. I'm an accountant for Company X. I was just saved by a strange man who led me into this tunnel.Looking around, the faint yellow lamplight illuminated the cold, damp stone walls. I swallowed, trying to catch my breath. The cramped space made my heartbeat echo like a drum.The cloaked man stood a few steps away, his strangely bright eyes fixed on me, making me feel like he was reading my thoughts. He was silent, only raising a hand to pull back his hood... but what I saw wasn't a normal human face.One half of his face was flesh; the other was covered by rusted metal plates welded to the bone. Thin veins ran from his temple down his neck, glowing with a faint blue light. He said to me:
"You shouldn't be out at this hour."
His voice echoed, deep and hoarse as if from far away.
I flinched but still replied:
"Thank you... if it weren't for you, I..."
He smiled, saying only one thing:
"No need for thanks. You aren't safe yet."
He turned, walking deeper into the tunnel.
"Follow me."
I hesitated, but then carefully followed. The stone floor was slippery, the smell of must and old metal filling the air. Further ahead, a very faint sound... like claws scraping gently against the wall. I whispered:
"What... is that down here?"
He looked at me, his voice chilling me to the bone.
"Not 'what'. 'Who'. And you're about to meet them..."
He stopped before an old wooden door. His hand lightly touched a circular lock; immediately, glowing runes appeared and spun slowly. The door opened, revealing a surprisingly large room—in the middle, something was sitting, its back to me, white hair spilling down, slender hands gently touching the ground...When it turned its head, crimson eyes flashed in the darkness.
"...You've arrived."
The air in the room seemed to thicken. I just stood frozen at the door, my throat dry. The white-haired person remained still, their crimson eyes staring straight through me. The cloaked man said nothing, just walked around to the side and stood silently, as if this was between the two of us.I asked:
"Who... are you?"
The white-haired being tilted its head slightly, a faint smile appearing.
"My name doesn't matter. Down here, we've all been nameless for a long time."
A chill ran down my spine. My voice trembled.
"We...?! You mean... there are others in this tunnel?"
He didn't answer directly. Instead, he placed a hand on the stone floor and tapped three times. Immediately, the rustling of footsteps came from the shadows along the walls. Dozens of figures emerged—gaunt, in ragged clothes, their eyes glowing unnaturally. He spoke slowly:
"These... are the ones who were once like you. Hunted, thinking they would die, but in the end... chose to stay here."
I backed away instinctively.
"Stay...? How do you live down here!"
The smile vanished from his lips. He looked at me with a terrifying gaze:
"We don't live. We just... exist. And wait..."
A cold wind seeped through a crack in the wall, carrying an indescribable stench. I glanced at the cloaked man, but he remained silent, just watching me with that unreadable gaze.The white-haired man pushed himself up, his movements slow but steady. He approached me.
"You... have two choices. Go back where you just fled, and face the monsters out there... or... stay here, and become one of us."
My heart pounded in my head. I knew... whichever path I chose, there was no turning back... But...I swallowed hard, my brain twisting to find an answer. Before I could speak, a deafening sound erupted from the stone door.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The heavy blows shook the entire tunnel. Dust rained from the ceiling. The smell of earth and damp moss filled my nose.The white-haired man frowned slightly, but his eyes showed no panic.
"They're here!..."
The cloaked man tilted his head toward him:
"Do we need... to take him deeper?"
"No," the white-haired man replied, his gaze returning to me.
"He hasn't chosen yet..."
The pounding grew more frantic, mixed with the horrifying screeches of the monsters. Small cracks began to spiderweb across the stone, vibrating with each impact.I looked around. The "people" in the shadows still hadn't moved, their unnaturally bright eyes locked on me like predators waiting to see what their prey would do.My throat tightened:
"If... if I stay, will you protect me?"
The white-haired man chuckled softly, a sound that chilled my bones. He smiled and said:
"We... will keep you. Forever."
Suddenly:
CRACK!
It was loud from outside.The stone door burst open. A gigantic arm with hooked claws reached in. A foul stench washed over me like hot fire.No one gave me time to answer. The cloaked man lunged, yanking me back violently, while shouting at the figures in the dark:
"Block them!"
They all moved at once. The sound of bare feet slapping stone echoed like a funeral drum. The figures rushed the door, forming a human barricade... but their eyes were still fixed on me, as if I were the main course.The roars outside intensified. And I knew... my choice was about to be stolen from me...I looked at the strange, deformed people... then I looked back at the snarling monsters outside. My heart hammered. Primal fear surged. I ran.Chaotic footsteps echoed behind me—both them and the monsters were chasing me. I glanced around and saw an alley. I didn't know if it was a dead end.I dove in, gasping, cold sweat soaking my back. But by the time I realized it was a dead end... it was too late.The monsters swarmed, their hisses and roars merging. I panicked, my feet rooted to the spot. I couldn't do anything... they tackled me onto the cold pavement and tore my body apart in the darkness.
