Chapter 267 - 146: Mori Town

Chapter 267: Chapter 146: Mori Town

His mental focus was absolute, his perception—enhanced by the Iron Bone Realm—pushed to its limit as he tried to pinpoint the exact form and trajectory of the creature in the woods.

Suddenly, in a gap between a patch of relatively sparse, low bushes, a blurry black figure of considerable length flashed past at an incredible speed.

’Now!’

Xu Mo pulled the trigger!

BANG—!!!

The distinctive report of the Barrett erupted. A .50 caliber Armor-Piercing Bullet flew from the barrel at supersonic speed, carrying terrifying kinetic energy as it tore through the air and slammed into that patch of bushes.

Shredded grass and woodchips flew everywhere as the bullet carved a deep trench through the undergrowth.

But there was no agonized shriek, no thud of a heavy body hitting the ground.

A miss!

Xu Mo’s heart sank. The creature’s speed and reflexes were even faster than he had anticipated.

But Xu Mo didn’t panic or despair; surprises were normal in a fight. He quickly worked the bolt, ejecting a hot brass casing that clinked as it hit the ground, and chambered a second round. His eyes remained locked on the area, the rifle’s muzzle adjusting slightly as he tracked the "ripple" of movement.

The black figure seemed to have been enraged by the gunshot, or perhaps it had sensed the danger. Its path changed slightly, and its speed seemed to increase.

In the next instant, the black figure reappeared at the edge of another, denser patch of grass that had a gap at the top.

This time, it was visible for a fraction longer. Xu Mo even caught a glimpse of a reflective, dagger-like claw and a pair of vertical pupils flashing with cold, yellow light in the shadows!

BANG!

The second shot rang out! Based on his previous observation, Xu Mo had calculated the lead, aiming this shot just ahead of and below the pair of glowing yellow pupils!

RAAARGH—!!!

This time, almost simultaneous with the gunshot, a pained and furious howl erupted from the woods. The sound was piercing, filled with unbearable agony and an even more ferocious killing intent!

’A hit!’

A flicker of joy passed through Xu Mo, but his hands didn’t slow in the slightest. ’When dealing with a ferocious mutated beast like this, especially in the jungle, one hit might not be fatal. I have to press the advantage while it’s wounded!’

He stopped trying to deliberately aim at the hard-to-track, fast-moving figure. Instead, he fired continuously, guided by the direction of the howls and the trajectory of the shaking trees!

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

A deafening series of gunshots shattered the brief tranquility of the wilderness. Each shot was aimed at the area where the trees shook violently or where the howls were most concentrated. The large-caliber bullets rampaged through the jungle, snapping trees as thick as a rice bowl, tearing up huge chunks of turf, and leaving a trail of shocking craters.

After the fourth shot, the agonized howls suddenly ceased.

As the fifth shot was fired, the fast-moving "ripple" in the woods vanished completely. All that remained was the bullet-torn mess of vegetation, swaying slightly from momentum.

Xu Mo stopped shooting. Wisps of blue-gray smoke curled from the muzzle of the Barrett. ’After taking five .50 BMG rounds, I doubt any terrestrial creature could survive—unless it’s already beyond the scope of a mere "creature."’

However, Xu Mo didn’t let his guard down. He quickly ejected the Barrett’s magazine, replaced it with a fresh one, and chambered another round. Only then did he turn his attention back to the road ahead.

In that short amount of time, the Strength Zombies had closed in quite a bit. They seemed completely indifferent to the fierce battle that had just taken place in the jungle to the right, their eyes fixed only on Xu Mo, their prey.

"Your turn." Xu Mo’s gaze was icy as he repositioned the Barrett. The crosshairs settled steadily on the broad chest of the foremost Strength Zombie. ’I don’t need a headshot. The stopping power and destructive force of a .50 cal round are enough to obliterate any part of their bodies.’

BANG!

Another muffled boom echoed. The Strength Zombie at the very front was struck as if by an invisible sledgehammer. Its entire upper body snapped back, a horrifying, bowl-sized hole blown clean through its chest. A spray of shattered bone, muscle, and organ fragments mixed with black blood erupted several meters behind it! The kinetic energy of the bullet lifted its massive body off the ground, flinging it back two or three meters before it slammed onto the pavement, twitched twice, and went still.

A one-shot kill!

Xu Mo repeated the process: work the bolt, eject the casing, chamber a round, and aim at the next target.

BANG! BANG! BANG! ...

The roar of the Barrett became the theme song of this wasteland. Each shot claimed the life of a Strength Zombie. Their prized strong bodies and thick muscles seemed so fragile in the face of the .50 caliber’s devastating power. They were either getting their chests blown apart, their spines snapped, or half their heads simply vanished.

When the final .50 bullet sent the last Strength Zombie flying backward, the road ahead was temporarily clear. All that remained was the horde of regular zombies on the distant horizon, shuffling forward with slow but relentless persistence. They were still approaching tirelessly, but it would be some time before they posed a real threat.

Xu Mo slowly exhaled a breath tainted with cordite. He set down the searing-hot Barrett, drew the Mountain-Cutting Saber from his lower back, hopped out of the vehicle, and walked toward the jungle on his right.

The black creature whose mere sound had triggered such an intense sense of crisis in him... ’What exactly was it? Is it dead? I have to confirm it.’

Xu Mo didn’t let his guard down. Holding the saber in his right hand, he held his breath and focused his senses, cautiously approaching the area of the jungle where the firefight had been most intense.

The ground underfoot was soft, a mixture of fallen leaves and dirt. Besides the fresh scent of vegetation and the smell of gunpowder, a thick, sweet, and metallic stench began to permeate the air—the smell of a large amount of blood.