CHAPTER 58: CHAPTER 11.1: FINAL HOUR. PART 2

Three more Crawlers rounded the corner ahead, blocking his path. Jin’s mind raced through options:

*[Tactical Analysis]*

*Option 1: Break through (65% success)*

*Option 2: Wall run bypass (45% success)*

*Option 3: Instinct Surge + Blitz (80% success)*

"Option three," Jin growled, feeling the familiar surge of power.

*[Instinct Surge Activated - 10 seconds]*

*STR: 24.77 → 32.20*

*AGI: 15.50 → 20.15*

*PER: 17.60 → 22.88*

*Cooldown: 5 minutes*

Time crawled as Jin rushed at the three Crawlers. He noticed every little detail. The first one’s attack came at him like it was in slow motion. Jin easily ducked under it and swung his baton, zapping it right in the knee.

*[Crippling Strike - Movement Disabled]*

*Stamina Cost: -3 (Reduced during Surge)*

Jin used the slide’s speed to kick off the ground and twirled in mid-air. His baton sliced right through the second Crawler’s neck.

*[Aerial Combo! -5 Stamina]*

*Style Points: +10 EXP*

The third Crawler was a bit clever, pulling back. But Jin caught onto its move, crouched down, and charged in, hitting it in the stomach with his shoulder while swinging the baton up for an uppercut.

*[Combo Finisher: Thunder Uppercut]*

*All enemies neutralized*

*+45 EXP*

*[Instinct Surge: 4 seconds remaining]*

*Current Status - HP: 145/160 | Stamina: 97/160*

Jin was quick on his feet. He hopped over the fallen Crawlers and kept sprinting, using his sharp senses to find his way through the maze of hallways. It felt like he had been crawling through those maintenance shafts for ages, with his knees banging against the metal, but really it was only a few minutes before the tunnel started to open up.

*[Prolonged Crawling: -15 Stamina]*

*Current Status - HP: 145/160 | Stamina: 82/160*

[Stamina Cost: -15 from prolonged crawling]"

So then, the maintenance shaft led into this larger junction—like a meeting point where several passageways merged. That’s when Jin’s Predator Instinct really kicked in.

*[DANGER: Ambush Point Detected]*

*Multiple Threat Vectors: 6 Passages*

*Recommended Action: Do Not Stop*

But it was too late. They’d been waiting.

*[Combat Encounter: Crawler Pack Ambush]*

*Enemy Count: 12*

*Tactical Assessment: Surrounded*

"Oh no," Jin took a breath, leaning against the main pillar of the intersection.

From each tunnel, eerie shapes started to show up, moving in a spooky manner. They weren’t just aimlessly wandering; it was a hunting pack that had traced his path.

*"Jin, your options are extremely limited,"* Asha warned. *"The junction is a 3-meter cube. No room for evasion. Your low Dexterity makes precision strikes difficult in these quarters."*

"Let’s just stick to what gets the job done," Jin said, tightening his grip on the baton.

*[STR Check Available: Structural Weak Point Detected]*

*Required: STR 20+ to compromise support beam*

*Your STR: 24.77 - Success Possible*

The first Crawler came straight at him. Jin braced himself and pushed his shoulder into its chest with all his might, knocking it back into the herd.

*[Athletics - Feat of Strength Activated]*

*Knockback Successful: 3 enemies disrupted*

"RAAAAAAHHHHH!" Jin let out a huge yell, letting all his annoyance and determination out. The sound echoed off the metal walls, causing a few Crawlers to stop and take notice for a bit.

*[Intimidation Check: Partial Success]*

*Weaker Crawlers: -10% Attack Speed for 5 seconds*

Even so, the tougher ones just kept pushing forward. Jin noticed all the small clues—how their muscles tensed up, how they shifted their weight, and how their light-colored eyes tracked his every move.

*[Mutated Fauna Combat Basics: Pack Behavior Analyzed]*

*Pattern Detected: Alternating High-Low Attack Sequence*

As Asha mentioned, one Crawler aimed high while the other went low. In that tricky situation, Jin couldn’t avoid both attacks, so he decided to take a hit. He let the low strike hit his strong shin guards while he swung his baton at the one coming down from above.

"The support beam!" Asha highlighted it in his HUD. "Strike coordinates uploading!"

Jin spotted it—a rusty junction where a bunch of paths came together. If he could just smash through it...

Then, three more Crawlers came at him fast. But a sudden desperation came out through his body and his Hud flared

*[Desperate Improvisation!]*

*High STR + Confined Space = Environmental Advantage*

"GET—" Jin planted his feet, muscles coiling like springs. "—THE HELL—" His baton came up in a devastating uppercut that caught the first Crawler under the chin. "—OFF ME!"

Jin unleashed a crazy uppercut, thanks to his impressive 24.77 Strength in that tight space, and it really packed a punch.

He completely shattered the Crawler’s jaw, smashing it hard against the support beam. You could actually hear the metal groaning ominously.

*[Structural Integrity: 73% and falling]*

But it took a toll on him. Two Crawlers slashed their claws down his back, tearing through his uniform.