At the main headquarters.In a fairly chill breakroom, the air was quiet save for the whirring ceiling fan. I—Notug—sat leaning back in my chair, eyes fixed on a steaming cup of coffee.Suddenly, the HQ's television crackled, then switched to a strange channel, looking like a news broadcast. "EMERGENCY BULLETIN" it read. The screen flickered, then cleared—a short video of a chaotic scene.The anchor's voice was steady but tense:
"An employee of Company X was just attacked and torn to death by monsters... Authorities state they will proceed with DNA analysis to find weaknesses and will attempt to exterminate them as quickly as possible."
I frowned slightly, setting the cup down. A bad feeling crept into my mind... But I didn't pay it much attention.
The next day, the sky was still gray, cold winds cutting through the streets. I had just woken up when Lucy suddenly slammed the door open. She handed me a piece of paper. Before I could process it, she left. I didn't get it, but I opened the letter. It read:
_Address: [REDACTED].
Mission: Exterminate the entire shelter at this location._
And... It only listed this location! No further explanation.I frowned. Exterminate a shelter? This kind of order had never appeared in my mission files. But... where was it?I scattered maps and files. Suddenly, I spilled water on the letter. It turned out there was a line of Morse code hidden inside...
It read:
"-... . .... .. -. -.. / - .... . / -... .- ... . --..-- / .- -... --- ..- - / ..--- -.- -- / .- .-- .- -.--"
I looked at it, too confused. I opened my phone and translated it. It read:
"Behind the base... About 2km away."
I found this strange. I didn't understand why we had to destroy this base... Until yesterday, I'd only ever been on patrol, never extermination. Maybe... there were things in there that... shouldn't exist?
I went with Hachi (A swordsman, the third person the Chairman saved after HighG. He's weaker than HighG).After entering the designated area, I saw an old concrete wall covered in moss and dried, splattered blood. Not a sound, except the wind whistling through a rusted iron gate.Hachi placed a small explosive charge right in front of the gate and signaled:
"Ready."
He ran back, and a loud explosion followed:
BOOM!!!
The gate blew open, dust and smoke pouring out. I immediately raised my weapon and stepped inside.It was dark, with weak light flickering from a ceiling bulb. In the middle of the large room, I saw a man sitting on a wooden chair, chin in his hand, his gaze cold, as if he'd been expecting us.As the smoke cleared, he tilted his head, a corner of his mouth lifting. His deep voice echoed:
"You arrived faster than I thought... Notug, Hachi."
I froze. He knew our names? I had never met this man, but his calmness and his gaze made me realize one thing: this was no ordinary person.Hachi tightened his grip on his sword hilt. I kept my sword at the ready, but a thousand questions flooded my mind:
"This person... Who is he?..."
The room was lit by yellow light, dark, but it had an extremely strange feeling... I stood before him. The air was so quiet I could hear the ticking of a wall clock. He suddenly spoke:
"Who am I? You don't need to know, because we have no names." His voice dropped.
"Do you know how boring the missions from that scumbag are? And why do you follow him?"
I looked at him, my voice calm.
"He has nothing to do with you! You're just an addict!"
He suddenly laughed. Laughed in the dead quiet. He was trying to create a creepy atmosphere, but his laughter just drove us crazy. He suddenly turned serious, his eyes sharp.
"You're so naive... Do you know your 'trash' organization means nothing? Do you know how many people he has killed?"
Hachi grit his teeth, his voice bitter.
"Enough! Don't you dare look down on others!"
He lunged, his blade a bright flash. He looked furious, as if wanting to eradicate him completely. Suddenly, a horde of gaunt, addict-like people rushed out, shielding their leader. Hachi grit his teeth. They suddenly rushed Hachi and attacked him, catching me by surprise.They rushed me too. I had no choice but to curse at them:
"You trash! You've never been cared for properly! I see now you're not even human, just a bunch of addicts!"
When insulted, they backed off me. I tried to run and contact HighG... Once the call connected, I shouted:
"All you do all day is hiss and scream, you look just like kids abandoned by your parents! Hahaha!..."
Those... things... froze for a moment, then rushed me in a fury. I couldn't do anything, just tried to block and endure.As I struggled, a familiar shadow descended:
CRASH!
