Chương 17: Terror Crow

CH 17 - Terror Crow Grey bounced around the back of the firetruck as Joe wove between crashed cars and roadblocks. The road wasn't exactly easy to drive on after the apocalypse hit. The group sped dangerously as they tried to cover as much ground as possible before the evolved zoo animals in the area noticed them.

"Tell me more about your abilities," Sarah asked him.

"I have an ability that allows me to evolve past the capabilities of a normal human. A transformation-type ability I'm told. You?" Grey tried to keep his answer vague. He considered that information detailing his ability could be used against him, but he wanted his teammate to know what he was capable of to some extent. Sarah looked at him for a moment, as if she was trying to figure out what he was hiding.

"I'm a psychic. Telepathy and telekenesis are my strong suits. Usually, I can mind control weaker monsters, or at least stun them with a mental attack. Smarter beasts require me to fight with telekinesis." This was the first time Grey had met a psychic. It seemed like the cultivation type excelled in a non-combat or supporting roles. The magical gunman was most interesting. He had an ability to infuse magic into his bullets. Grey thought it made sense to take advantage of modern tech.

At least for now, while we had limited spells and mana pools. Sarah and Grey continued chatting, and time was lost as they shared stories about life before wishes. Their pleasant moment was rudely interrupted by a harsh shudder of the truck.

"SKREEE!" came a piercing shriek from above.

"What the hell was that!?" Grey shouted up to Joe.

"Can't tell. It came down on us from above. Some sort of bird!" At the mention of a bird, Grey felt a lurch in his stomach. He opened the hatch in the back of the truck and looked out. It didn't take long to notice the massive monster flying above them. Its size was easily bigger than the firetruck they rode in. Sarah's eyes emitted a warm glow; the truck shook, and dirt from the floor levitated. She held the dirt suspended, and Grey felt a vibrating sensation along his skin.

It all ended when she clutched her head in pain.

"Aaah… It's stronger than me. We've gotta get out of here. Joe, hit the gas!" Joe sped up the truck. He was already driving fast, but Joe had decided that potholes and roadblocks were less dangerous than the beast above them. Sarah and Grey were thrown about as the truck bounced over every obstacle it faced. Every so often, a sharp scraping sound would come from above, and shreds of the roof began being peeled away as the bird continued its assault.

The truck held up for a while before signs of serious damage appeared. Before long, the bird managed to peel back a quarter of the roof and was slashing at the passengers inside. Grey dodged a claw, parrying with his bone sword. Sarah hugged the corner of the vehicle, using telekinesis to disrupt the bird as it swooped down at them. The wind whistled through the opening in the roof as Grey tried to figure out what to do. He still didn't have a reliable way to hit something at range.

He had to think of something to fend off the bird before it broke the truck and stranded them. Ike sped by in the Jeep. He pulled up next to the firetruck and unloaded a magazine of magic bullets into the bird. The bullets glowed as their increased velocity erupted from the pistol. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"SHIEEEEKK!" The bird screeched and turned its attention towards Ike. Grey got a better look at the creature. Dark black feathers covered its body. So dark that Grey figured he would describe it as being void of color, rather than black. The unnatural-looking feathers were long and overcrowded on the bird's wings, seeming as if it had several layers of them. Grey used (Identify) to see more about it. (Terror Crow): Lvl:??? With his (Identify) only at level (F), this is all he could gather for now.

He guessed that since the level was displayed as???, it must be a higher level than him. Great… The bird smashed into the Jeep, lifting it onto two wheels. As the car threatening to tip, Jim shot out a bright red punch that extended a few feet past his arms, striking the bird in the side and knocking it away. Jim's punch gave them some space for now, but other than that, it only seemed to anger the creature. From the air, the crow let loose feathers as projectiles.

