Caleb Grant’s gunshots and Ginny Jarvis’s slash had clearly enraged the mutated dog.
Its jaw hung wide open, thick saliva dripping from its maw as it glared at the two of them as if they were already dead.
“Caleb, get back!” Ginny shouted.
She scrambled to her feet and locked eyes with the furious beast.
A split second later, a fireball erupted from the dog’s mouth, and Ginny immediately retreated into her pocket dimension.
Taking a few steps back within her space, she re-emerged to see Caleb using his Golden Ability to shield his entire body.
He hurled a pale purple Thunder Ball directly at the mutated dog’s head.
With no time to overthink, she pulled a hand grenade from her space.
“Cover me, Caleb!”
Hiding the explosive behind her back in her left hand, she lunged forward, thrusting her long sword straight at the beast’s head with her right hand to draw its attention.
Caleb continuously bombarded the dog’s skull with Thunder Balls.
The mutated dog roared.
It swiped a massive paw at Ginny and opened its jaws wide, ready to snap her in half.
Seizing the opening, Ginny tossed the unpinned grenade straight into its gaping mouth while simultaneously driving her blade upward through its lower jaw.
The dog threw its head back in an agonizing howl, inadvertently swallowing the explosive whole.
However, the momentum of the dog’s paw sent Ginny crashing to the ground.
Three long, bloody gashes were torn across her body, stretching from her left shoulder down to her chest.
Hitting the dirt, she immediately scrambled up and retreated.
BOOM!
The mutated dog exploded, splattering blood and flesh across the ground.
Caleb tackled Ginny, shielding her beneath him and sparing her from being drenched in the gruesome spray of gore.
“Are you alright?” Caleb asked, eyeing her mangled shoulder.
He quickly ripped off his undershirt and wrapped it tightly around her wound.
“I’ll live.
We need to leave.
The smell of my blood will probably attract more zombies,” she said.
“Wait, let me see if there’s a Crystal Core.”
In her past life, mutated animals, much like humans with an Ability, formed Crystal Cores.
Ginny sifted through the dog’s remains until she found it.
This core was significantly larger than a zombie’s Corpse Crystal—at least three or four times the size.
Without overthinking it, she grabbed the core and climbed into the off-road vehicle.
The two people from earlier were nowhere to be found, but they couldn’t be bothered to care and simply drove off.
Caleb sped all the way back.
First, he was worried about Ginny’s injuries, and second, the zombies on the road had clearly caught the scent of her fresh blood and were flocking toward them.
By the time they finally reached the villa, it was past eight in the evening.
Sean Kane looked at Ginny’s mutilated shoulder, his eyes brimming with heartache as he rushed forward to support his pale-faced sister.
To everyone’s surprise, Lyra Kane suddenly shrieked, “You can’t let her in!
She’s injured!
She’s going to mutate!
Kick her out, quickly!”
Cecilia Sinclair immediately shot back sarcastically, “This is Ginny’s home.
Who do you think you are?
If you’re so scared, then you leave!”
“Wow, you were calling her your dear sister just a minute ago, and now you want to throw her to the wolves?” Timmy sneered, tossing his red hair and glaring at Lyra with utter contempt. Visit novelping . com for the full chapter.
Caroline Corbin quickly clapped a hand over Lyra’s mouth.
“Jarvis, Lyra is just scared out of her wits.
Please don’t mind her.
I’ll take her away right now.” Ignoring Lyra’s struggles, she dragged the girl out of the living room.
“Mom…
no…”
“Not another word from you!
Shut your mouth and move,” Caroline hissed, hauling Lyra up the stairs without giving her a chance to argue.
Downstairs, Cecilia and the others were secretly worried that Ginny might turn into a zombie.
However, if it hadn’t been for Ginny, they would have been bitten last night, let alone awakened an Ability.
Swallowing their fear, they supported Ginny and prepared to help her inside.
But as they stepped closer, they noticed Caleb trailing behind her, carrying an infant in his arms.
The baby looked no more than four or five months old.
“Is that Officer Grant’s child?” Cecilia asked, pointing at the baby.
“No, I found it,” Caleb replied.
“Sean, help me to my room,” Ginny said weakly.
“I’ll lock the door from the inside, so you don’t need to worry.
