Chapter 37: Juggernaut
Straining his muscles, Arthur aimed at a distance zombie. He released the shot which traveled at near light speeds hitting the ground with a loud boom.
He hissed in annoyance, archery was too hard. Dismissing his bow, Caelith who sat on top a floating rock said, "That was awfully close for someone who’s splitting his focus."
"Awfully close don’t give needed results, accuracy does. I need accuracy." Arthur said dismissing the bow. "I would advise you practice with your guns then, they are easier to aim with although a bit loud."
Rolling his eyes, "If I didn’t know that my gun wouldn’t have been for fancy." Caelith looked back at the group few paces away from them. "You know they aren’t much zombies here, even if they are, they would be low levels."
"Multiple low levels could spell your demise. " He said kneeling on one knee and staring before them. "We could easily handle a horde, even if they are undying" Caelith sighed.
Arthur paused as he was reminded once again about the terrifying nature of the zombies. Pulling out his Colt M4 EPR assault rifle, he decided to try learning to aim with it.
He was no military expert before the apocalypse, so he was bound to fail from a distant. Looking through the aim assist, he released a shot and felt the recoil which was now harmless to any awakener.
At this point he could very much fire a rocket launcher and feel nothing as he was currently as strong as peak humans. He fried again and his hit his target straight on the head.
"Beginner’s luck." Noah said with a smug smile on his face. Arthur aimed at the next, shot, at another one, shot. In twelve seconds he took down nine zombies, seven by headshot.
Lowering his gun, Arthur looked at his frozen face, "Bet." And walked past him. The others laughed hit Noah as the walk pass his shocked figure.
"That’s a bullshit lie, he obviously cheated. Caelith ain’t that right." Noah said jogging up to the group. "The headshots were surprisingly not cheats, the rest were. He just has high perception stats and a bit of luck." Caelith explained.
Mumbling under his breath, "That was to clean to be a bit of luck. I suspect a higher existence." Going silent or probably chatting with another person, Arthur couldn’t worry about Noah’s disturbance for a while.
So the group kept moving towards their destination, the distance shortening as moments passed. Arthur’s aim was also beginning to improve as he shot down anyway moving at a distance.
At times a few zombies would stagger out of the buildings and ruins around them. Then the group would send someone to kill it quickly.
Due to this someone had to be looking at the buildings and another person watching their backs, in case they got attacked from a blind spot.
Arthur was the most cautious due to the kunai incident at the hotel. He hadn’t investigated it but knew it came from a human. A human or group of humans who were stalking them.
He didn’t talk as not to cause panic, so he was looking out by himself. "See one." Caelith pointed out, her hands stretched towards something too far to be seen with the mundane human eye.
Taking aim, Arthur go ready to shoot. "This one is too far, but an exception can made." Looking at the zombie through the aim assist, Arthur paused for a while. Even with enhanced perception he couldn’t see it clearly.
"It’s a runner." He said walking slower to increase his accuracy. But before he could fire, he stopped, "That’s too big to be a runner." In a moments notice a sonic bang was heard at a distance and it wasn’t gunfire.
Arthur’s face turned grim, "Everyone off the road." He yelled as dots started appearing in the sky. Arthur and his squad ran to the left and Caelith’s to the right.
Telekinetically raising a massive metal sheet, he folded it in half and placed it above his squad. And then it descended.
Masses of hardened asphalt and concrete rained down on the squad. Arthur had to raise a wall before his squad to shield them from the incoming projectiles.
The clinking sound of stone and metal forcefully rubbling against each other gave of a terrifying noise. Standing hands at his back, Arthur was full concentrated on holding his barrier. If it fell, they all would.
Meanwhile on Caelith’s angle, her cohort had ran into a building and were ducking to avoid various projectiles. Broken glass from destroyed windows tore through their skin, dust filled the air.
When the projectiles subsided minutes later, Caelith raised her head to look out for danger and was instantly grabbed by a large grotesque palm.
She was flung out like a ragdoll and sent meters into the air. Ælfweard swong his hammer at the wall which separated the creature from them.
With a boom the creature was sent staggered backwards. While Ælfweard was battle the huge zombie, Arthur was lowering his dilapidated barrier.
Sighting a flying figure with the corner of his eyes, he bent his body and shot himself upward. A boom echoed as a crater formed where he just stood moments ago.
Activating Mobility immediately he jumped, Arthur stacked his Flight skill before mobility could be registered. The results was instant acceleration upward.
Catching Caelith before she would crash into the final floor of a nearby skyscraper. According to physics and plain logic, catching Caelith abruptly would cause massive problems.
She was carrying force and momentum in her flight, he couldn’t just make that force disappear... at least not while she was in his arms.
So Arthur had followed her flight path immediately he caught her, they both flew into the structure. Spinning Himself extremely fast to disperse force, Arthur dropped Caelith and flew a few meters before hitting a wall.
He slid to the ground, coughing and gasping for breathing. Shaking his head Arthur rose and staggered over to the gasping Caelith.
Sitting her up Arthur knelt besides her rubbed her back. Her eyes were dreary and unfocused. "Caelith, Look at me... Look At Me." Arthur said his last words louder and more pronounced, echoing throughout the building.
With her eyes on his he said. "We are going down there now to kill that thing... Recover." After this he carried her and ran out the hole in the glass they made on entrance.
They both plummeted from the one hundredth floor. Arthur unemotionally stared at his squad and Caelith’s cohort already confronting the zombie juggernaut.
Activating flight he softly landed and dropped Caelith to lean on a building. He towered over her frozen state and sighed before flying into the battle.
Airborne his equipments materialized on him. Drawing the string of his bow, he observed and waited for the right moment.
The creature was obviously a zombie, pale rotten flesh, however it was a hulking one. With arms as thick as two average adult men thighs and legs as fat as an average adult.
Its body was extremely muscular and shredded, Arthur was even a bit skeptical about his attacks effecting this juggernaut. With his arrow glowing overwhelmingly bright, Arthur released the shot and it barely grazed the juggernaut’s sides.
However that was enough to take out a huge chunk of the zombie and completely destroy several buildings behind it.
Everyone froze in shock at the display of power, even the juggernaut was a bit disoriented. Dismissing his bow, Arthur used mobility while airborne to close the distance to the juggernaut and deliver a blow with his magma gauntlet.
The air tore with his punch and upon impact, the zombie was sent sliding backwards. Ælfweard didn’t waist a moment it following it up and swinging his hammer at the back of the juggernaut’a human size head.
Percy and Noah closed the distance, one dashing with abrupt speed, the other gliding on a floating trail of water. Noah looped his lasso around the undead’s neck and burst past it, dragging it’s head.
The juggernaut was unfazed by the rope tightening around its neck and the nicks Percy’s blade was delivering. It tried catching the boy sliding between its legs but he was just too agile, moving in unnatural patterns with unmatched grace.
Once it saw the futility of catching Percy, it tried to grab the useless rope on it’s neck but the again was Ælfweard and his hammer.
A powerful strike and the zombie was sent staggered backwards. Noah utilized the opportunity to prolong the staggering momentum and maybe bring it down.
However it stopped in its tracks as several bone like spikes sprouted from the ground and pierced the undead’s body. Flashing forward, a blur leaped above the undead’s held position and slashed down.
The head fell with the body and the twitching body of the juggernaut came to a halt.
Besides the head, Caelith knelt leaning on her sword, panting as she hadn’t yet recovered from the throw. All taking breaths of relief, they tried regrouping but stopped as the ground began vibrating uncomfortably.
