Reading SCARY Stories! -- (Bonus Content)

Private Archeven is killed by a sniper's bullet that, after being partially extracted, burrows back into his body, moving from his shoulder to his throat, and then exits his mouth like an insect before flying away. This event deeply frightens the soldiers and signals the unnatural nature of their enemy.

Moskin describes, 'Veronin was pulling out that sniper's bullet. Then it suddenly wasn't a bullet anymore. We watched it burrow back into Vim all the way from his shoulder to his throat. Then once he was dead, it crawled out of his mouth and flew off like an insect.'

The Ninth Company is ordered to fire upon a mass of approaching civilians who appear to be refugees. Upon closer inspection, the civilians are revealed to have horrific, ritualistic mutilations (cleaved noses, flayed faces, charred limbs) and are all smiling, showing no fear or pain, and eventually attack the soldiers with crude weapons.

Moskin observes, 'Each and every one of the approaching civilians bear gruesome, agonizing wounds... Yet, instead of appearing exhausted, anguished, or afraid... every member of the silent congregation appears to be smiling.'

Following the civilian attack, the soldiers face large, hunched figures that drop to all fours and charge with terrifying speed. These creatures are a 'grotesque union of mottled flesh and rusted metal,' clad in iron helms with serrated teeth, and branded with 'hellish arcane runes.' They are highly resistant to fire, requiring focused shots to their limbs or vital areas.

Moskin describes, 'Its body is a grotesque union of molted flesh and rusted metal. Patches of coarse brown hair sprout from exposed skin, while sheets of armored plating, each branded with hellish arcane runes, have been nailed to its body.'

The final wave of attackers consists of 12-foot tall giants clad in 'hellish parodies of medieval armor,' wielding maces and broadswords. Father Vulov orders the use of 'special ammunition' (perfumed bullets) which causes 'brilliant white flashes' and golden heat upon impact, staggering the giants and causing a 'fine black mist' to stream from their wounds, indicating their supernatural vulnerability.

Vulov commands, 'Load the special ammunition.' Moskin observes, 'When the special rifle bullets strike the armored attackers, the result is very different. Instead of harmless ricochets, the impacts cause brilliant white flashes which crackle with golden heat, staggering the armored figures and slowing their advance.'

Inside the castle, the soldiers discover a wailing infant in a stone font. Father Vulov warns them not to interfere. A chaplain attempts to impale the infant, but it rapidly grows into a 'mass of rancid skin and splintering bone' with multiple bulging eyes and a 'stinking toothlined orifice.' The creature is eventually destroyed by a surge of 'bright golden light' emanating from the fallen chaplain, burning it to charcoal.

Moskin and Shurokov witness, 'The infant is growing, changing, transforming from a tiny perfect being into an everrowing mass of rancid skin and splintering bone.' Later, 'a flash of bright golden light leaps out from the dead chaplain's broken body... enveloping it in a bright golden glow... before the beast burns into flames.'