Chapter 43: Tochiux Serpent 3
The plague didn’t have the same effect on animals as it did with humans. While humans unlocked abilities based on their desires, beasts underwent a different kind of transformation—a mutation.
One that drew power from their primal instincts—carnage, destruction, hunger, and dominance. The plague didn’t just transform animals.
It turned them into a force of nature designed for absolute destruction. And the Tochiux was one beast whose name still lingered fresh in the minds of the people.
Nicholas stood before it as its sharp golden eyes locked onto them. The mere gaze was enough to make every hair on his body stand on end.
This was his first time witnessing an impure beast, and its presence alone was truly terrifying.
The serpent swept its massive tail through the air, a violent gust following behind it. The attack moved far faster than something of its size should have been capable of.
Nicholas’s instincts flared as he grabbed Selena, with speed, he burst backward, narrowly avoiding the massive tail by barely a meter.
The tail slammed into the buildings. They snapped apart like twigs beneath the impact.
People were caught beneath the destruction, thrown aside as debris rained across the street.
Screams tore through the air as people ran for their lives.
The street once peaceful, from just one attack had now been tossed into chaos.
Nicholas stopped a few meters away from the serpent, looking at the destruction the beast had caused in the area.
Selena’s gaze travelled through the mess around, "How come? The Tochiux.. It was meant to be contained. This is terrible, there’s no way we can defeat that thing"
Nicholas could feel the fear radiating through Katie’s body as she clutched him tightly, her little fingers gripping tight around his coat.
Nicholas let out a soft sigh, "Supervisor, would you mind?" Nicholas said passing Katie for her to carry.
"Big brother?" Katie asked her eyes wide with fear as she looked at him.
"What do you want to do? You can’t defeat that thing you’ll die!" Selena said visible panic in her voice, but she carried Katie anyway.
"Big brother! Don’t leave Katie!" Katie yelled, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Big brother isn’t leaving Katie, Big brother doesn’t like when things scare Katie, so he’ll go beat that scary monster now" Nicholas said with a reassuring smile.
"What are you saying? Are you even listening to me? That impure took out three heroes the first time it appeared and Vixen couldn’t even stop it on her own! That’s a city disaster level monster!"
Nicholas turned his gaze to Selena, "How much will I get paid for dealing with it?"
"You can’t be serious right now" Selena said staring him dead in the eye, "This isn’t the time to play games like this, you’ve nearly lost your life the last time. We have to wait for a hero to come" Selena said gritting her teeth, ’Waiting here and doing nothing—if that gets on the news—his reputation will be ruined and he’ll never become a top hero because people will hate him. But that’s a better sacrifice than dying now!’
Selena kept the consequences to herself, but to her it was better than watching him kill himself.
"I’m serious" Nicholas replied bluntly.
"As your supervisor, I order you to stand down!" Selena said with a stern voice, her sharp eyes staring into his.
Nicholas turned his gaze back at the beast, even after its first attack, it didn’t stop. With it’s large maw open it swept through the street, swallowing every person it came across.
Blood sprayed across the streets, cars destroyed, smoke filling the air and the screams of people.
Nicholas turned back to Selena, "I only take orders from my contractor. And according to my contract with the Hero Association, I believe I am a hero and no hero would watch people die recklessly. If you would excuse me, supervisor, I have a deal to keep to." Nicholas said as he walked forward.
’Sadly, Hitmen have work ethics too’ he thought, gritting his teeth.
"Nicholas I—" before she could finish her words, Nicholas dashed with a burst of momentum, his form blurring as he went for the large serpent.
"Nicholas!" She yelled his name, but he had already moved a far distance.
As he blurred into the distance Nicholas locked his gaze on the Tochiux, ’The beast has been captured before by the HA, give me full information on it’
The X-glasses lit up, analysing the Tochiux.
{Beast Class—City level}
{Ability: Paralysis, Once someone meets the Tochiux’s gaze, they are instantly petrified.}
Nicholas frowned, ’It has this much destructive power while not even using an ability? Does that mean even with void activated, it won’t have any effect on its form? Well, there’s only one way to find out’
Nicholas slipped his hands into his pocket, picking out a grenade, and without a second thought he tossed it at the gigantic beast.
BANG!
The grenade exploded, startling the large monster, it turned with a furious glare, its eyes locking onto Nicholas.
It twisted its massive frame, turning towards Nicholas, the sheer weight of its form causing the building nearby to collapse from impact.
It lunged at Nicholas with terrifying speed, its maw wide open and its eyes glowing with a strange light.
Nicholas felt it instantly, the ability of the Tochiux.
He could feel a sudden pressure building up as he stared into those massive pupils, he felt the crushing force of a mountain bearing down on him.
’Not yet, get closer’ he waited his gaze locked with that of the massive creature.
His body remained frozen in place.. The Tochiux closed the distance fast, leaving destruction in its wake.
Selena stared from the distance, Katie watched as well tears hanging on the side of her eyes. It wasn’t just the two, hiding farther away from the destruction, two men in suits watched the scene unfold
Tochiux reached him in no time.
It’s maws open wide! Eyes staring down at him with defiance, it launched at him.
{Ding!}
{Void Activated}
