NOVPUBMore precisely, a decaying body that looked as if it had been ravaged by wild dogs.
Bites and clear tooth marks littered its limbs and head.
Julia and Mike tensed, on high alert. They both knew.
The creature had revealed itself.
Amidst the chaos, only Daniel remained composed.
His eyes, sharp and focused, bore into the decaying corpse on the ground.
From the moment they had entered the mall, was this wretched corpse the source of the putrid scent he detected?
Yet... there seemed to be an absence of that ancient aroma.
Approaching the body, Daniel crouched to examine it more closely.
Beyond the evident gnashes and tears, he noted a conspicuous blood mark around the corpse’s neck.
Gently prodding the area, to his astonishment, the head detached effortlessly, rolling away from the body.
It came to rest by Julia’s feet, its terror-stricken face and eyes filled with despair gazing directly into hers.
Even the battle-hardened Julia couldn’t help but shudder.
This was downright horrifying.
Seeing her distress, Mike instinctively kicked the severed head away.
Unexpectedly, as the head soared, its trajectory seemed to be pulled by some force, drawing it back toward the corpse.
It was then that Daniel noticed nearly imperceptible white threads extending from the neck, almost as if they grew from the body.
These threads were attached to the decapitated head.
Curiously, Daniel tugged at them.
The body and the head were firmly tethered by these threads, resisting all attempts to be separated.
The threads seemed to be an integral part of this grotesque tableau.
Julia and Mike both took note of the peculiar threads.
The two unanimously concluded, "This must be the creature’s ability - using threads to attack."
Daniel didn’t voice his thoughts, but a nagging doubt loomed in his mind, "Is that all?"
Though an attack by threads was bizarre, if that was the extent of the creature’s power, they needn’t be overly wary of it.
While the trio discussed their plan of action, Father Romant approached them.
Looking at the corpse on the ground, his face exuded devotion, "God bless, for the departed have passed, may the living find peace, hallelujah."
Finishing, he turned to Richard, saying, "This is the heart of the mall’s strangeness. He met an untimely end, his body never buried, his spirit reluctant to leave."
Richard stepped forward, a frown marking his face, "So, if I properly handle this body, I can continue doing business in this mall?"
Romant nodded, pulling from his pocket a slender glass vial the size of his palm. "This vial contains holy water, blessed by God. Using it to cleanse the body of its resentment should naturally resolve everything."
Richard took it with both hands, cradling it as if it were a priceless treasure.
With a mere glance from him, Jennifer swiftly produced a thick wad of bills from her briefcase, handing it to Romant.
This transaction didn’t go unnoticed by Daniel and the others, yet none intervened.
They all understood too well the nature of such deals.
They’d be viewed with disdain if they attempted to obstruct.
Their energy was better spent on staying alert for the lurking creature.
Richard moved beside the corpse, uncorking the vial to pour the holy water over the body’s head.
Immediately, a sizzling sound echoed.
To their astonishment, the doused body emitted a searing white smoke, giving off a pungent odor.
Any area splashed with the holy water quickly turned charred black.
To Richard and Jennifer, this scene was a potent testament to the efficacy of the holy water.
Daniel, Julia, and Mike remained silent.
It was clear to them that what they’d witnessed was simply the corrosive effect of concentrated sulfuric acid.
Richard, however, gleefully poured out the entirety of the "holy water," admiring the unrecognizable state of the corpse.
Satisfied, he told Jennifer, "Have someone remove this body."
It seemed only then did he remember the presence of Daniel and his team.
"Officers, should this body be handed over to you?"
Evidently, Richard had complete faith in the power of the "holy water."
Julia replied, her face stern, "This is sheer nonsense!"
"From this point on, the Federal Investigation Bureau will be taking over. Everyone is to leave immediately. "
"We’ll be sealing off this mall until the matter is resolved. No one is permitted to enter without authorization."
Upon hearing this, Richard’s face twisted in anger, "Who gave you the right?!"
"I don’t need your assistance any longer. Leave my property now!"
Julia, unwavering, pulled out her badge and handcuffs, "It’s best you do as I say, or I have the authority to arrest you."
What Richard hadn’t expected was for this seemingly delicate woman to stand her ground so fiercely.
