Chapter 76: Chapter 76 - Mutated Tiger

Zack waved off the other production lines, leaving behind what others might consider treasures—artillery shells, missiles, grenades, even light armored vehicles. “These are just wastes of materials,” Zack muttered dismissively. “Not worth keeping.”

For his purposes, large-scale missiles and conventional artillery didn’t make sense. His Power armor and mechanical insect were designed to carry compact but powerful micro-missiles. Why waste precious resources on outdated systems? As for armored vehicles? Zack smirked. “High-strength steel is better used for building more mechanical insect.”

While Zack was marking the production lines, the massive beast from the forest crept closer to the Armory. Unbeknownst to it, its movements had triggered Ego’s sensors. “Sir, I’ve detected a mutant creature approaching,” Ego’s calm, robotic voice reported.

“What?” Zack froze mid-step. On his HUD, a three-dimensional model of the beast appeared, pieced together from the scan data. Zack studied the figure closely. “A cat? No... something bigger.” His eyes widened as he read the measurements. “Seven meters long? That’s no ordinary mutant cat.”

Ego’s voice came through again. “The target is heading toward the tunnel. Should I engage with Avalon’s cannon?”

Zack considered for a moment. If the beast made it into the tunnel, he’d have to deal with it up close—a risky prospect for such a massive creature. “The Avalon’s altitude is too low,” Zack decided. “Raise it to 100 meters, then fire!”

“Understood, sir,” Ego replied. Outside, the Avalon adjusted its position, climbing higher into the sky. The moment it reached 100 meters, the 30mm cannon locked onto the target and opened fire. The thunderous roar of the large-caliber rounds echoed through the mountain range, sending flocks of birds fleeing into the sky. The gunfire reverberated between the two peaks, amplifying the sound like a drumbeat of war.

“RRRAAAAWRRR!!!” The beast’s deafening roar cut through the gunfire like a blade, shaking the very ground. As the creature turned, its full form was revealed under the sporadic flashes of cannon fire. A giant mutated tiger, its body covered in thick, scarred hide. On its forehead, the distinctive "King" marking glowed faintly.

The 30mm rounds hit their mark, sparks flying with each impact. But as the flames died down, the damage was shockingly minimal—just shallow wounds oozing thin trails of blood. “Dammit, it’s barely scratching it,” Zack muttered.

The tiger roared again, louder this time, as if calling out to something deeper in the forest. Then, without hesitation, it bolted for the tunnel entrance. “Sir, the target has entered the tunnel,” Ego reported. “The cannon is ineffective against its skin.”

Zack sighed. “I figured as much.” The Armory’s current munitions were still standard-grade, not nearly powerful enough for something like this. “We need to produce armor-piercing rounds immediately,” Zack said, gripping the chain sword strapped to his back.

Without wasting another second, he sprinted toward the tunnel. “Time to deal with this myself.”

Zack decided to face the mutated tiger himself, curious to test the true limits of the Super Serum and nanosuit in combat. Leaving the Armory through the heavy gate, he stepped into the dimly lit tunnel. The sound of footsteps reached his ears, echoing softly from the other end. “Man, cats really are something else,” Zack muttered to himself with a faint smirk. “Even when they’re this big, they barely make a sound.”

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He continued forward, his boots crunching against the scattered debris on the ground. A few steps later, the faint light ahead revealed a massive silhouette blocking the tunnel. The figure's sheer size made the already dim surroundings feel suffocatingly dark. "Sir, the target’s physical functions are exceptionally strong. Proceed with caution," Ego’s calm voice warned in his earpiece.

“Yeah, I got that,” Zack replied, tightening his grip on the saw chain sword. Even without Ego's input, he could tell the beast ahead wasn’t ordinary. This wasn’t just a mutated cat. It was a tiger—a massive, virus-mutated tiger.

"ROAR!!!" The tiger's deafening roar reverberated through the tunnel like a shockwave, carrying a gust of wind that kicked up ashes from the charred remains of an old fire. The cloud of dust swirled around Zack, obscuring his vision.

"Great, just what I needed," Zack muttered, squinting through the haze. The tiger didn’t wait for him to adjust. With another roar, it charged, the ground trembling beneath its weight.

"Turn off night vision! Switch to thermal imaging!" Zack ordered quickly. The nanosuit responded instantly, replacing the dust-obscured view with a vivid heat signature—a glowing mass barreling toward him at alarming speed.

“Alright, big guy, let’s play,” Zack said, igniting the saw chain sword with a flick of his thumb. The high-pitched whir of the blade filled the tunnel as he bent his knees, ready to counter.

The moment the tiger lunged through the ash cloud, Zack leapt into the air with a force that cracked the concrete beneath him. His powerful jump sent him flipping over the tiger’s massive head, the spinning teeth of his saw chain sword slashing downward as he passed.

The blade tore a deep, two-meter-long gash along the tiger’s back, blood spraying like a crimson fountain.

"ROAR!!!" The tiger’s pained cry echoed through the tunnel as it whipped its massive tail toward Zack, who was still mid-air. "Shit—" Zack barely managed to brace himself before the tail slammed into him with the force of a wrecking ball, sending him hurtling into the tunnel wall.

BOOM!

The impact left a crater in the concrete, but Zack pushed himself out almost immediately, landing on his feet. His nanosuit absorbed most of the damage, though he could feel a faint ache in his ribs. Before he could fully recover, the tiger’s tail came crashing down where he stood. Zack rolled to the side just in time, the tail leaving a deep trench in the cement floor.

“I need to get rid of that tail,” Zack muttered, eyeing the beast warily The tiger wasn’t done. Despite its massive size, it moved with terrifying speed, spinning around and leaping at Zack with claws extended. The air seemed to ripple with the force of its pounce.

“Speed mode, now!” Zack commanded. The nanosuit activated instantly. Tiny nanofibers pierced into his body, stimulating his muscles and nerves. Adrenaline surged as his perception of time slowed. The tiger, mid-leap, appeared almost frozen, its powerful form moving toward him inch by inch.

“Ten seconds…” Ego’s calm reminder echoed in his ears. Zack wasted no time. He darted forward, narrowly avoiding the beast’s claws. As he slid past its side, he slashed at its left forelimb. The saw chain sword tore through flesh and muscle with ease, but when it hit bone, the blade ground to a screeching halt.

“Damn, tiger bones are no joke,” Zack grunted, pulling the sword free. The tiger howled in pain, spinning its head around and snapping its jaws at him. Zack ducked under the bite and countered with another slash, carving a deep wound under its forelimb.

“Nine seconds…” The tiger, now enraged, lashed out with its body, using its immense size to slam Zack against the wall. The impact rattled him, the nanosuit’s reduced buffering in speed mode leaving him vulnerable to the crushing force.

“Hiss—” Zack winced, feeling the strain on his ribs. The tiger wasn’t letting up. It turned its head, jaws wide open, aiming to finish him off with a crushing bite.