Chapter 42: Who Is the Prey?
The three Mutant Dogs had already spotted Lin Fan the moment he charged out of the smoke.
But the largest Mutant Dog, the one closest to him, completely ignored the commotion. It just tilted its head back and kept chewing, seemingly disdainful of the approach of this "future meal."
It was as if there was some kind of hierarchy between them. The other two, slightly smaller dogs, circled around from a distance and blocked the path to the large Mutant Dog, their bodies lowered slightly in a guarded stance.
’Despise the enemy strategically, but respect them tactically.’
’I have to seize the initiative. It’s not a good feeling being eyed so menacingly by two Mutant Dogs...’
’But how to attack is the problem.’
’Regardless, the best strategy is to separate the enemies first!’
Seeing this, Lin Fan reached into his pocket and pulled out another nut.
He flicked his wrist and threw it at one of the smaller Mutant Dogs!
[-1]!
The Mutant Dog that was hit jerked its head to the side as if startled, flinging a half-chewed leg from its mouth.
Its flower-disc-shaped maw gaped open, letting out a strange, hoarse, trembling roar. Enraged, it charged straight for Lin Fan!
Hearing the roar, the other small Mutant Dog also spat out the bone fragments in its mouth and turned to encircle Lin Fan from the other side!
"Ptooey!"
He turned his head and spat out a bit of congealed blood.
He saw that the enemies were finally making their move, and they were even separating to attack!
A flash of joy went through Lin Fan’s heart, but he immediately sensed something was wrong!
’The small ones are covering for the big one...’
The large Mutant Dog remained where it was, still tilting its head back to chew, not reacting to Lin Fan’s provocation. This, contrary to what one might expect, made him feel uneasy.
’If this was just the law of the jungle where the minions go first, that would be fine. But what if the big one is undergoing some kind of mutation right now...’
[2693/2693]!
The moment he saw its Life Value, Lin Fan’s pupils contracted!
The large Mutant Dog’s health bar had increased!
Although Lin Fan couldn’t remember the exact number from before, he was sure it wasn’t two thousand seven hundred!
’Just as I thought!’
’This monster is eating to continue mutating!’
’I can’t let it succeed!’
’The longer I drag this out, the higher its Life Value will get. I have to interrupt it first!’
But there was no more time to think. The Mutant Dogs, on their four legs, closed the distance of several dozen meters in an instant!
When one of the Mutant Dogs was still more than ten meters away from Lin Fan, it kicked off with its four paws and leaped into the air, pouncing toward him!
The other one, meanwhile, seemed to be circling around behind Lin Fan, apparently trying to complete a pincer attack!
While assessing the situation earlier, Lin Fan had already taken stock of the usable potions he had on hand. There were three in total: Swift, Hardening, and Strength.
Stealth was useless, and Lin Fan didn’t think a Scream potion would be very effective in this open area.
With a single thought, he decisively used the [Swift Potion]!
This was the only potion he had that could increase his reaction speed!
Since each potion only lasted for ten minutes, he had to judge the perfect moment to use each one. And once used, every second had to count.
He saw a small wing icon appear below his health bar, with a countdown timer underneath: 9:59!
This was the sign that the potion had taken effect!
In an instant, Lin Fan felt the air around him become thick and viscous!
It was even stronger than the singular effect of the Wild Potion he’d used before!
The Swift Potion he used this time was specifically for increasing reaction speed and acuity!
In Lin Fan’s eyes, the Mutant Dog’s movements suddenly slowed down.
Although his own body had also slowed down, his mind was now exceptionally sharp, and he had already found a way to break the deadlock!
The Mutant Dog pouncing from the front was nearly upon him, but retreating would mean falling right into the other Mutant Dog’s trap!
Dodging left or right would only lead to a combined attack from both Mutant Dogs!
Whether it was hunting instinct or actual intelligence, the Mutant Dogs had, in a single instant, laid a snare from which their cornered prey had no escape!
If Lin Fan were prey, that is!
But as it happened, he was not.
Even though these mutated creatures had lost their original forms, the behavioral logic etched into their genes didn’t seem to have changed much...
And this wasn’t Lin Fan’s first time dealing with a wolf pack!
