Chapter Twelve: Transformation (One)
Chapter Twelve: Transformation (One)
"Chris's mention of the core truly holds merit," exclaimed Xiao Ran with elation. He meticulously removed the tangled mess of blood vessels from it, swiftly wiping away the various impurities with his clothing. Suddenly, before him lay a translucent black crystal, about the size of a grape. Its surface, rather than smooth, was pitted with numerous tiny protrusions, resembling a precious black gemstone.
Just as Xiao Ran contemplated further examination of the core, agonizing cries akin to a pig's slaughter echoed from downstairs, followed promptly by two gunshots.
"Oh no, something's amiss with Su Hao downstairs," Xiao Ran thought urgently, swiftly tucking the core into his pocket and grasping his sword as he made his way downstairs.
...
After some time had passed with no sign of Wu Peng and the others returning upstairs, Wu Bin's lascivious thoughts resurfaced. His triangular eyes roved over Chu Ying's graceful figure several times before he addressed her with a playful grin. "Miss, I can't help but marvel at your physique. It's truly captivating. Perhaps, while Peng isn't here, we could indulge a bit."
Wu Bin's words were meant more in jest, and he had braced himself for Chu Ying's retort. However, he was perplexed to find that Chu Ying seemed oblivious to his words, not offering any response. Instead, she regarded him with an odd expression, devoid of the expected anger but tinged with a hint of sympathy and even a trace of fear. Wu Bin, feeling irritated, snapped, "What are you staring at? Is there something written on my face?"
At that moment, he felt warm breath against the back of his head, accompanied by a nauseating stench, making his neck itch uncomfortably. Along with the breath came a soft, rhythmic exhaling, as if someone were blowing air behind him. Meanwhile, Chu Ying and Su Hao, supporting the still-unconscious Chu Min, slowly began to retreat, wearing expressions of dread. Sensing that something was amiss, Wu Bin forced a smile and turned his head slightly.
What he saw first was a gaping maw nearly half the size of a door panel, filled with thin, sharp serrations. Thin streams of yellow liquid dripped slowly from the open jaws, pooling on the ground and forming a disgusting, viscous puddle. Between the gaps in its yellowed teeth, remnants of flesh and blood could faintly be seen.
"Hah... hah..." Wu Bin gaped in astonishment, but before he could even cry for help, he felt everything go black. His entire head was enveloped by the grotesque, oversized maw, and he emitted a strangled, indescribable scream before falling silent. In its place was the sound of bones being forcibly snapped, as Wu Bin's head was cleanly severed from his body.
The monster's unbelievable bite force had severed Wu Bin's robust neck along with its sturdy bones in one bite.
Chu Ying and the others watched in extreme terror as the oversized-mouthed zombie began to devour Wu Bin's head with relish. Compared to the tongue-zombie from earlier, this one appeared even stronger. It stood over two meters tall, with short, thick limbs that bulged with muscular masses. Its head was disproportionately large compared to its body, easily four to five times the size of an average person's, with its gaping mouth extending to the back of its neck. With a flick of its clawed hand, the headless corpse of Wu Bin was sent flying, and then the monster crouched down, leisurely chewing on the head in its mouth. The grotesque scene was accompanied by the crunching sound of bones, as if it was not a human head being bitten but a piece of crisp chicken bone.
"Wu..." Su Hao, after all, was just a child. Seeing such a horrifying scene, his legs turned to jelly, and his teeth chattered incessantly. He could hardly stand, let alone rely on himself.
Chu Ying, on the other hand, remained calm. She knew that this was their best and only chance to fight back. Seizing the moment while the monster was preoccupied, Chu Ying took a swift step toward Wu Bin's corpse, grabbed the pistol at his waist, and raised it to fire.
The pistol spat out several streams of high-temperature flames, and the 9mm bullets blossomed into red flowers on the ugly face of the monster. Despite the impact, it continued to roar and shake its head, blood streaming from its face. Nevertheless, it showed no signs of slowing down, still writhing its body and lumbering heavily toward Chu Ying.
After firing several shots, the 9mm pistol ran out of bullets. However, the big-mouthed zombie had already charged up to Chu Ying. With a sudden gulp, it opened its huge mouth, ready to bite down. At this critical moment, a shiny military knife flew through the air with a swoosh, and with a loud "crack," it plunged into the zombie's left shoulder bone, severing its arm.
It was Xiao Ran who made the move. Seeing the urgency of the situation, he had thrown the military knife as a projectile. Fortunately, strengthened by the g-virus, his strength far surpassed that of an ordinary person. Coupled with the excellent quality of the sharp military knife, it achieved success with one blow.
"Squeak... squeak..." The big-mouthed zombie emitted several bone-chilling screams. Clearly, the injury inflicted by this blow was far more significant than those from the pistol bullets. Enraged, the big-mouthed zombie abandoned Chu Ying, who was right in front of it, and with a leap, it lunged directly at Xiao Ran.
With a cold sneer, Xiao Ran didn't dodge but instead charged toward the zombie. Just as they were about to collide, another weapon magically appeared in his hand—a large-caliber shotgun. With a "chirp," it was thrust into the zombie's foul-smelling maw.
"If you enjoy eating so much, then taste the .12-gauge bullets," Xiao Ran grinned menacingly as he pulled the trigger, unleashing a deafening blast. The monster's head exploded like a burst balloon, its face completely disfigured by the blast. Simultaneously, bone remnants still carrying heat rained down on Xiao Ran, covering him from head to toe.