Anomaly

Author: Rowen

Chapter 53 – Black Lake [13]

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As she moved down the corridor, the chaos inside Base 17 became increasingly evident. Mutilated and shredded bodies were scattered across every corner, and the red of blood stained the walls and floor, making the already claustrophobic space even more suffocating. Emily, in her assessment, knew it would be surprising to find anyone alive in this place, given the deplorable state of the base.
“You know... I’m not sure whether I should be more shocked by this scene or by the fact that it no longer surprises me”
“Huh... doesn’t that mean you’ve gotten used to this job, Victor?”
“... Hearing that, especially from you, certainly doesn’t put me at ease!”
Emily listened for a moment to Victor and Laura’s musings before turning her attention back to the long corridor ahead. She didn’t quite know what to make of the situation. Everything had happened so quickly and so methodically that it was hard not to suspect that someone had planned all of it.
Although a specific person came to mind, Emily thought through various angles and concluded that it would be impossible for Graham to have orchestrated all this. More likely, he somehow knew this would happen at that exact moment and had intentionally directed them to Base 17.
Just as these thoughts crossed Emily’s mind, the ground began to tremble. She squinted, focusing to understand what was happening. Her eyes quickly turned to Laura and Victor, who were staring back at her with equally alarmed expressions, mirroring the same mix of apprehension and confusion.
“What’s happening now? I don’t remember any reports indicating the possibility of earthquakes in this area”
As Victor had pointed out, the area around Base 17, especially near the lake, had never recorded any kind of earthquake since its discovery. The region was considered anomalous due to the presence of the lake, and if a tremor were to occur, it would be impossible not to assume it had some direct connection to the mysterious black lake.
“The reports never mentioned earthquakes because there’s never been one until now. This, for sure, isn’t a regular tremor”
Emily said, a hint of unease in her voice. Seconds after Emily’s words, the tremor stopped, pulling relieved sighs from everyone. However, it was impossible to feel truly at ease, especially considering where they were. The black lake, in itself, was one of the most enigmatic anomalies ever discovered by the organization. Its depths remained an unfathomable mystery, and even the area around it had acquired anomalous properties due to the influence of the lake itself.
Emily’s mind began to race, trying to understand the situation as quickly as possible. After a quick analysis, she reached a single conclusion: whatever was in the lake, something had triggered it, making it aggressive. Of course, this didn’t mean that the creature hadn’t been hostile before, as the tentacles were probably already coming from it.
“Chief, look! It looks like some of the guards are still alive!”
Laura shouted, pulling Emily out of her thoughts. Looking in the direction Laura was pointing, Emily saw a guard lying against the wall. She realized the guard was still alive, and despite some cuts, his wounds appeared relatively superficial. To her surprise, it wasn’t just one guard; others who had been responsible for the base’s security seemed to be alive as well. Besides the cuts, they all appeared to be in good shape.
“I guess they all had the same luck we did. The tentacles probably retreated when they were about to be killed... I’d call this the luckiest thing I’ve ever seen, if I didn’t know that in this job, luck is something that simply doesn’t exist”
Victor remarked. Emily had no choice but to agree with Victor’s words. After all, anomalies capable of manipulating probabilities, like luck, weren’t uncommon in facilities around the world. Even so, she, Laura, and Victor focused on helping the surviving guards get up, administering makeshift first aid.
They tore strips from the fallen guards' clothes to create temporary bandages. As they worked, another tremor shook the structure, this time much more intense than the last. There was no denying it: something significant was happening outside Base 17.
“The best we can do now is get out of here as fast as possible. I’ve got a bad feeling that this whole place could collapse at any moment”
Emily said, her voice reflecting Victor’s thoughts. Without a word, they all stood up. The weakened guards leaned on each other as they slowly made their way toward the exit.
However, as soon as they crossed the door, a disturbing and surreal sight unfolded before them. The scene was so overwhelming that a primal instinct surged through their bodies: that thing could not escape. If it did, the world would surely descend into unimaginable chaos.
Emily’s legs began to shake, and her eyes widened as sweat poured relentlessly down her forehead. Her breath became ragged and uneven. To her, it felt as if the very essence of horror had taken on a physical form and descended into the world, consuming everything around it with an overwhelming presence.
