The loot from the first five elite rats wasn't just good—it was borderline absurd.
When the last one collapsed, a soft shimmer lit up the ground. Shang Zhen crouched down, sorting through the items one by one. The black iron glow alone made his pulse quicken.
A Power Ring.
A Black Iron Breastplate.
A Black Iron Treasure Chest Key.
Two Primary Healing Potions.
And a small pile of skins, teeth, and copper coins.
He inspected each item carefully.
[Power Ring] — Black Iron (Lower Grade) Strength +3. No level requirement.
[Breastplate] — Black Iron (Lower Grade) Physical Defense +4. No level requirement.
[Primary Healing Potion] - Restores 4 HP per second for 5 seconds.
[Black Iron Treasure Chest Key] - A key that can open any Black Iron-tier chest. Contents may surprise you.
Shang Zhen equipped the ring and breastplate without hesitation. His strength shot up to 6, physical defense to 7. Combined with his sword's +3 attack, his basic attack broke past 21.
Enough to one-shot a full-health mutated rat.
He gave a short nod of satisfaction. The value of the trap had far surpassed the twenty copper coins he invested.
The remaining traps had also filled up while he was cleaning the fourth. Shang Zhen went straight to Trap 5 and worked his way through the caught rats. When he finished Trap 3, he couldn't help but grin.
The drops were even better than he remembered.
By the time Trap 1 was cleared, he had collected 50 rat skins, 50 rat teeth, and leveled up to Level 2.
He immediately dumped both free points into Luck again.
Luck: 7.
The equivalent of wearing rare high-grade equipment at level 0. He could practically feel fate smoothing itself out for him.
All that remained was Trap 2.
But strangely, Trap 2 hadn't shown a single notification.
No catches. No updates. Nothing.
Shang Zhen frowned. "Something's off."
He approached Trap 2 carefully. The system only indicated whether the trap had captured something—it never gave exact numbers. That silence could mean anything.
As he neared it, something massive shifted behind the net.
Shang Zhen stopped dead in his tracks.
A silhouette—huge, hunched, three times the size of any ordinary mutant rat—filled the back of the trap.
His eyes widened. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me."
He hurried closer and checked the creature's stats.
[Mutated Rat King] — Level 3, Lord Rank
HP: 500
Attack: 15
Agility: 16
Physical Defense: 10
Special: Poison Mist — 5 damage per second.
Shang Zhen let out a slow whistle. "A lord monster in a level-1 area."
The system's description was the bare minimum. He knew more. When the Rat King dropped to 20% HP, it would go berserk. Stronger, faster, almost uncontrollable.
The poison he laid earlier barely scratched it—it had already regenerated all lost health. The mousetrap net was heavily strained, fibers trembling with the beast's movements. It wouldn't hold long.
He needed to kill it before it broke free.
He took a step forward.
The Rat King glared at him through the net, its eyes scarlet and vicious. Its long fangs glimmered under the sunlight with a cold metallic sheen.
A hiss slipped out of its throat, and a puff of murky green poison mist drifted from its nostrils. The lesser rats caught in the trap twitched violently every time the mist touched them, dying one by one.
"This thing really hates me." Shang Zhen smirked. "Good. Makes the kill more satisfying."
He took a deep breath.
No hesitation.
He popped a bottle of Primary Agility Potion.
Wind rushed through his limbs as his agility jumped by +5 for ten seconds.
Next, he switched to the Black Iron Sword he had gotten earlier—its +15 attack bonus turned it into a beginner's nightmare weapon.
The moment he stepped into range, he slashed.
The blade cut cleanly through the air, and he struck twice in a single second. The agility boost made his movements sharp and precise. With his Luck 7, crits sparked occasionally, shaving off chunks of the Rat King's health despite its high defense.
The Rat King thrashed within the trap but couldn't break out yet. It could only take the blows, screeching in frustration.
Five seconds. Ten seconds.
Shang Zhen kept slashing, relentless.
The Rat King's health plummeted.
But then—
Its movements shifted.
Its pupils darkened from crimson to a deep, violent red. Muscles rippled and bulged beneath its fur. The sound it made turned low and furious.
Shang Zhen's expression tightened.
It was entering Frenzy State.
"Damn, I triggered its first rage phase."
He clenched his sword.
He had to end this before it hit its second frenzy at 20% HP. Because once that happened, this little lord rat would turn into a monster even he couldn't handle at level 2.
Meanwhile, a sharp "zizizizi—" tore through the air.
Shang Zhen's expression stiffened. He knew that sound.
The mousetrap net snapped apart.
"Great, that's the one thing I didn't want to hear."
The Rat King burst out of the torn net with a violent twist of its body. Its size had swollen—no longer rat-like, but more like a small wolfdog now. Muscles rippled under its fur and thick cords were visible beneath the skin. Its eyes burned a dark, bloody red.
The moment it completed its frenzy state, its HP bar shot to full—600 HP now, not 500.
Shang Zhen's jaw tightened. He had already hit it enough times to draw full aggro. Now the problem wasn't whether the Rat King might escape—it was whether he could kill it before it killed him.
A wave of green, oily poison mist drifted toward him. Shang Zhen backed away immediately, covering his nose and mouth. Even a light touch from that mist would chip away at his health.
Sword raised, Shang Zhen scanned the surroundings in the corner of his eye. Flat land. No rocks. No traps left. No terrain to help him kite it.
He'd have to fight it head-on.
The Rat King didn't plan to give him time to think.
With a roar, it lunged forward—poison swirling around its body like a foul-smelling aura.
Years of assassin instincts sparked in Shang Zhen's muscles before he even thought about it.
He twisted his body sideways, letting the monster's charge skim past him. As it rushed by, he turned sharply and slashed down with a clean, practiced motion.
A critical hit.
–36 HP
Poison clung to his arm from the passing mist. His HP bar began to tick downward slowly. Without hesitation, Shang Zhen pulled out a Primary Healing Potion and downed it. Warm energy spread through his chest as the bleeding stopped.
The Rat King turned with a violent shake, teeth clacking loudly. Its eyes glowed brighter—pure animal rage locked on him.
Shang Zhen steadied his breathing. "This state is too dangerous. I'll have to use that move."