16 The Freezing Roar
The ten MCs felt their hairs standing on end as they heard the roar. Anxiety seeped into their skins as they turned to stare in the direction of the roar with horror-stricken faces.
"Yes... it is just as you suspect. That is the sound of a real mutated beast. Not the ones from the simulation you youngsters have been facing. Haha," General Gustav chuckled a bit after noticing their expressions.
"A real one?"
"Why is there a real one here?"
Malik and Lara questioned with puzzled looks on their faces.
"Isn't it obvious?"
"We're here for special training, so it makes sense,"
Another MC and Cory voiced simultaneously.
"Read between the lines, noobs," Darrin returned to his usual bored expression while stepping forward.
"Indeed, it is just as some of you guessed. Every soldier trains here before taking outside shelter missions because extraterrestrial lifeforms aren't the only danger outside of the shelters. Mutated beasts can be just as dangerous, especially unclassified ones," Lieutenant Colonel Derrick explained.
"Here, we will be training you on how to engage them if you were to ever come into contact with one of them without your UVS," General Gustav added.
"If I may, sir, which mutated beast is trapped here?" Dennis questioned.
"A pseudo-mutated Gorritropod," General Gustav answered.
...It didn't ring a bell.
Dennis had never heard anything like that before.
"There aren't many houses here. Where are we supposed to sleep?" Lara questioned while looking around in shock.
"Who says you are here to sleep?" General Gustav questioned back with a stern tone.
Lara instantly kept quiet while internally screaming, 'We are doomed!'
"Hmph. A soldier needs their rest to be ready for what awaits. You will then be allowed to pipe down for the rest of the day. Training starts at first light tomorrow," General Gustav stated before walking away.
A group of soldiers who were in the distance saluted with respect and quickly followed him while Lieutenant Colonel Derrick stayed with the group.
He proceeded to show them where they would sleep, which was within a small shack.
"No separate spaces for females, I assume..." She had a slightly disturbed look.
"When your group starts setting out on missions outside of the shelters, you will understand that in the wilderness and ruins of the outside world, there is no such thing as separate spaces for genders. You will be lucky to even find a place to lay your head for the night," Lieutenant Colonel Derrick had a slightly tormented look as he voiced out.
It was almost like he was trying to suppress disheartening memories.
"I'll take that as a no," Lara nodded while turning to find a seat at the corner of the shack.
Lieutenant Colonel Derrick walked towards her and squatted, "Should anyone try to mess with you," He unsheathed a small dagger that had a dim glowing blue blade.
"Use this," He handed it to her while hiding its view from the others who were still trying to find a good place to lay.
"Are you sure I won't get in trouble?" Lara questioned while reluctantly receiving it.
"You'll be fine," He said calmly before getting to his feet and walking out.
Dennis had witnessed this and couldn't help but think, 'Lieutenant Colonel Derrick is much nicer than General Gustav... he reminds me of someone,'
Dennis recalled a subordinate who was just like Lieutenant Colonel Derrick in his old world.
Everyone soon settled down, and some started chatting about how the next day would go while some others suggested taking a walk.
Dennis wasn't interested in checking out the scenery. Despite being away from the Modified Combatants training facility, he still wanted to continue working out.
Everyone soon noticed Dennis doing press-ups in the small shack.
Darrin glanced at him and scoffed before turning away to lie down.
....
The next day arrived in a flash.
"Training starts right away," General Gustav stated.
"Sir! Yes, sir!" The group of ten yelled in response while lining up and following after the general.
"Your first task would be to overcome the fear of the pseudo-mutated Gorritropod," Lieutenant Colonel Derrick voiced softly.
"You little maggots must be thinking such a beast can't pose any threat to you so long as you engage with a UVS... you're wrong," General Gustav stated harshly.
Truly, some of them were thinking internally, 'Fear? Why would fear hinder them?' Until General Gustav proceeded to explain.
"Some mutated beasts have powerful roars that leave their prey paralyzed in fear. You may think you possess balls of steel...like I said, you are wrong," He added.
