Chapter 75: Old foe
The moment the sirens echoed across the camp, Leo knew something was wrong.
He sprang off the bed and wasted no time putting on his tactical armor. With a thought, he released the Moonsteel Shortsword from its card form, strapping it to his waist alongside the kusarigama. He checked both of his pistols. Within seconds, he was ready
Leo pushed open the truck door and stepped outside. Thanks to the increase in his Mental Power, his eyesight had become noticeably sharper. The instant he looked toward the camp, he spotted a dark shadow diving straight toward the sleeping Lily.
Leo’s eyes turned cold.
Without hesitation, he ripped the kusarigama from his waist and hurled the sickle with all his strength. The chain screamed through the air. The curved blade shot directly toward the creature’s neck.
Just before it struck, the shadow sensed the danger. It abandoned its attack on Lily and swiped a claw toward the incoming sickle.
Clang!
A shower of sparks erupted. Leo’s eyes narrowed. Earlier that day, he had personally tested the Kusarigama. He knew exactly how frighteningly sharp it was. Yet, the creature had blocked it with nothing but its bare claws.
Right then, movement flickered at the edge of his vision. Three more shadows emerged from the darkness, rapidly closing in on the camp.
Leo’s expression changed. "Everyone! Be alert!"
As he shouted, he violently pulled on the chain, sending the sickle flying back toward him. At the same time, he sprinted forward. The chain spun around his body at astonishing speed, producing a series of sharp metallic whistles.
The creature let out a deep growl. "Grrrr..."
Instead of retreating, it charged straight at Leo. As it entered the light cast by the campfire, Leo finally saw its appearance clearly: a single obsidian horn, and razor-sharp claws. Leo recognized it instantly. It was the same type of one-horned mutant he and William had fought in the abandoned village.
The distance between them vanished in a heartbeat. Leo flicked his wrist, sending the sickle shooting forward once more. The mutant raised its claw to intercept it.
However, Leo twisted the chain with a precise flick of his wrist. The sickle abruptly changed direction. It slipped past the mutant’s claw before the chain wrapped tightly around its forearm.
Caught.
Leo planted both feet firmly on the ground and pulled with every ounce of strength he possessed. The mutant completely lost its balance. Its feet left the ground for a split second before its entire body was dragged toward Leo.
At the very same moment, Leo burst forward. His left hand yanked the chain tighter while his right hand drew the Moonsteel Shortsword in one fluid motion. The mutant swung its free claw toward his head. Leo calmly tilted his head aside, letting the claw slice through empty air.
Before the creature could recover—Stab! Stab! Stab!
Three rapid thrusts struck the creature’s heart in the blink of an eye. The Moonsteel blade cut through its flesh with astonishing ease.
The mutant’s body stiffened. Its crimson eyes dimmed before it collapsed heavily onto the ground.
Leo hadn’t forgotten the System’s reminder from before that the one Horned demon’s weakness was it’s heart.
Leo didn’t waste a single second. With one clean slash, he severed the arm entangled by the chain. The limb hit the ground with a dull thud, and the kusarigama was freed. Leo smoothly reeled the chain back, hooked it onto his waist, and gripped the Moonsteel Shortsword tightly in one hand.
Only then did he rush toward Lily. He bent down and lifted the little girl into his arms.
To his surprise, she was already awake. She had simply been too frightened to move. The moment Leo picked her up, Lily grabbed onto his clothes with both tiny hands, clinging to him as though he were the only safe place left in the world.
Leo gently patted her back before lifting his gaze toward the battlefield. While he had been dealing with the first mutant, the others hadn’t been standing around either.
Atlas had already equipped a pair of strange metallic bracers around his forearms.
Nina stood beside him, several metallic orbs resting quietly in her palms.
Danny tightly gripped the Glock Leo had lent him that morning, but the trembling of his hands betrayed his fear.
Linda, on the other hand, was clutching a frying pan.
Seeing that Leo had rescued Lily safely, everyone finally let out a sigh of relief. Leo joined them and gently handed Lily over to Linda.
Then he looked at the couple and said in a serious voice, "This isn’t a fight you can survive. I left the truck unlocked. When I give the signal... Run. I’ll cover your retreat."
Danny and Linda nodded without hesitation. However, Nina objected. "We’re staying. We’re not as weak as you think."
Leo didn’t waste time arguing. His attention remained fixed on the fallen mutant and the three approaching ones. After observing them carefully, his eyes narrowed.
Something was different. The one-horned mutant he had fought in the abandoned village possessed pale gray skin and wore no armor whatsoever. These ones had skin that carried a faint crimson hue. More importantly, every one of them wore fitted black armor engraved with crimson lines.
Leo hadn’t noticed it earlier because the Moonsteel Shortsword had pierced straight through the armor as though it weren’t even there. Even so, that didn’t mean the armor was weak. It simply meant the Moonsteel alloy was extraordinarily sharp.
Leo slowly tightened his grip on the shortsword. Then he spoke. "On my count. One... Two... Three. Run!"
Danny and Linda sprinted toward the truck. At the same moment, Atlas pressed a hidden switch on his bracers.
Click.
The thick metal unfolded. Countless overlapping plates slid across his hands before locking together with a series of crisp mechanical clicks.
Within seconds, the bulky bracers had transformed into a pair of heavy black gauntlets that completely covered both fists.
Atlas slammed them together, and the impact echoed throughout the campsite.
Meanwhile, Nina threw two metallic orbs onto the ground. The spheres rolled for a short distance before spinning at incredible speed. Mechanical clicking sounds echoed continuously as tiny mechanical legs unfolded from beneath each orb.
Within moments, they had transformed into palm-sized crab-like machines. Without any command, the miniature constructs scurried after Danny and Linda.
Leo couldn’t help giving them another glance. Even in a situation like this, the strange machines caught his attention.
Nina noticed his reaction and grinned proudly. "See? I told you. I’m a mechanical genius."
Leo remained expressionless. Now wasn’t the time to admire her inventions. His gaze never left the approaching enemies.
The remaining three one-horned mutants crouched low. The next instant, they shot forward simultaneously.
Like blood-red arrows released from a bow, they pounced toward the fleeing survivors from three different directions.