The goo attack really slowed my pace.
I need some sort of weapon.
They were really close to me now. About five or six.
I could feel it. I couldn't explain 'how' I could, but I just could. Maybe it was my gut feeling, or maybe it was me trying to roughly calculate the distance between me and the source of that snarl.
I kept running.
Ahead of me, about two or three more packs of those hyena-like monsters ran rampant.
I just have to run past them, then get to that bridge at the end of the road, cross it, and I'm at the other side of the city!
Seemed easy, right?
I shook my head.
No, it wasn't.
Another goo touched me. This time it landed on my right calf.
It seemed it took about five or so seconds before the pain vibrated.
5
I increased my pace to at least put distance between me and the monsters before the pain hit.
4
Go Dustin! Run! Run!
3
Just a little more..
My eyes widened.
Wait, I've already reached the area where the first pack is?
What the he–
The frying sound echoed, and the pain sprang.
"Fuck!!!" I yelped, almost staggering.
Shit shit shit. It's worse than I thought.
I can't even run well!
I began to limp. 'speed limp.'
And it was really bad timing because..
I was already close to the pack of hyenas in front of me.
For the first time, I halted.
That's it. I'm dead.
I let out a sigh.
Then I slowly turned, still enduring the pain.
I stood at a position where I could move my neck and see the packs of hyenas coming from both the left and the right-hand side.
Strangely, they lowered their pace too.
The two packs of hyena-like monsters that had been chasing me snarled as all thirty of them slowly approached me.
I turned my neck.
The two packs of hyena-like monsters that I planned to run past and stun slowly made their way toward me, too, snarling as they did.
They also numbered up to thirty.
I gulped.
The road was empty.
Only ruins of damaged buildings, destroyed cars, and dead bodies littered the street.
There was no running away anymore.
I was done for.
My brows furrowed.
"Done for?" My voice lowered as I questioned, still watching the approaching monsters.
I spat out saliva. And it landed on the ground.
Nah.
"There's no way I'm dying again," I muttered.
My heart began to beat, hitting against my ribs in a feral way.
My blood raced within my veins, surging from my heart toward my entire body.
I took my ragged shirt off, exposing my skinny body and the lines of my ribcage.
I tied the shirt around my waist.
I did say I'm no longer going to run.
Yes, I remember saying something like that.
I remember saying that I was going to,
"Fight." I whispered, "So come."
Through the corner of my periphery, I spotted a steel pipe lying in the dregs of ruin. The pipe was coated with blood and mangled with viscera.
How hard could it be to kill these things?
Sensing my sudden killing intent, the facial expressions on the monsters morphed from gleeful predatory ones to ones of caution as they slowly approached me.
I bent down immediately, rolling toward the steel pipe.
–Screech.Bark!
The pacing of their approach increased.
I grabbed the steel pipe that lay next to the dead body of a man who died with his eyes and mouth open.
At least he didn't get eaten.
The pipe stained my palm, smearing it with blood.
I stood upright.
"Alright," I spoke, clenching the pipe tightly as I crouched. "Come at me."
Even if I die, I'll at least take one of you bastards down with me.
Immediately, as if obeying my words, one of them leaped toward me.
While mid-air, with its jaw wide open, exposing its spine-tingling set of deadly teeth as it streamed toward me, I swung the pipe, aiming to crush the skull.
Bam–!
The steel pipe connected to its head. But it didn't feel like I hit something solid.
Felt like I hit something jelly-like.
The monster fell to the ground, shaking its head as it whimpered.
It stood up again. But it didn't attack.
A warm feeling circled my chest, bringing a bright smile to my lips.
"It's pretty doable."
Another one came, jaws wide as it aimed to snap my neck.
I swung, and the steel connected with its neck.
It whimpered.
Still ain't enough to kill them. Or it's my strength that's lacking.
They began to come after me, one by one.
And I swung the steel, hitting every single one.
Until, somehow, they managed to develop 'common sense'™ mid-battle. And about five came after me at the same time.
I put one hand on my waist, and I moved my waist, causing a crack sound to echo as ease spread throughout my body.
Then, I clenched the steel pipe with both hands, and I bulged my biceps, gathering raw, brimming strength in them. The little strength that I had, I mean.
"Heh."
The first and second ones aimed at my legs, and their claws pinned me on both my legs.
What they didn't know was that at that moment, I couldn't feel any pain.
Really strange.
With all my strength, I hit the head of one of the two that clawed at my legs.
Crunch-!
The head caved in, and it dropped down to the floor instantly.
My shoulders dropped. And my smile widened instantly.
I killed it!
Then,
[You have slain a Dormant Grade Monster. +10Exp.]
Huh?
My eyes widened as I viewed the system notification that popped up.
I narrowed my eyes.
"Right, I forgot. I have a leveling system." I said.
I moved my neck, scanning the sight of other monsters around me with a glint of greed in my eyes.
"Well, then. Let me see what would happen when I level up?"
My smirk morphed into a mad one.
You'll have to wait for a while, Jerry.
Because I'm…
I raised the steel pipe.
The three other Rethons heading toward me flinched and inched back.
Even the second one that clawed my leg let go of me and inched back slightly.
It felt like they could feel and fathom the depth of whatever began to grow within me through my eyes.
…Busy.