My legs trembled, my hands shook, I felt cold. At this sight of horror, I was speechless. I did not even dare to move an inch, nor could I, as fright paralyzed me entirely. The abomination's howling hit like a hammer, as trumpets of hell announcing despair.
I can't handle this... I knew it, so I hastily reached for my pocket, hands still shaking and sweat pouring down like a fountain. I picked up a small black box with a blue button on it, the device David gave me before sending me to the Canyon. And immediately, I pushed down the button.
Click
Nothing happened.
Click Click Click
Is there supposed to be some kind of reaction? He told me there was a tracking device in there right?
But...
This is not the real world... I shuddered, trembled, and shook uncontrollably.
He won't be able to find me here.
Then suddenly, one prompt came from the system.
_ _ _
[Unexpected circumstances lead to the accelerated end of the Trial. Trial failed, special Epilogue: Harbinger of The Apocalypse, has started.]
_ _ _
My respiration quickened, mind racing.
Failed? Why? Was it me..? The only thing I did was kill some snakes, it couldn't have been the cause... but then, what happened?
I stopped thinking.
I breathed in deeply, slowly, trying to calm myself down and regain my composure.
After a moment, I finally managed to soothe out a bit more.
Regardless of anything, now I only have to think about fleeing. There is no way I can take on those calamities.
I shivered, cold sweat dripping from my cheek. Once I get out of here, they'll continue haunting me in my dreams...
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Crack!
I flinched, startled by the crackling sound of a branch being stepped on near me. I turned my head immediately, preparing to run away if any threats arose. But to my surprise, a pair of pale faces met my sight. Both which I easily recognized.
'Alexei and Ivan..? What are they doing here..?'
Although my curiosity was piqued, I was conflicted between going over to talk to them, risking exposing my location to the titan monsters, and simply getting out of here silently.
And oh well, my life was more important than socializing, even though asking how they managed to survive until now and if they were the cause of all this was fairly important. Nevertheless, I was still scared shitless and being discovered wasn't an option, so I'll be taking my leave.
And forthwith, I did. Facing head-on multiple abominations the size of the Burj Khalifa was a straight no. Especially if I had struggled with tiny insects.
'In any case, I hope things won't go astray because of that...' I thought, dashing amidst the dead grayish trees.
***
The atmosphere was suffocating and the air glacial. The pressure emitted by the huge black monsters wasn't even close to anything they could have felt in the span of their entire lives. The two men stood in place, motionless though trembling uncontrollably from head to toe at the sight of those monstrosities. There wasn't just one, nor two, but more than a dozen, all at a level of strength they couldn't even fathom. These monsters weren't meant to be defeated, but to wreak havoc upon the whole world. To bring devastation.
Dreadful silence hung heavy between the two humans. And the first one to break it was Alexei, with the same out of place calmness in his voice even though his complexion was as pale as snow. He had already taken several of his tranquilizers again.
"The sheep of the Black Harvest... I read that on an old book, along with a forgotten comptine," He took a deep breath before articulating, as if he was about to chant an ancient spell:
" 'With the cries of lament, and with the screams of pain;
To reap the maddened and devour their souls,
The Black Sheep are conceived, then guided by the Shepherd,
They will fulfill the act, that is the Black Harvest.' "
With a low whisper-like voice, he ended. Then Ivan, still frightened and shaking to the bone, uttered in a trembling voice.
"Th-Then that hunched figure that we saw... was a Qlithe?kos?"
His stutter came out lowly, afraid to only talk, to which Alexei replied simply.
"I'm afraid so..."
Qlithe?kos, they were entities of ancient times designating godlike creatures who had achieved a state of transcendence and acquired divinity. They were originally revered as true gods of the forgotten worlds, when 'the Hierarchy' didn't yet exist. They were thought to have disappeared, but it would seem that some still existed, or do they really..?
"But something's fishy," The blond man then added sharply. "Get a hold of yourself, Ivan. I might have an idea on how to survive here," he said while stuffing a couple of pills inside his mouth.
He then turned around and walked forward, slowly but surely, soon followed by Ivan who had finally managed to somewhat clear his head and remain calmer.
***
I woke up to the strongly shaking ground and the displeasing sound of atrocious shrieks and howling. I was near the lake I dived into previously, with the same dead trees around me, and the same super hot air. Then recalling what happened that time, the last thing I remembered was eating a red fruit with a golden shining and... my gene being upgraded. My head was clear and the pain and soreness I felt back then was long gone. But before I could think of anything else, came one system prompt.
_ _ _
[Unexpected circumstances lead to the accelerated end of the Trial. Trial failed, special Epilogue: Harbinger of The Apocalypse, has started.]
_ _ _
"..."
I could easily guess what the cause of the said failure was, but it still felt wro—...
The ground shook again, this time stronger... and closer. And with it the same shrieking, the same cry. Wondering what it could have been, I looked up, and horror met my sight.
What in the hell is that!?
Enormous black figures, countless mouths screeching, countless tentacles wriggling and lashing the ground.
And I knew it. They came for me, to punish me, for I have sinned.
"I shouldn't have taken the fruit..." I thought, lamenting over my own greed.
__ __ __
