Chapter 42
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Blood Vessel Predator
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Mutant Ideal Type World Cup Finals.
Who will be the winner?
It's none other than...
Du-gu-du-gu-du-gu-du-gu-du-
"Blood Vessel Predator. You're the one."
The ruler of the east, Blood Vessel Predator
Jackpot!
Why this guy?
No particular reason.
"This is the east, after all."
Starting point's near the east, so the build's geared that way inevitably.
Since I'm catching them all anyway, mindset's to smack the closest ones first.
Decision made, I set off right away.
The path east wound through a twisting alley, and maybe because of the tension from hunting a boss mob, the atmosphere felt even heavier somehow.
Like the air itself had more pressure.
No matter when or where a mutant popped out, it wouldn't be weird at all...
Crash!
"Kraaaah!"
"Wamma, fuck!"
It really jumped out?
Something shattered, and a mutant dropped down.
I yelped in surprise, but my body was already moving.
Heavenly Mechanism Calculation Method
Dodged the Superman-pose dive from two steps back and stomped the back of its head hard.
Thud-!
Tougher high bar than expected.
I'd stomped aiming to crush its skull at least, but it didn't die—just screamed like it was dying.
Its brutish arms flailed to grab my ankle.
Ridiculous motions, but getting caught would snap my Achilles tendon easy.
Stepped back a couple more paces, and the mutant sprang up in a frenzy, charging.
But by then, I was fully prepped.
"Where do you think you're going."
Pulled the pickaxe from my belt and smashed down.
Its barely raised head burst like a watermelon, and it toppled.
Instant kill in the blink of an eye.
Thought to myself, that's my level now, and a question bubbled up.
Where'd this guy come from?
Location obvious: right above, near the building rooftop.
Issue was why it jumped.
As I've said multiple times, mutants have killer reaction speeds but detection ranges that barely extend past their noses.
"Pretty high up."
Looked up—both buildings flanking the alley were tall.
Way beyond any mutant detection range I knew.
Broken parapet debris dangling suggested its origin, but the entrance felt way too unnatural...
"...Fuck, what the hell is that."
You saw it, right?
Not just me, yeah?!
The shattered parapet debris I thought it was hanging from.
Beyond it, red tendril-like things rippled into view.
I'd love to chalk it up to my ultra-positive mindset hallucinating, but
"No bullshit, how's that a hallucination."
The mirage-like tendrils vanished quick, but I didn't think I'd imagined it.
Something was definitely there.
And high odds it was—
Kuwoong!!
That instant, a massive quake shook the whole alley.
Earthquake-level roar.
Normal person here might glance around confused, but—
Tap.
Smart apocalypse survivors move on instinct.
Why? Entering somewhere and sensing change means escaping's the quickest way out of danger.
And,
Kukukukukung!!
Like praising my apocalypse survival steps,
The entire alley shuddered violently.
Thud thud thud-!
Deafening horde footsteps echoing.
Sound of at least dozens charging at once.
Hard to believe this rural city had that population density, let alone packed in a commercial complex near this alley.
Moment I thought I'd poked a hornet's nest,
"Kraaaah!"
"Grraaaaaah!"
"Grraaah!!"
A pack of mutants burst from the alley exit I was about to bolt through.
No less than ten.
Sure, I'd gotten strong enough to treat single mutants like post-meal dessert, but facing over ten in this narrow alley felt burdensome.
So, tactical retreat here...
"Grraaaaaah!!"
"Graaaaaaaaah!"
"Emi. Threesome?"
But turning back, nope—that side too.
Another pack surging from deep in the alley.
Did I really poke a hornet's nest?
Pinched from both sides, finally felt like a proper zombie apocalypse flick.
"Graaaaaah!"
"Graaaaaaaaah!"
"Evande."
Mutants swarming with no time for lines.
Staying meant doom, so I leaped with all my might.
Thud, thud, thud-!
Scaled the alley walls, drainage gutters, AC outdoor pipes, window ledge parapets.
Like a goat bounding between cliffs to higher ground.
Parkour'd just as mutants nearly grabbed me, surging upward.
Reached the rooftop of a five-story building in seconds.
And that moment—
Heavenly Mechanism Calculation Method
Used the rebound to flip my whole body midair.
Peeing-!
Something whizzed past overhead.
In my inverted view, scanned quick.
That's the guy.
Building rooftop.
A grotesque bloodwood human figure.
Upper body human-like, lower a riot of root-like blood vessels: mutant.
Blood Vessel Predator.
But,
What's that?
Saw a scene unlike the raider map.
Mutants dangling in clusters from its vascular root tips.
Precisely, vascular roots stabbed into normal mutants' napes like nerve cords, those mutants gaping mouths like they'd huffed happy gas.
Anyone could see their brains eaten clean.
Earth author!!
Fuck, how far you dragging this setting bullshit!!
Not fun anymore for real!!
The Blood Vessel Predator's eyes met mine, corners curving grotesquely.
Next, it extended one vascular root pointing at me—
"Grraaaaaah!"
"Grraaah!"
"Grraaaaaaaaah!!"
Crack crack-.
Vascular roots snapped from the mutants' napes, and the gaping-mouth ones charged en masse.
"Knew it."
Chin.
Landed quick on nearby parapet, steadied stance.
From the chase below, figured a puppetmaster boss controlled them.
No, even before—from killing that ambusher, something felt off.
Its moves were faster and tougher than other mutants...
Wondered why, but now clear: this Blood Vessel Predator drug-brainwashed and super-soldier-serum'd them.
So, my counter here: one way.
"You fuckers. Behold the power of friendship."
Click-
Friendship power (physics) gifted by nice raiders.
Pulled the 7.62mm Kalashnikov assault rifle, aka AK-47, from my back, aimed, pulled trigger.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-!!!
Muzzle spat fire, charging mutants sprayed blood and dropped.
AK-47, the poor man's nuke, horrific lethality.
But mutants weren't normal humans.
No flinch at comrades bleeding out, kept charging tough even with bullets in limbs unless headshots.
Even,
"You fucks, friend shield's cheating!"
Tattered frontliners used as shields rushed in.
GUN laws potent, but stacking three-four ripped mutant corpses? Couldn't pierce.
Thus, encirclement complete, hands reaching.
From the closest, harvested corn with rifle butt, then leaped hard.
Target: nearby water tank top.
Dodged acrobatically, hopping for footing,
"Kyaaaaak!!"
Couldn't stand watching? Blood Vessel Predator screeched, thrusting vascular roots.
Grabbed spent AK-47 backward like club, shook 'em off—barrel heat singed my gloved hand.
Still, reached the water tank top successfully, but
Evande.
Backing off, mutants now packed the surroundings.
Even the first-floor rushers returning real-time reinforcements.
Wondered why urban scouting had fewer mutants than expected—all gathered here.
"108 in one place?"
Caution maxed, yet cornered like a martial arts public enemy.
Not Ueha-ra Unyielding Magic Sword, did I dip into demonic arts and master soul-sucking too...?
Suddenly got the Heavenly Demon's vibe, surrounded on a Central Plains outing, swapped mag.
Live live live live live
Melee frenzy this time?
Disciple!! Fighting!!!
Live on,
I bellowed at full volume.
"Come at me, all of you!!!! Fuck!!! "
Yeah, now that's zombie apocalypse.