Chapter 12

  The ex-human mutant had a deformed body. Half of its frame had some kind anic, pulsating matter growing all over it. Something like a rge bulbous tumor was on the right side of the creature’s face. The right arm of the mutant was fully covered in disgusting anic growth, making it almost twice as thick as its thigh, and it was so long it reached down past its knees. Its right leg was somewhat bigger than its left one due to tumors ging to it. The entire right side of the mutant was covered in those anic-looking lumps and swellings. Ulcers and sores could be seen on the creature’s skin, some of them oozing yellowish pus. The mutant’s left arm, which was ued by the growth, looked tiny and infantile pared to the mutated right one.

  The rge mutant began walking down the corridor toward Jake, moving in a slow and shuffling manner. Due to its heavy frame and unbanced body, the mutant couldn’t walk fast. It seemed to have trouble walking on its disproportionate legs, which struggled to support the body’s weight. This mutant had to be the shambler he o kill. He wasn’t in a hurry to open up on it with his gun, though. Provoking the shambler with gunfire would piss it off, and Jake wao avoid further agitating it for now. He had a feeling that eliminating the shambler wasn’t going to be easy. Jake wasn’t sure if he wao e at all.

  His main objective was only to sy fifteen walkers. Killing the shambler was a sedary objective, but it wasn’t mandatory. So he could just run away from the shambler instead of fighting it. The problem was that there wasn’t anywhere he could run. There were no doors, windows, or any other openings oher side of the corridor. The doorway behind him was blocked by the twling walkers that were still having trouble getting through. Jake would’ve found it hirious had he not been in such a dangerous situation.

  The shambler suddenly picked up its pace. It didly run, but it was now moving much faster than Jake had thought it could, quickly closing the distaween them. Cursing under his breath, Jake brought up his shotgun and poi at the quickly approag huge monster. From this close, the bsts from his powerful shotgu smaller targets like walkers or leapers flying backward. Sihe shambler was so much rger than a typical ex-human mutant, Jake doubted his on would have the same impa it. Still, when he fired, he was surprised that the bst from his shotgun failed to slow the shambler down even a little bit. Its body winced as the load of buckshot perforated its flesh, but other than that, the shot didn’t affect it at all.

  As the shambler drew nearer, quickly closing the gap between them, Jake grew increasingly nervous. He pumped another shell ready and pressed the trigger again, achieving pretty much the same result. Some of the pellets peed the mutant’s normal flesh, causing it to bleed. The rest of them sank into the anic growth on the right side of its body with a sii sound. The disgusting growth swallowed the pellets, and then the wounds closed almost immediately. The anic matter that covered the right side of the mutant acted like a sponge for bullets, creating a protective yer.

  Jake racked another shell into the chamber but this time poihe muzzle of his on at the monster’s disproportionate head. Sensing his iion, the shambler brought up its oversized right arm to protect its head just before Jake squeezed the trigger, and all the pellets sank into the anic mass, doing no real damage to the mutant at all. Cursing loudly, Jake chambered another shell, but before he could fire, the huge monster finally reached him. Its huge mutated arm swung in a powerful arc, hitting him with the force of a freight train.

  He flew sideways to crash against the wall of the corridor before tumbling to the floor. He groaned as the intense pain threateo overwhelm him. Fighting against darkness creeping into his vision, Jake looked up and saw the shambler lift its mutated arm, poised to deliver the final blow. He thought about rolling to the side but wasn’t sure if he would be able to do so in time due to his injuries. So he grabbed his shotgun lying nearby and poi at the mutant’s good leg instead. The bst from the powerful on obliterated the shambler’s kneecap. The mutant’s aim faltered as it colpsed, its massive fist ndio Jake’s head instead of crushing it to a pulp. The shambler immediately tried to get up but uimated the severity of its injured left leg, losing its band tumbling once more to the floor.

  A otion at the doorway attracted Jake’s attention. He looked that way and saw that the two walkers had finally mao squeeze through the doorway into the corridor. Jake, still on the floor, swiftly rolled on his stomad poihe shotgun at the troag walkers. When he fired, the pellets spread wide enough to hit both mutants in the legs, causing both of them to tumble face first to the floor. Uerred, they crawled forward, relentlessly trying to get to him. He fired again, blowing the head of the walker to pieces. As Jake aimed to take down the sed walker, a dry click echoed from his shotgun. The on was empty, and he had no more spare shells on him.

  Releasing the shotgun, Jake swiftly rose to his feet, sing his surroundings. The remaining walker kept crawling toward him. Meanwhile, the shambler had risen to its knees, but its wounded leg preve from getting to its feet. Jake drew his pistol and with a couple of precise headshots finished off the crawling walker. He then shifted his aim at the kneeling shambler. The mutant brought up its mutated arm to protect its head, but Jake circled the immobile creature, emptying the whole mag into the back of its head. Whe bullet tore into its skull, the shambler finally died, colpsing onto its side.

  The slide on his pistol locked back, but luckily, Jake had a few spare mags on him. In one fluid motion, he sed out the empty magazine for a fresh one, giving the slide a sharp release to chamber a round. He g the shambler to make sure it stayed dead and then aimed his handgun at the doorway at the end of the corridor. However, no more mutants showed up. It was all quiet now.

  Is it finally over?

  As if to answer his mental question, his PDA emitted a cheerful tone. Jake waited a minute or so to make sure there were no more mutants to kill before finally sliding the pistol into its holster on his right thigh. Retrieving his PDA from the inner pocket of his jacket, he unlocked the device with a press of his thumb on the s.

  A bunch of notifications popped up on the s.

  YOU HAVE GAINED: 300 XP FOR KILLING [EX-HUMAN WALKER] (X30) (10 XP EACH), 125 XP FOR KILLING [EX-HUMAN LEAPER] (X5) (25 XP EACH), AND 50 XP FOR KILLING [EX-HUMAN SHAMBLER] (X1).

  MISSION APLISHED! FOR PLETING BOTH PRIMARY AND SEDARY OBJECTIVES YOU HAVE RECEIVED 1,000 XP, 10,000 CREDITS, AND A SUPPLY DROP [X1] [ON]. EXCELLENT JOB!

  YOU HAVE GAINED ENOUGH XP FOR LEVELING UP FROM 3 TO 5. YOU HAVE GAINED 2 SKILL POINTS. GRATULATIONS, SURVIVOR!

  “I fug did it,” Jake exhaled, with a mix of exhaustion and relief in his voice.

  Overwhelmed by stress and fatigue, he crumpled to the floor.