The Sudden Rat Tide

"Thud... thud... thud..."

The call still had not connected.

Fei Ying's expression darkened. This was already the third time he had called.

"Boss, they're not answering?" Da Zhuang asked quietly.

"Golden Fire Bear's son has been notorious for some time now. They must be looking for an opportunity too. Wait a little longer. I left him a message, so we should get a reply soon."

Fei Ying was anxious as well. Frowning, he added, "Send Xuan Zi a message. Have him keep watch over the Warfire Squad members from high ground. We can't let them get away. But make sure he stays hidden. Savage Blade is an Intermediate Warlord, and his senses are sharp."

"Yes, Boss!"

Meanwhile.

The Warfire Squad continued moving in the opposite direction from the Blood Eagle Squad.

"They'll still ambush us?" Ning Ze asked with a frown.

Zuo Xingyuan snorted. "They definitely will. That Advanced Beast General-level Black Tide Savage Bull isn't actually worth that much. Eighty-five million Huaxia Coin would be reasonable, but ninety million..."

"Those Underground Alliance bastards are shrewd. They usually won't offer the highest price—they have to make a profit somehow. Unless you're selling some big haul, in which case the Black Tide Savage Bull would only count as an extra, they wouldn't offer that price."

Ning Ze nodded. He had looked up the prices before.

But he had not expected the difference between a highest offer and a lowest offer to carry such implications.

"Then what do we do now?"

Zuo Xingyuan continued, "Fei Ying is ruthless. He once survived by selling out his teammates. Since he backed down, he must be plotting something."

"But we're stronger than them, so there's no need to fear them. Boss Ning is watching from outside anyway, so nothing unexpected will happen. They alone aren't enough to challenge us!"

"My dad?" Ning Ze was startled. They were already close to the Wilderness Area, while Ning Hua was still in the Base City. What did this have to do with his father?

Zuo Xingyuan shot him a surprised look, then exchanged a glance with Ma Yu. Understanding dawned on him. This kid still doesn't know.

He grinned and asked mysteriously, "Do you know the strongest strategy in the Wilderness Area?"

Ning Ze considered it briefly before answering tentatively, "Requesting support?"

Zuo Xingyuan burst out laughing. "What requesting support? It's called bringing people!"

"No matter how many tricks they have, if we call over two or three warrior squads and wait for them, they won't be able to escape even if they grow wings!"

Ning Ze nodded deeply in agreement. A group against one—how could they lose?

"This trip's main purpose is to let you train and gain experience. If we happen to find a big target, we'll hunt it. If not, you'll fight monsters."

"This is only a small county town, so there aren't many Beast Warlord-level monsters. Once we feel you're about ready, we'll take you to more dangerous cities to hunt monsters," Zuo Xingyuan said.

They were training one of their own, so naturally they would give it their all.

If they were bringing along a newcomer from the martial arts school, anyone who could not keep up would be excluded. If they still could not keep up, they would be sent back. If they refused to go back, they would die. No one would delay making money just to train a newcomer, nor would they let one drag them down.

"I'll work hard! I definitely won't let everyone down."

Ning Ze was excited. Although the previous battle had been brief, lasting only twenty minutes, it had taken place amid a monster horde.

His proficiency had increased rapidly then. "Swift Steps" had gained 45 proficiency points, while "Gale Sword Master" had gained 40—equivalent to four hours of practice at home.

Even his physical strength had increased by 10 kg. And that battle had not even been dangerous. If a crisis stimulated his life potential, his strength would surely increase even more.

If he could keep fighting, his training speed would be several times faster than at home. Unfortunately, his stamina was limited. He could not possibly fight nonstop.

A cold gleam flashed in Zuo Xingyuan's eyes as he glanced back. "As for the ambush, don't worry. When you fight, we'll cover you and keep an eye on any sniping positions.

"As long as you stay alert, and with so much cover around us, sniper rifles aren't that frightening. If I reach Advanced Warlord strength, I can slash away any bullet they fire!"

"I don't believe they would truly dare to fight us head-on. As long as they don't call for reinforcements, it won't be hard to leave them here."

His words were domineering, and Ning Ze naturally trusted these uncles completely.

"Captain, when do we start?"

Ning Ze's eyes were filled with a thirst for battle. He had come to the Wilderness Area to improve his strength quickly.

His current strength was still relatively low. Ma Yu and Zuo Xingyuan were both Warlords, far stronger than him. He could temper himself under their protection, and they could save his life when necessary. There were also plenty of monsters close enough to his level to give him a sense of danger.

Once his strength rose, these two uncles would no longer be able to control the situation. This was his only chance to improve rapidly in a short time. After this, he would have to rely on himself!

Once they moved to a more dangerous city, he would never get an opportunity like this again. Warlord-level monsters would be hard to find there, and the frequency of battles would surely decrease. His improvement would slow down as well.

Zuo Xingyuan smacked the back of Ning Ze's head and laughed as he cursed, "You brat! Are you trying to get yourself killed? We'll hide for now and wait until Old Yang has surveyed the terrain. Then you can go in."

