Bobby's heart raced as he watched the flaming monstrosity that was Malformed Mike charge towards them. The raider’s misshapen form, twisted by whatever power resided in that collar, moved with terrifying speed.

"Mic! Split up!" Bobby yelled, diving to the left.

The gnome didn't need to be told twice. He scurried to the right, his small size allowing him to duck behind a rusted car.

Mike roared in frustration, his burning eyes darting between his two targets. For a moment, he seemed unsure which to pursue. Bobby used that hesitation to his advantage.

He fumbled with his crossbow, trying to reload it with trembling hands. The pebbles slipped through his fingers, clattering to the ground. "Shit, shit, shit," he muttered.

Mike made his decision. He turned towards Bobby, his massive form barreling forward like a freight train. The heat from his burning body intensified as he closed the distance.

Bobby abandoned the crossbow, reaching for his fire axe instead. The weapon felt pitifully small against the approaching raider.

"Hey, ugly!" Mic's voice rang out from behind the car. "Over here!"

A bright energy blast erupted from Mic's multi-tool, striking Mike in the back. The malformed raider howled, spinning around to face this new threat.

Bobby seized the opportunity. He charged forward, swinging his axe with all his might. The blade bit into Mike's leg, eliciting another ear-splitting roar.

But Mike didn't fall. Instead, he lashed out with a massive, flaming arm. Bobby ducked, feeling the intense heat pass over his head. The smell of singed hair filled his nostrils.

Rem's voice echoed in his mind.

Bobby rolled to the side just as Mike's foot came crashing down where he'd been standing. The road cracked under the impact.

Mic unleashed another energy blast, drawing Mike's attention once more. The gnome ducked and weaved between abandoned vehicles, staying just out of reach.

Bobby scrambled to his feet, his mind racing. They couldn't keep this up forever. Mike seemed unstoppable, shrugging off their attacks like they were nothing.

As he watched, Mic narrowly avoided one of Mike's swipes, an idea struck him.

"Mic!" Bobby shouted. "You need to keep distracting him for me!"

Bobby's fingers trembled as he reloaded the crossbow, pebbles clinking against each other as he fumbled them into place. Sweat trickled down his brow, stinging his eyes as he blinked to clear his vision. With his free hand, he arranged the remaining bottles of Mic's chemicals in a neat row at his feet, ready for use.

A brilliant flash of energy illuminated the night as Mic unleashed another blast from his multi-tool. The searing beam struck Mike square in the chest, eliciting a bone-chilling roar that sent shivers down Bobby's spine.

"Uh-oh," Mic squeaked, his eyes wide with terror. "I think I made him mad!"

Mike charged towards the gnome, his massive form a blur of flames and twisted flesh. In a desperate move, Mic reached for his last explosive device, priming it with shaking hands.

"Mic, no!" Bobby shouted, worried that Mic was too close, but it was too late.

The gnome hurled the device at Mike. For a split second, time seemed to stand still. Then, with a deafening boom, the explosive detonated.

The blast tore through Mike's monstrous body, ripping him apart in a shower of gore and flames. Bobby's heart leaped with hope, but it was short-lived.

Before their eyes, Mike's shattered form began to twist and writhe. Flesh knitted back together, bones snapped into new configurations, and additional limbs sprouted from his torso. The collar around his neck pulsed with an otherworldly light, driving the horrific transformation.

As the dust settled, a new abomination stood before them. No longer just Malformed Mike, but something far worse.

Bobby's interface flickered, updating to display the creature's new status:

Mutated Mike

Level 15

Health 2500/2500

"Oh, bloody hell," Bobby whispered, his grip tightening on the crossbow as he stared at the monstrosity that now towered over them. "This aint good."

Bobby's heart pounded in his chest as he watched the monstrous form of Mike lumber towards Mic. The gnome's eyes were wide with terror, his small frame backed against a crumbling wall.

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"Hey, you ugly bastard!" Bobby shouted, his voice cracking with fear and desperation. "Over here!"

Mike didn't even flinch, his focus on the trapped gnome.

"Shit," Bobby muttered. Without hesitation, he raised his crossbow and fired a pebble into the raiders's back.

The projectile struck with a meaty thud. Mike roared, whirling around to face this new threat. His eyes, glowing like hellfire, locked onto Bobby.

Bobby's stomach churned at the sight, but he stood his ground. As the monster charged towards him, he took aim at its legs.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

Pebbles pelted Mike's left leg in rapid succession. The raider stumbled, his gait becoming uneven. Bobby pressed his advantage, focusing his fire on the weakened limb.

With a sickening crack, the leg gave way. Mike howled in pain and rage, but Bobby didn't let up. He shifted his aim to the right leg, unleashing another barrage of pebbles.

Crack! The second leg buckled. Mike crashed to the ground, his massive form shaking the earth.

For a moment, Bobby allowed himself a glimmer of hope. But it was short-lived.

With a grotesque squelching sound, a portion of Mike's flaming flesh detached itself. Before Bobby could react, the glob of burning matter hurtled through the air, striking him square in the chest.

Bobby screamed as searing pain exploded across his torso. The acrid stench of burning cloth and flesh filled his nostrils. He staggered backward, trying to pat out the flames.

Bobby's eyes widened in horror as Mike's arms twisted and elongated, morphing into grotesque, leg-like appendages. The monstrous creature flipped onto its new limbs with unnatural agility, charging towards Bobby with terrifying speed.

