The thing was grotesque—a hulking, sinewy nightmare of muscle and exposed flesh. Its skin was raw and glistening with blood, patches of bone jutting out like jagged armor. Its glowing yellow eyes locked onto Thomas with an unsettling intelligence, and a maw filled with jagged, blood-stained teeth twisted into a snarl. Its massive arms ended in claws that gleamed like polished steel, and the sheer size of its upper body made the Raptor groan under its weight.
Thomas barely had time to react as the creature let out a deafening roar, the sound reverberating through the truck. Its claws raked across the roof again, widening the gash and sending sparks flying into the cabin.
"Oh, no you don't!" Thomas growled, slamming his foot on the accelerator. The Raptor lurched forward, the sudden speed sending the creature sliding slightly toward the rear. Seizing the moment, Thomas jerked the steering wheel sharply to the left, hoping the maneuver would throw it off entirely.
The beast roared again, its claws sinking into the edges of the roof for grip. It wasn't going anywhere.
Thomas cursed under his breath. He had to act fast. With one hand gripping the wheel, he reached into his inventory, summoning his HK 416 with the suppressor still attached. The rifle materialized in his free hand, and Thomas quickly shifted it upward, aiming through the torn roof at the creature.
"Let's see how you like this," he muttered, squeezing the trigger.
The suppressed shots echoed in the confined space as rounds tore into the creature's exposed chest. It roared in pain, its claws thrashing wildly, but it didn't let go. Instead, it slammed a fist against the roof, the force denting the truck and nearly causing Thomas to lose control.
"This thing's not going down easy," Thomas muttered, gritting his teeth. He swerved again, this time toward a crumbling section of a concrete wall ahead, hoping to scrape the beast off the roof entirely.
The Raptor's reinforced side collided with the wall in a shower of sparks, the impact sending a jolt through the entire vehicle. The creature screeched as the concrete tore into its flesh, but it clung on, its claws anchoring it firmly in place.
"Stubborn bastard," Thomas hissed, reloading the HK 416.
He fired again, aiming for its glowing eyes this time. One of the shots struck true, and the beast roared in agony, its grip faltering for a split second.
Thomas seized the opportunity. He slammed on the brakes, the Raptor screeching to a halt. The sudden deceleration sent the creature flying forward, its massive form slamming into the ground with a bone-crunching thud.
Thomas didn't wait to see if it would get back up. He shifted into reverse, the Raptor's tires spinning as they tore into the asphalt, and then floored the accelerator, aiming directly at the downed creature.
The truck's massive frame collided with the beast, the impact sending it rolling across the road. But even as it tumbled, it began to rise, its glowing eyes burning with rage.
For a moment, Thomas felt fear, similar to the ones when he first encountered zombies. Even when he shot at it, rammed into it, yet, the creature still won't die. And looking at its physique, he could say that that was no ordinary zombie. It is the upgraded kind. Is that what they call mutated zombies?
It took a step forward, claws scraping against the asphalt with a metallic screech.
He didn't have time to strategize. The creature roared and charged at the truck, its massive legs propelling it with terrifying speed. Thomas gritted his teeth and slammed the accelerator to the floor, the Raptor roaring forward to meet the monster head-on.
The collision was deafening.
The Raptor's reinforced front smashed into the creature with brutal force, but the monster didn't flinch. Instead, it braced itself, its claws digging into the asphalt as it pushed back against the truck. The front of the Raptor crumpled under the pressure, the hood buckling, and the windshield cracking as the airbags deployed with a violent hiss.
Thomas's head snapped forward, the seatbelt digging into his chest as the airbags smacked into him. Pain radiated through his torso, but he kept his foot on the accelerator, refusing to let up. The Raptor's engine roared in protest, the tires screeching as they spun against the pavement, slowly forcing the creature back toward a nearby concrete wall.
The beast snarled and clawed at the hood, its talons ripping through the metal with ease. Sparks flew as it tore into the engine compartment, black smoke billowing out as fluids leaked onto the ground. Thomas knew the truck wouldn't last much longer, but he also noticed something else—the accelerator had jammed. Even with his foot off the pedal, the Raptor's engine continued to rev, pushing the creature relentlessly into the wall.
"Fine by me," Thomas muttered, coughing from the smoke. He reached into his inventory and summoned two grenades.
The creature's claws finally reached deep into the engine, tearing at vital components. But it was too late. Thomas pulled the pins on both grenades.
"Enjoy this, you bastard," he growled, tossing the grenades through the mangled gap in the hood, and then jumped out of the truck.
BOOM!
The explosion rocked the area, a blinding flash of fire and shrapnel engulfing the creature. Its roar of rage and pain was almost drowned out by the deafening blast.
For a moment, there was silence.