"Beast Warlord-level monsters are hard to find, but there are plenty of F-rank monsters. When the time comes, I'll have Uncle Zhang and Uncle Xu lure over a whole bunch. Don't lose your nerve then."

Ning Ze chuckled dismissively. "I'll be waiting."

"Huh!"

Zuo Xingyuan widened his eyes and turned to Ma Yu. "Old Ma, is this kid provoking me?"

"If that's what you think, then he is," Ma Yu replied with a smile at the corner of his lips.

Ning Ze had been following behind him earlier, so he had a fair understanding of Ning Ze's combat ability.

More monsters would not be a problem. Due to their size, Ning Ze could face at most three or four at once, and they would not attack simultaneously. With his Micro-level Movement Technique, Ning Ze could handle them.

Zuo Xingyuan stared at Ning Ze with his bull-like eyes. "Kid, were you provoking me just now?"

Ning Ze replied softly with a solemn expression, "If possible, I'd like monsters with smaller bodies."

"Tsk tsk!"

"Tsk!"

The mocking sounds around them were obvious.

Xu Liang teased, "Captain, Xiao Ze doesn't mean anything else. He's just afraid the monsters you arrange won't be strong enough."

"Hmph!"

"You've got nerve, kid!"

"Just wait!"

"Don't beg for mercy when the time comes!"

Zuo Xingyuan was furious, feeling that his status had been challenged.

Ning Ze looked straight ahead without the slightest fear. "Beg for mercy? Don't worry. I won't."

He had known since he was six that begging for mercy was useless.

"Move! Let's go faster!"

"I'm going to find him a horde of monsters right away!"

"Kid, pick up the pace! Don't fall behind!"

How could Zuo Xingyuan tolerate a junior challenging him? He continuously increased the squad's speed, intending to arrange a challenge for Ning Ze as soon as possible.

Ning Ze's eyes were smiling. The Force Generation he had comprehended was not learned from a Secret Manual, so he did not possess the preconceived notion that Force Generation could only be used for attacking.

His Force Generation could be used for more than attacks. On the first day, he had already tried applying it to his legs to increase his speed.

Otherwise, he would not have been able to hold on these past few days when Ning Hua went all out against him.

His physical strength now exceeded 3,300 kg. After using Force Generation, he was less than 1,000 kg behind Zhang Chen, Xu Liang, and the others.

Since he was the weakest member of the team, he carried only his own supplies, not even bullets. If they truly started running, he would definitely be third fastest!

As they advanced, Yang Chao caught up with them by following the signal.

The group stopped at an abandoned KTV. It stood along a pedestrian street less than ten meters wide. The location was relatively concealed and allowed them to monitor sniping positions effectively.

Zuo Xingyuan spoke much less. He had discovered that his grandnephew had a rebellious streak!

A few casual words from the boy somehow always seemed to challenge his authority!

If the difference in their combat strength had not been so great, he suspected Ning Ze would have fought him already!

"Old Yang, how does it look? Have you checked for dangers?"

Old Yang stood at the KTV entrance, looking east before turning to inspect the west. After carefully observing the surroundings, he said, "No problem. There are no tall buildings on either side, and other buildings block the intersections at both ends. As long as we lure the monsters here, we can fight without worry."

Zuo Xingyuan nodded and immediately gave orders. "Old Zhang, go up to the roof and see if there are any big targets. Old Ma and I will stand guard. Old Yang, go to the second floor and provide cover with the machine gun. Old Xu, make some noise and lure monsters over! Pick smaller, faster monsters. I want to see whether his mouth is still so stubborn later."

Xu Liang said with a grin, "I'll go lure over some small monsters for you."

Everyone immediately moved into action.

Ning Ze stood in the middle of the pedestrian street with his sword in one hand. His body was still covered in dust, but his longsword remained flawless and silver-white, and his eyes shone brightly.

Suddenly, the ground began shaking rhythmically. The already damaged storefronts started collapsing, and dust filled the pedestrian street, obscuring the view toward both ends.

Inside the KTV, Zuo Xingyuan's mouth twitched. "What the hell did Old Xu lure over? Why is there such a huge commotion?" Then he shouted, "Prepare for battle!"

Ma Yu said nothing. He frowned and listened intently. It sounded like thousands of galloping horses—not one monster, but a whole horde.

The shaking grew increasingly intense, like an earthquake. Ning Ze felt as if even the sky was swaying. Cracks spread across the ground like a spiderweb, and the collapsing street formed trench after trench.

Very soon.

From the eastern end of the street, Xu Liang rushed into the pedestrian street sideways after making a sudden stop. He sprinted desperately, the flesh on his face trembling.

Then a horde of monsters appeared behind him. Countless black figures surged into the pedestrian street like a tide, filling the entire road.

The moment Zuo Xingyuan saw what they were, Xu Liang screamed with a twisted expression, "Run!"

Zuo Xingyuan's face instantly twisted as well, and he shouted toward the rooftop, "Old Zhang!"

Ning Ze's expression went blank for a moment.

The vast black mass was made entirely of rats, like rolling waves on the sea.

Each rat was not particularly large, only about half a meter long, but countless rats piled together formed a mass taller than the buildings lining the pedestrian street!