"Fuck!" Bobby cursed, fumbling for one of Mic's Molotov cocktails. His fingers closed around the bottle, and he hurled it with all his might.

The makeshift explosive shattered against Mike's chest, erupting into a brilliant fireball. Flames engulfed the creature, but it barely slowed. If anything, the fire seemed to energise it, the collar around its neck pulsing with an otherworldly glow.

Bobby stumbled backward, his heart pounding in his ears. He tripped over a piece of debris, landing hard on his back. The impact knocked the wind out of him, leaving him gasping for air.

Mike loomed over him, a towering inferno of twisted flesh and burning rage. Heat radiated off the creature in waves, singeing Bobby's skin and clothes.

Desperately, Bobby scrambled away, his hands scraping against broken concrete. His fingers brushed against something smooth–the remaining Molotov cocktails.

Before he could grab them, Mike's fiery form passed over them. The intense heat ignited the volatile liquids inside, triggering a chain reaction.

BOOM!

The explosion rocked the street, sending shards of glass and burning liquid in all directions. Bobby felt a searing pain across his arm as a piece of shrapnel sliced through his sleeve. The once-quiet suburban road had become a war zone. Craters pockmarked the tarmac, and the acrid smell of burning rubber filled the air as nearby cars smouldered. The intense heat had caused windows in surrounding houses to shatter, their curtains now dancing with flames.

Through the smoke and flames, he saw Mike stagger, disoriented by the blast. But even as chunks of its flesh smouldered and fell away, fresh growth emerged, twisting and reforming its monstrous body.

Bobby's stomach churned at the sight. He knew he had to act fast, or he'd be nothing more than a charred smear on the pavement. Around him, the world was transforming into a hellscape. The grass on nearby lawns had withered and blackened, and the trees lining the street groaned as their bark blistered and peeled. The very air seemed to shimmer with heat, distorting Bobby's view of the nightmarish scene.

For a moment, the world seemed to slow.

Bobby's ragged breaths echoed in his ears as he lay there, teetering on the brink of death. In that split second of clarity, he realised he had one last chance. The 'Think on Your Feet' skill kicked in, sharpening his focus.

Suddenly, the fire felt... different. Bobby's perception shifted, and he became acutely aware of the flames dancing around him. His Fire Manipulation skill surged to the forefront of his mind.

Bobby reached out to the flames with his mind, but controlling them was like trying to grasp smoke. The fire resisted, lashing out painfully. With gritted teeth, he pushed harder, bending the reluctant flames to his will. His mind strained, a searing headache building behind his eyes, but he pushed through the pain.

Slowly, agonisingly, the fire's assault on his body lessened.

Bobby gritted his teeth, sweat pouring down his face as he fought to maintain control. He knew that if he lost concentration for even a second, the flames would consume him. But with each passing moment, his command over the fire grew stronger.

The damage to his health slowed, then stopped altogether. Bobby lay there, surrounded by flames that no longer harmed him, catching his breath in disbelief. As Bobby manipulated the flames, a notification flashed in his vision:

Fire Manipulation skill increased to 3!

The surge of power that followed gave him a much-needed second wind. But he couldn't rest. Mike still loomed nearby, a nightmarish inferno of twisted flesh and burning rage. Bobby's mind raced, fuelled by adrenaline and his newfound control over the fire.

With a grunt of effort, Bobby pushed himself to his feet. He raised his hands, focusing on the monstrous creature before him. The fire responded to his will, swirling and coalescing around Mike.

Bobby's head pounded, his vision blurring at the edges as he poured every ounce of concentration into his task. A sphere of flame formed around Mike, encapsulating the raider in a fiery prison.

As Mike thrashed against the fiery barrier, the collar around his neck pulsed with an otherworldly light. Bobby realised that as long as that infernal device remained intact, Mike would keep regenerating. Sweat poured down his face, his body trembling with exertion, but he refused to let go. He knew that this bubble of fire was the only thing standing between him and certain death. His mana drained, the edges of his vision darkening. With a desperate gasp, he tapped into a deeper well of power, feeling his very life force being consumed to fuel the flames.

Time slowed to a crawl. Bobby's heart thundered in his ears as he focused his attention on the pulsing collar around Mike's neck. The source of the raiders’s power. The key to ending this nightmare.

With a thought, Bobby collapsed the sphere of fire, condensing it into a blazing ring that encircled the collar. He poured every ounce of his remaining strength into the flames, willing them hotter, brighter, more intense.

Mike's agonised roars filled the air, but Bobby couldn't falter now. He felt his life ebbing away, his body growing weaker with each passing second. But he held on, pushing the fire to impossible temperatures.

Just as darkness crept into the edges of his vision, Bobby made one final, desperate move. With a mental shove, he flung the ring of fire away from Mike's body, taking the collar with it.

There was a blinding flash, a sound like reality itself tearing apart, and then... silence.

Bobby's control over the flames slipped away. He saw Mike's monstrous form crumple to the ground, lifeless at last. Relief washed over him, quickly followed by an overwhelming wave of exhaustion.

Bobby's eyes fluttered open for a moment. Through blurred vision, he saw Mic's worried face hovering over him, the gnome's mouth moving in words he couldn't hear. In the background, the smouldering remains of Mike lay motionless. Then darkness took him once more.