Chapter 105 | Instinct of the Cornered Rat

"No." Misato’s expression hardened. "That’s the alpha."

"The what?"

"Pack leader. Hollow Crawlers organize around a dominant specimen. Usually bigger. Faster. Smarter." She created two clones. "It’ll send the pack to test us. Then come in for cleanup."

"How much bigger are we talking?" I asked.

"Twice the size. Three times the aggression."

"Fantastic."

The undergrowth exploded.

Fifteen Crawlers burst from the treeline simultaneously.

"Positions!" Misato roared.

We snapped into formation.

Belle called angles. "Six on Naomi! Four on flanks! Five circling rear!"

Jordan’s shadows shot out in three directions. Grabbed four Crawlers. Slammed them together. Their bodies crunched.

Naomi fired. Her blast carved through two more.

The remaining nine kept coming.

Misato and her clones engaged the flankers. Fists and kicks. Brutal close combat. She moved like liquid violence. Her clones mirrored her. Three Crawlers died in under ten seconds.

That left six.

Three charged Belle.

She fired. Caught one in the eye. It dropped.

The other two reached her.

"Belle!" I sprinted forward.

Stupid. Broke formation. Didn’t care.

I reached her as the first Crawler lunged. Drove my spear through its side. Pinned it to the ground.

The second Crawler hit me from behind.

Claws raked across my back. The suit held but I felt the impact. My ribs screamed. I stumbled forward.

The Crawler climbed onto my back. Teeth aimed for my neck.

Golden-white energy erupted from my palm.

I fired point-blank over my shoulder.

The blast caught the Crawler’s face. Atomized its skull. The body went slack and slid off me.

I collapsed to one knee. Gasping.

My stamina bar flashed red. Empty.

Three shots. That’s all I had.

Belle grabbed my arm. Pulled me upright. "You idiot."

"You’re welcome."

"I had it handled."

"Sure looked like it."

Her eyes blazed. But she didn’t let go of my arm.

The last three Crawlers converged on Naomi.

She spun. Staff whirling. Caught one across the jaw. Shattered bone. It dropped.

The other two flanked her.

Jordan’s shadow wrapped around one. Yanked it backward. The thing hit a tree trunk hard enough to leave a crater.

Naomi’s Wave Motion obliterated the last one.

Silence crashed down again.

Twenty dead. Bodies dissolving into pixels and smoke.

"Status!" Misato barked.

"Five bolts left," Belle reported.

"Mana at sixty percent," Jordan added.

"Stamina at forty." Naomi leaned on her staff. "Maybe two more big shots."

Misato looked at me. "And you?"

"Empty. Need a minute."

"You don’t get a minute." She pointed at the treeline. "Alpha’s coming."

The forest shook.

Trees swayed. Branches snapped.

Something massive moved through the darkness.

Then it emerged.

The alpha stood six feet at the shoulder. Twice the size of the regular Crawlers. Muscles like cables under grey skin. Eyes that glowed faint red in the twilight.

Its jaw opened sideways.

Rows and rows of teeth.

It looked at me.

Then it smiled.

I’d seen predators before. Dogs. Cats. Even a coyote once in my previous life.

None of them smiled.

This thing did.

Because it knew.

Weakest member. Lowest stamina. Easiest kill.

"Jace," Misato’s voice stayed calm. "Get behind Naomi. Now."

I backed up. Slowly. Didn’t run. Running triggers chase instinct.

The alpha tracked me. Ignored everyone else.

"It’s locked on," Belle whispered.

"Yeah." I kept moving backward. "I noticed."

The alpha charged.

Not at full speed. Testing. Gauging our response.

Naomi fired. Her Wave Motion blast hit the alpha square in the chest.

It stumbled. Roared. Kept coming.

"That didn’t work!" She fired again.

Another direct hit. The alpha’s skin smoked. Burned. But it didn’t stop.

"Tough bastard," Jordan muttered. His shadows wrapped around the alpha’s legs.

The thing ripped through them like tissue paper.

"Okay, that’s bad," Jordan said.

Misato and her clones intercepted.

The first clone went low. Swept the alpha’s front legs.

It barely flinched. Batted the clone aside. The clone hit a tree and dissolved.

Second clone went for the throat.

The alpha caught it mid-leap. Bit down. The clone screamed and vanished.

Misato herself launched at the alpha’s back.

It spun. Faster than something that size should move.

Caught Misato with a backhand that sent her flying.

She hit the ground. Rolled. Came up bleeding from her mouth.

The alpha turned back to me.

My stamina bar blinked. Still empty.

My spear felt like it weighed a hundred pounds.

The alpha lowered its head. Prepared to charge for real this time.

Belle fired. Her bolt caught the alpha in the shoulder. It roared but didn’t slow.

Naomi fired again. Another blast. Another burn mark. Still coming.

Jordan tried shadows one more time. They wrapped around the alpha’s torso. Squeezed.

The alpha flexed. The shadows shattered.

It was ten meters away.

Then five.

I couldn’t run. Stamina empty. Legs like lead.

I raised the spear. Braced.

If I was dying today, I’d do it standing.

The alpha lunged.

Time stretched.

I saw every detail. The way its muscles bunched. The spray of dirt from its claws. The lamprey mouth opening wider than physics should allow.

My body moved on instinct.

Step left. Plant the spear butt against the ground. Angle the blade upward.

The alpha impaled itself.

The blade punched through its throat. Out the back of its skull. Black blood exploded across my chest and face.

The thing thrashed. Clawed at the spear shaft. Its weight drove me backward.

I screamed. Held on. Legs burning. Arms shaking.

The alpha’s eyes went dim.

It collapsed.

Dead.

I stood there. Spear still embedded in the monster’s corpse. Blood dripping off my face. Breathing so hard I thought my lungs would tear.

The system notification blazed across my vision.

◆ COMBAT COMPLETE ◆

Enemies Defeated:

21/21

Casualties:

0

Rating:

A-Rank

Experience:

+200

Level Up!

→ Level 3

I looked at my squad.

They stared back.

Belle’s mouth hung open. Jordan looked almost impressed. Naomi stood frozen with her staff raised, her pink eyes wide.

Misato wiped blood from her lip. Walked over. Looked at the dead alpha. Then at me.

"You held the line."

"Yeah."

"You killed an alpha." She said it like confirming a fact she didn’t quite believe.

"It ran into my spear."

"You braced. You angled. You waited." She grabbed my shoulder. The injured one. I didn’t flinch. "That’s not luck. That’s combat instinct."

"I just didn’t want to die."

"Nobody wants to die. You chose

how

you’d die if it came to it." She squeezed once. Released me. "That’s different."

Jordan sheathed his sword. "So the fat kid’s got balls. Who knew."

"Shut up, Jordan."

"Just saying." But he was grinning.

Belle approached slower. Her amber eyes tracked the dead alpha. Then me. Then the spear still buried in the monster’s throat.

"You overextended," she said.

"I what?"

"The formation. You broke it. Charged forward to save me from two Crawlers I could’ve handled." She crossed her arms. "Then you stood alone against the alpha when you should’ve retreated behind Naomi."

"I was out of stamina. Couldn’t retreat."

"Then you should’ve conserved better." But her voice had softened. "You’re improving. Don’t get stupid and waste it by playing hero."

"Noted."