A growl? Inside the base?
There's no way that could ever be possible.
Elias didn't move at first. He stood still, listening carefully.
That growl didn't come from outside of the base, which was obvious because of how loud and deep it sounded. It sounded so close. Maybe a few feet away, hiding in the shadows. He glanced at Riven, who was trying to steady herself with her gun pointed forward. Her fingers trembled slightly, though her face looked calm.
Her thigh was still bleeding. Her face had gone pale because of the amount of blood she had lost. Of course, she's human.
He already wrapped the wound with a bandage but because of her sudden movement when she stood up, it was starting to bleed again.
"This place has tight security," Elias said quietly. "Nothing should have gotten in."
Riven's face darkened. "I... I left the door open. When I got hurt. I forgot to lock it."
Elias gave her a pointed look, but he didn't judge. He just sighed.
"That's how it got in."
She grunted. "I'll kill it."
"No. Sit," Elias said firmly. "Let me handle it."
Riven wanted to argue, but her wound burned too much. Even more than before. Maybe it was because of what Elias applied on the wound, or because it was tied. She hesitated and looked at him, panting hard.
"It's dark. You won't see a thing," she muttered.
"I can." Elias's voice was firm and sure. "Just stay at a spot and don't dance around. I'm sure that thing out there can sniff your blood. That must be the thing that hurt you,"
"I apologise for causing you trouble," she said.
"I like trouble," he grinned. This kind of trouble could help him increase his stats and also, there would be more cores to absorb.
He turned toward the hallway and stepped out. The dark swallowed him quickly. Behind him, Riven bit her lip in frustration, her gun still aimed at the door.
Stubborn!
Then came the sound of shuffling, like claws dragging across the steel floor.
Outside, the silence broke with sudden gunshots.
They were from Ivy. She was out there too.
Elias had even forgotten about her. He swore that he didn't mean to. He was just... preoccupied with something else.
He moved swiftly, his eyes glowing faintly as his night vision activated. His pupils narrowed like a cat's, giving him clear sight even in total darkness. The growling came again, this time from the ceiling. He looked up.
A grotesque figure dropped down, landing on all fours.
"Fuck me! It's a Wretched Sovereign, a Tier 5!" He announced. Ivy heard from where she was standing. Though she couldn't see it properly, and also she didn't know anything about tiers, hearing Elias's announcement, she was sure it was a hard one.
"Do you need help?" She asked.
"I said stay back!" He yelled, shaking his head.
'Why is she so stubborn?'
He gnashed his teeth, focusing on the monster.
Unlike the last Tier 5 he fought with in Sector Ten, this one had only two arms, but they were long and thick with muscle. Its jaw opened wide, revealing two rows of sharp yellow teeth. It had no eyes. Instead, black veins pulsed where its face should be.
Elias cracked his knuckles and stepped forward.
"System," he muttered. "Activate Bone Armour."
> > [System Notice: Skill Activated — Bone Armour] [Bone Armour: A dense skeletal layer forms beneath the skin, increasing defence and physical strength by 50%. Duration: 10 minutes. Cooldown: 30 minutes.]
.
"Enough of the explanation... Just give it to me," he clasped his hands together.
White spikes broke out of his shoulders and spine, wrapping around his chest and arms. His fingers extended slightly, nails sharpening into claws. A heavy feeling surged through his body.
He was ready.
The creature launched forward with a hiss. Elias dodged, rolling to the side. The creature slammed into the wall, shaking the ground. The base.
He sprang up, punching the side of its head. The blow cracked part of the creature's skull. It shrieked, then swung back, claws slashing. Elias blocked with his forearm, his bone armour taking the hit with a loud clank.
He grinned. "Is that all you got?"
He leapt forward, tackling it to the floor. The creature kicked him off, launching him backwards. He slammed into the wall but landed on his feet. His bones cracked, adjusting back into place.
Outside, Ivy's gunshots continued, taking care of the lesser infected drawn to the base.
The Tier 5 wasn't slow. It darted forward again, faster than the last one. Elias had to admit, this one was tougher. More refined. As if it had evolved with strategy. It was different from the last one he fought. Very very different.
Elias ducked under a claw swipe, twisted, and drove his elbow into the creature's back. It howled and swung blindly, cutting a piece of Elias's arm, but the armour held strong.
He jumped back, panted slightly, and then cracked his neck.
"I should fucking end this."
He ran straight at it, feinted left, and then drove his clawed hand into the creature's side. It screamed and tried to claw at his face, but Elias grinned and ripped something out from under its ribs. A black glowing core.
The creature froze, eyes widening, or where its eyes should've been, then slumped.
> > System Notification:
[Tier 5 Zombie Defeated. [Core Absorbed: Strength +5 | Dexterity +3 | Intelligence +1]
[Current Cores: 91 absorbed]
[Tier 5 Evolution Unlocked at 500 Cores.]
Elias took a deep breath, tossing the twitching corpse to the side. He turned and saw Riven standing at the doorway, leaning against the wall. Her cheeks were flushed, and her breathing ragged. Her trust level just spiked again.
She said nothing. Just stared at him like she didn't know what to say.
He wiped the blood from his arm.
"Told you I could handle it."
She didn't respond.
Just then, Ivy came around the corner holding a huge flashlight and her gun was still smoking.
"Where the hell were you?!"
Elias blinked at her. "Handling a Tier 5 in Riven's room."
Ivy's eyes went wide, then narrowed. She looked past him at Riven, then back at him.
"In her room?" she asked sharply.
He shrugged. "She was hurt."
The air went cold. Ivy's lips pressed tight. She looked at Riven again, who looked away.
"Then, you should remain there. You don't care if I die..."
Ivy shoved the flashlight into his arm and stormed off without another word, slamming her door.
Elias tilted his head with a smirk. "Is she... jealous?"
He blinked in confusion before turning to Riven again. The torch pointed at her face. She squinted her eyes, trying not to get blinded by the light.
"See? Told you I could protect this place."
Riven didn't smile. She just stared at him.
Then the lights flickered back on, showing the messy base and floor littered with defeated undead.
[END OF CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR]