The rifle bullets, like long needles plunged into a wet sponge, tore through Officer Martin's still-bleeding, portly torso without resistance.
Flesh was ruthlessly ripped and mangled, and the slugs, now coated in Martin's hot blood, savagely and frantically burrowed into the "Spider" hiding closely behind the 'meat shield'.
Sam couldn't see the specific wounds inflicted by the bullets, but he clearly heard the creature's sudden, high-pitched shriek, filled with unbelievable pain and fury.
He even saw another relatively intact bladed limb snap off under the impact of the bullets, flying away.
These bullets… they seemed to be literally 'eating' the monster.
"Screee—!!!" The "Spider" let out an unprecedented, terrifying screech.
It violently ripped its remaining talons out of Martin's body, dragging out a mess of mangled flesh and internal organs, then leaped backward with all its might, instantly clinging high up on the wall of a nearby building like a gecko.
Officer Martin, now unsupported, collapsed like a discarded, tattered, oversized rag doll, slumping into a pool of blood without another sound.
"You…?!" Miller's eyes widened, barely believing what he saw.
He couldn't comprehend Sam's decisiveness—or perhaps, coldness.
This rookie officer had actually… actually fired without hesitation through his own colleague just to hit the monster behind him.
But he also clearly saw that Sam's three seemingly insane and cruel shots had indeed punched several gruesome, bleeding holes into the creature's abdomen and chest, oozing a reddish slime.
Now, the "Spider" clung high on the wall.
Its speed was noticeably slower than before, its movements somewhat clumsy due to the loss of three limbs, but the ferocious aura emanating from it was even stronger.
It gripped the building's window ledge tightly, its emotionless compound eyes burning with pure rage and killing intent, fixed deadly on the human in the police uniform below who had just grievously wounded it—especially the one whose rifle muzzle was still emitting wisps of smoke.
It wanted to tear him apart.
Rip him limb from limb.
Even John, still in the cab of the dump truck, was completely stunned by everything that had just happened.
The reason he hadn't gotten out was because his Glock only had a pitiful seven rounds left—charging out would be suicide, utterly useless, forcing him to watch helplessly as his subordinates died one by one.
The feeling of powerlessness had nearly consumed him.
And now… this 'partner' he'd known for less than a day, this rookie with a suspicious background and bizarre behavior, had actually wounded the monster with such a cold-blooded method…
Could the situation actually be turning around?
No.
It wasn't.
Although the "Spider" was injured and its explosive power diminished, the terrifying pressure emanating from the alien creature was still suffocating.
It rapidly adjusted its position on the wall, its remaining talons digging deep into the structure, its body coiling slightly—like a falcon preparing for a deadly dive from high above, about to launch its final attack.
"Miller! Head for the tow truck! Now!" Almost at the same instant the "Spider" steadied itself high above, Sam suddenly barked out an undeniable command, his voice hoarse but carrying a strange decisiveness. "John! Stay in the truck! Get ready to ram!"
Though not fully understanding Sam's intention, Miller reacted almost instinctively based on battlefield reflexes.
He immediately turned, fired a shot to blast away an approaching common zombie, then sprinted headlong towards the dump truck and school bus parked nearby without looking back.
John also gritted his teeth, choosing to trust this 'partner' he'd known for less than a day but who had repeatedly shown shocking calm (or coldness).
He gripped the steering wheel, keeping the engine roaring, waiting for the signal.
The positions of the three men instantly diverged, like a rapidly expanding triangle, exposing the empty street in the center.
The "Spider" high on the wall let out a questioning hiss.
Its inhuman intelligence seemed to be rapidly processing the sudden change in tactics.
It had to choose.
Pursue Miller, who was running towards the large vehicles and would potentially escape with a lot of 'fresh meat'?
Or prioritize eliminating the tall human who had just grievously wounded it with the rifle, filling it with pain and rage?
The decision was made almost instantly.
"Screee—!!!" An even sharper, more murderous screech echoed.
The "Spider's" target locked onto—Sam.
And Sam was already sprinting for his life, his target clear—the police car parked by the side of the road.
His plan was simple and brutal: let Miller run towards the tow truck to draw attention.
If the monster chased Miller, he'd find a chance to get in a car and escape.
If the monster chased him… then he'd dive into the back seat of the police car and gamble his life against the creature.
Sam heard it.
The creature's furious roar after choosing him.
The sound of claws scraping against the wall as it launched itself in pursuit from behind, rapidly closing the distance with terrifying leaps.
It was clumsily adjusting its body, unaccustomed to the loss of three limbs, but its speed was still despairingly fast.
It was coming straight for Sam's back.
"John! Now! Ram it!!" Sam screamed towards the dump truck with all his might the instant he dove into the back seat of the police car.
He slammed the door shut as fast as he could, desperately trying to curl his body into the rear space.
Almost simultaneously, BANG!! A tremendous impact.
The "Spider" slammed hard against the police car's side door.
Its sharp talons struck the door like battering rams, instantly denting the metal inward with a sickening screech, even piercing through in several places, creating terrifying bulges.
The creature's upper body then smashed through the rear window glass, sending shards flying.
Its maw, filled with sharp teeth, lunged directly through the broken window, fetid saliva dripping, snapping viciously at the nearby Sam.
Sam had no time to aim.
He instinctively thrust the rifle barrel upwards horizontally.
CRACK.
The "Spider's" teeth clamped down hard on the sturdy rifle barrel.
The immense biting force made the alloy barrel groan under the strain, almost snapping it in two.
And the instant John heard Sam's roar, he understood.
A crazed glint flashed in his eyes as he yanked the steering wheel.
But just as he was about to floor the accelerator, a common zombie that had been lurking near the truck suddenly lunged, diving through the shattered front windshield into the cab.
John didn't even glance at the zombie attacking him.
He didn't draw his pistol, didn't dodge, because he knew he had no time.
His only goal was to follow Sam's command, seize this possibly only chance.
He gripped the steering wheel tightly, his right foot slamming down hard on the gas pedal.
"Remember to buckle up, asshole!!" In the back seat of the police car, Sam, while desperately using the rifle to hold back the monster's snapping jaws, used his free hand to open the rear door again, then quickly unbuckled the rear seatbelt and whipped it fiercely around the "Spider's" ugly head that was still trying to break free from the rifle barrel and push further into the car.
One of the "Spider's" foreclaws had already torn through the interior door panel, almost reaching Sam's chest.
The next second, an overwhelming, irresistible force, as if meant to crush everything in its path, accompanied by the deafening roar of the dump truck's engine, slammed into the "Spider" from behind—like an explosion.
The intimate contact between the multi-ton steel behemoth and the "Spider" aberration was devastating.
The creature's body was instantly flattened, crushed between the front of the truck and the ground like dough under a high-speed roller.
Its sharp, nightmarish limbs, like Lego bricks smashed violently on the floor, shattered and scattered in all directions.
Broken bones mixed with pale muscle tissue and green viscous fluid flew everywhere, like a violently squeezed ripe persimmon.
Its lifeless compound eyes stared fixedly at the surviving humans on the street, eyeballs practically bursting from their distorted sockets, frozen in final malice and disbelief.
And Sam, caught at the epicenter of the impact, was violently thrown by the irresistible, terrifying force.
Like a rag doll, he flew out of the rear police car door he had just opened, tumbling and sliding across the rough asphalt for seven or eight meters before finally stopping.
Intense pain instantly engulfed his entire body.
He felt like the muscles in his back had been ripped apart.
Every breath sent stabbing pain through his ribs—he had no doubt several were broken.
But the instinct to survive overrode everything.
His peripheral vision caught the surrounding common zombies, drawn by the noise and blood, snarling as they closed in on him, this downed piece of 'fresh meat'.
He had to get up immediately.
Sam struggled to his feet, gritting his teeth against the agony.
He quickly drew his pistol, firing twice into the heads of the first two zombies lunging at him, then staggered towards the dump truck.
System Notification: Aberration Zombie "Spider" successfully killed. Reward: +600 Hope Points. Temporary Exchange Access (Low Tier) activated. Please mentally recite "Exchange List" to view. Detected nearby zombie deaths x2, Hope Points +10. Quest "Zombie Killer" Progress: 15/100.
Sam hadn't paid attention to the zombie kill count earlier, there was simply no time.
And now wasn't the time to investigate some exchange system either.
But the sight ahead made his heart sink—John was clutching his right shoulder, stumbling out of the dump truck's cab.
His face was even paler than before, the right shoulder of his uniform soaked through with dark red blood.
A clear, ragged-edged, blackish-red bite mark was horrifically visible there.
"Quick! Sam! That building next to us! Get inside!" John obviously saw the closing ring of zombies too.
Ignoring his own wound, he yelled at Sam with all his might, his voice hoarse from pain and blood loss.
The fight had lasted too long, attracting too many zombies.
Sam didn't even have time to ask about John's injury.
Survival instinct kicked in, and he immediately changed direction.
Two police officers, low on ammo, one seriously wounded, like a pair of desperate stray dogs, threw themselves with their last ounce of strength through the main entrance of the nearest building—which looked like an office building—and quickly disappeared into the depths of the hallway.
And just as they rushed inside the building, far down the street, the dump truck towing the school bus started moving again.
Miller, in the driver's seat, seemed to have seen John and Sam make it inside.
He didn't hesitate, shifted gears, and hit the gas.
The heavy vehicle, carrying the bus full of terrified children behind it, drove determinedly away from downtown, towards the city outskirts—