Chapter 320: Tier 1 Mutated Beast (3)
Although Ethan’s attacks could only leave shallow scratches on the boar’s tough hide, the creature was growing increasingly frustrated.
Despite its overwhelming strength, it couldn’t even touch him, much less land a direct hit.
With hot air pouring from its snout, the mutated boar suddenly charged forward, intending to crush Ethan with its overwhelming brute strength.
Ethan simply snorted and quickly gathered his shadows to meet the impact.
"[Shadow Forge]—Shadow Doors!"
A massive barricade made of solid shadow materialized directly in front of him, ready to withstand the beast’s charge.
’Since it loves to blindly charge at everything it sees, I’ll play along until that thick head finally cracks,’ Ethan thought coldly as he studied the beast.
Meanwhile, the mutated rabbit continued launching relentless attacks against Elena.
However, every time it attempted to ambush her, she responded with a swift [Spatial Slash].
The creature’s incredible agility was completely negated by her Time ability.
From Elena’s perspective, the rabbit’s movements were nothing more than slow and predictable motions, allowing her to strike it effortlessly.
BOOM!
Another powerful impact sent the mutated rabbit crashing into the ground.
Without giving it any chance to recover, Elena immediately followed up with another attack.
"[Infinite Seconds]—[Spatial Slash]!"
She repeated the combination again and again until the mutated rabbit could no longer stand.
The beast glared at her with a mixture of rage and confusion, unable to understand how this human could predict every single one of its movements.
Even until its final breath, it still couldn’t comprehend the terrifying ability she possessed.
Filled with unwillingness and regret, the mutated rabbit died wishing it could have retreated and returned one day to tear this human apart.
Once the creature fell, Elena stored the mutated rabbit inside her [Inventory] and turned toward the others.
However, after taking a few steps, she paused and reconsidered.
’It would be better to observe from the sidelines and let them gain real combat experience. I won’t always be there to save them whenever they face danger.’
So, Elena remained where she was, quietly watching as each team continued fighting with everything they had.
Several minutes passed.
Uncle Anthony’s team was the first to subdue their Tier 1 mutated beast, followed closely by Oslo’s group, and finally General Kaiser’s team.
The three defeated mutated beasts were dragged over to Elena, ready to be harvested for the cores hidden inside their heads.
"Done..." Oslo gasped, collapsing onto the ground.
His vision spun, and his entire body felt exhausted after using his ability continuously to bring down the mutated rabbit.
"Boss Ethan is still fighting. Should we go help him?"
"In your current condition? You’d only get flattened by that mutated boar," Xander replied bluntly.
He also wanted to assist, but he understood his own limits—charging into battle now would only make him a burden rather than a help.
Oslo rolled his eyes. "I was just asking."
He knew Xander was right. Even though he couldn’t help worrying about their boss.
But upon seeing Ethan’s side of the battlefield quickly eased his concerns.
It was obvious that Ethan had complete control of the fight.
However, the battle had reached a stalemate, and someone needed to step in to break the deadlock.
"Alright, rest for now," Elena said after seeing how exhausted everyone was. "I’ll go help Ethan finish it."
With Elena joining the fight, she and Ethan swiftly subdued the roaring mutated boar, obtaining another core to upgrade the Golden Tablet.
The group then spent the next hour sweeping through the area, eliminating the remaining tierless mutated pests.
Once the battlefield had been thoroughly cleared, they returned to Building C for a brief debriefing.
"How did you find the battle?" Elena asked, her gaze sweeping across the group as she gauged their thoughts on facing Tier 1 mutated beasts for the first time.
The squad exchanged glances.
Although their opinions differed in the details, they all arrived at the same sobering conclusion—the mutated beasts were far stronger than they had expected, and defeating them demanded flawless teamwork.
"They’re unbelievably tough and incredibly hard to kill," Lydia sighed, unable to hide the concern in her voice.
"If we had to face those creatures alone with our current strength, we’d have no chance. And if they ever come in herds of thousands..." She trailed off, shuddering at the thought.
Elena understood her worries. Beast tides would soon become one of humanity’s greatest nightmares.
Fortunately, as long as her team continued growing stronger at a pace far beyond ordinary survivors, it would eventually be the mutated beasts that had reason to fear them.
"Then make sure you become stronger—and do it quickly," Elena said firmly.
"The mutated beasts are dangerous, but never forget that our true enemies are the aliens. They are far stronger, far more intelligent, and infinitely more ruthless than anything we fought today."
Everyone nodded solemnly.
The room soon filled with discussion as each squad reviewed the battle, analyzing their performance, identifying tactical mistakes, and suggesting ways to improve their coordination for future encounters.
Several minutes later, Elena concluded the meeting and dismissed everyone, telling them to get some well-deserved rest before tomorrow’s departure.
As the area gradually emptied, only Elena and Ethan remained.
Standing side by side, they quietly looked around Building C.
It had been nearly a year since they had first arrived here. Tomorrow, they will finally leave this area behind and begin a new Chapter of their journey.
Elena silently hoped that whatever awaited them would lead to brighter days.
"Let’s go. We should head back to Building A," Elena said after taking one last look around the area. "We still need to pack everything and make the final preparations for the journey."
"Mhm." Ethan smiled gently. "Let’s feed the kids first. Butler Aki just sent me a message saying the triplets are crying and looking for us."
At the mention of their babies, the coldness in Elena’s eyes instantly melted into warmth.
A gentle smile appeared on her face as she gave a small nod.
In the next instant, the couple disappeared from the desolate surroundings, leaving the now-empty Building C behind.