Outbreak

In a large conference building not far outside the Closed Town, Wang Heng and the military officers' expressions shifted drastically the moment the rat tide appeared, and they stood up in unison.

In the courtyard of a quiet military villa, the teacup in Zhuge Tao's hand trembled, spilling water everywhere. Zhuge Tao seemed not to notice, his gaze fixed solemnly on the large screen, a hint of shock crossing his face as he took a deep breath. "A rat tide..."

A piercing alarm wailed across the sky above the Northern Military District camp. The entire district instantly sprang to life like a war machine in motion; the sound of countless soldiers running echoed out, and shortly after, two dark blue disc-shaped fighter jets ascended into the night sky.

"Th-there are so many rats!" When the prospective fighters still inside the Closed Town saw the swarms of rats pouring in from all directions, they were terrified.

"There are too many, run!"

"Where did all these rats come from? Why isn't the military doing anything? They're going to get us killed!"

"Is this a rat tide?"

The prospective fighters abandoned all caution, sprinting frantically toward the perimeter. By now, the Closed Town had been completely overrun by the rat swarm, and they were trapped inside. Many prospective fighters were engulfed by the surging tide of rats, their shrill, miserable screams echoing through the air.

Rats were everywhere.

Outside, the military forces behind the wire fences had already opened fire. Tanks, missiles, and rockets fired incessantly, while machine guns spat tongues of fire, obliterating the massive numbers of rats rushing out from the periphery. The earth shook, and the roar of artillery could be heard from far away.

However, there were simply too many rats. While the military could hold them back, they were unable to break through to provide rescue in the short term.

Many prospective fighters looked on in despair as the countless Gray Fur Rats swarmed toward them, resisting with everything they had.

Zhuge Qing and Han Lei were also frozen in terror. Seeing the swarm appear, Han Lei was the first to react; shivering, he grabbed Zhuge Qing and ran.

The prospective fighters on the outskirts still had a chance to escape, but those trapped in the center were doomed. One by one, they were surrounded, killed, and devoured by hundreds or thousands of Gray Fur Rats, leaving behind only tattered combat suits and broken weapons.

Chen Daolin happened to be in the heart of the town. When he saw the countless Gray Fur Rats emerging, he was also startled, but he turned and charged toward the outside of the town without a moment's hesitation. Facing a sea of rats, an ordinary fighter had no hope of victory. Staying behind meant certain death.

"Ah, no!"

"Ah, save me!"

The entire town was filled with the screams of prospective fighters, turning it into a living hell.

Snap, snap. Chen Daolin sprinted at top speed, his spear swinging wildly. One Gray Fur Rat after another was swept aside or sent flying by his spear.

"Squeak! Squeak!" Gray rats were visible everywhere in the town. When the countless rat beasts surged over the hills and plains, the scene was heart-stopping; the faint-hearted would have had their legs turn to jelly on the spot.

"Kill, kill, die, die..." The dense swarm of rats attacked Chen Daolin from all directions. Chen Daolin went berserk as well. Under the pressure of death, he had no intention of hiding his strength. He unleashed the two-fold King Kai Fist, and his physical strength, speed, defense, and reflexes surged dramatically. The H-Level monsters that had caused him trouble before were now easily dispatched, and even the G-Level monsters (equivalent to mid-level warriors) and F-Level monsters (equivalent to high-level warriors) that had previously posed a great threat were now easily suppressed or brushed aside.

The problem was their sheer numbers. Even if G-Level and F-Level monsters were relatively rare, thousands of H-Level Gray Fur Rats could still easily overwhelm him.

Let alone him, even a Warlord Level fighter, if surrounded by a large number of Beast Soldier Level monsters, would have no choice but to fall if they couldn't break through.

"Ah..." At that moment, Chen Daolin heard a terrified scream. The voice was familiar. Chen Daolin looked toward the sound and saw a Gray Fur Giant Rat the size of a wolfhound standing on the road not far away, a person dangling from its jaws. Not far in front of the Gray Fur Giant Rat, Han Lei was fleeing in a panicked, disheveled scramble.

"Lei Ge, save me..." Zhuge Qing cried out miserably. She was afraid of death; she was truly terrified. She was still young and didn't want to die like this. But in the distance, Han Lei's body trembled at her words, yet he didn't stop, running away without even looking back. Seeing Han Lei's retreating back, the light in Zhuge Qing's eyes dimmed. The Gray Fur Rat King watched its prey beneath it with interest. Feeling the Rat King's gaze, Zhuge Qing's face turned pale. She couldn't stop herself from trembling in fear, and she even wet herself, a pungent smell of urine rising into the air.

The Gray Fur Rat King didn't seem in a hurry to kill Zhuge Qing. Instead, like a cat playing with a mouse, it kept raking its claws across her, causing her to shriek incessantly. At this moment, she had abandoned all pretense of being a young lady, appearing utterly pathetic.

Chen Daolin stood not far away, batting away the Gray Fur Rats lunging at him while a look of struggle appeared on his face.

His heart was in total chaos, anxious and conflicted.

Should he save her?

Should he save her?

Should he save her?

Chen Daolin closed his eyes and opened them again, his gaze now resolute. Chen Daolin let out an angry roar, suddenly turned around, and charged toward the Gray Fur Giant Rat.

The Gray Fur Rat King noticed the human charging at it immediately, a cruel glint appearing in its rat eyes. Chen Daolin was only displaying the strength of a two-fold King Kai Fist (equivalent to a high-level warrior). This level of strength posed no threat to it; instead, it found this human quite interesting. Beast General Level monsters already possessed some intelligence, as evidenced by the Rat King. Ordinary monsters weren't as "cunning" as it was.

