Chapter 18: A Deadly Encounter!

Xia Tong pushed her supernatural ability to the limit, her petite figure darting swiftly through the narrow, slippery pipes stained with unknown grime, like a streak of blue ghostly light.

She didn’t even dare to look back at the monster’s exact form; just hearing its sounds and smelling its stench was enough to make her feel sick.

No need to look back and suffer.

…

The sewers branched out in all directions, with countless forks.

Relying on her feline instincts and a faint sense of the water's flow, Xia Tong chose a path where the steam was relatively thin and quickly slipped inside.

This tunnel was narrower—barely wide enough for a single cat to pass through—but fortunately, the “gurgling” sound seemed to have been left behind, no longer following her.

The damp walls of the narrow pipe dripped with sewage, the scent of rust and mold mingling in the air—a veritable olfactory nightmare.

But she forced herself to endure the discomfort. A thin film of water silently coated her paw pads, and she stepped cautiously on the slimy ground, careful not to make a single unnecessary “squelch.”

She didn’t know where this path led, nor if more dangers lay ahead. For now, the priority was to get as far away as possible from that disgusting sludge and mildew.

She certainly didn’t want to be mistaken for garbage and eaten…

After moving forward for some distance, the nauseating “gurgling” sounds and corrosive stench finally vanished completely behind her.

Xia Tong exhaled softly and slowed her pace.

At last, she stopped in a relatively dry shadowed area, shaking off the dirty water film from her body. Her sharp, glassy feline eyes scanned the surroundings warily.

In the darkness, only the sound of dripping water and her own faint breathing could be heard.

“I must get out of here quickly.”

She resolved firmly. The sewer was a dreadful environment, riddled with unknown dangers—not a place to linger. Just after those two encounters, if she hadn’t fled swiftly, she might have been caught up and wasted more effort.

Now, she needed to find an exit—to return to the surface. Judging by the direction of the water flow, she pressed forward.

Generally, sewer water eventually converges into larger pipes or rivers, where an escape route might be found.

But at that moment, faint footsteps echoed ahead.

Xia Tong froze, ears pricked, muscles tensed.

What was that?

No—it sounded like… human footsteps, and more than one.

She immediately deduced this and quickly concealed herself deeper in the shadows of the pipe’s bend, holding her breath to the lightest whisper. The water film silently enveloped her again, masking her scent and reducing her presence.

…

Sure enough, before long, several flickering lights pierced the darkness, accompanied by labored breathing. A few disheveled figures crawled out.

It was the same group from before.

Surprisingly, they were still alive—though one was missing.

The remaining four were exhausted, filthy, and their clothes tattered. Particularly Liu He, whose pale face and vacant eyes betrayed a deep shock.

“Move quickly, this place isn’t safe either!” Lu Mingcheng’s voice was hoarse as he urged his teammates onward.

The flashlight beams trembled nervously in the narrow, filthy tunnel, illuminating the slippery floor and rusted pipe walls.

Suddenly, one beam inadvertently swept across the corner where Xia Tong was hiding.

In the darkness, her unusual cat’s glistening, glassy eyes reflected two eerie, cold gleams!

The sudden flash startled Wang Dong so much that he staggered.

“Who’s there?!” he barked sharply, gripping his machete tightly.

At that moment, several beams of light fixed on Xia Tong’s figure.

“…Careless,” she thought, surprised to be discovered so easily.

Almost simultaneously, Xia Tong glimpsed the humans’ appearances. Their gazes collided in the foul air, and the atmosphere instantly froze.

Lu Mingcheng abruptly raised his hand to signal the team to halt. He stepped forward slightly, clutching a steel pipe, his eyes sharp as a hawk’s, unblinking as they locked onto the black cat in the shadow—an animal so out of place in this environment.

This cat… was too clean. Its fur was pure black and glossy, its form light and agile. Especially those glass-like eyes, emitting a chilling glow in the dark. It hardly seemed like an ordinary creature that could survive such a hellish place.

Meanwhile, Xia Tong quickly assessed their combat potential.

[Lu Mingcheng: Human, strength ability.]

The “Source Core” gave a simple prompt.

But… an ability focused on strength meant no chance for a direct clash.

This type of ability was top-tier in close combat, both early and late stages.

When facing them, she had to avoid close quarters and try to wear them down from a distance. The humans emanated a dense and dangerous aura; their watchful, scrutinizing eyes made that clear.

No rash moves…

Xia Tong quickly made her decision.

“That cat’s a little strange,” Wang Dong said, gripping his machete tightly, his tone filled with caution. Liu He and the silent Li Sishui shrank even closer to the rear of the group.

…

In the narrow tunnel, the heavy breaths of the humans intertwined with the cat’s barely audible breathing.

Xia Tong focused and heightened her water ability to the utmost. She was ready either to dissolve into water and flee at a moment’s notice or strike a devastating blow.

If they wanted a fight, Xia Tong was no pushover.

As the standoff continued, Lu Mingcheng, seeing the cat made no aggressive move, decided to test the waters a bit.

He suppressed the restless energy of his teammates behind him, took a cautious step forward to close the distance, and spoke in a low voice—though uncertain if the cat could understand human speech:

“Hello, can you let us pass?”

His voice echoed through the dark tunnel, breaking the tense silence.

Upon hearing him speak, Xia Tong didn’t panic like an ordinary kitten. Instead, she arched her back slightly, lowered her body, and assumed an attack posture.

A low, warning growl rumbled from her throat, while faint blue mist gathered and swirled around her extended claws…

She showed her true stance. Just that glimpse caused Lu Mingcheng’s eyes to harden immediately.

A supernatural ability! Indeed, a mutated creature.

He could clearly sense the faint energy radiating from the black cat. He knew at once that this small, seemingly harmless feline was definitely not to be trifled with.

“Damn it, some beast dares to block our way!”

Wang Dong, an ordinary man, clearly didn’t feel the subtle energy fluctuations. In the tense darkness, his emotions boiled over, and anger flared.

“Who cares what it is? If it blocks our path, just take it out and be done with it!”

Ignoring Lu Mingcheng’s warning glance, he raised his machete, ready to charge forward.

“Wait…” Lu Mingcheng’s face changed, and he hurriedly reached out to stop him.

But Wang Dong’s attack move had already alerted the highly vigilant Xia Tong!

“Swish!”

The water mist condensed on her claws instantly crystallized into several clear, solid droplets, precisely targeting Wang Dong as he lunged forward.

A scarlet streak of blood shot upward…