Red, hungry eyes stared me down with undeniable intent. Even without the ability to speak, the gaze of those giant rats made it crystal clear what they wanted. If they caught me, being eaten might be the least of my worries... Or do those things even eat humans? They might’ve looked like regular rats, but they were monsters through and through. And honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if they did go after people.
Either way, with all of them locked on me, no one noticed the door had been completely smashed in. Inside the room, Alice sat frozen, her wide eyes reflecting pure shock, while Ethan stood in front of her, body tense, ready to react at the first sign of danger.
In other words, if I made the right move now, we might still have a shot at making it out alive. But truth be told, there was no way we’d survive if we tried taking on that huge horde of giant rats head-on.
I don’t know what the future holds, but right now, our strength is severely limited. If we get overwhelmed by sheer numbers, what awaits us is nothing but endless darkness. I couldn’t count on Ethan and Alice. The rightful source is novel·fire·net
Ethan might have the guts, sure, but he still didn’t know how to use his abilities effectively — and that left us wide open. Alice, meanwhile, was completely frozen by fear, unable to do anything that might help us out of this mess.
In the end, I had only one option left. Without a word or a second thought, I turned and started running, feeling the ground blur beneath my feet.
The giant rats immediately took off after me, as if some kind of uncontrollable hunting instinct had kicked in. It was like they were locked on, relentless in their pursuit.
But there was one thing I hadn’t accounted for: while Noa was definitely more versatile than my male body, she wasn’t any faster or stronger. She could adapt to different situations, sure — but when it came to raw strength and endurance, my own body still had the edge.
In other words, it was only a matter of time before the rats caught up with me — of that, I had no doubt. But it’s not like I was running aimlessly. I had a plan. Focusing back into my male form, Justin, I glanced at Oliver running beside me, our pace perfectly in sync.
“Oliver” I said, breath heavy from the sprint: “about five giant rats are headed this way. Noa’s bringing them in, and we’ll make contact in a few minutes” He gave a quick nod, eyes locked on the path ahead.
Then, for a moment, he seemed to drift into his own thoughts while still running next to me. Honestly, I was still kind of surprised he just trusted me like that — no questions asked. In the middle of all this chaos, that unexpected trust was a little unsettling. I really should thank him later. But right now, second-guessing each other would only make things worse.
Just as that thought crossed my mind, Oliver’s voice cut through with clarity: “Alright. I think I can still use that ability you saw last time — maybe three more times. Justin, I need you to move quietly through the pipes and take one of them out from behind. With all three of us moving together, we should be able to handle the last one — as long as we coordinate”
I nodded, even though deep down I wasn’t confident I could control both my bodies at the same time with any real precision. I was already pushing my limits just making them run — trying to execute precise moves with both felt way out of reach. But this wasn’t the time for hesitation.
I pushed my doubts aside and sprinted toward the wall, launching myself off it with enough force to use it like a springboard. In the air, the wind cut across my face, mixing adrenaline and focus into every tense muscle. I quickly opened my status window and checked my mana: Mana: 180/229. Not fully restored yet, but enough — and probably more than I’d need — to face the giant rats approaching, their red eyes glowing in the shadows.
Without hesitation, I activated [Silent Steps]. That same strange feeling washed over me again. It was like my body melted into the shadows, becoming part of them in a way that felt almost instinctive. Darkness by itself has never been something to fear — what’s truly terrifying is what might be hiding within it.
But when you’re sure there’s nothing in it, the dark becomes just another empty space — easy to ignore. And at that moment, I didn’t just dive into that emptiness — I became one with it. Right below me, I saw Oliver pulling another arrow from his quiver, prepping for whatever came next. But I couldn’t focus on him for long — up ahead, the heavy thud of multiple footsteps echoed through the air, like massive creatures were charging straight at us.
As I moved swiftly through the pipes, I triggered my other ability, [Precise Strike]. In an instant, the metal blade of my dagger flared with a glowing red hue — vibrant and fierce. Despite its brightness, the surrounding shadows didn’t give an inch, refusing to let any light escape and reveal my position.
Moments later, Noa emerged from the darkness. Right behind her, five glowing red eyes burned in the gloom like fiery bulbs. In a blink, their owners came into view: five giant rats, filthy and frenzied, sprinting with desperate speed like their lives depended on catching her.
Noa ran with frantic agility, the beasts nearly brushing against her as their ragged breaths echoed through the darkness. Still trying to shake her relentless pursuers, Noa pressed on — and Oliver didn’t hesitate. With a sharp motion, he drew his bowstring back and let an arrow fly, aiming precisely to stop the advancing monsters in their tracks.