Chapter 78: Rippers

The heavy armored transport crunched heavily over the packed snow, making a rhythmic grinding sound as its giant tires rolled forward.

Having left Mistfall Town for over half an hour, Ray gripped the steering wheel tightly. The abandoned structures on both sides of the road grew increasingly dense, with rusted, wrecked civilian vehicles cluttering the avenue, forcing him to steer back and forth constantly to navigate the wreckage.

"Ray, something’s off up ahead," Theo reported from the passenger seat, holding a pair of field binoculars to his eyes. "Look at the road surface."

Ray shot a quick glance through the windshield.

Shattered limbs and frozen bone fragments lay scattered across the icy asphalt—a sight that was hardly extraordinary in this apocalyptic wasteland, where dead bodies littered nearly every turn.

Upon closer inspection, however, those severed limbs had been arranged in a terrifyingly neat sequence—an arm, a leg, a skull, placed roughly half a meter apart, stretching along the curb for over a hundred meters like a grotesque trail.

"Fuck, who lined these up?" Mitch leaned his head out from the rear cabin to check.

"It’s a marker," Theo lowered his binoculars. "There are lingering trail flare marks on the roof of that building ahead. Another survivor squad passed through here recently and ran into an ambush. The trail of limbs points eastward—that’s likely their retreat route."

Ray eased his foot off the gas pedal slightly, letting the heavy vehicle slow down.

"Stay sharp, everyone," Ray’s low voice sounded as rough as a whetstone scraping against iron. "Mitch, get up to the top hatch position. Alex, mount the heavy machine gun at the right firing port."

"Got it," Alex responded lazily, dragging the machine gun over toward the right.

Mitch climbed up into the top hatch with a low curse, resting his sniper rifle against the icy steel armor as he scanned both sides of the road below.

In the back of the cabin, May remained curled up in a corner wrapped in a thick military coat, revealing only her wide eyes. Her legs were still completely sore—Ace’s recent "treatment" had thoroughly drained her energy, leaving her feeling lightheaded and weak.

Ace sat right beside her with his legs crossed, casually twirling a strand of steel wire between his slender fingers while smiling warmly at her.

"Your complexion looks a bit pale," Ace noted softly, his voice gentle and warm. "Did you not sleep well last night?"

May shot him a sharp glare, lowering her voice. "You still have the nerve to ask?"

"I was only doing it out of concern for you," Ace’s eyes narrowed into fine crescents. "Ray is far too rough—you need someone who understands proper medical care to help you recover."

"Save it," May shifted slightly toward Ray’s direction, rolling her eyes in exasperation and ignoring him altogether.

As the transport rounded a sharp bend, a wide commercial avenue opened up ahead.

Signs belonging to long-abandoned shops hung crookedly above smashed glass storefronts. Through the thin snow on the road, two deep, fresh tire tracks were clearly visible.

"The tire tracks are fresh," Theo noted suddenly. "Made less than twelve hours ago."

Ray tapped his fingers against the steering wheel, his brow furrowing into a tight knot.

"Something’s wrong," Ray grunted in a low voice. "It’s far too quiet."

It was eerily silent indeed. Given their proximity to the urban core, the infected density should have been exceptionally high. Yet along this stretch, not a single stray infected was in sight—an unnatural, pristine stillness.

"Mitch, spot anything?" Ray shouted up toward the hatch.

"Not a damn thing," Mitch’s voice drifted down from above. "It’s as empty as a ghost town."

Before his words even settled—

SCREECH—!

A sharp, deafening scraping sound echoed from beneath the chassis, like sharp metal clawing over black ice.

Ray’s pupils contracted violently as he yanked the wheel hard to the left.

BOOM!

A grayish shadow darted out from beneath an abandoned van on the right, its razor-sharp talons carving a trail of bright sparks across the side armor of the transport.

Immediately following, from the left, front, and rear, a dozen more gray silhouettes burst out simultaneously from beneath the surrounding vehicles!

"Rippers!" Theo shouted. "It’s an encirclement formation! They’re cutting off our exit route!"

