'Dammit, isn't it too soon for mutant dogs to appear?'
Because he was locked in a storage room in the early phases, he didn't know much about the situation on the university campus in terms of the emergence of developed monsters. Because there were also evolved domestic animals in the city, it was clear that zombies weren't only a threat to humans.
Looking at the affected dog in front of him, he couldn't help but ponder the university's unique regulation against bringing in large and hazardous animals. It was forbidden to bring in any large and hazardous animals, such as some sorts of dogs, so he couldn't comprehend how the gigantic mutant dog had evolved into the vicious wolf-like beast.
Even Ability Holders and Evolvers, who were said to have mutated and evolved, didn't seem very different from their former human forms, but the alterations that had occurred to the lovely puppy were the same as the shift in species.
As Leo looked at the mutant dog, which was snarling angrily, he realized he was in a dangerous situation. Even though mutant monsters were not as intellectual as humans, they retained their self-preservation instincts and understood when to fight and escape, making them more deadly than zombies.
'Dammit, mutated dog! It has the strength of a low rank 1 giant and the speed of a low rank 1 hunter. It's worse than having to deal with Giant and Hunter at the same time.'
Leo was cursing his fate inside as he noticed a creature standing directly in front of him. Its dark brown, untidy fur with multiple bloodstains added to its evil aspect, yet its fur appeared robust enough to withstand a hunter's claws.
Another advantage of monsters over humans was their agility in attack. They possessed teeth to bite, claws to slice, and even tails to attack—not to mention the ability to smash into humans, so he feared his odds in a direct fight with them.
"Don't you know you can't stroll about campus without your owner? Where's your owner?"
His blabber appeared to enrage the deformed hound, which growled threateningly at him. Leo could see it was pouring bloodlust in an attempt to scare him, as it growled frantically.
'I understand, you don't have an owner. Dammit, it is that one badass dog!'
Even though he was focusing his sight on the dog, it blurred as it came towards him, attempting to cut him with its sharp claws. It would have easily outpaced Hunters in speed, but when he attempted to defend himself from its claws, he felt like a giant had struck him.
He attempted to protect himself with a sword, but he realized that if he stopped it much farther, it would shatter in a few seconds, so he slanted his blade slightly to reduce the force of its strike and shift its course. It barely took him a second to make this choice and aim his sword.
Crack
He used Flash Step to withdraw backwards, then looked at his sword and noticed a slight break in the blade. Activating Mana Enhancement and Reinforced Breathing increased the strain on his body, intensifying the pressure. Burning in every cell, he felt like he was on the brink of death from the excruciating pain.
The monstrous dog had followed him, attempting to deliver another hit with its claws just as he was repelling waves of anguish. Still in pain, he did his best to avoid its strikes, which was much simpler with his physique improved.
"Fuck, a dog is oppressing me! If I keep going at this rate, it won't be long until it kills me."
Dodging its lightning-fast assaults, he attempted to slice it with his sword, but it appeared to simply scrape it without causing any major hurt; instead, the crack on his sword was growing through the blade and getting more wider.
It wasn't that their skins were robust; rather, the skins of altered monsters were elastic to the point that they absorbed less harm; not to mention, his blade wasn't sharp enough to create a deep cut on its body. He looked for an opening to puncture its head with a sword, but it was too swift to land such a strike.
It was as swift as a Hunter, so he could track its movements; yet, because it was also stronger than other Hunters, he lacked the ability to counter its attacks. Its speed and power were no joke!
'Fuck! I will die in a frontal encounter. It's better to think about anything else.'
After racking his brain for a viable solution to the dilemma, he utilized a Flash Step to retreat backwards and pull distance between them. Then he ran! He rushed as quickly as he could!
He threw all of his energy into rushing across the market, but he knew he couldn't outrun a creature that was far quicker. It will catch up with him in a few seconds, regardless of how quickly he runs.
Understanding his dilemma, he turned into one of the alleys and quickly grabbed a Needle Rapier from his knapsack. He had purposefully left it that way so that he could grab it when needed.
He whirled swiftly and struck the hound with his sword. Despite its rapid shift, it quickly evaded his strike, crouching down before performing a 360-degree spin and smacking him with its tail. He attempted to stop it with his sword, but it broke when hit, and its tail crashed into his chest.
Even though his sword had absorbed some of the impact, he felt as if he had been struck by an iron rod as he was thrown several meters away. Still in the air, ignoring the excruciating ache in his chest and pushing down the blood that was pouring to his lips, he flung something at the mutated dog's head with his right hand.
A mutant canine, unable to recover from the inertia force of his turn, was caught off surprise when something pierced its skull immediately after he sent Leo flying. Its body became limp as it dropped to the ground, convulsing fiercely. After they entered the tiny lane, it never occurred to them that everything had gone as planned by Leo.
He selected the alley because it was narrow enough to limit its ability to move, forcing him to either withdraw backwards or evade it and counterattack with its tail. Even the splintered sword was carrying out his plan to deliver a last blow with a Needle Rapier.
In a frontal encounter, he had little chance of winning, but in a narrow alley with a trick up his sleeve, he believed he stood a chance. He also suffered severe injuries. Several ribs were shattered, his chest ached intensely, and multiple internal organs were wounded.
Fortunately, he possessed 16 points of strength, making his body harder than that of an average person. Strength stats improve muscular density, making you tougher and your bones somewhat stronger. If not, he would have fractured his bones from his own attack.
Seeing the deformed dog convulsing on the ground, he approached it and extracted Needle Rapier from its skull. Then he pierced its head twice before pulling it out. He kept doing it till it died painfully, with many holes in its skull.
[You've reached level 5]
[You've gained two attribute points.]
'Allocate two points for agility.'
Reading system messages, he would have been more surprised if his level hadn't increased. He apparently lacked agility, so he raised it by two points. He desired to attain 5 points in the spirit stat, which he could do through meditation. Strength and agility were essential for his survival.
While people often consider brain injuries fatal, the outcome largely depends on the specific area of the brain affected. It is possible to survive after being stabbed in the brain, although it will induce temporary convulsions and impair some brain processes.
However, getting shot in the head was a different story since the shockwaves caused damage to other sections of the brain. His Needle Rapier, on the other hand, produced no shockwaves and could not compete with a gunshot in terms of speed.
After delivering the fatal blow to the mutant dog, a serene blue light cascaded over its carcass like an ocean wave, unveiling a Blue Chest nearby. It diffused calm ocean light and appeared appealing in Leo's eyes.
'My second blue Treasure Chest! Hopefully it will drop something beneficial for me.'
Leo was thrilled to get another Blue Chest since, regardless of what dropped from it, it would be a valuable treasure that might improve his power.