The creature continued to ascend at a terrifying speed. I couldn’t tell if it was swimming toward the surface or simply flying up to it. Its size was so colossal that my field of vision barely captured a fraction of its head, making it impossible to see the rest of its body. In the end, I remained lying on its head, patiently awaiting the end of this strange ride.
Slowly, I realized we were approaching the surface. With a deafening crash, the creature broke through the water, rising beneath a sky tinged with an intense red. Dozens, maybe thousands, of black, steaming tentacles shot into the air, as if celebrating in unison the sweet, long-awaited freedom.
Honestly, no matter how I looked at it, the scene felt like something straight out of an apocalypse. Despite the difficulty, since the creature kept moving, I managed to stay on my feet. I briefly blinked my golden eyes while scanning the surroundings, then, as I turned, I tilted my head slightly upon noticing six tentacle-like wings protruding from the entity's back.
Now, in a way, the being's body was visible. However, instead of having a defined shape—except for its head—the rest of its body was made up of the same smoky, billowing mist forming its tentacles. My first thought was that the being had no physical body, but that theory was quickly dismissed when the entity placed its arms on the ground.
The smoky mist spread at the contact, but the weight of its arms touching the earth was unmistakable. In short, although I couldn’t see clearly, it was evident that the creature, in some way, had a body.
The next moment, a deep, guttural sound filled the air, vibrating as if echoing from the depths of the ocean. It wasn’t a sound that could be recognized as something made by earthly creatures, but rather a mix of distorted frequencies and patterns that defied human logic. It was a chaotic blend of high-pitched noises, muffled screams, and reverberations, sounding erratic and deeply unsettling.
Honestly, I don’t even know if it’s possible to fairly describe its voice, but that wasn’t even the worst part of the situation. Almost as if responding to the being’s roar, the sky began to be consumed by a thick, dark fog. Within seconds, the environment was plunged into total darkness, but not absolute darkness—it was as if night had suddenly fallen, with a heavy shadow that still allowed sight, but in a distorted and unsettling way.
The being was definitely trying to do something, but honestly, why should I wait to see what it would do? No, my body wasn’t paralyzed or anything like that. While the being continued to plunge the environment into darkness, I activated my eyes and followed the faint line moving toward its forehead. With swift movements, I traced its surface, going directly toward the T-shaped weak spot.
When I reached the spot, I was surprised. I hadn’t noticed it when I was at the bottom of the lake, but now I could clearly see that the thing had a T-shaped mark on its forehead. In fact, it didn’t seem like a wound, but more like a kind of mark. However, I honestly didn’t know if it was something it had been born with or if it had been caused by something. Either way, this detail didn’t interest me much at the moment.
Once again, I found myself at an impasse. I didn’t have any kind of offensive ability, and if someone asked me, I would answer with conviction that my attack power was practically null. However, that didn’t mean I couldn’t try to hurt the being. As I stared at the T-shaped mark on its forehead, I raised my fist. With all the strength I could gather at that moment, I struck directly at it.
The instant my punch landed, I blinked in confusion as I noticed a golden sphere gently spinning above my head. Also, part of the color seemed to have been drawn into the sphere the moment my punch hit the creature. It squirmed intensely; I’m not sure if it was from pain, but considering I hit directly at its weak spot, it was very likely that it hurt—a lot.
Some of the tentacles forming the being’s wings trembled, and soon others started to appear, multiplying from the smoky mist. These new tentacles surrounded me, with their tips transforming into spiral mouths filled with rows of teeth.
I blinked briefly, averting my gaze to the T-shaped weak spot just below me, before raising my face again to face the tentacles around me. My next move was to raise my fist once more. For a moment, I got the impression that the tentacles were shaking. Cold? Were they feeling cold or something like that?.
“What the hell is that thing? Has it been at Base 17 this whole time?”
Victor’s words reflected exactly what everyone on site was feeling at that moment. No one could believe what their eyes were witnessing, even with the terrifying scene unfolding before them. As they watched, paralyzed with horror, the colossal being seemed to rise until it touched the top of the world.
Then, a deep, disturbing scream echoed. Emily felt a sharp throb in her head, her legs gave way, and an intense confusion took over her, a whirlwind of sensations she couldn’t quite explain.
Suddenly, Emily found herself in the vast universe, lost in the immense cosmos. She was tiny, insignificant before the grandness surrounding her. Her tear-filled eyes gazed at the surreal scene, while an overwhelming sense of smallness enveloped her.
