This time, there were many players, all seasoned elites with ample combat experience. Using an array of tools, they forced their way through to the second basement level.
Finally, they arrived in front of the escalator, only to see it completely blocked by puppet rats. The rats squeaked incessantly and lunged at them, sending chills down the players’ spines.
The space around the subway station escalator wasn’t small—quite the opposite, it was wide. Yet even this vast area was packed to the brim with puppet rats, their numbers impossible to count.
“Move aside!”
Chai Yingying stepped forward and tossed a small rubber ball toward the escalator entrance.
The little ball transformed mid-air, expanding rapidly into a watermelon-sized sphere. When it hit the ground, it crushed several puppet rats under its weight, then bounced a few times. A crack appeared in its surface, revealing an eerie, animal-like eye. Cold and sinister, the eye sent shivers down anyone who dared meet its gaze.
A suction force emanated from the ball’s fissure, drawing the puppet rats near the escalator entrance into its opening.
Soon, the sound of chewing came from within the rubber ball.
As the ball greedily devoured the puppet rats blocking the escalator, the players couldn’t help but cheer in delight.
“Sister Chai, what is that? If you’ve had something this useful, why didn’t you use it earlier?” Pang Hou asked with a grin. He had a casual camaraderie with Chai Yingying, allowing for such blunt remarks.
Chai Yingying replied, “It’s called the Greedy Ball. It used to be a hungry ghost that would eat anything, edible or not. Whenever it’s summoned, it has to eat until it’s full. But don’t get too excited—it’s still low-level and can only devour up to one ton of trash at a time. Look at all these puppet rats. How many do you think there are?”
How many indeed?
The players glanced at the puppet rats packed tightly around the escalator, not to mention the ones still swarming in from all directions. Surely there were far more than a ton.
So, the Greedy Ball wasn’t invincible.
Even so, it was impressive.
Wan Xingzhou turned to the mermaid doll perched on Gu Jiu’s shoulder and teased, “Look at that—it’s way more useful than you. Both of you are tools for handling trash, but you refuse to eat even a single rat. How dare you be so picky?”
The mermaid doll bared its tiny teeth angrily and swiped a claw at him.
Wan Xingzhou swiftly dodged, using his Red Sword to block the claw. A sharp, sizzling sound rang out.
He glanced at the sword. While it bore no visible damage, the sound was loud enough to indicate how sharp the doll’s claws were. If it had scratched him directly, his skin would have been torn to shreds, and his bones might have broken.
Deciding not to provoke the doll further, Wan Xingzhou shut his mouth.
The mermaid doll, enjoying its first victory, puffed up with pride—until its owner remarked, “Wan Xingzhou isn’t wrong. In this regard, you are indeed too weak. You’re not even as good as the Greedy Ball.”
Mermaid doll: …
Too weak!
Weak!
The word echoed in its mind.
Watching the once-arrogant mermaid doll slump its tail lifelessly, Wan Xingzhou felt a rush of satisfaction. His mood lifted, and he dove into slaying puppet rats with newfound enthusiasm.
Meanwhile, the group fought their way forward, cutting down wave after wave of puppet rats. Their progress was slow, but steady.
The Greedy Ball continued clearing the path ahead, tirelessly devouring puppet rats as the group followed behind. However, the sheer number of puppet rats was overwhelming. The players at the rear were under immense pressure, frantically fending off attacks and shouting to those at the front:
“Hurry up in front! We’re barely holding on back here—these things are worse than cockroaches! They just keep coming!”
“We’re trying to move faster, but the Greedy Ball’s mouth isn’t big enough. It can’t eat fast enough for us to push forward.”
“What are we supposed to do then? We can’t hold them back much longer!”
The players at the rear, struggling to hold back the tide of rats, pushed the front-line players to find a solution.
As the Greedy Ball’s devouring speed slowed, a sense of urgency spread among the group. They resorted to pulling out flammable items, setting the rats ablaze to carve a path forward. Between fire and the Greedy Ball, progress was made, albeit slowly.
Eventually, the Greedy Ball let out a loud belch and bounced weakly back toward Chai Yingying. The eye on its surface drooped as if it were exhausted, giving an expression that clearly said it was too stuffed to continue.
Chai Yingying patted the ball. “Hurry up and digest what you ate, then get back to work.”
The Greedy Ball gave her a sidelong glance, defiantly ignoring her command.
Lu Ji, watching the deflated rubber ball with a faint smirk, kicked away a rat lunging at Gu Jiu and tossed a small white paper frog toward the front.
The frog landed near Old Hei’s feet. If he hadn’t been paying close attention, he might have accidentally stepped on it.
Before Old Hei could ask what it was, the paper frog opened its mouth. Despite its palm-sized frame, the mouth widened impossibly, far larger than even the Greedy Ball. In one gulp, it devoured half the rats clogging the escalator.
Everyone froze, stunned.
Li Jing let out a delighted exclamation. “This paper frog is way better than the Greedy Ball!”
Old Hei, equally thrilled, turned to Lu Ji. “Hey, do the other animals I bought from you have this devouring ability too? If they do, I’m rich!”
