x
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡONTPwbFk9s
In the heart of the Omega Six base, four operators - Ben, Tom, Jokr, and Wendy - were selected for a covert mission.
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHHzuBNGINZ
"Are you certain this will work?" one of them questioned, apprehension clear in his voice. "We're posing as the instigators of a hoax, or worse—a prank. We're not just risking our safety; our lives are on the line! If they capture us... Well, I suppose if anything happens to me, my wife—"
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVFTh9lSEvh
"Rest assured, we've taken care of your identities," Mr. Smith interjected confidently. "Besides, you all possess extraordinary abilities, so there's no reason for them to suspect you. Your task is to lure out the real perpetrator and eliminate them as soon as possible. Besides the most you need to do is just record a fake announcement video."
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡscUNGqWWP9
A strange mix of fear and excitement flickered in their eyes. They were both thinking: "Perhaps something truly intriguing has occurred!" Yet, neither voiced their thoughts; namely, how much they had missed the thrill of fear after years of its absence. Now, whatever might happen next could never be as terrifying as those initial moments when they realized they were no longer in control. Having regained some composure, the idea no longer frightened them—instead, it fascinated and excited them more than ever before. It was an odd sensation, feeling simultaneously older and younger. The feeling was one of profound exhilaration but also deep sadness.
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgvVTlJq28r
They halted abruptly, hearing a faint sound from the left. A moment later, another similar noise echoed from the right. The sounds were getting closer: two pairs of feet stealthily moving along the floor behind them. His heart pounded violently within his chest. There was no time to run, nor was there anywhere to hide. So far, nothing untoward had occurred, only the sounds of approaching footsteps. That was reassuring enough, although he still feared to turn around and face the intruders.
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOWklZMQ18n
"Don't be afraid. There are five of us, four with special abilities that can take down an army. Whoever it is, we'll handle them," Agent Tom broke the silence.
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn0823juwV7
They moved closer together until finally, only about ten yards separated them from the young man with a protogen mask who stood frozen rigidly against the wall. Then suddenly, he turned quickly and faced the nearest pair of advancing figures. As he saw them, he let out a loud yell, which sent a chill down their spines. With superhuman speed, the two agents sprang forward and grabbed the startled youth by the arms. Agent Wendy shot out ginormous icicles towards the young man, piercing him through the chest with great ease. But it didn't seem to matter, the young man's body transformed into dozens of giant snakes and attacked the four agents. At the same time, the two remaining agents fired their guns at the monstrous snakes. In seconds, the entire room filled with smoke. Wendy attempted to keep moving while freezing the pile of snakes, but when she moved, she was shocked to realize that two of her legs had been severed by a strange string-like object. She screamed in horror and pain as the last leg fell onto her back, then dropped dead. Agent Jokr attempted to land a critical blow with explosive poker cards but was swallowed by a giant snake instantly. Agent Tom narrowly dodged several flying snakes from the monsters, losing balance and falling over backwards. He used his gun to shoot the rest of the creatures. As he could control each of the projectiles he fired, piercing through piles of snakes one by one, while the bullets losing its shape one after another, until there was nothing but a thin layer of copper of what was left in a bullet, he shot so many times that his magazine ran dry. He looked up and saw that the creature that attacked him was gone. He stood up slowly and tried to catch his breath, realizing that Wendy and Smith were badly hurt, and felt weak. He picked up the fallen girl and carried her outside the building.
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrE5KCkvuU4
Agent Ben saw the monster snake that killed Wendy trying to escape through the door. He aimed his gun and fired several shots, killing the beast. When he looked up again, he noticed that the room was empty except for the bodies of the slain agents. But it was not over yet. There were actually more than one attackers at the scene, only giving the illusion of a solo attacker. Evidence seen by the fatal cuts that Wendy suffered was a clean cut like by a string object. In a moment of distraction, Ben and Tom realized that the body of the beast was gone.
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhF26ujYG1p
Suddenly, the ground began to shake and tremble under his feet, and he heard the sound of heavy footfalls approaching rapidly from the direction of the entrance hall. The whole place shook violently as if struck by a powerful earthquake. All of them fell to the ground and Smith screamed for help, but it was too late. A giant rubble fell onto Smith and squashed him instantly. Ben noticed that the room was completely dark now. He took out his flashlight and shone it around the room, but everything was covered in dust and dirt. Suddenly, he heard the voice of someone calling his name. It sounded familiar, but he couldn't make out exactly where it was coming from. He shone his light in different directions but still couldn't locate its source.
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZufIGutgu3
Then he felt a cold chill pass over him, and he shivered involuntarily. For the first time since the incident started, he felt scared and vulnerable.
