Rats

Mana was linked to mental power, and the two complemented each other.

The upper limit of mental power determined the upper limit of mana, while meditation could cultivate mana and increase its maximum capacity. As mana grew, it also drove the growth of mental power.

Even though he had now mastered an offensive spell, Huo Ling still could not afford to let his guard down in the danger-filled Spirit Realm.

If he were surrounded by goblins or a corpse horde, a few White Bone Fangs would be nowhere near enough to solve the problem.

After watching for half the day and seeing no sign of goblins pursuing him, Huo Ling's constantly suspended heart gradually began to settle.

Leaning against the window, he entered shallow meditation to restore his mana and mental power.

Meditation was divided into shallow and deep levels. In a shallow state, Huo Ling remained aware of the outside world and could react promptly if anything happened.

Deep meditation was different. Once he entered deep meditation, all his senses of the outside world would be shut off. He would only wake when the meditation ended or when he was attacked.

However, shallow meditation was far less efficient than deep meditation.

Huo Ling had always used deep meditation before, but now that he had discovered two sources of danger—goblins and corpse hordes—he could no longer be so recklessly bold.

If a few goblins or walking corpses came by while he was in deep meditation, he would be finished.

One good thing, though, was that both deep and shallow meditation could replace sleep.

As mana circulated through his body, it easily swept away his physical fatigue. This delighted Huo Ling.

Now, not only could he rest through meditation, but he could also remain vigilant toward the outside world during that time.

Late at night, rustling sounds began to arise again on the previously desolate streets.

Looking through the window, he found no source for the noise.

Huo Ling froze for a moment, then remembered that he now possessed the more convenient tool of mental power. Smiling faintly, he activated a mental scan.

He finally found the source of the sound beneath the building across the street: a scrawny little rat.

He had not expected rats to exist in this dead city alongside walking corpses.

It was truly surprising.

Unlike the rats, walking corpses had no intelligence, but they instinctively absorbed the mana of the Spirit Realm to sustain their bodily functions.

The rat in the distance was different. It clearly could not absorb mana, so what did it rely on to survive in this city?

Before Huo Ling could figure it out, faint footsteps sounded in the distance.

Looking up, he saw another corpse horde approaching.

Walking corpses generally did not move alone. Their acute hearing caused them to unconsciously pick up all sorts of sounds.

This included the footsteps of their own companions. To their ears, those sounds were no different from the movements made by prey.

So once one walking corpse began to move, it would gradually draw in other walking corpses. That was how corpse hordes formed, and they would only grow larger.

Another corpse horde began passing below the building, and Huo Ling did not even dare breathe loudly.

This city truly was a Corpse City in every sense of the word. Every night, walking corpses came out to roam.

Unlike Huo Ling, who remained hidden and made no sound, the rat below continued scurrying around without any regard for its life.

Sometimes, it even let out a few squeaks.

A smile appeared on Huo Ling's face. This rat was in danger.

Sure enough, just as Huo Ling had expected, the walking corpses over a hundred meters away noticed the sound made by the rat.

Several of the leading walking corpses raised their heads. They stopped and tilted their ears toward the source of the sound.

They soon locked onto the rat's position, then broke into a run toward it with huge strides.

These walking corpses were naked all over, thin and gaunt, yet their emaciated bodies were packed with muscle. Having gone without sunlight for a long time, their skin was also rather pale.

Once they started running, they were like arrows loosed from a bow, their pale bodies ghostlike as they charged straight for the rat still foraging for food.

Moreover, the running of those walking corpses at the front was like a lit fuse.

The walking corpses behind them also began running after them.

"Rumble!"

The thunderous sound of the corpse horde's charge rang out, their footsteps booming.

The rat was so frightened that it hurriedly rushed toward its nest.

But by then, the leading walking corpses had caught up. Following the rat's path, they chased it into that building.

"Rumble!"

The charging corpse horde followed close behind, surging into the building shoulder to shoulder like a long human-shaped dragon.

Huo Ling quickly used his mental power to investigate and observe the rat's situation.

The rat scrambled up the stair railing in a panic, letting out terrified squeaks.

Several walking corpses thundered after it, their large feet striking the stairs and kicking up clouds of dust.

The poor little rat had just rounded a corner and reached the landing between the first and second floors when a large hand suddenly grabbed at it.

"Smack!"

The little rat was caught by a walking corpse. It shrieked in terror, "Squeak, squeak, squeak!"

Then its short life came to an end.

A wide mouth full of yellow teeth opened, and the little rat was stuffed inside in one bite, leaving only half its tail hanging out.

"Squish!"

As the walking corpse bit down, a spray of rat blood shot from its mouth.

Its large jaws kept chewing, and Huo Ling could almost hear the rat's flesh being crushed apart.

The sprayed blood did not go to waste either. One walking corpse lay on the ground and licked clean the rat blood that had fallen on the stairs.

Only after quite a while did the frenzied corpse horde finally calm down.

As soon as the corpse horde began charging, Huo Ling had already recoiled in fright. The sight was far too terrifying.

The wild pursuit of hundreds of walking corpses had given him quite a shock.

Normally, walking corpses moved slowly, like elderly men in their seventies or eighties, shuffling along step by step.

But once they had a hunting target, they were like sprinters, breaking into a run at a moment's notice and moving incredibly fast.

At least according to Huo Ling's estimate, if even one walking corpse chased him, he definitely would not be able to outrun it.

If a walking corpse discovered him, it would truly be a dead end.

A large number of walking corpses gathered below the building. Huo Ling did not dare move at all and could only occasionally use his mental power to scan the area.

The walking corpses gradually quieted down. After the chase, the hundreds of them had become packed into a single mass, corpse pressed against corpse.

After wandering around below for a while, the corpse horde slowly dispersed and continued down the road.

Only then did Huo Ling let out a breath of relief. The hundreds of walking corpses below had put far too much pressure on him.

He did not even dare let himself become too nervous, lest the sound of his quickened heartbeat carry outside. He did not even dare sweat.

Otherwise, if his scent drifted out, who knew whether those walking corpses' noses could smell it.

After more than an hour, the walking corpses below finally dispersed, shambling away one by one.

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