It was the second time Jake encountered a mutant of the chaser breed. The first time was on the roof of the building where he was doing a tower-climbing challenge. Back then, he had a tough time dealing with the chaser, and now he was going to have to fight three of them at the same time.
All three of them had already fully emerged from the portals, and the rift gates immediately sealed shut behind them. For a moment, they just glared at him with their malevolent eyes, growling and flexing their fingers terminated in claws.
All three of them looked identical to the chaser he’d defeated at the end of the tower-climbing challenge. They were devoid of skin, exposing their muscle tissue. Because of the absence of skin, they sported disturbingly wide grins filled with long, pointed teeth. However, as Jake knew from experience, despite possessing sharp teeth, ex-humans mostly used their long razor-sharp claws in battle.
Jake fixed his gaze on one of the three mutants and summoned its description.
Ex-Human Chaser – Level 20
Flurry of Swings – The mutant enters a frenzy state, swinging its claws violently for a few seconds.
He quickly checked out the stats of the other two chasers and learned they were the same.
So unlike the mutant he’d fought on the roof during the tower-climbing challenge, these two were regular mutants, not elite. As a result, each of them had only one special ability instead of two and was likely somewhat weaker.
The elite chaser’s additional special ability was called Pursuit. It’d let the chaser lock onto a target and pursue it without being distracted for a certain period of time.
Jake would have preferred the three regular chasers to have Pursuit instead of Flurry of Swings because the latter was definitely a much more dangerous ability. If all three of them simultaneously unleashed Flurries of Swings on him, he would be in serious trouble.
Before he could give the matter any more thought, the three chasers charged him all at the same time. Despite being regular mutants, they were incredibly fast, closing in on him in less than a second. Just as he raised his own claws in a defensive stance, two of the chasers attacked him. Each unleashed a barrage of swings, forcing him onto the defensive.
Step by step, Jake retreated while doing his best to deflect the enemy attacks. He quickly realized that although the chasers were fast and agile, they were definitely slower than the elite one had been. All the upgrades he’d made to his attributes and skills made him significantly stronger as well. Despite being attacked by the two chasers at the same time, he managed to deflect and block most of their attacks. Every now and then, they managed to catch his body with their claws but failed to inflict much damage on his hardened body.
The third chaser was unable to find an opening. It tried to attack him from the front, but the other two ex-humans blocked its path. In the end, it decided to strike from the side. But Jake wasn’t having any of that. He wasn’t going to let the third chaser join the assault. He needed both his hands to deflect the attacks of the two chasers in front of him. Fortunately, he had an ability that could allow him to grow a new appendage in no time flat.
When the third chaser finally came at him from the side, Jake immediately utilized the ability, causing a tentacle to sprout from his back. It took less than a second for it to grow to full length. He immediately lashed out with it at the mutant flanking him. The blade at the end of the tentacle slashed across the chaser’s face. It managed to cut the ex-human into one of its eyes, piercing it and causing it to burst apart. The chaser stopped in its tracks, stunned by the sudden loss of half its vision. Shortly afterward, the tentacle detached and fell to the ground.
One of the two chasers in front of him suddenly employed its special ability, the Flurry of Swings. The second chaser kept its assault on him as well. Jake found it really hard to deflect their attacks now. Almost every second, he felt claws tearing and slashing at his body. Fortunately, the wounds inflicted on him were superficial and didn’t result in any loss of mana.
Still, Jake felt anger rising within him. As a mutant, he hardly felt any emotion, but after being attacked by the three chasers, he suddenly became enraged. As soon as he saw an opening, he kicked at the other chaser, his foot connecting with its chest and causing the ex-human to stumble backward. Jake then darted around the other mutant and ran toward the anomaly hovering in the air at the center of the roof. He stopped a few feet from it and spun to face the chasers again.
The one still utilizing its special ability sprinted toward him, its speed accelerated by the active skill. Jake waited a moment and when the chaser was about to reach him, jumped to the side. Carried by its momentum, the chaser was unable to immediately halt its movement. The mutant ran into the effective range of the anomaly, and it instantly pushed it in the opposite direction with enough force to knock it down.
During the early waves, Jake sometimes observed weaker mutants getting too close to the anomaly. However, being weak, the only effect it had on them was to knock them to the ground. More powerful and heavier mutants like shamblers or whippers were unaffected by it. By knocking the chaser to the ground, Jake simply earned a brief moment to recollect himself and assess the situation.
The other two chasers were already moving toward him. Jake knew that if they both utilized the Flurry of Swings at the same time, he would be in trouble. The only way he could protect himself against their special abilities was by not letting them get within striking range. He had the perfect ability to do that. With a mental command, he extended a blade from each of his wrists.
The one-eyed chaser was the first to reach him. However, before the chaser could come within reach of its claws, Jake attacked it with his swords, keeping the ex-human at bay. His blades slashed at the mutant’s skinless flesh, leaving long bleeding gashes across it. The chaser froze for a fraction of a second, stunned by this sudden turn of events. Before it could recover, Jake swung both blades in a scissoring manner, beheading the mutant.
He immediately turned toward another chaser. It’d just activated its special ability, but before it could come within reach of its claws, Jake unleashed a violet flurry of swings, keeping the creature at a distance. In just two seconds, the mutant was bleeding from multiple wounds. One of the slashes severed its left arm at the elbow. Before the mutant could recollect itself, Jake lurched toward it, thrusting one sword into its chest. The blade went all the way through its body and burst from its back in an explosion of blood. Jake stepped back, kicking the now-dead ex-human in the chest and pulling his blade free.
He then turned toward the last enemy. Now that the other two mutants were dead, it didn’t take him long to finish off the remaining chaser. Once the bleeding body of the last mutant collapsed to the ground, several system messages one by one flashed through his mind.
Multiple enemies killed. +1125 XP
Challenge complete! You have received 9,000 XP. The Enemy Appraisal perk has been unlocked.
You have gained enough XP to level up. Your level went up from 26 to 29. You have gained 3 SP.
He then noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Turning around, he looked at the anomaly as it began to emit a white glow. After a second, the anomaly disappeared in a brief flash of light. Where it’d just been, an object materialized in the air. It dropped to the ground with a light clunk. Jake identified it as a mana crystal, his second reward.
It was over. Having successfully completed the challenge, it was now time for him to allocate his skill points.