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT83vitYzDY
He noticed that he was holding his gun tightly in his hands, but he didn't know why. As if this pathetic weapon had any use to him now. All he wanted to do was go home and forget what had happened today. Just as he thought of going out the front exit, he heard the distinct sound of gunfire coming from somewhere nearby. Instantly, he ran to the doorway, looking desperately for any sign of life.
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW6lUdzgZWq
But all he found was a bloody mess of bloodied corpses lying in the hallway. One of them was Smith, whom he recognized instantly. Next to him lay the remains of a large snake corpse that had eaten half of Tom. Tom's lifeless eyes stared into Ben's soul. He stared in disbelief as he took in the sight of the carnage.
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHOVrO0eGvb
A single figure stood motionless amidst the chaos, a tall, thin silhouette wearing a black robe. It was the mysterious intruder from earlier, standing perfectly still.
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEoyoUHslQ7
Ben couldn't believe his eyes. He felt numb and sickened by what he witnessed. He was certain that the person in the robes must be responsible for all the bloodshed. He was convinced that the stranger had murdered the three agents without hesitation. But he had to ask himself whether he was mistaken; perhaps he had misinterpreted what he had seen. Maybe he had imagined it. After all, he had been extremely frightened and disoriented during the incident, so he might have misperceived what had transpired. Or else he might have hallucinated the entire thing. Perhaps it was all some horrible nightmare.
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcvfhd1U8jr
No, he decided firmly, it wasn't a dream. This was reality, and he knew it instinctively. Whatever happened here had actually taken place in the past few minutes.
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWMI2i8fO47
"So you're the remaining person who is responsible for trying to impersonate the perpetrator, isn't that right?" The person in the black robes spoke ominously.
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3wJqF6Zot3
His voice sounded strangely familiar, but Ben was uncertain why he recognized it. Something told him that he ought to know it better than he did. Nevertheless, he answered anyway.
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcKKJHbCpkF
"Yes..."
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBSBYUOl4yN
As soon as he said it, he remembered the conversation he'd overheard between the two agents shortly before he entered the scene. He recalled hearing one of them say "the fourth one", and the other respond "that's correct". Was he the "fourth one"? Could he be the person whose identity they had tried to conceal? Did that mean that the fourth agent was the real culprit? But why would he want to pretend to be one of them, especially considering that he could easily kill the others instead of pretending to die? What purpose would that serve for the real killer? Why bother to create the impression that the victim was indeed the true criminal when he could simply eliminate the witnesses and be done with it?
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBDo43eRtR6
"You are very brave to stand alone. I hope you won't regret this decision." The cloaked figure spoke quietly. "I am pleased to tell you that we don't intend to harm anyone, though our actions might appear otherwise to everyone else involved. We will spare your life if you wish to cooperate with us. You have nothing to lose by doing so; and everything to gain by helping us achieve our goal."
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡABZNDBU5It
For a moment, Ben hesitated, unsure whether he should trust the mysterious figure or not. But he eventually nodded reluctantly. He had no choice; if he refused to comply, he would probably end up dead sooner or later regardless of what he chose to do. Besides, he had no desire to remain alive any longer than necessary. He longed for oblivion. He hoped death would come swiftly; and soon.
134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdxbnirCuNt
"Very good," the figure said softly. "We need to talk further, but first allow me to introduce myself. My name is Uno."
No one knows who he truly is. He wears a full-face mask whenever he goes out in public. Only those closest to him, such as his associates, family members, and close friends have ever seen his face. Even he does not remember the details of his own appearance.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOTYOHKpBvP
"So all I want you to do is that you need to give me a detailed account of what happened just now, including everything that you think is important." Uno continued.
***
After listening to Uno's request, Ben decided he would answer truthfully. Although it meant risking his life in exchange for a quick death, there was nothing to lose anymore. He figured it was better to die now while he was still conscious rather than suffer unspeakable torment for hours or days afterward. Moreover, if he died now he wouldn't have to worry about being interrogated any longer.
Besides, even if he lied, there was no way Uno would ever discover the lie. If anything, the lies would only increase his confidence in Ben's sincerity. It would also provide him with more ammunition to use against the other suspect. Finally, he would get rid of Ben once and for all. There was little reason not to agree with Uno's proposal.
"If you lie I will know, you don't need to worry about that, if cought you lying,your wife is next, maybe she will be interested in how he's husband be can fit in to a soup can." Uno laughs loudly. "Now please start talking!"
Ben began telling the story as best as he could recall it. His memory was hazy because of the shock he received. But gradually the events came back to him piecemeal. By the time he finished recounting the tale, he was trembling with fear. He distinctively didn't said a single lie in his confession.
"That's enough." Uno interrupted. "It appears that you've already confessed everything you know. Now you just wait until I'm ready to question you again, and we'll proceed accordingly."
With that, he walked away briskly down the corridor, leaving behind the corpses of Ben's former colleagues.
***
ns 15.158.61.8da2
