Mutagen

<strong>Day 197 - 3:31 PM - Southern Outskirts, New Infanta Settlement, Infanta, Province of Quezon</strong>

It was a creature that was at least four meters tall, about twenty-two meters long, and about two and a half meters wide. This four-legged thing sure was a gigantic monster.

However, its appearance did not make much sense. As the scouts reported, it did not have a head or a neck, making it hard to identify. Furthermore, its cucumber-shaped body looked like a cluster of pulsating flesh, extending more than a hundred flesh-like tentacles all over it. It had four legs that seemed to belong to a bovine animal, considering its gigantic more than half-meter tall hooves and the proportion of its fatty legs.

But even with the appearance of its legs, it would be hard to determine whether it was a cow or any other bovine animal. Not like it mattered anymore.

The monster shambled continuously towards the direction of the settlement. Its way of walking was rather wobbly as if it was struggling to maintain balance. But no matter how it walked, whether it was slow or fast, it would be a threat to the New Infanta Settlement in no time.

"General!"

The leader of the scouting squad saluted as he met General Faustino.

"How is it?" General Faustino asked. "Any new reports about that monster?"

The duty of the scouting squad was not limited to just searching for any possible danger and informing the settlement. While one of the squad members served as a messenger, the others would continue to observe the threat and, if plausible, do some tests.

The most important test was to try and deviate the threat away from the settlement's direction.

"Sorry, General, but there's very little we could gather."

The scout squad leader, Lieutenant Domingues, replied to the general's question,

Following the reply, Lieutenant Domingues gave his report.

The creature did not seem to be an [Infected], or possibly, it was some sort of a deviant mutation. The scout squad determined it by trying to use themselves as bait to lure the creature towards another direction. It was a dangerous endeavor, but it would be worth it if they could lead the creature away or buy a little bit more time.

However, it failed and ignored the small group of soldiers, continuing on its way towards the settlement.

The lieutenant reported their other observations, like how seemingly unstable the creature walked. In fact, it stumbled several times on its way.

Using the observations of the scouting squad, the general formulated the plans. Even if the time they had was too short, they needed to create a plan to coordinate the movements of the soldiers and everyone participating in this defensive operation.

They could tackle the situation as is. However, it was not only manpower that the military was lacking but also weapons and ammunition. Their machinery to produce bullets was long destroyed along with their remaining materials. What they have currently was limited,

They had to make use of every single bullet as efficiently as possible.

After formulating the plan, General Faustino immediately relayed it to his soldiers.

From their current position, they retreated back as much as they could while leaving a safe distance from the newly built walls of the settlement. However, they did not withdraw without leaving a few gifts for their unwanted incoming guest.

Everyone hid behind trees and bushes, weapons held tightly in their hands, waiting for the time to strike.

<strong>BAM! BAM! BAM!</strong>

The thumping sounds came closer and closer. The creature continued its shambling strides towards the settlement's direction. Wiggling its undeterminable number of disgusting tentacles all over its body.

And then...

<strong>BOOM! BOOM!</strong>

The sounds of several chained explosions echoed into everyone's ears.

Normally, the sound of explosions would make anyone perplexed. But this time, the soldiers were delighted to hear such loud booming sounds enter their ears.

Those sounds meant only one thing. The creature stepped on the gifts they left on its way.

What gifts? Landmines, of course.

Landmines were reliable traps against enemies. However, depending on the situation, it could also serve as a double-edged sword.

These explosive traps could be used to surround the settlement. But since the settlement was still recovering and had yet to establish a proper border, these landmines were still unusable as they could harm civilians and workers.

Furthermore, while making a minefield was a good method of defense, there was no guarantee on who would step on the landmine. It could be a gigantic [Infected], or it may be wasted on a shambling [Eater]. That was why it was better to keep the landmines for certain determined situations.

This was one of those situations.

Using the landmine on the creature in front of them was a good strategy. In the first place, it was already moving unstably. If the soldiers could take off or, at least, damage the monster's legs, it would be easier to deal with this thing.

<strong>THUD! SQUISH!</strong>

As the general intended, the gigantic creature fell to the ground with a loud sound. And as if telling everyone of how sticky and fleshy its body was... the disgusting sound of meat being squished also entered their ears.

The creature fell, but the soldiers did not move from their position. They were waiting for Major Bautista's signal.

<strong>THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!</strong>

Because of the explosion, dust and smoke covered the area around the creature. However, everyone could hear the thumping sounds of its struggles. Who knows what was going on. Maybe, it was still trying to stand up, or it could be violently squirming its body to move.

"Stand by."

Major Bautista's voice echoed into the few radios they still had working. Those that had the radios relayed the instructions to the other soldiers.

It was a waiting game for now. There was no way that they would just storm an enemy shrouded in the veil of dust and smoke.

But before the dust and smoke dissipated, everyone noticed that the thumping sounds suddenly came to a stop.

Did the creature die? Maybe it stopped struggling?

Before everyone could make more speculations, however...

They were subjected to a sight they did not expect.

<strong>SPLAT!</strong>

The sound of a loud splatter entered their ears. It was as if a large mound of flesh suddenly exploded.

