By Zephyria 
Two helicopters hovered over the darkened lake. Multiple rocket launchers, mortars, and countless gun barrels were aimed at it. The black, semi-circular object no longer revealed itself and remained motionless. Its size was several times larger than the helicopters, and even from a distance, it was overwhelming.
“Fucking hell. What the hell is that…”
“I don’t know what it is, but it sure looks disgustingly creepy.”
Gilsu looked at the fish he had discarded. He breathed a sigh of relief, thinking it was a great fortune that he hadn’t eaten it. Amid the tense standoff, missiles mounted on the helicopters were launched. A moment later, a tremendous roar and a pillar of water shot into the sky, turning the lake upside down.
“Wow—those bastards are going hard from the start.”
Someone exclaimed in admiration, and some people’s faces relaxed, relieved to be alive. The helicopter searchlights illuminated the lake. The unidentified object had vanished without a trace. Voices exchanging information came over the wireless device. Gilsu joked when he heard that nothing was detected on the underwater sonar.
“Did it get scared and run away? It’s nothing. We were scared for no reason,”
“Huh?” Gilsu turned sharply at Baek Seol’s voice. Something black was wrapped around the tail of the helicopter. With a lurch, the helicopter shook violently, and the panicked voice of the pilot came over the wireless device.
-Headquarters, headquarters. This is Wolf-1, abnormal detection on the tail boom. Rotor output impossible, please confirm. Repeat. Requesting support! Wolf-1 entering uncontrollable state!
It grabbed the two helicopters and shook them from side to side like toys. The faces of the onlookers turned ashen. No sooner had the order to escape on their own been given than it aimed the helicopters precisely at a rock and threw them.
Soon after, KWAANG-!
The ground shook with a massive explosion, and ears went numb. Ire, who had hidden inside the shelter, saw the helicopter burning in the distance and his face hardened. The other comrades were just as pale.
Gilsu wore an incredulous expression with his mouth open.
“W-what is this…”
“Leader, let’s go back! We’ll all die if we stay here.”
“Yeah. This isn’t a fight we should get involved in.”
“Don’t be so weak. What if those things take all the gold if we do?”
“Is gold the problem? We’re all going to die!”
Amid their arguing, Ire regained his composure and turned to the right. The soldiers of district a were firing in unison, and red flames were spewing from rocket launchers and tanks. Behind them, some civilians were seen escaping in cars.
Then suddenly, the shelling stopped, and dozens of objects emitting blue flames flew in an arc toward the lake. They were commonly used in underwater warfare, weapons that would neutralize the enemy by releasing high-voltage electricity upon impact. With that amount, it was safe to say that all life in the lake would be annihilated.
As they fell into the water, blue currents crackled like lightning over the black lake. The onlookers were speechless at the sight, as if the sky had been turned upside down.
“Crazy bastards. They’ve made all sorts of things…”
Jang-cheon muttered blankly. He was also keenly aware that there was nothing they could do here. No matter how many weapons they had brought, they couldn’t compare to what those guys were using. As he was thinking that, a familiar voice came over the wireless device.
-D Zone thugs. Can you hear me?
Gilsu frowned, realizing it was Kim Ha-yoon. Who was he calling thugs? The crazy bastard.
-Listen up. I’ll only say it once.
Everyone fell silent and focused on the wireless device.
-While we provide covering fire, you guys get out of here immediately.
Ire picked up the wireless device and pressed the button. He stared at the lake before turning his head to the right. It was dark, and the shelters made it difficult to identify anyone. He hesitated, moving his lips, and then the next words followed.
-Ire.
“……”
-I’ll come see you first thing when it’s over.
Gilsu pretended to vomit, and Baek Seol slapped him on the back, telling him to stop. Ire bit his lip tightly, then released it and brought the wireless device to his mouth.
-Understood. Over.
Gilsu grabbed his gun and stood up as if he had been waiting for it. Hurry up. He said we’re not needed. The rest of the crew also hurried to the car, but Ire alone couldn’t move. Seeing this, Gangsan pushed him from behind.
“Let’s go. This is how you help right now.”
As soon as he got into the car, Baek Seol started the engine. The wheels spun in the sand as he stepped on the accelerator and started off. Everyone was relieved when something appeared in the darkness far away. Ire quickly took out his night vision goggles to check and shouted urgently.
“Seol-ah! Step on it!”
