Inside The Black Mist

The hand was nearly the size of half a battle vehicle and resembled a human’s, with numerous reddish-purple lumps covering the back and a stout arm. It was not like a human arm's muscle structure but more like the tentacles of some mollusk.

Instead of having suckers, it was covered in jet-black thorns.

It grabbed a cable on the bridge and tugged it forcefully. The cable groaned under the strain, bending into a full arc before snapping with a piercing sound, splitting into two pieces!

More monstrous hands reached up from beneath the bridge, using the same method to snap the cables on the right side of the arch bridge.

As the cables continued to snap, the bridge surface tilted sharply. A vehicle on the right side of the arch bridge could not react in time and toppled over, plunging into the abyss of swirling black mist below.

After a while, a bright flash appeared in the abyss, presumably the fireball from the vehicle’s explosion.

More vehicles slid toward the sloping bridge surface, losing control and falling into the abyss. Vehicles on the other side of the bridge floored their engines, trying to cross the bridge before it completely tipped over.

But at that moment, a massive fist suddenly emerged from the bridge surface. It smashed a hole into the bridge, and as it retracted, another fist burst through.

A vehicle traveling on the bridge was hit by the giant fist, which launched it into the abyss.

In an instant, the middle of the bridge was riddled with holes. Finally, cracks connected these gaps, and with a thunderous roar, the bridge broke in the center.

“Hold on tight!”

Inside the Raven Squad’s vehicle, Han Shu yelled as he pressed an icon on the control screen. The vehicle’s safety protocol activated, causing airbags inside to rapidly inflate.

They filled the cabin and pushed the occupants into their seats.

The world spun in chaos.

Amidst countless screams and the screech of metal, Tianyang looked out the window and saw the vehicle had overturned, then plunged toward the bottomless abyss.

At that moment, his mind went blank, and his heart felt like it was in his throat.

The young man once again sensed the proximity of death; its rotten stench pervaded the surroundings.

During one roll, through beams of car lights, Tianyang glimpsed several long, thorn-covered tentacles writhing and coiling like snakes, capturing the vehicles or people falling into the abyss.

During another roll, he saw a massive, curved horn. It was so close that it was less than three meters from the window. Tianyang could see the twisted patterns on the horn and a mass of black bristles underneath!

Then the vehicle was struck by something, shaking violently. Although some light pierced the darkness outside, everything was still blurry.

After several violent shakes, the vehicle finally stopped falling.

Han Shu tore open the airbags and looked out through the front window. The vehicle seemed to be swaying up and down.

In front of the vehicle, a stone bridge spanning the abyss was moving up and down. Han Shu’s face changed instantly, and he shouted, “Don’t move!”

Those who hadn’t lost consciousness followed Han Shu’s command and didn’t dare to make any sudden moves.

Han Shu then ordered, “Cut the airbags, and Tianyang, check the shooting compartment. Remember, move slowly and don’t rush!”

Tianyang responded and, after cutting the airbags, carefully climbed up to the heavy artillery shooting compartment.

From the shooting compartment, the young man drew a cold breath. The Falcon battle vehicle was precariously balanced on a stone bridge less than half a meter wide.

Because the rear of the vehicle was heavy, the back was sinking below the bridge. If it surpassed the balance point, the vehicle would fall!

Meanwhile, large stones from above continued to fall, and explosions and screams mingled, reminding Tianyang that this place was far from safe.

The young man shouted, “Captain, everyone get out. Exit through the car door; the vehicle is about to fall, so hurry!”

Without needing further encouragement, the rising front of the vehicle already indicated the urgency. Han Shu pressed forward, almost lying on the control panel.

He waved his hand and yelled, “Quick, get out through the door.”

The door was situated on the stone bridge. But when a soldier tried to open it, he found it was jammed.

Tianyang shouted, “Captain, hold on a bit; I’ll open the door.”

The young man jumped out of the vehicle and onto the stone bridge. Drawing his Crimson Moon blade, and infusing it with Star Essence, the blade’s edge glowed crimson.

The blade pierced effortlessly through the deformed car door. Tianyang pried it open, tearing a gap in it.

After a few more cuts, he removed the entire door.

“Get out quickly!” Han Shu roared and grabbed the driver, dragging him to the seat behind.

The soldiers scrambled out through the door and jumped onto the stone bridge.

Finally, only Han Shu and an unconscious new recruit were left.

Tianyang anxiously called out, “Captain, hurry up; the vehicle is about to fall!”