Lieutenant Colonel Derrick went on to explain that the pseudo-mutated Gorritropod trapped there had such an ability. Anyone that was within a particular proximity would be frozen in place the moment they heard its roar. Especially if it was their first time, they would get paralyzed for five minutes or even longer since it varied from person to person.
He stated that even if they had UVS suits on, the moment they heard such a roar, they would still freeze, and it would leave them useless for a particular period.
General Gustav's first task for them was to overcome the freeze. He stated that not a single one of them would be unaffected the moment they heard it.
Now, they had to go at it continuously and reduce their freeze time until they reached a point where they were no longer affected.
General Gustav and Lieutenant Colonel Derrick led the way as they stepped through a bunch of bushes.
As soon as they walked past the tall bushes hindering the view, they arrived at the edge of a canyon.
In the heart of the desolate canyon, jagged rock formations towered like ancient sentinels, their stark silhouettes etched against the canvas of a setting sun.
Within the narrow chasm, a large beast, a fusion of a white hairy gorilla and a spider, was ensnared in a labyrinth of rocky crevices.
Long shackles extended from the eight prickly legs of the beast, which was also responsible for keeping it trapped in place.
The hybrid creature, with the powerful torso of a gorilla and the sinuous legs of a spider, thrashed against the natural prison. Sticky webs clung to its massive form, woven by an unseen arachnid architect that claimed dominion over the secluded canyon.
The creature's primal roars echoed through the rocky expanse, a desperate symphony of rage and confusion.
The group of ten observed the beast from the shadows of the canyon walls.
"I am not disturbed by the roar," Lara waved her hand to show that she was okay.
"Those are just normal roars... it won't use the freezing roar until it notices the approach of you ten," Lieutenant Colonel Derrick answered.
"So we just need to walk towards it?" Gregory questioned warily.
"Can we trust those chains? None of us have a prototype UVS with us. Should the beast be freed, some of us will be dead before you can get to us, sirs," Cory Parsons voiced in concern.
"This one is too scared. He will probably be frozen for thirty minutes," General Gustav responded in ridicule, causing Cory to keep quiet.
"Stop asking stupid questions and move," General Gustav commanded.
Some of them gulped saliva as they began to take steps forward.
Each footfall resonated through the canyon, blending with the distressed sounds of the hybrid beast. The air became charged with anticipation as they navigated the rocky terrain, eyes fixed on the struggling form ahead.
As they closed in, the canyon's floor transformed into a webbed labyrinth. Thick strands of webs shot out from the pseudo-mutated Gorritropod.
The crisscrossed path presented both a challenge and a foreboding warning of the gruesome-looking arachnid presence.
The group moved with calculated precision, avoiding entanglement in the sticky threads.
They were fortunate to have been quite a distance away when the sticky threads shot out. They realized that General Gustav hadn't informed them that the beast could shoot webs that covered quite a distance. It made them wonder just what else this beast might be capable of doing despite being in bondage.
Dennis softly caressed the UVS disk planted on the left side of his chest.
'I shouldn't even be thinking of using it, but just in case everyone gets into trouble, I might need to do something,' Dennis was thinking ahead since information was withheld from them.
As they closed in on the struggling creature, the group caught a clearer glimpse of the gorilla-spider hybrid. Its fur rippled with primal power, and multiple eyes glinted in the fading light. The arachnid legs flexed against the constraints, revealing an unsettling blend of predatory prowess and sheer physical might.
The moment the beast confirmed their existence, the creature's massive lungs drew in a breath that seemed to echo through the very fabric of the earth.
The earth beneath it seemed to respond, the ground vibrating with an almost imperceptible tremor.
Birds took startled flight, leaves in the distance rustled in unease, and the air itself tinged in deference to the impending sonic revelation.
"Here it comes," General Gustav whispered while watching the group from afar, alongside Lieutenant Colonel Derrick.
With an explosive release, the beast unleashed its roar – a guttural symphony that transcended mere sound. The roar reverberated through the landscape, each wave of sound resonating through the bones of those within the proximity of the Bacuda extraterrestrial training center.
