Huff! Huff!

Old Bull snorted. This time, it activated its ability before Little Monkey could-muscles bulging as scale-like armor plates rapidly spread across its entire hide.

Old Bull trampled through the mud and charged straight into the rat swarm. One rat took a direct hit and went flying.

When it landed, its guts spilled out from its rear end.

"Damn it, go easy! I told you not to kill them!" Zhao Yin cursed.

These rats were the foundation of his Contract Beast army. Every death was a massive loss!

Old Bull hadn't accomplished much lately and had wanted to prove itself.

"Master, I was holding back! I didn't expect to kill one anyway!" A sheepish look crossed its bovine face.

Seeing this, Little Monkey immediately gloated, baring its teeth with a chirp. "Master, watch me."

It swung the Spiked Club. Thwack!

A rat was instantly smashed flat.

Its skull split open, brain matter oozing out, limbs twitching on the ground.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Zhao Yin hopped in place, cursing.

Were these two idiots doing this on purpose?

Little Monkey looked equally stunned. Were they really that fragile?

Having evolved to E-rank, it had completely forgotten its base strength had doubled.

Zhao Yin's heart bled. He turned to check on Song Xiaodao.

She had already knocked out two rats using her sheathed Tang saber.

Zhao Yin finally felt slightly better. "Watch and learn. Both of you, learn from Song Xiaodao. Keep being reckless and there's no breakfast tomorrow!"

By now, about a hundred rats had rushed out of the trap. Zhao Yin couldn't spare attention for the two beasts anymore and continued drawing his bow.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh...

In the blink of an eye, Zhao Yin had shot through the legs of fifteen or sixteen rats. Little Monkey had also knocked down a large batch-finally managing not to cave in any skulls.

Whether they were alive or dead? Heaven only knew.

Old Bull's method remained brutally simple: ram the rats over, then raise its iron hooves and stomp. Many rats had their limbs crushed beneath it.

Soon, even Song Xiaodao had knocked over her fifth rat.

By this point, the hundred that had rushed out were nearly wiped out. Not a single one had gotten close to Zhao Yin or Song Xiaodao.

Suddenly, Zhao Yin shouted: "Not good-they're trying to escape!"

In that instant, every rat still in the trap, along with those that had already rushed out, turned and fled back the way they came.

"Quick! Song Xiaodao, back to the tent! Monkey, Old Bull, with me!" Zhao Yin commanded.

These were all potential Contract Beasts-the building blocks of his army. Just days ago, he had been dreaming of encountering a group of mutant beasts that weren't too strong but came in large numbers.

Even Pseudo-Mutant Beasts would do!

The trap was dug. The spiked balls were stuck in them. They were one step from success. How could he let them escape now?

Zhao Yin stowed his compound bow, drew his Mountain-Cleaving Machete, and gave chase.

Roar!

Little Monkey finally activated Berserk. Its massive frame grew even taller, long legs stretching out. Its speed actually surpassed Zhao Yin's as it kicked up a gale and charged forward.

"Master! I, Monkey, will always be Master's most capable general! Always Master's vanguard!"

"Don't blow their heads off!" Zhao Yin shouted from behind.

Old Bull's eyes were bloodshot too, but neither of its dual abilities boosted agility. It could only lag far behind.

Soon, Zhao Yin and the two beasts vanished from Song Xiaodao's sight.

Song Xiaodao knew her speed was far inferior to those rats. Going would only make her a burden.

Back in the tent, she clenched her small fists. "I need to evolve to E-rank. I need to evolve to E-rank...!"

...

At that very moment, the two men and two women who had fled earlier suddenly stopped.

Seventy meters ahead, a rat several times larger than the others stood silently in the downpour.

Its glowing green eyes fixed on the four of them, filled with mockery.

Facing this Giant Rat, all four felt their legs go weak, their bodies trembling.

"S-so... so big!"

"My strength is spent. I can't run anymore!"

"It's over...!"

Their faces went deathly pale.

The Giant Rat didn't seem in any hurry to pounce. It swished its two-meter-long tail and, with a condescending gaze, approached step by slow step.

Squeak-!

A piercing screech erupted from its mouth, stabbing through their eardrums. The four's taut nerves snapped instantly.

Both girls collapsed onto the ground.

"I don't want to die... Wu Hao, Hong Xiaotian, didn't you say you'd protect me?" The glasses-wearing girl began to sob.

