Under an hour, they’d taken down a substantial number of infected. Cindy and Na-rin had each racked up dozens as well.
’That should give them so speed stats, though not much,’ he thought, scanning the streets below. ’Still, we gained a lot today... it’s a sha Natasha and Isabel aren’t here to farm with us.’
Jaxon shook his head and stood, preparing to move to the next building. His eyes scanned the two girls, both focused intently on their targets.
"Cindy, Na-rin, look for the next safest spot," he called.
Both lifted the binoculars hanging around their necks, scanning the rooftops ahead. Their eyes darted from one building to another, checking for clear landing spots and potential dangers.
"The rooftop to the east, three buildings away," Na-rin said finally, her voice calm and precise. "I don’t see any infected there."
"Confird," Cindy added, her tone steady.
"Good. Let’s move," Jaxon said, stepping forward. One by one, he carried them across the gap, landing carefully on the chosen rooftop.
Monts later, he gently set Na-rin down on solid ground. As she steadied herself, Jaxon’s gaze shifted to a distant skyscraper. Atop it, a figure stood motionless.
Even without his scope, he recognized the silhouette instantly, a Variant.
Jaxon’s eyes t its blank, unblinking stare from below. His brow furrowed. ’What’s going on with this one? Why isn’t it attacking us?’
"Cindy, Na-rin, stop shooting and hide down." Jaxon said quietly.
Both girls had already followed his gaze through their binoculars and spotted the Variant standing on the distant skyscraper.
"Jaxon..." Cindy’s voice was barely a whisper, her hand gripping his arm tightly. "Let’s just leave."
Jaxon shook his head slightly. "That won’t be... Shit!"
A large chunk of concrete suddenly ca flying toward them.
Jaxon reacted instantly. He grabbed both girls by the arms and yanked them away behind cover.
BAM!
The concrete slamd into the spot where they had been standing a mont earlier, exploding into fragnts. Sharp pieces of rock scattered across the rooftop.
Dust filled the air as Jaxon quickly leaned out and raised his M16. He aid at the distant rooftop and opened fire.
Thup-thup-thup. Several rounds struck the Variant’s body. But unlike when he used his DMR where entire chunks of flesh would be blown away, the smaller rounds only punched shallow holes into its thick, mutated skin.
The Variant roared in pain as its deep, angry cry echoed across the nearby buildings.
Jaxon imdiately turned to the girls. "Get inside the building. Hide on the lower floor if you have to."
"Brother..." Cindy hesitated, but Na-rin quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the rooftop door.
"Be careful out there," Na-rin said, looking back at him. "Don’t worry about us."
Jaxon gave a short nod. "Thanks. I’ll be back soon."
Without wasting another second, he sprinted forward and leapt to the next building, chasing the Variant as it retreated from its rooftop perch.
He moved fast, jumping from building to building, each landing echoed with heavy thumps across the rooftops.
Below him, the infected horde began to stir. As the Variant’s roar spread through the streets, more infected started moving in the sa direction, chasing after the noise above.
Jaxon narrowed his eyes while running. ’That roar... so kind of signal,’ he analyzed calmly. ’Maybe a command. Or maybe it’s calling others like it.’
His eyes sharpened as he continued the chase. ’Either way... that works better for .’
Jaxon rushed forward, sprinting after the Variant across the rooftops.
Ahead of him, the Variant tried to run, but the bullets had already crippled its limbs. It stumbled as it tried to escape, dragging one leg behind.
Before it could escape... Thup. Thup. Thup. Jaxon’s bullets caught up with it.
Several bullets struck the back of its head and shoulders. Its body jerked forward collapsing heavily onto the rooftop.
A familiar notification rang in Jaxon’s head. ’Kill confird.’
But before he could even check the notification... Sothing whistled through the air.
A huge chunk of concrete ca flying straight at him.
Jaxon twisted his body and barely dodged at the last second. The concrete slamd into the rooftop behind him and shattered into pieces.
But another piece followed imdiately, this ti from a different direction.
"Shit...!" Jaxon rolled across the ground and jumped away just as another slab smashed into the ground beside him.
Then a fourth one ca. He tried to move again, but it ca too fast.
BOOM!
The concrete struck him squarely in the back.
The impact exploded into fragnts as Jaxon was thrown forward. His body rolled across the rooftop several tis before finally slamming into the ground.
Pain shot through his entire body. For a mont he could not breathe. He groaned as he pushed himself up slightly, his hand instinctively moving to his head. When he pulled it away, his fingers were coated in warm, sticky blood.
His vision blurred slightly and his ears rang, drowning out everything around him.
"Ugh... fuck..."
(Vitality 3)
Without hesitation, Jaxon poured all his remaining stat points into it.
A warm sensation spread through his body. The pain slowly began to dull as his muscles tightened and his breathing steadied. He could feel his body recovering, growing stronger.
Jaxon grabbed his fallen M16 from the ground and quickly scanned his surroundings. More chunks of concrete were already flying toward him.
"Not good."
This ti, he reached into his storage and pulled out a smoke grenade the military had given him. He yanked the pin and hurled it onto the rooftop.
PSSHHH! Thick smoke exploded outward, rapidly spreading and swallowing the area around him.
Using the cover, Jaxon forced himself to move. Ignoring the lingering pain, he sprinted through the smoke and dove toward the nearest rooftop entrance.
He scrambled through the doorway as another slab of concrete pulverized the rooftop behind him.
BAM. BAM. BAM.
Chunks of stone exploded across the rooftop as more slabs of concrete slamd into the spot where Jaxon had been monts earlier. The top floor trembled under the relentless bombardnt as dust and broken rocks scattered everywhere.
User Comments
0 comments from readers