*HP: 117/160, Stamina: 73/160*

*Status Effect: Bleeding (Minor)*

"Now, Jin!" Asha urged. "One more hit!"

Jin spun around, using his own blood to slip across the metal floor. He found himself right under the wobbly beam, with all his muscles tensed and ready.

*[STR Check: Critical Success]*

*24.77 20 Required*

"HAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

As the overhead strike hit the beam, four Crawlers surrounded him. The metal screamed, bent, and then—

BAM!

The whole junction gave way. Pieces fell, taking out two Crawlers on the spot and blocking three paths. Jin jumped through the only exit left as tons of metal slammed shut behind him.

*[Environmental Kill Bonus: +50 EXP]*

*Skill Progress: Athletics - Basic Strength Feats → 35%*

Jin hit the ground pretty hard in Maintenance Junction MJ-7, which was highlighted on their tactical map as a Crawler hotspot. He saw the label on the wall and recalled Sera warning him about this specific spot.

"W-Where are we Asha I forgot which way to go," he muttered, noticing how there were multiple ways in and out.

The lights in the maintenance bay were flickering, creating some weird shadows. He barely had time to catch his breath before his Predator Instinct kicked in; something felt off—the Crawlers he had just taken down were arranged way too neatly, almost like they were set up on purpose.

*"Jin, this is a killing field. You’ve been herded here."*

"Really? I honestly thought it was my fault that we got lost!" Jin mumbled, scratching his head with a puzzled look.

*[Tactical Analysis: Coordinated Trap]*

*Enemy Intelligence: Above Normal*

*Recommendation: Explosive Breakout Required*

Another twelve Crawlers popped up from hidden spots—like air vents, maintenance openings, and behind some equipment. They moved in a really coordinated way, blocking off all the ways to get out.

*[Combat Scenario: Last Stand]*

*Outnumbered 12:1*

*Terrain: Disadvantageous*

Jin gripped his baton a bit more firmly. The charge level was at 43%—good for some upgraded hits but not enough for the big boost. He’d need to think this through.

"Asha where’s the leader?" Jin said quietly to himself.

*"Not present. This is a beta pack, meant to weaken you for the Alpha’s arrival."*

"Okay, Asha! Let’s do this!"

The pack came at him in groups of four, all working together like a well-oiled machine. Jin’s keen perception picked up on everything, but his lack of agility kept him from weaving around them. So, he just stood there like a rock.

The first wave slammed into him hard, like waves crashing against a cliff. Jin remembered his mom’s advice about how to use the force against you, but with only 7% synchronization, all he could get were bits and pieces of what she taught him.

*[Tsurugi Sword Forms: 7% Synchronization]*

*Attempting First Form: Mountain Stance*

*Result: Partial - Stance 40% correct, no flow between movements*

Jin got his feet in the right spot, but his arms were still a mess. Even so, his awkward stance felt way stronger than his usual wild flails.

His baton skills weren’t exactly graceful—just some heavy-handed swings fueled by pure muscle.

*[-7 HP] [-5 HP] [-9 HP]*

*Hits Taken: 3*

*Hits Delivered: 4 (2 Critical)*

"GRRAAAAAHHH!" Jin let out a big roar with every hit. If a Crawler managed to slip past his defense, he’d just grab it with one hand, using his strength to crush its throat before tossing it back at its buddies.

*[Unarmed Strike: Tsurugi Grappling Technique]*

*[Tsurugi Sword Forms: 7% Synchronization] Attempting technique without proper weapon Effectiveness reduced by 60%*

*Memory Fragment: "The sword is not your only weapon"*

The second wave got a little sneaky, coming at him from all sorts of heights. Jin’s way of handling it? He snagged a heavy maintenance cart—like this 200-pound steel beast—and swung it around like a giant bat.

*[Improvised Weapon: Industrial Cart]*

*STR Check: Critical Success*

*Area Attack Unlocked*

The cart smashed into three Crawlers at once, sending them airborne. But that move left Jin vulnerable. He got slashed across the chest, leaving some pretty nasty gashes.

*[-28 HP from critical strike]*

*HP: 68/160*

*Status: Bleeding (Moderate)*

The last wave picked up on some weakness. The four Crawlers joined forces and charged in. Jin could barely see through the blood loss, and he was moving slower by the second. This was it—the big moment.

*[Phoenix Protocol: Adrenaline Surge Detected]*

*Temporary Boost Available: Embrace the Pain*

"Pain is just weakness leaving the body," Jin growled, remembering his mother’s training words.

*[Desperation Mode Activated - Phoenix Protocol Emergency Response]

*Duration: 10 seconds

*Cost: -20 Stamina, -15 HP after effect ends* *Warning: Crash will be severe*

*All Physical Stats: +40%*

*Pain Immunity: 30 seconds*

*Warning: Severe crash afterward*

Jin had a quick burst of strength that lasted about ten seconds before he completely ran out of gas.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

He let out a raw, primal roar that even rattled the dust from the ceiling. His eyes burned with a fierce determination as he faced off against the Crawler charging at him.