Suddenly, the ratman commander lifted its head, locking eyes directly with Eli.


    A strange smile curled at the corners of its mouth, filled with provocation and disdain.


    Eli’s face darkened as he quickly shifted his gaze to Ethan and Landon.


    Their situation was worse than he had expected—the rat swarm had them completely surrounded, leaving no way out.


    If he didn’t intervene, Ethan and Landon would be overrun by the rats in no time!


    Without hesitation, Eli pushed off with his legs like springs, his body shooting toward Ethan and Landon like a cannonball.


    His objective was clear—rescue his teammates and break the encirclement.


    “Die!”


    Eli’s roar reverberated through the sewer, thunderous and commanding, leaving no room for doubt.


    The rat swarm froze momentarily at the sound, seemingly stunned.


    But in the next second, most of the rats abandoned their attack on Ethan and Landon, surging toward Eli instead!


    It was clear that the ratman commander leading the swarm had made up its mind to kill Eli at all costs.


    Eli showed no hesitation, swinging his baseball bat fiercely at the nearest group of rats.


    Each strike was like a raging storm, carrying the force of tearing through the air.


    Several rats were instantly sent flying, their fragile bodies smashing against the walls or ground.


    “Go!”


    Eli shouted to Ethan, his voice calm and resolute, carrying an undeniable authority.


    Ethan swung his metal rod with force, knocking away a ratman lunging at him.


    Then, he firmly grabbed Landon’s arm, pulling him along as they rushed toward Alan’s location.


    Although Landon was exhausted, his legs were forced to quicken their pace under Ethan’s pulling.


    Eli watched the two of them sprinting into the distance and felt a slight sense of relief.


    Meanwhile, the rats continued to lunge at Eli, relentlessly closing in and compressing his space.


    Every rat that leaped at him was struck down with precision, each impact resounding loudly.


    The sewer echoed with the shrill cries of the rats, the splatter of blood, and the sound of bones shattering.


    Yet, for every rat that fell, more surged forward, filling the empty spots.


    Eli’s eyes showed no trace of panic; instead, they were chillingly calm.


    His goal was clear—buy time to ensure his teammates could retreat safely.


    The last ratman ahead had already lost its will to fight. Its body trembled violently, and its eyes darted around, as if hesitating whether to run away.


    It was clear that it wanted to flee this damned battlefield as quickly as possible, but some force seemed to bind it, preventing it from deserting so easily.


    However, it no longer had time to hesitate because Alan had already charged right up to it.


    The axe blade sliced through the air, striking the ratman’s head.


    It collapsed instantly, blood spraying everywhere, its death swift and clean.


    At the same time, Ethan, dragging Landon, quickly reached Alan’s side.


    Ethan didn’t spare a glance at the dead ratman. Instead, his eyes immediately turned to Eli.


    Seeing Eli still in a perilous situation, he said urgently, “We need to help Eli!”


    Alan glanced briefly at the exhausted Landon beside him, then at Eli, still surrounded by the rat swarm.


    He made a decisive call: “We move on. Eli can handle it.”


    Ethan froze upon hearing Alan’s decision, unable to react.


    He knew that Allen wasn’t the kind of person to abandon his teammates. Making such a decision could only mean one thing—Allen believed Eli could handle it.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Then Ethan’s gaze shifted to Landon.


    Landon was so exhausted he could barely stand, his legs trembling, his breaths weak and labored.


    If they kept fighting, there was no doubt that Landon would face even greater danger.


    After a moment of struggle, he took a deep breath and said firmly, "Alright, your call."


    Landon felt an overwhelming heaviness in his heart. Despite wanting to prove he could keep going, his body was nearing its limit, and exhaustion made every breath a struggle.


    “Move!”


    Alan didn’t give Landon any time to respond, leading the way with heavy steps as he pressed forward.


    Landon moved almost mechanically, forcing his legs to follow Alan’s pace.


    Ethan trailed close behind. He knew that at this moment, any hesitation could lead to irreversible consequences.


    Out of the corner of his eye, Eli caught sight of the three retreating figures and couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.


    He quickly refocused his attention on the pressing rat swarm in front of him. The pressure was mounting rapidly.


    The ratman commander immediately noticed Alan and the others retreating. It swung its sharp claws with a decisive glint in its eyes.


    The nearby ratmen reacted quickly, preparing to pursue Allen and the others.


    In that fleeting moment, Eli’s peripheral vision caught sight of the ratmen intending to chase after the three.


    With a sudden burst of strength, he leapt forward with astonishing power, launching himself at the ratmen.


    As he landed, his feet crushed several rats, their fragile bodies bursting into bloody pulp under his weight.


    A few rats lunged at Eli, screeching sharply.


    Eli sidestepped to dodge and swung his baseball bat forcefully, knocking a rat away.


    But his movements didn’t stop there.


