Staring at the monstrosity in front of them, the fear, which had been absent when Anna was in danger, now welled up in Malachi and David.
Now that Anna was gone, and it was their turn to face the monster dog themselves, the pressure they felt just from the appearance of the 3-metre-tall, huge dog was quite significant.
However, both knew that they had no choice but to confront it now.
At least they had to stall it long enough for Anna to get back to the filling station and find a chance to escape.
Even David, who knew he had awakened some sort of power, had no ambitious thoughts of fighting the monster to kill it.
David had no confidence in a power he had just awakened and knew nothing about.
"How does something like this even exist?" David muttered, his gaze still fixed on the monster dog, which had significantly regained its composure and was staring at them, especially at the fire spear beside David.
The monster dog knew that this was what had attacked him earlier, and it should be the two-legged creature that threw it.
Although the fire spear David had thrown hurt, the monster dog felt no fear and was angry instead.
However, the impressive part was that even though this monster dog seemed like a bloodthirsty monster, and it was indeed one, it seemed to possess a significant level of intelligence that made it know it had to be cautious.
This was the reason it hadn't attacked yet.
However, it seemed a monster was still a monster in the end, as its patience wore thin rather quickly, and it began growling loudly at the father and son duo.
Malachi observed all of this with his unique vision, where everything appeared in shades of black and white.
Looking at the fire spear beside David, Malachi deduced that it should be his own newfound power.
It wasn't a baseless conclusion, and it certainly wasn't because he was an author with a vivid imagination.
Malachi confirmed that he had truly changed, just like David, when he turned to look at his chest earlier and noticed something within him emitting a red light.
It was his heart.
Turning his attention to his son, Malachi saw that it was also his heart that emitted the same red light.
Using himself and his son as examples, Malachi deduced that the monster dog's heart was likely the source of the bright light in its chest.
However, Malachi couldn't help but wonder about the usefulness of this knowledge and his ability to perceive the world in black and white.
Compared to David's striking, impressive, and practical power, his newfound ability seemed rather plain. Perhaps this was because he had just awakened his power and hadn't explored its full potential.
Despite these thoughts running through his mind, Malachi knew he couldn't dwell on them at this moment.
Their immediate priority was to survive against the monstrous dog, find a way to escape, and regroup with the rest of their family.
As David muttered his disbelief about the existence of the monstrous creature before them, Malachi heard his son's voice but didn't turn to look at him. Instead, he addressed David's concerns.
"You can probably tell as well, but our world seems to have changed. That thing in front of us and we ourselves are evidence of this. However, let's focus on getting back to your mother and sister and figure everything out," Malachi stated.
Malachi words landed just as the monster dog, which had been growling loudly, charged at them.
The father and son duo, prepared for this encounter from the beginning, weren't taken aback by the charge.
Without hesitation, the moment David saw the monster dog rushing toward them with incredible speed—faster than their own pace, albeit more predictable due to its straight charge and lack of flexibility due to its four limbs—David aimed and hurled the new fire spear with precision.
The fire spear, while missing its mark as the monster dog dodged at just the right moment, resulted in a booming explosion that echoed behind the creature.
Fortunately, even though the attack had failed to hit, it managed to bring the monster dog's charge to a halt.
However, at this very moment, Malachi caught sight of something unusual in his unique white and black vision.
Malachi, in his unique white and black vision, observed the monster dog coming to a sudden halt, with a stream of red light rushing from its chest to its throat.
On the outside, the monster dog assumed a stance as if preparing to bark.
Although he didn't fully understand what was happening, Malachi's instincts kicked in, and without overthinking, he reached out, gripping the collar of his son's shirt and pulling him towards himself, simultaneously taking a sizable step backward.
"Wolf!"
The moment the monster dog released a deafening bark, Malachi and David witnessed several columns of air emerge from the creature's mouth to the location where they had been moments ago.
For reasons unknown, the sight seemed oddly familiar.
"Was that a sonic scream just now, Dad? Coming from a dog, no less," David questioned.
"Hey! Duck!"