I Have a Modern Weapon Gacha System in the Zombie Apocalypse-Chapter 35: A New Challenger Appeared

"This is Leader, what the hell hit us?" Ryan demanded an answer.

A second of silence.

Then the Apache pilot came back on the radio.

His voice had changed.

"...Leader... you’re not gonna like this."

Adrian’s eyes locked onto the screen inside the command center.

"Say it."

The Apache camera feed switched.

The view snapped toward a nearby rooftop.

And then it came into frame.

The pilot exhaled sharply.

"Contact is... one large hostile. Standing on a rooftop, about two buildings off your position."

The camera zoomed in.

Adrian leaned forward.

The thing stood upright.

Too big.

Too tall.

Its body was twisted and uneven, muscle layered over muscle in thick, exposed masses. One arm hung heavy and oversized, deformed into something closer to a weapon than a limb.

The other side of its body looked... wrong.

Flesh torn open.

Bones pushing through.

Its head tilted slightly as if it was tracking the Chinook in the air.

Ryan grabbed the overhead rail tighter.

"Describe it."

The Apache pilot didn’t answer immediately.

"...It threw that debris at you," he finally said. "And it’s still looking at you."

Inside the Chinook, the aircraft shook again as the pilot fought the controls.

"Engine two fire confirmed!" the co-pilot shouted. "We’re losing power!"

"Get us stable!" the pilot snapped back.

Back in the command center, Adrian didn’t take his eyes off the screen.

"That’s a mutated zombie for sure..." Adrian muttered under his breath. "Reaper, engaged that target, don’t let it attack Hammer One," Adrian ordered.

"Copy. Reaper Two engaging."

The Apache rolled slightly to the left, nose dipping toward the rooftop.

"Gunner, target the hostile. Range two hundred meters."

"Target acquired."

The creature didn’t move.

It just stood there.

Watching.

"Engaging."

The M230 30mm chain gun opened up.

A stream of high-explosive rounds ripped across the rooftop.

Concrete shattered.

Chunks of the building exploded outward.

Rounds slammed directly into the creature’s torso.

Impact after impact.

Flesh tore.

Dark fluid sprayed.

But it didn’t fall.

The creature staggered once.

Then straightened.

"...What the hell..." the gunner muttered.

It took a step forward.

Into the fire.

Rounds continued to hit, punching into muscle and bone, but the thing kept moving.

Then it reacted.

Fast.

It crouched—

"Break! Break!" the pilot shouted.

The creature launched.

It leapt across the rooftop with unnatural speed, clearing distance in a single bound. The Apache pulled up hard as the creature’s massive arm swung upward.

It missed by meters.

"Jesus!"

"Keep distance!" the pilot snapped.

The Apache climbed, gaining altitude.

Below, the creature landed heavily on another section of the roof.

Concrete cracked beneath it as it ran too fast.

"Target is mobile!" the gunner called.

"Tracking!"

The creature reached the edge of the building—

—and jumped.

It crossed the gap between two buildings like it weighed nothing.

Adrian watched the feed.

"...That thing’s not normal."

"No shit," Jake muttered inside the Chinook.

"Reaper Two, use heavier ordnance," Adrian ordered.

"Copy. Switching to rockets."

The Apache leveled out.

"Hydra pods armed."

"Fire."

The helicopter unleashed a volley of Hydra 70 rockets.

They streaked downward in quick succession.

Impact.

Explosions tore across the rooftop.

Fire and debris engulfed the creature’s position.

Smoke rose immediately.

"Direct hit," the gunner said.

For a second—

Nothing moved.

Then the smoke shifted.

It stepped out.

Still standing.

Parts of its body were burned now. Flesh charred. Sections blown open.

But it was still moving.

"Negative effect on target. I repeat, negative effect on target!" the pilot reported.

"Hellfires," Adrian said immediately.

"Hellfires," Adrian said immediately.

"Copy. Laser on."

The Apache steadied.

"Rifle."

A AGM-114 Hellfire missile launched.

It streaked toward the target—

Impact.

"Splash."

The explosion tore apart the rooftop.

A massive blast wave sent debris flying in all directions.

The building itself shook.

Inside the Chinook, Ryan braced himself as the shockwave rolled through the air.

"Did that kill it?" Noah asked.

No one answered.

The smoke cleared slowly.

The rooftop was gone and it collapsed.

Adrian stared at the screen.

"Visual."

The Apache circled lower.

"Scanning..."

A second passed.

Then—

"Contact! Contact!"

The creature burst out from the side of the building.

It dropped down several floors—

Then landed on the road and ran again in a high-speed.

"Target is retreating!" the gunner shouted. "Should we pursue it?"

"Command this is Reaper Two. Our order was clear, to escort Hammer One back to the base. Request permission to pursue the target and neutralize. We have visual and weapons ready."

"Command, this is Leader. Hammer One is still unstable. Engine two fire still active. We need that escort."

Adrian grabbed the mic.

"Negative, Reaper Two."

A brief pause.

"Stay with Hammer One. Your priority is escort. You’ve done your job. Do not break off."

The Apache pilot exhaled.

"Copy... staying on Hammer One."

The gunner kept the sensor locked on the last known position.

But the creature was gone.

"Lost visual," he said. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"Let it go," Adrian said.

Inside the Chinook, the aircraft shuddered again as the pilot fought to keep it level.

"Fire suppression active!" the co-pilot shouted. "Engine two still unstable!"

"Keep us flying," Ryan said sharply.

Back in the command center, Adrian turned slightly.

"Status on our fighters?"

One of the operators answered immediately.

"F-35 is prepped on standby, sir."

Adrian nodded.

"Launch it."

The operator turned to his console.

"Copy. Scrambling one F-35 Lightning II."

Outside on the base, the F-35 Lighting II was on the runway.

"Reaper Two, we’re deploying fast air support."

"Copy, Command."

Adrian continued.

"An F-35 is launching now. It will take over search and engagement of the target."

Inside the Apache cockpit, the pilot nodded.

"Understood. We’ll maintain escort."

Back at the base.

The F-35 rolled onto the runway.

Its engine roared.

Afterburner engaged.

The aircraft surged forward. Then lifted.

Inside the command center, Adrian watched the new icon appear on the tactical screen.

It was heading south, towards the last known position of the new mutated zombie.

He leaned forward slightly.

"Let’s see you run from this motherfucker."