"Father York, what's wrong?"
John Wick keenly noticed something unusual about the priest and asked.
At this moment, with no one else in the partition, he finally returned to his normal way of addressing him.
Calling the priest by his name directly earlier had felt awkward and uncomfortable.
Erin, maintaining her shooting stance, looked over as John asked his question. According to the priest's introduction, she was now using a Colt M2000 pistol, known for its high shooting accuracy and manageable recoil within her control.
"It's nothing."
Sensing their gazes, York shook his head and glanced at Erin's shooting results.
The 15-meter target, every shot within the seventh ring, turning the center of the target paper into a large hole.
"Indeed, she might have a talent for shooting."
York looked at Erin, satisfied with her performance, took the Colt M2000 from her hands, and said with a smile.
"Let's take a break for now. Later, I'll teach you how to coordinate and use your abilities."
Erin nodded, still eager for more.
It's undeniable, hitting the targets she aimed for felt exhilarating.
"John, we can switch to another set of guns now."
Seeing Erin's reaction, York's smile deepened and he turned to John Wick.
"Okay, Father York." After responding, John Wick left the partition.
While waiting, York turned to Erin.
"How are you feeling?"
In his eyes, Erin, dressed in civilian clothes and without her nun's habit, really looked like a naive college student, a stark contrast to his increasingly imposing figure, resembling a beauty and the beast scenario.
"My arms feel a bit sore," Erin replied seriously but then, recalling her shooting experience, she couldn't help asking, "Father, does my spirit ability also include affecting my vision?"
"Of course, there are many subdivisions of spirit abilities, not only affecting vision. But this doesn't directly affect your eyes; it's through the perception of the spirit ability that shortens the distance. Your eyes might see blurrily, but with the perception of the spirit ability, you can construct and visualize everything in your mind, including reading others' thoughts, emotions, and intentions, even understanding someone's inner world without verbal communication..."
Hearing the question, York didn't think much of it and explained in detail what her spirit abilities could achieve. But he suddenly noticed Erin's hesitant expression.
"So, did you trigger your spirit ability while shooting?"
Erin looked up at the priest, recalling her sensations with hesitation, "Father, when I was shooting, I could clearly see the target paper as if it was very close."
York raised an eyebrow, listening as Erin continued.
"But it seemed not like the perception of the spirit ability, but as if my own eyes saw it."
Erin was uncertain, "When I focused, I could even see the center of the target paper 20 meters away, including its surroundings."
Hearing this, York paused for a moment, realizing from the nun's words that this was not something spirit abilities could achieve.
The essence of spirit sensing is acute perception, not surpassing the physical limits to clearly see surroundings.
Setting aside clarity, the human eye can see approximately twenty kilometers, even further from a high mountain, but that's called field of view. If one can clearly see objects ten meters away, that's already remarkable vision.
Now, Erin said she could see everything clearly from twenty meters away?
York looked at the nervous Erin and directly observed her eyes.
Indeed...
With his non-human vision, York could clearly see the condition of Erin's pupils.
Unlike normal pupils, hers had a ring of golden color.
"What's this? An evolution?"
Surprised by this discovery, York stared blankly at Erin.
He knew that when his eyes were infused with magic, his pupils would turn a deep red, but that was due to the color of magic, not his natural eye color.
But Erin's golden pupils were clearly her own, not something a normal person would have...
Seeing the priest staring at her with his deep, mesmerizing eyes, Erin cautiously averted her gaze, asking softly.
"Father, is there... something wrong with me?"
York snapped back to reality, dismissing his concerns with a shake of his head.
"There's nothing wrong. You're perfectly normal."
"So, this vision... is it from my spirit abilities?" Erin asked, relieved.
Remembering the golden pupils, York's response was somewhat vague.
"Probably, probably so..."
He looked toward the partition door, changing the subject, "They're coming."
...
"Change the target, 25 meters."
York skipped the recently switched submachine guns and picked up an HK USP pistol. As the target was changed, he handed it to Erin.
As mentioned before, the longer the distance, the harder it is to hit the target, not just relying on shooting skills but also the firearm's accuracy.
The HK USP pistol, chosen for its outstanding accuracy and reliability, has always been a favorite weapon among many professional shooting competitors.
Seeing Erin take the gun and aim at the 25-meter target under his guidance, her posture was standard.
York narrowed his eyes, focusing on her pupils. Indeed, the golden ring became more pronounced, and under Erin's focused state, her pupils seemed to emit a golden light.
At that moment, he thought of the old man who stood above others.
"What the hell is the old man thinking? What does he want to do?"
Thinking this, York decided to investigate Erin's background. Given she was not ordinary, her past couldn't just involve coming from a convent.
