Chapter 258: His Brother’s Call

The creature suddenly moved. Instead of attacking Jasper directly, it circled to his left, forcing him away from the reservoir.

Another white shape emerged from the water behind him, cutting off the path he had been using to retreat.

Nick’s face became tense. "They herd."

A third creature climbed out from the opposite side, positioning itself near the tunnel entrance.

Nick tightened his grip on his rifle. "They’re trying to push him toward the center."

Jasper looked around and finally realized what was happening.

"Fuck..."

Gideon watched the creatures carefully.

They weren’t attacking randomly. One kept Jasper moving while the others slowly closed the available routes, exactly like a hunting pack would.

Nick’s voice became quieter. "They’re doing exactly what Mire Stalkers do."

Gideon looked at the creatures again. Their bodies were obviously wrong, their flesh replaced by pale parasite tissue, but their movements were disturbingly natural.

"How common are they?"

"Common enough that anyone who’s spent time around underground settlements knows how to avoid them."

The creature nearest Jasper suddenly lunged again, forcing him to throw himself sideways.

Its claws scraped across the stone where his chest had been, and Jasper rolled onto one knee before firing directly into its face.

The shots tore through the white tissue, but instead of collapsing, the creature recoiled and opened its mouth, revealing layers of pale vines beneath the imitation of teeth.

"Fuck!" Jasper shouted as he scrambled backward.

Another one came from behind him.

Gideon moved before Jasper even noticed, his sword cutting through the creature’s forelimb and forcing it to stumble sideways.

He could have finished it immediately, but instead he watched the remaining creatures adjust their positions. The wounded one retreated while another took its place, maintaining the same formation.

’Interesting.’

They weren’t simply attacking whatever was closest. They were replacing one another.

"Keep moving, Jasper!" Nick shouted as he fired at the creature trying to flank him. "Don’t let them surround you!"

Jasper fired again and managed to stagger the creature in front of him, but the recoil forced him several steps backward.

His heel caught against the edge of the reservoir, and he nearly fell into the dark water.

"I’m trying and stop shouting, Nick!" Jasper snapped, firing again as he backed away. "They’re herding me!"

One of the white creatures immediately rushed toward him.

Jasper raised his rifle, but Gideon reached him first. He grabbed Jasper’s tactical vest and pulled him backward while swinging his sword with the other hand, cutting the creature across its chest.

The imitation split open, revealing nothing but layers of tangled white vines beneath its outer shell.

It collapsed beside the reservoir, its body twitching as the vines slowly began retreating into the surrounding growth.

Jasper stared at it, breathing heavily.

Gideon glanced at him. "Still alive?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Try staying that way."

Jasper shot him an irritated look. "You could’ve killed that thing five seconds ago."

"I wanted to see what it would do."

Jasper looked like he wanted to curse at him, but another creature charged before he could say anything.

This time, everyone was ready.

Petter and Addam fired together from the side while Nick kept the creature’s attention, forcing it toward Gideon.

Gideon stepped forward and cut through its front legs, then drove his boot into its chest and sent the creature crashing onto its back.

"Now!"

Jasper fired directly into its exposed center. The creature convulsed before collapsing into a heap of pale vines.

For several seconds, nothing moved.

Jasper lowered his rifle slowly, his breathing still heavy.

Then one of the remaining creatures made a clicking sound.

Jasper froze. The expression on his face changed so suddenly that Gideon immediately noticed.

It wasn’t the fear of being attacked. It was recognition.

Another clicking sound answered from deeper inside the mine.

Jasper’s fingers tightened around his rifle.

"No..."

Nick glanced at him. "What is it?"

Jasper didn’t answer. His eyes remained fixed on the creatures, his breathing becoming increasingly uneven as another familiar sound echoed through the cavern.

Gideon watched him carefully.

Whatever memory the parasite had used to create these things, it had finally found it.

"I’ve heard that before."

Nick looked at him, confused. "Heard what?"

Jasper slowly raised his weapon again, but his hands were trembling.

"That sound."

He stared at the white creature in front of him as though he was no longer seeing the parasite imitation at all.

The creature released the clicking sound again and slowly lowered its body, preparing to lunge.

Jasper’s expression hardened, and whatever hesitation had been holding him back finally disappeared.

He raised his rifle properly and fired a controlled burst directly into its head.

The creature jerked violently before collapsing onto the stone. Its pale body immediately began unraveling, the vines separating from one another until nothing remained but a wet mass slowly sinking back into the white growth.

Jasper kept his rifle pointed at it for several seconds. Then he lowered it.

His lips moved, but his voice was so quiet that even Nick couldn’t hear him. But Gideon could.

"Daniel..."

Jasper swallowed, his eyes still fixed on the remains.

"It sounded exactly like him."

Nick stepped closer. "Who? What do you mean?"

Jasper didn’t answer immediately. His jaw tightened as he looked toward the dark tunnel beyond the reservoir, where the clicking sound had already disappeared.

"He made that sound when he was scared." His voice became rougher. "Back then, I thought it was the aberrant making it."

Jasper’s fingers tightened around his rifle until his knuckles turned pale.

"But it wasn’t." He finally looked down at the white remains on the ground. "It was him. "He was calling for me. My brother..."

Jasper’s eyes sharpened, as if he had already made a decision, especially when his gaze settled on Gideon.

The anxiety that had taken over his face moments ago was gone, replaced by a strange calmness.

Even his expression softened slightly, and when he finally spoke, his voice was quieter than before.

"We need to keep moving, Chief. Let’s destroy the hive mind before it destroys you."

He turned toward the tunnel and started walking ahead of the others without waiting for a response.

Gideon watched him for a moment.

Something about the way Jasper moved now made the hair on the back of his neck stand up.

Whatever had happened inside Jasper’s head, he wasn’t the same man who had been fighting those creatures a moment ago.

’This is going to end badly.’

Gideon followed, keeping his eyes on Jasper’s back.