Chapter 109

Right before the door gunner opened fire on him, a couple of possible scenarios ran through Jake’s mind. He could run across the roof and jump toward the helicopter. It was only a few yards away and slightly higher than the roof, so he was certain he would be able to make the jump without much trouble.

Would he be able to cling to the helicopter, though? The best option was to jump toward the open door and grab hold of the machine gun or the edges of the door to prevent himself from falling. But he would need to run across the roof in a straight line, while the door gunner would be shooting at him. He wouldn’t be able to avoid getting hit. And if he tried to dodge the bullets, he wouldn’t be able to build up enough momentum to make the jump.

While his mutated body was extremely durable and resilient to damage, the heavy-caliber machine gun looked powerful enough to do a number on his body. A few hits might not be enough to kill him, but it would definitely slow him down. Also, getting hit while airborne could disrupt his momentum, possibly preventing him from reaching the helicopter altogether.

So running and jumping directly toward the door where the door gunner stood was too risky.

Another option was to try to jump toward the nose of the helicopter. His claws were powerful enough to pierce through the metal shell of the chopper. His enhanced strength and agility should allow him to cling to the helicopter. The pilot would undoubtedly attempt to dislodge him from the craft, but it wouldn’t be an easy task. The pilot wouldn’t be too reckless about it for fear of losing control of the chopper and potentially causing a crash. The next step would be to either break the windshield or make his way to the open door.

Although the second option carried risks, it seemed more likely to succeed.

All these predictions and calculations flashed through his mind in a millisecond, thanks to his upgraded Enhanced Intelligence.

However, in the end, Jake decided not to take any action against the Demons, even though he was confident that if he attempted the second option, he would likely succeed. Although his chances of boarding their helicopter were favorable, he decided not to attempt it. Since he’d previously made a decision to avoid unnecessary confrontations with humans, it was best to adhere to that choice.

Having decided to flee rather than fight the two Demons in the black helicopter, he spun around just as the door gunner opened fire on him. He immediately leaped to the side just before the heavy-caliber rounds stitched a line of holes through the rooftop where he’d been standing a fraction of a second before. He dashed across the roof at his top speed.

Running away from those he saw as prey felt wrong. He was a predator now, so he shouldn’t run away unless being severely wounded or facing serious danger that called for a tactical retreat. Which wasn’t the case at that moment. He was confident he could eliminate the two humans inside the helicopter without much difficulty.

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His inhuman mind worked notably differently from a human’s, making his predatory instincts scream at him to show the audacious humans that they should be the ones fleeing, not him. The urge to stop fleeing and fight back was so strong he even slowed down for a moment, his instincts of a predator battling with common sense for control over his actions.

As soon as he slowed down, he felt a punch to his back as one of the heavy-caliber rounds hit him. The impact was so powerful it made him stumble. He immediately felt anger rise within him. As a mutant, he hardly ever experienced emotions. However, at that moment, the realization that he was forcing himself to flee from his prey instead of confronting it stirred feelings of anger within him. It took him by surprise. He had never felt this way before.

Even though he couldn’t see the bullet wound on his back, he could sense it was quite large. The material his body was made of was quite robust, preventing the round from passing through completely. However, the hole it’d punched in his back was large enough to cause mana to seep out. He currently had plenty of mana stored within him, but losing that precious magical energy was never a good thing. It only fueled the anger he felt.

That was when his inner beast stirred from its slumber. It immediately began whispering and urging him to stop running and fight the two foolish humans who had dared to attack him. It was urging him to assert his dominance and show the humans who was the ultimate predator there. This realization sobered Jake to some extent. He once again remembered his principle of avoiding conflicts with humans unless absolutely necessary. He refused to let his inner beast dictate to him what to do. He had to preserve what little humanity was left within him.

So instead of turning around and confronting the two audacious Demons inside the helicopter, he resumed sprinting across the rooftop. Upon reaching its edge, he leaped over the gap to another high-rise building. Once he landed, he glanced over his shoulder. The door gunner couldn’t take proper aim because Jake was now too far away. The Demon stopped shooting, and the chopper pivoted toward Jake before giving chase.

Persistent, ain’tcha? he thought.

He continued to run. After jumping to another rooftop, he glanced back again. The helicopter was still in pursuit, closing in rapidly. It was incredibly fast, indicating that giving it the slip wouldn’t be easy. So instead of fleeing, he decided to seek refuge inside one of the buildings. Sprinting across the rooftop, he leaped to the next high-rise. He didn’t need to look back to know the helicopter was almost on top of him—the thudding of its rotor blades and the downwash they caused were unmistakable signs.

Jake entered the staircase and went down one flight of steps, stopping on the top half-landing. There was no need to descend any further. He waited, listening to the sound of rotor blades coming from outside, wondering whether the helicopter would touch down on the roof or not. If the two Demons were foolish enough to follow him into the building, it would be a grave mistake on their part.

For a moment, he listened. Judging from the sounds outside, the chopper was hovering above the rooftop. Then, the hum of the engine intensified slightly before starting to fade out. The helicopter was moving away. The Demons had decided not to chase him anymore. It was a good decision, for sure. It might have saved their lives because Jake wasn’t sure for how long he could have kept his inner beast restrained.

He waited until the sound was barely audible before getting back up on the roof. He glanced around, looking for the helicopter. He spotted it heading northeast, quickly moving away from his position. Jake watched as it became a mere speck against the gray sky. A moment later, it disappeared completely.