86 Against the Level 2-Mutation Woodman (1/2)

Day 3 – 10:42 AM – Bacoor City Hall Rooftop, Molino Boulevard, Bayanan, Bacoor City, Cavite

While the Mutanted Woodman was struggling to climb up and Abbygale was having a staring contest with the Huge Cat on the branch of the huge tree, Mark was fiddling with his phone and could be heard murmuring.

”Gunland… Swordland… Ignite… Storm and Fire…”

Mark was organizing his music playlist!

As everyone was at a standstill and the Mutant Woodman had not climbed to the roof top yet, he had enough time to select which songs would be suitable for the incoming fight.

Why did he not start the fight immediately? It was because the survivors at the floor below had not finished evacuating from the city hall yet. While he was fiddling with his phone, he was actually scanning the floor below. Once the last survivor inside left, he would start attacking. Once the fight started, he did not know how long the building would be able to handle it.

It was not because of him, the huge cat nor Abbygale. One minor reason was the Woodman, its weight and strength but the major reason was the huge tree in front of them. It should be in a sleeping state but would it get disturbed once the battle between non-humans started? It was very likely that it would! Once that happened, it was likely for the building to collapse!

While Mark was arranging the songs on his phone, the last person inside the City Hall left and the Mutant Woodman finally climbed to the rooftop almost at the same time. Mark immediately played the first song and stored his phone onto one of the pockets on his belt.

After the Mutant Woodman climbed up, it displayed the common trait of every infected. It was to charge at their target. Every step of its heavy wooden feet created a mild tremor on the rooftop as it made its way as fast as it could. And the person it was charging towards was actually Mark!

Mark looked at the approaching infected and then towards the huge cat that was not making any moves nor having the notion of snatching the fruit in front of it. It was strange but it was a situation to Mark's favor.

It was a cat and a bigger mutation of a house cat. Just the speed of a normal cat was already hard to predict and react to then how about this cat in front of them? It would have a speed that was several times faster.

”Gale, guard that huge cat. Can you do it? Leave that large guy to me.”

Looking at her Papa, Abbygale nodded. This was the most reasonable tactics. Only her speed would be able to react to the speed that cat could display.

Actually, Mark could just abandon the intention to fight and just evacuate the area along with the survivors as planned. However, his Otaku instincts pushed him to not give up the fruit unless there was no other choice left. The fruit with golden color was very mysterious. From what Odelina said before, this fruit would benefit them. Then, it was a must to contest for it. There was also the feeling that it would not turn out to be a good situation if this huge cat or this Mutant Woodman was the ones to get the fruit.

Leaving the little girl and the huge cat on their staring contest, Mark did not wait for the Woodman to arrive and charged towards it. Mark did not activate his adrenaline rush and decided to confront the Mutant Woodman in a normal combat. It was not because he did not want to but because there was no need to. The Woodman was large and strong but its weakness was its very stiff movements and very slow speed.

If it was put in video games, this kind of creature was only suitable in attacking buildings of enemies. It was more of a tank than an attacker.

As Mark arrived near it, the Woodman swung its huge wooden arm down in attempt to squish him. Mark dodged to the left but the tremor on the rooftop slightly affected his footing and almost fell down.

'I need to be careful with the shaking.'

BANG!!

Mark had drawn the weapon he brought for this encounter. It was a standard issue shotgun for the Philippine National Police, a Remington 870. From his experience with the woodmen when they arrived here, his M16 Assault Rifle and his Biretta 92 Pistol did not have enough fire power to penetrate the skin of a normal Woodman, what more to this Mutated one?

After dodging, he shot the infected.

CREAK!

Creaking noises sounded the as pellets from the shotgun sprayed on the wooden body of the infected. As Mark expected, hitting the larger wooden body would not affect the infected. Still, he tried shooting the bullet invulnerable body to test and also to attract it further.

SWOOSH!

The Woodman swung its large wooden arm to swipe Mark away. Mark on the other hand already retreated away from the area of the attack. As a gamer, it was easy for him to pinpoint where its attacks were coming from. Every time it attacks, it would pull its arms away before attacking giving him a leeway to anticipate the attack and dodge. He would be an idiot if he got hit by this unless some unexpected situation happened.

BANG!

Mark shot again but this time, the shot was aimed at the smaller humanoid figure dangling at the center of the large wooden body. It should be its true body!

BAM! BAM!

The body was hit and the pellets from the shotgun shell buffeted the body. However, that was it. The pellets only bore shallow holes on the tree bark skin of the Woodman. The only thing noticeable was it actually retreated two steps backwards making two loud banging sounds on the roof.

CREAK!

”Well, darn it.”

Mark immediately retreated backwards. Those two unexpected steps of the Woodman made the rooftop let out creaking noises! It would be dangerous if the roof suddenly collapsed!

Thinking of a plan, Mark glanced behind him. His eyes lit up. He began to retreat towards the eastern side of the rooftop. Why? It was the roof at the eastern part of the City Hall was barely affected by the growth of the tree. It was the roof directly above the reception area where the survivors stayed before and there were no noticeable cracks on this area of the roof.

The infected that had just recovered from being shot charged more ferociously. Mark could not feel any emotional fluctuations from the infected but the way it behaved showed that it was angered somehow. Its speed and strength even rose visibly.

SWOOSH! BAM!!!

The Woodman slammed both its arms towards Mark that had already anticipated the attack. Mark agilely dodged but his back was feeling cold after that attack. It was good that he already lured the Woodman to this side. That attack just now should be able to demolish the area of the rooftop where they were fighting before!

Mark ran towards the left of the Woodman trying to circle to its side. However, the Woodman swiped its right arm towards its right forcing Mark to retreat further and halting his intended attack.

As it was not possible to circle it, Mark aimed his shotgun forward and shot the smaller body once more.

”What!”

The shot did not hit the intended target. The left wooden arm of the Woodman protected the true body from the shot!