In an almost encompassed motion, our gaze lifts up, the earth starts shaking frantically, waiting in ecstasy for something to happen. Piles upon piles of dust catapulted upwards towering over the surrounding rubble, the geysers of ash filling the air reducing the range of vision, pieces of debris the size of fists started raining down in the hundreds leaving a trail of smoke behind them as they started their descent.

I glanced at the hooded man, half expecting him to counterattack in some way, only to find him calmly staring at the surrounding mayhem. Rocks start raining down at neck-breaking speeds, a few of them land near us, one missing my head by a hair's width.

"What is happening now!?"

I tried shouting amidst all the noise, I hoped the soldier had some idea about what was going on, though, to my dismay his answer came in the form of a simple shoulder raise.

| SCRHEEETCH!! |

For better or for worse, I didn't even have to wait for a coherent answer. The screeching noises propagated through the ground in a series of tremors, my eyes tried leaving the ground as I fought to regain balance.

My feet started shaking defensless, the sight of the sheer numbers kept rising by the seconds, dozens, if not hundreds of grinning meatballs clawed their way out of the earth, from the size of cars to reaching close to hundred of meters. Entire buildings collapsed to make up for their rising, what had seemed like a completely desolate city was nothing more than a facade. The purpose behind this abandoned museum of a far gone life was nonother than to serve as hunting grounds for an overconfident prey.

"Stay close."

Those were the only words the masked man said before hell broke loose and all creatures started rampaging towards us, his gaze seemed no longer focused on the laughing obese maniac, but rather lost staring at the black sky.

'Will he really be able to save us both?'

Crave revenge.

'If I just stood here.'

If I didn't move... The man seemed strangely focused, he wasn't scared, he was prepared to fight against such a fearsome opponent.

In contrast. What was I exactly? I looked at myself, my trembling hands... were they able to do anything? Could they deliver anything resembling vengeance? Was I able to do anything for all those people murdered?

And if I could, would I be able to set that motivation ablaze, to channel my rage into this knife I held and die fighting. Did such emotions exist within me at all? There wasn't a clear answer. The world had become increasingly numb as I came to understand it or maybe it was the other way around, but things such as rage or hate had disappeared from my life long ago.

'Theirs though...'

My hand morphed into a fist, clenching with all the strength I could muster.

'If I can't fight for my own sake. I will fight for theirs.'

Right...

I took a good grasp of the sharp butcher knife and raised it forwards aiming at the reflection of the titan's biggest eye. The determination, the motivation, the drive to kill. I needed all of them to bet everything in one last suicide display.

'One last effort.'

I muttered to myself, the knife's blade closing parallel to my chest as I reversed its grip.

"Everyone had horrible deaths they didn't deserve. Died in misery, shouted in agony, drowned in their own pool of blood, sweat, and tears. Struggling to breathe as their organs were crushed under pressure, boiled until only a pile of bones and skin remained."

That was a fate I wouldn't wish for anyone, and this beast had gotten away with such actions.

"Unforgivable."

It was about time I made those abortions and their lard-ass mother regret it.

If there was something resembling Valhalla, I was about to find out.

The distance between the first wave of monsters kept decreasing at a fast pace, the countdown for their arrival was set, and so was I ready.

