CHAPTER 60: CHAPTER 11.2: I NEED TO BE THE BAIT.

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.

The next ten seconds were a chaotic mix of fighting. With each swing of his baton, he was breaking bones. When he lost his baton, he switched to using his fists and feet, throwing punches like a guy possessed. A Crawler’s claw got him in the shoulder, but he just ripped the thing off and started using it to hit back. Another one tried to take a bite out of him, and he headbutted it so hard that both their heads cracked.

*[Combat Log Too Intense for Standard Recording]*

*Kills: 4*

*Damage Taken: Catastrophic*

*Damage Dealt: Excessive*

Once the red mist faded away, Jin found himself surrounded by a bunch of defeated figures. Red splatters—his and theirs—stained the ground. His uniform was in shreds, but he was still on his feet.

*[DESPERATION MODE ENDING]*

*System Crash Imminent*

That’s when the door blew open and the Alpha came in, seeing Jin pushed to his max but still standing his ground.

*HP: 32/160*

*Status: Critical but Unbroken*

*Will to Fight: Infinite*

"Come on then," Jin snarled, retrieving his battered baton. "Round two."

*[DANGER: Alpha Presence Detected]*

*Threat Level: Extreme*

*Recommended Action: Avoid Direct Confrontation*

What appeared was different from the other Crawlers. It walked on two legs, kind of like a person, but definitely had a strange feeling about it. Its skin was pale and pulled tight over muscles that seemed always on edge, and its eyes had this creepy, intelligent glint to them.

*[Alpha Crawler Identified]*

*HP: ??? (Enhanced Resilience)*

*Threat Assessment: Beyond Current Combat Parameters*

"Well," Jin said, backing away slowly, "you must be the boss."

The Alpha tilted its head, studying him. When it spoke, the words were garbled but recognizable.

"Fle...shh..."

Jin’s blood ran cold.

*[Warning: Instinct Surge ending in 2 seconds]*

*[Baton Charge: 28% remaining]*

"Asha," Jin thought rapidly, "How do I get to Environmental Control from here?"

*"Through the Alpha. There’s no other route from this position."*

"Of course there isn’t."

The other Crawlers closed in around him, making any escape impossible. The Alpha, with its lipless mouth, contorted into what seemed like a smile.

Jin held onto the baton tightly, his mind racing with brief images of sword techniques. They were meant for a sword, but he quickly adjusted since all he had was the baton.

*[Tsurugi Sword Forms: Attempting Integration]*

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

*Current Weapon Compatibility: 43%*

*Partial Forms Available*

"Alright," Jin said, settling into a stance his body remembered even if his mind didn’t.

The Alpha was the first to take off, zipping away faster than you’d expect something that size to move. Jin’s enhanced senses struggled to keep up with it.

*[Combat Alert: Speed Exceeds AGI Parameters]*

*Evasion Chance: 34%*

Instead of shying away from it, Jin dove straight into the fight, which would definitely seem wild to anyone watching. The Alpha’s claws flew past his ear as he zipped into its reach. He lifted his baton, aiming for what you’d call a human’s solar plexus.

*[Critical Hit - Anatomical Weakness Exploited]*

*Damage Reduced by Alpha Resilience*

The creature grunted but managed to stay upright. Instead, it gave Jin a backhand swipe across the bay.

Jin crashed into the wall, his vision filled with stars. He could hear his team through the comms.

"Jin! Your signature just spiked—what’s happening?" Sera’s frantic voice.

"I...have, company" Jin groaned, forcing himself upright.

The Alpha walked up slowly, really enjoying the moment. The other Crawlers were chattering excitedly.

*[Phoenix Protocol: Minor Regeneration Active]*

*+30 HP restored*

*HP: 62/160*

*Dazed Effect Clearing...*

"You know what?" Jin said, wiping blood from his mouth. "I’ve had worse... moments like this."

Even with all that was going on, he managed to smile. Because just past the Alpha, through a broken wall, he spotted it—the Environmental Control panel, its lights flickering in a rhythmic pattern.

Now he only needed to get by one super-smart monster and around eight regular ones.

The Alpha was eyeing him with those eerily smart eyes. It started to circle around, and Jin moved along with it, like two hunters checking each other out.

"Hu..manns..." it rasped again. "Remember... me?"

Jin shook his head to clear his thoughts. Meanwhile, the Alpha noticed his brief lapse in concentration, faking a move to the left before hitting him to the right. Jin just barely managed to raise his baton in time, and the force of the hit rattled his whole arm.

"Whoever you were," Jin grunted, pushing back against the creature’s strength, "you’re not anymore!"

