The Bigshot's Superstar Wife - Chapter 185

Chapter 185: Pests
Athena jolted awake to the sound of panicked screams cutting through the morning stillness.

The distant echoes of gunfire and clanging metal rang in her ears as she leaped from her bed. For a moment, disoriented and still groggy from sleep, she thought she was dreaming.

But the acrid scent of gunpowder and something foul, something rotten, seeped through the air vents and made her stomach turn.

She grabbed the dagger she kept under her pillow and rushed toward the window. What she saw made her blood run cold.

The base, usually a fortress of order and discipline, was in complete disarray. Soldiers ran through the streets, weapons drawn, as massive swarms of insects blackened the sky.

Huge rats, their eyes glowing with unnatural hunger, poured out from sewer grates and the cracks in the ground, their bodies grotesquely swollen and twisted beyond recognition.

Some were the size of large dogs, their fangs dripping with saliva as they lunged at fleeing soldiers.

Without hesitation, Athena strapped on her boots and grabbed her sword, rushing out of the room. The halls were empty, but the sounds of chaos echoed through the corridors.

As she ran, she passed several guards slumped against the walls, their bodies riddled with deep bites and claw marks.

Their eyes were wide open in frozen terror, their fingers twitching as if they had died grasping for help that never came. Xavier was nowhere to be seen.

Athena gritted her teeth and forced herself to move faster. The moment she stepped outside, a soldier crashed into her, panting heavily and bleeding from his leg.

“They… they’re everywhere!” he gasped, eyes darting wildly. “Underground tunnels! They came from the tunnels beneath us!”

A sharp, shrill screech filled the air, and Athena barely had time to react as a massive insect, its exoskeleton shimmering like dark metal, lunged at her.

She ducked, swinging her sword upward in a precise arc. The blade sliced through its body with ease, greenish fluid spraying from the wound as the creature let out a dying shriek.

More were coming. The streets of the base had become a battlefield. The soldiers were struggling, overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of the invading creatures.

The rats were vicious, their bites instantly infecting those they attacked. The insects were relentless, swarming in large numbers, their pincers snapping at any flesh they could find.

The ground itself seemed to pulse and shift as more creatures clawed their way out of the tunnels. Athena knew they had to stop this at the source.

She spotted an officer barking orders at a group of soldiers who were trying to hold the main gate. She sprinted toward him, dodging a rat that lunged at her feet. “Where’s Xavier?” she demanded.

The officer turned to her, his face pale with sweat. “He went underground! He took a squad with him to find out where they’re coming from!”

Of course, he did.

Athena’s heart pounded as she gripped her sword tighter. She had two choices, stay and fight on the surface, or go underground and find the source of the invasion.

She didn’t hesitate. Tearing through the battlefield, she made her way toward the nearest entrance to the underground tunnels.

It was a gaping hole in the earth, freshly torn open, leading into darkness. She could hear the distant echoes of gunfire and the guttural growls of the creatures lurking below.

Without looking back, she jumped in. The air was thick with decay.

The walls of the tunnels were lined with nests, pulsating, organic structures filled with writhing larvae. The ground squelched under her boots, and a putrid stench filled her nose.

She moved quickly, her steps silent as she navigated the maze-like tunnels. She found signs of a struggle, bullet casings, smeared blood, and bodies.

The deeper she went, the more uneasy she felt. This wasn’t a natural infestation. Something, someone, had unleashed these creatures deliberately.

A sudden movement ahead made her freeze. A figure emerged from the darkness, his uniform torn, his face smeared with blood. Xavier.

His sharp eyes locked onto hers. “You shouldn’t be here.”

Athena exhaled sharply. “Neither should you.”

He gave her a grin, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “It’s worse than we thought.”

She didn’t need him to tell her that. The chittering sounds around them were growing louder, the shadows shifting unnaturally. They weren’t alone.

Xavier handed her a pistol. “We need to destroy the nests.”

Athena took it without question. “Then let’s move.”

Together, they pressed forward, deeper into the tunnels, where the horrors lurking in the darkness were waiting.

The deeper they ventured, the worse the infestation became. The tunnel walls were covered in thick, pulsating veins of dark organic matter, spreading like a disease.

The smell of decay was overwhelming, and the ground beneath their boots squelched as if they were walking over something alive.

Athena gritted her teeth, her grip tightening around the pistol Xavier had given her.

The flickering light from their weapons barely pierced the oppressive darkness, but they could hear the creatures stirring ahead, an eerie clicking sound, like a thousand claws tapping against the stone.

Xavier moved first, his movements precise and confident despite the unknown danger. “Stay close,” he muttered, voice barely above a whisper. Athena didn’t need to be told twice.

As they turned a corner, a grotesque sight met them, a massive nest, its structure resembling a pulsating, organic hive.

Twisted remains of past victims were embedded into the walls, their bodies half-digested and unrecognizable.

And in the center, a monstrous rat-like creature, its body swollen with mutation, let out a deep, guttural growl. The creature’s beady, milky-white eyes locked onto them.

Then, it lunged. Athena and Xavier barely had time to react. Athena ducked, rolling to the side as Xavier fired a shot straight at the creature’s head.

The bullet hit, but it barely seemed to faze it. The monster was fast, too fast for something of its size. Athena fired twice, aiming for its legs.

The shots hit, and the creature let out an ear-piercing screech, staggering for a moment. Xavier took the chance to throw an explosive device toward the nest.

“Move!” he shouted.

Athena didn’t hesitate. She sprinted back the way they came just as the explosion rocked the tunnel.

The heat and force of the blast nearly knocked her off her feet. The nest was engulfed in flames, and the creature’s screeches echoed through the underground.

Panting, she turned to Xavier. He smirked. “That should slow them down.”

Athena exhaled, her heart still pounding. “Let’s hope so.”

But deep down, she knew this wasn’t over. Something worse was still waiting in the darkness.