The air in the science wing was colder.
Not just temperature — there was a weight in the silence, the kind that made lesser men freeze. Zack didn't freeze. He slowed his breathing, every muscle loose but ready.
The radar in his visor pulsed again.
> [Threat Class: Special Infected]
[Size: Large]
[Caution: Mutation detected]
A wet, dragging sound echoed down the hall.
Then he saw it.
The creature was at least seven feet tall, its shoulders bulging with muscle under stretched, gray skin. Its left arm was grotesquely swollen, bone protrusions jutting out like blades. The jaw hung unhinged, drooling black saliva that sizzled when it hit the floor.
Armored brute type… slow but lethal in close quarters, Zack noted silently.
It sniffed the air, head snapping toward him. Then it roared — a sound so deep it rattled the lockers.
> [Boss Encounter: Brute-01]
The thing charged.
Zack moved. One step back, rifle snapping up — tap, tap, tap. The visor marked each shot: direct hits to the head. But the brute barely flinched, closing the distance with terrifying speed.
Zack dove to the side as the massive arm slammed into the lockers, metal crumpling like paper. Sparks rained.
He rolled to one knee, swapped to his sidearm, and aimed for the exposed joint at the creature's shoulder. The System's targeting assist highlighted the weak point in red. Three precise shots — CRACK, CRACK, CRACK.
The brute howled, staggering. Zack seized the opening, sprinting forward. His knife flashed, plunging into the soft tissue under its chin. One twist. Pull free.
The monster collapsed, twitching once before going still.
> [Target Eliminated — Reward: +15 TP, Random Tier 2 Drop]
[Acquired: Tier 2 Weapon — Kinetic Handgun]
A sleek, black pistol materialized in his hand — heavier than his old one, with a faint hum of stored energy in the chamber.
> [Kinetic Handgun: Fires high-velocity energy slugs. Ignores light armor. +50% stopping power.]
Zack holstered it with a faint smirk.
"Better."
The radar pinged again — multiple smaller blips approaching from behind. More zombies.
He didn't bother running.
Let them come.