Sage: "Indeed, why would such a powerful creature have an appearance and behavior so close to human technology? Is it naturally like this, or did it actively change itself over time?"
Rogers: "It could be naturally like this."
Rhodes: "But how could something like this even come into existence? Having superpowers is one thing, but why would it have a head that looks like a loudspeaker?!"
Diana: "Could it have changed itself to better hunt and hide?"
Ancient One: "No matter how we guess, it won't change the facts."
While everyone was discussing, the screen continued playing footage of the next species to appear.
["The next SCP to be introduced is known as the Hallucination Predator."]
As the screen's narration sounded, the image switched again, displaying a creature that looked like a rotting rice cake, covered in black specks across its entirely yellowish body. It appeared disgusting and unsettling.
["It is a previously unknown microscopic organism belonging to the phylum Tardigrada. As a terrestrial predator, it has extreme resistance to harsh environments, much like other tardigrades. When food is scarce, it can enter a state of invisibility."]
["The Hallucination Predator typically manifests as a mass composed of millions of independent organisms. In this form, it can move and climb slowly."]
["These creatures are predatory, consuming insects and small animals by secreting digestive enzymes to slowly dissolve their prey. Humans and other large creatures are too big to be directly devoured, and since the Hallucination Predator requires prolonged physical contact to consume its prey, it rarely attacks large organisms directly. Instead, it has evolved an alternative method to achieve such contact."]
["Possessing innate telepathic abilities, the Hallucination Predator, when unable to attack large prey directly, uses its telepathy to create illusions—manifesting as objects the target wishes to eat, wear, or apply to their body."]
["If ingested, the Hallucination Predator is highly toxic. Victims must take a specially formulated antidote within 20 minutes and undergo immediate gastric surgery to remove the ingested portions."]
["When applied to human or animal skin, the Hallucination Predator secretes an anesthetic, numbing the pain and preventing the victim from noticing it remains attached. It then begins dissolving and consuming the skin over a period of 30 minutes to 2 hours."]
["Once a victim dies, the Hallucination Predator rapidly digests the remains. When it grows to a mass of 5 kilograms, it splits into smaller colonies that disperse to seek new prey."]
["When multiple individuals observe it simultaneously, the Hallucination Predator's appearance becomes inconsistent—it may appear as food to one person and as clothing to another. This phenomenon serves as a warning sign to avoid contact with the entity."]
At this point, the screen played a video.
It showed an ordinary couple having breakfast. Their meal included a sandwich with luncheon meat.
["Hmm, we have luncheon meat sandwiches today!" The husband exclaimed in delight, eagerly picking up the sandwich to take a big bite."]
["Huh? Luncheon meat sandwiches?" His wife looked puzzled, as if she had no idea what he was talking about."]
["Why are you calling a plain piece of toast a luncheon meat sandwich?" She asked in confusion."]
["Huh?" The husband, confused by his wife's words, had already taken a bite of the sandwich. The next second, his expression changed drastically."]
["Mmmph! Mmmph!"]
["He suddenly clutched his throat in agony, as if something had severely injured it, rendering him unable to make a sound. His entire body convulsed violently as he collapsed to the floor."]
["Ah! Honey! What's wrong?!"
["The wife turned pale with fear as she rushed to check on him, only to see his face turning ashen, foaming at the mouth—clear signs of severe poisoning."]
["Panic-stricken and unable to comprehend what had just happened, she frantically searched for her phone to call an ambulance. To her shock, she found her phone lying right next to her leg."]
["If she had paused to think, she might have realized that her phone had originally been on the table and couldn't have ended up beside her. But in her desperation, she was in no state to consider such details."]
["She grabbed the phone and dialed emergency services, placing it against her ear while continuing to check on her husband. She failed to notice that her hand and ear were being corroded by the 'phone.'"]
["As she struggled to make the call, she suddenly realized something was wrong. Looking down at her hand, she saw it had decayed to the point where her bones were visible. Only then did she feel the pain."]
["Terrified, she flung the 'phone' away and tried to stand up, only to discover she had lost all strength—like she had been injected with a powerful anesthetic."]
["With the husband poisoned and the wife paralyzed, neither had any ability to resist. At that moment, the 'phone' revealed its true form—an amorphous, yellowish mass covered in black specks, the Hallucination Predator."]
["It had first disguised itself as a luncheon meat sandwich and a piece of toast, deceiving the couple into consuming it. The moment the husband took a bite, it released a potent toxin, poisoning him instantly. Then, it transformed into a phone, tricking the panicked wife into picking it up, allowing it to corrode her hand and ear while simultaneously administering an anesthetic to numb her senses."]
["Once the creature confirmed that neither victim could resist, it reverted to its original form and began its feast."]
["Due to the large size of adult humans, the Hallucination Predator required a long time to fully consume them. After finishing both bodies, its mass swelled beyond 5 kilograms."]
["Finally, it split into numerous smaller Hallucination Predator colonies, each identical in form, and dispersed in different directions to hunt for new victims."]
The screen then displayed various victims, each meeting their end in different gruesome ways.
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][www.p@treon.com/zaelum]
[+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[Thank You For Your Support!]