Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Tide of Rats

With a single stroke, Qin Ming severed the leopard’s leg, sealing its fate. “This spotted leopard is worth at least seventy million!” Even Wang Hammer couldn’t hide his delight. “Little Qin is truly formidable—one strike, and the leg is gone!” Ma Decao sighed. “If it were me, even if I landed a blow, it’d likely be no more than a superficial wound, hardly enough to cripple a leopard like this!” “The speed at which Qin exploded just now was terrifying,” Niu Piaopiao’s voice sounded from the wristwatch. “That speed surpasses a mid-level warlord, on par with high-level warlords. Qin, did you apply the Ninefold Thunder Blade’s force technique to your legs?” “Yes,” Qin Ming nodded. “Impressive!” The others were full of admiration. To comprehend the Ninefold Thunder Blade was already a daunting task, but to apply its force technique to the legs—that was beyond the reach of ordinary prodigies.

“The stronger Little Qin becomes, the greater our haul!” Yang Sanbao laughed. “We’ve truly struck gold with him!” After a while, they packed away the most valuable parts of the leopard and melted into the night. Before long, the leopard’s remains were devoured by other beasts drawn to the scent of blood.

From then on, Qin Ming took on the role of main attacker. He led the way, proactively engaging any fierce beasts they encountered. His mastery of the perfect-grade movement technique surfaced again and again, growing increasingly refined. Even upon meeting a junior beast general, he could sometimes bring it down with a single stroke.

In the blink of an eye, it was the fourth night.

“Let’s go—another night of bounty awaits!” Wang Hammer declared exuberantly. “We’ll head back for a rest tomorrow!” “It’s about time. This expedition might have been short, but our gains rival two or three past hunts,” Yang Sanbao marveled. “All thanks to Little Qin!” Everyone nodded in agreement.

As usual, Niu Piaopiao climbed to the rooftop to scout and guide the team. “Boss, something’s off!” Ma Decao pointed to three gray-furred rats in the distance. “This is the third wave we’ve seen since heading out tonight!” “Ever since we entered this ruined city, we’ve encountered them one after another. Last night, the last group we saw was over a hundred strong!” Qin Ming said. “Could there be a high-ranking beast general among these gray-furred rats? Or is a rat tide about to break out?” His words made everyone halt in their tracks, their expressions shifting.

Clearly, they hadn’t considered this possibility before.

“So many gray-furred rats gathering together is abnormal. I’m afraid…” Wang Hammer said, “There must be at least one high-ranking beast general among them, otherwise it’d be impossible to gather such numbers. Let’s estimate—since our arrival, how many have we encountered?” “At least three thousand,” Qin Ming answered. “Let’s get out of here tonight—right now!” Wang Hammer decided without hesitation.

At that moment, Niu Piaopiao’s voice came through the wristwatch: “Boss, I’m afraid leaving won’t be so easy!” “Is it a rat tide?” Wang Hammer’s face turned grave. “No,” Niu Piaopiao replied. “A herd of more than forty red-haired boars is coming from the left. On the right, there are four beast-general-level golden-striped pythons. Straight ahead, over a dozen three-headed wolves—all converging on your position!” “All at once?” “Yes. It seems deliberate—like we’re being herded! Boss, return the way you came, now! Any later and it’ll be too late!”

Wang Hammer spun around, then hesitated, his face shifting rapidly. “Xiao Niu, you said there are beasts coming from three directions, but behind us there’s nothing?” “That’s right!” “Then it’s clearly a trap…!” Wang Hammer closed his eyes, cold sweat breaking out on his brow. Suddenly, he gritted his teeth. “Let’s go—back the way we came!”

“Boss, if we go back, it’s sure to be an ambush!” Xiong Tian’ao protested. “No!” Wang Hammer insisted. “Over forty red-haired boars on the left, four beast-general pythons on the right—we can’t possibly break through quickly. That’s a dead end! As for the trap, it’s either ahead or behind us! The rear looks empty, but that’s the most likely place for an ambush. This is a three-sided encirclement. Ordinary people would instinctively turn back, trying to escape through the gap.”

“But are we ordinary? Of course not! We’re all battle-hardened. We can see the trap behind us! Up ahead, those dozen three-headed wolves pose no real threat. We can break through!” “Xiao Xiong, what would you do?” Wang Hammer asked.

“Boss, when you put it that way, it does make sense. Let’s charge ahead—a dozen wolf cubs are nothing, just cut them down!” Xiong Tian’ao readied himself to dash forward, but Qin Ming caught him by the arm. “Uncle Wang said we should go back!”

“But it’s obviously a trap behind us!” Xiong Tian’ao argued.

“We’re not ordinary people—we know it’s a trap! But what about those who set it? If they can anticipate our actions and set this up so quickly, they’re no fools! They’ll expect us to spot the trap behind and try to break through the wolves up front,” Wang Hammer explained. “Which means the real trap is ahead!”

“Move!” Wang Hammer shouted, darting forward. “Xiao Niu, get out of there—stay hidden!” Xiong Tian’ao, a bit confused, trusted Wang Hammer and followed closely. Ma Decao, Yang Sanbao, and Qin Ming all sprinted after him.

Elsewhere, behind the three-headed wolf pack, two figures stood shrouded in shadow.

“We’ve spent days setting this up and done nothing else—finally, we can close the net and take them all at once!” “Captain, what if they go back the way they came?” “No, they won’t. Wang Hammer has survived in the wild for years—he’s no fool. He’ll see this is a three-sided encirclement. The exposed side looks like an escape, but it’s actually a deathtrap. He’ll never go back—he’ll charge through the wolves instead.” “You’re amazing, Captain, to anticipate it all!”

“No, this plan isn’t flawless. The best way is to call beasts from all four directions, box them in, and wipe them out. But we’re short-handed, and luring beasts isn’t easy. We had to settle for this, hoping Wang Hammer’s self-confidence would bring him right in.”

Just then, the captain’s wristwatch buzzed with a teammate’s voice: “Captain, Wang Hammer’s group is heading back the way they came!” “They went back?” The man who’d spoken with such certainty was thrown into disarray.

Moments later, a dreadful rumbling rose in the distance. The very earth trembled.

“Captain, the three beast packs have clashed—they’re fighting like mad! A nearby building collapsed, and the chaos is drawing even more beasts. Captain, it’s also lured in a swarm of gray-furred rats—wait, something’s wrong, their numbers are rising fast—over a thousand now! Damn, Captain, it could be a rat tide—run, Captain, the rats are everywhere!”

On a distant rooftop, a sniper hidden in shadow saw the scene unfold, his face turning ashen.