While he pondered, Erin fired.
Bang!
York refocused on the 25-meter target, noting the bullet holes still within the seventh ring, and marveled.
Erin's performance exceeded his expectations.
...
The results were in, with every shot within the seventh ring at 25 meters.
This outcome not only surprised the calm John Wick but also the club staff who checked the target paper and showed surprise.
"Good results."
York quietly took the HK USP from Erin's hands, noting her excited demeanor and calmly said.
"It seems today wasn't in vain."
He then picked up an AUG assault rifle with minimal recoil, beginning to instruct an excited Erin on how to use the rifle.
"Try it."
After guiding her, he let her get familiar without worrying about accuracy.
Soon, rapid gunfire filled the air.
John Wick quietly approached, watching Sister Erin fire the rifle non-stop, her burgeoning fierce temperament emerging, and whispered.
"Father, is Sister Erin really a novice?"
York glanced at him. John Wick still maintained his impassive demeanor, but now even he was asking.
"Yes," York replied while watching Erin, casually adding, "Of course."
He understood John Wick's confusion; the transformation in the young nun after handling the gun was indeed drastic.
The gentle and sweet demeanor was gone amidst the gunfire, replaced by calmness and focus typical of an experienced shooter.
"Stronger than me at that time," York muttered uncertainly as he watched an increasingly excited Erin.
"But I hope I'm not leading Erin astray."
Seeing Erin finish with an eager look, York silently took the rifle from her hands.
"Let's take a break."
Once the gun was set aside, Erin immediately reverted to her gentle and sweet appearance.
"Okay, Father," she obediently said.
York shook his head, placing the rifle on the table, but his brows furrowed as he looked outside.
John Wick and Erin paused, noticing his reaction.
"What's wrong, Father?" John, always observant, asked.
York's brows knitted tighter, his attention partly on the 3D map he kept in mind, always alert for any anomalies.
He could see outside from up to a hundred meters away.
A car appeared, speeding from the start, rushing to the club's entrance.
The man who got out was Rich Ward, the club's owner, who hurried inside.
"Sorry, members, there's an emergency, and we need to close the club for now. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and will compensate you later," Rich Ward announced over the club's speakers, his voice spreading throughout.
"Also, be advised, the military base nearby plans to requisition this area for a secret operation. As for the nature of the operation, I can't disclose any details as it's a military secret. For your safety, and to avoid being mistaken for spies, I urge all members to leave town as soon as possible..."
Rich Ward's rushed and flawed explanation startled everyone in the club, as it effectively meant evicting the guests.
York's expression softened into neutrality.
After his announcement, Rich Ward quickly left the club alone in his car, the whole process eerily swift and suspicious, as if his return was just to deliver that message.
The sound of people being ushered out began, and while some members felt offended and refused to leave, demanding an explanation from Rich Ward, their complaints were mixed with curses.
"Father York?" John Wick, piecing together the priest's expression with the recent events, sensed something amiss.
"John, do you know why that military unit is stationed here?" York asked calmly, recalling the conversation he overheard about scientists accidentally creating a hole with something inside.
"I don't know," John Wick replied seriously, "Rich Ward never told me, but he once joked, though I'm not sure if it was true."
"What joke?" York looked at John Wick.
"He said the military unit is here to study aliens," John Wick shared uncertainly with the priest. After the medical examination on his first night of employment, he couldn't be sure if the joke held any truth, considering the existence of unknown monsters implied the possibility of aliens.
"Ha, aliens..."
York chuckled, noticing the club staff at the partition door, and without waiting for them to speak, he led the way out.
"Let's go, Erin, John."
"As always," John Wick and Erin silently followed York out of the club.
Outside, the parking lot was filled with members just evicted, preparing to leave.
"What's that?" someone pointed and asked.
The question went unanswered, but after the first car left, its driver responded with, "Fool, that's just fog."
Others got into their cars, remarking, "It's just normal fog," casting strange looks at the inquirer.
"But it's sunny and clear today, there shouldn't be conditions for fog, and even if there were, it wouldn't be this thick..." the inquirer murmured, looking at the distant white fog and the clear sky, before getting into their car.
"It's too strange."
Their muttering reached York, who stood calmly in the parking lot, watching as the car left.
"Yes, it is strange."
York observed the sudden appearance of the white fog.
The club's elevated position allowed a clear view of the surrounding houses and the small town.
A road leading out of town stretched into the forest, where a thick fog had already enveloped the trees, faint on the outside but dense enough inside to obscure everything.
"That area seems to be where the military is stationed. Military, scientists, a hole, something inside, thick fog..."
York pieced everything together, understanding the situation as he watched the thick fog that seemed to slowly spread.
