Gurgle, gurgle... The cries of Dimo Creatures suddenly rang out, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps approaching from afar. Dr. Owens, who was responsible for guarding the passage door and protecting Carly and Dr. Brennan, felt a chill in his heart. Without hesitation, he slammed the ward door shut, then struggled to hoist Carly onto his back while grabbing Dr. Brennan's collar with his other hand.
Just as Owens was worrying about how he, at his age, could drag the weight of two adults, he suddenly felt the load in his hand lighten. Dr. Brennan's weight became almost imperceptible. Looking down, he saw that the dolls Richard had left behind had stood up. Despite their tiny frames, they exerted immense strength, easily supporting Dr. Brennan's body.
The scene was bizarre and eerie. Dr. Owens, a man of science who didn't believe in ghosts or gods, found the name of the very thing he didn't want to acknowledge surfacing in his mind. He swallowed hard, but there was no time for fear now. The group of Dimo Creatures trapped behind the sheet-metal door were relentlessly ramming it, deforming the metal. They were about to break through. Gritting his teeth, he said to the dolls, "Let's get out of here first. Back to town."
The dolls didn't answer him, but Dr. Owens felt they understood. With trembling lips, he carried Carly up the stairs. He glanced back at the Federal Agents surrounded in front of the nearly breached iron door, feeling a pang of guilt, but he was powerless. He could only prioritize the lives of Carly and Dr. Brennan.
Boom!
Soon, the iron door of the high-security psychiatric ward was slashed open by a Dimogogen Spider that had crossed over. Several Demodogs and Dimo Cats rushed out from the breach. Seeing the group of humans whose faces were numb under the control of Vengeful Spirits, they were completely unable to restrain their bloodthirsty killing instinct and pounced.
The Vengeful Spirits controlled the Federal Agents' bodies to draw guns and start Shooting, using daggers hidden on belts and ankles to fight back. They countered those violent and powerful Dimo Creatures without regard for pain or life. Humans possessed by Vengeful Spirits were oblivious to pain, possessed extraordinary strength, and did not fear death. Unless they suffered a fatal blow, they simply wouldn't die, comparable to zombies.
Faced with such beings, the Dimo Creatures were caught off guard. Although they possessed a hive mind, it didn't mean they lacked individual intelligence. These Reverse World Creatures, which posed a severe threat to humanity, were actually held back by eight Federal Agents, suffering heavy casualties in the process.
After a great deal of effort, the Dimo Creatures finally broke through the human wall. However, by the time they rushed out of the psychiatric hospital, Dr. Owens and the others had already escaped in a vehicle.
Carly slowly woke up in the jolting truck. When she realized she was in a moving vehicle and everyone else was gone—Owens was driving while Brennan was tossed in the back seat—she questioned Dr. Owens nervously: "Eleven, where are Chade and the others?"
"You're awake." Dr. Owens glanced at Carly and explained, "They've already entered The Upside Down."
"Dammit." Carly couldn't help but curse, not at Richard and the others, but at herself, hating that she couldn't have been more useful.
Carly looked at the sleeping Dr. Brennan in the rearview mirror, then turned her gaze to Dr. Owens and said, "Take me back. I need to regroup with them."
"Don't push yourself." Dr. Owens noticed Carly's trembling hands and said solemnly, "Besides, we can't go back now. Take a close look at your side mirror."
Carly turned her head to look, her large eyes widening in shock. A group of bizarre Reverse World Creatures was chasing them from behind. As they chased, those Dimo Creatures were actually melting into piles of moving meat slurry, eventually combining into a giant, octopus-like spider made of flesh. Its speed increased as it thundered after them.
"Shit! What is that thing?" Carly was shocked. She looked at Dr. Owens, "Have all the monsters from The Upside Down escaped?"
Breaking into a cold sweat, Dr. Owens floored the accelerator, hoping not to be caught by the giant flesh spider monster. He said, "That's exactly why I said we can't go back. They seem to be acting under the instructions of Henry from The Upside Down. They suddenly attacked in swarms; there's no stopping them."
Carly asked with a grim face, "What do we do now?"
"Call the military." Dr. Owens gritted his teeth. "That's the only way. This thing is too big to hide; the people in town are bound to notice it."
Carly's pupils shrank as she refuted him sternly: "Don't even think about it! Telling the military would be the end! Those brutes won't just kill this flesh spider monster; they'll treat Chade and me as its kind and kill us too!"
Dr. Owens gritted his teeth and said, "Then how else are you going to deal with it? How can we fight it with just our strength?" He glanced at the massive Flesh Mountain Spider Monster pursuing them relentlessly; just looking at it made his head throb with pain.
Whoosh! Bang!
Suddenly, fireworks in the distance and colorful explosions lit up Carly's profile. She was confused; today wasn't a special day, so why were there fireworks? There were even spotlights. Was there some outdoor party over there?
Before she could think further, Carly felt an indescribable sense of weightlessness. Dr. Owens felt it too, as if the truck had been grabbed by something. The front of the vehicle tilted upward uncontrollably as the speed dropped.
Dr. Owens forced himself to look back, and a scene he would never forget for the rest of his life was etched into his mind. The Flesh Mountain Spider Monster was composed almost entirely of biological flesh and tissue. Chunks of meat from different organisms flowed across its body, with eyes being the most common feature moving upon it. Every piece of flesh varied in shape and color. The monster also spat several long, worm-like mouthed organs from its giant, chrysanthemum-shaped maw.
Soon, the truck could no longer move at all. It was suspended in the air. Several thin tentacles with eyes wound around both side windows, observing the people inside. Upon seeing living humans, those eyes crinkled as if smiling, and the tentacles attempted to snatch Carly and the others from the vehicle.
Carly tried to use her abilities, but she found the mental state of this Flesh Mountain Spider Monster to be incredibly strange—it felt like there were over thirty distinct consciousnesses within it. Her current capacity only allowed her to barely hypnotize two targets at once, and in her weakened state, she could manage only one at most.
Carly felt despair. She had no way to deal with the Flesh Mountain Spider Monster right now.
Dr. Owens simply closed his eyes with tears in them, reciting a funeral prayer for himself.
"Let go of that truck, you beast!" At the critical moment, a brilliant rainbow-colored spark shot straight at the Flesh Mountain Spider Monster. Several figures of young men and boys emerged from the dark woods, each holding an impressive amount of fireworks and crackers.
Under the assault of fireworks from all directions, the Flesh Mountain Spider Monster suddenly recoiled. It feared high temperatures, flames, and even loud noises.
After a barrage of explosions, the Flesh Mountain Spider Monster finally couldn't help but release its grip on the vehicle. It roared in impotent rage while simultaneously fearing more firework attacks.
Thud!
The front wheels of the truck finally hit the ground. The three people inside were safe for the moment.
Carly recognized the voice from earlier and quickly shouted, "Is that Lucas!?"
Lucas also seemed to recognize Carly's voice. It wasn't until he saw Carly poke her head out of the truck that he realized she wasn't with Richard and the others. "Carly? You're not with Chade and the rest?"
"It's a long story, never mind that for now." Carly waved her hand and shouted, "What do we do next?"
"Burn it!" Just then, Carly heard a knock on her car door. Looking down, she realized Jonathan had somehow already reached her side. Jonathan answered her question.
"Why are you guys here!? How do we burn it?"
"It's a long story." Jonathan gave a bitter smile.
"There's a gas station nearby!" Robin shouted. "Douse this thing in fuel and blow it up or burn it to death!"