With the intention of playing with its prey, the Gray Fur Rat King didn't summon its subordinates along the way to stop the human. Instead, it slowly released Zhuge Qing and turned its body toward Chen Daolin. This human had decent strength, so it would kill him itself. As for Zhuge Qing, in its eyes, she was nothing more than a weak, insignificant ant. The Gray Fur Rat King didn't even bother to pay her any mind at that moment.

Temporarily escaping death, the shell-shocked Zhuge Qing lay limply on the ground, tears streaming down her face. She hadn't expected that in the face of danger, Han Lei, the man she admired and loved, would abandon her, while Chen Daolin, a man she had only met twice, would risk his life to save her. Zhuge Qing didn't even know what to feel.

Chen Daolin also saw the Gray Fur Rat King's movements, a look of solemnity in his eyes. Since he had decided to save her, Chen Daolin would not regret it. The power within his body surged crazily once more.

King Kai Fist, three-fold!!!

Boom! A new surge of power rapidly flooded his limbs and bones, like an electric current racing through him, stimulating his bones, muscles, and nerves until they felt slightly numb and sore.

Chen Daolin's spirit lifted. Bang! He stomped hard on the ground, cracking the solid concrete into a dense web of spiderwebs. His speed instantly skyrocketed, and he shot toward the Gray Fur Rat King like an arrow released from a bow.

The short distance was covered in an instant at the Warlord Level speed of at least ninety meters per second. His spear transformed into an afterimage like a venomous dragon, tearing through the air and emitting a sharp whistle as it pierced toward the Gray Fur Rat King.

With this thrust, Chen Daolin was using his full strength; in terms of power, it already exceeded ten thousand kilograms!

"Squeak!"

The Gray Fur Rat King, which had been waiting for Chen Daolin with ease, was startled. Chen Daolin's spear thrust made it feel a great threat. Swish! The Gray Fur Rat King's figure turned into a gray blur, dodging to the side. At the same time, its long tail whipped out, lashing toward Chen Daolin's figure with a speed even faster than its previous dodge.

The distance was so close that in the blink of an eye, Chen Daolin had no time to think. He pulled his spear back to block. Snap! A loud explosion rang out in the air. Chen Daolin felt a massive force transmitted from the Rat King's tail. His hand went numb, and he let out a muffled groan as his body was sent flying back over ten meters. After landing, he tumbled along the ground for a long distance before finally coming to a stop, the parts of his body that had scraped against the ground burning with pain.

"Squeak, squeak!" The Gray Fur Rat King called out triumphantly, but then it froze, seeing the human opposite it climb up completely unscathed.

What the hell? This human's strength is about the same as mine, so how is his physical defense so strong? Aren't human bodies supposed to be very fragile?

"Good thing the King Kai Fist also enhances physical defense three-fold." Chen Daolin flexed his hands and feet, feeling secretly relieved.

He looked at the Gray Fur Rat King again, his eyes turning cold.

"There isn't much time left. I must end this quickly and take down this Gray Fur Rat King."

Chen Daolin did not hesitate, charging toward the Gray Fur Rat King once again.

The Gray Fur Rat King shrieked in a fit of shame and rage, pouncing forward to meet Chen Daolin head-on.

Both possessing Warlord Level strength, the man and the rat clashed instantly.

Bang! Chen Daolin's spear slammed heavily into the Gray Fur Rat King, sending it squealing in pain.

Smack! The Gray Fur Rat King's tail whipped against Chen Daolin, making him wince and bare his teeth.

The two sides fought fiercely in the open space, trading blows back and forth, surprisingly locked in an evenly matched stalemate for the time being.

Not far away, Zhuge Qing watched in a daze. She had originally worried whether Chen Daolin's strength would be enough to rescue her, as this was, after all, the Gray Fur Rat King—a Beast General Level monster that no ordinary martial artist could contend with. Yet, not only was Chen Daolin unharmed, but he was also displaying astonishing strength capable of rivaling the Gray Fur Rat King. Zhuge Qing's mouth hung open unconsciously. She remembered her father once saying he had recruited two eighteen-year-old genius martial artists, but she never expected Chen Daolin to be this strong. To have Warlord Level strength at only eighteen years old—this was far beyond Han Lei, someone she had previously held in high regard.

At this moment, Zhuge Qing still did not fully grasp the true significance of reaching the Primary Warlord Level at eighteen.

Rustle. Distracted and lost in thought, Zhuge Qing did not notice a Gray Fur Rat that had appeared behind her from who knows where. Death approached in silence; the Gray Fur Rat crept up behind Zhuge Qing, opening its mouth to reveal its fangs...

Splurt.

Blood sprayed.

Zhuge Qing turned her head in astonishment, only to see the headless corpse of a Gray Fur Rat lying on the ground. Realizing what had just happened, she subconsciously shuddered.

"Th-thank you."

As Zhuge Qing spoke with gratitude, she looked up, only to see Ji Xuan—tall, with short black hair and a beautiful face, dressed in a black combat suit. She had appeared behind Zhuge Qing at some point, holding a battle blade and a shield, her body covered in blood, her expression calm and composed.

Zhuge Qing's mouth parted, her eyes shifting past Ji Xuan to see a scene that shocked her even more: the street not far behind Ji Xuan was littered with a dense carpet of Gray Fur Rat corpses, stretching almost the entire way. She could not imagine how this girl, who was not much older than her, had managed to fight her way through.

Ji Xuan paid no attention to Zhuge Qing, instead narrowing her eyes as she watched the intense battle between the man and the beast in the arena.