Murder in the Mist

"We're about to pass through the outer ring of the town; no signs of life have been detected so far..."

Alice and Lara, Leon and Chris, and Kevin and Ada formed pairs, each acting as one of three spikes, and communicated their intelligence through tactical hand signals.

As the group passed through the town's border, where the fog was thinning, the scene beyond the town sign gradually came into view.

On the desolate road, there was no one around. The vehicles were crooked and overturned, some broken down due to collisions, and others torn apart by some enormous force, with their wreckage scattered everywhere.

Some townspeople who had their car windows tightly shut and were huddled inside were also not spared.

Most of them remained in deformed and twisted postures, pressed against the car seats, their bodies hollowed out by unknown species.

Not only blood, but also organs, brain matter, and even bone marrow were sucked dry. This hellish scene is chilling.

Fortunately, this Wolf Pack Squad drawn from the SCP Foundation consists of the elite of the elite, each having experienced at least seven or eight near-death experiences.

But in terms of survival skills and mental fortitude, they are absolutely one in a million.

Therefore, even after witnessing the horrific scene in the carriages on both sides, the Wolf Pack Squad of more than twenty people remained calm and maintained a stable formation as they moved forward.

Lara, who was in charge of the Left Wing, pulled out a high-resolution satellite map from her tactical backpack. After glancing at the erratic compass, she abandoned her strategy of using magnetic fields to determine direction.

"Commander, it's best to use landmarks as reference points to determine the route now."

"Based on my estimation, we can cut through the town center and go up the mountain along the main road. Although there are many unknowns, this route is the shortest."

Kevin nodded slightly upon hearing this. As an archaeologist, Lara had an absolute talent for exploration and navigation.

After several rounds of testing, the man finally confirmed that his powers had been suppressed to almost zero, and his brow furrowed deeply.

The environment here gave him a strange sense of familiarity, as if he had encountered it before at some time and place.

Just as Kevin was deep in thought, a rustling sound came from all directions, like a surging tide, making one's scalp tingle.

Instantly, spiders the size of fingernails with glistening bellies emerged in droves from the cracks in the roof tiles, the bushes, the sewers, the eaves, and even from the human bodies on the car seats, leaping frantically toward these delicious creatures.

Come on, you bastards! Burn you all alive, you piece of trash!

Fortunately, the Wolf Pack Squad was well prepared, with three soldiers carrying flamethrowers on each of the two flanks. They moved forward, raised their gun barrels, and formed a fan-shaped area covered by flames.

As the flames blazed past, crackling and popping sounds filled the air, along with the acrid smell of burnt protein.

In just two or three minutes, the flames maintained their shape, and at least several hundred small monsters were burned to ashes.

However, before everyone could breathe a sigh of relief, the sound of rubble sliding on both sides rang out again.

"Swoosh! Swoosh!"

With a whooshing sound, two crosshairs flew over the heads of three flamethrowers on the left, pinning two spider-like insects covered in hard shells to the eaves.

The ghastly green blood and the silken threads that fell from their mouths onto the floor immediately emitted wisps of smoke, clearly indicating their extremely corrosive nature.

"Something's coming from the fog on the left flank, at the 10 o'clock position!"

Seeing that she had been targeted by the monster, Alice decided to stop hiding, took off her standard HK416 rifle, gave a low warning, and fired short bursts based on her instincts.

Immediately, the sounds of shattering rubble and bullets piercing flesh rose and fell in waves.

"Watch out! There are more ahead and on the right flank! We'll take care of this one, the rest you can handle!"

Lara drew her sidearm and, leaning on Alice, used her keen senses to cover up any gaps in their teammates' firepower.

"Chris, Leon, maintain the right flank formation!"

"Wolf Mom, Hank, Kyoko, keep a close eye on what's behind you, don't fall behind, fill in the gaps diagonally!"

"Ada and I will lead the way. Don't stay in one place, keep moving fast!"

"If you get separated, meet up at the supermarket in the town center; that's the only way to the Mountain Top Research Institute!"

Kevin, observing the violently swirling mist around them, charged forward with Ada on the left and right. The others, understanding each other perfectly, immediately maintained their scattered yet orderly formation and followed closely behind.

But before they had walked more than a few steps, the ground shook violently, and spiderweb-like cracks spread outwards from the drainage outlets and sewers.

In an instant, seven or eight manhole covers around the area suddenly popped up, washed away by the muddy flow.

Immediately, dozens of purplish-red tentacles with sharp teeth on both sides emerged from the sewer and swung around.

"What are you daydreaming about? Do you want to die? Let's go!"

