Chapter 57: Ambush
Just as Bear prepared to launch his next strike, a sharp instinct of danger flared within his chest.
Without a thought, he wrenched his battle axe around.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
A hail of bullets slammed directly into the wide metal blade, throwing off a blinding shower of sparks.
Bear hit the ground running, weaving across the battlefield in a jagged, unpredictable zigzag as more rounds chewed up the earth at his heels.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Lead ripped through the air, punching holes into the asphalt and shattering the windows of nearby abandoned cars.
Only when he had put enough distance between himself and the gunfire did Bear skid to a halt and look for the shooters.
Four soldiers stood just a short distance away.
Their rifles were raised, aimed right at his chest. Their faces were dead stone, their eyes completely hollow as their fingers kept pulling the triggers over and over.
The chaos lasted only a few seconds.
Nearby troops reacted instantly. Skipping past any panic, three soldiers lunged at their mind-controlled comrades, tackling them hard to the dirt and pinning them down under their combined weight. A few heavy punches cracked across the controlled men’s jaws.
Almost instantly, the blank fog cleared from their eyes. Instead of snapping at the men who had just hit them, the freed soldiers gave grateful nods and scrambled back to their feet, diving straight back into the firefight.
It was clear this wasn’t the first time their minds had been hijacked. Similar chaotic struggles were already breaking out across the entire front line.
John watched the madness unfold without a single flicker of emotion on his face. He calmly pressed his radio.
"Activate the Wave Colliders."
Five heavily armored military trucks rolled to the front lines. Mounted on the flatbeds were massive machines that looked like giant, ribbed antennas. The metal dishes slowly creaked around, targeting the heart of the battlefield.
Whrrrrrrrr...
A deep, bone-rattling hum vibrated through the air as invisible ripples of energy surged outward in every direction.
Bear spat to the side.
"Tch... Motherfucker."
His eyes darted through the smoke, searching for the Runner Zombie he had been hunting. It was gone. The creature had already slipped away, melting back into the massive sea of undead.
Bear cursed under his breath and turned his attention to the second Runner. Unlike its counterpart, this one hadn’t been given a single moment to breathe.
A relentless wall of rifle fire kept it pinned down, and every time the creature tried to dart forward, heavy sniper rounds punched into the dirt, forcing it back.
Its translucent energy barrier cracked and shattered under the non-stop pressure, only to knit itself back together a second later.
Bear took a deep breath and roared over the noise, "Hold your fire!"
The line went silent instantly. Without the constant rain of lead keeping it back, the Runner instinctively spun around to sprint deeper into the safety of the horde.
But Bear was faster.
He drove his legs into the ground, exploding forward with massive strides. In the blink of an eye, he closed the gap. Hoisting his battle axe high over his head, he brought it down to split the creature right down the middle.
Then
"Aaaargh!"
A violent spike of pain slammed into the inside of his skull. It felt like a hundred white-hot needles were driving straight into his brain.
Bear’s entire body went rigid. His fingers loosened, and the heavy axe nearly slipped from his numb grip.
The agonizing pressure lasted only a brief moment before vanishing as fast as it came. But on a battlefield, a single second dictates life and death.
The counter-strike didn’t come from the Runner. It came from the buildings.
BOOOM!!
The concrete wall of a nearby storefront blew entirely outward. Chunks of stone and sharp glass rained down onto the street as a massive, gray arm tore through the thick cloud of dust.
Before Bear could even raise his guard—
BAAAM!
A fist as wide as a truck tire caught him dead in the chest. Caught completely off balance, Bear flew through the air like a cannonball. His body skipped violently across the hard asphalt before crashing heavily into the brick wall of a building across the street.
A thick cloud of dust billowed over the wreckage. Bear pushed himself up out of the debris instantly. Ignoring the deep, throbbing ache spreading across his ribs, he locked his eyes on the source of the blast.
A towering silhouette stepped out from the settling smoke. The creature stood nearly thirteen feet tall, its massive muscles bulging out from under thick, slate-gray skin like a walking fortress of flesh.
As if answering a silent call
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Walls crumbled and storefronts shattered all across the street. One Brute after another tore through the concrete. Six of them in total. The giant monsters let out echoing roars before charging headfirst into the military lines.
Their massive fists pulverized the sandbag barricades. Powerful, sweeping swings sent soldiers flying through the air like ragdolls.
Ordinary rifle rounds barely even slowed their momentum.
John narrowed his eyes at the destruction and strode forward.
"All scattered units!" he barked into his comms. "Fall back into formation! Snipers and heavy infantry, provide covering fire!"
The military machine clicked into gear. Retreating foot soldiers scrambled to regroup while the sniper teams and rocket crews pivoted their weapons toward the rampaging Brutes.
Rockets streaked through the air, exploding in balls of fire against the monsters’ chests. Heavy machine guns chewed through ammunition, raining a steady stream of lead down upon them. Still, the Brutes kept moving forward.
Watching the six massive giants tear through the defenses, Bear slowly let out a bloody grin. Instead of fear, his eyes burned with a wild excitement.
"You think you’re the only ones with monsters?"
He wiped a smear of blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.
"Then let me show you mine."
Taking a long, deep breath, Bear muttered, "Half-Beast Transformation."
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