Chapter Thirty-Four: Mutation

It sounded as if something was being scratched behind the door. Now, aside from barging in from the front, there was no other way to get through. I crept up to the door and knocked lightly.

“Knock, knock, knock...”

The scratching abruptly ceased, replaced by an eerie silence. If I wasn’t certain about my heightened sense of hearing, I would have thought I’d imagined it.

Calmly, I stared at the door, resolute—no matter what was inside, man or ghost, the moment the door opened, I would strike first and ask questions later. In urgent moments like this, hesitation meant death; by the time I saw who was behind the door, it might already be too late.

Still, nothing happened after a long pause.

Huo Bing stood tensely at my side, my body just enough to shield her. Once the door opened, she’d be able to attack instantly and remain concealed.

I knocked again, a little harder this time.

“Knock, knock, knock...”

What was going on? Still no response?

This door was locked from the inside; the only way in was to shoot through the lock.

“Scratch, scratch, scratch...”

The scratching grew louder and closer. This time, not only I but Huo Bing and Fourth Master could hear it—right behind the door, as if something was clawing at it.

I swallowed hard. Whatever was behind that door, it was definitely not human.

I could hear Huo Bing swallow nervously, her grip on her gun white-knuckled, her other hand clutching at my sleeve. I saw anxiety etched on her face.

Strange—do the undead claw at doors now? Where did it get such long nails? Those mindless things usually just ram or bash through doors.

No ordinary undead would claw at a door—and with such rhythm.

I knew that as soon as we opened this door, some unknown danger awaited, but there was no other way in. I was being forced to open it.

Whatever was behind this door—god, ghost, human, or demon—I would kill it all the same.

I nodded at Huo Bing, then stepped back three paces—a safe distance, in my estimation, giving me enough time to evade if anything unexpected happened.

Fourth Master bared his snowy white teeth, retreating with me. This was the first time I’d seen such a fierce expression on his canine face. Was what lurked behind this door even more terrifying than the third-level undead he’d devoured earlier? Then, he’d been excited—not this tense.

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

I raised my pistol and fired three shots at the lock. Instantly, the lock was destroyed, and the gate to hell swung open.

Moonlight illuminated the ground outside, but inside the guard tower was pitch black. The open door yawned like a bottomless, devouring abyss, sending chills down my spine.

No sounds emerged, nothing came out. The door was a black hole, hammering at my nerves.

Fourth Master barked once, then ran to my side, biting my pant leg, as if urging me to back away.

Holding my breath, I activated my enhanced vision, using up precious energy to force my unreliable x-ray sight as well.

At last, I saw everything inside the guard tower. In the darkness along the edge of the door, five sharp, elongated claws protruded—if not for my night vision, I’d never have noticed.

Something was pressed right up against the back of the door! If I’d charged in, I’d have been impaled immediately.

Damn! Just the thought of it made my skin crawl. This thing was intelligent—at least a third-level undead, maybe more. Otherwise, why would it set an ambush, pressing itself against the door like that?

If not for those claws slipping out, I wouldn’t have noticed at all.

I rubbed my temples and focused my vision on the space beyond the door. This time, my x-ray vision didn’t fail me—I could see through the door.

And then I saw what was waiting there...

Hell!

Damn it!

I snapped my gaze back, heart racing. Even that brief vision left me drained; it took so much energy.

Behind the door was a corpse, decayed beyond recognition, its face obliterated, riddled with two or three bullet holes.

All that was left to identify it was the tattered military uniform—a sign that this thing had once been a soldier stationed at the munitions depot.

But its appearance was horrifying: pitch-black, rotting flesh, eyes wide and showing only the whites, a face shredded by gunshot wounds, and a skull nearly torn open.

What the hell was this—ghost or undead? Especially those hands: each finger tipped with a sharp, gleaming claw, at least 18 centimeters long!

Longer than my diamond drill bits—damn!

Terrifying beyond words! I had no idea how strong it was, but what puzzled me most was why it was locked alone inside the tower.

Judging by its bizarre wounds, had it eaten the other undead or people inside? Mutated through cannibalism, which made it so grotesque and monstrous?

No time to think further—the thing behind the door was growing impatient and started to move.

A ripping sound.

I nodded to Huo Bing, raising my gun toward the gaping black doorway.

A guttural hiss—and then gunfire erupted.

The undead’s snarls and the gunshots overlapped, continuing until the pistols were empty.

I stared intently at the swaying, battered corpse. Despite so many bullets, it was unharmed—those were all Huo Bing’s shots.

But my bullets should have all been headshots, yet every one was deflected by its claws! The claws formed a bony helmet, locked tightly over its skull!

“Brother Cao... what is that thing?” Huo Bing stared at the corpse in shock. “I’ve never seen an undead like this before! Is it mutated?”

I nodded grimly. “Looks like the undead have started to evolve through cannibalism. This one’s not quite at a fourth-level yet—more like a strong third-level. You should step aside; otherwise, you’ll just be cannon fodder here.”

Gritting her teeth, Huo Bing retreated, calling softly as she ran, “I’ll watch your back, Brother Cao! Be careful.”

Be careful? What use was that? The problem was how to kill it! This thing was a major obstacle on our way to the munitions depot—one of us had to die.

“Fourth Master!”

I growled, the dog glancing back at me in confusion.

“Go eat it!”

Fourth Master barked and lunged at the corpse, leaping high.

I watched, elated. The dog really was a good partner—if he ate it, everything would be solved!

A roar erupted.

A flurry of barking and howling.

The corpse lashed out with its claws, swatting Fourth Master away. I heard his pained yelp, then nothing—he vanished from my sight.

“Fourth Master!”

“Damn you!”

Guilt tore through me. If not for me, Fourth Master wouldn’t have died so miserably! I drew the short knife from my belt, glaring at the undead with fury.