"Shit! Come on, hurry the fuck up! We don't have much time left!"
"I know! I know! I'm moving as fast as I can already!"
"God, please don't screw this up!"
"You guys should calm down and maybe lower your voice. We don't want to be heard by the demons."
"We aren't loud. This is panic whispering. Like an ASMR."
"Dude! Focus!"
"Sorry."
On some corner of the Lost Continent, a squad of soldiers was currently facing a troublesome matter.
Originally, they were here to build one of the traps that is necessary for the grand scheme of humans against the demons of this continent. The operation started out smoothly like any other; everything was calm and okay, but it quickly took a sharp turn simply because one of the soldiers made a little too much noise while working.
This attracted the attention of some stray demons, who immediately attacked them. The fight caused more noise, and the squad had to resort to some strict measures to prioritize the accomplishment of this mission. They barely cleared the horde, and even after this, they couldn't relax.
They're on a time crunch here. The stench of death and blood around them was too thick due to the strewn corpses that were left behind by their clash. The longer this goes on, the further the smell drifts, which could possibly attract more enemies to their location.
"Shit! Okay! I'm done! Go, go, go! Move it, boys!"
The operator growled as soon as he finished installing the trap. They don't have the time to double-check if it's working properly or not. They could only hope for the best right now and retreat, lest they attract the attention of something they couldn't handle.
The rest of the squad knows this too, and they couldn't really refute the decision to retreat. If anything, they all silently agreed to it as they began hauling their asses back to the nearest federal outpost while trying their best to hide their presence and erase their tracks. Read latest chapters at m_v-l'e|-novelhall.net
Roar!
"Shit!" The soldiers collectively swore under their breaths.
That roaring sound just now came from something that they all hope they won't encounter. Truthfully, none of them knows what exactly it is just yet; the demonic fog in this god-forsaken place was too dense, making it hard for them to see anything. Additionally, their senses are suppressed here, especially since they're humans.
But even though they've yet to see what manner of monstrosity they attracted just now, they all know that it's strong. They could tell that much after hearing that roar. They're experienced soldiers, after all.
Even without speaking to each other, they all agreed that they couldn't handle something like that right now. They're not strong enough or have any equipment that will help them deal with that. So, their best option is to continue making their way back to the base, preferably as fast as they possibly can.
The squad leader himself dropped-kicked the gates wide open, and his teammates dragged him inside. Once the gates closed behind them, they collectively collapsed on top of each other, staring at a blank space and panting from too much stimulation.
"I hate this fucking place," the squad leader muttered softly after catching his breath.
"Preach."
"Same."
"Me too."
"Move; I need to shit."
The squad dragged themselves towards the tents to rest. Right now, they truly couldn't care less whether the trap they installed ended up intact or not. All they know is that they're lucky to be alive. If the trap survived, great! That means that their work here is done, and they could go back to the safety of their homes.
If not, then no big deal; they'd just have to install it again, preferably more carefully next time so that they won't experience this kind of thing again. They still have enough materials left anyway.
"Yo, guys! It was a success!"
The engineer of the squad hollered at them in glee. He just did some checks and discovered that the tracker they left on the site of the trap was responding properly. The status showed all green signs, and the trap was completely buried. With the measures they installed in it, they don't have to be afraid of it being noticed by their enemies.
Hearing this great news made the soldiers almost collapse for a second time out of relief. This operation was too close for comfort, but fortunately, they succeeded. They're all safe, and they've completed all the tasks expected of them.
The squad leader swallowed and inwardly wished for this luck to continue. He then told the engineer: "Contact HQ, tell them the results, and ask for our next move."
"On it," the engineer replied.
There's a tense silence for a bit. Nobody dared to speak; they're all inwardly hoping that this mission ends here because, truthfully, they didn't want to stay in this place any longer.
Beep!
The crisp sound of the alert sounded like a bomb to them. The squad leader and the engineer opened the message and read it.
Then, the squad leader looked at his team and said:
"Eat and pack up, boys. We're going home."
"WOOOOOOOO!!!!!"