Boosted by the potion, Lin Fan’s reaction speed skyrocketed!
Facing the pouncing Mutant Dog, he twisted his body to the side and slammed the butt of his spear into the ground!
The impact created a small crater in the concrete, bracing the spear firmly in place!
Driven by his hyper-fast reflexes, he completed the motion with incredible speed. The spear, braced against the ground, became a fixed spike that plunged straight into the falling Mutant Dog’s body, piercing all the way through its back!
[-156]!
[843/1000]
Lin Fan grabbed the blood-slicked spear shaft, took a step back, and with a smooth pull, yanked the entire spear out of the Mutant Dog’s body as if pulling a needle through cloth!
’It was the chest, but it seems I didn’t hit a vital spot...’
He dodged the falling body of the Mutant Dog, then used the momentum from pulling the spear free to deliver a heavy kick to its flank!
Bronze head, iron tail, tofu waist—the anatomy of a canine meant this single kick was enough to make it lose its balance!
Just as expected, the Mutant Dog landed unsteadily and crashed into the one that had been circling behind it. The two giant beasts collided in a tangle, kicking up a cloud of dust!
Having impaled one and tied up the other, Lin Fan didn’t pause for a moment. He wiped the blood from his spear with his gloved hand, flicking it onto the ground.
Lin Fan gripped the spear with both hands, veins bulging on their backs. He put all his strength into it, lowered his body, and charged straight toward the large Mutant Dog in the distance!
’To catch bandits, first catch the king!’
’Who knows what will happen if I let it continue!’
’Even if I can’t kill it, I have to interrupt it first!’
The distance of several dozen meters was covered in just two seconds at Lin Fan’s full sprint. In a flash, he was right in front of the large Mutant Dog!
He took a lunging step forward and thrust violently!
The spearhead aimed straight for the vital spot on the Mutant Dog’s chest!
"Gurgle..."
[-32]
[2662/2694]!
With a muffled, bubbling sound, the spear in his hands felt as if it had been plunged into a block of incredibly viscous solid rubber. The resistance was immense, making it impossible to push even an inch further!
Its skin, which looked like a flowing liquid, was surprisingly resilient!
Lin Fan’s all-out strike had only penetrated a dozen or so centimeters, a completely different feeling from when he’d pierced the smaller Mutant Dog!
Moreover, the spear was now caught in the monster’s flesh, and for a moment, he couldn’t pull it out!
"Damn! It’s so tough!"
He could hear the chaotic scraping of sharp claws on concrete behind him. The two smaller Mutant Dogs had already gotten back up and were charging at him from the rear!
But with his spear stuck in the large Mutant Dog’s flesh, he couldn’t pull it out in time. There was no way to retreat!
’Use Hardening Potion!’
’Equip Sharpening Crystal!’
Two consecutive commands flashed through his mind!
These powerful potions, obtained from Mutated Zombies, were strategic assets capable of turning the tide between life and death. Each one had a miraculous effect!
A shield icon and a gem icon appeared simultaneously below his health bar!
As he felt a new potion take effect, his entire skin felt like it had been coated with a thin layer of cement, and a slight feeling of resistance came from his arms!
At the same time, the two Mutant Dogs pounced from behind, one after the other. Their flower-disc-shaped maws gaped open, one biting down on Lin Fan’s right arm, the other on his left leg!
[-19]!
[-18]!
[240/305]!
The instant their sharp teeth clamped down, the [Hardening Potion] took effect!
Lin Fan didn’t feel the excruciating pain of his flesh being torn. Instead, he heard a grating "CRUNCH."
The Mutant Dogs’ fangs, which could normally crush bone with ease, now felt as if they were biting into a tough piece of old cowhide or a block of cement. Although they sank in deep, they couldn’t complete the action of "biting through."
This feeling of "not being able to bite through" made the two Mutant Dogs let out low, confused, and agitated growls from their throats.
But the "wrong texture" didn’t stop the two Mutant Dogs. They both pulled back, dragging Lin Fan away from the large Mutant Dog!
Then, they began pulling in opposite directions, trying to tear this "hard-to-chew" prey apart!
[-1]!
[-1]!
His Life Value continued to drop as the two Mutant Dogs tore at him!