Bang!
Almost in the instant Chu Xun reacted, two figures—one black and one yellow—collided fiercely like lightning, sending out a dull thud.
Only in true combat could one fully appreciate the terrifying power of the mutant dogs. Larger and heavier, these mutant dogs immediately overpowered the xenomorph in the first exchange, forcing it to the ground. They then opened their massive jaws and lunged viciously at the xenomorph.
Crack!
With a sharp sound, the mutant dog's gaping maw clamped down on the smooth head of the xenomorph. Powered by the strength of the dog's jaw muscles, the sharp teeth slowly pierced the hard exoskeleton of the xenomorph's head like a nail gun, continuing to bite deeper.
Just one hit, and the mutant dog had wounded the xenomorph—its power was evident!
However, the mutant dog couldn't do much more. As it was about to continue biting, the xenomorph's hands shot out like lightning, pressing down on the dog's head. The sharp claws then pierced the dog's skin and muscle, locking its head in place before forcefully pushing it back.
Though the mutant dog was powerful, its neck strength couldn't compare to the force of the xenomorph's arms. Soon, the mutant dog was forced to release its bite, shaking its head violently in a desperate struggle.
In the midst of this struggle, the mutant dog's dagger-like claws continued to tear at the xenomorph's body. However, the xenomorph's tough exoskeleton provided almost no damage to it. After several strikes, only faint white marks remained on the xenomorph's armor, not even qualifying as a light wound.
At the same time, the xenomorph began its counterattack. Its claws suddenly exerted force, fixing the mutant dog's head in place, and then it opened its mouth wide, shooting its inner teeth like bullets straight into the mutant dog's head.
The mutant dog's skull was incredibly tough, comparable to steel, capable of withstanding fire from small-caliber firearms. Yet, before the xenomorph, this skull seemed so fragile. With a crunch of shattered bone, a massive blood hole appeared in the mutant dog's forehead, and dark red blood gushed from the wound, along with its grayish-white brain matter.
The mutant dog immediately stopped struggling, twitching slightly.
A fatal blow!
"Argh!"
However, this was just the beginning. When the mutant dog pack hunts a strong prey, they often send out a vanguard to test the prey's strength before the real attack. So, as soon as the xenomorph killed one mutant dog, four more pounced toward it.
Behind these four, another seven or eight mutant dogs were closing in, gradually surrounding the xenomorph. The last two mutant dogs, however, turned their attention to Chu Xun, charging at him.
Clearly, in the eyes of these mutant dogs, an unknown creature capable of easily killing their kin was a much greater threat than a human.
But this didn't mean Chu Xun was safe, for even just two mutant dogs posed a deadly threat!
"Damn it!" Facing the two mutant dogs charging at him, Chu Xun cursed, gripping his sword with his right hand and a dagger with his left. He charged toward the nearest mutant dog.
At this moment, he had no energy to worry about the xenomorph, because one wrong move and these two mutant dogs could tear him to pieces.
He didn't have the xenomorph's tough exoskeleton!
"Argh!" The mutant dog, instead of showing any fear, let out an excited roar. It leaped toward Chu Xun with full force.
Chu Xun had no experience fighting dogs and certainly didn't know any dog-fighting techniques. In this life-or-death moment, the only thing he could do was to use his immense strength to fight back!
Otherwise, if it came down to speed and defense, he'd definitely be doomed!
"Die!" With a roar, Chu Xun unleashed all his strength, gripping his sword tightly and slashing downward at the mutant dog's head. With his terrifying strength, even the sword's hilt creaked, as though it might bend and break.
The fearsome power gave Chu Xun incredible speed, and the sharp sword slashed like lightning, striking the mutant dog's skull.
Crack!
The sword quality wasn't great, but under Chu Xun's powerful strength, the sword made its way into the mutant dog's head. Yet, it got stuck deeply, and the blade made a cracking noise before snapping in two.
