Chapter 187: The Network

BOOOOM!The chopper slammed into the forest floor and erupted into flames. Twisted pieces of metal were thrown in every direction as burning fuel spread across the trees, turning the surrounding darkness orange.

Something moved inside the wreckage. A mangled arm slowly pushed against the broken metal before going limp again. The remains of the pilot were still strapped to his seat, his body torn apart by the impact. The soldier beside him had been thrown halfway through the shattered cockpit, his blood dripping from the wreckage onto the burning ground.

A few meters away, the infected landed.

THUD! The impact cracked the earth beneath its feet, but the creature didn’t even stagger. It simply stood there, completely unharmed, while the flames of the crashed helicopter reflected against its dark eyes.

Then it slowly turned away from the wreckage.

Without a single glance at the dying men, it began walking back toward the mass of black flesh covering the forest floor.

Step, step, step.

As it approached, the roots began moving. They writhed across the ground like living veins, slowly crawling toward the creature. Some were as thin as fingers while others were thick enough to wrap around a human body. They dragged themselves through the dirt, leaving trails of black fluid behind them.

The moment the creature stopped, the roots surged forward.

SHLKK! One pierced into its ankle and another wrapped around its leg. Then dozens more climbed over its body, forcing their way beneath its skin.

The creature’s body suddenly twitched. Its back arched violently as the roots burrowed deeper.

"Grrrgh..." A low, distorted groan escaped its throat.

The roots continued entering. Some pushed through wounds across its torso, while others disappeared beneath its skin and spread along its limbs like veins. The creature’s muscles spasmed with every connection, its fingers curling tightly enough for its claws to dig into its own palms.

Dark liquid began leaking from its mouth as its head slowly lifted toward the sky.

Then its entire body began trembling. It was as though something inside it was receiving a signal.

The black roots surrounding its feet started pulsing.

Thump, the creature’s eyes twitched.

Thump, then the roots pulsed harder. Thump, thump.

The rhythm accelerated. All across the forest, the black flesh began responding. Thousands of roots shuddered at once, spreading farther through the soil and wrapping around tree roots, corpses, and anything else they encountered.

The creature’s head jerked violently to the side. Its jaw slowly opened. Then, beneath its twisted features, a thin and unnatural smile appeared.

Its dark eyes widened as another pulse traveled through the roots.

THUMP! The entire forest seemed to tremble.

.....

Meanwhile, several streets away, Jaxon and the others sprinted through the ruined streets as Grasshopper Infected chased them from behind. The creatures moved unnaturally fast, their long legs folding and snapping open as they leaped from walls, rooftops, and abandoned vehicles, closing the distance with every jump.

One of them was faster than the rest. Its powerful legs compressed beneath its body before suddenly launching it forward. In a single leap, it crossed several meters, its jaws opening wide as it aimed straight for Haris.

"Haris, duck!" He immediately lowered his head as the Grasshopper Infected sailed over him, only to meet Jaxon’s DMR.

BAM! Jaxon swung the rifle with one hand and smashed the creature out of the air. The impact sent it flying several meters before its body crashed hard into a concrete wall.

"Keep moving," Jaxon said calmly.

Thomas, who had been firing at the infected behind them, glanced at him in disbelief. ’What the hell was that strength?’

He didn’t have time to ask. The others were already moving, and Thomas quickly turned back to cover their retreat.

"Is it really a good idea to come down from the rooftops?" Bong-gu asked between breaths. "We were safer up there!"

"Stop complaining and run!" Elena shouted.

Bong-gu glanced ahead and couldn’t help scoffing when he saw Elena being carried on Jaxon’s back. Her arms were wrapped around his shoulders, while her injured leg hung uselessly behind him.

"Easy for you to say. You’re not even walking."

"Do you want to carry me instead?"

"...No."

"Then shut up and run." Bong-gu clicked his tongue but wisely said nothing more.

Their brief exchange ended when the ground ahead suddenly erupted.

BOOOOM! Concrete and dirt exploded into the air as a massive hole tore open in the middle of the street. Several Grasshopper Infected immediately crawled out, their long limbs scraping against the broken concrete before they sprang toward the group.

"Turn right!" Jaxon shouted as everyone immediately changed direction, rushing into the adjacent street.

Jaxon took several steps before suddenly stopping as a strange sensation crawled up his spine. He looked down and something black was moving beneath his feet.

A thin, fleshy root slowly pushed through a crack in the concrete, writhing like a living worm.

Jaxon’s expression changed. "Everyone, stop!"

The others immediately halted.

"What’s wrong?" Thomas asked.

"Get into formation, now!" The urgency in Jaxon’s voice left no room for questions.

Natasha, Na-rin, Cindy, and Isabel quickly moved into position, standing back-to-back with their weapons raised. Thomas and the others followed, forming a defensive circle as the infected began pouring into the street around them.

TATATATATA!

Bullets tore through the approaching creatures. One infected leaped toward them only to have its head blown apart before it reached the group.

Another crawled over a wrecked vehicle, but Isabel put three rounds through its skull.

"Keep them back!" Natasha shouted. The group continued firing, but Jaxon wasn’t looking at the infected anymore. His eyes remained fixed on the ground as more roots were appearing.

They crawled out from beneath the rubble, squeezing through cracks in the streets and wrapping around the corpses scattered across the area. The dead infected suddenly began twitching as dark liquid seeped from their wounds.

Bong-gu noticed it too. "Uh... guys?"

The ground beneath them began to tremble.

"What the hell is happening?" Thomas asked.

Then the roots suddenly tightened around the corpses.

CRACK! Bones snapped. Several dead infected jerked violently as the black roots burrowed deeper into their bodies, dragging them across the ground. Flesh began tearing apart as the roots pulled everything toward the same point.

Cindy’s face went pale as she watched the corpses being dragged closer. "Brother..."

"I know."

The trembling grew stronger as the roots were no longer scattered. They were gathering.

Thousands of dark, vein-like strands crawled across the streets, twisting together beneath their feet as if something deep underground was pulling them into place.