Chapter Sixty-Six: The Cyndaquil

“Hmph, so what if we fall out with each other? That’s easily dealt with,” said Ye Ran and his companions, showing not the slightest sign of backing down at Hongye’s threats. Yun Meng drew her Liuhua Bow, a shimmering arrow of water formed at the string, aimed directly at Yu Bo’s chest.

Yu Bo’s face remained calm and unruffled, yet inside he tensed; when the girl’s arrow leveled at him, he felt a threat he could not ignore.

Ye Ran, meanwhile, watched the two men in cloaks with heightened vigilance. These were the true experts here. Yet the pair stood motionless, clearly choosing to remain bystanders. With them out of the fray, Ye Ran and the others grew even bolder.

Just as tensions reached a breaking point, a flicker of red appeared among the mass of surging giant monsters. It darted in and out of sight, charging straight toward the Hongye Academy team.

“Another mutant beast!”

“The red one!”

The students, quick-eyed and sharp, immediately caught sight of the charging red giant rat. Yu Bo, Ye Ran, and the others saw it as well. But the rat was now only a hair’s breadth from the Hongye Academy team, while countless obstacles separated it from Ye Ran’s group.

“Quick, kill it!”

“Whoever kills it gets its weapon—let’s go!”

With the bitter lesson from the Liuhua Bow still fresh in their minds, no one wanted to let this mutant rat slip away.

No, to call this fiery red rat a “giant” was almost a misnomer—it was barely the size of an ordinary shoe sole, smaller even than the usual monstrous rats. How could they let such an easy prey escape their grasp?

A group of students, weapons in hand, surged forward with a shout. Leading them was a burly man, shield in one hand, a spiked mace in the other, exuding a wild and domineering aura.

He charged ahead, smashing any giant lizards blocking his path to pulp with his mace.

Behind Ye Ran, Alisa made to rush forward as well, but this time Ye Ran was prepared. He caught her by the wrist and whispered, “Alisa, don’t act on your own. We’re a team now.”

Alisa glanced at him, laughing lightly. “Hehe, but your speed is only holding me back.”

At her words, Meng Qi and Sinclair’s faces darkened. When they had faced the blue ant earlier, they had indeed been of no help.

Ye Ran said, “Your individual strength is undeniable, but everyone else is indispensable too. Some might not have shown their true abilities yet, but at the crucial moment, everyone will be your support. In a real team battle, a united group is far stronger than a motley crew. If you insist on acting alone, if you stay, we’re a whole; if you insist on going solo, I’ll immediately rearrange the lineup.”

“Alisa, think carefully before you decide.”

He looked into Alisa’s eyes, his gaze earnest and serious.

Alisa’s lips curled into a smile.

“I’ll stay…”

Suddenly, a shrill, blood-curdling scream rang out. Up ahead, chaos erupted. The burly youth wielding the spiked mace had barely approached the red rat when a jet of flame burst from the ground beneath him. He was charging so fiercely that he had no time to evade; in an instant, he was engulfed, the flames lifting his entire body into the air.

“Senior!”

“Wolf Senior!”

The students charging behind him cried out in alarm. Most of them were experts of at least the fourth rank, usually the center of attention, but rarely had they witnessed such a gruesome sight.

Only then did Ye Ran and his companions realize that the youth with the spiked mace was none other than Cang Wolf, ranked sixth on Hongye Academy’s martial leaderboard.

A chill ran through their hearts. What kind of monster was this red rat? For someone as strong as Cang Wolf to have no chance against it…

The students’ cries quickly turned to screams of terror. The red rat bared its teeth with a low growl, its tiny limbs tensing before it suddenly leapt into the air, transforming into a streak of crimson light that pierced straight through Cang Wolf’s body and then barreled into the students ahead.

With a dull thud, the crimson flash shot by and Cang Wolf’s body burst apart midair, scattering with a muffled explosion. The students below froze in shock.

Dead.

Cang Wolf, sixth on the martial leaderboard, was truly dead—dead without warning, without a sound.

For many of them, this was their first direct encounter with death.

The rat did not pause for a moment. After tearing through Cang Wolf, it became a long tongue of flame, shooting forward.

With a whoosh and a bang, it pierced straight through at least four students. They had no time to cry out before they were reduced to ashes in the flames.

“Damn it—Earthrock Eruption!”

Only now did the two men in cloaks snap out of their daze. The man on the left pressed his joined palms to the ground, unleashing a surge of energy that rippled across the stone floor.

A wall of earth shot up, blocking the red rat’s path.

With a dull thud, the rat slammed into the solid wall, leaving a deep dent.

The man poured more power into his hands, wave after wave of earth reinforcing the wall. But the red rat showed no fear. The searing flames on its body deepened and widened the dent.

“Scatter! This isn’t a mutant beast—it’s the second-floor guardian, the Flame Rat!” the man on the right shouted, his voice tinged with urgency.

Everyone in the nest felt a jolt of alarm.

Flame Rat.

How could it be? The Flame Rat, guardian of the second layer, had somehow appeared here in the first level of the underground nest?

Surprise and confusion surged through them as they scattered quickly.

Ye Ran was equally startled. He led Yun Meng along the stone wall, moving swiftly—neither approaching the Hongye Academy team nor drawing near the Flame Rat.

The earth wall grew thicker and stronger, but it could not hold back the rat’s blazing power. The man on the right no longer dared remain a bystander. Forming seals with his fingers, he gathered his energy—and just then, another roar thundered out.

A tremendous rumble shook the ground, as if some colossal thing was stomping closer. From a side tunnel, a violent gale swept in, bringing with it a savage and overwhelming presence. Everyone present felt its oppressive force.

“Hahaha, old Six! Time to go on a rampage!”

A guttural roar echoed forth.

A black storm sprang up, but before it could form, the man on the right dispelled it with a complex hand seal.

The black storm dissipated, but the piercing whine of the wind returned. Like a tempest of blood and carnage, a barbed, rock-hard tongue lashed out from the tunnel, striking straight at the two men in cloaks.

Ye Ran’s brows knitted together, his heart sinking.

It was the Green Giant Lizard, guardian of the first layer of the underground nest—and it had arrived together with the Flame Rat from the second layer.