The Target Appeared

As Lu Heng slid through the collapsed section of the wall, his foot crushed a weathered brick corner.

"Click."

The sound wasn't loud, but it carried far in the deathly still afternoon. He froze, instantly pressing himself against the wall. The pale skeleton behind him slid in silently, its bone armor tightly bound and driven firmly into the soil.

Lu Heng held his breath and waited for the echo to dissipate before following the shadows along the wall to the back of a collapsed tin shed. From there, the view was unobstructed, and he could clearly see the main entrance of the factory.

He crouched down, and the Bone Demon crouched down as well. As long as he didn't move, the thing would instinctively blend into the shadows and conceal all its presence.

The site was unnaturally quiet. A breeze blew in from the factory entrance, carrying a burnt smell.

Suddenly, a series of soft scratching sounds broke the silence.

The sound came from a passageway on the side of the factory. Lu Heng's pupils contracted slightly, and his gaze locked onto that direction.

Several gray-black shadows darted out. Five wild dogs, their fur bald in patches, their ribs clearly visible, their bloodshot eyes gleaming with a ferocious glint of hunger. The leader was enormous, and when it ran, it left a trail of foul stench.

Based on his experience, Lu Heng judged it to be of the Black Iron Tier.

They are hunting.

The garbage heap opposite suddenly exploded, and more than a dozen grayish-brown rats poured out, the smallest of which was at least the length of an arm, but they were clearly at a disadvantage against the wild dogs.

The carnage erupted instantly. The lead wild dog pounced, biting the scruff of a Mutant Rat's neck, then snapped its spine with a flick of its head.

Lu Heng watched coldly from the sidelines.

The rats scattered and fled. A few Mutant Rat, noticeably larger than usual, did not run. With their fangs bared, they blocked the rats' retreat, determined to fill the jaws of the wild dogs with their lives.

It's also of the Black Iron Tier.

But it was no use. The Wild Dog Pack, in a frenzy, chased the fleeing rats all the way to the factory gate, cornering the remaining rats into a dead end.

The lead stray dog opened its mouth, ready to enjoy its spoils.

Thump!

A dull, loud thud came from inside the factory, as if something heavy had slammed into the iron gate.

The Wild Dog Pack paused, instinctively releasing the piece of meat from their mouths and looking warily at the half-closed iron gate.

The iron gate wobbled.

Then it was knocked open from the inside.

A huge claw stepped out of the shadows.

The moment the claw swung out, several pieces of sheet metal piled up at the factory entrance were torn apart like paper, the fragments flying out and sparking as they hit the concrete floor.

It was a giant rat, comparable in size to a calf. Its grayish-brown fur was as coarse and stiff as steel needles, and its back was arched high.

Five smaller Mutant Rat emerged from the factory. They spread out skillfully, flanking the pack from both sides, instantly cutting off the Wild Dog Pack ' retreat.

The situation reversed instantly.

The once arrogant Wild Dog Pack is now surrounded and prey.

The Rat King took a step forward.

The lead wild dog howled madly, trying to break free. The Rat King swung its front paw, and the wild dog was sent flying like a rag doll, crashing heavily into the abandoned truck bed, denting a piece of the metal.

The remaining wild dogs tried to band together to resist, but against the absolute strength of the Bronze Tier, the size advantage of the Black Iron Tier was simply no match. The Elite Rat entangled them, while the Rat King focused its attention on the largest one.

In less than a minute, all five Black Iron Tier wild dogs were dead.

The Rat King stood in a pool of blood, without a single wound on his body.

It lowered its head, tore open the belly of a wild dog, and began to eat. The remaining Mutant Rat formed a circle, none daring to step forward and compete for the food.

Just then, the Rat King seemed to sense something, and suddenly raised its head, its scarlet eyes scanning straight towards the direction where Lu Heng was hiding.

Lu Heng's heart clenched suddenly.

The Rat King's gaze lingered on the direction of the tin shed for a full two seconds.

Two seconds.

Then, the Rat King looked away, lowered its head again, and continued eating.

Lu Heng's back was soaked with cold sweat.

Was it exposed? Or was it just a beast's instinct?

He wasn't sure. But he knew one thing—the Rat King had already noticed this direction. If he left now, the Rat King would only be more vigilant the next time he came.

His mission objective was to find the boss, and Lu Heng now felt he had found him.

This Rat King is definitely Bronze Tier!

Lu Heng slowly loosened his grip on the knife handle.

He took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over the Rat King, then over the five Elite Rat, and finally landing on the pile of torn metal fragments.

That's enough. There's enough information.

Next, it was his turn.

He moved backward slowly, skimming the ground like a gecko. The Bone Demon followed closely behind, his movements as nimble as a ghost.

Lu Heng stood in the shadows, looking at the half-closed iron gate in the distance, his hesitation gradually replaced by ruthlessness.

Fortune favors the bold.

He turned and disappeared into the twilight.

The Bone Demon followed silently, its pale skeleton casting a long, thin shadow in the setting sun, like a drawn sword.

Lu Heng pressed himself against the wall and silently drew his Giant-Feather Crossbow from behind.

The crossbow was icy cold; the moment it touched his palm, his breathing automatically subsided to a minimum. The arrow was loaded, the string taut, and the sights were aimed at the back of the Rat King's head.

Thirty meters. Within the effective range of the Giant-Feather Crossbow.

Lu Heng's finger touched the trigger, and he slowly increased the pressure.

Just as he was about to dunk it—

A slightly smaller Mutant Rat next to the Rat King suddenly turned its head and lowered its head to gnaw on the piece of wild dog's hind leg meat in front of it.

Its body turned exactly halfway around, blocking the arrow's trajectory.

Lu Heng's fingers froze.

There wasn't time to stop.

·Whoosh--"

The arrow pierced the air, grazing the Rat King's ear before accurately embedding itself in the Mutant Rat's neck.

Before the Mutant Rat could even utter a sound, its body suddenly stiffened, and it fell straight to the ground.

The entire venue fell into a deathly silence.

The Rat King abruptly raised its head, its scarlet eyes scanning the direction from which the arrows had come. The five Elite Rat simultaneously bristled and let out sharp screechs.

Lu Heng cursed inwardly: Damn it.

He ate it of all times—just when he was about to pull the trigger.

But despite the cursing, the arrow had already been shot. He had no chance for a second arrow.

Lu Heng expressionlessly retracted the Giant-Feather Crossbow, turned, and disappeared into the shadows.

Behind me, the Rat King's screech shattered the deathly silence of the afternoon.

What happened next was a bit troublesome.