<strong>"AHH!!"</strong>

Before everyone could react, screams and shouts echoed as they noticed the sky above them.

<strong>"Fall back! FALL BACK!"</strong>

Major Bautista hurriedly ordered as they faced the unexpected situation.

It was raining with large elongated things they had yet to identify. What they were sure of, however, these things flew off from the veil of dust and smoke to the sky.

The soldiers quickly abandoned their positions. Some of them moved even before the order came. They could not be blamed, however. There were countless of these elongated things that came flying everywhere.

Major Bautista's order and the response of the soldiers were quick. But even with that, their speed was not enough. Many soldiers closest to where the creature fell were hit by the elongated things.

And there, they realized what these elongated objects were. About as thick as an adult's arm and about two meters long with a flesh-like appearance and texture. The soldiers were sure these things were the tentacles of that creature. But why did these things go flying all of a sudden?

Knowing that these things were the creature's tentacles did not make the did make the situation any better, although it gave the soldiers courage to take off the tentacles that landed on their bodies and throw them away as they retreated.

That was when the horror started.

A soldier had a tentacle land on his right shoulder. He immediately grabbed it to throw it away when he felt something wrap on his neck. The squishy and sticky feeling on his neck and the smell of rotting flesh was not something pleasant to experience. But that was the least of his concern as he was unable to remove the tightening grip of the tentacle as it began to constrict his neck.

The soldier fell down, unable to breathe. His mouth was wide open as he tried to gasp for air. Two of his comrades stopped to help the poor soldier. But they were late.

The widely opened mouth of the soldier was suddenly assaulted with the taste of rotting flesh. That was when the soldier noticed that the tentacle that was constricting him began to make its way into his body through his mouth.

With his eyes wide open, the soldier struggled. He pulled hard on the tentacle that was entering his mouth but failed to do so. Even so, he continued to pull it out.

It was when his eyes dilated in pain.

The two comrades of the soldier could only stop on their tracks as they saw the soldier's head get torn from his neck and fall to the ground, making the rest of the tentacle slip through his mouth.

<strong>"Sh*t!"</strong>

One of the two cursed, seeing the death of the soldier.

It was not only that soldier who experienced such a painful death. There were others who were just as unlucky as him.

They were mistaken. These things were not just tentacles. It became apparent when each soldier was beheaded the same way, with the supposed tentacles constricting their victims and entering their mouths.

The beheaded soldiers fell on the ground, lifeless. However, it did not take long for all of them to slowly stand up once again. The tentacles that entered their bodies pierced bloody holes and coiled in and out of their flesh, with both ends dangling out of the holes disgustingly.

"What the f*ck is this."

Jones cursed out loud, seeing the unfortunate spectacle before them. They just lost many soldiers in a short time without any of them being able to react at all.

The dead soldiers aside, there were also a large number of those tentacles squirming around, obviously chasing after the retreating soldiers.

"Retreat and regroup!"

Major Bautista urgently ordered through the radio.

With what was going on, they needed to stop these creatures even more.

"Dad, look."

Karlene called out to her father, pointing somewhere.

Major Bautista turned to his daughter and saw that she was pointing at where the explosions of the landmines occurred.

The smoke and dust had not dissipated entirely, but it was now easier to see through it. Those that saw that were shocked.

There was nothing there was but a headless rotting corpse of a cow, filled with holes, and its legs missing from the explosion. It was far different from what they saw before, with it being a fleshy creature.

It also appeared that the body of the cow somehow blew up, seeing how ragged it was, having a large hole on it. It might have been the cause of the sudden spread of these things.

"Are those parasites..."

Alana, who was also present to participate, muttered. Being an Otaku herself, she had seen such kinds of motifs for creatures and stuff.

"Parasites... How did you come to that conclusion?"

Major Bautista heard Alana's mutter and asked in dismay.

"I'm not really sure, but it's just how it looked like. When the previous host lost its legs, it's rendered unusable so these parasites began to seek new hosts. That huge creature before might be a cluster of parasites and not just one creature."

Alana explained, not mentioning her actual reason to deduce the situation. Who would accept that she speculated as such because of a zombie game?

In any case, there was no doubt that Alana's deduction was the closest to the current situation.

<strong>"Major! What are we going to do next?"</strong>

A soldier called towards Major Bautista in desperation. They just saw their comrades die and turn into shambling worm-coiled monsters. It was not surprising that they were all desperate for many reasons.

If it was the normal circumstances, just firing their guns would be plausible. But worm-like creatures of this size were hard to aim at, at a distance. However, getting up close was also not a good thing, considering how fast these worms move after closing in towards a potential host.

It was a dilemma. But all they could do was face it.

Finally, Major Bautista gave the order.

<strong>"Men! Take aim and fire! Don't bother conserving bullets! If these things reach the settlement, we will be done for!</strong>"

And there, the sounds of gunshots finally ensued.

The parasites became riddled with holes. But to everyone's surprise, none of them seemed to be dying at all. Even with their bodies damaged, some torn into two by the bullets... Both ends of the parasites would move towards the direction of their potential hosts.