The ex-human mutant had a deformed body. Half of its frame had some kind of organic, pulsating matter growing all over it. Something like a large bulbous tumor was on the right side of the creature’s face. The right arm of the mutant was fully covered in disgusting organic growth, making it almost twice as thick as its thigh, and it was so long it reached down past its knees. Its right leg was somewhat bigger than its left one due to tumors clinging to it. The entire right side of the mutant was covered in those organic-looking lumps and swellings. Ulcers and sores could be seen on the creature’s skin, some of them oozing yellowish pus. The mutant’s left arm, which was unaffected by the growth, looked tiny and infantile compared to the mutated right one.
The large mutant began walking down the corridor toward Jake, moving in a slow and shuffling manner. Due to its heavy frame and unbalanced body, the mutant couldn’t walk fast. It seemed to have trouble walking on its disproportionate legs, which struggled to support the body’s weight. This mutant had to be the shambler he needed to kill. He wasn’t in a hurry to open up on it with his gun, though. Provoking the shambler with gunfire would piss it off, and Jake wanted to avoid further agitating it for now. He had a feeling that eliminating the shambler wasn’t going to be easy. Jake wasn’t sure if he wanted to engage it at all.
His main objective was only to slay fifteen walkers. Killing the shambler was a secondary objective, but it wasn’t mandatory. So he could just run away from the shambler instead of fighting it. The problem was that there wasn’t anywhere he could run. There were no doors, windows, or any other openings on either side of the corridor. The doorway behind him was blocked by the two struggling walkers that were still having trouble getting through. Jake would’ve found it hilarious had he not been in such a dangerous situation.
The shambler suddenly picked up its pace. It didn’t exactly run, but it was now moving much faster than Jake had thought it could, quickly closing the distance between them. Cursing under his breath, Jake brought up his shotgun and pointed it at the quickly approaching huge monster. From this close, the blasts from his powerful shotgun sent smaller targets like walkers or leapers flying backward. Since the shambler was so much larger than a typical ex-human mutant, Jake doubted his weapon would have the same impact on it. Still, when he fired, he was surprised that the blast from his shotgun failed to slow the shambler down even a little bit. Its body winced as the load of buckshot perforated its flesh, but other than that, the shot didn’t affect it at all.
As the shambler drew nearer, quickly closing the gap between them, Jake grew increasingly nervous. He pumped another shell ready and pressed the trigger again, achieving pretty much the same result. Some of the pellets penetrated the mutant’s normal flesh, causing it to bleed. The rest of them sank into the organic growth on the right side of its body with a sickening wet sound. The disgusting growth swallowed the pellets, and then the wounds closed almost immediately. The organic matter that covered the right side of the mutant acted like a sponge for bullets, creating a protective layer.
Jake racked another shell into the chamber but this time pointed the muzzle of his weapon at the monster’s disproportionate head. Sensing his intention, the shambler brought up its oversized right arm to protect its head just before Jake squeezed the trigger, and all the pellets sank into the organic mass, doing no real damage to the mutant at all. Cursing loudly, Jake chambered another shell, but before he could fire, the huge monster finally reached him. Its huge mutated arm swung in a powerful arc, hitting him with the force of a freight train.
He flew sideways to crash against the wall of the corridor before tumbling to the floor. He groaned as the intense pain threatened to overwhelm him. Fighting against darkness creeping into his vision, Jake looked up and saw the shambler lift its mutated arm, poised to deliver the final blow. He thought about rolling to the side but wasn’t sure if he would be able to do so in time due to his injuries. So he grabbed his shotgun lying nearby and pointed it at the mutant’s good leg instead. The blast from the powerful weapon obliterated the shambler’s kneecap. The mutant’s aim faltered as it collapsed, its massive fist landing next to Jake’s head instead of crushing it to a pulp. The shambler immediately tried to get up but underestimated the severity of its injured left leg, losing its balance and tumbling once more to the floor.
A commotion at the doorway attracted Jake’s attention. He looked that way and saw that the two walkers had finally managed to squeeze through the doorway into the corridor. Jake, still on the floor, swiftly rolled on his stomach and pointed the shotgun at the two approaching walkers. When he fired, the pellets spread wide enough to hit both mutants in the legs, causing both of them to tumble face first to the floor. Undeterred, they crawled forward, relentlessly trying to get to him. He fired again, blowing the head of the nearest walker to pieces. As Jake aimed to take down the second walker, a dry click echoed from his shotgun. The weapon was empty, and he had no more spare shells on him.
Releasing the shotgun, Jake swiftly rose to his feet, scanning his surroundings. The remaining walker kept crawling toward him. Meanwhile, the shambler had risen to its knees, but its wounded leg prevented it from getting to its feet. Jake drew his pistol and with a couple of precise headshots finished off the crawling walker. He then shifted his aim at the kneeling shambler. The mutant brought up its mutated arm to protect its head, but Jake circled the immobile creature, emptying the whole mag into the back of its head. When the last bullet tore into its skull, the shambler finally died, collapsing onto its side.
The slide on his pistol locked back, but luckily, Jake had a few spare mags on him. In one fluid motion, he swapped out the empty magazine for a fresh one, giving the slide a sharp release to chamber a round. He glanced at the shambler to make sure it stayed dead and then aimed his handgun at the doorway at the end of the corridor. However, no more mutants showed up. It was all quiet now.
As if to answer his mental question, his PDA emitted a cheerful tone. Jake waited a minute or so to make sure there were no more mutants to kill before finally sliding the pistol into its holster on his right thigh. Retrieving his PDA from the inner pocket of his jacket, he unlocked the device with a press of his thumb on the screen.
A bunch of notifications popped up on the screen.
YOU HAVE GAINED: 300 XP FOR KILLING [EX-HUMAN WALKER] (X30) (10 XP EACH), 125 XP FOR KILLING [EX-HUMAN LEAPER] (X5) (25 XP EACH), AND 50 XP FOR KILLING [EX-HUMAN SHAMBLER] (X1).
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! FOR COMPLETING BOTH PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OBJECTIVES YOU HAVE RECEIVED 1,000 XP, 10,000 CREDITS, AND A SUPPLY DROP [X1] [COMMON]. EXCELLENT JOB!
YOU HAVE GAINED ENOUGH XP FOR LEVELING UP FROM 3 TO 5. YOU HAVE GAINED 2 SKILL POINTS. CONGRATULATIONS, SURVIVOR!
“I fucking did it,” Jake exhaled, with a mix of exhaustion and relief in his voice.
Overwhelmed by stress and fatigue, he crumpled to the floor.