A massive figure landed from above. The ground shook. A voice roared:
"Let my brothers go!!"
It was HighG. He charged in like a storm, unleashing powerful swings of his mace, sending a dozen of them flying. He rushed to save Hachi and me. I tried to run but wasn't fast enough. Suddenly, one of them grabbed my shirt. Because of me, all three of us were pulled down.I, Hachi, and HighG were pulled down. They beat us, punched us.I was beaten half to death, I couldn't even make a sound... As I was thinking:
"Is a second miracle going to happen? Probably not!"
Suddenly, I saw a bright flash in my vision. We were shocked! I wondered what that light was, and then:
THUD!
When I came to, I found myself kneeling in a cold hall. Before me was the Chairman, holding a black whip, his eyes cold as ice.
"Congratulations, you failed the mission! I will 'reward' you with one hundred lashes or... torture." He smiled...
Hachi and HighG looked at me, their eyes wanting to kill me, but suddenly the Chairman continued:
"Choose! Or I'll kill all three of you!..."
The three of us were terrified. I'd heard the water torture was awful, so I stayed silent... We all sat there thinking, saying nothing. Lucy came out and said:
"A hundred lashes is lighter!" Lucy held back her emotions and ran off.
While the three of us were still bewildered, he began striking us.The whip tore through the air, landing on our backs. It was excruciating. One, two, ten... By the 100th lash, all three of us were collapsed on the floor, breathing raggedly, our flesh torn.The Chairman looked down, his voice hollow:
"You... I will give you one last chance."
The three of us looked up, our eyes filled with both hatred and helplessness.He sat down, picked up a teacup, and took a sip... He threw 6 bombs at us. 6 bombs! What for?He turned his head, not bothering to look at us, and said:
"This will be the last time you exist here if you fail the mission again!..."
Silence filled the room. I became serious and went with them once more...
A while later.The night sky was heavy, the wind howling like an omen. The boulder that had blocked the entrance, the one we had tried to blow up... was gone. Only a black void leading deep inside remained.I, HighG, and Hachi looked at each other. No one spoke, but we all understood: whatever was waiting inside was worse than that stone door.We entered. The large room appeared, the flickering light of eerie torches on the walls casting long, twisting shadows. In the very center... he was still sitting there, as if he knew we'd be back.He looked up, his crimson eyes reflecting the fire, a smirk on his face.
"You lot are still alive? That's a miracle!"
Immediately, the deformed horde poured out from the shadows.I raised the AK-47 I'd brought from the base. My finger squeezed the trigger, the barrel spitting bullets wildly.
Ratatatatatatata!!!
Blood splattered, deformed bodies fell in heaps. They shrieked, charging, but fell one by one under the hail of bullets. HighG charged in to support, Hachi swung his sword to block their path.But then:
Click!
The gun was empty.I said nothing, tossed the gun aside, drew the sword from my back, and charged in to cut them down. Looking around, the horde was almost entirely dead. Only he remained, sitting calmly, watching us.Hachi roared, lunging straight at him. But at that exact moment, a giant hand made of shadow erupted from the ground, trying to grab Hachi.
Smack!
Somehow, Hachi managed to twist away, dodging it by a hair's breadth.HighG and I immediately rushed in, our weapons swinging down repeatedly. But he was unbelievably fast.
"Too... slow!" he whispered, his voice full of contempt.
Every swing of HighG's mace was dodged lightly, like a feather. I coordinated my attack, but the more we fought, the faster he dodged, as if he already knew our every move.The three of us fought for an entire hour, drenched in sweat, breathing heavily.All the bombs had been used... and they only cost him one arm. He suddenly laughed.
"Hmm... you guys are interesting."
We grew more and more exhausted. After another hour, we were drained and had no strength left. Our attacks were slow... Suddenly, a loud voice:
"You guys... are so damn useless!"
I turned and saw Lucy. She stood there, holding a strange device, like a glowing red button.
"Let me end this."
Before the three of us could even react—
BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!
A horrific explosion thundered, the ground cracked, and flames swallowed the entire room. The terrifying pressure threw all three of us backward like dolls.I hadn't even had time to scream before I was flying, my head spinning. In that moment, I just wanted to yell:
"Are you trying to kill us too?!"
But I couldn't speak; the pressure was too great.I hit the ground, rolled, and blacked out. When I opened my eyes... silence. My body was shattered, my breathing heavy.And in front of me... a figure stood there, staring silently.Their eyes were turquoise, beautiful, but I didn't notice. I was too tired. I slowly closed my eyes and passed out...