Old Bull lost his remaining eye. He only let out a muffled grunt-he was already numb from the pain. Gasping weakly, he sent a mental message to Zhao Yin.

"Master... Old Bull... Old Bull might not be able to follow you anymore."

He was completely blind now. The triangular formation could no longer hold!

Just as Zhao Yin thought he had reached a dead end, a scream pierced through the rain. It was Song Xiaodao, over four hundred meters away.

"Ah-! Help! A huge rat... Zhao Yin! Zhao Yin, where are you?!"

He turned to look. Through the curtain of rain, he could barely make out a black giant rat standing in front of the Invisibility Tent-the same size as the White Rat King-frantically attacking the shelter.

The gray rats Zhao Yin had controlled earlier were all dead, their skulls crushed.

Eleven slightly smaller giant rats flanked the massive black rat, also attacking the tent.

[Rat King: D-rank Mutant Beast | Strength 75 | Agility 87 | Stamina 58 | Defense 84 | Spirit 10 | Bloodline Talent: Earth Tunnelling]

Another Rat King!

Zhao Yin's heart plummeted.

He couldn't even handle one White Rat King, and now a second D-rank had appeared!

The only silver lining was that this Black Rat King's ability wasn't combat-oriented.

If Little Monkey faced it alone, his dual combat abilities could absolutely crush it despite the rank difference.

But with the White Rat King still in play, that was nothing but wishful thinking.

Snow on top of frost. Their retreat was cut off.

There was no way out of this.

Zhao Yin had always known he might die in the apocalypse. He just hadn't expected it to come so soon.

These two Rat Kings had been fed by countless subordinates-that was how they'd reached D-rank in just half a month. Even the resources Zhao Yin provided his two beasts couldn't compare.

He never imagined he'd run into them now, of all times.

"Fuck!"

Desperation ignited something savage in him. He roared at Little Monkey: "Forget the formation! Go kill that Black Rat King! Since the White Rat King wants us dead, I'll slaughter her mate before I go!"

He raised his Mountain-Cleaving Machete and charged straight at the White Rat King.

Little Monkey's eyes hardened with resolve. He glanced at Old Bull-gravely wounded, barely clinging to life-then stripped off his tattered Heavy Armor.

His dual abilities surged to their absolute limit as he shot toward the Black Rat King at maximum speed.

The White Rat King froze when she saw Zhao Yin charging at her.

Was this human seeking death?

Then she saw Little Monkey's movement and understood instantly. Panic flashed in her beady eyes. She had just witnessed this E-rank monkey's strength-dual combat abilities meant he could definitely overpower the Black Rat King!

Squeak-!

She shrieked a warning to the Black Rat King, then made her decision. She abandoned Zhao Yin entirely and shot after Little Monkey at full speed.

"The fuck are you running for?!" Zhao Yin hurled the Mountain-Cleaving Machete with everything he had.

Whoosh!

The blade screamed through the air, but it couldn't match the White Rat King's speed. It flew nearly a hundred meters before embedding itself in a boulder.

The White Rat King didn't even glance back. She appeared behind Little Monkey in an instant, her claws raking down at his back.

Little Monkey knew he couldn't dodge. He let the blow land. The Heavy Armor and a chunk of his hide were torn away in one savage swipe.

But the impact sent him hurtling forward. He crossed three hundred meters in a heartbeat, now within striking distance of the Black Rat King.

Zhao Yin hesitated for a split second.

Then he turned and ran.

Once again, he abandoned Little Monkey. His legs pumped as he sprinted away.

If he left now, he could survive alone.

How Little Monkey would die, whether Song Xiaodao would eventually be cornered in that tent... he didn't want to think about it.

In the apocalypse, everyone had only one goal. Survival was the only thing that mattered.

A thousand thoughts raced through his mind as he ran. Guilt. Reluctance. He shoved them all aside.

Only his own survival mattered.

But... was surviving like this really worth anything?

His pace slowed.

Then he gave himself an answer.

Of course it was worth it.

As long as the green hills remain, there's no need to worry about firewood.

He would have more Contract Beasts in the future. More women.

