Gideon blinked in disbelief. "You’re insane. It ate that thing in less than five seconds. How are you supposed to shoot that, and don’t tell me you plan to use that sniper rifle."
"Oh, I will," Summer said casually, crossing her arms. "So what? I’m the best sniper around. Even the Freebound tried to recruit me."
Gideon let out a laugh. "Oh, please. You’re twenty-five. Professionals train for years."
Summer gasped, clearly insulted. "What? You expect your woman to be the bait and get eaten by that thing?"
"Oh, so you don’t believe in equality now?"
She punched him in the stomach without warning. Gideon doubled slightly and groaned.
"I thought you were a gentleman."
"I am," he replied and straightening up. "I just also want to stay alive. And for your information, I’m better with that sniper than you. That’s why I wanted you to be the bait."
Gideon’s eyes narrowed. "Also why don’t we hunt another Aberrant? It’s not like we’re short on monsters."
Summer didn’t respond at all, her gaze dropped to a loose rock near her boot. She kicked it hard.
The stone bounced, fell, and struck one of the smaller Rootpods below.
The reaction was instant. The Rootpod let out a shrill roar. Tendrils burst from the ground and ceiling, writhing violently as they searched for prey.
"Summer, you asshole!" Gideon shouted.
She stuck her tongue out and dropped to the floor, snapping open the suitcase.
"Be a man, Gideon. If you don’t act as bait now, we’re not getting out of here. The whole tendrils inside this building knows their preys are here. They won’t stop until they got us."
"Shit."
Gideon moved instantly. His vest could protect him from acid, but his head and face were exposed. No room for hesitation.
He opened the Infinite Shop.
[Do you want to buy 1x Anti-Aberrant Helmet and 1x Speed Elixir?]
[Price: 800 Love Coins]
"Fuck."
He looked at Summer, who was already lying prone, the sniper rifle steady in her hands.
"I’m going to fuck you so hard you won’t be able to stand after this," he snapped.
"That’s hot," she replied calmly, eye pressed to the scope. "But you can’t do it if you get eaten, Gideon. So don’t die."
With a heavy heart, Gideon confirmed the purchase. The items appeared instantly in his hands. He drank the elixir and pulled on the helmet, which turned out to be little more than a reinforced ski mask.
[DEF increased by 50% for fifteen minutes]
[SPD increased by +100 for fifteen minutes]
The tendrils were already closing in.
They burst from above, slamming into the ground where he had stood seconds earlier.
Gideon drew his handgun and fired. Each shot echoed through the hollow space as tendrils burst apart and fell lifelessly to the floor.
It feels like everything has turned slower. His movements sharpened, his vision clearer than it had ever been.
He pivoted, fired again, and rolled aside as another tendril tore through the air where his head had been.
The Rootpod roared, its massive body shifting. Its mouth began to open, layers peeling back as tendrils lashed wildly in every direction.
"There!" Gideon shouted. "It opened its mouth!"
"Can’t," Summer replied, focused. "The weak spot only appear when the rootpod about to eat it prey."
"How does that even make sense?"
Another tendril lunged toward him. Gideon emptied his magazine into it and leapt forward, grabbing onto a massive vine as thick as a tree trunk.
He slid down its surface, boots skidding, firing as he went and severing smaller tendrils that tried to wrap around him.
He landed hard, one hand slamming into the ground. Before he could even suck in a breath, several smaller Rootpods burst open and sprayed acid in wide arcs.
Where it touched the floor, stone hissed and bushes melted into sludge.
"Careful with the small ones!" Summer shouted. "They spray acid. It won’t melt you, but it’ll burn your skin and make it hell to move."
"Too late, Summer!" Gideon yelled back.
The acid splashed over his boots, sizzling uselessly. The armor held, and with his defense boosted, the burn barely reached his skin. He gritted his teeth and raised his gun.
Click.
Nothing. He squeezed the trigger again. Only an empty creak answered him.
"FUCK!" Gideon roared. "THIS IS WHY THEY USE SWORDS AND DAGGERS IN POST-APOCALYPTIC NOVELS!"
The ground beneath him exploded.
A massive tendril burst upward and wrapped around his torso, lifting him off the floor like a toy. Another coiled around his legs, yanking him higher. His gun slipped from his fingers as he struggled.
Dangling helplessly, Gideon caught a glimpse of Summer through the chaos. She was still steady, still lining up a shot, calm as if this was just another hunt.
"I swear I’m going to fuck you one more time for this," he muttered, knowing he was out of time.
The Rootpod’s mouth opened beneath him, layers peeling back, acid bubbling inside.
Gideon opened the shop again without hesitation.
[Unbreakable Sword]
[Price: 10,000 Love Coins]
He slapped the discount ticket onto it.
[Price adjusted: 9,000 Love Coins]
The tendril jerked him forward.
"Yes," he said.
The sword appeared in his hand midair, heavy and solid. Time slowed just enough for him to see it. The weak spot Summer had mentioned. A pale, pearl-like sac gleaming at the top of the monster’s throat.
He twisted his body and raised the blade but before he could destroy it, a sharp crack tore through the air.
A blur of wind passed his face. The bullet hit it first as the sack exploded in a flash of white.
The Rootpod shrieked. Every tendril in the room went slack at once. Gideon dropped, crashing to the ground as the massive body collapsed like a dying tree. The smaller Rootpods followed, wilting and falling silent.
Gideon lay there, staring at the ceiling, heart pounding and slowly, he turned his head.
Summer stood in the doorway, the rifle resting casually against her shoulder. Her grin was smug, victorious, and unbearably pleased.
She did not need to say a word. But his face said it all: ’I told you so.’
"I get it," Gideon said, exhaling. "You’re the best sniper on this planet."
She puffed out her chest proudly. "Obviously. Now move. Grab everything we need. This place could collapse any second."
Gideon pushed himself up, sword still warm in his hand. The hunt was over and this damned sword was useful. He groaned as the sword was gone like a mist from his hand, back to his storage.