Chapter 125: The Giant Mutant Rat

Along the way, there were countless mouse holes, large and small. Like holes in a honeycomb coal briquette, they were so densely packed that it sent a chill down one’s spine. The group soon realized that the labyrinthine tunnels grew progressively wider as they ventured deeper. Many of these were clearly excavated by the mutated rats themselves, using their sharp claws and teeth to carve into the rock.

Judging by the varying sizes and locations of these holes, it was evident that the outer tunnels were smaller, while those deeper inside grew increasingly vast. What began as narrow openings barely wide enough for an arm gradually expanded into large caverns where a person could crawl in, and eventually to spaces tall enough for one to stand upright. Aside from some naturally formed caves, the presence of teeth marks and claw scratches made it clear that some of these tunnels had been dug out by enormous, super-sized rats.

Fortunately, everyone carried personal information terminals equipped with real-time mapping functions, preventing them from getting lost and allowing them to gradually chart the overall layout of this underground kingdom. Excluding the smaller passages impassable to humans, there were dozens of tunnels accessible to them, arranged in three upper and lower layers and three inner and outer rings—forming a roughly pyramid-shaped structure that was narrower at the top and wider at the base.

The cave where Bai Yuxi and the others had set up their lightning traps to lure the mutated rats was located on the upper ring’s outer edge at the six o’clock position. However, after winding counterclockwise for half the circle and taking a wrong turn, they found themselves at the nine o’clock position in the middle ring. Though this was also a natural limestone cave, the space was at least ten times larger.

The worst part was that they hadn’t encountered a single mutated rat along the way, which led them to slightly lower their guard. As they moved forward, their attention was mostly fixed on the uneven, rocky ground beneath their feet. This distraction proved costly when, bending down to crawl through a low tunnel barely waist-high, they suddenly emerged into a cavern filled to the brim with massive rats.

“Oh, shit!” Jason, who was the first to crawl out, was stunned. Hundreds, even thousands of giant rats simultaneously turned their heads toward him, their glowing green eyes staring daggers at his figure. He nearly dropped his round shield in fright, cursing instinctively. His outburst startled the entire rat colony, and the vast cavern—easily the size of a football field—seemed to come alive. The countless giant rats screeched sharply and surged forward, charging at the petrified Jason.

“Da Bai! Why are you blocking the way up front?” Jason retreated instinctively, but Willy, right behind him, frantically pushed him forward, yelling, “Let me out! My waist can’t take this!”

“Fall back!” Jason shouted in terror. “Get back! There are too many huge rats out there!”

Inside the tunnel, the others noticed the commotion and panic ensued. Some shouted, “Go back! Go back!” while others urged, “Break through! Don’t get trapped inside! You can’t fight if you can’t stand up!”

Thankfully, the spot where they emerged was halfway up the cave wall, atop a sturdy stalagmite formed from dripping stalactites. Though uneven, the stalagmite’s growth had created an umbrella-like cap at its summit, resembling a giant mushroom. The edge of this “mushroom cap” extended outward and connected seamlessly with the cave wall, forming a peculiar natural platform.

Beneath the cap hung jagged stone ridges of varying thickness, making it difficult for the rat swarm to climb up. Instead, the rats clustered beneath the mushroom-shaped ledge, jostling and trampling each other in a desperate attempt to climb over their kin.

Jason, initially startled by the scene, quickly realized the giant rats couldn’t easily reach the platform and hurriedly cleared the entrance to let his companions out. Willy, who had crawled out first, was equally shocked by the chaotic scene and kicked away one of the giant rats struggling to scale the mushroom’s edge.

Once everyone was safely on the few square meters of platform, Su Xiaoke frowned. “No wonder the lure isn’t working anymore.”

Lofi, who had been busy fighting off the rats trying to climb up, turned back in surprise. “What do you mean?”

“These mutated rats are deeply altered,” Su Xiaoke explained. “The lure I prepared is a concentrated version based on what LDH provided, but it’s still essentially designed for ordinary rodents.”

“Even if it’s more concentrated, it has no effect on these mutants who have almost transcended their original species,” she added.

“Mutated rats are still mutated rats, aren’t they?” Lofi looked puzzled. “If it works on the smaller mutants, why not these big ones?”

“The main active ingredient in the lure is the sex hormones emitted by male and female rats during their mating season,” Su Xiaoke blinked. “Have you ever seen an elephant interested in a common mouse?”

“The great Teddy says!” Willy chimed in with a grin, “Size doesn’t matter, species isn’t a barrier—love conquers all!”

Several of the girls simultaneously scoffed, “Shut up!”

Bai Yuxi, striking out with his “Ten-Thousand-Two-Nine-Nine Spear,” was surprised to find that while he could repel the giant rats, he couldn’t kill them outright. “These big rats are tough!”

“They’re at least F2 level mutants, some even F3,” Chicken Leg noted after several attacks failed to inflict significant damage. He retreated from the frontline and took up a defensive position beside Bai Yuxi, holding his square shield to guard against threats from the side.

The small platform was packed with the group. Standing was manageable, but fighting became cramped. Willy, lacking ranged attacks and output, fell back to the rear, shielding the female prodigy by the cave entrance. Lofi and Maya, both melee fighters, guarded the flanks near the entrance, while Chicken Leg and Jason held the front wings, protecting Summer Youyou, the ranged attacker, firmly in the center.

As the seventh squad’s primary offensive force, Bai Yuxi naturally took the lead, focusing his attacks on the deeply mutated giant rats.

“There’s no way the natural resources of Hualan Mountain alone could sustain such a large population of these giant rats,” Bai Yuxi remarked. “It seems the speculation that supernormal creatures survive by absorbing supernormal energy might actually be true.”

With teammates covering his flanks and rear, Bai Yuxi fought with reckless abandon, even finding moments to chat with the others amid the fierce battle. (To be continued.)