Then, as if being pulled out of herself, she felt her body fall into an endless abyss. The descent seemed never-ending, until a deep sound reverberated through the air, breaking the trance and bringing Emily back to reality.
The sound resembled glass shattering, echoing in an unsettling way. Emily looked around and realized that everyone had their eyes wide open, fixed on the sky. Unable to contain her curiosity, she also lifted her gaze. What she saw made her legs give way, and she collapsed to the ground.
Small tears slid down her face. Emily wasn’t alone—others were crying too. It wasn’t out of fear or terror, but because the sight before them was indescribably beautiful.
It was as if reality itself had torn apart. The creature had no defined features—only its face was vaguely visible, but it appeared distorted, as if pressed against an elastic surface hiding its true form.
Its outline was all that could be discerned. However, just as it appeared, it vanished in an instant. Emily, Laura, Victor, and the guards present blinked in confusion, trying to process what had just happened.
“Lady Angel!”
The confusion lingered until Laura spoke. Her words drew everyone’s attention to where she was looking. Above the creature’s head, the anomaly, newly dubbed the
, was relentlessly striking the being’s head. Normally, no one would expect something so small to face such a colossal entity, but Emily, instinctively, felt that if it were her, this could actually happen.
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Chapter List

Chapter 1 – First Contact [1]
Chapter 2 – First Contact [2]
Chapter 3 – First Contact [3]
Announcement!
Chapter 4 – First Contact [4]
Chapter 5 – First Contact [5]
Chapter 6 – First Contact [6]
Chapter 7 – Outbreak [1]
Chapter 8 – Outbreak [2]
Chapter 9 – Outbreak [3]
Chapter 10 – Outbreak [4]
Chapter 11 – Outbreak [5]
Chapter 12 – Outbreak [6]
Chapter 13 – Adaptation period [1]
Chapter 14 – Adaptation period [2]
Chapter 15 – Adaptation period [3]
Chapter 16 – Adaptation period [4]
Chapter 17 – Adaptation period [5]
Chapter 18 – Threat from the shadows [1]
Chapter 19 – Threat from the shadows [2]
Chapter 20 – Threat from the shadows [3]
Chapter 21 – Threat from the shadows [4]
Chapter 22 – Threat from the shadows [5]
Chapter 23 – Threat from the shadows [6]
Chapter 24 – Threat from the shadows [7]
Chapter 25 – The director’s visit [1]
Chapter 26 – The director’s visit [2]
Chapter 27 – The director’s visit [3]
Chapter 28 – The director’s visit [4]
Chapter 29 – The director’s visit [5]
Chapter 30 – The director’s visit [6]
Chapter 31 – Conducting experiments [1]
Chapter 32 – Conducting experiments [2]
Chapter 33 – Conducting experiments [3]
Chapter 34 – Conducting experiments [4]
Chapter 35 – Conducting experiments [5]
Story recommendation: the new chapter of Anomaly will normally be released at 7pm.
Chapter 36 – Conducting experiments [6]
Chapter 37 – Conducting experiments [7]
Story recommendation: I’m reposting because, last time, the author’s story hadn’t been approved yet.