Then the creature emerged from the smoke, its body battered and bloodied. Shards of flesh hung from its frame, and one of its arms dangled uselessly at its side, but it was still moving—and it was angry.
The monster kicked the wrecked truck out of the way with a ferocious snarl, sending it skidding across the asphalt with a deafening screech.
Thomas stared at the towering monstrosity, his mind racing as he tried to suppress the rising panic in his chest.
The beast's glowing yellow eyes locked onto him, radiating a raw, primal hatred. It began to move toward him, each heavy step leaving cracks in the pavement beneath its clawed feet. Blood poured from its many wounds, yet it moved with terrifying speed, undeterred by the damage it had sustained.
Thomas clenched his jaw and backed away, summoning the MP5 into his hands. He raised the weapon and fired a burst directly into the creature's chest.
Ratatatat!
The rounds peppered its torso, sending sprays of black ichor into the air, but the monster didn't even flinch.
Thomas barely had time to dodge. He dove to the side, rolling to his feet as the beast's claws slammed into the ground where he'd been standing. The impact sent shards of asphalt flying, and Thomas shielded his face with his arm as he scrambled backward.
"This thing doesn't know when to quit," he muttered, gritting his teeth.
He switched to his HK 416, summoning the rifle in place of the MP5, and took aim at the creature's head. The glowing eyes were an obvious weak point—or so he hoped.
BANG! BANG!
Two rounds struck true, one piercing the creature's left eye. It howled in rage, rearing back as its claws swiped blindly in his direction. But even with one eye destroyed, the monster continued its relentless advance.
Thomas kept moving, kiting the beast as he fired precise shots at its exposed flesh. He aimed for joints, tendons, anything that might slow it down. The rifle's 5.56mm rounds tore into the creature, but its sheer size and durability rendered his efforts almost futile.
The monster roared again and charged, its speed catching Thomas off guard. It swiped with its good arm, the massive claws grazing his side and sending him tumbling to the ground. Pain shot through his ribs, but he forced himself to roll away as the beast's claws slammed into the pavement next to him.
Thomas reached into his stun grenade. He quickly pulled the pin with his thumb and flung it toward the beast, aiming for the ground near its feet.
Clink-clink-clink.
The grenade landed perfectly, rolling to a stop right beneath the monster. Thomas turned away and covered his ears, bracing for the flash and bang.
BOOM!
A blinding white light illuminated the darkened street, accompanied by a deafening crack that reverberated through the air. The creature roared in confusion, its massive claws flailing wildly as it stumbled backward, momentarily disoriented by the intense sensory overload.
Thomas seized the opportunity. He opened his system interface, navigating frantically to the heavy weapons section. His eyes scanned the list until he found exactly what he needed.
[RPG-7 Rocket Launcher]
Type: Anti-Tank Weapon
Ammunition: HEAT Rocket (High-Explosive Anti-Tank)
Damage: Very High
Effective Range: 200 meters
Cost: 10,000 Blood Coins]
Thomas didn't hesitate. He selected the launcher and its rockets.
[Item Purchased: RPG-7 Rocket Launcher – 10,000 Blood Coins]
[Item Purchased: HEAT Rocket x2 – 600 Blood Coins]
The RPG-7 materialized in his hands, the weight of the launcher immediately apparent. He quickly loaded one of the HEAT rockets, snapping the warhead into place and locking it securely.
The beast began to recover, its glowing eye narrowing as it focused on Thomas once more.
"Not this time," Thomas muttered, hoisting the RPG onto his shoulder. He aimed down the sight, steadying the weapon as the beast closed the gap.
At twenty meters, Thomas fired.
WHOOSH!
The rocket screamed through the air, a trail of smoke spiraling behind it as it hurtled toward the monster. It struck the creature dead center in its chest.
BOOOOOM!
The explosion was massive, a fiery blast that engulfed the creature in a ball of flames. The shockwave rippled outward, sending Thomas stumbling backward as the concussive force hit him. Chunks of flesh and shards of bone were blasted in every direction, painting the asphalt in black ichor.
The monster's roar turned into a gurgled scream as it collapsed to the ground, its body mangled and barely recognizable. The once-massive beast was now a smoldering heap, its glowing eye flickering like a dying ember.
Thomas took a few cautious steps forward, the RPG still slung over his shoulder. He kept his HK 416 ready in case the creature tried to rise again. But as he approached, he saw the damage was catastrophic. Its torso was blown wide open, its internal organs scattered across the pavement. One of its legs was completely missing, and its remaining arm twitched weakly before going limp.
Thomas exhaled sharply, his body trembling from the adrenaline.
"Finally."
[Congratulations! You have killed one of the mutated zombies named Mawbeast!]
[You received 40,000 gold coins and 3,000 experience points!]
[Your level has risen to 5!]