Chapter 75: A Life-or-Death Crisis

Initially, many people thought it was a mutated lion, but once the light shone back on the creature, it became clear—it was a Tibetan Mastiff, a massive, mutated Tibetan Mastiff.

Its entire body was covered in thick, black fur that resembled the wild mane of a lion. Its enormous jaws opened and closed, revealing four long, sharp teeth, each about ten centimeters in length, gleaming ominously. A long tongue dangled from its mouth, dripping saliva onto the floor. In the eerie silence of the underground mall, the sound of its saliva hitting the ground made it all the more terrifying, as though the blood of its victims was dripping.

Its eyes, the size of ping-pong balls, gleamed with a menacing, red-green light, exuding an ominous and brutal energy. Anyone who met its gaze felt a chill run through their body and lacked the courage to lock eyes with it.

Tibetan Mastiffs are inherently fierce and territorial, sometimes even turning on their owners. After undergoing mutation, it had become far more terrifying. Han Zhongguo and the others felt a cold sweat spread across their bodies, their legs trembling in fear. They were on the verge of fleeing, but their last remaining shred of reason stopped them.

The mutated Tibetan Mastiff let out a low growl, its gaze fixed on the people behind the framework. Its presence was overwhelming, like an ancient demon exuding an aura of primal violence. Every step it took seemed to crush the hearts of those watching, sending waves of fear through their bodies. With each step it took forward, everyone instinctively took a step back, even though the framework was still between them. No one felt safe, despite the temporary barrier.

"Fire... fire!"

Han Zhongguo fought to control his fear and ordered the officers to open fire. He could not afford to wait any longer. If they hesitated, the fear instilled by the Tibetan Mastiff's presence would paralyze them, and they would lose their ability to resist.

"Bang... Bang..."

Several chaotic gunshots rang out. The police officers behind the framework, already on edge, trembled and fired recklessly. These officers, terrified and shaking, could hardly aim, and only two or three shots even hit their target.

But what was truly terrifying was that when the bullets struck the Tibetan Mastiff's fur, they seemed to vanish without a trace, as though they had struck a patch of grass. The creature didn't even flinch. It simply continued advancing, step by step, toward the framework.

"Ah! The guns don't work!"

One of the officers, who had just fired, screamed in horror. This cry of panic sent a wave of fear through the entire group. If guns couldn't stop it, what could they do?

"Roar! Roar!"

Suddenly, the Tibetan Mastiff seemed enraged by the gunfire. It let out a deafening roar, causing the underground mall to shake as if struck by thunder. The reverberations were so strong that the cement ceiling trembled, and chunks of plaster fell to the ground.

Some of the more faint-hearted and physically weak individuals fainted from the shock. The sound waves of the roar hit the people behind the framework like a physical blow, knocking them back several steps as they screamed in pain, clutching their ears.

After its deafening roar, the mutated Tibetan Mastiff bent its body low, bracing itself with its limbs before charging toward the framework with the force of a rampaging mammoth.

"Crack, crack..."

The previously sturdy angle iron seemed to turn into dry wood under the onslaught. With each collision, it shattered into pieces, and the entire framework began to shake and distort violently. The police officers perched on top of it could no longer keep their balance and fell off, while those stationed at the sides of the passage hastily retreated.

With every crash, the framework split further, pieces breaking off over a span of several meters. The Tibetan Mastiff's claws sliced through the angle iron like it was made of tofu, and the structure's instability only worsened. The cracks grew larger, approaching the end of the framework.

At this point, everyone stood roughly ten meters behind the framework, silently watching, their faces filled with despair. The door was about to break open, and there was nowhere left to run. Everyone leaned on each other for support, resigned to their fate.

Han Zhongguo, Ge Zhongping, and the others looked ashen-faced, unable to comprehend how things had deteriorated so rapidly. Just moments ago, they had glimpsed a glimmer of hope, but now that hope seemed shattered. The mutated dogs, once seen as manageable, had turned into an overwhelming force. What was once victory was now hell.

"We're finished... We're finished..." Ge Zhongping cursed himself inwardly. He was consumed with regret, blaming Han Zhongguo for his decisions. If only he had ignored Han's suggestions, maybe he wouldn't be in this situation. He now realized that it was too late to change anything.

Heaven and hell were only a thin line apart.

...

Meanwhile, at the hotel, after a brief rest and some food and water, Di Ping closed his eyes and recovered for about ten minutes. He then gathered his team to leave. It was already noon, and he couldn't afford to waste any more time. If they waited until nightfall, things would become much more difficult. He needed to resolve the dangers at the base while there was still daylight.

The group had only walked a few hundred meters and was still about a kilometer from the market when they suddenly heard the sharp crack of gunfire in the distance, followed by a series of chaotic shots. It sounded like a dozen guns were firing simultaneously, the gunfire erratic and frantic. They exchanged looks, their hearts tightening.

"Something's wrong?"

Yue Lie tilted his head to listen. His face changed immediately.

"Let's go!"

Di Ping could hear it clearly now—interspersed with the gunshots were the sounds of animals howling in agony. It was evident something had gone terribly wrong. He immediately shouted for everyone to arm themselves and head towards the mall at once.

...

"Boom!"

With a final explosive roar, the mutated Tibetan Mastiff finally broke through the framework, striding forward toward the crowd. Everyone was paralyzed with fear, trembling uncontrollably. Some even began to sob quietly, but strangely, none of them tried to run. It wasn't that they didn't want to flee; it was that they couldn't seem to move in any direction except toward the oncoming beast.

Behind the mutated Tibetan Mastiff, a dozen mutated dogs followed, slowly encircling the group. Their blood-red, vicious eyes glared at the people, ready to pounce and tear them apart at any moment.

Han Zhongguo closed his eyes helplessly, overwhelmed with a sense of resignation and despair. No matter how hard he had fought to lead the people to safety, it had all been in vain. In the face of such overwhelming power, all their efforts were useless. No matter how he struggled, they had all fallen into the jaws of the monster.