"Phew..."
A breeze passed by, stirring the white mist around it.
The black rat that suddenly appeared stood a full five meters tall. It was even broader and sturdier than a grown elephant, its body covered in short, pitch-black fur that gleamed faintly with an oily sheen in the white mist, as if it had been coated in wax.
Its head was larger than a bucket, and its two round red eyes were like lanterns, filled with panic.
Its tail was smooth and hairless, as thick as an adult's arm. It swished through the air with a faint whoosh, occasionally sweeping across the bluestone tiles and producing a crisp smack.
Almost as soon as Lin Li got a clear look at it, the black rat stopped as well. Its red eyes locked onto Lin Li, its nose sniffing rapidly before it let out a hurried series of squeaks.
The sound was not particularly sharp, but it carried unmistakable unease, as if it were afraid of something.
Lin Li narrowed his eyes and carefully observed the black rat's expression.
Its forepaws lightly scraped the ground, its body shrinking backward, its red eyes filled with panic. Even its tail had gone rigid. Clearly, it was not preparing to attack—it was hesitating over whether to flee.
He formed a guess and slowly moved more than a dozen steps to the side... He kept his footsteps light and made little noise, deliberately clearing the road in front of him.
Sure enough, the instant Lin Li stopped, the black rat seemed to let out a sigh of relief, and the panic in its red eyes lessened.
It no longer stared at Lin Li. Instead, it turned around and raced down the road he had cleared, its four short legs moving in rapid alternation. It was