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The ground beneath the bus began to tremble gently, a rhythm that increased with each passing second, turning into a constant, disturbing tremor. The guttural sound of growls and grunts echoed in the darkness, coming from multiple directions. Jhon's radar lit up with red dots, a horde approaching. The smell of decay and old flesh began to penetrate the thin air, even through the vehicle's armor. The temperature outside continued to drop, but the bus's interior began to heat up with tension.
"John! It's a horde! Dozens of G-Rank creatures!" Loli shouted, her voice urgent. "Nightstalkers and Gray Beasts! They're fast and numerous, but the shuttle's armor will hold them off for a while. However, if they build up, they can damage the exterior. Prepare for carnage!"
Jhon didn't hesitate. He knew he needed to control the situation. Grabbing his Enhanced Desert Eagle (.50 caliber), he moved quickly to the driver's side window, activating the bus's headlights. Powerful beams of light cut through the darkness, revealing the approaching horde. They were hideous creatures, with glowing red eyes and sharp claws, their thin, misshapen bodies writhing in a frantic rush. They looked desperate, hungry, fearlessly charging against the metal.
Metallic clangs and scrapes began to echo outside the bus. The monsters slammed into the armor, trying to find a weakness. The G-Rank creatures, while individually weak, were a threat in numbers. Jhon pulled out the magazine of Enhanced Pistol Ammo (.50 Caliber), the armor-piercing ammunition, and inserted it into the Desert Eagle. This was the ammunition he had multiplied by 50 and upgraded. He only had two such magazines, and he needed to use them wisely.
"John, you don't need to save the Enhanced ammo here! They're Rank G, your regular .50 caliber ammo is more than enough for these beasts! And the .45 caliber too, they're just not good for monsters above Rank F, remember?" Loli scolded, her voice almost like a teacher. "Use the .45 on the Restless Spirits, if they appear, or the faster Gray Beasts. But for most, regular .50 ammo is enough! The author of this book is getting on my nerves with his habit of saving for later. He still hasn't learned from the past. He always saves and ends up getting screwed, just like my old teacher!"
Jhon nodded mentally. Loli was right. The Desert Eagle, even with regular ammo, was a devastating weapon against these G-Rank creatures. He swapped out the enhanced ammo magazine for one with Pistol Ammo (.50 Caliber) (Regular) from his massive stash.
He opened a small, strategically placed firing port near the window. Cold air and a foul smell filled the cabin. John began firing.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The sounds of the Desert Eagle exploded in the night. Each .50 Caliber (Regular) round found its target with brutal impact. Heads exploded, bodies were thrown backward, limbs shed in jets of dark blood that stained the bus's armor. Jhon's fury was visible in his precise, merciless movements. There was no hesitation, only cold, calculated efficiency. The carnage began.
More and more monsters arrived, their red eyes glowing in the darkness. Nightstalkers (Rank G), lean and agile creatures, leaped and clawed. Gray Beasts (Rank G), more robust, tried to bite and break in. Jhon alternated his targets, prioritizing those that seemed most determined to damage the vehicle.
"John, the .45 ammo you found will work in the Desert Eagle, but it's not as powerful. Save it for smaller targets, or if you run out of .50! The author is making you waste the good bullets, he never learns!" Loli warned, exasperated. "But anyway, you're doing a good job! Keep it up! The carnage is just beginning!"
Jhon ignored Loli's rambling and continued shooting, the piles of bodies quickly growing around the bus. The smell of gunpowder and blood permeated the air, mingling with the stench of the dead creatures.
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The night was a symphony of gunfire, snarls, and the sickening sound of flesh being torn apart. Jhon, a tireless killing machine inside the metal fortress of the bus, gave the Rank G monsters no respite. The Enhanced Desert Eagle (.50 Caliber) was an extension of his arm, firing .50 Caliber (Regular) rounds that blasted the creatures with brutal efficiency. Sweat poured down his face, the heat of his own exertion mixing with the cold outside, which must now be around 5 degrees.
Loli, despite her complaints about the ammunition choices, kept providing information. "John, a group of Mutant Crows (Rank G) is descending from the sky! They're agile and will try to peck at your weakest points!"
Jhon spun around quickly, aiming for the dark silhouettes approaching the bus's roof. BANG! BANG! BANG! Feathers exploded in the dark air, and misshapen bodies fell like stones. The Mutant Crows, with their torn wings and glowing red eyes, were easily dispatched.
The carnage continued. Dozens of monsters already lay dead around the bus, their bodies piled in a grotesque wall. Jhon moved to another firing port, switching the magazine to one for Pistol Ammunition (Caliber .45) (Common). Loli was right, the .45 was sufficient for these enemies. The Desert Eagle was perfectly suited to both calibers; although the .45 was less powerful, its recoil was lower, allowing for faster firing. He fired again, the muffled sound of the .45 now punctuating the night.
"The Road Queen is calling for help at the abandoned mine again, Jhon," Loli reported, her voice now a little more distant, as if she were busy with the local chat. "The Earthen Abyssal (Rank B) is still there, and it looks like she's cornered. Someone else is there, but they're not responding. And the Railmaster just posted: 'The S-Rank thing is closer than I thought! I'm retreating! Everyone, run away!'"
Jhon ignored the messages for a moment, focused on the fight. He was in the middle of a kill zone. The sight of the monsters falling, the feeling of the Desert Eagle's power in his hands... it was addictive. With each monster, he felt the adrenaline and the satisfaction of surviving in a world that wanted him dead.
Suddenly, a different sound. Not a growl, but a high-pitched, piercing whistle. Jhon's radar pinged with a new kind of threat, coming from behind the piles of bodies.
"John! A Winged Shadow (Rank E)! It's a flying, stealthy monster with claw attacks and acid breath! Be careful, they're stronger than the G-Rank ones!" Loli warned, her voice returning to its urgent tone. "They're more resistant to regular projectiles! Use the enhanced ammunition!"
Jhon didn't need a second warning. He swapped out his .45 magazine for one with Enhanced Pistol Ammo (.50 Caliber) (Rare). He only had two such magazines, and now was the time to use them. The Winged Shadow was a black figure with webbed wings, its eyes glowing a malevolent green. It hovered above the horde, watching.
BANG!
The first enhanced shot landed squarely on the creature. The Enhanced .50 Caliber round struck the Winged Shadow in the wing, causing it to screech and stagger in the air. It didn't fall, but its flight became erratic.
BANG! BANG!
Jhon fired two more shots, one to the body and one to the head. The Winged Shadow let out an agonized scream and collapsed into the horde, hitting the ground with a thud, crushing some of the smaller monsters around it.
"Down! Jhon, you're unbelievable! An E-Rank! And there's still the G-Rank horde attacking you! My old master would have hidden under the driver's seat and waited until sunrise, or been devoured!" Loli exclaimed, laughing. "You really are an exterminator!"
The fighting continued relentlessly, the sounds of gunfire and growls filling the night. John was in his element, a predator amid disorganized prey.