Located a few hundred meters below ground, the men looked around and saw drag marks in multiple directions that contained bits of flesh and severed fragments of clothing, clinging to the earth like forgotten memories. Dried pools of blood, dark and congealed, stained the cracked dirt floor, whispering tales of violence that echoed through the damp, oppressive air, a reminder of the horrors that had transpired in this hidden chamber.
'Step… Step… Step… Step…'
They caught a faint rustle and noticed footsteps approaching from the right. The sound echoed ominously through the cave as the men tensed and heightened their senses. Instinct kicked in and they slid into position, knowing that even the slightest misstep could alert the enemy. Axel gestured with his hand, Luc crouched low with his knife glinting in the flickering light of the torch as he pressed against the wall with his heartbeat steady. The four of them readied their crossbows and kept their eyes sharp, calculating. Their analysis of the footprint suggested three adversaries closing in.
Suddenly the silence shattered. One of the Huechromixix operatives rounded the corner, only to have his head cutoff that landed on the ground with a thud. In their execution, bolts sang through the air. One struck cleanly into the forehead of the second, and the other pierced the heart of the third. The men made sure to shoot each of their targets in the head and the heart twice to ensure they were dead. Swiftly they moved. The men kept their own gear on and pulled the armors of their fallen foes over it, concealing their true identities while their faces remained masked.
The men dragged the Huechromixix operative's bodies away from the scene and over to a grim pile of human remains. They quickly buried the bloodstains beneath the soil, shoveling dirt over the crimson marks until nothing remained but dark earth. With practiced efficiency, they wiped the last traces of violence from their hands, ready to vanish into the shadows, their secret buried deep beneath layers of earth.
They proceeded smoothly to the second level, but what they saw shocked them to their core, their previously calm faces now betraying a boiling rage. Limbs of men and women hung from hooks, dried like animal meat meant for market, and they counted at least a thousand arms and legs, a grim testament to the horrors inflicted here. It became clear that these monsters showed no compassion for humanity, and the men steeled themselves for what was to come.
In the dim light, they spotted seven Huechromixix operatives processing what appeared to be human meat. The four soldiers exchanged glances for confirmation, ready to slay the enemies, however, Axel shook his head, realizing that eliminating these butchers could alert the entire base, as they seemed crucial to the gruesome operation. They quietly moved past, recomposing themselves, acutely aware that any rash action could jeopardize not only their mission but the fate of humanity itself.
They stumbled onto the third floor, entering a nightmarish scene that shattered their already fraying composure. Pregnant women, all naked and famished, their gaunt bodies betraying the living horrors of starvation. Some were obscenely hung on makeshift crosses, their arms outstretched in agony, bearing witness to some unspeakable torment. Others lay bound in the shadows, their swollen bellies a haunting reminder of their fate as pregnant women, the disturbing image of their already lifeless and decomposing forms lingering in their minds, as vivid and unsettling as a macabre painting forever etched in memory.
Amidst the chaos, their eyes fell upon a nun who, like the others, was pregnant. Her once-pristine veil now in tatters, and her lips were cracked and dry, whispering of a parched throat long deprived of basic sustenance. Despite the ravages of her condition, a fierce fire burned in her eyes, blazing with a hatred that cut through the suffocating gloom.
"Those... those monsters did this to me," she rasped, her voice barely audible yet hauntingly laced with both vengeance and defiance. "Soldiers of the light, slay these scourges so I can see each of them burn in hell, where they will finally pay for their sins. I don't want to live anymore. Warrior, plunge your blade into me and end my suffering." She forced herself to say all those words in one breath as her voice completely gave out, and she lay there, her body still, her eyes frozen on his, a silent plea begging him to end her agony.
Axel closed his eyes for a brief moment, grappling with the weight of his actions. With a swift and calculated motion, he swung his knife, aiming for a quick and painless end. The nun fell, her life extinguished in an instant, her final gasp fading into an eerie silence. Axel then gently closed her eyes and etched this scene into his heart.
