Cut Off

After Anna took in the blood, Reign began to feast on their dry remains.

As he had done many times before, he entered a different mental state when consuming his prey, disconnected from his usual self.

It didn't take him long to consume all the vital parts he needed. It seemed that his level-up had made him a more picky eater.

Regardless, the meat still tasted delicious to him. However, there was one issue.

He felt disappointed when he didn't level up. The requirements to advance from level 14 to 15 were higher than he had anticipated. 

He thought that reaching level 15 and evolving was within his grasp, but it would have to wait for the future .

Seeing his disappointed expression, Anna approached him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry," she said while smiling . "Anna senses more humans inside. We've got this."

Reign simply nodded in response, choosing not to reply.

He hadn't fully trusted Anna yet. Despite her kindness towards him, the trauma from his past had made it difficult for him to believed others so easily. 

His relationship with her was solely because of his circumstances. He recognized his own weakness compared to her strength, leaving him with no choice but to follow her lead. 

CREAK

He slowly pushed the metal door open and found no one guarding the way. 

This place was completely devoid of any Internet signal, intentionally cut off from the outside world.

The owner had designed it as a drug laboratory with minimal presence, and so far, it has operated successfully.

The drugs they produced might not have been of the highest quality, but they were affordable. As a result, many broke drug addicts opted for their products over the premium alternatives. 

"Stop," Reign grumbled, his eyes catching a red dot in the corner.

"CCTV," he mused aloud, all too familiar with surveillance after years of living under its watchful eye.

Every moment of his life was meticulously recorded by the organization that had kidnapped and tortured him through those inhumane experiments. 

"Anna will handle this," she declared, raising her hands and destroying the CCTV with a blood projectile. 

BAM! 

The CCTV was completely pierced through, rendered useless in an instant. 

"Anna did a good job, right?" she asked. 

"Shit!" Reign cursed aloud, realizing that destroying the camera would raise suspicion.

"Stay here, I'll attack them first!" he roared, darting towards the laboratory .

After turning two corners, he found himself at the entrance of the first laboratory. 

Through the partially open door, he could see around ten people bustling inside, busy with their drug-making operations.

They were all wearing yellow clothing and even a helmet, which were usually worn during times when they were handling dangerous materials that could poison the skin or, at worst, internal organs. 

With a quick assessment of the situation, Reign knew he had to act fast.

So without a word, he launched a brutal, one-sided killing spree on the unsuspecting individuals inside. 

His claws, teeth, and feet became weapons as he sliced and diced everyone.

"My legs"

"Ahhhhh…Help!!!!" 

"Monster!"

"Run!"

The cries of pain and desperation filled the room as Reign kept killing . The air smelled strongly of blood as bodies fell one by one under his brutal attack.

To him, these humans were nothing but prey, and it was easier to kill them because of the evil deeds they had committed.

BAM!

Four armed guards kicked open the other metal door and immediately opened fire on Reign .

RATATTT-RATTTATAT-RATTTAAAT

The rapid gunfire echoed through the cave, momentarily disorienting him.

Quick on his feet, he grabbed a nearby table and hurled it towards the guards, disrupting their aim and buying himself precious time.

With the guards momentarily distracted, he grabs a drum of chemicals and throws it at them.

One of the guards made the mistake of shooting at it, causing the liquid to burst out. The strong-smelling substance made contact with their skin, making them feel an intense itching sensation. 

Seeing the opportunity, Reign made a break for it. 

His claws extended like deadly talons, slicing through flesh and fabric alike. He tore into the guard's torso, rending flesh and muscle bleeding in just one strike.

*SPLURT!

Blood sprayed in all directions, leaving nothing but the target's mangled flesh.

"Die, monster!" one of the guards shouted as he managed to pick up his gun again and open fire.

Fortunately, Reign was already close, so he just clamped his jaws around the gun, making it useless.

With a powerful shake of his head, he flung the guard into the wall.

But it was not over yet. 

Reign used his bite, quickly eating through the heads of the remaining two guards in one clean swoop.

[Level Up+]

"No time to waste," Reign grumbled, his determination driving him deeper into the cave. 

He made a mental note to return and feed on the dead bodies later; for now, his priority was to eliminate everyone before they could report.

'He's getting stronger by the minute,' Anna mused to herself, realizing just how powerful and extraordinary Reign was. 

Just imagining his future made her really excited.