Chapter 35: CH 035: A copy of animals
The group of fifteen sprinted towards the truck, their footsteps pounding the uneven earth as the Boulderback beasts lumbered behind them. The creatures’ slow, deliberate movements made it easy for the group to gain some ground.
Those who had gotten caught in the beasts’ path had been helped out and rescued to safety by their comrades. The group managed to break free for the moment, their eyes fixed on the distant truck as they made way towards it.
All through his fight so far, Dave realized that he couldn’t use his abilities at all. It was just as the system stated, that his powers would cease working during the times he was punished. And as for his stats, they would also return to normal, just like the normal human he was.
But after seeing Gunther disappear in front of them, and Dave having no powers to defend himself, he had thought of the best option and had decided to lead the group into retreating, which is what he had done. And now, everyone seems to be heeding to his suggestion.
The beasts, unperturbed by the desperate human flight, began to follow in their usual sluggish pace. Even so, the sense of dread lingered. The sudden, gruesome fate of Gunther still haunted everyone’s mind.
"I can’t believe it," one of the senior members muttered, his voice laced with disbelief as he escaped alongside the others. "How could something so slow, so lumbering, move fast enough to swallow Gunther whole? It doesn’t make sense."
The question echoed in the minds of the rest of the group. They had all seen the beasts in action, their massive bodies lurching at a crawl. But now, it was impossible to ignore the one unsettling fact, their heads moved with a speed that defied their slow movements.
"I think I might have an explanation," a voice broke through the murmur of confusion. The woman who spoke was one of the senior executives whose name was Judy. She was assigned to go along with Gunther to fill the gas tanks.
"These beasts," she continued, "they’re modeled after animals on Earth. And this one we just encountered now are no doubt from tortoises."
A few of the group exchanged confused glances, unsure of what she meant.
"They look like tortoises, right?" she said, her voice tinged with certainty. "But there’s one thing they lack, that tortoises have; their shells. I’ve never seen a tortoise in real life, but I remember seeing a documentary about them once."
"Tortoises, despite being slow overall, can actually extend their necks with incredible speed when they need to, especially when attacking or swallowing their prey. It is a quick, sudden movement... just like how Gunther was taken." She explained.