NOVEL SIMPLE CHAPTER 104
Chapter 104: The Encroaching Mist
Wang Family Village was situated precariously at the edge of the Black Mist. Coincidentally, the largest residence in the village was partially swallowed by the encroaching darkness. Half of the house remained exposed, while the other half was consumed by the Black Mist, creating a stark contrast.
Hearing Xu Rufang’s question, Lian Jie and Simba turned to observe the house. It was evident that the structure, which had been partially visible yesterday, was now almost entirely engulfed by the Black Mist, with only a corner of the wall remaining in sight.
The Black Mist was indeed shrinking, a fact known to the official shelter but not to Simba and Lian Jie.
The two Devourers stared at the edge of the Black Mist, a sense of unease settling upon them. Just as Simba was about to speak, a terrifying roar erupted from within the depths of the mist.
The sound was a chilling amalgamation of a dog’s growl and a bear’s roar. It began as a low rumble but quickly escalated into a sharp, piercing shriek that sent shivers down their spines.
The suddenness of the roar startled Simba and Lian Jie. Before they could fully comprehend what was happening, the Black Mist surged violently.
If the Black Mist were a membrane, the protruding shape resembled a monstrous face, a nightmarish blend of wolf and bear. This colossal visage, nearly ten meters in diameter, emerged from the Black Mist, lifting a massive portion of the inky substance with it.
However, the Black Mist proved to be remarkably resilient. Despite the creature’s desperate struggles and guttural snarls, it could only distort the mist, unable to tear it asunder.
This scene sent a wave of terror through Simba and Lian Jie. The monstrous roar and the colossal head emerging from the mist made one thing abundantly clear: the creature lurking within the Black Mist could effortlessly tear them both apart.
For a tense moment, an eerie silence descended upon Wang Family Village. The only sound that broke the stillness was the relentless struggle of the ferocious beast against the unyielding Black Mist. Its roars echoed through the air, mirroring the trembling bodies of Simba and Lian Jie.
Ten minutes dragged by, each second filled with agonizing anticipation.
Finally, the surge subsided. The giant beast, seemingly realizing the futility of its efforts against the Black Mist, retreated reluctantly.
Five more minutes passed in tense silence.
Simba and Lian Jie finally exhaled in unison, a wave of relief washing over them. However, as their eyes met, a shared sense of unease lingered in their expressions. A silent conversation unfolded between them.
Lian Jie: Bro, what’s going on?
Simba: I don’t know either...
Lian Jie: But bro, do you get the feeling that even though we’re far from that monster, this place isn’t as safe as we thought?
Simba: You’re right, little bro...
Lian Jie: Bro, what should we do?
Simba: ...You’re asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?
Despair washed over Simba. In the vast expanse of Nanxiang City, he felt there was nowhere left to hide.
Monsters lurked in the city center, and now they were present at the edge of the Black Mist. He looked to the heavens, silently pleading for a safe haven.
Suddenly, Simba’s gaze froze as he caught a flicker of light above the Black Mist. At first, it was barely noticeable, but it quickly grew, as if someone were piercing the mist with an awl and pulling it upwards.
A ripping sound echoed through the air, and a gash appeared in the Black Mist, nearly three meters long and one meter wide.
Through the opening, Simba glimpsed the scene beyond. A cluster of enormous, green-glowing eyeballs stared back at him.
“Ao!” A piercing shriek tore through the air.
Simba screamed in terror, alerting the creatures lurking within the Black Mist.
A chorus of roars erupted from within the Black Mist, followed by the thunderous sound of heavy footsteps. One after another, monstrous creatures emerged from the tear, charging towards Simba with the ferocity of wolves and tigers.
As they approached, Simba could clearly discern their grotesque forms. Their heads, though smaller, were identical to the colossal creature that had ripped through the Black Mist. They were round, resembling a bizarre fusion of wolf and bear.
The monstrous head that had torn the mist was roughly ten meters in diameter, while the heads of these creatures were only half a meter across. They seemed to share a familial resemblance, perhaps like an ancestor and its offspring.
Their bodies, proportionally smaller than their massive heads, were slightly larger than well-developed adult male lions. Their blackish-gray skin was covered in short, wiry fur, and they possessed six powerful limbs on their underbellies, granting them greater agility and speed than ordinary predators.
They were also far stronger.
Dozens of these six-legged wolf-bears charged forward, their movements shaking the very ground beneath them. Their low, guttural growls filled the air, striking fear into Simba’s heart.
“Charge! Attack them!” Simba roared, ordering his zombie minions to intercept the oncoming creatures while he and Lian Jie retreated.
But the zombies paid no heed to the six-legged wolf-bears.
At their master’s command, a few Tyrants, accompanied by their zombie hordes, charged forward, clashing head-on with the six-legged wolf-bears.
A chaotic melee ensued, with countless zombies being flung and trampled underfoot.
Simba’s eyes widened in horror as he witnessed the carnage unfolding before him.
In the blink of an eye, dozens of bloody paths were carved through the dense ranks of zombies. A Tier 3 zombie, a Tyrant, collided with a six-legged wolf-bear. The Tyrant, renowned for its strength, was instantly overwhelmed, its massive head ripped from its body by the powerful jaws of the wolf-bear.
“Tier 4!”
Each of the six-legged wolf-bears possessed the strength of a Tier 4 creature.
After a brief moment of stunned disbelief, Simba made a swift decision.
“Run! Run for your lives!”
“Strategic retreat! Now!”
Simba’s heart ached as he fled alongside Lian Jie. He wanted to scream at the sky, to question the heavens why he was always the one forced to run and hide.
Simba’s reaction, however, was undeniably swift.
It was precisely Simba’s quick thinking and inherent caution that had allowed him to escape death time and time again. However, every coin has two sides.
While his instinct for self-preservation had saved his life, it also meant that Simba often missed out on valuable information. He was unaware that Lu Ming rarely strayed far from his home, nor that he wouldn’t pursue Simba relentlessly.
Simba was also oblivious to the fact that the tear in the Black Mist was slowly sealing shut, mere moments after his escape.
One by one, the young six-legged wolf-bears emerged from the dark depths, but at a certain point, as the gap narrowed, no more monsters could squeeze through. This fleeting event unfolded and concluded in the blink of an eye.
Nevertheless, over 200 six-legged wolf-bears had successfully crossed the threshold.
In Wang Family Village, Simba’s zombie horde stood no chance against these formidable Level 4 creatures. The zombies were mercilessly crushed and slaughtered, their numbers dwindling rapidly.
The one-sided massacre continued until the last zombie fell, their cries of terror drowned out by the triumphant roars of the victors.
Having asserted their dominance, the six-legged wolf-bears lowered their heads and greedily devoured the rotting flesh of their fallen foes. They seemed famished, consuming their grisly feast with astonishing speed, leaving no scraps behind.
Once the last morsel was gone, the 200-plus wolf-bears dispersed, splitting into groups of two or three and scattering in all directions.
Unbeknownst to them, this incident in Wang Family Village was not an isolated event.
At another edge of the Black Mist, a similar tear had opened, releasing hundreds of enormous black birds with wingspans reaching nearly five meters.
Elsewhere, a peculiar zombie with a sickly green hue stumbled across the boundary.
In yet another breach...
Dozens of cracks appeared simultaneously, only to close up just as quickly. And as the last of these fissures sealed shut, the rate at which the Black Mist contracted suddenly accelerated.
End of Chapter 104