Chapter 16: The Rats in the Sewers

“This is the place. Stay sharp!” Lu Mingcheng whispered, bending down first to slip inside. The others exchanged quick glances, tightened their grips on their weapons, and followed closely behind.

Xia Tong stood in the shadow of a nearby beech tree, hesitating to approach immediately.

The evening breeze stirred the foul scent from the sewer—an unmistakable stench of rats. Beyond that was a thick, putrid odor of decay, mingled with an indescribable, metallic tang of rot.

The heavy, mixed stench nearly overwhelmed her senses, causing her feline nose to twitch violently, almost making her gag on the spot.

Since the apocalypse, these sprawling sewer tunnels had truly become an underground world, a constant headache for the base’s exploration teams.

One could only imagine how filthy the inside must be, not to mention the lurking dangers—rats, mutated insects, and possibly far worse.

“Damn it…” Xia Tong muttered under her breath, a flicker of disgust and hesitation passing through her glassy cat-like pupils.

Should she go in?

Or should she stay out?

The main deterrent was that unbearable stench.

Yet, weighing the constant perils above ground, perhaps having someone scout the sewers ahead was not a bad idea—at least they could flee immediately if danger arose.

“Fortune favors the bold…” she thought, her eyes narrowing as she resolved to follow them inside.

It’s just a sewer, after all.

She had the strength and means to handle it.

Activating her ability, a thick layer of water formed, enveloping her nose to block out as much of the suffocating smell as possible.

Only after confirming the group had fully disappeared into the sewer entrance did Xia Tong tread lightly and slip in with nimble steps.

Inside, the sewer was darker and damper than she had imagined.

The air hung heavy, nearly suffocating.

Beneath her feet, something slimy squelched, emitting a muffled “plop” sound.

For a moment, she truly wished she could just “close her eyes and get it over with.”

Though the water membrane filtered out most odors, the pervasive stench still seeped through stubbornly, assaulting her senses. She wondered how those others managed to endure it.

She suppressed her discomfort, stepping softly, following the faint glow of flashlights ahead with careful caution.

The faint footsteps of Lu Mingcheng and his group echoed softly in the narrow passage.

“Lu, this damn place is no place for humans,” a thin voice muttered bitterly. “How much longer do we have to keep going?”

“Shut up! We’re almost there. Just hold on!” Lu Mingcheng snapped impatiently. “This route lets us avoid the big threats outside. It’s much safer. Not far ahead is the passage under the mall, probably still some supplies there.”

“Hope so… last time we came, there wasn’t much left,” another young female voice grumbled.

“Squeak, squeak…”

Suddenly, a chorus of shrill rat cries burst from deep within the tunnel, sharp and piercing.

The group’s footsteps faltered slightly.

“Those damn rats again,” someone cursed softly. “They’re everywhere.”

“Wang Dong, ignore them. Just as long as they’re not mutated big ones,” Lu Mingcheng said, clearly used to the rat noises. “Speed up, don’t dawdle!”

They steadied themselves and pressed forward.

Xia Tong followed quietly, her ears twitching. Indeed, it was the sound of rats. Like the others, she paid no mind and kept a cautious distance, trailing behind.

But not far ahead…

“Squeak, squeak… squeak, squeak, squeak…”

The rat cries came again, this time more frequent and intense, almost frantic.

The irregular calls fluctuated sharply, sometimes shrill, sometimes low—a strange pattern that seemed to convey a warning, or a sign of terror.

“No way…” Xia Tong’s heart tightened. A storm was brewing; something ominous loomed.

“Damn it! These rats won’t stop squeaking!” Wang Dong grumbled anxiously. “It’s making me nervous.”

“Enough chatter,” Lu Mingcheng frowned, the beam of his flashlight darting toward the sounds. “Stay alert. Something’s off.”

Though he claimed it was nothing, the unnerving rat cries unsettled the whole team.

Tension thickened in the air.

Xia Tong’s cat eyes gleamed with vigilance in the darkness. She sensed the abnormality too. These rats’ frantic calls were too frequent, too strange—as if they were fleeing toward them.

When things are out of the ordinary, there’s always a hidden danger.

Her heart raced, muscles tensing beneath the water membrane, ready to respond to any sudden threat.

“This is it. Stay sharp!” Lu Mingcheng bent down to climb up first. The others gripped their weapons tightly, anxiety evident as they followed.

Using both hands and feet, they struggled upward, finally emerging from the narrow sewer into a slightly roomier but equally filthy connecting tunnel, beside which a dark river flowed.

The flashlight beams flickered through the endless darkness, illuminating rusted pipes and slippery floors.

Xia Tong trailed silently, the water membrane shielding her small frame completely from the surrounding filth as she slipped into an inconspicuous shadow along the pipe’s edge, fighting back the intensifying stench that threatened to pierce her protective barrier.

She shook her head, channeling her powers more efficiently to block out the odor.

Then, she sighed softly.

A cat’s survival was a struggle for breath—now, it felt like a breath stuck in her throat, unsure whether to swallow or spit it out.

“Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!”

Suddenly, chaos erupted.

The previously noisy rat cries escalated sharply, becoming piercing and mournful, filled with sheer panic.

From the dark depths ahead, countless eyes glowed faintly red, revealing a horde of mutated rats, larger than ordinary ones.

Like a bursting dam, they surged wildly forward, flooding toward the entrance where Lu Mingcheng and his group were.

These mutated rats seemed utterly deranged, fleeing recklessly, trampling and biting each other in the cramped passage.

Screams and collisions blended into a scene of utter chaos.

“Damn it! What’s going on?”

The team erupted into turmoil, their flashlight beams swinging wildly, illuminating faces twisted in panic.

Instinctively, they brandished steel pipes and machetes, trying to fend off the onslaught.

But the sheer number of mutant rats was overwhelming; they charged ferociously, indifferent to the weapons.

Suddenly, a pained groan broke through the din:

“Ugh ah!”