John Wick's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, myriad and vast.
York did not know what John Wick was thinking; he simply stuffed a belt filled with five hundred bullets into the ammo box.
The private shooting club was exactly as John Wick had described, boasting an incredibly diverse array of firearms, even to the extent of having such equipment available.
This type of backpack ammo box was reportedly improvised by an old American veteran who wanted to increase ammo capacity and enhance sustained firepower suppression and output.
The effect of firepower suppression was excellent, but the downside was also significant due to the weight being the greatest challenge.
The ammo box, filled with five hundred bullets, along with the weight of the machine gun itself, would be too much even for a muscular strongman, let alone handling the recoil.
Therefore, this method of backpack ammo feeding was not widely used by individuals but found popularity in such special clubs, offering curious guests a taste of something new.
This, however, was to his advantage.
Because such weight was negligible to him, if not for the size and volume, he could carry dozens, even hundreds, of such weights.
After inspecting the MK-48 light machine gun, York connected the flexible feed belt of the ammo box to the gun's loading port with a click, completing the setup.
Casually placing the MK-48 machine gun and its accompanying five hundred bullet ammo box aside, York continued to prepare other weapons.
Following the same procedure, his focus now was on combinations of ammo boxes and machine guns, the more, the better.
After all, clearing out and dealing with the numerous, large-sized monsters in the fog required fierce and relentless firepower suppression as the most effective approach.
Set after set of ammo chains and machine guns were assembled, and before long, there were already four sets laid out on the ground beside York.
This conspicuous scene caught John Wick's sidelong glance, but when he saw the priest lifting two sets of ammo chain machine guns so effortlessly and casually as if feeling no weight at all, he closed his mouth, swallowing the words that had reached the tip of his tongue.
John Wick's slight change in expression naturally did not escape York's notice. He patted the four ammo boxes and machine guns he had scrounged up from the entire club and said with a smile, "I'll use these."
Then, York looked at John Wick, who had selected a lighter recoil AUG assault rifle for himself.
"This is for Erin."
John Wick nodded; this was precisely what he had prepared for Sister Erin, as per the priest's words, this rifle was just used by Sister Erin, at least better than one she was not familiar with.
York's expression unchanged, turned to look outside the hall.
As he turned, Erin hurriedly arrived with only one sentence to say.
"Father, the fog is spreading over."
Such speed...
York looked up, seemingly able to see the dense fog pressing down from outside, and calmly said, "I know."
---
At this moment, the vast fog had already invaded the entire land, enveloping the whole shooting club.
"This is the scene of the fog, truly fitting."
York, along with John Wick and Erin, stood at the glass sliding door, contemplating the vast fog with reminiscence in their eyes.
This scene was just like in the movie "The Fog".
The dense fog, like a thick layer of cotton, tightly wrapped everything in sight.
Standing in this fog, one could feel a dampness that penetrated clothes and skin, instantly chilling and causing shivers.
Besides this, not only him but also John Wick and Erin could tell how low the visibility was inside.
Because they could only see within a three to four meters radius, beyond which nothing could be discerned.
In such conditions, touch and bodily sensations became the only means of navigation.
Experiencing this, York faced the vast fog and finally understood why the protagonists in "The Fog" began to despair, why their sanity plummeted upon seeing the behemoth, unable to last even a few minutes longer.
Being trapped in this fog, unable to see the surroundings, unable to ascertain directions, unable to find a path forward, unable to identify the source and shape of monsters.
For the protagonists or ordinary people, every step was like crossing an abyss, the whole world suddenly became unfamiliar and fearful.
When senses are deprived to just a few meters around, what you can feel is only the silence left by the fog and endless confusion, loneliness, helplessness, and despair.
As if deeply understanding this, besides John Wick who remained calm, Erin quietly looked at him.
York gave a comforting and confident smile: "It'll be okay."
These feelings were just for ordinary people, not for someone like him.
With a three-dimensional map within a hundred meters radius, he could see everything clearly, even without the map, his eyes, which now wielded deep red magic and were no longer human, could penetrate this fog easily.
Meaning, even in this dense fog, he still had a clear view.
Like now.
Strange monsters directly entered his hundred-meter three-dimensional map.
"So, these are Lovecraftian monsters, huh." York squinted, focusing entirely on these monsters appearing in his map.
Apart from the insect-scorpion-crab hybrid scorpion-tailed beasts flying above the fog, there were walking tentacle monsters and densely packed spider-like creatures.
These monsters were mostly those shown in the movie, with others not even known to him before.
Such as slowly moving spiked creatures, glowing weird bugs, and humanoid skeletons with only one eyeball, among others.
Suddenly appearing within his hundred-meter radius as the fog spread.
