"Put some muscle into it!"
Mero swung a punch, sending the Queen Leech flying into a shipping container.
The Queen Leech's body exploded on impact, scattering countless leeches like a splatter of sludge. The leeches on the ground immediately wriggled toward their queen, recombining into a massive whole.
The gray-black monstrosity sprawled across the floor, already five meters tall, its body covered in sharp teeth and writhing tentacles, resembling a gigantic mound of living flesh, like a monstrous sea anemone. Its flower-shaped mouth, lined with jagged teeth, let out a terrifying roar.
It could transform in stages truly a final boss.
Rebecca's face turned pale in terror, while Mero signaled her and Billy to retreat. Both obeyed without hesitation, sprinting for the exit.
Mero, before moving, lifted his Barrett. The Queen Leech, provoked by the gesture, whipped up a shipping container with its tentacles and hurled it.
The Barrett thundered, and a .50 AP incendiary round pierced the container's metal with ease. Flames shot out from the impact hole, black smoke billowing instantly. The Queen Leech recoiled from the roaring fire, stunned by the sheer force.
"No way to retreat, and you won't survive either!"
Even in its monstrous form, the Queen Leech retained a clear mind, a terrifying display of intelligence fused with brute power. Mero could only marvel at Marcus's twisted vision of evolution.
The Queen Leech pushed the container aside with its tentacles and leapt toward the exit, landing right in front of the door. Its massive appendages shot out like whips.
Mero crossed his arms to block, but the tentacle slammed him through the air, landing him squarely in the open yard outside the warehouse.
"Hmph… plenty of strength, but your aim needs work."
Mero slid across the ground a few meters before coming to a stop, rising slowly with a dismissive smirk.
"Agent, I know you're impressive, but stop showing off. Only two and a half minutes left before the base blows!"
Billy ran up quickly, Rebecca slightly behind him. They sprinted alongside Mero.
Mero didn't panic. He let them run a little farther while he followed at his own pace.
"This Queen Leech… so she's afraid of light." Mero glanced back at the warehouse. Sunlight flooded the area, bright and relentless.
When the Queen Leech's thick tentacles touched the sunlight at the doorway, they twitched and recoiled into the shadows of the warehouse.
Hiding in the shadows, the Queen Leech opened its massive flower-like mouth toward Mero, emitting a frustrated low growl.
Clearly, a flawed creation.
Mero smiled proudly. It seemed that figures like him were still far too rare in this world.
The Queen Leech suddenly erupted with rage.
"If I can't survive, then we'll die together!"
Marcus's voice, now crude and monstrous, echoed from that gaping mouth.
Its right tentacle shot out rapidly, but upon exposure to sunlight, its movement slowed, then froze. Mero noticed the tentacle twitching near his feet and gently lifted it.
The Queen Leech froze, confused by the surprisingly tender touch.
So this is a suplex! Mero thought. He grabbed the tentacle, swung the three-ton monster, and slammed it onto the ground.
Moving from the cool shadows into the warm sunlight sapped its vitality. The Queen Leech writhed and twitched violently, fluids spraying across the ground.
"Game Over!"
Mero aimed the Barrett at the central semi-transparent red sac of the Queen Leech. He had been observing this weak point for some time. It was as conspicuous as an Angel's core in EVA, impossible to ignore.
Bang!
The round hit perfectly. The Queen Leech's massive body erupted violently. A piercing scream tore through the air as half its body exploded, finally collapsing into a lifeless heap.
The warehouse roared with fire and debris, signaling Mero that it was time to go. One shot had ended the Queen Leech, leaving Mero almost bored.
Despite its intelligence, the creature relied solely on brute force. Even the most brilliant scientist could forget the true power of human technology. Mero hadn't even used all his weapons.
Meanwhile, in the mountains, Rebecca and Billy stared wide-eyed at the exploding base and the towering flames. They had followed Mero's orders, running so hard that they momentarily forgot he was still inside.
"Mero… how could you… and my money is still " Rebecca was stunned by the blast. Her entire body felt weightless, as if she were flying.
Had Mero already become that important to her? Probably. By now, they could count themselves as friends. Memories of their first meeting, of Mero saving her, and their underground trek flashed through her mind.
"Of course, your money will go to me!" Mero gently placed Rebecca and Billy on the ground.
Rebecca froze, momentarily bewildered. Had they really reached the Akeley Mountains? She had been too caught up in emotions and running to notice.
Moments later, the base's alarm was obliterated by the explosions, each facility collapsing in a chain reaction, leaving nothing but fiery rubble and thick smoke drifting into the night sky.
The self-destruction was devastating. Neither zombies nor leech monsters could survive such heat. At the same time, the flames sterilized the site, preventing further viral spread.
But the virus had already dispersed, permeating the entire mountain region. Survivors gazed at the inferno with complicated emotions.
"Billy, I can't go with you. What will you do next?" Rebecca asked, still stained with blood.
Billy handed her the Samurai's Blade, smiling at both her and Mero.
"Miss Officer, you won't arrest me, right?"
"I know you're a good person. I trust that you've done nothing wrong. I cannot let an innocent die unknowingly. Otherwise, I would be a killer too."
Billy's pupils trembled slightly as he looked away toward Mero. His ability to escape now depended on Mero. He knew no one could slip past him.
Mero pulled a waterproof bag and water bottle from his tactical vest.
"Super escape kit, friendship discount, only five hundred dollars. I know you don't have a cent, so it's on credit."
He handed it to Billy with a bright smile.
Billy blushed, touched by the memory of Mero's warm embrace in the warehouse. He looked inside and saw only a few compressed biscuits and half a bottle of water. His eyes went wide.
"Seriously that dark!?"