In reality, even without the protection of the metallic vulture plumage, Thien Lang could have withstood standard small-arms fire thanks to his Tier-3 mutated physique. Seeing that their bullets were utterly useless against the great beast, the remaining insurgents in the room shrieked in terror:
"Monster! Run! Get out of here!"
They abandoned their weapons, sprinting frantically into the corridor in a desperate bid for survival. But where could they run? The moment they poked their heads out, they fell directly into the crosshairs of Thien Anh, who lay in wait.
Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!
Each dry, muffled report of the suppressed rifle found its mark. Every round punched into an enemy's cranium with unerring precision. Thien Anh understood that while the torso was an easier target, with the enemies wearing ballistic vests, he had only one viable option: the head.
Once the final intruders were neutralized, Thien Lang began his bloody 'breakfast.' He was a typical omnivore; from fresh meat and bone to corpses long-since rotted, Thien Lang could stomach it all. It seemed his digestive system was engineered to scour everything in his path.
In moments, the corpses scattered across the floor vanished into the gargantuan wolf's belly. Thien Lang trotted back to Thien Anh's side, his eyes shimmering with the triumph of a victor. Thien Anh gently patted his head, offering a word of praise:
"Good work, Mutt."
Thien Lang replied excitedly, "Dealing with so many people used to be a struggle. I didn't expect it to become this simple after evolving. From now on, I can take the lead; I don't have to hide behind Master anymore!"
Thien Anh offered a faint smile, his gaze full of paternal affection. To him, Thien Lang and Azure Sky were not just spirit beasts, but the only family he had left. He had always shielded them for fear of losing them, but now they had truly matured, capable of becoming his pillar of support.
Just then, the comms unit crackled with Azure Sky's urgent voice:
"Master! A bizarre type of mutated beast has appeared here! Everyone, come back and help—I can't protect everyone for much longer!"
Thien Anh instantly vaulted onto Thien Lang's back. Without needing an order, the wolf blurred into motion like a gale, racing toward the surveillance room. Thien Anh barked into the radio:
"Why didn't you lock the door?"
Azure Sky replied rapidly, "These monsters were parasitized inside the soldiers' corpses! They suddenly burst out of the bodies, and I couldn't seal the room in time. I just cleared the ones inside, but a massive swarm is pouring in from the outside!"
BANG! BANG!
The staccato cracks of a handgun echoed over the comms; clearly, Lam Linh was using the last of her strength to repel the creatures. Thien Anh's expression darkened as he urged Thien Lang to accelerate.
In less than three minutes of racing through the thick snow-clogged hallways, Thien Lang arrived at the Sector C corridor. A horrific sight greeted them: countless mutated creatures with grotesque forms were scurrying across the walls and floor. They had elongated bodies like lizards but moved on multiple legs like centipedes. On each of their foreheads sat a single, bulging red eye, above a wide-gaping maw lined with thousands of needle-sharp teeth.
Thien Anh immediately leveled his submachine gun, unleashing a rain of lead into the swarm.
RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!
"Mutt, take the front and block the path! Only kill the ones that close in. I'll handle the ones at a distance. They are numerous and likely venomous—stay sharp!" Thien Anh ordered while firing.
Thien Lang roared, "Understood!"
Thien Anh stood firm, his heavy firepower sweeping through the swarm like the Reaper's scythe. These creatures were numerous but lacked physical defense; they fell like mown grass wherever the bullets struck. However, the moment a round pierced their bodies, a viscous green fluid sprayed out.
Sizzle… Hiss…
The moment that bile touched the floor tiles, it instantly began to smoke, corroding the hard stone at a staggering rate. Thien Anh felt a chill run down his spine, muttering, "What the hell are these things?"
Thinking of this, he patted his companion's flank. "Whatever you do, don't eat these things. I don't want you keeling over later."
Thien Lang shuddered slightly and nodded in understanding. Thien Anh immediately contacted Little Thanh to assess the situation inside.
…
Inside the Surveillance Room.
The situation was hanging by a thread. An oversized One-Eyed Demon was wedged in the doorway. Its massive frame prevented the electronic door from closing, but it also accidentally acted as a bottleneck, blocking the larger swarm outside from flooding in.
Only smaller specimens—about the size of a human calf—could squeeze through the gaps. However, the moment they poked their heads in, they were either shot down by Lam Linh or executed by Azure Sky. Azure Sky's lethal velocity and venom were the perfect counters to these parasites; a single nip was all it took for them to convulse and die instantly.
Ninety percent of the monsters in the room had been handled by Azure Sky. Despite her severe hand injury, Lam Linh struggled to provide fire support, but her handgun's firepower was too thin against such overwhelming numbers.
The moment the last monster in the room was neutralized, Lam Linh instinctively looked up at the surveillance monitors. A horrific sight made her shriek into the comms:
"Stone Face! We have a major problem! The One-Eyed swarm is converging on you from all over the military facility! Estimated count… it has to be in the thousands!"
Thien Anh, hearing this from the corridor, furrowed his brow deeply. He made a split-second decision. Retreat! They had to vacate this area immediately. If they were pinned inside the machine room, then…
Gritting his teeth, Thien Anh said in a low, grim voice: "I hear you."
After a brief pause, he added, "Get ready. I'm coming for you right now."