Chapter 32: The Horde of Corpses in the Mine Tunnel

Li Nanke never strayed far from the transport vehicle. The moment he saw that vast, surging mass of monsters awaken, he immediately kicked off the ground, gripped the rail, and leaped onto the vehicle’s cargo platform.

“Alba, are you done yet?!”

“Almost! Just a second!”

Listening to the furious roars and howls of the monsters, Alba’s forehead was slick with cold sweat, his legs nearly giving out beneath him, but his hands never stopped, fingers flying over the hacking device.

He knew he had to keep his cool; even a second’s delay could mean certain death. The cramped cab was protected by reinforced steel and bulletproof glass, but that meager defense would never withstand the onslaught of those monsters.

In an instant, the dark tide of monsters swept toward the transport vehicle like a flood.

His vision was filled with twisted, grotesque faces, cold gleams flashing between razor-sharp bone blades.

Their mutations had boosted their strength and speed far beyond human limits. The monsters surged forward, a dozen of them leaping onto the cargo platform in the first wave.

Li Nanke gripped his sword in one hand, and suddenly a large, iron-gray firearm appeared in his left.

The Shockwave Rifle boasted a streamlined metal shell, blending classical mechanical aesthetics with the dark allure of steampunk technology. The gun was adorned with intricate gears and a mechanical gauge displaying remaining ammunition. Its thick, brutal barrel could unleash devastating shockwaves, while the smaller rifle barrel packed a deadly punch with its bullets.

A thunderous boom rang out.

In scatter mode, the shockwave barrel blasted a fan of concussive force, a blinding white wave tearing through the air, hurling over a dozen of the just-boarded, unsteady mutants clear off the platform.

The fallen abominations barely stirred a ripple in the monstrous throng—there were simply too many, a relentless, terrifying tide.

There was no time to breathe; another horde leapt onto the vehicle. Li Nanke squeezed the trigger again, blasting them away.

The magazine’s two shockwave rounds were spent. There was no time to reload—he switched instantly to the rifle barrel, which spat streaks of flame.

Ratatatat...

Twenty rounds tore out in a heartbeat, but even that couldn’t halt the monsters’ advance.

Li Nanke drew a deep breath, hefted his chainsaw sword, and charged into the fray.

The “Deep Sea” primary material augmentation sent his physical strength and reflexes soaring.

The high-speed whine of spinning teeth shredded flesh, bone, and viscera, the blade’s bite turning the buzzing into a shrill, bloodcurdling scream.

Grotesque faces pressed in from every side, bone blades slashing at him from all directions.

Blood sprayed in jets, severed limbs and shredded flesh flew through the air—Li Nanke was swallowed whole by the monstrous horde...

Alba dared not look back at the carnage raging on the rear platform. Overwhelming terror gripped him, making his teeth chatter uncontrollably with a shameful clatter.

A few mutants, unable to squeeze into the melee, crept silently toward the cab.

“Not even a god could hold out against this... but Michael, you can’t die on me!”

Alba slammed the final button on the hacking device, and at last, the dashboard lights flickered to life.

From the heap of monsters behind, a furious, desperate shout rang out—

“Are you done back there?! I can’t hold out much longer!”

“It’s done! It’s really done this time!”

Hearing Li Nanke’s voice, Alba’s spirit soared. Without another word, he stomped on the accelerator and wrenched the steering wheel.

The mighty diesel engine roared through the mine.

The heavy transport vehicle lunged forward with a sudden jolt, its massive inertia sending most of the monsters tumbling. Even the simple railings on the platform’s edge couldn’t stop them from being flung clear.

That single, brutal burst of acceleration threw nearly half the monsters off the vehicle.

Li Nanke nearly lost his own grip, nearly hurled away as well. He was drenched in blood, his black apprentice coat in tatters, savage cuts crisscrossing his body.

If not for the “Deep Sea” augmentation and the excellent defense of the Level 7 “Scales of the Sea,” he’d have been hacked to pieces already.

Seizing the moment as the monsters lost their balance, he reloaded the shockwave magazine. Two blasts of concussive force nearly cleared the entire platform, leaving only a few monsters clinging desperately to the rails.

The truck accelerated to its top speed of 65 kilometers per hour. Behind them, a mass of monsters gave chase, but none could catch up—left behind in the swirling exhaust.

But they were far from safe. The dimly lit mine shaft ahead was thick with more mutants.

Some charged headlong into the steel behemoth, only to be smashed to pulp beneath its wheels; others attempted to leap onto the speeding vehicle—a few managed it, posing a real threat.

Alba’s driving was sharp, and he would shout warnings to Li Nanke before swinging the rear of the vehicle, flinging off more of the monsters and easing the pressure.

Li Nanke kept clearing the platform, taking moments to bind his wounds. With the protection of the Scales of the Sea, most of his injuries were superficial, though they looked ghastly.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Suddenly, a series of massive, ground-shaking footsteps echoed from ahead.

The brilliant headlights swept the dim tunnel, and a hulking, twisted shadow loomed into view, charging toward the truck.

Each step from those colossal limbs sent tremors through the earth. In comparison to its mountainous form, ordinary mutants seemed no larger than frail, stunted children.

This was a powerful abomination, spawned from the fusion of countless corpses—a Berserker!

Alba’s eyes widened at the sight of the monstrous giant, every muscle tensed, heart pounding wildly, sweat slick on his palms as he gripped the wheel.

“Damn it! What is that thing?!”

The heavy transport might not be fast, but its weight was monstrous. At full throttle, it was a rampaging steel juggernaut. Alba had already plowed down scores of mutants, their bodies exploding in gory clouds beneath the wheels.

Now, confronted by this behemoth, he cursed under his breath, steeled himself, and slammed his foot down, turning the wheel to aim straight at the Berserker. He wished he could drive the accelerator through the engine block.

No matter how huge, that monster couldn’t possibly withstand a head-on charge.

“Michael, brace for impact!”

As they sped closer to the colossal mutant, Alba locked his gaze on it and shouted a warning to Li Nanke behind him.

Suddenly, Alba’s eyes went wide, his mouth falling open in disbelief.

The expected collision never came. The Berserker stamped the earth, shaking the tunnel, then sprang high into the air—

With a thunderous crash, the transport vehicle sagged beneath the weight, the steel plating of the platform groaning in protest. The Berserker had landed atop the truck!

As the vehicle hurtled onward, the weak orange lights overhead streaked past like fading stars.

Each flicker of yellow cast the Berserker’s massive shadow, stretching and shrinking, but always looming over the tiny humans below.

Li Nanke’s face was cold, his eyes steely as he raised his head to face the monstrous foe.

He tightened his grip on the chainsaw sword.

A desperate battle—was about to erupt.