Fierce Battle with the Mutant Rat, Driving It Off and Returning

"Behind me!"

Yu Yuan's pupils contracted. The instant he pinpointed the direction of the attack, he threw himself forward.

At the same time, he equipped Miemie beneath him.

A gust of wind swept past the back of his head, carrying an overpowering stench.

Riiip...

Something sharp scraped across his Enforcer Helmet. Yu Yuan's scalp prickled; it felt as though something was about to slice his skull open.

Fortunately, he had reacted decisively. As Miemie vanished, he rolled forward and came up on one knee, his rifle aimed behind him.

Bang bang bang...

A storm of 7.62×51mm rounds tore toward the dark shape that had suddenly appeared in the Sewer.

Yu Yuan finally got a clear look at his attacker, and a chill ran down his spine.

What was that thing?

It was over two meters long. Its damp, greasy fur clung to its body in clumps, black as thick tar, and it gave off an overwhelming stench. Whiskers fifty or sixty centimeters long jutted from its wedge-shaped head, while its eerie green eyes glinted with cunning, bloodlust, and malice.

A pair of huge, chisel-like incisors gleamed orange-yellow in the direct beam of his flashlight. Though visibly worn, they still looked terrifyingly sharp.

Behind it trailed a flesh-colored tail nearly twice the length of its body. It whipped against the Sewer wall like a lash, making sharp cracking sounds.

In the flashlight beam and muzzle flashes, he could make out the layer of rough, hard, flesh-colored ringed scales covering the tail. The sight made his hair stand on end.

Yu Yuan sucked in a breath.

Who could call that a rat?

A huge black rat that stood 1.2 meters tall even while crouching?

Thud thud thud...

The bullets struck the Giant Rat with a sound like blows against tough leather. Thin streaks of blood appeared in its fur, but the rounds failed to penetrate all the way through. They lodged there like rivets.

The sight shattered everything Yu Yuan thought he knew.

Those were 7.62×51mm rounds!

The Mutant Giant Rat was hurting too.

Though the bullets could not fully penetrate its long-mutated hide, their tremendous kinetic force still battered its organs. It let out a pained screech.

Squeak squeak squeak—

In just a few seconds, the entire magazine ran dry.

The moment it did, the enraged Mutant Giant Rat gave Yu Yuan no time to react. It pushed off with its hind legs and lunged at him, chisel-like incisors bared.

Madness flashed in Yu Yuan's eyes. He raised the FN FAL Assault Rifle over his head and braced it hard against the Giant Rat's incisors. Its claws raked across his Enforcer Chest Rig, rapidly carving grooves into it.

Even so, the Giant Rat's charge inevitably knocked Yu Yuan to the ground. The impact nearly made him cough up blood. He could only plant both feet against its belly and hold the Assault Rifle against its gnashing incisors, fighting with everything he had.

Fortunately, he was still equipped with Miemie. The boost to his strength was the only reason he could barely withstand the Giant Rat's assault.

Squeak squeak squeak—

Foul-smelling saliva sprayed straight from the Giant Rat's mouth. Engulfed in the stench, Yu Yuan immediately felt dizzy and short of breath.

"Fuck! It's got a biochemical attack too!" His eyes burned from the fumes, and his stomach churned.

He knew he could not keep this up.

Resolve flashed in Yu Yuan's eyes.

His eyes bulged as he summoned the last of his strength and kicked upward with both legs. The Giant Rat lifted slightly off him, and the pressure on his hands abruptly eased.

Now!

Miemie and Yu Yuan disengaged their equipment state, and she appeared three meters above his head.

"Miemie, ram it to death!"

Yu Yuan shouted with all his might, but the Giant Rat was already coming down on him again. Without the boost from being equipped with Miemie, his strength was nowhere near enough to hold back its massive body.

The Giant Rat opened its jaws wide. Its enormous incisors were about to split Yu Yuan's skull.

Baaah!

Miemie slammed into it with the full force of her charge.

Bang!

Her huge horns crashed into the Giant Rat's incisors, sending sparks flying.

The impact flipped the Giant Rat over, leaving it sprawled on its back.

Miemie was no smaller than the Giant Rat. In fact, she stood much taller, and her strength far surpassed its own.

Yu Yuan had nearly died because the Giant Rat had caught him by surprise. Now that Miemie had charged it head-on, the difference between them was plain to see.

Yu Yuan finally seized his chance. He rolled right into the sewage channel beside him, drew the M500 Revolver from his waist, and aimed at the head of the Giant Rat as it struggled to get up.

Bang bang bang...

He fired three shots in rapid succession. Two struck its skull and tore away a patch of fur. The last punched straight through its right eye, blowing it apart in a spray of foul-smelling fluid.

Screee—

The Giant Rat threw back its head and opened its jaws. An ear-splitting shriek rang through the Sewer.

Yu Yuan's head spun. He lost all sense of direction, as though his balance had failed him. He clapped his hands over his ears and groaned in pain as his consciousness grew hazy.

When Yu Yuan came to, his head felt as though someone had struck it with a sledgehammer. He was badly dizzy.

He lay on the ground. Both the Giant Rat and Miemie were gone.

"Miemie..." Yu Yuan called softly as he drew the Glock 17 with his left hand.

Tap tap tap...

Miemie came running around a corner of the Sewer. Blood from the Giant Rat still clung to her.

She had evidently chased the Giant Rat, but concern for Yu Yuan had brought her back as soon as she had driven it away.

Baaah...

Miemie came up to Yu Yuan and rubbed her horns against his chest, as if asking how he was.

Yu Yuan forced a faint smile and reached out to comfort her.

But his right hand burned with pain. His wrist and the web between his thumb and forefinger felt as though they were being torn apart.

The M500 Revolver had fallen to the ground.

That was why he had fired only three shots. Firing three rapid shots one-handed in such haste had nearly ruined his right hand.

He simply could not withstand the recoil of three consecutive shots from a .500-caliber handgun.

Watching his hand tremble uncontrollably, Yu Yuan gritted his teeth and got up with Miemie's help. He put the bundle of supplies on her back, picked up the FN FAL Assault Rifle that the Giant Rat had bitten out of shape, then climbed on as well.

He lay flat against Miemie's back, patted her, and said softly, "Quick. Take us home."

Baaah...

Miemie stopped holding back and ran swiftly toward the Hideout.

Nothing else happened on the way.

Yu Yuan felt as though his body were falling apart. His head was heavy, and he wanted nothing more than to pass out. Only sheer willpower kept him conscious.

They reached the entrance to the Air-Raid Shelter Level.

Summoning the last of his energy, Yu Yuan equipped Miemie and hauled the supplies onto the Air-Raid Shelter Level. He no longer had the strength to drag them back to the Hideout, so he left them in the corridor outside.

He barely made it back to the Hideout before stumbling onto a bed in the Rest Area. With the last of his consciousness, he disengaged his equipment state with Miemie.

As Miemie appeared, one thought flashed through Yu Yuan's mind. Then he passed out completely.

Damn it. I have to bring a gas mask next time...