But most importantly, it wasn't just the appearance of these monsters; ahead of them was a group of desperately fleeing humans.
It seemed they were residents of the town below, including two soldiers in uniform.
There were fathers carrying children, women beside them, and slower elderly people, totaling twelve individuals.
This group, as if by agreement, formed a unit, so the young and strong soldiers did not abandon the increasingly slower elders but decisively carried them.
Seeing their direction, York knew their goal was the private shooting club under his feet.
Realizing this, York was not particularly surprised.
These people were likely locals from the town below, along with the two soldiers, knowing this place was not strange since it was a shooting club with weapons for self-defense.
"Erin, wait here. John, you come with me to save them."
York quickly shouldered the ammo box with five hundred bullets, casually picking up the machine gun, and signaled Erin to open the door, speaking to John Wick.
"People are coming, probably the residents from the town below."
Under normal circumstances, he could remain indifferent, but upon seeing this situation, ensuring his own safety, he would still intervene.
This had nothing to do with anything else; as a normal person, as a priest, he couldn't stand to see tragedy unfold.
As his words fell, John Wick silently picked up an FN Minimi light machine gun and followed him out.
Although he didn't know how the priest knew people were coming or the situation outside, he knew that in situations beyond common sense, like now, following the priest was never wrong.
Erin pulled the door, worriedly saying, "Father, please be careful."
The dense fog, along with unseen deep howls, truly heightened her anxiety to the utmost the moment the priest stepped out.
"Hmm." York smiled reassuringly, disappearing into the fog with John Wick under Erin's watch, as she clasped her hands over her chest and began to pray, "Oh God, please protect the father..."
"John, make sure to see clearly before you shoot," York instructed as he led the way, not wanting John Wick to accidentally harm the fleeing civilians in addition to the monsters.
"Understood."
John Wick was well aware of this, his entire being on alert as they moved through the dense, monster-filled fog, keeping a watchful eye all around.
---
"Hold on! Just a bit longer!"
In the midst of the dense fog, a group fleeing towards the private shooting club, led by the soldier Jim Kagiya who was carrying an elderly man, encouraged everyone.
"As long as we get there, we'll have the means to protect ourselves. And there are soldiers there!"
Gasping for breath, he loudly declared, "Hold on! We're almost there!"
His words ignited a spark of hope in the twelve people, their pace quickening slightly.
However, unbeknownst to them, the monsters pursuing them were closing in even faster.
Soon enough, they were within a six-meter radius, with airborne insects and winged scorpion-tailed beasts also drawn by the noise.
Yet in this dense fog, the people saw nothing.
Only the growing dissonance near their ears alerted them to something charging towards them.
Jim Kagiya, leading the group, caught a glimpse of the monsters' vague shapes through the fog.
"Something's coming! Everyone, be alert!"
He yelled, spotting the increasingly clear form of a spider-like creature.
"Mack!"
Clearly, Jim was calling for the other soldier.
"I got it!"
Mack, in the crowd, hastily responded, passing the elder he was assisting to a family member, then drawing a pistol from his waist and firing at the approaching spider-like creature.
Bang, bang, bang!
Three shots rang out, hitting the spider, larger than a dog, bursting it open and releasing a foul odor as it fell to the ground.
The spider's sudden halt brought a momentary sigh of relief to everyone.
But the next second, the surrounding noises intensified, indicating a multitude of approaching monsters.
"Run!"
Jim yelled again, urging everyone to push their limits.
Mack, covering the rear, fired his pistol at emerging shapes, but no matter how many he killed, the monsters kept coming, leaving him out of bullets.
"I'm out of bullets!" Mack announced.
Panic spread among the group as more monsters materialized in the fog, forcing Jim to zigzag in an attempt to avoid them.
"Keep running! Don't stop!" he shouted in desperation.
But with the overwhelming number of monsters, their efforts were futile.
A bat-like creature, with a head resembling a turtle's, swooped down towards a slowing young woman, its screech signaling its excitement.
"Georgina!" someone closest to her yelled.
But Georgina, frozen in shock, could only watch as the creature, with claws wide open, dove at her.
She could vividly imagine being snatched like a mouse or snake by an eagle.
"Dodge it!"
The screams of her companions were drowned out by the monster's screeching as it closed in, claws ready to strike.
Those trying to help could only run towards Georgina, helplessly watching the bat-like monster screech and swoop down.
At the last moment, a series of blurred gunshots broke through the tension, halting the monster mid-attack as bullets tore through it, sending it crashing to the ground in a bloody heap.
Georgina, stunned, felt a rush of relief knowing she was saved.
The sudden rescue left everyone in shock, with only Georgina, Jim, and Mack instinctively looking towards the source of the gunfire - the direction of the club.
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