Gu Ning scrambled to steady herself inside the violently shaking vehicle. Grabbing the steering wheel, she pulled herself up, her body forced to lean against the car door as the vehicle tilted.
Her head was pressed against the window. When she turned, she saw the outlines of the buildings below growing more and more distant.
’...’ ’The car is flying!’
Seeing that she was about to be carried off, car and all, by the Mutant Species, Gu Ning quickly scrambled toward the trunk and shoved the lid open.
By now, she was more than ten meters off the ground.
From this height, a jump would leave her either dead or crippled.
But there was a thick layer of snow below, which should provide good cushioning.
After being suspended from the high wall at the Zone 19 construction site for so many days, Gu Ning was no longer terrified of heights and had developed a good sense of judgment for them.
Having made a swift decision, Gu Ning no longer hesitated. She grabbed the comforter, wrapped it around herself, clenched her jaw, and jumped straight down, keeping her body tight to avoid injuring anything vital.
’Broken legs are better than a head or spinal injury.’
RIIIP—
Gu Ning had been in freefall for less than two seconds when the Mutant Species snatched the comforter she was wrapped in.
The Mutant Species’s sharp claws tore through the fabric, and Gu Ning plummeted a bit further.
Just as Gu Ning was about to let go of the comforter, a huge dog roared, leaped from a nearby rooftop, and clamped its jaws onto the Mutant Species’s other leg, trying to drag it from the sky.
Gu Ning turned her head to get a better look. It was Leo.
Leo’s sharp canines nearly severed the Mutant Species’s leg. The creature, in agony, flapped its wings and thrashed wildly in the air, refusing to come down.
Gu Ning felt like she was on a swing set in the sky, her tight grip on the comforter the only thing keeping her from being flung off.
"GRRRR..." Biting down on the Mutant Species, Leo kicked powerfully with his hind legs, trying to use his weight to pull it down.
Gu Ning saw more and more flying Mutant Species swarming toward them and shouted to Leo, "Get down! Now!"
The dog didn’t have wings; aerial combat was extremely dangerous for him.
Afraid that Leo would fight these Mutant Species to the bitter end, she used the swinging momentum of the comforter to leap onto his back. She grabbed onto his head, pushing down with all her might. "Let go!"
’If they didn’t get down now, they’d be stuck dangling in the sky with this Mutant Species.’
When Leo felt the little female land on his back, he made sure she was holding on tight. Then, using the Mutant Species’s belly for leverage, he gave a powerful kick with his hind legs, twisted nimbly in mid-air, and landed steadily on the snow several meters below.
Before Gu Ning could even catch her breath, she saw Mutant Species landing around them one after another, completely encircling them.
Leo glanced back at the little female on his back, then lowered his body and snarled at the swarm of Mutant Species.
’These Mutant Species managed to silently bypass the Bird Team patrolling the outer perimeter. They must have been lured away. They tried to lure me away just now, too. Good thing I realized what was happening and came back.’
Gu Ning scanned their surroundings. The Mutant Species had formed a tight, impenetrable circle around them, with several more circling overhead.
In the darkness, their blue eyes flickered and danced like ghostly flames, and their low-frequency calls rose and fell one after another.
The other soldiers were blocked outside the circle by layers of Mutant Species, temporarily unable to break through.
Gu Ning felt as if she were back on that high wall, surrounded by Mutant Species. She instinctively lowered her body along with Leo, tightening her grip on the fur of his neck.
The surrounding Mutant Species paced restlessly. One of them was the first to attack, diving from above and swiping at Leo’s head.
Leo reacted with lightning speed, twisting away to dodge. Gu Ning felt herself spin around with him, and by the time she refocused, he already had the Mutant Species pinned to the ground.
Leo cleanly snapped the Mutant Species’s neck, and its blue eyes instantly went out like snuffed candles.
Seeing how powerful the dog was, the Mutant Species began to make clicking sounds, as if communicating with one another.
In the next instant, several Mutant Species charged at Leo.
Gu Ning lay flat on Leo’s back, clinging tightly to his neck to avoid being thrown off.
Snow flew up amidst the battle. All Gu Ning could see were swirling blue lights, so bright they dazzled her.
Leo noticed that the Mutant Species were pulling their punches. He found an opportunity to coordinate with his teammates on the perimeter and break through the siege. As he did, he threw his head back and howled, communicating with the Wolf Team.
Soon, the wolf pack responded. They were tied up with another wave of Mutant Species, and they had a Mimic Mixed Species with them.
At that moment, Leo’s mind was incredibly clear. He instantly understood that this attack was likely led by a King Seed. It was unsure which was the true female, and it was testing them.