Novel Full Chapter 138: The Grenade Gambit
Chapter 138: Chapter 138: The Grenade Gambit
Jaxon moved quickly down to the floor below the rooftop and crouched beside a broken window.
Through the shattered frame and gaps in the wall, he scanned the surrounding buildings. And then he saw them.
On a nearby building, a tall Variant stood near the edge of the roof. It bent down, grabbed a large piece of broken concrete, and hurled it with frightening strength.
Jaxon narrowed his eyes and looked around further. Another one, and another. Concrete chunks arced through the air from multiple rooftops, crashing against the building above him.
’One… two… three…’ His gaze swept farther across the blocks. ’Four… five… six.’
Jaxon exhaled slowly and shook his head with a short laugh. “Damn… it really did call for reinforcements.”
The pain in his back was already fading as his enhanced vitality continued repairing the damage. His muscles tightened and his skin felt tougher, as if it could now endure blows that would have crippled him earlier.
’Could I tank one of those hits now?’ He immediately dismissed the thought. ’Fuck no.’
His eyes sharpened as he analyzed the rooftops again. ’I need to reduce their numbers. Six of them…’
If only one Variant came at him, he was confident he could handle it. But six attacking from different directions had completely changed the situation.
Things had escalated faster than he expected.
Jaxon steadied his breathing. ’Stay calm. They’re all here now, I just need to deal with them here.’
Above him, more concrete crashed onto the rooftop with loud explosions.
BAM! BAM!
’Good. That means they’re focused on this building.’ He slowly raised his M16 and aimed through the broken window.
The closest Variant stood on a rooftop less than a hundred meters away, preparing to lift another slab of concrete. Jaxon adjusted his sight and squeezed the trigger.
The suppressed rifle fired several shots in quick bursts as Jaxon aimed straight for the Variant’s head.
The bullets struck their marks. One hit the side of its skull while the others punched through its neck and parts of its chest.
He clicked his tongue when no notification appeared in his mind.
But he was already moving. Jaxon retreated back up to the rooftop where the smoke screen still hung thick in the air, swirling across the concrete.
Even with his vision partially obscured, he remembered the layout. Without slowing down, he sprinted straight toward the eastern edge.
The moment he reached the edge, he jumped. Thump.
He landed on the rooftop of the next building and rolled forward to absorb the impact before rising smoothly to his feet.
The Variants had not noticed his new position yet. Not wasting the opportunity, Jaxon raised his rifle again. From this angle, another Variant stood clearly in his sights. It was on top of a tall building not too far away, still searching for him through the smoke.
He fired a short burst as the suppressed shots cracked softly in the air.
The moment the bullets left his rifle, he turned around and rushed toward the stairwell entrance, slipping inside the building.
It proved to be the right decision. The Variants had spotted him. But instead of throwing more chunks of concrete, they reacted differently.
Four massive infected began rushing toward the building where he had taken cover. Their heavy footsteps thundered across the rooftops, accompanied by deep, furious roars.
Meanwhile, the other two Variants remained where they had been earlier.
Jaxon’s earlier shots had done their job. Both creatures lay crippled on their rooftops, their limbs punctured and partially destroyed, leaving them unable to chase.
Jaxon watched through the narrow gap in the wall. His throat tightened as the four Variants closed in. One after another, the massive creatures leapt between buildings, landing with bone-shaking thuds. Each jump covered an absurd distance, their speed far faster than any infected.
Jaxon swallowed hard. But he didn’t panic. He simply watched them approach, his mind calculating every second.
(210 coins. Frag Grenade successfully purchased x3)
Only seconds passed before the Variants reached the rooftop above him.
Thump! Thump! The building shook as they landed.
One of them didn’t hesitate. It raised its arm and slammed its fist straight down.
BOOM! Concrete shattered as its fist punched through the rooftop, tearing open a massive hole.
Dust and broken pieces of cement fell to the floor below. The other Variants moved closer, preparing to jump down after him…
CRASH! Suddenly, glass shattered from the far side of the building.
All four Variants immediately turned toward the noise. Thinking their prey was escaping, they rushed in that direction.
But when they reached the edge, there was nothing there. Just a rock that had been thrown through a window.
Then another rock came flying from a different side of the building.
CRASH! More glass shattered. And then a third.
The Variants paused for a split second, confused by the sudden noises coming from multiple directions.
That moment was all Jaxon needed. From the hole the Variant had punched through the roof, three small objects suddenly flew upward, grenades.
At that exact moment, another window shattered. This time Jaxon burst out of it himself, glass scattering as he leapt into open air.
A fraction of a second later… BOOOOM!
The grenades detonated as a violent explosion ripped across the rooftop. The blast wave expanded outward, the force strong enough to shove Jaxon forward even while he was still midair.
Two of the massive Variants were thrown backward by the blast, their huge bodies lifted and hurled across the rooftop.
Jaxon reacted instantly. He curled his body tight, shielding his head and face with his arms as the shockwave caught him. The force sent him tumbling through the air like a ragdoll.
Shattering glass, ripping metal, the roar of concrete crashing, sounds of destruction echoed as Jaxon was thrown through the air, smashing into another building.
He slammed into the building, the window shattering around him like glass rain. He hit the wall, then the floor, a tumbling mess of limbs and ragged breaths.
Pain flared across his body, bruises forming, small cuts streaking his arms and legs, but his head had been shielded just enough to avoid a serious injury.
Slowly, he lifted his head, his eyes glowing faintly green in the darkness. The interior was eerily silent, but the familiar webs of black, pulsing flesh were spread throughout the building, but there were no infected in sight.
Two notifications pinged in his head, making him frown. ’That means the other two Variants caught in the blast were still alive. I’ll have to finish them off along with the rest.’