Chapter 2: Rat Swarm Siege, Maiden in Peril
The wind whipped ashes into spirals over the scorched earth as Chen Jin pressed forward, stepping over shattered rubble. The wound on his right shoulder still oozed blood, but he felt no pain—a residual force from the slain mutated wolf surged deep within his muscles, overriding the sting. His senses remained taut as a drawn bowstring, every subtle friction of gravel beneath his feet vividly clear.
He passed a half-collapsed wall and entered a completely abandoned town. Buildings tilted precariously, concrete blocks piled haphazardly, and a few utility poles lay strewn across the road like discarded bones. He didn't stop, moving swiftly along the wall with light, steady steps. Places like this were perfect for ambushes—and for encountering hordes of mutated creatures.
The ground trembled.
Then again, and again, the vibrations growing increasingly frequent. He halted instantly, his left hand gripping the sword hilt, his right arm muscles tensing. Not an earthquake—something alive was moving, on a large scale. The sound came from all directions: sewers, drainpipes, wall cavities, all filled with the maddening,密集 scraping of claws against hard surfaces.
The first mutated rat emerged from a sewer grate, the size of a fist, its fur gleaming with a metallic gray sheen, fangs bared, eyes glowing like burning embers. It stopped three meters away, sniffing the air, as if testing his scent. Within seconds, a second and third appeared, followed by dozens, then hundreds. They didn't attack immediately but fanned out, forming a semicircle to trap him.
Chen Jin retreated half a step, his back against the broken wall. He scanned the swarm quickly, calculating escape routes. These creatures moved with coordinated precision, their focus unified—clearly a highly sensitive, communal species. Individually, they were negligible, but in a swarm, they could shred even a bison to pieces.
Just then, a sharp cry came from the northwest: "Get away!"
The voice was clear but strained, frayed to its limits. Chen Jin's pupils contracted as he listened intently—the swish of wind blades cutting through air echoed, followed by the dull thuds of several rats being sliced apart. Someone was using an ability.
He didn't move. In places like this, cries for help were often bait. He kept listening, but beyond the rats and the source of the noise, there were no other sounds—no breathing, no cocking of guns, no clicks of mechanisms.
Once he confirmed no ambush, he weighed his options: How long could she hold out? Was her ability effective? Would saving her bring more trouble?
The answer came quickly—the object in her palm lit up.
A crystal the size of a fingernail was embedded in her hand, emitting a faint blue glow. The moment the light appeared, the crimson countdown in his mind shuddered violently, as if yanked by an invisible hook. The Reverberations of the Ember Abyss had reacted—this thing was anything but ordinary.
Save her.
As he prepared to move, the rat swarm suddenly stirred. Most turned and charged toward the girl. The remaining thirty or so kept their eyes on him, ready to intercept.
Chen Jin sped along the wall, staying low, choosing solid ground to avoid loose rubble. Ten meters, eight, five—he slipped behind the collapsed side wall of a convenience store, using a tilted metal sign for cover, and finally got a clear look at her.
Her silver-gray hair was braided into dreadlocks, her right eye covered by a black cloth, and she stood barefoot on broken glass. She leaned against a toppled billboard, her left hand clutching the glowing crystal, her right hand poised as three semi-transparent wind blades spun and crisscrossed before her. Five mutated rats lunged; the wind blades flashed, cutting them in half, blood and flesh spraying everywhere.
But the next wave came immediately. Her breathing grew ragged, the wind blades slowing and blurring at the edges. One rat seized the chance, leaping straight for her throat.
Chen Jin acted.
Without drawing his sword, he channeled the residual energy within him into the edge of his palm. A low-frequency sword energy swept along the ground, instantly shaking the leaping rats into bloody chunks. The residual force struck the earth, kicking up a wave of dust.
The girl was thrown backward by the shockwave. Chen Jin stepped forward, his left arm blocking her front as he pulled her into his embrace, using his back to shield her from the flying debris.
"Don't move," he said低沉ly, his eyes fixed ahead.
She didn't speak, only panted heavily, her fingers clenched white around the crystal.
The strike stunned the swarm, freezing them for two seconds. But soon, more emerged from underground, doubling their numbers. They no longer scattered, all charging toward the two, clearly marking them as primary targets.
Chen Jin dropped to one knee, his left arm forming a barrier beside her. Three mutated rats leaped from different directions, claws aimed at his face and chest. His right hand drew the sword, the blade not fully unsheathed, yet a cold gleam swept out.
"Slash."
The sword energy spiraled, severing the three rats mid-air into six pieces before they hit the ground.
He rose, the tip of his sword touching the earth, his body slightly arched into a combat stance. The "Enhanced Physique" granted by the Reverberations of the Ember Abyss was still active—his muscles reacted swiftly, pain reduced to a minimum. He could feel every tendon contracting and relaxing, like a blade slowly honing its edge.
"Close your eyes," he told the person behind him.
She didn't question, immediately shutting her left eye and turning her head away.
Chen Jin swung his sword.
Seven streaks of sword light exploded outward in a fan-shaped arc. Each strike精准ly hit the heads or spinal joints of the rats, clean and efficient. The sword energy split the air with a high-frequency screech, merging into a piercing, drawn-out whine.
The ground was soon carpeted with dismembered corpses, blood mixing with dust into a sticky mess. The swarm's assault had been torn open, creating a temporary breach.
But he knew this was only a brief respite.
Rats continued pouring out from fissures in the distance, their numbers undiminished. These creatures seemed like controlled hunters, undeterred by casualties. They had to leave, while they still could.
He looked down at her. She leaned against his back, her breathing unsteady, the glow of the crystal in her left hand dimmer. She could walk, but not run.
"Can you stand?" he asked.
"Yes," she gritted out, pushing herself up, the silver chain on her ankle jingling softly.
"Follow me. Don't fall behind."
He said no more, charging forward with his sword. The blade cleared a path, each step cutting down the nearest threats. He didn't prioritize speed, only stability, ensuring she could keep up.
A mutated rat shot out from a wall cavity, lunging at her back. She sensed it but hadn't formed her wind blades in time.
Chen Jin yanked her sharply to the right with his left hand, his reverse slash cutting diagonally downward, splitting the rat clean in half from head to tail.
Warm blood splattered across her cheek.
She didn't wipe it away, only glanced up at him.
He didn't look back, continuing forward.
Ahead lay the town's exit—a broken overpass ramp leading upward into the wilderness. Once they reached the slope, the rat swarm's formation would inevitably scatter.
But just twenty meters from the ramp, the ground shook violently again.
Beneath the entire block,密集 digging sounds echoed from deeper underground.
More rats—countless more—were surging up from the depths.