"So it's mist. No wonder these clues felt familiar."
He turned back towards the club.
John Wick and Erin, puzzled, instinctively followed.
"What's the matter, Father York?" Erin asked first.
"Is there something wrong with that fog?"
"Yes," York replied calmly. "A large number of monsters are about to arrive. Given the fog's spreading trend, we no longer have time to leave."
Without further explanation, he turned to John Wick, who had maintained a stoic demeanor throughout, "John, prepare for battle."
Then, before re-entering the club, he said to a bewildered Erin, "And you... prepare for training as well..."
___________________
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The plot of "The Mist" gradually becomes clearer in my mind, as if I had just watched it, leaving a lasting impression.
In my previous life, "The Mist" was considered a classic film, also one that provokes deep thought, containing elements like religion, humanity, Cthulhu, despair, and more.
Despite this, the storyline is relatively simple and easy to understand.
If we start from the beginning,
First, it's about a military unit that discovers the existence of other dimensions besides Earth, leading them to attempt opening a secret window to study these other dimensions and their entities.
The result is an accidental creation of a portal, allowing monsters from other dimensions or even other universes to enter Earth.
The movie unfolds from there, starting with a stormy night. The protagonist, along with his son, visits a supermarket at the intersection of several small towns to shop.
Suddenly, mist spreads, monsters invade, and unknown dangers emerge.
The protagonist and the people inside the supermarket end up trapped.
Early on, a mother seeks help because her child is outside, asking for someone to search with her.
Eventually, under the unknowable threat, no one helps her, and she curses everyone before walking alone into the thick mist where the road is invisible.
The plot continues to develop.
Within it, a doomsday cult leader starts to deceive the masses.
She survives the monster attacks and becomes a support for those beginning to collapse, seeking psychological support.
Sacrifices start to occur.
In this situation, under the so-called doomsday, only a handful of rational people remain in the supermarket, including the male protagonist and a few others.
To avoid being sacrificed, the protagonist and others desperately escape.
The fleeing group includes his child, two elderly people, and a woman.
Within the mist, the protagonist drives with these four for a long time, a distance that could be described as interstate, yet they never leave the mist and only see the dead.
Eventually, when the car runs out of fuel, they encounter a giant monster that could form its own ecosystem, so large that each step shakes the earth, causing sanity to plummet.
With no fuel, the engulfing mist, monster roars, and no ammunition, despair sets in.
After witnessing everything along the way and under the weight of despair, the protagonist uses his last four bullets to end the lives of his child, the elderly, and the woman, facing the monster alone, ready to endure the torment.
The outcome turns this ordinary film into a classic, elevating it to another level.
After killing his child and everyone else, the protagonist, in agony, steps out of the car, waiting for the monster's attack.
Hearing the sound approaching, the protagonist's expression turns to relief, believing it to be the monster, but it's not. Instead, he sees an armored vehicle, the military, and people being saved as the mist disperses.
Among them is the mother who couldn't get help at the beginning and cursed everyone, now with her child.
The protagonist, more dead than alive, sees the mother's indifferent gaze...
"Such an ironic ending." Recalling the movie's ending, York enters the club again with John Wick and Irene, a flicker of emotion in his eyes.
He had gone to see the movie through a friend's recommendation, who ambiguously praised the ending, implying the protagonist survived.
The ambiguous statement made him expect the survival of everyone in the car, leaving him frustrated and almost resentful towards his friend, also criticizing the "stupid" ending.
In the film, in this environment, the protagonist and his group always made the right choices, only to meet such an end.
The protagonist wasn't forced to stay in the supermarket, but as someone still rational compared to those who lost their sanity and saw the cult leader as a psychological support, two opposing sides were formed.
The conflict was inevitable, with the protagonist being on the weaker side. He could have pretended to join the cult, but having refuted the cult leader from the start and naturally being on the opposing side, even joining carried the risk of being sacrificed.
So, when his son was at risk of being sacrificed, the protagonist and a few rational people had no choice but to flee the supermarket, ending in a worse state than death.
The mother who cursed everyone at the beginning and acted selfishly somehow survived the spreading mist with her child.
Even those in the supermarket, influenced by the cult leader to sacrifice someone, might have been saved.
He disliked this ending intensely, finding irony in the fact that the protagonist's sacrifice led to survival, echoing the cult leader's claim that salvation comes after sacrifice.
"Truly full of irony, I still dislike such endings."
York's face darkens as he delves into memories of his past life.
Regardless, this twist turned the film, which was mediocre throughout, into a classic.
Now, he seems to face the monsters from the mist.
The film suggests the monsters can only move within the mist.
Considering their desire to attack and prey on humans and their vulnerability to physical attacks, these monsters are likely carbon-based life forms.