His pride wounded, he snapped, "Don’t get too cocky! I’ve been close friends with your superior, Geoff, for years. Just one call, and I can have you all suspended!"
Julia responded with icy detachment, "Perhaps you can discuss that with Geoff at the police station."
Seeing Julia’s steadfast resolve, Richard gritted his teeth.
He glared menacingly at her, retorting, "This is an abuse of power. Expect to hear from my attorney!"
Just then,
Whoosh!
The already dim lights went out, plunging the entire mall into darkness.
A power outage?
Everyone was taken aback.
Only Daniel suddenly felt a chill, sharply raising his gaze.
At one of the mall’s balconies, a shadowy figure stood.
Even in the pitch-darkness, Daniel could see the eerie glow emanating from the figure’s pupils.
Who is he? Why is he watching me?
Daniel instinctively reached for his gun, ready to confront what he felt was an unmistakable threat in such a suspicious setting.
Just as he was about to fire, he swiftly dodged backward, yelling, "Everyone, watch out!"
Hearing this, Julia and Mike immediately reacted.
One with a flash of electric light in hand, the other with a subtle green glow emanating from both palms.
Boom!
A loud thud.
Out of curiosity, Jennifer shone her flashlight in the direction of the noise.
To everyone’s horror, another corpse lay on the ground.
"Ahh—!" Jennifer couldn’t help but scream, her sanity hanging by a thread.
Richard’s face turned ghostly white.
Frantically, he grabbed Romant’s sleeve, his voice shaking, "Father, didn’t you say the resentment of the corpse had been cleansed? Why is there another body?!"
Romant looked equally distressed.
He had heard of the disappearances in the mall but assumed it was a simple case of kidnapping, seeing it as an opportunity to profit from the chaos.
Now, realizing the gravity of the situation had far exceeded his expectations, and to ensure he didn’t lose the money he’d earned, he gritted his teeth and responded, "I apologize for my oversight. It seems there’s more than one demon at play here."
"Everyone who disappeared in this mall has turned into demons!"
Upon hearing this, Richard exclaimed in disbelief, "What?! What do we do now?"
Romant, feigning composure, began retreating towards the exit, "The best weapon against these demons is holy water. "
"Regrettably, in my haste to come here, I brought only one bottle which you’ve already used up. I’ll head back to fetch more, then return to rid you of these demons!"
Hearing that the priest was about to leave, panic surged in Richard’s chest. "Father, wait for me!"
If anyone’s leaving, they’d better take me with them!
In her fright, Jennifer didn’t forget the importance of flight and followed closely on Richard’s heels.
Their current location was a fair distance from the mall’s main exit, and the inky darkness made the short journey seem much longer.
Neither Julia nor Mike attempted to stop the trio. Letting them go would make their investigation easier.
Daniel had other concerns; he intended to explore the upper floor. Suddenly, he detected additional footsteps.
Yes, beyond the footsteps of Richard’s group, there were two more distinct sets!
Raising his flashlight towards the sound, the beam revealed two figures, their bodies stained with dried blood, taking eerie steps behind Richard’s group.
It was the same two corpses that had just fallen from the upper floor!
Mike shouted urgently, "Run! Don’t look back, just run!!!"
It’s human nature to do exactly what you’re told not to.
The trio, upon hearing Mike’s cry, foolishly halted and turned around. The flashlight’s glow illuminated two ghostly pale faces staring right back at them.
Romant, who was at the back and closest to the two corpses, exclaimed, "Oh my God!"
His legs gave out from sheer terror, and he collapsed backward, sitting on the floor in shock.
His pants were instantly soaked; he had wet himself in fear.
Richard and Jennifer, too, were paralyzed in terror, faces painted with sheer horror.
If they had harbored any illusions before, they were utterly shattered now. Shortly after, all three fainted from fright.
With the two corpses about to lunge at them, Daniel declared, "Save them! We can’t let these monsters succeed!"
While Julia and Mike didn’t fully grasp Daniel’s intent, this wasn’t the time for questioning.
Besides, as investigators, protecting civilians and eliminating monsters was their sworn duty.
With a swift bolt, Julia charged forward like a streak of lightning.