Buildings were swept down, and even the trenches in the ground were filled with rats. The earth itself seemed to sing and dance for them!

"Squeak!"

"Squeak!"

"Squeak!"

The frantic, dense cries rang in Ning Ze's ears, sending a shiver through his whole body.

"Bang!"

At that moment, a figure leaped down from the rooftop. It was Zhang Chen, who had gone upstairs to search for monsters.

"Run with me! This is only a small branch! We still have a chance!"

Zuo Xingyuan hurriedly shouted as well, "Follow him!"

All these reactions happened in an instant.

Ning Ze ran after the others. He glanced back, but could not see how many rats there were. He only felt ice-cold all over, fear rising in his heart as every hair on his body stood on end.

Zuo Xingyuan turned and asked anxiously, "Old Zhang, what happened?" Zhang Chen had been searching for monsters on the roof.

"Earth Dragon!"

"It was an Ironclad Earth Dragon!"

"Those rats are chasing a Lord-level monster!"

Zhang Chen's face was somewhat pale. "I was looking for Warlord-level monsters when the ground suddenly split apart. Then an Ironclad Earth Dragon burst out, followed by endless rats pouring out from underground."

"I judged the direction that monster fled in. This side should be safe. It's the opposite direction from that Lord-level Ironclad Earth Dragon."

"What rotten luck!"

Zuo Xingyuan cursed and glanced behind them. The densely packed black shadows made his heart tremble. "How many fucking rats are there?"

Ma Yu said coldly, "Run first. Whether we can deal with them or not, we can't draw the Rat Tide's attention."

"I know we should run first! How could anyone kill all these things?" Zuo Xingyuan was irritable. He turned around. "Kid, you're not running too slowly. Can you keep it up?"

Their speed had now exceeded 65 m/s. The minimum speed for an Advanced Warrior was 60 m/s.

They were only moving this slowly to accommodate Ning Ze. Otherwise, the entire squad could run even faster!

Ning Ze nodded and said seriously, "I can go a little faster."

Zuo Xingyuan glanced back. The black tide had been pulled farther away, leaving only a black mass on the ground. Clearly, these rat monsters were relatively weak. Only a small portion were F-rank monsters, and those were the ones catching up.

"No need. Going too fast wastes stamina, and we don't know how long they'll chase us. Let's first get out of their sight and see. We aren't too far from the Base City. They probably won't pursue us that far. If they keep coming, we'll slow down again."

Ning Ze nodded slightly. At their limit, they could run much faster than the Rat Tide.

But since it was their limit, they could not sustain it!

Just like humans before the Great Nirvana Period: running one hundred meters in ten seconds was considered top speed.

One hundred meters took nearly ten seconds.

But what about one thousand meters? Could it be done in one hundred seconds?

And ten thousand meters? Would one thousand seconds be enough? In reality, before the Great Nirvana Period, the men's ten-thousand-meter record was around 1,580 seconds.

The Warfire Squad was the same. The two strongest captains could instantly exceed 150 meters per second at top speed!

But they could not sustain it at all. If they ran for an hour, plus the weight they were carrying now, they would struggle to maintain even 50 m/s.

No one in the squad spoke again, saving their strength as they fled with their heads down. Only Ma Yu and Zuo Xingyuan casually killed a few monsters that caught up.

Ning Ze controlled his breathing rhythm and prepared himself for a long run.

The muscles in his legs began to ache. He tried hard to divert his attention and block out the discomfort, running forward by inertia as if his body had gone numb.

His thoughts gradually slowed as well. Vaguely, he seemed to sense the Cosmic Energy that was everywhere.

Threads of Cosmic Energy entered his body from every direction. Though it was not as much as during training, it eased his fatigue and soreness.

Ten minutes passed like this.

When Zuo Xingyuan looked back, he could see only dust filling the sky, like an enormous yellowish-brown mushroom. The black Rat Tide on the ground had already vanished without a trace.

"Slow down. Maintain 30 m/s."

"Old Zhang, which direction are we running?"

Zhang Chen immediately replied, "City 103. We'll avoid the Beast Tide first, then ask the Base City about the Rat Tide's movements."

"Fine, let's go to City 103 first." Zuo Xingyuan turned around with a smile of relief. "Xiao Ze, not bad. You kept that speed for so long."

"Uncle Zuo, don't worry about me. I feel fine."

Ning Ze was deep in thought. He was not especially tired now. That sensation from before was similar to training, yet different. Because he had absorbed relatively little Cosmic Energy, it was not enough to strengthen his body, but it could replenish the energy his body expended and maintain the condition of his cells.

He felt that this should be the system's effect, allowing him to force himself into a training state whenever he wanted.

Was the energy absorbed while running so little because of his posture? Did he need to face the sky with an empty mind to increase his training speed?

Seeing his thoughtful expression, Zuo Xingyuan smiled faintly.

Ning Ze dared to fight alongside them, would not hold them back in a life-or-death crisis, and was flawless in battle.

He met every requirement perfectly. Zuo Xingyuan was very satisfied with Ning Ze.