“No,” Lu Ji replied coolly. “This paper frog is unique. It can swallow anything, and as it levels up, it will eventually be able to swallow the heavens themselves. None of the other paper creatures have this ability.”
Gu Jiu recognized the white paper frog as the one Lu Ji had once lent her to deal with ghosts. If Lu Ji’s words were to be believed, this was the only paper frog with such a remarkable function.
The players around them couldn’t hide their envy. Control over paper creatures was proving to be a lifesaver in such dire situations.
With the paper frog clearing the path, the group’s pace finally picked up.
At last, they reached the second basement level. Checking their watches, they realized the next train wouldn’t arrive for another five minutes.
“Damn it, five minutes! That’s 300 seconds—more than enough time for these rats to gnaw us into dust,” Li Jing cursed, crushing a puppet rat that had bitten into his arm. Ignoring the blood and gore on his hand, he shouted angrily, “If I get the chance, I swear I’ll kill the Puppet Master! Old Ji, this mission is on you!”
Ji Changxin, back-to-back with Li Jing, rolled his eyes. “We still need to find the Puppet Master first.”
“No worries, we’ll find them,” Li Jing replied with an inexplicable confidence.
The two of them, in perfect sync, used their blades to shred the rats diving at them from above.
The other players also paired up, standing back-to-back to defend and attack. This strategy was far more effective than everyone crowding together.
Gu Jiu and Lu Ji worked as a team.
Lu Ji’s black sword appeared unremarkable, but each swing effortlessly cut down multiple rats, leaving none alive to reach Gu Jiu.
Meanwhile, Gu Jiu wielded her Lingyuan Blade with increasing precision. It responded to her will as if it were an extension of her body. Every time she threw the blade, it returned to her hand, leaving behind a new circle of rat corpses in its wake.
Finally, the train arrived.
The group stepped over the rats scurrying on the floor, fending off the wave of rats lunging at them from above, and rushed into the train.
The swarm of rats halted just outside the train doors, piling on top of one another to form a wall of rats that loomed ominously at the entrance, threatening to break through at any moment.
Old Hei and the others resorted to fire again, igniting the wall of rats. Flames soared, and the smell of charred flesh filled the air.
As the pungent scent of roasted meat spread, the train finally started moving.
Everyone collapsed into their seats, their tense nerves finally relaxing. But the brief respite was followed by waves of pain—wounds from the puppet rats’ bites and scratches burned and stung, bringing back the full force of their injuries.
Wan Xingzhou slumped in his seat, staring at his bloodied, mauled arm. He sighed with relief. “Good thing I was wearing long pants; otherwise, I might’ve lost my… uh, eggs.”
Everyone: “….”
Wu Yang shook his head helplessly and reminded, “There are girls here, you know.”
Realizing the female players were looking his way, Wan Xingzhou offered them a sheepish smile and tried to shrink into himself. His pale, delicate face still bore a few scratches, which didn’t detract from his looks. If anything, the injuries added a pitiful charm, stirring a strange protectiveness in others.
The female players couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for this “little puppy.”
The male players, on the other hand, felt an inexplicable wave of paternal frustration seeing him.
Gu Jiu also bore several scratches and bites from the rats on her hands and feet.
She rolled up her sleeve, preparing to treat the wound on her wrist, when a hand reached over and gently held her arm.
Lu Ji said, “Ah Jiu, let me help.” Her gaze darkened as she took in the sight of her wound, blood seeping into her otherwise flawless, porcelain skin.
The contrast between her pale skin and her brooding expression created a strikingly melancholic beauty, tinged with a sense of fragility.
The other players, both men and women, who had been stealing glances in their direction, suddenly felt an inexplicable heaviness in their chests.
Chai Yingying’s teammates, seeing Lu Ji’s delicate and attentive care while treating Gu Jiu’s wound, were practically clawing at their hearts. They wished they could trade places with her and be the ones receiving her meticulous attention.
Meanwhile, Old Hei’s teammates felt even more bitter. The way Gu Jiu looked at her partner, with a soft smile and a gentle gaze, made it clear that the “girl” she liked was undeniably Lu Ji. They desperately wanted to kick Lu Ji aside and take her place.
When Lu Ji finished treating the wound on her hand and knelt to roll up the hem of her pants, exposing her ankle to tend to the bite marks on her foot, everyone collectively turned away. Unable to bear the sight any longer, they focused on patching up their own injuries, feeling utterly defeated.
Gu Jiu leaned against the wall of the train in a relaxed posture, her body naturally tilting toward Lu Ji. Draping an arm over her shoulder, she asked, “Lu Ji, are you hurt anywhere?”
“No.”
“Really?” Gu Jiu stared at her intently. “I don’t believe you. Let me check.”
Lu Ji: “….” The way she said “check”—did she mean it the way he thought she did?
Even Chai Yingying couldn’t resist glancing over, her heart racing with anticipation. Lu Ji might be stingy, but Gu Jiu seemed bold enough—surely, she would…
But when Gu Jiu dragged Lu Ji into the next train car, Chai Yingying realized she had overestimated her imagination.
As expected, even the “Young Miss” had her limits.