But as the stillness settled around them, something caught his attention. His gaze shifted upwards, and there, suspended on one of the ornate, sinister crosses that lined the chamber, was a woman writhed in agony, her face contorted as if gripped by unimaginable pain. It was a grotesque parody of life, she was giving birth, but instead of a child, she expelled a series of strong, glossy eggs that thudded against the wooden surface of the cross. Each release sent shudders through her body, a testament to the unnatural ordeal she was enduring. The sight ignited a seething anger deep within Axel and his companions, a furious determination to confront the grueling reality unfolding before them.
They passed by the women on the crosses with hearts heavy as mountains, their psychological stability teetering on the brink of collapse. They knew all too well that this nightmare might not be the end of the horrors ahead. As they approached the entrance to the fourth floor, leading even deeper into the darkness, a chilling sight stopped them in their tracks, it was a small hand of a child laying on the floor.
With each step they took, their dread deepened as they encountered more small severed hands and feet scattered throughout the corridor. The ghastly scene weighed heavily on them, a haunting reminder of the innocence lost in this place of torment.
As they ventured deeper into the fourth floor, an echo of haunting sounds reached their ears. The chilling cries of men and women pierced the silence, mingling with the desperate pleas of children begging for mercy. "Please, no! Don't eat me! Ahhh!" a small voice cried, quivering with fear. The heart-wrenching wails twisted in their stomachs, each cry, a knife twisting deeper within them.
However, these men were the most elite special forces of the 21st century, their training forging an iron will in the face of horror. Axel halted the team with a signal, taking a moment to center themselves amidst the terror. Experience had taught them to compartmentalize their emotions, but this was different, these were monsters committing genocide and horrors, even planning for extermination of mankind.
The sickening sounds of tearing flesh and gnashing teeth echoed through the corridor, a disgusting symphony of suffering that only made them despise these creatures even more. Each anguished scream pierced the air, a relentless reminder that they were not merely bystanders to this atrocity, but men resolute in their commitment to help those who could be saved.
As they rounded the corner, the team froze at the sight before them. Nearly a hundred Huechromixix operatives, their scales glistening, gathered in a circle eagerly devouring fresh meat. The air was thick with the stench of blood and the sickening sounds of feasting.
In the center, a small child with wide, terrified eyes struggled helplessly. His tiny fists flailed as he tried to escape the grasping claws. Before the team could react, he was overpowered and dragged into the fray, his cries drowned by the hideous chorus of the lizardmen devouring him alive.
Knowing it was futile, they bypassed the scene of carnage and prioritized their mission. A heavy weight settled in their conscience, mingling with a sense of helplessness and fury. The screams of the child echoed in the cavern and in their minds, deepening their sorrow.
Each step away felt like a betrayal, an unbearable choice that left a bitter taste on their tongues. They couldn't save him, but they would ensure this evil was stopped. Gritting their teeth, they pressed forward, preparing themselves for the tasks ahead, driven by the knowledge that the progress of humanity depended on their success, even as the haunting images lingered.
The team stumbled onto the fifth floor and entered a well-lit cavern, the air thick with a nauseating odor that clawed at their throats. The sight that greeted them was horrific. Bloated bodies hung upside down from the ceiling, their distorted forms resembling morbidly obese figures. Each one was unnaturally swollen, repulsive in appearance with pus oozing from their skin. Their flesh stretched to its limits, glistening under the faint light as they squirmed in desperate agony.
They used the green nutrient liquid from the transparent vat, connected to their sphincter via a hose, while another hose delivered water directly to their mouths. The viscous, emerald fluid shimmered with life-giving properties, vital for sustaining them in this grotesque environment.
Around them, Christalica Operatives moved with eerie efficiency, depositing their grotesque eggs onto living flesh to ensure the survival of their repulsive brood. Excess green liquids leaked out from their bodies pooling beneath, reflecting ominously in the dim light, while a nearby tube of water dripped rhythmically, contributing a warped sense of rhythm to the unsettling scene.
Overwhelmed by revulsion, the team stood frozen and grappled with the sheer depravity before them. This was a perverse ritual of suffering, a twisted cycle that left them horrified. They had to end this madness before more lives were consumed.