The sound of Rex's grappling hook echoed faintly above them.
FWIP! CLANK!
And he was gone. Gone without a word. Gone without a plan.
The second floor trembled beneath their feet as Eaters began pouring in like a rising tide. The once-bloody battlefield was now pristine restored tiles, flickering LED lights, fake mall music. It looked clean. But the death rolling in was very real.
The shieldbearer stood frozen, He muttered.
"Shit… he really left us."
The spearwoman clutched her dangling arm, jaw clenched, sweat pouring down her face.
"I can't believe this! After we came here for him, and now he will left us. Fucking shit!"
Her voice cracked—half bitterness, half fear.
"We should have eatern and drink more."
The archer choked out a laugh, one eye swollen from earlier debris, breath shallow.
"Hah… Who would have thought there will be a nest underneath us. And guess what an anomaly quest. God really loves to extinct humanity."
He fumbled for a new arrow, his fingers sluggish.
"We weren't ready for this shit. We are just fucking bronze rank! And that steel rank, rex left us to pursue that shitty leash boy and his slave."
The shieldbearer turned to them, voice sharp.
"How many cans did you drink?"
The archer muttered, pulling back his bow with shaky form.
"I dunno, too much."
He sniffed, eyes glassy.
"I swear I should've gulped some more—"
He was cut off by a screech as a pale Eater lunged toward them.
"MOVE!"
The spearwoman stepped forward, but her footing was sloppy. Her dislocated shoulder forced her to switch her grip awkwardly.
Her strike missed.
The Eater slashed across her side—
SHHK!
Blood sprayed. She screamed.
"ARGHH—!"
The shieldbearer rammed forward, slamming his body into the monster with a snarl.
CLANG!
The Eater cracked against a jewelry counter and thrashed on the floor before the archer fired a shot straight through its neck.
THUNK!
[Feed Count: +100]
[Feed Count: [63,700/70,000]
The kill didn't bring relief. Dozens more were climbing up.
And Rex was gone.
Their formation broke again. They were panting. Reacting. Not commanding. Not coordinating.
This was no longer a squad.
It was just three sloppy warriors trapped in a nest, sobering up too late.
The music played on above them, cheerful and mocking:
"Let's have fun! Come shop today! Everyone loves Seaside Maaaall—"
The spearwoman spat blood.
"Fuck… why am I thinking about food and alcohol right now?"
The shieldbearer growled through gritted teeth, blocking another blow, muscles trembling.
"Where the hell is the next wave?! They're circling, they're waiting for us to fuck up!"
The archer pulled another arrow with a shaky hand.
"We're not gonna last if we don't pull it together."
But deep inside, they all knew the truth.
They weren't a real squad.
They were Rex's baggage. His extras. And now, without him…
They weren't hunters. They were prey.
Another wave of Eaters scrambled over the railing, their bodies twisting unnaturally, jaws unhinging in twitchy spasms. Some ran on all fours. Others leapt from store signs and cracked pillars. Dozens of limbs. Dozens of teeth.
The shieldbearer's muscles shook under his own weight, every breath too long, every movement half a second late. He slammed his shield forward, too hard and lost balance.
BANG!
He stumbled backward, nearly dropping the slab of reinforced alloy. His breathing hitched.
"Shit… my heart's racing too fast…"
The spearwoman, barely standing, blinked rapidly. Her vision tunneled. Her hand shook on the grip of her Eater Blade.
[Skill Ready: Killing Slice — Blood Cost: 8%]
Activating...
She gritted her teeth and charged the Eaters.
"Killing Slice!"
She spun her spear, slicing through the crowd but her blade pulsed wildly. The edge glowed, then bent awkwardly mid-swing, like it was resisting her intent. It got stuck in an Eater's body.
She tugged. Nothing.
"FUCK! I can't pull it out! Guys, HELP—!"
SHLICK!
An Eater drove its claw into her chest.
She screamed, lurched back, and slammed into a rack of shoes. The whole shelf toppled with a crash, boxes and sneakers scattering as she hit the floor, gasping.
The archer, standing behind, wheezed.
"You two look like meat sacks. Get yourselves together!"
He drew an arrow but it slipped from his fingers.
"Ha? My hands won't stop shaking!"
He tried again, more carefully but an Eater lunged.
The shieldbearer shouted,
"LEFT!"
The archer turned—
SLASH!
A claw raked across his arm. He shrieked, tumbling backward into a kiosk full of children's toys. The display burst open—stuffed bears, dolls, robots scattered around him.
He fired an arrow mid-fall, the shaft veering off harmlessly into the ceiling light.
The light shattered. Glass rained down.
The spearwoman groaned, trying to push herself up.
Her blade, still glowing, started to hum uncontrollably. Purple cracks ran across its surface.
"It's vibrating… it's rejecting my blood!"
The shieldbearer snarled, dragging his shield in front of her just in time to block an Eater's open maw.
CRUNCH!
It sank its teeth into the shield.
"Push forward! Regroup by the escalators!"
The spearwoman rasped. "No, no strength left. Everything feels heavy, I think I'm crashing…"
He ran to her, pulled her up, slung her over his shoulder.
"I won't let you die here! Not on my watch. I'm the squad defender!
They moved, but the floor shook beneath them. A deep, guttural roar tore through the hall.
"HRRRAAAAGHHH!"
BOOM!
Eaters were sent flying, crushed, broken, hurled like debris. Something massive was tearing through them.
Something bigger.
A flash of red system text lit up in their vision:
[HIGH EATER]
[CLASS: Tanker]
[LEVEL: 2]
[FEED POINTS: +1000]
"GODDAMN—IT'S A TANKER!"
It charged like a demon in steel. A juggernaut with muscle and madness behind it.
The shieldbearer didn't hesitate. He grabbed the spearwoman and hurled her toward the archer.
"HOLD HER!"
The archer caught her barely stumbling to the ground with her weight.
The shieldbearer turned, planted his feet, and raised his shield.
He roared, "ARGHHHH! COME ON!!"
[Skill: Faultline Charge — Blood Cost: 6%]
Activating…
"FAULTLINE CHARGE!"
He surged forward, shield up like a battering ram. And met the Tanker head-on.
BOOOMMMM!!
Their collision shook the entire floor.