No, Dragon City's underground spirit energy pipelines had all undergone special explosion-proof treatment. Even if spirit energy leaked and caught fire, chain explosions were rare.
Otherwise, during the Monster War, all it would have taken was a few fearless monsters drilling underground and biting through the pipelines to blow apart several densely populated blocks.
What was going on?
A sense of foreboding rose within Meng Chao.
He focused his attention on the soles of his feet and, through the bottoms of his reinforced combat boots, keenly sensed faint yet strange tremors coming from underground.
It was as though something—something like a tide—was surging rapidly upward from the depths below.
"Smells awful!"
Meng Chao narrowed his eyes and drew a deep breath. From the seams of the manhole covers lining both sides of the street, he caught a scent that was both pungent and familiar.
This was... the scent of monsters!
"Not good!"
Meng Chao's pupils suddenly contracted.
At the same time, hundreds of manhole covers in the streets and alleys within a one-kilometer radius began shaking violently, producing a rattling clamor.
Before the ordinary citizens standing near the covers could react, the covers were blasted high into the air by bursts of monstrous force from underground, then came crashing heavily back down.
Several manhole covers dented the roofs of nearby vehicles and shattered their windows, producing piercing crashes.
Others nearly struck ordinary citizens, making everyone leap up amid cries of alarm.
Before the citizens could respond, jets of black "fountains" burst out from hundreds of manholes.
"Squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak!"
The black "fountains" let out shrill cries, splitting into torrents that surged toward the most densely packed crowds.
The unprepared crowd was immediately torn apart by the black flood, and countless people screamed in agony.
"It's—it's Ferocious Tooth Rats!"
"A