Chapter 25

  He opehe door and stepped out into the cool air outside. He instantly spotted a mutant standing in the middle of the roof, fag him. Jake froze. The mutant’s siare bore into him, causing his hands to tighten their grip on his bat shotgun. However, the mutant remaiill, not making any aggressive moves, just watg him ily from its position on the roof.

  Jake tore his gaze away from the creature momentarily to s his surroundings for any additional threats on the roof. Finding none, he refocused his attention on the ex-human standing motionless at the ter, their eyes locked in a teandoff. It definitely was the elite mutant he had to defeat. He withdrew his left hand from the semi-auto shotgun and reached into his inner jacket pocket, all the while keeping a vigint eye oant before him. His fingers ed around his PDA, aarted to extract the device from his pocket. Mentally prepared for any sudden attack by the mutant, he was ready to drop the PDA in an instant and shift his full attention to the impending threat.

  However, the ex-human remained motionless as he aimed the camera at the mutant and sed it. He learhat the mutant was called a whipper and it was ae enemy, which meant that it was somewhat strohan ordinary ex-humans. Jake carefully returhe device to his inner jacket pocket before turning his full attention back to the motionless mutant, sizing up his formidable oppo once more. The mutant stood tall and robust, its appearance simir to that of a shambler with anic growth c much of its bulky frame. Its rge mouth was filled with rows of razor-sharp teeth nearly the size of fingers. While its right hand sported sharp cws like a standard ex-human, its left arm was absent, repced by a dangliacle that nearly touched the ground.

  Jake tightened his grip on the shotgun. He was aware that the anic growth enveloping the mutant’s body acted as a protective yer. This yer possessed the astonishing ability tee quickly, allowing the mutant to heal aore damaged tissue at remarkable speed. Having faced shamblers with simir protective growth several times before, he khe anic yer could be destroyed. To halt the regeion process, he had to maintain a rapid and tinuous barrage of gunfire, leaving no opportunity for the protective yer to heal. However, the most effit method to eliminate a shambler, and likely the whipper as well, was by targeting aroying its brain. While the elite ex-human’s head also exhibited some anic growth, it was not as thick as the yer enveloping its body.

  With determinatio in his mind, he began to approach the elite mutant, keeping the shotgun trai its head. The ex-human watched him move, remaining in the same spot. Aep closer, and the monster let out a deafening roar, causing Jake to pause, his shotgun still directed at the mutant’s menag face. His inal iion was to move closer for a shot, but when the monster sprang into a, he swiftly shifted gears. Just as the mutant burst into a run toward him, he hastily adjusted his aim and squeezed the trigger. The load of buckshot partly missed its target, turning half of the monster’s fato a bloody mess. Uhe creature kept running toward him. Jake watched in dismay as his pn crumbled before his eyes. His hope of eliminating the elite mutant with a single headshot had just vanished.

  Keeping his left hand on the shotgun, Jake cast a Push spell without any physical gestures. Over the past thirty minutes, he had cast the spell several times, disc that a mere mental and was all it took to unleash the magic. The surge of magical energy crashed into the approag monster, causing it to stumble. Despite momentarily slowing it down, the spell failed to have a signifit impact. Before Jake could follow up with another shot, the creature retaliated, striking out at him with its loacle.

  Jake instinctively ducked as the tentacle swished through the air above him with a sharp whooshing sound. The massive monster let out a frustrated roar as it charged toward him. With the mutant dangerously near, Jake swiftly darted to the side to get out of its path and gain some distaweehe whipper attempted to seize him with its sharp-cwed right hand, but he narrowly evaded its grasp. As the creature’s momentum carried it forward, Jake took aim and fired at its back, blowing a k of flesh out of its body. He had inflicted some damage, but the anic growth on the monster swiftly regeed its injured flesh at incredible speed.

  Jake khat he could use the Push spell a few more times, so he cast it again. The surge of energy struck the creature’s back, causing it to lose band drop to its knees. Seizing the moment, Jake swiftly adjusted his aim and fired a shot at the exposed back of the mutant’s skull. Half its head exploded, sending bits of shattered skull bone and brain matter flying everywhere. Surprisingly, the elite mutant was still alive and kig, showing the will to tihe fight. Rising to its feet, it swiftly turned around to front Jake.

  For the few minutes, Jake engaged in a fierce battle with the whipper. Despite his best efforts tet the creature’s head, nding headshots was hard due to the mutant’s stant movement. Whe its body, he hardly inflicted any damage because the anic growth absorbed the impact of the pellets like a sponge and swiftly healed the damaged flesh. The whipper relentlessly attacked him with its tentacle, but he mao evade the strikes with quick reflexes. In one instahe whipper nded a hit, knog him down. Rising to his feet, Jake tered by casting the Push spell on the monster, slowing it down enough for him to escape.

  Finally, he was able to deliver one more shot to the creature’s head, causing what was left of it to bloart in a shower of gore. The whipper’s headless body colpsed to the ground with a tremendous thud. His PDA beeped with an ining notification, indig that the final objective of his mission had just been achieved. He slung the shotgun over one shoulder and took out the device. He was offered three different ons to choose from as a reward: a heavy-caliber pistol, a powerful shotgun, and an assault rifle. All of them were of rare rarity, surpassing both on and unon ons in quality. After seleg the assault rifle, he rompted to designate a location on the map for the airdrop taining his reward. He accessed the map, tapping on the roof of the building he occupied. In response, a message appeared on the s, firming that the airdrop would reach him in a matter of minutes.

  Putting his PDA away, Jake approached the rooftop’s edge and peered down. The deserted street ten stories beloeared devoid of mutants or survivors. Recalling a previous i where another survivor attempted to intercept his supply drop, Jake felt more secure this time. Even if there were survivors in the viity, it would take them a while to locate the nding spot and reach the roof of the tall building. Jake khat this time, he had ample time to retrieve his prize on and prepare an ambush in case anyone appeared.

  A few mier, a rumble reverberated through the sky, catg his attention. Gng upward, he spotted a sleek, futuristic aircraft nearing his position. As the craft soared over the high-rise building, the rear hatch swung open, releasing a parcel that desded gracefully with a parachute. Jake observed the airdrop’s gentle dest until it settled on the rooftop beside the whipper’s lifeless body. In trast to the previous day’s supply drop, the box was noticeably smaller, likely taining only one on and no additional items. Following the same routine as before, he ehe firmation code he’d just received on his PDA into the panel on the side of the box. The code ted, and the lid of the box swung open, revealing his prize assault rifle lying inside.

  Jake sed it with his PDA. The rare on was level 10, and its impressive stats far exceeded his expectations. With excitement c through him, he carefully tucked his PDA bato his inner jacket pocket before retrieving the on from the box. He couldn’t wait to test it out on some mutants. Plug out the magazine, he found it filled with a good amount of rounds. After seating the mag back, he checked the bolt and firmed another round was ready in the chamber.

  Jake returned his attention to the box, where he noticed a few spare magazines inside. Pig them up, he secured the mags in the pouches on his belt. Gripping the assault rifle firmly, he headed back to the stairs and started desding to street level.