Fantasy Game: Infinite City

Chapter 621 Rats (2)

Han Zu, through his senses, believed that the energy fluctuations he had previously felt originated from this monster. However, this was not actually the case. The black orbs that attacked it were actually launched from the activated torch stands on the wall where he was located, which had been engraved with defensive runes. Han Zu had clearly failed to notice this.

He flexed his wrists, feeling the surging energy within him, a cold smile appearing on his face. He could clearly sense the monster's power; the defensive strength of its scales and the offensive power of its claws were not to be underestimated, but the fear in its eyes greatly boosted Han Zu's confidence.

"If you're cowardly before the battle even begins, you won't live long."

Han Zu snorted coldly, his voice full of confidence. The monster let out a low growl, its voice carrying a hint of bravado masking its underlying fear. Its body arched slightly, like a cheetah poised to pounce. Though fear lingered, greed ultimately prevailed. It knew that in Bastinburg, live "food" like Han Zu was extremely rare. If it missed this opportunity, it might go hungry for days, weeks, months, or even years. Although it had eaten quite a few of Ferdinand's men, compared to Han Zu, they were like the difference between a few-day-old cornbread and Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. Moreover, it clung to a sliver of hope, believing that Han Zu had only just awakened and should still be very weak.

The little mouse in the pocket huddled up in fear, its golden tail pressed tightly against its body, its eyes wide open, staring intently at the monster outside through the pocket's gaps. It could clearly see the monster's trembling body and the fear in its eyes, and it could also feel the powerful aura emanating from Han Zu. It knew a fierce battle was inevitable, and all it could do was try to hide itself and avoid being discovered by either side. It buried its head in its paws, leaving only its eyes showing, its ears perked up, catching every sound outside. It silently prayed that Han Zu would win, not out of pity, but because Han Zu was its only "protector" at the moment; if Han Zu was defeated, it would also become the monster's snack. In fact, this monster had actually been lured here because of it. It even deliberately moved its body deeper into the pocket to avoid being caught in the aftershocks of the battle.

The monster launched the first attack. It leaped forward, its massive body like a black lightning bolt, lunging at Han Zu, its sharp claws whistling as they reached for his head. Han Zu reacted swiftly, not retreating but charging towards the monster. He could feel the energy within his body rapidly circulating, every cell brimming with power; the pain from being slammed into the ground by the monster had vanished. Just as the monster's claws were about to touch his head, Han Zu leaned back, simultaneously kicking out with his right leg, striking the monster hard in the abdomen. With a muffled thud, Han Zu felt as if his foot had struck a piece of hard alloy, but this time, there was no numbness; instead, he used the recoil to quickly rise to his feet. The monster, jolted violently by the kick, staggered back two steps, its three eyes filled with even greater fear, clearly not expecting Han Zu to possess such strength. But it still didn't back down, its claws still aimed for Han Zu's face, only now slower.

Han Zu felt no surprise. He could clearly assess the monster's defensive strength, but his current power was sufficient to handle it. Without time to think, he rolled to the side, simultaneously unleashing a burst of flame with his right hand, striking the monster's claw. With a hiss, the monster's claw was scorched by the flame, producing a piercing sound, and the scales on its claw were slightly blackened. It let out a painful roar, staggering back a few steps, its claws twitching instinctively. Han Zu seized the opportunity to stand up, brushing the dust off his clothes. He could feel the battle accelerating the flow of energy within his body, his physical condition improving, and the last trace of discomfort he had felt earlier completely disappearing. Looking at the burns on the monster's claw, a smile crept onto his lips. This monster wasn't as powerful as he had imagined.

The monster's claws gripped the stone wall, making a screeching sound, leaving three deep claw marks on the stone. Gravel fell down in a flurry, a sign of its anger and fear.

"But you're actually more durable than I expected."

