Chapter 84

  Jake spotted a ssher emerging from a newly materialized portal, the toughest monster he’d faced so far. He knew he had to deal with it fast. As he was about to charge toward the threat, he heard a familiar pierg shriek from behind. Gng back over his shoulder, he saw another ssher that had just appeared. Then he heard a survivor’s panicked voice, trying to warhers about a danger. When Jake turo look their way, he saw a third ssher barreling right at the group of survivors standing at the ter of the room.

  All of them pivoted to front the ssher hurtling toward them, unleashing a barrage of fire with their ons. However, the creature was already dangerously close. Realizing they wouldn’t be able to inflict signifit damage in time to halt its advance, Jake dashed across the room as fast as he could. Despite his incredible speed, it was obvious he wouldn’t make it in time to protect the group from the charging ex-human. The mutant, brandishing its swords, barreled into the ter of the group, prompting them to frantically scatter in different dires in panic.

  One of the survivors screamed in pain as the ssher struck out with one of its swords to slice a long, bloody gash across his arm. At first, Jake couldn’t see who it was, but whe closer, he saw it was Frank. The group leader’s arm bled profusely, but the wound probably looked worse than it actually was. Jake cut his way through the horde of walkers as he ran, his swords cleaving reag hands at the wrists and slig through skulls, sending heads flying to bound roll across the floor of the room.

  Finally, he reached his destination. Isra, Rick, and Archie had scattered throughout the room, doing their best to fend off waves of mutants swarming in from all dires. As for the ssher, it seemed determio finish off Frank. The group leader was crawling on his elbows, trying to get away from the mutant after colpsing on the floor. The t ssher loomed over Frank, rithing on the ground, its swords raised above its head, ready to swing its bdes downward. Jake reached the ssher from behind just as it was about to strike.

  Before the mutant could deliver a fatal blow to Frank, Jake thrust one of its swords forward with all the strength he could muster. The bde ehe ssher’s bad cut all the way through its body, the tip emerging from the ter of its chest. Surprisingly, the mutant was still alive, but at least, it appeared to have lost i in Frank. The group leader remained on the floor, looking up at the brutal se unfolding before him. Just as the ssher attempted to turn, Jake yanked his sword from its body and swung again, severing the mutant’s head and sending it flying to the side.

  With bdes extended from his wrists, Jake couldn’t offer a hand to help Frank up. He was sure the group leader could rise on his own, though. Without a sed g him, Jake turned around, sing the room for the other survivors. Isra and Archie were currently on the opposite side of the room, fighting one of the two remaining sshers. Despite the mutant’s desperate attempts to reach them, they slowed it down with magic spells while relentlessly firing their guns at it.

  Seeing there was no immediate dao Isra and Archie, Jake diverted his attention from them to locate the st team member. Rick was the farthest away, firing his shotgun at the walkers and leapers approag him from all dires. The mutants were so densely packed together every shot Rick fired took down multiple e once. He was also using a Push spell to shove back those who got too close to him. Rick appeared to be managing well on his otly handling the walkers and leapers. If only faced with these types of mutants, he likely could have found a way out. However, his situation took a drastic turhe third ssher targeted him, rushing toward Rick from behind. Jake sprioward the ssher, but it ainfully obvious he wouldn’t be able to reach the mutant in time to intercept it before it got to Rick.

  The survivor became aware of the ssher behind him only when it was almost on top of him. With a sense of mounting dread, he gnced over his shoulder a out a panicked cry as he saw the ssher closing in on him. Swiftly pivoting around, he swung the barrel of his shotgun toward the looming threat. In that critical moment, Rick should have employed a Push spell to hihe ssher’s progress toward him. However, he failed to do so because he either fot about it in the midst of panic or had spent all his spells by that point. He pointed his on at the mutant, but before he could squeeze the trigger, the ssher struck out, chopping off one of his arms at the elbow.

  The severed arm, still clutg the shotgun, dropped to the floor. Rick’s gaze fell upon the arm, his eyes widening in shock. Just as he opened his mouth to scream, the mutant shed out once more, its bde thinking into the soft flesh of his throat, opening it in an explosion of blood. Seeing Rick colpse to the floor, the ssher seemed to lose i in him even though the guy was still alive. The mutant sed the room for its victim and locked its menag gaze on the survivor, Frank. The ssher pivoted toward its arget, but before it could luoward the group leader, Jake finally closed the distand intercepted the ssher.

  He smmed into the ex-human with great force, knog the mutant off bahe ssher staggered but mao stay on its feet. It turoward Jake, but before it could utilize its special ability, he unleashed a relentless series of powerful blows against it. One of Jake’s strikes nded perfectly, driving his sword deep into the mutant’s chest. The tip burst from the ter of its ba a spray of gore. Quickly yanking his sword from its body, Jake shed out with his other bde, taking away the top of the mutant’s skull in a single powerful swipe.

  Having killed the sed ssher, Jake quickly sed the area. He noticed that Isra and Archie had already taken dowhird ssher without his assistance. Rick was bleeding profusely, but before they could tend to him, they had to elimihe remaining ex-humans. Fortunately, it was the st wave on this floor, so no more mutants materialized. All the formidable mutants had been taken care of by then, leaving only low-level walkers and leapers to deal with. Quickly taking care of them, the survivors rushed to aid their severely wounded panion.

  “We have to heal him,” Archie excimed, his voice trembling with emotion.

  “Don’t bother,” Frank grumbled. “We only have basic stims on us. They won’t be able to treat such severe wounds.”

  Rick y on his back, staring up at them with wide eyes, attempting to speak but only managing a gurgle. Disregarding the group leader’s words, Archie k before the wounded panion, pulling out several healing autoiors from his rucksack. He administered them to Rick’s wounds, but as Frank had predicted, they struggled to repair the injuries. While they did mend the damaged flesh, the process was too slow. Before the medications could fully close the wounds and stop the bleeding, Rick passed away. His body stiffened, his eyes gzing over as they stared up at the ceiling.

  “Told you so,” the leader said. “Shouldn’t have wasted your stims on him.”

  “Oh, shut up, Frank,” Isra said.

  A hush fell over the group for a moment. Then, Archie abruptly rose to his feet and turned away from the others.

  “I’m done,” he decred in a ft voice, making his way toward the room’s exit.