Chris turned and roared, kicking two flamethrower soldiers next to him who were hesitating whether to give the tentacles a barbecue.

Immediately, the crew-cut killer took out a grenade, pulled the pin, and threw it toward one of the tentacles.

Seeing the Leon make a sweeping motion, almost as if it were about to deflect the grenade, the middle-parted agent raised his hand without hesitation and fired a shot, detonating the grenade in mid-air.

"Spread out! The creatures in the fog are corrosive. Put up your riot shields! Watch your angle! Don't let the corpses and these monsters' bodily fluids splash on you!"

Kyoko Yamaya, noticing the eroded pits in the ground around her, immediately alerted the soldiers nearby.

But as the group moved forward, more and more disturbed monsters began to gather frantically towards the location.

The number of those sharp teeth and tentacles, whose main body was unknown, increased several times over, and they clawed wildly around the heads and sides of the Wolf Pack Squad.

What's even more troublesome is that the buzzing of insects and the flapping of birds' wings are becoming increasingly clear, indicating that a new monster is about to descend.

Seeing the crimson tendrils relentlessly pursuing him, Kevin immediately grabbed a high-explosive grenade, turned around, and whispered a warning.

"Sewer!"

Alice was the first to understand, and fell slightly behind the group, kicking away a nearby manhole cover that had not yet been damaged.

The high-explosive grenade immediately followed a parabolic trajectory and landed precisely in the sewer.

Methane! Yeah, the sewers are full of methane. Let's just detonate it and blow you all to bits!

Leon and the others immediately understood Kevin's intention, and relying on their superhuman physical abilities, they threw grenades into the sewers as they ran.

Even if we can't completely destroy the tentacle monster hidden underground, we can at least trap it underground or force it to the surface.

Immediately, a series of muffled roars rang out as the presence of methane gas triggered a chain reaction in the interconnected sewers.

The ground trembled incessantly, and murky filth mixed with purplish-red pieces of flesh sprayed everywhere.

The biggest threat behind them, whether dead or alive, had finally subsided.

However, the group, which had been running and gradually drifting apart, suddenly stopped. More than twenty people squeezed to the front, their eyes immediately drawn to the towering figure in the mist.

P. S.: I'm asking for votes at midnight, thank you.

This disaster story is partly based on the 2007 American film The Mist, a Stephen King film that is very good and I recommend watching it.

Chapter 833, Section 871: The Deadly Mist

Within the swirling mist stood a monster over ten meters tall with a cone-shaped head. A shriveled membrane clung tightly to the outside of its pale bones, and clusters of scarlet tentacles spread out from its open chest cavity, exploring or preying in all directions.

The surrounding whispers were like nightmares, as if countless horsehair worms were burrowing through the skin and skull, seeping into the brain and churning inside, driving one to the brink of madness.

Tentacles, dense fog, anomalous life forms... This feels like... Skull Island!

Kevin took a deep breath, his face looking rather grim, as some unpleasant memories surfaced.

However, there was no time to think about it. As the predatory tentacles fell one after another, Kevin, Alice, and the others rolled and dodged, smoothly and precisely avoiding each attack.

However, not everyone in the group of over twenty people possessed the skills of Kevin and his companions.

A soldier carrying Heavy Machine Gun, burdened with considerable strain, was pulled into the exposed ribs by the entangled tentacles.

Before Kevin and the others could come to their aid, the seemingly soft tentacles suddenly straightened, and with a tearing sound like a tattered rag doll, the soldier was ripped in two, a spray of blood and colorful organs scattering everywhere.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Alice and Leon, responsible for the left and right flanks respectively, either pulled out grenades or loaded them with rifle grenades, aiming at the monster's open ribs and throwing explosives into them.

The tentacles in the chest cavity instinctively pulled all flying objects into the body, and a muffled roar came at the moment the ribs closed.

Instantly, crimson chunks of flesh splattered everywhere, and shards of white bone flew wildly. The monster, whose body had been blown away by nearly a third, staggered a few steps while billowing black smoke, but gradually regained its footing.

"Move quickly! Move forward!"

Kevin caught the Plastic Explosive that Ada threw to him, and he and the female agent slid past the monster's guillotine-like leg bones, each attaching their bombs to the monster's leg joints.

The wolf soldiers following closely behind took advantage of the gaps in the removal of the tentacles to disperse and pass through the area where the monster was located.

Immediately, the front line became the rear, and Kevin and Ada, who were responsible for alternating cover, pressed the detonation button at the same time. In the blazing flames, the thick, guillotine-shaped leg bone broke in two.