| Zap |

[ Rewriten lands ends here, please don't mind the N̴̡̧̡̧̧̡̨̥̱͕̜̝̫͎͉̬͇̱̼̮̙͉͈͎̻̖͉̺͇̭̣̦͇̫̺͕̮̱̮͙̫̟̳̭̰̯͍̰̦̯̥̱͓̬̞͚̙̞̝̣̘̬̿͊̅́͊̾͑͊͂̄̂̀̈́̕̕͜͜͝Ǫ̵̨̡͚̪͍̬̤͖̣̼̲̺͔̘̘͕̻̲̲͇̜̝͚̼̺̥̼̭̱̦̰̔̍͑̈́͒͂̒̑̓̾̎͆́͑̃̈́̽̊̿͗̆̆̏̚͘͘͜͠͠͝ͅN̴̛̛̯̱̙͕͇͎̙̉̈́̃̈́̆̈́̒̏͑͂̈́̀̇̔̐̀̎̽̅̂͊̅͊́̎̆̂̈́͗͋̓͒̓̀̌̔̇͊̆͛͋̑͒́̍̓̊͐̾̆͗̏͋͊̋̓͌̒̀̿̌̆̀̈́̒̀̓̽̈́̽͛̿̒͌̊̓̓̉̚͘͘͜͠͝͠͠͝͝͝ ̷̨̧̡̛̛͚̞̮͍͖̻͔̳̝͉̙̰̺̟̱̩̰̭͚̺̜̦̹̻̫̳̋́̈́͊͆̄̓̀̀̈̎̃̈́̂̆͋́͒̃̈́̀̍̒̃͂̒̏̏̌̈́̄̈́͒͐̊͋̒͛̑̑͛̇̌̉̍͘̚̚̚͜͝͠͝͝͝ͅͅS̸̡̡̡̥͚̦̱͈̺͚̞̼͔̹͖̈́̄̇̔̀̓̀̇͐̀͑̓́̑̌̄̔̋̐́̃͂̃̀̄͊̍̓̃̒͗̂̆̔̄̅̃̇̂͋̄̒̐̊͘̚͘͝͠͝͠͠Ȅ̷̛̟͍͇̑̈́͐̀̇̏̃̃͆͊́͆̾̉́̍̂̓̍̈́̊̅͋͆͂̈̈́̒͋̋̔̇̏̐̈́́͑̐͑́́̇́̃̏͂́̀̊̉̀͐̑͊̓̒̋͆̍̾̋͌́̓͆͘̚̚͘͝͝͠͠͠N̴̢̡̨̲̠͇̫̘̮̥͙̮̙̟͓̫͈̤̫̬̜̘͙̙̺̥̺̟̻̭͍̘͚̯͉̟̦̺̼͇̗̦̗͙͇͓̱̜̙̰̤͍̙̘͓̗̱͙͉͗̈̇͗̇͛̈́̊̍̋̆̋̆̀̈́̈́͋̎̄̋̾́̄͛̀̓̂̋̾͂̆̀́̂̊̒͗̉̒́̚̚̚͜͠͠͠͝ͅS̴̡̡̨̢̧̡̢̺̯̻̩̮̪͇͈̟̳̝͉͖͈̪͙͓͚̦̻̫̫̲̫̲̜͕̦̺̩̫̮̖̲̣͓̜͇͉̯͇̗͈͎̻̰͙͔̻͚̹̓̑̾͑͑̓̋̑͋̒̃͐̇̈́̄̊̋͋̉͆̂͜͜͠ͅͅI̴̡̧̢̧̡͉͔͓̲̱̣͍͇̥̼̘̺͉̘̜̹̙̣̬̰͉̟̳̫̟̳̳̙̳̣̞̣̖̰͍̞̯̘͓̼̯̬̦̖̭͈͓͙̳̝̪̜̩̤͙͙̠̠͚͙͍̻̰̞̤͚̩͕̫̰̿̄̒̀̓̿̌̆̔͒͆̉̐̐̈̎̊̍̎͒̿̍͑̍͌̽̄̀̀͑̾͋̃͑̿̚̕̚͜͜͜͠͝͝ͅC̷̡̨̨̨̛̛̲̝̝̭̥͕̹̟̠̼̟̰͙̩̞͍͈̰̫̲̪̩̲̗̱̗̳̰̝̖̮̖̰͓̼͚̪̹̲̗̮̪̝̞̗̖͚͖̯̬̥̭̙̰̙̜̩̙͍̝͎̗̳͚͙̜̲͇̞͎̰̺̰̍̌̒̄́̌̀͗͋̈̈́̂̉̏̆̎̈́̈́̏͑̓̃̈͐̐̅͒͗̐́̂̎̀̂̓̉̎̿̈́̂̉̊̐̆͊̓͒̏̑͌͆͂̓̔̔̇̓̉̈́̓̓͂̐͋̔̉͑́͘̕͘̕͘̚͜͠͝͝͝ͅÁ̶̡̞̳̟̲̞͙͚̠̬̥̫̹̄̿́̏̂̍̄̐̐̍̋̇̄̃̀̔̕͝͠͝ͅĻ̸̛̣̱̩̮̤̈́̋̈́̀̀̋̓͌̉͗͋͒͌̋̾̌͊͆̐̈́̏̐́̀̈́̂̂̈́̉̍͐͑̄̿̍̌̈́̑̓̈́̄̍͗̋͑́̓̋̅̾̿̕̕̚̕̚̚͝͠͝͝ ̵̡̢̨̛̛̣̼̘͔͍̭̺̰͇͖̹̤͈͓͓̣͍̮̮̪͇̜̙͔̻͍̪͍͒̑̿̓̓̊̃͊̋̈́̔̒̍́̄̅́̈́̈̓̔̆͒̅̋͊͂͋͗̄̀̑̈̌̓̉̚͘͘̚̕̕͘͝͝͝N̴̡̨̢̨̢̛̙̱̝͍͚̯̪̰͔͎̣̩͕̞͕̻̞̼̠̟̭͂̅́̑̿̉̐̊̃͊͛͑͗̒̈́̍̈́̽͂̑̌͆̉̈͛͛͐̉̈́̔͛̚͘̚̚͝ͅḀ̵̢̛̛̛̹̠͕̝̼̲̹̲͖͓͇̻̖͔̼͖̹̱̦͔̠͕̘̻͖͙͎͙͍̒́̐͊͌̇́͆͊͒̅̾̃̿̓̅̑̆̌͌͛̑͗̎͗̍̆̿̈͊̈́̍̂͗̂̒̎̇̀͐́͛̅̾͋̀͐͑͆͒̀͗̏̎͆̈́͆̽̅́̒̈̇̇̽́̉̄̍̿̚͘̚͜͜͜͝͠Ŗ̶̢̡̛̛̗͖͓̜̙̖̥̫̬͉̭͇̭̖̤͔̰̲̱̠̘͍̼͓͔̣̻͕̖̹̫͎̩͇͈̬͉͕̮̻̖̆̀̀͑̈́̆̅̈́̐̓̈̋̿͊̋͐̐̈́̈̏̓͗͊͂̓̑͗͆͋͒̽̌͌̑̽͌̂͐̊̈́͑̊͆͑͂̀̽̓̌̏̃͆͊̌̋̚͘͘͜͠͝͝ͅR̵̡̧̨̢̧̲̦͈̜̣̩̦̥̠͇͙͕͍͈̳̭̞̦̣͉͕͎̭̻͎̻̠͈͎̲̼͉̪͇̫̣̭̗̳̘̩̥̭̗̻̰͇̜͈̰̼̹͎͉͙͍̱̩̰̮̩͋̉͗̐̊̐̄͌̀̈́̉̄͌́̊͋̉̔̾͆̅́̌́̐͑͒͋̑̾̔̐͋́͌̓̓̈́̀̏͊̑̎̓̓̒͒̚̕̚͜͜͠͝͝A̶̡̧̡̢̡̢̧̡̱̙̘̼̳̯̳͈̰̠̞̤̗̫̤̗̝̻̺͎̫͚̮̖͖̬̱̫̬̣͙̩̯̫̝̯̞̘̣͎̰̝̟͍͕̥̗̓̑̌̈͆͂͆͛̽͜͜ͅT̶̡̡̧̛̛͇͖̖͚̳̯̠̲̟̤͍̝̜̻̜͙̟̜͇͖̝̖̫̼̜̩̬͔̩̲̣̼̦̤̟̹͒̇̃͒͊̈́͂͑̽̉̐͒̂̑͛̆̔͂̆͆̎̾̈́͆̈̈́͋̎̑͊̇͑̂̋̋̊̂̌̈́͒̏͛̈́̉̀̑̏̈́̌̎̆̈́͛̑̋̽̂̿̊̈́̀̇̐͌͘̚̚̕͘̕̕̚͝͝͝͝ͅĮ̶̗͕͚͙̲̠̣̳̹͔̟̻̞̯̜̗̜͙̦̼̟̮̩̲̬͙͙̠̪̘̟̪͕̙̖̋̌͌̒̄̔͑͒̒̓̉͛͐̌̋̎͑̒͋̿̉̄͆́̀̀̓͘͜͝͝͠ͅỚ̵̡̛̱̻̓̓̊̀́̒͋͛́̀͑̈́̍͑̈́̑̋̐̊̇́̋̈́̈́͑̏̀͛̊̽͂̐̃́̔́̐͆̈́̾͆͑̄̓̓̂͆̊̽́͛̀̆͆̈́̽̽̈̃̔̑̋̏̉̾̀͐̂̃̉̽̎̎̈̉͊̕̕͠͝͠͠N̴̢̨̨̨̨̨̡̢̢̡̡͈̯̜͇̮̗̞͖̳͍͍͙͎̱̣̜͇̝͇̖̖̮̯̜̫̙̟̜͍̟̘̭͔͈̣̘̺̹̳̥̤̞̫̪̫̝̜̹̰̫̣͚̤͇̤̣͍̲̘̦̟̣͓̪͗̉̍͌̈́͆̃̆̈́̈́̆̄̑͆̾̑͘͘͜͜͜͜͝ͅ ̸̨̨̢̢̨̧̡̛̛̩͎͚̻̫͔̲̻͕̬͚̬̝̘̹̗̜̤̬̝̬̺̗̤͎̮͚̳̜̻̝̮͇̠̟͇͓̘̩̦̜͎̻̥̟̮̼̫̯̜̟̤̺̖͈͙̝̭̀̈̾͛͑̊̆̽̐̅͊̑̿̌̈́̆̒̏̔̔͑̓͒͒̍̃͌̅͆̈́͑̄̽̽̓̍̓̉̓̈́̾͋̓͘̕̚͘̕͘͜͜͝͠͝͝͝͠ͅͅ from this point onwards. :) ] -SigmaWriter