"Shut up!" The tall youth, Wu Hao, snapped. "It's the apocalypse. We're all going to die. What am I supposed to protect you with?"

At that moment, Hong Xiaotian-usually the most timid among them-suddenly gritted his teeth. "Wu Hao. Take Tang Ting and Peng Zhenzhen and go. I'll hold this thing off."

The glasses girl immediately stopped crying.

The short-haired girl also turned to look at Hong Xiaotian.

Wu Hao stared in disbelief. "Xiao Hong, are you sure? You'll die!"

"Then I'll die." Hong Xiaotian's whole body trembled. "If no one holds it back, none of us get away. One person dying is better than all of us."

He suddenly looked at the glasses girl, his eyes softening. "Zhenzhen. You know... back in high school, I already liked you. But I knew I wasn't your type."

"I'm from the countryside. My parents divorced when I was young. I couldn't compare to most of our classmates. Introverted. Bad grades. I was never going to be worthy of you."

"I planned to keep this secret forever. But now I'm about to die. I want to know-all these years, did you ever... no. Did you ever even see me as a friend?"

The glasses girl wiped her tears, stood up immediately, and spoke without hesitation. "Xiao Hong, how can you be so foolish? Why didn't you tell me sooner? Actually... before I dated those six ex-boyfriends, I did like you."

"Really?" Hong Xiaotian smiled.

"We've been classmates for years. Elementary school to university. Even for internships, you followed me into the same company. Would I lie to you?"

Hearing this, Hong Xiaotian's smile grew even brighter-as if he had heard the happiest thing in the world.

In the rainy night, he flashed a mouthful of white teeth. "Thank you..."

Satisfied, he turned around and calmly faced the Giant Rat, stepping forward one pace at a time. Steady. Composed.

As if he had never been the timid Hong Xiaotian.

He was a hero-going to die for the girl he loved and his closest companions.

"Go now!"

The glasses girl grabbed the short-haired girl and pulled her up. They turned and ran. Beside them, Wu Hao took one last look at Hong Xiaotian's back.

"Xiao Hong... take care."

With that, Wu Hao turned and fled.

Hong Xiaotian slowly spread his arms, a smile plastered on his face. But the moisture at the corners of his eyes-no one could tell if it was rain or tears.

"Zhenzhen... thank you. Thank you for being willing, in the end... to lie to me." He murmured.

The next moment, Hong Xiaotian faced the Giant Rat and shouted: "Come on! Come eat me!"

His voice echoed through the curtain of rain.

Peng Zhenzhen heard it from afar but didn't look back.

Something like human anger flickered in the Giant Rat's green eyes-as if furious that this human had ruined its game.

It lunged, jaws clamping down on Hong Xiaotian's shoulder. With a flick of its head, his body flew through the air like a kite with its string cut.

But the Giant Rat didn't turn back to devour him. Instead, it accelerated-a black bolt of lightning-and shot after the three fleeing figures.

Seconds later, from a nearby hollow, came the screams of women and the howls of men...

Two dark figures emerged from the nearby grass and approached where Hong Xiaotian lay.

In the darkness, only their silhouettes were visible-one tall, one short.

The tall one bent down and checked Hong Xiaotian's pulse.

"Still breathing." A middle-aged man's voice.

"Carry him. Move." A young woman's voice.

The man hoisted Hong Xiaotian onto his back. The three vanished into the rain.

Moments later, the Giant Rat returned. Its belly was round and bulging. Wu Hao, Peng Zhenzhen, and Tang Ting had clearly become its meal.

Squeak...

When the Giant Rat discovered Hong Xiaotian was gone, it raised its head and let out an enraged roar. It sniffed the air, instantly locking onto the direction the two figures had fled.

But before it could give chase-

SQUEAK-!

A far more piercing rat call came from the distance.

The Giant Rat halted immediately, turned, and bolted back the way it came-fast as lightning.

...

By now, the rat swarm ahead of Zhao Yin had dwindled to just over two hundred.

Combined with the hundred killed or maimed by the trap, nearly half had been eliminated.

Behind Zhao Yin and the two beasts lay a trail of one to two hundred crippled rats.

The survivors were all lightly wounded-and faster for it.

A large thicket of bushes appeared ahead. The rat swarm, as if seeing salvation, burrowed inside and vanished from Zhao Yin's sight in an instant.

"Monkey! Old Bull! Split up and surround them! Catch as many as you can!"