These Rippers were fundamentally different from the mindless beasts they had encountered before. Instead of throwing themselves forward in a brainless charge, they organized into three distinct groups, closing in from three directions with terrifyingly synchronized coordination.

"Fuck! Have these monsters evolved brains?!" Mitch fired three rapid shots from the top hatch, blowing a Ripper’s skull apart. "They know tactics?!"

Ray slammed his foot all the way down on the accelerator, attempting to ram through the blockade.

However, two Rippers lunged directly onto the front hood, driving their talons deep into the gaps of the engine cover and holding on tight. The heavy transport shuddered violently, its frame listing to one side.

"Hold on!" Ray bellowed.

He cranked the wheel frantically in an attempt to throw off the Rippers clinging to the hood, but another beast slammed hard against the right-side door. The vehicle’s center of gravity shifted abruptly as the front right tire hit the raised curb, tilting the entire multi-ton chassis onto its left side.

CRASH—!

The heavy armored vehicle flipped onto its side, skidding over ten meters across the icy road with a deafening screech, sending a shower of sparks, shattered glass, and ice flying into the air.

Inside the cabin, the world turned completely upside down.

May was thrown right off her seat, tumbling straight into Ace’s arms.

Taking advantage of the momentum, Ace locked his arms tightly around her chest while clamping his legs around her waist, securing her firmly against his torso.

"Darling, don’t be afraid," Ace whispered softly against her ear, his warm breath grazing her earlobe. "I will protect you."

The transport was still skidding violently across the pavement, tossing everything around inside.

Pinned tight within Ace’s firm grip, May was pressed flush against his body, bouncing up and down as the vehicle slid to a halt.

Then, she felt a sudden, unmistakable hardness pressed directly against her face through his trousers.

Her face was buried right against his lap, sliding back and forth with the jolting vehicle frame.

Looking up, her gaze collided directly with Ace, who was looking down at her with a gentle, shimmering smile in his almond eyes, lacking even a shred of solemnity despite the crash.

"Hold still, darling," he whispered softly, his raspy voice laced with amusement. "Your moving around is making me itch."

May’s voice trembled uncontrollably. "It’s the vehicle that’s moving!"

"Is that so?" Ace’s legs clamped even tighter around her. "Then why is your face glowing so bright red?"

"Release her right now, damn it!"

Ray’s immediate instinct was to check the rear cabin.

The armored transport lay as a kicked tin can sliding over the icy asphalt. Ace held May firmly, adjusting his balance against the tumbling motion of the vehicle, his muscles taut like steel cables. May’s waist remained locked securely between his legs, her cheek pressed flush against him.

SCREECH—!

Another Ripper lunged from the side, its razor claws ripping a jagged tear across the roof armor, letting the bitter arctic wind and snow howl straight inside.

"Fuck!"

Ray stabilized his footing, delivering a heavy kick to the deformed side door. "The small vision slits aren’t flexible enough! Open the side hatch—prepare to engage!"

Upon receiving the command, Jack clamped a massive, palm-sized grip around a fixed structural loop, standing firm like a solid mountain. Alex dragged the machine gun over, cursing as he scrambled toward the firing opening.

Opening the side hatch meant the only safe spot left inside the cabin was the small area directly in the center.

"May, get over here!" Jack bellowed.

"Get her inside!" Mitch yelled down from the upper hatch in response.

Before anyone could act, the chassis jolted violently once more, sending May slipping free from Ace’s arms and rolling across the cabin floor like a ball.

"Fuck!"

With a fierce, furious curse, a powerful, iron-like arm reached out from the side, snatching her out of harm’s way in a single swift motion.

It was Mitch.

Using his broad body as a human shield, he pulled her beneath him, completely covering her from the chaotic surroundings.

THUD!

May’s back slammed firmly against his solid chest.

Before she could catch her breath, Mitch flipped his body over, pinning her safely beneath his broad frame, shielding her entirely from the howling gale, snow, and screeching infected outside.

As the vehicle jolted across the pavement, cold shards of shattered glass showered down across his wide, solid back with a sharp clatter.

"Don’t be afraid," he rasped into her ear, his breath hot against her neck. "I’ve got you covered!"