The Jump City Bridge, usually bustling and full of life, had become a war zone.Abandoned cars, doors hanging open, suitcases spilled across the asphalt. People ran in every direction. The world around had turned into a blur of smoke and muffled chaos.
Ethan could only hear the pounding of his own footsteps, the air ripping past his ears, and the muted thud of his boots against the cracked pavement. Killer Moth's mutant spawn screamed behind him—a guttural, wet, primal sound.
CLACK. CLACK. CLACK.
The monster's legs struck the ground like inverted cranes, spearing through vehicles in its path. It was bigger than it had looked from a distance—three and a half, maybe four meters tall. Its tapered head twitched with erratic spasms, and its abdomen, plated in chitin, vibrated with a deep buzz as it moved.
Farther down the bridge, cars exploded as the Titans and the swarm struggled to keep control of the battlefield. The stench of burning gasoline and melting metal filled the air, making it harder and harder to run.
Ethan darted between two vehicles, desperate to break the creature's line of sight. His legs burned, sweat streamed down his back despite the wind, and his muscles threatened to give out at any second.
"Shit… shit… shit!" he growled to himself, fighting not to panic.
Then he saw it—an incoming cloud moving fast. Smaller insects—each the size of a large dog—shot forward like projectiles, latching onto people's shoulders and hair. They carried their victims into the air, fangs digging in, as if gathering food for a nest.
One zipped past his head, so close the wind whistled in his ear, before crashing into a streetlamp. A man was lifted three meters off the ground before a green energy bolt streaked across the sky, blasting the insect mid-flight. Starfire darted past, throwing glowing projectiles into the swarm—but she was alone, vulnerable. Seconds later, another wave slammed into her, sending her hurtling toward the ocean below.
Ethan tried to push harder, putting distance between himself and the beast chasing him—but he was already at his limit. That's when he heard it growing louder.
A deep, rhythmic buzz… like helicopter blades mixed with the hiss of sharpened steel.
He glanced over his shoulder.
And there it was.
The creature's leg—dark, plated, curved like a biological scythe—was less than two centimeters from his face. Time seemed to slow.
Half a second more, and it would pierce his skull.
But fate had other plans.
A car to his left—damaged, leaking gasoline, flames crawling along its frame—exploded.
BOOOOM!
The shockwave threw him like a ragdoll across the asphalt. He spun uncontrollably in the air before slamming into the ground. His helmet cracked. His chest burned. Pain screamed across his back.
Behind him, the creature roared—swallowed by the fireball and shrapnel, thrashing and disappearing amid the wreckage.
Ethan coughed, staggering to his feet. His legs shook, ears ringing from the blast. He didn't know if seconds or minutes had passed, but as his hearing returned, the noise of hell flooded back in—distant screams, gunfire, the slicing of insect wings through the air… and a voice.
"Kid! Over here!" someone shouted.
Ethan turned, forcing his gaze to focus.
A police officer was waving from beside an armored truck—the kind used for bank transports. Its side was dented, windows spiderwebbed with cracks. The man held a shotgun in one hand, gesturing with the other.
"Hurry! Get inside!"
Ethan ran—Or tried to.
From the thick smoke behind the officer, a smaller creature burst forth—dog-sized but fast and lethal. It struck like a missile, its front claws extended.
One chitinous blade punched into the man's shoulder.
His scream echoed as the insect lifted him brutally off the ground.
Before Ethan could react, something sliced through the air—
ZZZOM! KRAK!
A black disk—stamped with Robin's red insignia—latched onto the insect's back. A second later, it detonated in a focused charge.
BOOM!
The creature exploded into pieces. The officer crashed to the ground, the shotgun skittering across the pavement until it stopped between Ethan and the truck.
Without thinking, Ethan rushed to the man.
"You okay?" he asked, breathless.
"Pressure… on the wound…" the officer groaned.
Ethan ripped a strip from his own shirt, pressing it to the injury with trembling hands. Then, straining, he dragged the man to the truck's doorway, leaning him against the steel wall. He was bleeding but breathing.
Then Ethan heard it—
The sound of metal being crushed.
He turned slowly toward the road.
And saw it.
The same insect as before—over three meters tall, burns scattered across its body, its torso still aflame. It split a truck in half with its jaws, blood dripping from its mandibles, its heavy legs leaving deep gouges in the asphalt.
For a second, the world stopped.
Ethan braced to run—Until he heard it.
A baby crying.
He froze.
Turning slowly, he saw inside the truck—there were more people. At least ten. A woman with two children, an old man with a broken leg, a young pregnant woman holding an elderly lady… and the baby.