    The next moment, he spun around, launching himself toward the ratmen ahead like a gust of wind.


    The first ratman realized the danger, but Eli was already upon it.


    It swung its claws desperately, trying to counterattack.


    Eli gave it no chance, raising his baseball bat high and delivering a heavy blow to its neck.


    The solid impact crushed its throat, leaving its body rigid before it collapsed to the ground.


    The second ratman seized the opportunity to lunge at Eli’s back, growling lowly.


    Sensing the threat immediately, Eli shifted his steps slightly, spinning his body with precision.


    At the same time, he swung his bat with full force, smashing it into the ratman’s head. The brutal impact deformed its skull instantly!


    The moment the second ratman fell, rats from all directions surged toward Eli like a tidal wave.


    Their speed was incredible, instantly filling the space around him.


    There was no room to dodge. Every rat''s sharp teeth and claws seemed poised to tear him apart.


    Acting almost on instinct, Eli gripped his baseball bat tightly and swung it fiercely, unleashing a whirlwind of force!


    Each swing carried overwhelming force, sending the rats flying, knocking them down, and crushing them.


    The rats seemed like dust swept away by a tornado, quickly dissipating under the bat’s relentless blows.


    From a distance, the ratman commander’s pupils contracted sharply as it watched the scene, its expression growing grim.


    After clearing the wave of rats, Eli’s gaze locked onto the ratman commander like a sharp blade.


    In the next instant, he shot forward like a bullet, charging straight at the commander.


    His steps were swift and firm, each stride crushing several rats underfoot.


    The ratman commander, clearly anticipating Eli’s move, flashed a cold glint in its eyes.


    Its command rippled through the rats’ minds, and immediately, the swarm surged toward Eli like a violent storm.


    Eli didn’t flinch. His pace quickened, as though the wind itself carried him forward.


    At the same time, his baseball bat rained down like a storm, each swing taking out swarms of rats.


    His focus never wavered from the ratman commander ahead—it was his sole target.


    The commander showed no hesitation, quickly retreating to widen the gap between itself and Eli, clearly intending to exhaust Eli through the swarm.


    Despite its retreat, the other ratmen didn’t dare back away.


    The commander had issued a new order: abandon the pursuit and prioritize killing Eli.


    The ratmen didn’t launch an attack recklessly. Each one kept a cautious distance from Eli.


    They knew that Eli’s strength and speed far exceeded their own; facing him head-on was futile. The only option was to wear down his stamina.


    Although the situation seemed critical, Eli felt no pressure at all.


    In fact, he was fully capable of taking down all the ratmen on his own, but he chose not to.


    Unless it was absolutely necessary, he was unwilling to reveal his true strength, and the current circumstances were clearly not at that point yet.


    While entangled with the rat swarm, Eli silently calculated the time and estimated the distance between himself and Allen’s group.


    Suddenly, Eli quickened his pace, attempting to break through the rat swarm’s blockade.


    As he moved, he deliberately exposed his side, creating an opening for the surrounding ratmen.


    As expected, the two ratmen closest to him noticed the opportunity and lunged at him.


    Eli instantly sensed their movements, his body reacting faster than his thoughts.


    He spun around abruptly, swinging his baseball bat in a wide arc.


    The first ratman, mid-lunge, was struck head-on by the bat.


    The tremendous impact shattered its bones instantly, sending it crashing into the wall behind, lifeless.


    The second ratman, stunned by the sight, tried to change direction and retreat at full speed.


    But it was too late. Eli stomped the ground fiercely, using the momentum to spin and swing his bat downward with even greater force.


    The bat struck it directly on the head, scattering flesh and blood!


    The death of the two ratmen opened a gap in the blockade, giving Eli a rare chance to break through.


    Eli seized the opening in an instant!


    Summoning all his strength, he pushed off with his legs, his body leaping forward like a raging beast!


    “Boom!”


    His feet slammed onto the ground with such force that the entire sewer seemed to tremble.


    The moment he landed, Eli didn’t hesitate for a second. His legs pushed forward rapidly as he sprinted toward Alan and the others like a bolt of lightning.


    By the time the ratmen reacted, Eli was already sprinting into the distance.


    The ratman commander, seeing Eli break through the blockade, flashed a glimmer of fury in its eyes.


    It responded immediately, letting out a low growl and directing its squad to pursue.


    The entire sewer was instantly filled with a buzzing noise as the rat swarm surged like a black tide, moving far faster than ordinary rats.


    The rats, with their small bodies and agile movements, were perfect scouts.


    The other ratmen weren’t far behind, their heavy steps pounding forward with unyielding determination.


    Although the ratmen accelerated, they kept a deliberate distance from Eli.


    Clearly, they were wary of Eli suddenly changing direction and launching a counterattack.


    Eli glanced back, his eyes quickly sweeping over the pursuing swarm and ratmen.


    He silently assessed in his mind, "These ratmen aren’t stupid."