If I turn into a zombie, remember to kill me.”
In truth, Ginny knew she wouldn’t mutate.
A mutated dog was fundamentally different from a Zombie Dog; it merely possessed an Ability, much like an awakened human.
She only said this to reassure the group.
After all, she had just executed the mutated David Sinclair the day before.
If she didn’t put their minds at ease now, it would be impossible to lead this team in the future.
“Listen to me, Sean.” She squeezed his hand tightly, her gaze unwavering.
Seeing the resolute look in her eyes, a grown man like Sean burst into tears.
Unable to speak, he gave a stiff nod.
The others watched from the sidelines, a heavy knot forming in their stomachs.
Walking past Caleb, Ginny instructed softly, “I’m leaving them in your care for now.
Keep everyone safe.
Cecilia, look after the baby.”
Leaning on Sean’s arm, she trudged upstairs.
When they reached her bedroom door and she was certain no one had followed, she lowered her voice.
“I’m fine.
I won’t mutate, I promise.
Just remember to play along.”
Without waiting for his reaction, she slipped into the room and shut the door behind her.
The moment the lock clicked, all the strength drained from Ginny’s body.
Her complexion was deathly pale.
Blood continued to seep down her left arm as she weakly massaged her throbbing temples with her right hand.
Her head felt like it was splitting open.
She knew this was a symptom of severe spiritual power depletion from repeatedly entering and exiting her space today.
Just before she blacked out, she hastily drew on her last sliver of spiritual power and teleported into her space.
This was a deeply ingrained habit from her past life; she firmly believed that nowhere on earth was safer than her pocket dimension.
A long while later.
Ginny slowly opened her eyes and rubbed her aching head.
She wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, but she sensed a faint ripple of Energy within the space—something remarkably similar to the Energy contained within a Corpse Crystal.
Remembering the Crystal Core she had harvested earlier, she pulled it from her pocket and wiped it clean with her clothes.
To her shock, the Energy inside had completely vanished.
The core was now entirely dull and lifeless.
“Did the space absorb it?
Or did my body absorb it while I was unconscious?
This is bizarre,” she muttered.
Struck by a sudden realization, her eyes widened.
“Did the space really absorb it?”
She quickly focused her mind, attempting to draw that faint trace of Spiritual Energy from the space into her own core.
After more than a dozen failed attempts, she finally found the right rhythm.
Taking her time, she gently coaxed and guided the wisp of Energy.
Unfortunately, her efforts were entirely in vain.
Moments later, the Energy dissipated completely.
Unable to make sense of the phenomenon, she decided to drop the issue.
She returned to the spot where she had entered, focused her mind, and exited the space.
Locating the first-aid kit in her room, she prepared to treat herself.
Looking at the gruesome, flayed flesh of her wound, a muffled groan escaped her lips.
Gritting her teeth against the searing pain, she flushed the gash with water from her space.
She then poured antiseptic directly over the raw tissue and sprinkled anti-inflammatory powder on top.
Using a roll of gauze, she wrapped her torso from her left shoulder down to her right armpit.
After winding it around several times, she held one end with her right hand, clamped the other end in her teeth, and tied it securely.
The entire ordeal left her drenched in cold sweat.
“Good thing I’m used to patching myself up,” she sighed.
“Ugh, I’m starving!”
With that, she pushed herself up and headed downstairs to find something to eat.
When she arrived in the living room, she noticed that everyone except Mason Ryder was present.
Seeing her up and walking, relieved smiles broke out across their faces.
Sean dashed forward and pulled her into a tight hug.
“Thank god, sis.
You can’t take risks like that again.
No matter what happens, you have to prioritize your own safety.”
“Sean, if you don’t let go right now, my wound is going to burst open again.”
Hearing this, he immediately released her and reached out to pull back her jacket.
“Let me see.
Come on, I’ll help you apply the medicine.”
“It’s fine, Sean, I’ve already done it.
Let’s go.
I haven’t had a proper meal all day and I’m starving.”
“I made your favorite spicy chicken, braised pork ribs, and tomato and egg stir-fry.
The lettuce and spinach in the backyard should be ready to harvest in two or three days, so we’ll have fresh greens soon.”
Still chattering away, Sean gently took her hand and led her toward the kitchen.