Han Shu nodded, slowing his movements, and carefully left his position. Just as he reached the seat behind, the vehicle suddenly tipped over.

Seeing this, Tianyang didn’t think twice and leaped onto the vehicle’s engine cover. By pressing down hard, he managed to restore the vehicle’s balance.

Inside the cabin, Han Shu finally relaxed and moved toward the unconscious soldier.

Tianyang lay on the engine cover, with strange noises coming from above. He looked up to see bright flashes of Star Essence and flames from various weapons lighting up.

It seemed the survivors were fighting the monster destroying the bridge, hurling debris and dropping disfigured bodies.

All this indicated the battle was fierce.

The young man’s concern grew as the eerie howls from above grew louder, suggesting the monster was getting closer.

Just then, there was a thunderous sound above as a stone bridge spanning across broke in two. Large fragments fell from the front, and Tianyang even saw a body that was only the upper half!

Suddenly feeling a chill, Tianyang looked up and saw a yellow vertical pupil staring at him through the swirling black mist!

The vertical pupil, as large as a tire, was surrounded by blood-red veins. After locking eyes with Tianyang for a moment, it vanished into the mist, followed by a terrifying howl. A fist suddenly emerged from the swirling fog.

It was aimed straight at Tianyang!

“Captain, run!” Tianyang’s Star Essence within him surged from stillness to peak in an instant.

The young man, with all his strength, almost turned into a faint shadow as he leapt from the vehicle onto the stone bridge.

Inside the vehicle, Han Shu was about to grab the unconscious soldier. But the sudden scream changed his expression, and before Tianyang could warn him, he threw himself towards the car door with all his might.

As he jumped out of the vehicle, the descending fist smashed onto the vehicle’s engine cover. The vehicle was instantly propelled upwards, flying several meters before plunging into the abyss below.

Han Shu’s face turned pale. If he had been even slightly slower, he would have fallen along with the vehicle.

He suddenly struck the ground with two fists. If he had a few more seconds, he could have saved the soldier too.

Just a few more seconds!

At that moment, the fist that had sent the vehicle flying quickly retracted into the swirling black mist above.

Han Shu looked up and, amidst the interwoven lights from various powers and firearms, vaguely saw a massive, evil, twisted shadow moving above.

“Flare grenades, shoot a few in that direction!” Han Shu shouted, pointing towards the shadow.

Two soldiers quickly took out flare grenades and used a launcher to fire them into the space above the abyss. After a few seconds, a strong light burst forth from the black mist.

The flares used in the Reverse Realm not only emitted light but also lasted for a period of time.

As the abyss was filled with light, a piercing, shrill howl echoed from above.

Then came the sound of heavy objects colliding with the stone bridge. The vibrations from the collision even reached the area where Tianyang and the others were.

Everyone, including Tianyang, had to crouch down to lower their center of gravity to avoid being shaken off the bridge by the tremors.

After a moment, once adjusted to the light, Tianyang looked up.

He saw a massive shadow on a stone bridge a few meters above. Due to the backlight, its full shape was hard to discern.

But it was clear that its size was nearly that of a ghost vehicle. Tentacles with human-like hands dangled from the bridge.

At that moment, it was raising these unusual "arms," using the human-like hands to either grasp protruding rocks on the mountain cliffs or simply clutch the edge of a stone bridge, using these as leverage to slowly lift its body.

“What is that?” Tianyang asked Han Shu.

Han Shu squinted: “Lao Xu might know, but it's my first time seeing such a thing. But whatever it is, just shoot it!”

Then he shouted, “Don’t just stand there! The flares only last a few minutes. Hurry up and take it down, or none of us will be able to get out!”

Han Shu’s emblem lit up, and he quickly shielded Tianyang and the others with a Star Essence barrier.

Above the abyss, other survivors on the stone bridges also came to their senses and began attacking the monster.

The Raven Squad’s soldiers, not to be outdone, set up their rifles and began firing.

Instantly, the area around the massive shadow was filled with explosions of various powers and a network of gunfire from the soldiers’ weapons!

Tianyang looked around and pointed ahead, shouting, “Captain, look over there!”

Han Shu looked in the direction Tianyang pointed. A few meters away, there was another stone bridge extending diagonally upwards.

These stone bridges interwove to form a complex network.

Whether these bridges were naturally formed or man-made was unknown, but at the moment, no one cared about that.

Han Shu was more concerned with whether these bridges could get him closer to the monster.