Chapter 444: The Swarm of Rats
Once the seawater collection was complete, Zhang Yi stopped and addressed the group.
"Alright, the preliminary preparations are done. Once we return, we’ll figure out how to precipitate the seawater to reduce its salinity."
"What? Leaving already?"
Fatty Xu and Uncle You stood reluctantly, their gazes lingering on the vast frozen sea. Even Liang Yue’s eyes held a trace of hesitation.
They had gone so long without experiencing nature’s grandeur. In a world where temperatures might grow colder and climates harsher, perhaps only the oceans would remain a sanctuary for life on the planet.
Fatty Xu suggested, "Boss, why don’t we think about building a seaside villa here someday?"
Zhang Yi pondered the idea. It was appealing, but such a plan would have to wait until he could guarantee their safety.
"Who knows? If Chaoyu Base gets wiped out by the zombie horde, we might take over their base, seize their ships, and sail the seas ourselves," Zhang Yi joked with a laugh.
Seeing their enthusiasm, Zhang Yi spread his hands and smiled.
"Let’s focus on solving our immediate problems first. But I have to admit, I do have my eyes on Chaoyu Base’s ships."
Zhang Yi’s long-term vision was clear. If temperatures eventually warmed and glaciers melted, coastal cities would be submerged. Owning a sturdy, seaworthy ship would be essential for future survival.
After some lighthearted conversation, the group departed the coastline, driving away in their vehicle.
Unbeknownst to them, a massive shadow passed slowly beneath the ice where they had just been. It was so large that no one noticed it. In the vastness of the ocean, who knew how many terrifying creatures lurked? In this era of global mutation, the potential for monsters to evolve into unimaginable horrors was a sobering thought.
Humanity, small and fragile, should always maintain a healthy respect for nature.
By the time Zhang Yi and his team returned to the shelter, night had fallen. Zhang Yi wasted no time; he skipped dinner and headed straight to find Lu Keran.
"I’ve collected the seawater. Now we need to precipitate it. Are your materials ready?"
Lu Keran nodded. "It wasn’t hard to prepare. Let me show you."
She led him to a corner of her workshop, where hundreds of plastic barrels were stacked neatly.
"These are the precipitating agents. Add them to the seawater, and they’ll help separate out the salt."
"To freeze the seawater quickly, the key is to remove a significant portion of the salt. Once the salinity is low enough, it’ll freeze much faster in low temperatures."
"When the time comes, I’ll also provide you with coagulants to speed up the freezing process."
Zhang Yi nodded. "How long will it take to precipitate the seawater?"
"At least two days," Lu Keran replied after a moment’s thought.
"Two days? That’s manageable," Zhang Yi said.
Over the next two days, the zombie attacks grew increasingly ferocious, likely a response to Zhang Yi’s prior offensive, which had enraged the Zombie King.
However, the Copper Armored Zombies didn’t appear. Instead, hordes of ordinary zombies swarmed the shelter. Zhang Yi deduced that the Copper Armored Zombies were rare and too valuable for the Zombie King to waste as expendable troops.
But it wasn’t the zombie horde that posed the real threat—it was the sudden emergence of a massive rat swarm from the subway depths.
One morning, Zhang Yi was abruptly woken by the shelter’s AI system, Xiao Ai.
"The shelter is under attack! The shelter is under attack!"
"Current damage level: 0.00001%!"
"The attack is ongoing. Please address the issue immediately!"
What? An ongoing attack? Could it be the zombies again?
Zhang Yi wasn’t too concerned initially. With their rudimentary tactics, the zombies couldn’t seriously harm the shelter. He got out of bed and walked to the window.
To his shock, the floor-to-ceiling window was entirely obscured by clawing forms. Upon closer inspection, he realized what they were—giant rats from the subway depths!
These rats had never appeared before, but it seemed their anger had been provoked by the deaths of so many of their kind. Now they had joined the zombie horde in attacking the shelter.
The air was filled with incessant squeaking, a grating sound that made Zhang Yi’s ears ache.
The rats weren’t particularly strong, but their teeth were razor-sharp, capable of tearing through even combat gear. Surrounding the shelter in massive numbers, they began gnawing at its defenses.
Though the shelter wouldn’t be breached quickly, Zhang Yi knew that over time, the rats could weaken the walls significantly, leaving them riddled with holes.
"Damn pests! Even the rats are coming after us now?"
Through the external cameras, Zhang Yi saw the shelter completely encircled by countless rats. Opening the doors to go outside seemed nearly impossible.
He wasn’t the only one stressed. A sudden knock on his door was followed by the panicked voices of Zhou Ke’er and the other women. The sight of so many oversized rats had them screaming in terror. Few women could remain calm in the face of such a horrific swarm.
At that moment, Hua Hua, freshly woken from her nap, stretched lazily. Then, with a loud "boom," she transformed into her massive battle form. Narrowing her eyes at the sea of rats outside, she opened her mouth and let out an ear-splitting roar.
This wasn’t the cute meowing of a cat but the thunderous bellow of a king of beasts. The sound shattered the silence, shaking the glass and causing the rats clinging to the walls to fall like rain.
In an instant, swathes of rats tumbled to the ground, clearing large sections of the shelter’s outer walls.
Zhang Yi smiled with relief at Hua Hua.
"Your ability is perfect for cleaning up these grunts!"
Hua Hua’s eyes glinted with pride, her tail held high in triumph.
Though the rats were troublesome, they weren’t insurmountable. Zhang Yi quickly summoned Fatty Xu, Uncle Liu, and Liang Yue to join him in dealing with the swarm.