Chapter 133

  Heavy-caliber rounds tore through the bodies of the ex-humans surrounding him. It was hard to tell if the dunner was aiming specifically at Jake, struggling to hit him due to his stant movement, or if he was just indiscriminately spraying fire at every mutant in sight. The heavy-caliber bullets tore at the bodies of low-level ex-humans, shredding them apart. The weak mutants, like walkers and leapers, stood no ce of survival against such relentless fire.

  In just a few seds, most of the mutants surrounding Jake were torn to shreds. The dunner unleashed a tinuous barrage, bullets pockmarking the rooftop and kig up clouds of dust. More ex-humans tio emerge onto the rooftop, and the roar of the mae gun peted with the shrieks of the mutants for dominance. As the dunner adjusted the muzzle of the on to aim at Jake, he quickly darted to the side.

  He ran around the Electro anomaly h above the ter of the roof as the duruggled to track him, failing miserably. He was moving too quickly for the shooter to nd a hit. Out of the er of his eye, Jake noticed the anomaly pulsating more violently, waves of vibration hitting him with increasing iy. The thunderous roar of the mae gun and the heavy-caliber bullets striking the Electro were undoubtedly disturbing it. If this went on a little lohe anomaly would likely activate. The two octs of the chopper either didn’t notice the Electro or simply couldn’t care less.

  Jake hardly killed any mutants during this wave, as most of them were taken out by the dunner. Instead, he simply ran in circles around the Electro, pursued by the ex-humans. As soon as they emerged from the rift gates, they chased after him while the Demon manning the mae gun guhem down. The shooter was iently making Jake’s task of pleting the challenge much easier and quicker.

  On one hand, it was a good thing; oher, he was hardly gaining any XP during this wave since most of the mutants were being mowed down by the dunner. It was unfortunate. He would have preferred to kill all the mutants by himself for the extra XP, but there seemed to be nothing he could do to ge the situation. He couldn’t take down the chopper, as it hovered just out of reach, far too high for him to jump and attack.

  Leading the chopper from this position wouldn’t be possible either. If he left the boundaries of the challenge, he would trigger a thirty-sed tdown. He doubted he would be able to lead the chopper away, lose it, and theurn to the challenge area within thirty seds.

  So, it seemed all he could do was keep running in circles while the duook out the ex-humans emerging from the portals. At least there was a silver lining—he would be able to finish the challenge quickly enough to earn the cloaking ability as a reward.

  As Jake tinued running in circles, he stole occasional g the chopper h above the building. A crooked smile pyed on the dunner’s lips as he mowed dowants. They were sitting ducks for him, easy XP. Even the shamblers and whippers struggled to withstand the devastating barrage of fire he unleashed. The heavy-caliber rounds tore through the anic yer proteg their bodies with ease, shredding it to pieces in mere seds. It took him just a couple of seds to tear to shreds a well-protected enemy like a shambler or whipper.

  The dunner kept sying mutants in droves, with a wide grin on his fad a gleam of excitement in his eyes. For him, it ure fuants couldn’t fight back, so he wasn’t in any kind of da all. Some of the creatures stopped chasing Jake, gring up at the chopper in frustration, which made them even easier targets.

  What worried Jake, however, was the Electro, which pulsated harder with each bullet that struck it. The bullets that passed through the anomaly weren’t affected by it in any visible way, which was why her the pilot nor the dunner had noticed it yet. Jake, however, could see that the anomaly appeared to be charging with energy. It might go off at any moment. As he tio run in circles, he made an effort to keep his distance from the Electro. If it suddenly triggered, he wao be as far away from it as possible.

  He didn’t even baging the ex-humans, letting the dunner deal with them. As soon as the challenge was over, he would run away and take refuge in one of the buildings. Judging by the rate at which the gunner was killing them, it wouldn’t be long before the challenge ended. For now, all he had to do was focus on staying alive and avoiding the deadly spray of mae gun fire.

  It wasn’t long before the ninth wave was over. Five seds ter, the final wave began. This wave had a total of two hundred mutants, featuring all types of ex-humans: walkers, leapers, shamblers, whippers, sshers, and chasers. A few wraiths, capable of being invisible, also emerged from the rift gates to join the fray.

  For a moment, the duopped firing, staring down at the se unfolding on the rooftop. He clearly didn’t uand why the mutants kept materializing. heless, shaking off his fusion, he reloaded the mae gun and resumed mowing down ex-humans in droves. Given how quickly and easily he eliminated all kinds of ex-humans, Jake didn’t expect the final wave to be much more difficult or lohan the previous one.

  At some point, he found himself surrounded by three sshers and two chasers. Despite being outnumbered by such powerful ex-humans, he hahe frontation with ease. He couldn’t help but remember his very first enter with a ssher during the tower-climbing challenge. Although he had won that fight, the ssher had inflicted a deep ssh on his shoulder and cut off two of his fingers.

  However, that fight had taken pce a long time ago, and now Jake was much strohan before. He didn’t even bother to extend his bdes and was using his cws instead, successfully blog nearly every attack. Occasionally, a ssher would cut him with a sword, or a chaser would ssh at him with its cws, but the injuries were superficial and healed quickly. While he used his own cws to deflect their attacks, he employed his tentacles to ssh and stab at his oppos.

  Half the head of the chaser in front of him bleart in an explosion of gore as a heavy-caliber bullet hit it. Then a ssher’s body on his right thrashed violently uhe barrage of mae-gun fire. The chopper’s dunner had dealt with most of the weaker ex-humans and now targeted Jake and the mutants he was fighting. Just as Jake turo escape the line of fire, he felt a round sm into his shoulder. The force of the impact jolted him, nearly causing him to lose his footing, but he mao keep his bance.

  Another ssher thrashed about as heavy-caliber rounds perforated its body. When the dunner aimed at another ex-human, something ued occurred. The Electro anomaly, which had been tinuously hit by bullets, seemed to decide it’d had enough. The hum and vibrations emanating from it intensified dramatically, and the spheroid form of the anomaly emitted a blinding light.

  The dunner ceased firing the mae gun, staring i the anomaly, which he had not noticed before. Even some of the ex-humans paused in their pursuit of Jake and turheir heads to gaze at the Electro, which glowed brighter and brighter. Then it suddenly exploded with waves of magical energy.