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The Level 2 bus roared to life with a deep, powerful sound, its new gears working in unison, a stark contrast to the silence of the landscape. Jhon's touchscreen flashed, displaying Loli's route, a green line stretching across the rugged terrain. The speed the vehicle was now reaching was surprising for its size, cutting through the dusty air, kicking up a cloud of dust that trailed in its wake, an unmistakable sign of its passage.
Jhon stood in the cockpit, his hands firmly on the touchscreen steering wheel, his eyes fixed on the terrain ahead. The tactical map showed the location of the distress call: the old fallen communications tower, its twisted remains visible even in his external field of vision, a giant scar in the earth. The midday sun beat down on the bus's piano-black metal, making it shimmer like a predator on the move.
"Their signal is getting weaker, Jhon," Loli warned, her voice tense. "The Giant Beast seems to be concentrating its final attack. And the Stalkers are surrounding what's left of the tower."
As they approached, the tremors in the ground became more noticeable, and the sound of deep grunts and roars echoed through the air, mixed with desperate human screams. Through the bus's armored windows, Jhon could finally see the scene. It was a nightmare unfolding under the brutal sun.
The Giant Beast (Rank B) was a mountain of flesh and bone, with its gray, rough, rock-like skin and the protruding bone spurs on its shoulders and back. It was crushing what remained of a fallen metal structure, its gigantic fists delivering devastating blows that shook the ground. Its head, slightly smaller in proportion to its body, swayed from side to side, and its eyes, which Loli had described as weak spots, glowed with a faint reddish hue.
Around the Giant Beast, a dozen Lurkers (Rank G), thin, agile creatures with glowing red eyes, surrounded the survivors. Only four human figures were visible, huddled behind pieces of the fallen structure, firing weapons that seemed insignificant against the Giant Beast's mass. A fifth body, inert and distorted, lay on the ground a few meters away, a deathly silence in stark contrast to the chaos around them. The torn clothes and the dark blood staining the earth bespoke the violence of the death.
Jhon accelerated the bus, aiming for maximum impact and distraction. The Level 2 engine's roar sounded like the roar of a larger predator.
"Prepare to open fire, Loli," Jhon instructed. He headed for the upper firing hatch, the 360-degree skylight on the second floor, which he'd already noticed was perfect for a tactical view. "I'll flank the Giant Beast with the bus and distract the Stalkers. You keep them busy with the side artillery. I'll focus on the Giant Beast."
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The bus burst onto the scene like a metal titan, its engine roaring in a sound that eclipsed the chaos of the battle. The Giant Beast turned its massive head, its red eyes wide, while the smaller Stalkers stopped, momentarily stunned by the sudden appearance of the speeding vehicle. The sound of the horn, now amplified to a deafening roar, echoed across the landscape, vibrating the earth.
Jhon, already positioned in the second-floor skylight, surveyed the scene with a privileged 360-degree view. He could see the vulnerability in the Giant Beast's eyes and the formation of the Stalkers around the survivors. The Enhanced Desert Eagle, loaded with rare armor-piercing ammunition (.50 caliber), was in his hands, a familiar and lethal weight.
"Loli, open fire on the Stalkers! Don't let any of them get close to the survivors!" Jhon ordered.
Beside the bus, the mounted automatic weapons (integrated during the Level 2 upgrade) began to spit fire. Bursts of bullets swept through the Stalkers, tearing them apart with brutal efficiency. Thin, misshapen bodies were lifted into the air, spinning in sprays of dark blood before falling limp to the ground, their frantic movements coming to an abrupt halt. The smell of gunpowder and fresh blood began to fill the air.
The Giant Beast let out a roar of fury, its red eyes fixed on the bus. It attempted to attack, delivering a massive blow with its rocky fist. The impact echoed through the bus's armored structure, a dull rumble that shook the cabin, but the Level 2 armor held firm, without a single visible scratch.
Jhon took advantage of the distraction. BANG!