The avalanche produced by the approaching stampede seemed to grow muted, the man behind the metal visor drew his hand out of his robe's pocket, his stare still lost somewhere in the sky. With a swing of his arm and a snap of his fingers, a small, almost transparent sphere materialized over his thumb.

| Swfffftt |

Like a sculptor waiting for divine inspiration, he aimed his arm at the sky.

"Right over there."

He closed his fist in the same way one would flip a coin, except this time, aiming the shot carefully, his thumb sprang launching the ethereal sphere straight towards the heavens, disappearing from sight mere frame. I almost forgot that I was seconds away from being crushed and stomped after seeing the strange sequence of movements, I kept looking at the sky waiting for something to happen.

Happen it did.

| SWFFTTT |

God had just answered the call of the unknown sculptor. My mouth hung agape the layers of darkness that covered the sky receded, revealing the blue sky hidden behind them, or rather the ominous existence of the sun.

| AGghH |

My eyes instinctively closed at the sudden change of lightning. One of my hands covered them as I gripped the ground a sudden flow of air followed an unnatural pressure pushing down on me. A last pained scream resounded, the next moment everything went completely silent. If I didn't know better I would guess we had been moved to an entirely different place, the disconnection of sensations was too big to think otherwise.

We hadn't moved though, and the moment I reopened my eyes it was already over. The commotion in my sight faded as the pressure lifted, a last breeze of air escaped before darkness flooded back.

"What in the world..."

Thick clouds of steam escaped the surface of the ground extending hundreds of meters around us calcinating everything around us to the point, that only a thick layer of ash remained.

"You can actually survive that. Impressive, congratulations."

My eyebrows raised as I realized the meaning of the masked one's words. Akin to undead the piles of ash started convulsing, gathering in seconds into small cacoons. In a matter of seconds, they had grown legs and mouths, the beast had come back from the dead without a problem, only now the size of a human head.

| SCKHUIICH!!! |

In a clearly raging tone, the spider-like monsters broke free of their containers, their reduced weight and powerful legs aiding them to jump in mere seconds, surrounding us from every direction. They leaped at us from every direction, without thinking twice I slashed in a downward motion at one of the creatures aiming to bite my shoulder.

| SCHRUICHH! |

Dodging to the side at the last second I failed to cut it in half, it let out a pained screech before dashing back at me from behind coordinating with the other three lunging towards me from the front.

