Global Mutation: The Hunger System-Chapter 19: The Concrete Canyon

The armored bus rolled past the broken barricade. Heavy metal tires crushed bones and shattered glass into dust.

Ren gripped the steering wheel. He steered the massive vehicle through the ruined streets. The engine growled, a deep, rumbling sound that vibrated up his arms.

Behind him, Chloe drove the green military truck. He checked the rearview mirror. Her knuckles were pale against the steering wheel. Her eyes darted left and right, scanning the dark alleys. She was terrified, but she followed his path exactly.

Zone Two was a completely different world.

The buildings here were towering skyscrapers of steel and glass. Many had collapsed, leaning against each other like broken teeth. Black smoke choked the air, blocking out the sun. Ash drifted down, coating the streets in a thick, grey blanket.

The silence felt heavy. Unnatural.

Ren tapped the brakes. The bus hissed to a halt.

A massive crater severed the road ahead. Water pooled at the bottom, mixing with dark oil and floating trash. There was no way to drive around it.

He grabbed the radio on the dashboard. He pressed the button.

"Stop the truck," Ren commanded.

"I see the hole," Chloe’s voice crackled back through the speaker. She sounded tense. "What do we do?"

"We clear a path," Ren answered. "Stay inside. Keep the engine running."

Ren grabbed his shotgun and shoved open the bus doors. He stepped onto the ash-covered asphalt. He inhaled sharply, letting his Scent Tracking skill take over.

He smelled copper. He smelled old rain.

He did not smell any zombies.

He looked up. His Far Sight passive pierced the thick smoke. High above, clinging to the side of a glass tower, dark shapes moved. They blended perfectly with the shadows.

They were not human. They were not wolves or tigers.

They had wide, leathery wings and bodies wrapped in grey, stony armor.

[Mutated Gargoyle (Lvl 7)]

[Status: Hunting]

[Warning: Aerial Predator]

"Incoming from above," Ren spoke into the radio attached to his shoulder. "Get the heavy sniper ready."

A piercing shriek echoed down the concrete canyon.

Three Gargoyles detached from the skyscraper. They folded their wings and plummeted toward the street like falling boulders.

Ren pumped the shotgun. He stood his ground in front of the bus.

The first creature flared its wings at the last second, snapping its jaws toward Ren’s head.

Ren pulled the trigger.

BANG.

The buckshot slammed into the creature’s chest. Stone armor cracked, sending grey chips flying into the air. The impact threw the monster backward. It crashed onto the street, screeching in agony.

The second Gargoyle ignored Ren. It swooped past the bus and dove straight for the green Humvee. Its heavy claws scraped across the metal roof, tearing deep gashes in the steel.

Chloe screamed from inside the cab.

"Shoot it!" Ren roared.

The heavy sniper rifle fired. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

The noise shattered the remaining windows on the street. It sounded like thunder trapped between the buildings.

A massive bullet tore through the roof of the Humvee. It punched directly through the Gargoyle’s stomach, ripping a gaping hole in its stony flesh. The creature collapsed over the windshield, completely dead.

"Good shot," Ren muttered.

He did not have time to celebrate. The third Gargoyle landed silently behind him.

Ren spun around just as a heavy stone wing smashed into his ribs.

The blow knocked the air from his lungs. He stumbled backward, dropping the shotgun. The creature lunged, opening a mouth lined with rows of jagged teeth.

Ren grinned. He preferred close combat anyway.

[Skill Activated: Rending Claws]

His fingernails elongated into dark, metallic blades.

The Gargoyle snapped its jaws. Ren sidestepped the attack. He drove his right hand straight into the side of the creature’s neck. The black claws sliced through the rocky hide, sinking deep into warm, pulsating arteries.

Dark blood erupted, showering Ren’s jacket.

The monster thrashed frantically. It whipped its heavy wings, trying to break free. Ren planted his boots firmly on the asphalt. He gripped the creature’s throat with his left hand, digging his claws in, and ripped its head violently backward.

A loud snap echoed. The spine severed.

The Gargoyle dropped to the ground, a lifeless pile of grey stone and meat.

[Target Dead: Mutated Gargoyle (Lvl 7)]

[Experience Gained: 250]

Ren stood over the steaming corpse. He wiped the dark blood from his face. The hunger coiled in his stomach, sharp and demanding.

He crouched beside the monster. He used his claws to carve a precise chunk of muscle from the thickest part of the wing base. It felt tough, like chewing on hardened leather, but he swallowed it down without hesitation.

[Gluttony Activated.]

[Consumed: Gargoyle Wing Muscle.]

[Defense +3]

[Strength +2]

[New Passive: Echolocation (Low)]

[Description: You can sense objects and movement around you in total darkness.]

Ren closed his eyes. The new sense washed over him. He did not need light anymore. He could feel the shape of the bus, the jagged edges of the crater, and the steady, terrified heartbeat of the girl sitting in the truck behind him.

He opened his eyes. He felt invincible.

He strode back to the Humvee. The dead Gargoyle still lay across the hood. Ren grabbed its heavy leg and dragged it off the vehicle, tossing it onto the street.

Chloe rolled down her window. Her hands shook violently as she gripped the steering wheel.

"Did you see that?" she gasped. "The gun... it kicked so hard it bruised my shoulder."

"It saved your life," Ren stated flatly. "You did perfectly. Keep it loaded."

He turned and surveyed the crater blocking their path.

"We cannot drive through this," Ren observed. "We have to find a bridge or a ramp."

He checked the map he had stolen from the sniper. The Stadium sat several miles to the east. Between them and the safe zone lay the financial district, a maze of towering buildings and narrow, dark streets.

"We are taking a detour," Ren told her. "Follow me closely. Do not stop for anything."

He jogged back to the armored bus and climbed into the driver’s seat. He shifted the heavy transmission into reverse, backing the massive vehicle away from the crater.

Ren steered the bus toward a narrow side street. The buildings here crowded together, blocking out what little light remained. The shadows deepened.

But Ren simply smiled. His new Echolocation pinged constantly, mapping the dark alleyways in perfect detail. He could sense every abandoned car, every pile of debris, and every lurking monster hiding in the shadows.

Zone Two was a nightmare for normal survivors.

For the Glutton, it was just an enormous buffet.

Ren stepped firmly on the gas pedal. The bus plunged into the darkness.