They penetrated the roof and rear of the firetruck, sticking through like sharp arrows. Grey finally figured out how to land an attack on it. He used (Bone Blade) to summon a long, pointed javelin from his chest. He gripped the weapon and removed it from his body. Infusing it with mana to increase its durability, he triggered (Boost) to empower his muscles. With about 150% extra power into his throwing arm and some extra juice to his abs and legs, he readied himself to throw the spear. He took aim.

When he was ready, he activated (Predater's gaze). For a brief moment, but just long enough, the bird's reaction speed slowed. He had just enough of an opening to launch the javelin straight towards it. The sharpened bone flew through the air. Grey sent it out with 150% power. He felt his muscles tear, and he fell to one knee. The Bone Javelin glowed with a blue aura as it zipped through the sky towards its target. Blood sprayed alongside the firetruck as it ripped through the side of the monster.

The throw had been strong enough to open a hole the size of a pool-ball all the way through the giant creature. A cry of agony sounded, and the bird's flight found a quick end. It slammed face-first into the asphalt, tumbling over itself, and crumpling into a mess of broken bones and blood. [Terror Crow (E)]: lvl. 14 Slain +25 exp [Quest: Alpha Dominator]: Progress (2/5) A wave of relief washed over Grey. He slipped a magic-infused leaf into his mouth and began to chew to restore his torn muscles.

"Is everyone okay?" he asked. The leaf he chewed was especially potent compared to the magical samples Ryzen had given him before. I'm grateful I found that pouch of herbs in the fox's lair. They will definitely come in handy.

"Holy Shit," Sarah said behind him.

"If I knew you could do that, I would have never threatened you guys telepathically." She said shakily, clearly impressed by Grey's javelin throw. Grey could only manage a smile. He began meditating, needing to restore himself to full strength. Joe parked the truck so that they could scavenge the alphas body. Its feather's should provide useful for crafting. Grey got a handful of aromatic herbs that the crow had tucked away in one claw. These should be good for a medicinal bath.

Or I can eat them to recharge my mana. The Starlight Body Tempering Technique had several chapters dedicated to medicinal baths. Grey hoped to find a good spot to begin cultivating. The magic from the leaf Grey chewed was more than enough to fully recover his injuries, so he directed excess mana into his blood and bones. He learned that even if his blood was at full concentration of mana, he could add extra mana to his bones to harden them.

He wouldn't be able to use this mana on spells in the future, but it would reinforce his defense nonetheless.

"All right, man, that was awesome! You got quite an arm on ya!" Joe shouted from the driver's seat of the truck. Grey felt good; he got to protect his new friends. Seeing Jim and Raccy in trouble brought something out of him. He didn't want any of them to die. Grey didn't have too many friends before the integration; if he lost Jim or Raccy now, it would be devastating. Grey thought about Kenny. The kid was stabbed over nothing and brought to another dimension… I hope that kid survived…

The Jeep and Firetruck pulled over for a short meal break. They discussed the bird attack and thanked Grey.

"Man, I didn't know you were this strong! When you beat that fox, I was passed out. I didn't think it had to be that tough of a fight for you to take it down. I guess I was wrong, that fox was probably real tough too, huh?" Grey's display of strength had garnered a new respect for him in the group. Grey could sense them leaning towards him for direction. No one knew what they were doing in this new world, and so they wanted a leader to guide them.

"Let's finish lunch and keep moving. That bird was downtown when we last saw it; who knows what else our driving is attracting." The group agreed and loaded up their vehicles. The faster they could escape the city, the safer for them. While the group finished their food, Grey looked over his magic spellbooks he got in Promethius City: Shadow Magic (E), and Blood Magic (E). Each book gave techniques on how to use the manipulation ability to create attacks or defensive spells.

Grey fooled around with his blood, levitating it above his finger and moving it between different shapes. Sarah looked on curiously, clearly shaken up by Grey's earlier display of power.

"So you are a spellcaster too?" she asked.

"Something like that." Said Grey, retracting the blood back into his finger.