Chapter 38 – Conducting experiments [8]
Chapter 39 – Conducting experiments [9]
Chapter 40 – Conducting experiments [10]
Chapter 41 – Black Lake [1]
Chapter 42 – Black Lake [2]
Chapter 43 – Black Lake [3]
Chapter 44 – Black Lake [4]
Chapter 45 – Black Lake [5]
Chapter 46 – Black Lake [6]
Chapter 47 – Black Lake [7]
Chapter 48 – Black Lake [8]
Chapter 49 – Black Lake [9]
Chapter 50 – Black Lake [10]
Chapter 51 – Black Lake [11]
Creation of the Discord server
Chapter 52 – Black Lake [12]
Chapter 53 – Black Lake [13]
Chapter 54 – Black Lake [14]
Chapter 55 – Black Lake [15]
Chapter 56 – Black Lake [16]
Chapter 57 – Black Lake [17]
Chapter 58 – Black Lake [18]
Chapter 59 – The call [1]
Chapter 60 – The call [2]
Chapter 61 – The call [3]
Chapter 62 – The call [4]
Chapter 63 – The call [5]
Chapter 64 – The call [6]
Chapter 65 – The call [7]
Chapter 66 – The call [8]
Chapter 67 – The call [9]
Chapter 68 – The call [10]
Chapter 69 – The call [11]
Chapter 70 – The call [12]
Quick update
Chapter 71 – The call [13]
Chapter 72 – The call [14]
Chapter 73 – The call [15]
Chapter 74 – The call [16]
Chapter 75 – The call [17]
Chapter 76 – The call [18]
Chapter 77 – The call [19]
Chapter 78 – The call [20]
Chapter 79 – The call [21]
Chapter 80 – The call [22]
Chapter 81 – The call [23]
Chapter 82 – The call [24]
Chapter 83 – The call [25]
Chapter 84 – The call [26]
Chapter 85 – Storm [1]
Chapter 86 – Storm [2]
Chapter 87 – Storm [3]
Chapter 88 – Storm [4]
Chapter 89 – Storm [5]
Chapter 90 – Storm [6]
Chapter 91 – Storm [7]
Chapter 92 – Storm [8]
Chapter 93 – Storm [9]
Chapter 94 – Storm [10]
Chapter 95 – Storm [11]
Chapter 96 – Storm [12]
Chapter 97 – Storm [13]
Chapter 98 – Storm [14]
Chapter 99 – Storm [15]
Chapter 100 – Storm [16]
Chapter 101 – Storm [17]
Chapter 102 – Storm [18]
Chapter 103 – Storm [19]
Chapter 104 – Interludio – A little chat
Chapter 105 – Something called Life [1]
Chapter 106 – Something called Life [2]
Chapter 107 – Something called Life [3]
Chapter 108 – Something called Life [4]
Chapter 109 – Something called Life [5]
Chapter 110 – Something called Life [6]
Chapter 111 – Something called Life [7]
Chapter 112 – Something called Life [8]
Chapter 113 – Something called Life [9]
Chapter 114 – Something called Life [10]
Chapter 115 – Something called Life [11]
Chapter 116 – Something called Life [12]
Chapter 117 – Something called Life [13]
Chapter 118 – Something called Life [14]
Anomaly
Chapter 119 – Something called Life [15]
Chapter 120 – Something called Life [16]
Chapter 121 – Something called Life [17]
Chapter 122 – Something called Life [18]
Chapter 123 – Something called Life [19]
Chapter 124 – Something called Life [20]
Chapter 125 – Something called Life [21]
Chapter 126 – Something called Life [22]
Chapter 127 – Something called Life [23]
Chapter 128 – Something called Life [24]
Chapter 129 – Something called Life [25]
Chapter 130 – Something called Life [26]
Chapter 131 – Something called Life [27]
Chapter 132 – Something called Life [28]
Chapter 133 – Something called Life [29]
Chapter 134 – Something called Life [30]
Chapter 135 – interlude – Hidden intentions
Chapter 136 – Inside the mist [1]
Chapter 137 – Inside the mist [2]
Chapter 138 – Inside the mist [3]
Chapter 139 – Inside the mist [4]
Chapter 140 – Inside the mist [5]
Chapter 141 – Inside the mist [6]
Chapter 142 – Inside the mist [7]
Chapter 143 – Inside the mist [8]
Chapter 144 – Inside the mist [9]
Chapter 145 – Inside the mist [10]
Chapter 146 – Inside the mist [11]
Chapter 147 – Inside the mist [12]
Chapter 148 – Inside the mist [13]
SPECIAL PROMOTION ON PATREON!
