Chapter 59: The mutated Wolf
From within the billowing smoke, a colossal, two-headed wolf slowly emerged.
Its appearance was grotesque beyond description. Instead of fur, its massive body was formed from layers of writhing, raw flesh, as though countless zombie corpses had been crudely stitched together into a single living abomination.
Thick plates of dark metal coated its claws, each one gleaming with a cold, murderous sheen.
Embedded in the center of each forehead was a gigantic eyeball the size of a truck’s tire. Unlike the Eyeball Aliens the military had encountered before, these eyes were far more unsettling. Six pairs of pupils drifted independently within each eyeball, constantly shifting in different directions as though tracking every living creature on the battlefield at once.
The creature slowly raised both heads and swept its gaze across the battlefield. An oppressive silence fell over the soldiers. Looking at the monstrous wolf, everyone shared the same thought:
This wasn’t something that should exist. It looked as though it had crawled straight out of humanity’s darkest nightmares.
Bear dragged himself back to his feet and glanced down at his chest. Three deep claw marks stretched across his torso, fresh blood steadily flowing from the wounds.
"ROOOAARRR!!"
He let out a thunderous roar, clenched his massive paws, and unsheathed his razor-sharp claws. Without a second thought, he charged.
The monstrous wolf answered with a guttural growl and lunged forward. Just before Bear’s claws could reach one of the wolf’s heads, an invisible barrier materialized between them.
BOOM!
The force of Bear’s strike shattered the barrier instantly, sending shimmering shards into the air. But that brief obstruction gave the wolf the edge it needed. It swung one of its massive claws and intercepted Bear’s attack.
KRAAAANG!
Bear’s claws crashed against the wolf’s. The collision rang out like steel striking steel. A violent shockwave erupted from the impact, flattening nearby abandoned cars and sending dozens of zombies tumbling across the asphalt. Neither monster gave an inch.
The wolf’s six pairs of pupils spun wildly inside its enormous eyeballs. Without warning, three translucent barriers materialized around Bear from different directions, boxing him in. Before they could fully close, Bear flexed every muscle in his body and burst through them one after another. Fragments of energy scattered like broken glass.
"ROOOAARRR!"
He lunged forward and raked both claws across the wolf’s chest.
SSSHHHK!
Deep gashes tore across the creature’s flesh, and black blood splashed onto the street. But instead of retreating, the flesh around the wounds began writhing. Before everyone’s eyes, the torn injuries rapidly knitted themselves back together.
John’s expression hardened as he watched the flesh fuse. "Regeneration..."
The wolf snapped both mouths open.
AAAWWWWOOOOOO!!
A deafening howl erupted across the battlefield. The soundwave rippled through the air in every direction. Nearby soldiers clutched their ears in agony, hands stained with blood as it began dripping from their noses.
Several weaker zombies exploded on the spot from the sheer pressure.
Even Bear staggered, throwing a massive paw to his head for a brief moment.
John wasted no time and shouted, "This is a severe mental shock attack! Run the Wave Colliders at full force!"
The antenna-like machines began vibrating more intensely, hums turning into a high-pitched whine. The invisible energy waves they emitted increased in both frequency and intensity .
But the wolf seized the opportunity. Its massive tail whipped through the air like a club.
BAAAM!
Bear crossed his arms just in time to block, but the raw impact sent the fourteen-foot-tall bear skidding dozens of meters across the asphalt, his feet carving deep grooves into the road.
The moment he came to a stop, the wolf was already upon him. Its gigantic claws came crashing down.
Bear barely managed to roll aside as the strike landed.
BOOOM!
The road collapsed beneath the blow, leaving behind enormous claw marks. Bear retaliated from the ground, driving a savage uppercut straight into the wolf’s jaw.
CRAAACK!
The punch lifted the wolf’s front half clean off the ground. Without stopping, Bear wrapped both arms around one of the wolf’s thick necks. His muscles bulged against his fur. With a furious roar, he slammed the colossal monster into the street.
BOOOOOOM!!
The entire intersection caved inward, sending chunks of concrete flying. Before Bear could continue his assault, his mind was struck by an even stronger mental attack than before, hitting him like a physical blow.
DONG!
"ROOOAARRR!!"
Bear instantly clutched his head in agony, his vision blurring. The two wolf heads seized the opening and bit down on his shoulder and thigh.
CRUNCH!
Their metallic fangs pierced through his thick hide. Bear roared in pain, but he didn’t back down. He drove his elbow into one of the wolf’s jaws.
Again.
And again.
But the wolf refused to let go, clamping its jaws even tighter. Blood streamed from Bear’s shoulder and thigh, and his breathing grew noticeably heavier.
Right then, a gigantic iron beam the size of a building’s support column shot toward the wolf’s neck at terrifying speed. Sensing the sudden danger, the wolf had no choice but to release Bear and leap backward.
The iron beam narrowly missed its head and slammed into a nearby building.
BOOOM!
The structure instantly collapsed into a thick cloud of dust.
The wolf slowly turned its twin heads toward its new attacker. Standing not far away was John, his eyes locked on the beast as several massive steel beams in the shape of spears ,floated silently around him.
Bear limped backward, dragging his heavily injured frame to put some distance between himself and the monstrous wolf.
John glanced over his shoulder at him.
"Take the time to recover. Leave this creature to me."
Bear gave a silent nod and began his retreat.
John shifted his attention back to the wolf. Around him, the massive steel beams began spinning at incredible speed, letting out a sharp, metallic hum.
Without a word of warning, John flicked his hand forward.
Whoosh!
One of the beams shot toward the wolf like a railgun projectile. In a desperate bid to block it, three translucent barriers materialized in its path.
KRAASH!
KRAASH!
KRAASH!
The beam shattered through all three barriers as though they were made of thin glass. However, the brief delay gave the wolf just enough time to leap sideways and narrowly avoid the lethal strike.
But the instant its paws hit the ground.
Whoosh!
A second steel beam came hurtling in from a completely different angle. Caught entirely off guard, the wolf had no time to react.
PUCHI!
The beam pierced straight through its hind leg and slammed deep into the earth, firmly pinning the limb to the ground.
"AOOOOOWWWWW!!"
The wolf let out a painful howl that echoed across the battlefield. It thrashed wildly, trying to pull its leg free. But this time, its greatest strength became its worst enemy.
The flesh around the wound writhed violently as its natural regeneration kicked in, rapidly healing right around the steel beam and locking it even tighter in place.
John walked calmly toward the struggling beast.
"You may be powerful..."
"And your abilities are indeed troublesome."
"But every ability has a weakness."
"This ends here."
Just as he raised his hand to launch the finishing blow
WHOOSH!
A massive chunk of concrete and twisted debris came flying toward him at a terrifying speed.
John’s eyes narrowed. Sensing the danger, he threw himself into a sharp roll.
BOOOOM!
The enormous boulder smashed into the dirt where he had been standing only a heartbeat before, missing him by mere inches.
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