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墨書 Inktalez
New Era of Humanity in the Apocalypse
As others began to stir, a sense of unease washed over them. The unnatural tingling sensation in their bodies was quite rare, and deep down, each person harbored a thought of hoping nothing was wrong. In a state of confusion, they started to look around.
Everywhere their eyes landed, they saw terrifying creatures emerging from the mist. Some were plants, while others were bizarre species that resembled no modern mammals. They seemed to belong to a biological group born from a civilization that was significantly less advanced. They looked somewhat like monkeys, capable of climbing and moving about; for now, let’s call them the Burrowed Humans.
These Burrowers had peculiar appearances, with abnormally protruding skulls. However, this did not imply that they possessed the same intelligence as humans—this was clearly impossible. Yet, there was an oddly familiar aura emanating from them; these Burrowers exuded an energy that felt otherworldly. They were driven by a fervor akin to pursuing primal power, which was the ability of Gene Lock.
Once they emerged, this group of Burrowers possessed a military-like strength. They were currently in the hunting phase and were extremely hungry. In such a state, no matter how much damage they sustained, they would still kill their prey and take it away. Living in the Catacomb was indeed advantageous for these Burrowers.
If they merely existed within human civilization, it would be hard to imagine how it might affect their species' reproduction issues. They were overwhelmingly powerful, seemingly surpassing ordinary humans in strength. Although their technology was underdeveloped—if it could even be called technology at all—they formed a team of ten individuals, each with varying degrees of Gene Lock abilities. The strongest among them appeared to be nearing an intermediate level three.
Moreover, he was the tallest among them. Their weapons seemed to belong to the Stone Age; they wielded long spears and crude weapons made from sharpened stones tied to sticks. These weapons likely wouldn’t even break through the armor they wore. Their Alchemical abilities were also not fully developed; their weapons appeared to be made from whatever materials they could find nearby.
These weapons looked rather shabby and lacked significant power, but the effectiveness of any weapon depended on who wielded it. A skilled person could easily kill someone with just a sewing needle. However, what set these Burrowers apart was their tireless running, wild ferocity, and teamwork in combat. In areas where food was relatively scarce, they could very well run several marathons just for one beast.
Their attire varied; some had bare upper bodies while only the leader of the Burrowers wore a thin layer of animal skin. Typically, women would stay home to care for children, but surprisingly, three out of the ten Burrowers in this team were female members. Compared to women in civilized times who valued cleanliness and fashion, these females had roles beyond merely propagating; they hunted alongside men and also engaged in sewing and child-rearing. Teaching their children hunting skills was an essential part of their responsibilities.
This place seemed far removed from any civilized worldview or values; it resembled a primitive age where they likely had no idea how vast the outside world was. Meanwhile, humans outside had long since moved into steel skyscrapers and utilized frequencies to connect the entire world together. Communication and cooperation had become synonymous with civilization; they even had a trading tool called money to purchase ready-made food. Clearly, such conveniences did not exist here; food was obtained directly from real beasts as they lived through a Dark Age that perhaps hadn’t even seen the invention of Fire Capital.
“Everyone get ready for an attack on that group,” Ross suddenly shouted. It seemed he held a prominent position within the team; if not for Freyr being the founder of this group, Ross would likely not have been able to claim such a role as Commander. His image had long been ingrained in everyone’s minds without any ill intentions towards his reputation or position as Commander. Having teammates like him provided great assurance, and the current atmosphere within the team had reached a certain level of cohesion.
As Ross spoke, he returned to Freyr's side. Freyr took a deep breath; his chest felt heavy with discomfort as if blood clots were building up inside him. A sharp pain shot through his lungs when he exerted himself, indicating that his internal organs had sustained damage after releasing his Gene Lock state.
It was an unintentional mistake when the Burrowers charged in from the other side, perhaps instinctively pouncing on their prey. However, they were met with a shot right at the start, shattering half of one muscular Burrower's shoulder.
The shooter was Relock. Although he had yet to fully integrate the magical eye into his marksmanship, in this situation, he managed to disregard the level gap and kill an enemy several times stronger than himself. That muscular Burrower gave off the impression of being a powerful enhancer with a Second Stage Gene Lock.
Yet, such an attack did not prove fatal. The recoil of the Gauss Sniper Rifle was astonishing; Relock had to maintain his aim for over ten seconds to fire a single shot. Moreover, due to the generally swift movement speed of the Burrowers, relying on instinct to judge and shoot was one thing, but predicting their movements to evade was another matter entirely.
While these Burrowers reacted quickly, evading the Gauss Bullet's diameter and velocity was utterly impossible. Thus, once hit, there was absolute certainty that he could incapacitate an opponent's arm.
Perhaps due to the nature of the Gene Chain itself, which enhanced muscle resilience and thickness far beyond steel, even steel became as nothing before the Gauss Sniper Rifle. Half of the shoulder shattered, green blood oozed out.
Following that, gunfire erupted continuously. On the other side, Parker's Dual-Wheel Gauss Pistols fired wildly. While their power couldn't match the bullet speed of the Sniper Rifle, they were still terrifyingly effective. The Burrowers instinctively grabbed nearby weapons to defend themselves, but those weapons were instantly reduced to dust before being pierced by bullets that tore through flesh and created larger wounds.
If one shot couldn't take down a Burrower, then two would suffice. However, due to Parker's abilities, his Solar Fire power couldn't be utilized normally in this situation. Confronting such a Burrower—a primitive Stone Age creature—the vast technological disparity directly influenced the battle's outcome.
What was initially thought to be a contest with only a slight imbalance turned into a one-sided slaughter. It seemed that the importance of weaponry played a decisive role at critical moments.
In just over ten minutes of confrontation, only one remained: a larger Burrower with formidable muscle strength. The bullets struggled to keep up with its speed. The third stage of its Gene Chain appeared to grant it a certain level of intelligence—an intelligence not to be underestimated.
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