There's a bit of a plot hole, as some monsters are huge, indicating a high oxygen environment and low gravity for carbon-based structures to grow so large, yet they can move freely on Earth, suggesting their bodies are incredibly strong.
The most likely explanation is that the mist contains something that supports these giant creatures' mobility on Earth.
The film doesn't cause discomfort for the characters entering the mist, suggesting the monsters might fear something, like sunlight or UV rays, with the mist blocking these and allowing free movement.
Piecing together the information, York concludes the monsters are carbon-based life forms with unknown components, possibly weak to sunlight.
Remembering the film's giant monster that brings despair to the protagonist's group, York thinks, "This monster has a name, what was it?"
A moment of inspiration strikes: "Behemoth..."
The name implies a colossal beast, and he doubts his physical strength can match this creature.
"Just avoid it," he thinks, as the Behemoth, ignoring the protagonist and his car in the film, shows it's uninterested in preying on beings as small as ants.
Thinking this, York heads to the club's displayed arsenal with John Wick and Irene.
At this point, he notices the club's patrons and staff have mostly fled.
With few people left outside and no staff stopping them, they quickly leave the club, indifferent to potential losses, confirming York's suspicion that the staff might be military personnel.
This unusual situation also alerts John Wick and Irene to something amiss.
As even the staff abandon everything, it indicates an unknown event is unfolding.
John Wick asks, "Father York, do you know what's happening?"
The silence of the corridor amplifies his question, with Irene looking towards the leading priest.
"There are monsters in the mist that prey on humans," York doesn't shy away from the truth, stating, "These monsters only move within the mist, so we need weapons for self-defense before it spreads here."
After making a call and finding no signal, York confirms the electronic signal failure after the mist's appearance, suggesting other components in the mist.
With John Wick and Irene's attention, York puts away his phone, calmly stating, "No signal, we must be prepared to stand alone."
He looks towards the weapon hall, filled with an array of firearms: assault rifles, handguns, shotguns, rifles, and even rocket launchers.
"John, choose weapons with a high ammo capacity," York advises with a calm demeanor and a smile.
"There are many monsters in the mist, and we must prepare for the worst."
John Wick, looking at the arsenal, nods in agreement.
"Alright, Father."
He eyes a cz805bren assault rifle on the rack, notable for its hundred-round magazine.
Unable to imagine what kind of monsters might emerge from the mist or exist within it, but taking the priest's words to heart, John Wick shifts into combat readiness.
Recalling the night of his induction physical, John Wick's eyes narrow with a fiery determination.
"Let's begin."
As they observe the club's staff and workers rapidly departing in the parking lot, York waves his hand, signaling to start arming themselves, unconcerned about those leaving in haste. Their departure, in fact, eases his mind, sparing them from any burden or delay.
Their priority is not to gamble on the speed and spread of the mist, known to traverse states and engulf everything in its path instantly.
Armed, they prepare for the inevitable conflict, choosing the cz805bren for its sustained fire capacity, essential for their survival.
Though the club, likely affiliated with the military, houses even heavier weapons, like machine guns, their bulk and complexity make them less ideal for their situation.
The cz805bren stands out as the optimal choice for now.
However, this doesn't mean they'll forego heavier arms entirely. For York, already boasting formidable physical strength, the weight of such weapons is negligible.
"Father," Irene approaches with urgency, reporting the mist's rapid encroachment on the nearby town.
York pauses only momentarily before resuming his instructions, undeterred by the news. He orders Irene to secure the premises and assess their food supply, crucial for determining their next move.
Despite the unfolding chaos, York remains focused on the immediate needs: weaponry and sustenance, dismissing the outside world's reaction to the mist as ignorant curiosity.
The military might be the first to grasp the situation, but their response time is uncertain.
In this reality, unlike the predictable paths of films from his previous life, York relies solely on self-sufficiency, doubting external rescue efforts.
"Understood, Father," Irene responds, setting off to fulfill her tasks, leaving York and John Wick to continue their preparations.
With the mist and monsters approaching, York signals the readiness for combat, sharing a moment of grim determination with John Wick, who silently readies his weapon, embracing the looming battle.
As they equip themselves, York selects a Belgian FN Minimi light machine gun, surprised and pleased by the firepower it offers, ready to face whatever creatures await them outside.
With machine gun in hand, York is prepared for the onslaught, confidently handing the Minimi to John Wick and opting for an MK-48 machine gun for himself, ensuring they are armed for the inevitable encounter with the mist's monstrous inhabitants.
John Wick, an elite in his field, accepts the weapon, understanding the gravity of their situation and the sheer number of monsters they might face, bracing for the battle ahead.
___________________
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