The first .50-caliber armor-piercing round struck one of the Giant Beast's eyes. The creature howled, an agonized cry of pain, and staggered back, its fist falling to the side, covering its wounded face with its massive hands. Dark, almost black blood began to ooze from the stricken eye, staining its rocky skin.
"One eye, John! Great shot!" Loli exclaimed, her voice echoing with the adrenaline of battle. "Keep it up! The other eye!"
BANG!
Jhon fired again, the armor-piercing projectile flying with deadly precision. The second shot hit the Giant Beast's other eye. The creature let out a terrifying screech, its paws rising in spasms before it fell to its knees, staggering, its colossal body swaying. The ground shook violently as the Giant Beast fell, sending up a cloud of dust and debris.
Jhon didn't stop. He knew that Rank B monsters could recover from serious injuries. He emptied the rest of the piercing magazine into the creature's body, aiming for the exposed weak spots in the joints of its arms and legs, where the rocky skin seemed a little thinner.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
Each projectile was a hammer blow of death. The Giant Beast convulsed, its bellows fading to hoarse moans. Finally, with a final tremor, it toppled sideways, hitting the ground with a seismic thud that shook the entire bus. Its massive body lay inert, its pierced eyes leaking dark liquid. The smell of its blood was thick and metallic.
Silence fell over the scene, broken only by the hissing of the Stalkers' remains and the labored breathing of the survivors. The battle was over.
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The four survivors, previously huddled behind the tower's rubble, slowly emerged, their eyes wide with shock and relief. They were ragged figures, covered in dust, sweat, and the blood of their fallen comrades. One of them, a middle-aged woman with disheveled hair and frightened eyes, limped visibly. Another, a thin young man, still clutched a small firearm, his hands trembling. The other two appeared wounded but conscious. The air, heavy with the smell of death and the heat of the sun, enveloped them.
"A... incredible," the woman gasped, looking at the Giant Beast's colossal body, and then at the imposing piano-black bus. "You... you saved us. I'm Elara. This is Marco, Liam, and Sarah." She pointed to each of them, her voice cracking.
Jhon stepped off the bus, the Desert Eagle still in his hand, the silencer making it nearly silent even after the gunfire. He approached the survivors, his eyes assessing the extent of their injuries. Their clothes were torn, and dust and blood covered their bodies.
"John," he said, his voice resonating with the new depth his evolution had granted him. "They're safe now. Loli, check their vital signs and assess their injuries."
Loli, in her holographic form, projected herself next to Jhon, her eyes scanning the survivors. "Elara has a severe contusion on her left leg and multiple bruises. Marco is severely dehydrated and exhausted. Liam has a deep cut on his right arm, requiring stitches. Sarah is in shock, but physically unharmed, aside from the dehydration. The fifth... the one on the ground... has no vital signs. Dead."
The body on the ground, which Jhon had previously seen as an inert silhouette, was that of an older man, gray-haired and lined by the harshness of his life in this world. His body was grotesquely twisted, his chest crushed, his glassy eyes staring skyward. A pool of dark blood formed beneath him, attracting a few flies already buzzing in the heat.
"We can help you. The bus has medical supplies and purified water," Jhon offered, his voice neutral but with undeniable authority. "Get in."
The survivors hesitated for a moment, distrust still palpable in their eyes. The bus was unlike anything they had ever seen, and John, with his aura of power, was an intimidating figure. But necessity overcame fear.
Elara was the first to limp toward the bus door, her eyes fixed on the promise of safety and relief. Marco and Liam, leaning on each other, followed her. Sarah, pale and trembling, was the last, her wide, round eyes sweeping the scene of carnage around them.
Inside the bus, the contrast was shocking. The luxury and comfort of the interior, with its soft surfaces and regulated climate, were a paradise compared to the hell outside.
"Loli, guide them to the medical pod and activate emergency protocols," Jhon instructed. He knew that humanitarian aid was an inevitable part of survival in this world, and having a vehicle like the shuttle meant having the ability to make a difference. But his main concern was still his own survival and the search for rare resources.