He was the Contract Master. Someday, he would return and avenge Little Monkey by killing these Rat Kings!

What he didn't realize was that eight minutes had already passed. The side effects of the Glutinous Rice Wine were kicking in, warping his thoughts into chaos.

His head grew heavy. The conviction he'd just steeled himself with began to crumble.

He thought of Little Monkey in his past life-died fighting for Lin Tianfeng. In this life, Little Monkey was dying for him. Wasn't that just too damn unlucky?

He thought of Song Xiaodao. He couldn't protect her in his past life. Now he was letting her die again.

And Old Bull. From start to finish, Zhao Yin had never invested in him. Even at death's door, the beast felt guilty for failing to protect his master.

Zhao Yin's eyes slowly reddened.

Something long dead-something that might have been called conscience-stirred back to life in his chest.

Killing intent boiled up inside him. The alcohol burned through his veins. In that moment, Zhao Yin feared nothing.

"Fuck it! If I die, I die!" He roared into the rain. "When a man dies, everything ends; if he lives, endless years remain!"

He spun around and charged back the way he came.

The swarm of ordinary gray rats had shaken off the spiked balls by now. They were gathered at the edge of the shrub forest, waiting for their kings' orders.

When they saw Zhao Yin charging at them, they squeaked in alarm.

But the two Rat Kings were fully occupied with Little Monkey. They had completely forgotten about these fodder.

A sniper rifle appeared in Zhao Yin's hands. Eyes bloodshot, he fired. Reloaded. Fired again.

Every shot dropped a gray rat.

The gray rats' discipline was terrifying. Even as their companions died around them, without orders from the Rat Kings, they stayed rooted in place like idiots.

Soon, Zhao Yin burned through all his ammunition. Only thirty or forty gray rats remained, squeaking nervously.

"Squeak at me? Die!"

Meanwhile, Little Monkey's hide had been completely shredded. His left arm was gone. Yet he still swung his Spiked Club with savage determination, keeping the Black Rat King at bay.

Only the White Rat King, with her superior speed, could land hits-each strike tearing away chunks of flesh.

In truth, she could have killed Little Monkey long ago.

But she wanted to torture him. Piece by piece. Such was the cruel, vicious nature of rats.

Finally, she noticed Zhao Yin. He was holding a bull horn, having butchered the gray rat swarm down to almost nothing.

Squeak-!

Rage exploded through her.

Those gray rats were the resource supply for both Rat Kings.

And now they were nearly wiped out.

She abandoned Little Monkey and shot toward Zhao Yin. His repeated provocations had driven her past the point of reason.

Zhao Yin was oblivious. The Glutinous Rice Wine's effects had less than a minute left. His mind was a tangled mess.

Killing intent consumed him completely.

Splurch!

The bull horn in his hand punched through the last gray rat's skull. Brain matter clung to it when he pulled it free.

Zhao Yin mechanically searched for the next target-only to find none left.

The White Rat King closed in. Before she could strike, Zhao Yin suddenly turned to face her.

His eyes were pure crimson, locked onto her like she was prey.

The White Rat King hesitated.

This human wasn't afraid. He was looking at her like a hunter sizing up his kill.

A chill ran through her. Her claw swing slowed by a fraction.

She tore a chunk of flesh from his shoulder-but he seized her foreleg in the same motion.

She tried to yank free. His grip was impossibly strong. The bull horn in his right hand thrust forward, and raw power drove it straight through her foreleg.

Squeak! Squeak-!

This was the worst wound she'd suffered since the apocalypse began. The pain made her shriek like a common rat. In her fury, she drove her claw straight through Zhao Yin's chest.

His sternum split open. His heart was exposed, beating visibly.

He didn't even flinch.

The bull horn stayed buried in her foreleg, pinning her in place. His other hand grabbed the fur on her head and shoved her face down between his legs.

He ripped the horn free.

Stabbed again.

Splurch!

The bull horn punched through the White Rat King's throat.

Looking for more free chapters? Visit www.skynovelvault.com to read over 5,000 free chapters and continue exploring more stories from SkyNovelVault.