The Behemoth

The sudden silence of the shrill electrical buzzing sent a shiver through the bearded guard.

His expression crumpled instantly, and his muscular frame hunched as though someone had pulled the bones out of him.

The bearded guard wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and heaved a sigh. He turned to Zhou Ze, a complicated gleam in his eyes.

"Sorry, kid. I'm afraid your career ends here. As you can see, we have an emergency..."

He spoke slowly, raising his rifle as he did. "Could you turn your head away?"

Zhou Ze narrowed his eyes at the dark muzzle. His hands trembled slightly as he fought to suppress the emotions surging inside him.

The instant the guard raised his rifle, Zhou Ze felt an almost instinctive urge:

Grab the gun's grip and push the muzzle up. Drive my right leg into his stomach. While he's off balance, seize the rifle with my left hand, then swing it around and shove the muzzle into his mouth.

At this distance, the entire sequence he had played out in his mind would take only two seconds.

In reality, however, Zhou Ze remained motionless, staring at the deadly muzzle.

He had no idea where his confidence came from, but he could sense no killing intent from the bearded guard before him.

Despite appearances, the man was not preparing to end Zhou Ze's life right then.

On the contrary, taking action would probably cause unnecessary trouble. Zhou Ze knew nothing about the containment zone and was still counting on this man to lead him out.

Sure enough, when the guard saw that Zhou Ze had not budged, his gaze merely darkened. He smacked his lips and lowered his rifle.

"Good nerves, kid." The guard gave a self-mocking smile. "If you were ordinary Class-D Personnel, I'd definitely do it. Unfortunately, you're not. Those big shots must still have a use for you..."

"So?" Zhou Ze's expression did not change.

"So it was just a joke." The guard stepped forward and patted Zhou Ze's shoulder. "I think you can probably guess that I've screwed up..."

His voice was hoarse, filled with despair and resignation. "It's not your career that's over. It's mine... What awaits me now is either dying in this godforsaken place or surviving by sheer luck and facing punishment for gross negligence."

Serves you right...

Zhou Ze frowned and glanced at the wall behind the guard. "So what exactly is this thing?"

"How the fuck should I know? I've been careful for all these years, and now I screw up when I'm almost retired..." the guard cursed. "This is fucking ridiculous! Why the hell is there a containment chamber that opens with nothing but level 2 clearance?!"

That was not an unfounded complaint.

Under the Anomaly Containment Facility's strict hierarchy, level 2 clearance only granted access to ordinary classified information. Authorization to operate on specific containment projects generally required a higher level.

A containment chamber that could be opened with level 2 clearance was an absurdity within the entire system.

"And that son of a bitch Dai Yong'an... Why the fuck should I be scared of him!"

As though he could already see his bleak future, the guard abandoned all restraint and vented his pent-up resentment.

"..."

Buddy, could you figure out how to get us out of here first? Staying alive matters more!

Zhou Ze was about to try talking some sense into this veteran whose composure had shattered after his disastrous mistake.

Then several piercing feline cries rang out behind him.

Three half-cats, each a "Zhu Qian" whose rear half had vanished into thin air, appeared around the corner like ghosts and raced toward them.

"Fuck!"

The sight sent the guard stumbling backward. He hastily raised his rifle and took aim.

But the three identical gray-and-white tabby half-cats completely ignored him and positioned themselves between the two men.

Their fur stood on end, their backs arched in overt aggression. Puzzlingly, the half-cats seemed to be shielding the guard behind them while hissing warnings at Zhou Ze, their sharp claws scraping restlessly at the floor.

The guard aimed at the three little cats in front of him, seeing only their pitch-black cross sections, then looked up and glared at Zhou Ze. "What the fuck is going on now?"

You're asking me?

Seriously, man? You've worked here for all these years, and you're this unprofessional? Zhou Ze could not help grumbling inwardly.

"How would I know?" He shrugged innocently.

Zhou Ze looked at the three "Zhu Qians" meowing at him, utterly baffled.

Never mind how she suddenly split into three. Why is she so hostile toward me? Wasn't she pretty clingy before...?

Although the three half-cats looked ready to attack, their adorable appearance made it difficult to feel threatened, no matter what they did.

Zhou Ze even considered clapping his hands and trying a couple of meows to soothe them.

Before he could act, however, the three half-cats seemed to realize that their appearance carried no intimidation whatsoever. They immediately fell into step and darted away like the wind.

They left Zhou Ze and the bearded guard utterly confused.

After a long pause, the guard finally opened his mouth. "What the fuck..."

Boom...

Boom...

Heavy footsteps thundered out, and the entire corridor of the containment zone shook violently.

Metal panels began loosening on the walls. The ceiling lights swayed, emitting a piercing buzz. Dust and debris rained down overhead, as though the entire space were about to fall apart under that terrifying force.

The guard's words caught in his throat. He and Zhou Ze widened their eyes at the same time, looking toward the anomalous wall behind them.

The tremendous commotion was clearly coming from the other side.

Boom...

The sound drew closer again, clearer and more earthshaking this time.

Without needing any warning, both men turned and bolted in the opposite direction.

A moment later, the seemingly indestructible alloy wall shattered like paper. An enormous shock wave blasted outward, carrying metal fragments in every direction.

Amid the billowing dust, a massive dark shape slowly emerged. Huge cracks spread like a spiderweb from the breach in the wall, and the entire corridor groaned under the strain.

The behemoth broke through the layers of dust, trampling shattered metal and concrete as it charged after the fleeing men. It opened its enormous maw and let out a deafening roar, the sound waves almost tearing the air apart.

The tremendous noise made both men glance back as they fled down the corridor. That single look nearly scared their souls out of them.

The gigantic creature rapidly closing in behind them resembled an enormous reptile, but its appearance was far more horrifying than that of any known animal.

Thick scales covered its body, each like a plate of sturdy armor gleaming with a cold metallic sheen. Yet these scales were not intact. They appeared extremely unstable, with some patches constantly shedding and regrowing.

Its hideous, lizardlike head bristled with sharp bone spurs and protrusions. Several pairs of glowing compound eyes flickered irregularly atop its head. Its enormous jaws could easily swallow a car, and several rows of razor-sharp teeth lined its mouth.

Most chilling of all, the behemoth's entire body was in a bizarre state of dissolution. Its flesh constantly peeled away, only to regrow at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Acidic liquid dripped from its body, leaving deep corrosion marks on the floor. It looked as though it had just broken free from some powerful corrosive solution, its entire body smoking and giving off a nauseating stench.

The monster's massive body nearly filled the corridor, smashing the surrounding walls to pieces with every movement. Metal pipes tore apart, wires crackled, and sparks flew everywhere.

The entire containment zone teetered on the brink of collapse under the terrifying creature's onslaught.