Chapter 190: Mysterious Loot
Wallace shook his head as he saw their reaction.
"Relax. We placed those traps for the A.I. soldiers. If the bulls trigger them, all the better. Besides, we’ve got walls. They won’t break through."
He glanced at Dylan and Gabby, both still pale from the run.
"We just need to redo our traps afterward. That’s all."
With that, Wallace raised his revolver and signaled to the others.
Soon, a total of ten people stood atop the wall, armed with revolvers and spears, ready to defend. Wallace took command and felt a little relaxed as he knew that killing bulls would be a lot easier than killing Sentinels.
At this point, Kai had also stepped outside after hearing the commotion.
He didn’t join the formation immediately. Instead, he stayed behind, choosing to observe for now. He wanted to see how they’d deal with this matter. Even Claire decided not to join the battle as he saw her curiously looking at the dust brought by the rampaging bulls.
Soon, the herd of bulls was already visible in the distance... Without a doubt, they were a mass of muscle and horns pounding across the ground.
Dust rose in thick clouds behind them. What unsettled Kai was their behavior. They weren’t turning, weren’t scattering.
They were charging straight toward Haven‑45 as if locked onto a target!
Wallace frowned. "Hey... did you anger them? What did you do?"
He thought that if they saw a wall blocking their path, they would at least slow down. However, it seemed that they didn’t care at all.
Dylan raised his hands defensively. "W‑well... not really. We just tried checking the water at their lake..."
Gabby added quickly, "Then they followed us. We didn’t provoke them, I swear!"
Wallace cursed under his breath. He could only guess that their move offended the bulls already.
"Damn fools. You trespassed on their territory. Now they think you’re a threat."
The bulls closed in, their furious roars were heard by everyone. Wallace then gave orders. "Hold formation! Spears ready! Revolvers steady!"
The first line of traps triggered as the herd reached the perimeter.
Soon, hidden tarps collapsed, revealing pits lined with sharpened pikes. Several bulls fell instantly, as they were impaled or crippled on the spot...
They could hear their massive bodies thrashing violently, but it wouldn’t be long before they became silent.
The survivors of the herd roared louder, enraged by the sudden loss.
Just like that, they pressed forward, but more traps were activated!
There were also weighted nets that were dropped, tangling their legs and horns.
Seeing the bulls struggle and slow thanks to their traps, Wallace smiled as he knew that they had become easy targets.
"Fire!" Wallace shouted.
Gunshots rang out, and those who were closer used their spears to thrust downward and kill the bulls!
"No kill notifications... What a pity. We won’t gain experience from them." Wallace muttered as he confirmed the deaths of many bulls.
The defenders took down the bull that managed to push past the traps. The air filled with the sound of gunfire, shouts, and the furious cries of the beasts.
"No kill notifications... What a pity. We won’t gain experience from them." Wallace muttered as he confirmed the deaths of many bulls.
Meanwhile, Kai watched intently, impressed by the coordination.
The traps had been designed for A.I. soldiers, but they worked just as well against living creatures. Within minutes, the charge was broken.
The bulls lay scattered across the field, some dead, others wounded and tangled in nets.
Wallace lowered his revolver as he looked at the mess they made....
"Good work. That’s how it’s done."
The defenders cheered faintly as they confirmed their success...
But soon, curiosity replaced the tension. Survivors climbed down to inspect the fallen bulls. After all, real meat was rare... most of their food came from dehydrated packs and protein concentrates.
Dylan crouched beside one of the carcasses, wrinkling his nose.
"Ugh... they smell awful."
Gabby gagged as she cut into the flesh with her knife. "Wait... this isn’t normal."
The meat wasn’t pure red. Instead, streaks of blue ran through the muscle, veins of unnatural color beneath the hide. The sight made everyone uneasy.
Wallace frowned deeply.
"Blue? That’s not right. Could be disease... or something worse."
At this time, Kai, who was also excited that he might get to eat real meat, finally stepped forward...
"Move aside."
He crouched beside the injured bull, placing his hand on the hide.
Then, activated Fast Appraisal.
[ You have discovered Mutated Bull! ]
[ Description: A genetically altered animal exhibiting unstable mutations. Muscle tissue contains venomous compounds. ]
[ Note: Consumption of meat is hazardous. Venomous properties may cause paralysis or internal damage. ]
Kai’s eyes widened at the result. "Venomous... these aren’t normal animals. They’ve been mutated."
The defenders exchanged uneasy glances. Dylan stepped back quickly, wiping his hands on his pants. "We almost ate that..."
Gabby shivered. "No wonder they smelled so bad."
Wallace cursed again, gripping his revolver tightly. "So even the animals aren’t safe anymore. Damn it... this world just keeps getting worse."
Kai sighed as he really thought that they’d get some meat finally... However, he was only disappointed...
"We’ll burn the carcasses. No risks."
The defenders began dragging the bodies away, preparing to dispose of them safely.
As they were doing this, the smell of rot and venomous corruption lingered in the air...
Most of the bulls were already being piled together, and the sight of their blue‑streaked flesh was making everyone uneasy.
Gabby, however, slowed down as she pulled one of the bodies. She suddenly noticed something. Her eyes caught a faint glimmer beneath the grime.
He crouched and brushed away the dirt and dried blood with his sleeve.
"Wait... hold on," Gabby muttered.
Wallace turned, irritated. "What now?"
Gabby’s hand froze on the horn.
Beneath the filth or dirt she just wiped, she saw the surface shine!
It was not bone‑white like the others, but yellow!
He rubbed harder, and soon the horn revealed its true color!
It was an unmistakable golden sheen!
It was a golden horn!