Chapter 226 - 133: Aberrant Beast

Chapter 226: Chapter 133: Aberrant Beast

The shadow crouched at the edge of the dirt mound, its silhouette indistinct in the daylight. Without a careful look, it was impossible to tell a living thing was hidden within it.

Seeing that Xu Mo had spotted it, the creature Wang Jing had described as "strange" stood up. Xu Mo sized it up. Based on its build, it was indeed much larger than an ordinary wolf. Its shoulders were exceptionally broad, and its forelimbs were a section longer than its hind limbs.

Xu Mo raised his binoculars and adjusted the focus.

His breath hitched when he saw the thing’s details clearly.

It did resemble a wolf, but its head was more like a feline’s, with a short, wide muzzle and exposed fangs that glinted coldly in the sunlight. Its entire body was covered in coarse, gray-black fur, and its chest and shoulders bore a distinct keratinous plate, like natural armor.

The strangest part was its eyes—deep red pupils, each with a black vertical slit down the center. They were currently locked onto the window where Xu Mo was located.

As Xu Mo met its gaze, he had only one feeling: the creature’s eyes radiated a kind of intelligence. It wasn’t the ferocity of a wild beast, but a conscious, deliberate scrutiny.

"It’s observing us," Xu Mo said in a low voice.

Zhang Yun also moved to the window, observing from another angle. "What’s it waiting for?"

The words had barely left his mouth when the walkie-talkie crackled. "G-2, this is the medical team. We have entered Zone C. Please report your specific location and the surrounding situation."

Just as Xu Mo was about to reply, the monster across from them suddenly moved.

It didn’t attack. Instead, it turned, leaped, and vanished. Its movements were impossibly graceful; despite its large size, it made almost no sound when it landed.

"It’s gone?" Zhang Yun asked, puzzled.

"Not necessarily." Xu Mo didn’t lower his guard. "Wang Jing said this thing is smart. It might be testing us."

He picked up the walkie-talkie. "Medical team, this is G-2. We’re inside a small, damaged building. One of the walls is blue, you can’t miss it. There may be dangerous creatures in the area. Advise you bring armed guards."

"Understood. We have two armed guards and expect to arrive within five minutes."

Every second of the wait felt exceptionally long. Xu Mo and Zhang Yun took turns watching the window, while Wang Jing leaned against the wall, his consciousness slowly fading.

His wound was severely infected, and he was starting to run a fever.

Four minutes later, the sound of an engine echoed from the distance. A modified pickup truck appeared at the end of the street. It had a red cross painted on the side and a machine gun mounted on the roof.

"The medical team is here," Zhang Yun said, breathing a sigh of relief.

The vehicle stopped at the mouth of the alley. Three medical personnel in white coats and two armed guards jumped out. The guards were professionals, immediately taking up advantageous positions and scanning the area.

"He’s in here!" Xu Mo yelled to them.

The medical team rushed into the small building, carrying a stretcher and a medical kit. The lead doctor, a man in his fifties, took one look at Wang Jing’s wound and his expression changed. "The infection is severe. We have to treat this immediately."

They quickly lifted Wang Jing onto the stretcher and performed a basic dressing and disinfection, while the two guards flanked the doorway.

"Was he like this when you found him?" the doctor asked Xu Mo and Zhang Yun.

"Yes, he was," Zhang Yun said.

"You should come back with us," the doctor said.

Xu Mo nodded, and he and Zhang Yun helped escort the stretcher to the truck. Just as the medics were lifting Wang Jing into the back, the howl sounded again from the distance.

This time, the sound was closer—less than two hundred meters away.

The two guards immediately snapped into combat readiness, their muzzles aimed in the direction of the sound. The doctor and nurses moved faster, securing Wang Jing.

"Get in the truck!" the lead guard yelled.

Everyone scrambled into the pickup. The bed of the truck was crowded, so Xu Mo and Zhang Yun had to stand at the very back, their backs against the railing. The engine roared to life, and the truck turned around to leave.

Just as the truck lurched forward, Xu Mo saw it again.

The monster had reappeared on the dirt mound where it had been hiding, looking down on them. The distance was close enough now that Xu Mo could finally see it in its entirety.

It was over two meters long and stood at least 1.2 meters at the shoulder, its musculature terrifyingly sleek. Its forelimbs were unusually developed, and its claws were like five curved sickles, each twenty centimeters long. The keratinous plate on its chest glinted with a metallic sheen in the sun.

The most unsettling thing was its expression—it was absolutely not one a beast should have. The corners of its mouth were turned up slightly, as if it were... smiling.

"Drive!" one of the guards roared.

The pickup lurched forward, speeding onto the main road. Xu Mo looked back. The monster wasn’t giving chase. It just stood quietly on the rooftop, watching them go.

"What in the world was that thing?" Zhang Yun muttered.

Xu Mo shook his head. "I don’t know. But it’s definitely not a product of natural mutation."

The truck rumbled toward Jiang City. In the distance, the foundations of the new city wall stretched across the horizon like a slumbering python. But beyond this seemingly safe perimeter, a new threat was quietly emerging.