Chapter 149 – Inside the mist [14]
Chapter 150 – Inside the mist [15]
Chapter 151 – Inside the mist [16]
Chapter 152 – Inside the mist [17]
Chapter 153 – Inside the mist [18]
Chapter 154 – Inside the mist [19]
Chapter 155 – Inside the mist [20]
Chapter 156 – Inside the mist [21]
Chapter 157 – Inside the mist [22]
Chapter 158 – Inside the mist [23]
Chapter 159 – Inside the mist [24]
Chapter 160 – When logic escapes [1]
Chapter 161 – When logic escapes [2]
Chapter 162 – When logic escapes [3]
Chapter 163 – When logic escapes [4]
Chapter 164 – When logic escapes [5]
Chapter 165 – When logic escapes [6]
Chapter 166 – When logic escapes [7]
Chapter 167 – When logic escapes [8]
Chapter 168 – When logic escapes [9]
Chapter 169 – When logic escapes [10]
Chapter 170 – When logic escapes [11]
Chapter 171 – When logic escapes [12]
Chapter 172 – When logic escapes [13]
Chapter 173 – When logic escapes [14]
Chapter 174 – When logic escapes [15]
Chapter 175 – When logic escapes [16]
Chapter 176 – When logic escapes [17]
Chapter 177 – When logic escapes [18]
Chapter 178 – When logic escapes [19]
Chapter 179 – When logic escapes [20]
Chapter 180 – When logic escapes [21]
Chapter 181 – The Burden of Remembering [1]
Chapter 182 – The Burden of Remembering [2]
Chapter 183 – The Burden of Remembering [3]
Chapter 184 – The Burden of Remembering [4]
Chapter 185 – The Burden of Remembering [5]
Chapter 186 – The Burden of Remembering [6]
Chapter 187 – The Burden of Remembering [7]
Chapter 188 – The Burden of Remembering [8]
Chapter 189 – The Burden of Remembering [9]
Chapter 190 – The Burden of Remembering [10]
Chapter 191 – The Burden of Remembering [11]
Chapter 192 – The Burden of Remembering [12]
Chapter 193 – The Burden of Remembering [13]
Chapter 194 – The Burden of Remembering [14]
Chapter 195 – The Burden of Remembering [15]
Chapter 196 – The Burden of Remembering [16]
Chapter 197 – The Burden of Remembering [17]
Chapter 198 – The Burden of Remembering [18]
Chapter 199 – The Burden of Remembering [19]
Chapter 200 – The Burden of Remembering [20]
Chapter 201 – The Burden of Remembering [21]
Chapter 202 – The Burden of Remembering [22]
Chapter 203 – The Burden of Remembering [23]
Chapter 204 – The Burden of Remembering [24]
Chapter 205 – The Burden of Remembering [25]
Chapter 206 – The Burden of Remembering [26]
Chapter 207 – The Burden of Remembering [27]
Chapter 208 – The Burden of Remembering [28]
Chapter 209 – The Burden of Remembering [29]
Chapter 210 – The Burden of Remembering [30]
Chapter 211 – The Burden of Remembering [31]
Chapter 212 – The Burden of Remembering [32]
Chapter 213 – The Burden of Remembering [33]
Chapter 214 – The Burden of Remembering [34]
Chapter 215 – The Burden of Remembering [35]
Chapter 216 – The Burden of Remembering [36]
Chapter 217 – The Burden of Remembering [37]
Chapter 218 – The Burden of Remembering [38]
Chapter 219 – The entity of pride [1]
Chapter 220 – The entity of pride [2]
Chapter 221 – The entity of pride [3]
Chapter 222 – The entity of pride [4]
Chapter 223 – The entity of pride [5]
Chapter 224 – The entity of pride [6]
Chapter 225 – The entity of pride [7]
Chapter 226 – The entity of pride [8]
Chapter 227 – The entity of pride [9]
Chapter 228 – The entity of pride [10]
Chapter 229 – The entity of pride [11]
Chapter 230 – The entity of pride [12]
Chapter 231 – The entity of pride [13]
Chapter 232 – The entity of pride [14]
Chapter 233 – The entity of pride [15]
Chapter 234 – The entity of pride [16]
Chapter 235 – The entity of pride [17]
Chapter 236 – The entity of pride [18]
Chapter 237 – The entity of pride [19]
Chapter 238 – The entity of pride [20]
Chapter 239 – The entity of pride [21]
Chapter 240 – The entity of pride [22]
Chapter 241 – The entity of pride [23]
Chapter 242 – The entity of pride [24]
Chapter 243 – The entity of pride [25]
Chapter 244 – Timeless State [1]
Chapter 245 – Timeless State [2]
Chapter 246 – Timeless State [3]
Chapter 247 – Timeless State [4]
Chapter 248 – Timeless State [5]
Chapter 249 – Timeless State [6]
Chapter 250 – Timeless State [7]
Chapter 251 – Timeless State [8]
Chapter 252 – Timeless State [9]
Chapter 253 – Timeless State [10]
Chapter 254 – Timeless State [11]
Chapter 255 – Timeless State [12]
Chapter 256 – Timeless State [13]
Chapter 257 – Timeless State [14]
Chapter 258 – Timeless State [15]
Chapter 259 – Timeless State [16]
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