His stomach dropped. His hands trembled.
Instinct screamed at him to run. But something… something rooted him to the spot.
A voice echoed in his mind—a deep, familiar tone, as if the universe itself were speaking:
"Protect them, Ethan.Those you love…And those you have yet to meet."
And with the voice… came the image of his sister. Smiling in her school uniform, hair tied to the side like she always wore before leaving home.
He swallowed hard.
The creature stood still, burning, its black obsidian eyes locked on him—a predator sizing up prey, calculating every breath.
Ethan turned to the officer.
"Keep them quiet!… stay silent. I'll… distract this thing."
The man cursed but, seeing no other option, shut the truck's door, saying, "Sorry, kid… I'm sorry."
Ethan stepped forward, eyes locked on the monster. He picked up the shotgun from the ground.
The barrel was hot. The wood cracked. His hands trembled. He'd never fired a gun before—only seen it in movies. But now… there was no one else.
Just him. And the monster.
He swallowed his fear, his panic, everything telling him to run.
With his gaze fixed on the advancing abomination, he muttered:
"Alright…""…just you and me now."
The monster didn't roar. It didn't charge.It simply watched—its six black eyes locked on him like a seasoned hunter sizing up prey.
Sweat rolled down his back. His breathing was heavy, the taste of blood and smoke thick in his mouth. The cracked helmet distorted his vision, but he didn't dare remove it.
He cocked the shotgun like he'd seen in films. The stock creaked under his grip.
Then, with sudden speed, the creature leapt.
BOOM!
The shot tore through the air—but the monster twisted aside at the last instant. Even so, the blast shredded one of its fire-weakened legs, making it screech… but it didn't fall.
Without thinking, Ethan ran straight toward it. He didn't want to kill it—he just needed to lure it away from the truck.
At two meters out, he dropped low, sliding across ash- and oil-slick asphalt. Pure luck—or instinct—saved him; the creature missed its strike, vaulting over him.
That was his chance.
BOOM!
The blast slammed into the insect's charred chest, breaking open part of its shell and making it stagger.
But it was too close now.
BAM!
One leg smashed into his side with brutal force. It was like being hit by a battering ram. Ethan flew three meters, slammed into a car, and dropped to the ground. Blood filled his mouth.
Pain.Everywhere.
The creature roared now—a guttural, bestial sound thick with rage.
Ethan forced himself up, swaying. The System flashed a red warning in the corner of his vision:
[SYSTEM WARNING]Vital Status:
CriticalMultiple contusions detected75% of maximum HP compromised
He ignored it.
Leaning on the shotgun, trembling, he stood again. The creature charged.
Without aiming, Ethan fired.
BOOM!—straight into its face.
Two of its eyes burst.
It reeled back, smashing into nearby cars. But even wounded… it didn't stop.
Chest burning, arm shaking, fear and adrenaline clashing in his veins, Ethan bolted between two overturned buses. Smoke billowed, hot and suffocating.
He whistled as loud as he could.
The creature turned instantly.
"Come on… COME ON!" he roared with what strength he had left.
It lunged, clearing the distance in a single bound.
Ethan dove backward, sliding into the narrow gap between the buses.
The insect tried to follow, jamming its legs into the vehicles—but it was too tight a space.
Exactly what Ethan had planned.
He saw the spot he'd hit earlier—the chest, now bare of armor, exposed.
"DIE!" he roared, his voice laced with fury and pure hatred.
BOOM!Chick-chick!The shot hit dead-on. The creature shrieked, thrashing.
BOOM!Chick-chick!Blood sprayed, splattering across his visor.
BOOM!Chick-chick!His clothes were soaked in mucus, blood, and smoke.
BOOM!Chick-chick!The creature stopped moving. Its legs twitched… then collapsed.
Click!Empty.Click!Nothing.Click! Click! Click!
Ethan stared at the weapon, fingers trembling.
Smoke curled into the darkening sky.Fires crackled across the battlefield.Screams. Sirens. Chaos.
And Ethan…
Dropped to his knees.Gasping.Bloody.Alive.Too exhausted to think.
Then it appeared before his eyes, glowing blue:
[YOU HAVE DEFEATED A CREATURE WITHOUT ACTIVE ABILITIES.]
[REWARD: DOUBLE EXPERIENCE!]
[LEVEL UP!]
[LEVEL UP!]
[LEVEL UP!]
[LEVEL UP!]
🆙 [YOU HAVE REACHED LEVEL 5!]🆙
[20 Attribute Points acquired.]