The ground trembled.
A deep, guttural growl echoed through the desolate wasteland as the team stood at the edge of the pit, gripping their weapons tightly. Ethan's heart pounded in his chest as he saw cracks forming in the darkened earth before them. The very air felt heavier, as if something immense was stirring beneath the surface.
"Brace yourselves," Captain Reyes barked. "It's coming."
Then, the earth exploded.
A monstrous form erupted from the pit, sending debris and dust flying in all directions. The sheer force of its emergence sent some of the hunters sprawling. Ethan shielded his eyes, gritting his teeth as he beheld the terror standing before them.
A Level 5 mutant.
It was colossal, standing at least 25 feet tall, its grotesque, thick-skinned body covered in jagged bone-like armor. Its elongated arms ended in massive clawed hands, capable of crushing steel with ease. Its face, a horrifying fusion of human and beast, had sunken eyes that glowed with a sickly yellow hue. A deep, guttural snarl rumbled from its throat as it scanned the hunters.
"Jesus Christ," one of the rookies whispered. "That thing's as big as a damn T-Rex."
The Level 5 mutant took a step forward, and the sheer weight of its body sent shockwaves through the ground. The hunters barely had time to react before it let out an earth-shattering roar and charged forward.
"Open fire!" Reyes shouted.
Gunfire erupted as every hunter unloaded their ammunition into the behemoth. Bullets tore into its hide, some ricocheting off its hardened armor, while others managed to sink into the gaps between its thick plating. Roars of pain bellowed from its massive chest, but it did not slow down.
Ethan aimed his grenade launcher, adjusting his stance before firing. The explosive struck the creature's shoulder, sending flames and shrapnel flying. The mutant staggered back, momentarily stunned, but it wasn't enough.
It roared in fury and swung its massive arm like a battering ram. The sheer force of the blow sent several hunters flying, their bodies slamming against ruined vehicles and crumbling walls. Ethan barely managed to dodge, rolling to the side as dust and debris filled the air.
"Switch to heavy ordnance!" Reyes commanded. "We need to break its armor!"
Ethan didn't hesitate. He reached for a high-impact incendiary round and loaded it into his launcher. Aiming for the mutant's knee joint, he fired.
Boom!
The explosion sent the beast stumbling as fire engulfed its lower leg. Taking advantage of the moment, another hunter launched an RPG straight at its exposed chest. The impact sent it reeling, bellowing in agony.
But the fight was far from over.
The Level 5 mutant slammed its fists into the ground, sending a shockwave that knocked hunters off their feet. Then, with terrifying speed, it grabbed one of the hunters, lifting him effortlessly into the air. Before anyone could react, the mutant crushed him like a ragdoll, his screams cut short in a sickening crunch.
Rage burned in Ethan's veins.
With renewed determination, he dashed toward the beast's side, pulling out his machete. He leaped onto the monster's back, gripping onto its bony protrusions as it thrashed wildly. With all his strength, he drove the blade into the base of its skull.
The creature howled in agony, shaking violently in an attempt to throw him off. But Ethan held firm, twisting the blade deeper, feeling it scrape against bone. Blood—thick and black—gushed from the wound.
"NOW!" Reyes shouted.
The hunters fired all at once. Sniper rounds, RPGs, grenades—everything they had left was poured into the mutant.
The Level 5 let out one final, deafening roar before its massive body gave out. It collapsed onto the ground, sending a cloud of dust into the air.
Silence followed.
Ethan rolled off its corpse, panting heavily. His arms trembled, his body screamed in exhaustion, but he was alive.
"We did it…" one of the hunters murmured in disbelief.
"No," Reyes corrected grimly, stepping forward. "We survived. For now."
Ethan clenched his fists, his gaze shifting toward the pit's dark abyss. If this was only one guardian… what lay waiting within?
One thing was certain.
The fight had only just begun.