A sharp whistling sound, seemingly emanating from nowhere, spread in all directions, causing nausea, dizziness, and vomiting.

After the leader ran for more than ten minutes, the group was relieved to find that the monster did not pursue them, and the shrieking seemed to have been silenced by the fog.

The group then slowed their pace slightly and adjusted their breathing.

But as they went further, the fog seemed to get thicker and thicker, and after a few steps, they could no longer see anyone in front or behind them.

The soldiers turned on their tactical flashlights, maintained a steady distance, and occasionally passed messages to each other to avoid getting separated.

"Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!"

But then, the sound of insects flapping their wings grew closer, and an insect the size of a fist, resembling a mosquito, flew straight toward the light source through the thick fog.

"Fuck! When will these bastards ever stop?!"

Chris was getting annoyed. He bent his knees and jumped up, cleanly pinning the mosquito-like insect to the telephone pole.

"Most insects are attracted to light, so turn off the flashlight!"

Kyoko Yamaya softly into her headset, then added another sentence.

"Adults of this size generally secrete toxic substances. If you don't want to die, avoid getting bitten!"

On the advice of this virologist, half of the surrounding lights were temporarily turned off.

Lara, who was now in the front row after the team was reassigned, estimated the number of steps she had taken from the town sign and, referring to the surrounding scenery, used her superhuman memory and perception to give a stern reminder to her teammates.

"Attention all units, the town supermarket is about 100 meters ahead at the 7 o'clock position. According to the sign, there is also a pharmacy next to it. Go inside and rest!"

"Let Kyoko gather the ingredients on the spot and mix some insect repellent to spray on our bodies. It's better than being attacked by these things!"

As the "black mist" approached, Alice drew a shotgun and immediately pulled the trigger. The scattered coins, like hundreds of high-speed spinning blades, forcefully shattered the black mist into large chunks.

Amidst the crisp clanging sounds, Alice tossed her shotgun to the teammate behind her who loaded it, then drew another shotgun from her back and led the way.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, the soil was turned upside down, and a long-lurking, sharp-toothed tentacle grabbed a soldier and dragged him toward the sewers.

"Puff!"

Leon, protecting the flank, swiftly drew his dagger and severed the tentacle. He then kicked away the still-living creature, bent down to help his teammate up, and caught up with the group.

"We've arrived at the supermarket! Survivors! There are survivors!"

The cheers of surprise ahead eased the tension in the crowd, and they immediately followed the group.

As a blocked glass door came into view, nearly a hundred survivors, young and old, were waving eagerly at the soldiers inside the chaotic supermarket.

No matter how sordid they may be in private, once a crisis erupts, the state's law enforcement agencies are actually the most trustworthy and secure organizations.

However, this scene of soldiers and civilians getting along only lasted for less than three minutes. Mosquito-like insects, which had followed the Wolf Pack Squad, frightened the townspeople who were cleaning up the clutter at the entrance and made them retreat.

In their panic, some even piled up miscellaneous items back at the entrance to prevent soldiers and mosquitoes from entering.

"Bang!"

Seeing this, Lara, who was in charge of clearing the way, smiled and without hesitation took out Plastic Explosive from her backpack, set a 30-second countdown, shook it, and stuck it directly to the front door.

"Bitch!" Like startled ostriches, the townspeople, who had huddled in the sand, had no choice but to face the cruel reality, cursing under their breath as they ran to their doorways and frantically moved odds and ends to welcome the royal army.

The soldiers responsible for covering the rear formed a comprehensive fire network, fighting and retreating while providing alternating cover.

Kevin casually grabbed a small, swooping pterosaur-like monster, snapped its neck, and tossed it aside.

The man's keen eyes noticed these bird-like, featherless creatures, seemingly chasing and pecking at swarms of mosquito-like insects. He reached out and tapped his earpiece, giving a low, menacing reminder.

"Remove some of the tactical flashlights and throw them into the fog!"

One by one, the flashlights, once turned on, were removed from the muzzles of their guns and tactical vests and tossed into the fog by the soldiers, causing many mosquito-like creatures to follow the bright light and disperse.

As the timer for shaping the bomb neared its end, the townspeople inside the supermarket recklessly pushed aside clutter and pulled open the glass doors.

"Flame gun!"

Kevin gathered the flamethrower soldiers around him to cover the rear, preventing any stragglers from escaping into the supermarket and causing a major disaster.

He, along with Ada and Leon, were tasked with keeping the rare units safe and eliminating the monsters that broke through the flames and mist one by one.