Chapter 134

With a crack that split the air like thunder, the Electro surged to life. Blinding bolts of electricity erupted from the magical anomaly, sending arcs of energy shooting in every direction. The spheroid mass of the anomaly pulsed with an astonishing brightness.

Now that the two occupants of the helicopter were aware of the Electro’s presence, they completely forgot about what was happening on the rooftop. The door gunner ceased firing at the mutants and began screaming at the pilot to get them the hell out of there, even though the pilot already desperately worked to do just that. The helicopter lurched sideways as the pilot frantically adjusted the controls, attempting to pull away.

Too late.

As the pilot initiated a sharp climb, a bolt of electricity suddenly struck the fuselage, jolting the chopper. The rotors whirred frantically as the pilot fought to regain control, his face taut with panic. The hum of the blades mingled with the crackle of the raging anomaly. The door gunner held on to the edges of the doorway, his eyes darting between the anomaly launching erratic bolts of electricity everywhere and the ground far below.

Before the helicopter could get away, another bolt struck its tail rotor with a bright flash. Metal screeched as the rotor shuddered violently, sparks flying chaotically everywhere. The helicopter jerked violently, the rotors sputtering and stalling as the imbalance took hold. The pilot struggled, his hands gripping the controls tightly, sweat glistening on his brow.

The anomaly pulsed rhythmically, almost as if mocking the helicopter’s frantic attempts to maintain balance. Another bolt shot through the air, striking the chopper with wild ferocity. At that moment, the helicopter entered a chaotic spin, losing altitude at a heart-stopping rate. The shriek of the dying engines echoed through the air as the aircraft spiraled downward.

A second later, the helicopter plummeted out of view below the rooftop’s edge, and Jake couldn’t see it anymore. Then came the sound—the sickening crunch of metal colliding with stone as the chopper crashed into the side of a nearby building. An explosion erupted, blooming like a flower, with the shockwave rolling across the rooftops. A plume of fire blossomed, sending shards of debris spiraling into the sky.

However, Jake didn’t have time to watch. The cacophony of sounds reverberated through the air as the magical anomaly raged, pulsating with electrical rhythms and sending lightning bolts in every direction. With a powerful leap, Jake propelled himself into the air, dodging one of them. Another bolt crackled past, missing him by mere inches.

Jake was in constant motion, leaping this way and that, dodging bolts of electricity. His Enhanced Reflexes and Enhanced Agility were working in overdrive, keeping him just ahead of danger. He quickly rolled as another bolt sliced through the air and hit the spot where he had been moments before. The electrical energy sizzled against the surface of the roof, and he felt a wave of heat wash over him as he came up, ready to dodge yet another strike that burned through the air like a whip of light.

The anomaly pulsed rhythmically, emitting a deep thrum that vibrated through the air, sending arcs of electricity from its core. Predicting where the next bolt would strike was nearly impossible, but Jake’s Feral Instincts guided him. He knew the electrical fury would subside in mere seconds, yet he didn’t let himself think about it. Instead, he focused solely on dodging the bolts. He could probably survive a direct hit, but he didn’t know how much damage it would inflict on his body, so he wanted to avoid being hit at all costs.

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With a quick dash and a leap, he launched himself into a roll to dodge another bolt. As he leaped to his feet, he quickly glanced around, catching sight of the chaos the anomaly continued to unleash upon the rooftop, smoke billowing up from the surface where bolts struck. The air crackled with electric energy, sending a trickling sensation through his skin as he surveyed the chaos unfolding around him.

Unfortunately for the ex-humans, they lacked his speed and agility. Even with the anomaly raging around them, some still tried to get to him, while others looked confused and uncertain about what action to take. No matter what path they chose, all of them were killed, being hit by the bolts of electricity, dying instantly.

Jake darted to the side, narrowly avoiding a bolt of raw electricity that struck a walker beside him, charring its upper body instantly. He continued to leap from side to side as bolts lanced through the air around him. With every movement, he could hear the mutants shrieking in pain and frustration as they were hit. Another bolt shot forth, striking one of the creatures with a sickening crackle. It erupted into flames, becoming a living torch before it disintegrated into ash.

Jake urged his body to move faster to outmaneuver both the bolts of electricity and the horde chasing him. A slasher lunged, its curved claws poised to tear him apart, but he dashed aside just in time. In the next instant, the ex-human was struck by a bolt of electricity with such brutal force that it was hurled through the air all the way across the roof. Watching its smoldering body tumble over the roof’s edge, Jake thought he’d just found another reason to do his best to avoid being hit.

The electricity surged relentlessly, casting a blinding glow across the roof where monsters were being killed. Their shrieks pierced the air, blending with the constant crackling of the anomaly. More than once, Jake saw a bolt strike a mutant, splitting into several others that leaped to nearby creatures, killing them all at once. The monsters surrounding him were falling like flies.

Jake ducked and darted, skillfully avoiding the onslaught while the mutants died all around him in droves. He leaped to the side as a bolt of electricity lanced past him. He launched himself into a roll to avoid being hit again, and immediately dashed aside, successfully dodging yet another bolt of electricity.

Is that all you’ve got? he mentally taunted the anomaly. You gotta do better than that if you wanna get me.

Then it suddenly was over. The Electro stopped pulsating vigorously. The anomaly no longer radiated a blinding light and ceased launching any more bolts of electricity, reverting to its idle state, becoming almost invisible. The hum and crackle ceased, and the air was no longer charged.

Jake quickly looked around. There were just a handful of walkers left, and no new mutants materialized, because all the portals had sealed shut a while ago. It didn’t take Jake long to deal with the remaining mutants. Unfortunately, he hadn’t leveled up during the previous two waves, because in the ninth wave, most of the mutants had been mowed down by the chopper’s gunner, while in the final one, most had been killed by the anomaly.

As soon as he took care of the last enemy, the Electro anomaly suddenly erupted in a flash of blinding light and ceased to exist. Waves of bluish energy surged toward him from where it had just been, absorbed by his body. Then, system notifications flooded his mind.

Challenge complete!

You have received 30,000 XP.

You have received 30,000 MP.

The Cloak ability has been added to the Genetic Development Interface.

You have gained enough XP to level up. Your level went up from 46 to 51. You have gained 25 SP.

After earning 30,000 XP for completing the Wave Survival challenge, he had leveled up five times and now possessed a total of 45 skill points. Not bad at all. He looked around. The rooftop was devoid of mutants, the anomaly was gone, and there were no more helicopters nearby. It was finally peaceful and quiet, the perfect moment to put those skill points to good use.