He kicked in a move his body knew—*Flowing River Stance*. Rather than going head-to-head with the Alpha’s power, he just redirected it, flowing in circles to let the force fade away.

*[Tsurugi Martial Arts: Soft Style Technique]*

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

*Damage Mitigation: 40%*

*Stamina Conservation: 25%*

The Alpha looked pretty taken aback when its next big hit got brushed aside with hardly any effort. Jin smoothly dodged the attack and whacked the creature’s outstretched elbow with his baton, which was buzzing with energy.

"RAAAAAHHH!" Jin pressed his advantage, chaining strikes together. Temple. Ribs. Knee. Each hit precisely placed to disrupt the creature’s inhuman anatomy.

*[Combo Meter Building: 4... 5... 6...]*

*Damage Scaling with Each Hit*

But the Alpha was quick on its feet. It snagged Jin’s seventh hit, spun him around, and tossed him right across the bay. Jin slammed into a support pillar with enough force to leave a dent.

"Okay," Jin wheezed, pulling himself up. "That hurt."

The other Crawlers were getting bold, starting to close in. The Alpha made a chittering sound that might have been laughter.

*"Multiple attack vectors. Suggest area denial tactic,"* Asha advised.

Jin’s eyes darted around, taking in the environment. Exposed pipes ran along the ceiling, marked with warning symbols. His lips curled into a grim smile.

"Hey Asha, those pipes... what’s in them?"

*"Coolant system. Pressurized. Extremely cold. Why do you—no, don’t you dare!"*

Jin was already moving. He sprinted toward the wall, using his momentum to run up it for three steps before pushing off. His enhanced strength sent him soaring toward the pipes.

*[Environmental Attack Opportunity]*

*Success Chance: 67%*

"HAAAAAAHHH!" Jin brought the baton down on the pipe junction with all his might. The metal ruptured with a shriek, spraying super-cooled liquid in a wide arc.

*[Environmental Hazard Created!]*

*Area Effect: 5-meter radius*

*Freezing Damage Over Time*

Several Crawlers caught in the spray howled as the liquid flash-froze against their skin. The Alpha darted back, but not fast enough—its left arm was coated in rapidly forming ice.

Jin landed in a crouch, immediately rolling to avoid the puddle of coolant. His breath came in ragged gasps, exhaustion starting to set in.

*[Stamina: 67/160]*

*Warning: Fatigue Penalties Beginning to Apply*

"Yo..ur..." the Alpha admitted, flexing its frozen arm until the ice cracked and fell away. "Mi..ne..."

It moved again, faster than before. Jin’s tired body couldn’t quite keep up. Claws raked across his chest, shredding his uniform and drawing blood.

*[-19 HP]*

*HP: 43/160*

*Status Effect: Deep Lacerations - Bleeding (Moderate)*

Jin staggered back, one hand pressed to his chest. Blood seeped between his fingers. The Alpha advanced, sensing weakness.

"You know what? I’ve been holding back too."

The exhaustion faded, replaced by crystal clarity. Jin adjusted his stance, and for just a moment, the Alpha hesitated. Something in his posture had changed—less desperate defender, more apex predator.

"Let’s finish this," Jin said, beginning the overcharge sequence.

"Asha," he thought, "remember that overcharge Clara mentioned?"

*"That’s a one-shot emergency option. If you miss—"*

"Then I better not miss."

Jin’s hand found the hidden activation sequence Clara had shown him. The baton began to hum differently, building to a crescendo.

*[Overcharge Sequence Initiated]*

*Time to Full Charge: 15 seconds]*

*Warning: Weapon will be destroyed after use*

"Fifteen seconds," Jin muttered. "No pressure."

The Alpha appeared to pick up on the threat. It signaled quickly, and the other Crawlers rushed ahead.

Guess it’s time to find out if all that training was worth it.

*[Overcharge Building: 14 seconds remaining]*

Eight Crawlers charged ahead, all gnarly teeth and pale bodies. Jin’s sharp senses picked up on their moves, showing him where they were headed with some kind of ghostly map.

*[Mutated Fauna Combat Basics: Pack Rush Pattern Detected]*

*Weak Point: Lead attacker overextends by 0.3 seconds*

Jin sprang into action, moving before he even thought about it. The first Crawler swung its claws through nothing as he spun around, turning its speed against it. With a satisfying crack, his baton connected with its temple.

*[Combo Chain Initiated]*

Jin smoothly dodged the second Crawler’s jump, popped up behind the third, and quickly elbowed it in the back. The creature wobbled and knocked right into a couple of its buddies.

*[Athletics - Feat of Agility: Success]*

*Enemies Disrupted: 3*

"Jin’s vitals are spiking!" Clara’s voice crackled through comms. "Whatever you’re doing, please be careful!"