With a lurch, the car stopped suddenly, and the rear wheels spun uselessly in the sand.
Gilsu shouted at the car window with a terrified face.
“Leader! Fr-from the lake,”
A scream was heard from the truck bed. Baek Seol tried to look back with a terrified face, and Ire grabbed his shoulder.
“Step on it! Keep going!”
Then Ire opened the door and moved quickly to the truck bed. One of his comrades was missing. Jang-cheon was busy shooting into the air, and Gangsan was trembling, staring into the air with urine-soaked pants.
Ire slapped Gangsan’s cheek. Get a grip. You’ll really die if you act like this here.
Gangsan barely regained his senses and grabbed his gun in a hurry. The sound of something flying again was heard. Before he could even try to dodge, it pierced through another comrade’s abdomen. Just as he was about to grab it and block it, it lifted him up as is and disappeared into the darkness in the blink of an eye.
“FUCK!!!”
Gilsu staggered with weak legs, and the rest were also panicking and floundering. Meanwhile, Ire jumped under the truck without hesitation.
“W-what are you doing? Leader!”
“Cover me! I’ll do something about it!”
The remaining people fired like crazy. An explosion was heard in the distance. Flames shot up from district a. As the surroundings brightened with the fire, the situation there came into stark view. Gilsu and Jang-cheon felt a fear they had never experienced before in their lives.
Then the car lurched up onto the sand. Baek Seol hit the brakes, and Gilsu smiled brightly and reached out his hand. Leader, get in quick! Hurry! Ire, who had checked the position of district a, gritted his teeth and headed towards the driver’s seat.
“Seol-ah. Start moving!”
“What?”
“I’ll catch up soon, so get out of here no matter what! You’re the only one who can save them. Please!”
At the same time as Gilsu and Gangsan jumped up and down, cursing him as a madman, Baek Seol nodded as if he had made up his mind. The truck, which had been stopped in place, shot forward, and as if waiting for it, a tentacle lunged towards them.
Ire aimed and fired at it with the gun he was holding, then ran in the opposite direction of the vehicle. He glanced back and saw the truck disappearing into the distance. As he ran until he was out of breath, a terrible sight unfolded before his eyes.
There were countless tentacles that stretched out like the roots of a tree. Explosions were occurring in succession everywhere, and soldiers were being dragged into the lake with their torsos pierced or torn apart. Fear gripped his entire body, and cold sweat ran down his spine. Ire unknowingly clutched the cross around his neck with one hand.
An order to retreat came over the wireless device, but it didn’t seem easy to escape at the moment. Among the corpses with torn limbs, Ire discovered a familiar face.
The person gasping for breath with blood on his head was none other than Seo Young-jun. He stopped walking as he felt his breath catch in his throat as he got closer. He clenched his trembling hands tightly and looked around. Realizing there was nothing suitable to use, he knelt down in front of him.
Seo Young-jun, with a pale face, barely opened his eyes while trembling his chin and looked up at Ire.
“Why didn’t you leave… and came here?”
Ire hurriedly untied Seo Young-jun’s belt.
“Fuck, what’s this… Ha, it’s cold… and I’m thirsty…”
Ire forced a smile with reddened eyes. He hurriedly tied Seo Young-jun’s upper thigh with the belt to apply pressure. The leg that had been cut off below the knee was nowhere to be seen. It wasn’t easy to find a medic in this scene of carnage.
“Am I… badly hurt?”
Ire shook his head. Just hold on a little longer… I’ll take you to the hospital. He wrapped Seo Young-jun’s body with a blanket that had fallen nearby. Let’s get out of here for now. Just as he was about to move Seo Young-jun inside the shelter, he heard a whooshing- ominous sound.
Oh, shit.
Too late! The face of Kim Ha-yoon suddenly appeared before his eyes the moment he sensed the danger and turned his head.
Huh?
Why is he here…?
He gasped for breath and then vomited blood. Ire lowered his gaze with an incredulous expression. A tentacle had pierced Kim Ha-yoon’s abdomen and was writhing. His barely smiling face twisted painfully.
“Run away…”
Then he pulled out a grenade he was wearing on his waist and removed the safety pin with his teeth.
“Ah…!”
A short groan escaped his lips. Just as he hurriedly reached out his hand to grab Kim Ha-yoon, his body disappeared into the darkness. He got up and ran, but in the middle of the lake, a loud explosion and crimson flames were already soaring.