"Shit!"

I couldn't dodge, all I could manage to do was block with my arms.

| Swffttt |

A blue glowing bullet shoot toward me in a parabola opening a portal and shallowing me before a horde of dozens of spiders reached my position.

Everything went bright for a moment before I grasped the darkness at the end of the tunnel, the portal dropped me hastily from a height of several feet, the momentum forced me to roll on the ground before coming to a halt.

Emerging from the same gate that had spat me just moments ago, the hooded man appeared gracefully, almost floating before touching the ground. The portal closed.

"I'll finish swiping those piles of dust from the floor later on..."

He muttered to himself. I couldn't see his eyes, but I could tell his gaze was directly set on me.

"."

He walked in my direction, the sole of his boots producing a metallic echo. With a slight movement of his head, my grip loosened on the knife which went flying akin to a meteorite. The aggressive aura emitting from his body froze my breath.

"I didn't think I would have to see any more of you, and yet here we are."

I tried crawling back, getting away from him but I couldn't fathom the force.

"Rest in peace kid."

The warm soft floor opened to envelop me in a gaping mouthful. Then everything went black.

The veil had lifted. The city of Sliville, located 84 miles away 43º northwest of Adam's Fort, covered in a mysterious veil of shadows ever since the day of dawn, with none of the 3 millions of peopls inside having been seen again alive. Most experts around the world agree on this breakoff classifies within the 100 most brutal ones known to the scraps of humanity. Up to date, several reconnaissance missions have been sent to obtain information on the matter, with only the less risky returning alive. No sighting of anomalies within range of exploration, the thick layer of shadows covers almost 10 miles in radius making it impossible to obtain information from the outside.

That was my task. To observe from the outside, in a small outpost in the middle of nowhere, watching that black dome 24/7 writing reports every month or so to inform of any activity. If I was honest, I didn't even write them anymore, our faction's leaders had problems much more important to manage than an inoffensive anomaly so they didn't probably read my reports anymore

. Nothing much to say though. Until...

| Grlll |

Like a snarling dog, that same dome of darkness started fading like a curtain, from the top down, disappearing and revealing that missing piece of landscape I had seen so many times in the files. My mouth stood agape as I watched in a mix of disbelief and horror whatever was happening, the flames, the havoc. The warm pressured air from the inside of the area caused a mild breeze to go past me, I could almost hear all those voices of the dead shouting in freedom, as whatever had ended their lives screeched one last time.

"I must inform--"

My hand stood close to the communication line just at hand's reach, I initiated communication several times without success. The line of communication must have fallen. Getting an engineer at this time was especially hard, fixing this small outpost's communication would be a waste of resources.

Still, I had to communicate the news the sooner the better, my thoughts were late, my steps too fast. I tripped to the floor before grabbing the keys from my desk and starting the motorbike's engine.

Later that same day, embedded in the internal gapes of a nearby mountain was found one of the few bases of the frontier, controlled and secured by a branch of the Humanitarian Liberation Faction, Adam's Fort received the report by one of its vigilantes, the updated status of Sliville sparked plenty of curiosity between the commanding officer and his men, holding an emergency meeting that same night.

Orders were set. The possibility of accessing resources before any of the other clans proved essential and required their utmost logistic capability. The order was issued of deploying an elite reconnaissance group to scan out the immediate surroundings. If no anomalies of upper rank were detected within the mark of 12 hours scavengers would be called into action to make use of any useful scraps found within the area.

"Achilles will be being deployed in 4 hours."

Said a burly man while holding a thick block of paper featuring images of the case. His body was almost entirely covered in metallic armor, his steps clanked around the small gym the smirk in his eyes showing the confidence of an experienced fighter, his head remained the only uncovered part of his body, and a blue sparking fissure traveled his left cheek up to his neck.

"Yes, sir."

The 6 figures answered without a trace of doubt on their faces.