The recoil threw Chu Xun back a few steps, pain shooting through his right hand and arm. But at the same time, the mutant dog was sent flying by Chu Xun's incredible force, landing not far away. Blood and brain matter oozed from its head, and it was clearly dead.
"Damn!" Looking at the blood-stained hilt in his hand, Chu Xun cursed again, tossing the hilt aside and gripping his dagger tightly, glaring at the remaining mutant dog, prepared for the next battle.
Now, there was only one mutant dog left, but his sword was completely destroyed. He only had a Tier-2 alloy dagger left. While this dagger was incredibly sharp, it was far too short. This meant he had to get up close and personal to fight.
In such close combat, life and death could be decided in a split second. If the mutant dog bit him, with his current body's strength, he'd either die or end up crippled.
Of course, dying was the more likely outcome!
Fortunately, the mutant dog didn't immediately attack but instead circled around Chu Xun, growling. Clearly, the way he killed its companion in one blow had frightened it.
"Damn it, I'm going for it!" The standoff didn't last long. Considering that prolonged hesitation could attract more mutant dogs, Chu Xun gritted his teeth and charged at the mutant dog.
The virus had made the mutant dogs stronger and smarter than ordinary dogs. It was clear that this dog recognized Chu Xun's strength, so when Chu Xun charged, the mutant dog didn't meet him head-on. Instead, it leaped and suddenly changed direction, speeding up as it circled behind Chu Xun.
"Not good!" Speed and defense were Chu Xun's weak points, and at that moment, he only saw the mutant dog's figure blur before it disappeared from view.
At the same time, a gust of wind rushed from behind.
In the nick of time, Chu Xun's quick reaction saved his life. He spun around, not even looking, and swung his dagger behind him.
Meanwhile, the mutant dog had already stood up like a vicious wolf, claws outstretched and mouth open, leaping toward Chu Xun's back.
Thud!
There was a dull thud, but Chu Xun's backward slash didn't land as he had hoped. Instead of hitting the mutant dog's vital spot, it struck its right front paw. Remarkably, the Tier-2 alloy dagger was so sharp that Chu Xun barely felt any resistance, and the blade sliced the mutant dog's paw clean off, blood spurting everywhere, splattering Chu Xun's body.
But this didn't mean Chu Xun was on top, for just then, the mutant dog's left paw lashed out, sinking deep into Chu Xun's body.
Like a blade, the dog's paw tore through Chu Xun's clothes and skin, gouging deep into his flesh, leaving a visible bone-deep claw mark. Worse still, the mutant dog's massive mouth was now mere inches from Chu Xun's face, ready to bite down.
If it bit him, he was definitely dead!
"Die!" On the edge of life and death, the latent strength within Chu Xun erupted. Thanks to the ant gene, his frail body now exerted terrifying force. He swung his injured right arm, delivering a crushing blow to the mutant dog's nose.
Thud!
With a muffled thud, Chu Xun's fist hit the mutant dog's nose with such force that it caved in, blood spurting out. At the same time, Chu Xun's right arm was scratched by the dog's teeth, ripping off large chunks of muscle, and blood poured out like a fountain.
It could be said that Chu Xun was lucky—the mutant dog's most vulnerable area was its nose. Though the dense nerves inside gave it superior smell, it also made it a vital target. With that blow, the mutant dog went into a dazed state, howling and stumbling back.
"Die!" Chu Xun didn't let up. With a roar, he lunged at the mutant dog, knocking it to the ground. Before it could react, his dagger plunged into its head, ending its life.
"Ha... ha..." Having taken down two mutant dogs, Chu Xun collapsed, exhausted, lying on their corpses to catch his breath.
Massive blood loss left him feeling dizzy, and his right arm hurt so much he could barely move it. If another enemy appeared now—whether a mutant dog or even a regular zombie—it could very well be his end.
Between breaths, Chu Xun finally managed to spare a glance at the xenomorph's battle. And what he saw left him completely dumbfounded...