Behind the iron door lay a vast hall, capable of holding hundreds of people!
The entire exhibition hall appeared disheveled, with moss already growing on the floor. A long table stood in the center.
I cautiously walked to the center of the hall and saw a figure resembling an officer slumped back in a chair, a bullet hole in his forehead, the bloodstain dried. A handgun lay in his right hand.
A huge Soviet flag was spread open on the table, further confirming my suspicion.
Tragic beyond words!
This must have been the commander here. What had happened to drive him to such despair that he took his own life?
I forced his fingers open and took the handgun.
It appeared to be a Soviet-made Makarov pistol. It was evident that its owner had maintained it well, showing no signs of rust even now.
I easily removed the magazine; only one bullet was missing, likely the one that had ended the officer's life.
This was a valuable find. I carefully put the handgun away and searched the table for anything useful.
To my surprise, I found a bottle of liquor. It seemed to be a Russian specialty, vodka. I uncapped it and the strong smell of alcohol burned my nostrils.
This liquor was probably undrinkable, but it could be useful for disinfection.
I also found a tin box that wasn't rusted, which could serve as a small pot later.
As I searched, a wave of sadness washed over me. Was there truly a way out of this place? Even the officer had resorted to suicide.
I couldn't possibly climb back up through that hole! I silently encouraged myself, telling myself there had to be a way out!
Having finished searching the table and finding no other usable items, I walked up to the officer.
"Forgive me!" I said, as I pried the officer's military overcoat off him. It was made of some thick, warm material.
Wearing the coat, I stuffed the scattered items into its pockets and, holding my alloy blade, began to search the perimeter of the hall for an exit.
After searching everywhere, I felt a sense of dejection. Aside from the iron door I had entered through, there were no other passages in this hall. It was just seats and bare walls.
I wandered back to the table and sat on the floor, disheartened.
Had I, after narrowly escaping death, now stumbled into a trap, destined to die in this confined space!
My gaze idly fell to the floor, and I suddenly noticed a patch of ground beneath the table that looked out of place, as if it had been recently fitted. A few cracks were visible.
Like a drowning man reaching for a life raft, I scrambled under the table and forcefully pulled at the section of flooring.
Beneath it was a rotating mechanism. With a strong twist, the ground rumbled.
Looking up, I saw that a wall that had seemed solid moments before slowly opened!
Behind the wall lay a huge warehouse. As I peered inside, my blood ran cold.
Rows upon rows of Soviet soldiers stood neatly aligned on both sides of the warehouse, all frozen to death. Their faces still bore the expressions of struggle from their final moments.
What in the world had happened here!
Had the Soviet officer, in his despair before suicide, frozen his soldiers to death as well? But this was a tropical island; how could anyone freeze to death!
Looking at the warehouse full of frozen soldiers, the island seemed increasingly mysterious and eerie. All I wanted now was to escape; I had no interest in uncovering the secrets hidden behind this island.
Standing at the entrance of the warehouse, I was pondering how to get out when I suddenly caught the stench of decaying corpses emanating from within. I instinctively held my breath, but a moment later, a flicker of hope surged through me.
I had only just smelled it.
This meant there was airflow!
The end of this warehouse must be connected to the outside!
At this point, I couldn't care less about the foul odor in the warehouse. I quickly squeezed my way in.
The soldiers in the warehouse were packed tightly together. I had to forcibly push them aside to create a path.
The further I went, the stronger the damp,腥湿 wind became. I couldn't tell how high the warehouse was, only vaguely discerning steel bars crisscrossing overhead.
Had they packed all the soldiers from this entire military base in here!
I strained to push past the shoulder of the last soldier, finally seeing a passage ahead that could accommodate two people. Wind was constantly blowing from within.
My spirits soared. Being cooped up with so many bodies in this military base was unbearable. Now, I could finally get out!
I had no desire to linger in this accursed place any longer and quickly entered the passage.
The wind blowing towards me grew stronger. Before long, I saw a light in the distance.
Thinking I had reached the outside, I quickened my pace.
But upon emerging, I discovered that the passage led into a stone cave.
In the center of the cave stood a statue of a snake-bodied deity with three heads and five arms. Its face was blurred and indistinct. At the base of the statue lay several bodies scattered about.
What kind of cult ritual was this?
Could it be that the Soviet military had clashed with this cult, leading to their demise?
As I walked closer, I realized these people on the ground didn't look like modern humans, but rather like the island's indigenous people. They were mostly bare-chested, with animal hides wrapped around their lower bodies.
These common tribespeople were gathered around an elder wearing a wooden headdress and a full animal hide. The elder stood before the statue, his face a picture of devotion, as if muttering incantations, praying for his god to save them in his final moments.
This old man was a victim of his lack of education.
I stepped forward to examine the indigenous elder more closely. His wooden staff and animal hide were long decayed, but around his neck hung a string of shimmering beast teeth, still brand new.
This necklace was quite attractive. Since the elder wouldn't be needing it anymore, it might as well benefit me.
I reached out and took the wolf tooth necklace. I held it up, admiring it. I wondered what kind of wolf had teeth this large, each as big as my middle finger.
Nodding in satisfaction, I placed the necklace in the pocket of the military coat.
Suddenly, a sense of dread washed over me, as if something lurking in the shadows was watching me, poised to attack!