A new day dawned deep beneath the earth. There was no sunlight, only the monotonous, rhythmic hum of the air filtration system.
Thien Anh awoke. Following a habit etched into his very marrow, his first move wasn't a stretch, but a reflex check of the weapon tucked beneath his pillow. Only after confirming his safety did the tightened muscles of his face relax, just a fraction.
After a quick wash, he moved to the algae cultivation zone. Under the faint glow of ultraviolet lights, the tanks bubbled softly, scrubbing CO2 and pumping fresh oxygen back into the bunker. These were the lungs of this small family.
Checking the stability of the vitals, Thien Anh began preparing breakfast. The fragrant aroma of steaming rice quickly filled the air, awakening two "bottomless pits."
"Rustle… Scrape…"
Moc coiled around Thien Anh's leg before slithering onto his shoulder like a living scarf, her forked tongue flicking incessantly. Meanwhile, Ki—the massive crossbreed weighing nearly a hundred kilograms—propped his front paws onto the kitchen counter. His dark eyes were locked onto the pot of braised meat, saliva on the verge of spilling over.
Thien Anh glanced at his two companions, his lips curling into a rare, fleeting smile, a touch of softness reaching his eyes.
"A feast today. Braised shrimp and pork. How's that sound?"
"Woof! Woof!" Ki barked loudly, his tail wagging in a blur.
Thien Anh chuckled, patting the dog's head. Before eating, Ki trotted over to the control panel and expertly pressed a button with his paw to turn on the TV.
The screen flickered to life. The morning news broadcast hit Thien Anh's eyes, causing the smile on his face to vanish instantly.
"...An unprecedented catastrophe... The meteorites that struck Noi Ha last night have erased half the city... Estimates place the death toll at two million..."
"...Strange phenomena reported: Uncontrolled plant growth... Rapid genetic mutations in fauna..."
The footage was heavily distorted by static, but it was enough for Thien Anh to witness skyscrapers being strangled by gargantuan vines and stray cats the size of leopards dismembering people in the streets.
Thien Anh's blade-like brows furrowed, carving a deep crease in his forehead. A flicker of unease danced in the depths of his eyes.
"Is it truly the end?" he murmured, his voice sinking into a heavy sigh. "Is Mother Nature trying to format humanity out of existence?"
Ki tilted his head and let out a soft bark, nudging Thien Anh's leg in consolation.
Thien Anh looked down at him, his gaze pensive.
"The beasts outside are all growing... I wonder if you two will change as well?"
He shook his head, dismissing the thought. If Ki and Moc turned into mindless monsters, he would have to be the one to put them down. The mere thought made his chest tighten.
"Enough. Eat up. We need to head out and scout the terrain."
...
The decision was swift: Moc would stay to guard the home due to her stealth, while Ki would accompany Thien Anh for his endurance and speed.
The exit was choked with debris from the meteorite blasts. Thien Anh engaged the hydraulic system. Machinery groaned and roared as massive pistons slowly pushed the obstructing concrete slabs aside.
A strange gust of wind rushed in. It didn't smell like urban smog; it was the pungent, sharp scent of tropical flora mixed with the metallic tang of blood.
As he stepped out of the bunker, Thien Anh froze. His eyes widened, his pupils constricting to pinpricks at the sight before him.
Noi Ha City was gone. In its place stood a primordial jungle growing upon the corpse of reinforced concrete. Roots pierced through walls; canopies blotted out the sky. And in the distance, a magnificent nine-colored pillar of light tore through the clouds, beaming directly down at the meteorite's impact site.
"What in the hell is that?"
Thien Anh squinted, trying to peer through the mist. That pillar was undoubtedly the key to everything.
He scanned the area for a vehicle, but every car had been crushed by roots or buried in silt. He patted Ki's back.
"I'll be relying on you, old friend."
Ki obediently lowered his body. Thien Anh vaulted onto his back. With Ki's trained physique and sheer size, Thien Anh's sixty kilograms felt as light as a feather.
"Go!"
Ki bolted, his powerful limbs devouring the distance as he lunged over the ruins. Suddenly, a figure burst from the roadside thicket.
No, it was no longer human. Its skin was a bloated, sickly grey, as rough as tree bark. Red eyes devoid of pupils stared out; its mouth split open to the jawline, revealing inch-long, jagged fangs. It roared, lunging at Thien Anh with a primal, ravenous hunger.
Thien Anh didn't panic. His face remained a mask of cold stone. His right hand drew his sidearm in a movement so fluid it was an unconditional reflex.
"Beat it."
"BOOM!"
The explosive round slammed into the creature's chest.
"KABLAM!"
A dull thud of an explosion followed, and the creature's body was torn into a spray of shredded meat. Ki slowed down to sniff a severed leg lying nearby, but Thien Anh barked a sharp command:
"Don't touch it! Filthy!"
Ki flattened his ears and turned away, looking regretful.
The deeper they ventured into the city, the more monsters appeared. Dogs, cats, even rats had become unnaturally large and aggressive. But before Thien Anh's unerring marksmanship, they were nothing more than moving target practice.
Until they met a true adversary. A mutant dog, as large as Ki, blocked their path. But the terrifying part was its lack of fur. Its entire body was encased in thick, bony scales, layered like crocodile armor.
It growled, saliva roping from its jowls, before charging like a living tank. Ki instinctively recoiled, dodging a lethal snap of its jaws. Atop his back, Thien Anh tightened his finger on the trigger.
"BANG!" The explosive round struck its shoulder. But there was no spray of flesh. Only a piercing CLINK of metal on metal and a wisp of black smoke. The monster was merely shoved back a few steps, the scales on its shoulder only slightly cracked.
"What?" Thien Anh's eyes widened, cold sweat beading on his brow. An explosive round did nothing?
The beast shook its head to clear the dust, its bloodshot eyes fixed on Thien Anh with pure hatred. It lunged again—faster, more frenzied.
"Woof! Woof!" Ki barked urgently, warning of the danger.
Thien Anh's jaw set. He calmly flipped the ammo selector. His fingers moved with practiced grace, pulling a needle-nosed, pitch-black round from his belt.
Armor-Piercing.
"Die!"
"BANG!"
The round whistled through the air, spinning with lethal velocity. It punched through the steel-hard scales on the beast's forehead and buried itself into the skull. The croc-hound froze mid-stride, then keeled over like a rotted log.
Before Thien Anh could even exhale in relief, Ki spun around and began to bolt.
"Woof! Woof! Woof!"
From behind the carcass of the fallen beast, a bone-chilling growl rose. One, two... then twenty other mutant hounds, each as large as a lion, swarmed from the alleys.
"Run!"
Thien Anh shouted, pivoting his body on Ki's back. The sniper rifle in his hands began to bark in a rhythmic, deadly cadence.
"BANG... BANG... BANG..."
Each shot dropped a carcass. But the pack surged forward like a rising tide. The hunt had only just begun.