The three left shortly after searching the whole museum, and the Mid Tier really had killed everyone. Anyone who did survive was slowly dying, with their necks ripped open, stomachs, intestines, and other organs spilling out on the now blood-covered floors.
Kimsung entered Central Park, immediately attacked by a multitude of wild animals, even animals that didn't belong to the park, like deer, large birds of prey, and various reptiles.
"What the hell?" Kimsung said in surprise.
The last time he'd been in the pack, that was barely less than a week ago, and he'd only seen strange squirrels. Now, it was strange that he was being attacked from everywhere. Kimsung quickly ran out of the park entrance, and the animals ceased chasing him.
'What? They stopped?' Kimsung wondered why they only attacked him when he entered as Keido, and Heidi caught up to him.
"What happened, Kimsung?" Heidi asked, noticing the scratches on him and his slightly torn coat. He had found it at a random store and took a liking to the black coat, since it was warm and offered protection in case any rain hit.
In fact, many people in the Disasters wore things that could protect them against the elements. Paired with an enchantment-type skill user, it could be made their own armor, it said wearer still hadn't found any.
"Those animals in there are acting weird. All of them attacked me, and the second I stepped out of the park, they stopped. Look, they're just standing there." He pointed at them, and Keido thought for a moment before getting an idea.
"Maybe the park is their grounds, and you invaded? Or maybe it contains them, and that's why they attacked you immediately, because you're basically free food coming to them," He said, not quite understanding how it worked, but as long as they were kept inside, it was clearly working just fine.
"Should we wait for them to leave? Maybe they might lose interest and leave." Heidi proposed. Kimsung felt compelled to agree with her plan, since he himself didn't feel like fighting such small things that could bite out his throat if he wasn't careful. Not to mention, his entire body had little protection against such small creatures, with only fabric that could be torn apart as his defense.
Perhaps he could try to use a mana shield to protect himself against them, but maintaining it in that environment would run his reserves dry faster than an AI center drying up a lake.
Maybe they could drive a car through the park? He remembered seeing some golf carts and trucks rolling through. If they could find a car with all tinted windows, preferably one that could drive through the park's terrain, they could travel through safely.
"So… remind me why we're going into the park of certain death and doom?" Keido asked, and the two slowly turned to him as he spoke: I mean, we could let that wolf go and just focus on something else. It's not exactly a priority."
The two blinked twice before thinking about it. Keido was right. Heading into the park would certainly get them killed, but if they just stayed out of it, there would be no risk.
Then, they heard a roar in the distance, as a large lion ran through the streets, followed by a horde of lionesses smaller than it.
Kimsung and Heidi shared a look before looking at Keido slowly. Keido looked at the lion pride as it came down the avenue, getting closer to their avenue by the minute.
"So… park of death and do-" He did not finish his sentence, interrupted by Kimsung and Heidi as they ran to a nearby car.
"YES!"
"YES!"
Keido followed, sighing as they all got in the car and quickly drove into the park, rolling over quite a few of the critters that were at the entrance, as well as killing them on impact.
[You've slain…]
[You've slain…]
[You've slain…]
[You've slain…]
[You've slain…]
[You've slain…]
Kimsung ignored the numerous notifications he'd just received, more focused on getting away from the minivan-sized lions that were shockingly catching up to them as they drove across the gravel and grass, quickly moving up to the roads in the park and heading uptown. The lions began running even faster as three of them parted from the group, running around to the right and moving with ease. Another four also parted from the group, their ears flicking as they broke off and headed southwest of the road.
After seven had broken off from the main group, there were still about twelve lions remaining, the leader clearly an E-rank as it led those that stayed with ease, boxing the car in slowly but steadily.
What made the situation worse were all the turns in the roads, making it hard for Kimsung to simply hit the gas and leave the lions behind, forcing him to stay at a manageable speed, allowing them to stay in pace with the car.
Fortunately, the road curved to the left the further uptown they went, and many of the critters and various animals already living in the park were attacking the lions for invading their territories uninvited.
Heidi swore she saw a swarm of squirrels attacking two of the lions, while a large horde of ducks assaulted four of the lions, tearing apart one of them a piece at a time until it let out a roar of pain and fell, quickly consumed by the horde.
As they curved on the road overlooking 116th street, they drove through two small hills, and out of nowhere, the three lions from before that had split off at the beginning of the hunt jumped down from the rocks, just narrowly missing the car as they rejoined the pride.
"Fuck! Where did these lions even come from? Where in the nine hells and seven heavens could these lions have come from in the first pla-" Kimsung began to complain, before remembering a large zoo in the Bronx, which they had visited before and had many different animals in them.
Perhaps the lions came from the zoo, either escaping from the stronger mutated zoo animals or searching for new hunting grounds as they ran into Kimsung and the siblings.
"It's a straight road from here, I think! Hit the damn gas already!" Keido said, keeping an eye on the lions as he sent out the Worm, successfully hitting the pride leader and forcing it to doubt itself, slowing the rest of the pride down with it, and withdrawing the Worm from its body.
Kimsung didn't have to hear the suggestion twice, accelerating until they had hit at least fifty mph.