Han Zu stood up, stretched his shoulders, and his internal energy began to circulate wildly. Black and red flames blazed around his arms, even more intensely than before. He could feel the power within the flames growing stronger, and could even faintly hear the whooshing sound of the burning fire. He knew that facing such a powerful monster required a serious attitude, but he wasn't worried about energy depletion, as the battle had put his body into a state of heightened arousal, allowing his energy to recover several times faster than usual. Seeing its attack miss and being burned by Han Zu's flames, the monster let out an even deeper roar, its body slightly shifting, its three green eyes fixed on Han Zu, searching for its next opportunity to attack. Its hind legs rubbed incessantly against the ground, clearly hesitant, wanting to attack yet fearing Han Zu's flames. But hunger ultimately triumphed over fear; it took a deep breath, arched its body again, and prepared to launch its next attack.

The little mouse in the pocket watched nervously, its tiny paws gripping the inside of the pocket's fabric tightly, its claws even leaving small scratches on the contractor's work. Its eyes were fixed on the monster, taking in its every move. It noticed that while the monster was ferocious, it was also incredibly agile and cunning. It wasn't rushing to attack, but instead constantly adjusting its posture, trying to find an opening in Han Zu's defenses. More importantly, it could see the monster's breathing becoming increasingly rapid, a sign of exhaustion and growing fear. The little mouse's round eyes darted around, seemingly analyzing the situation. It knew Han Zu currently held a decisive advantage, but the monster's cunning couldn't be underestimated. It shifted its body towards the edge of the pocket to get a clearer view of the battle, preparing to strike again at a crucial moment. Although its strength was small, it could be unexpectedly useful at the right time.

Suddenly, the monster charged at Han Zu. When it was still three meters away, it opened its massive mouth and spewed out a cloud of dark green venom. The venom arced through the air, heading straight for Han Zu's face. A pungent stench filled the air, even causing the fluorescent moss on the walls to fade slightly. Han Zu's eyes sharpened. Instead of dodging, he charged towards the venom. He swung his right hand, and a thick, dark red flame erupted from his palm. The flame and venom met in mid-air, sizzling as the venom instantly evaporated into a cloud of white smoke. The smoke was highly corrosive, but the flames surrounding Han Zu immediately burned it away, having no effect on him. Instead, he used the smoke as cover to rush towards the monster, his fists clenched, flames coiling around his arms, making it appear as if Han Zu now had two arms made of dark red flames.

The monster hadn't expected Han Zu to be so fierce, actually breaking through the smoke. Without a second thought, it pounced again, its claws aimed at Han Zu's chest, taking advantage of the moment his vision was obscured by the smoke. Han Zu was prepared; his left hand swiftly blocked, black and red flames igniting on his arm, forming a solid fire barrier. With a hiss, the monster's claws struck the fire barrier, producing a piercing sound. The scales on its claws were scorched black and cracked by the flames, oozing a dark green liquid. It let out a painful roar, taking a few steps back, trying to create distance. But Han Zu wouldn't give it the chance. Using the recoil from his block, he leaped forward, his right fist slamming into the monster's head. The monster reacted quickly, tilting its head to the side, barely avoiding the attack. Han Zu's fist struck the stone wall with a deafening roar, blasting a small crater and sending debris flying.

Seizing the opportunity, Han Zu slammed his right foot into the ground, his body shooting towards the monster like an arrow. His left fist, wreathed in a blazing, dark red flame, slammed into its shoulder. The monster, having just dodged an attack, had no time to adjust its stance and could only watch helplessly as Han Zu's fist struck. With a loud "bang," the fist landed squarely on the monster's shoulder. The monster swayed, its scales on its shoulder cracking from the scorching flames, a large amount of dark green liquid oozing out and sizzling on the ground. Han Zu could feel the hardness of his fist, but the scorching flames had rendered the monster's scales largely defenseless. He didn't stop. As he withdrew his left hand, his right hand lashed out again, striking the monster's other shoulder—the same fiery attack, the same effect. The monster let out a shrill roar, staggering back several steps, its three eyes filled with desperate fear. It finally realized that the human before it was not weakened, but exceptionally powerful.

Han Zu pressed his advantage, raining down punches on the monster. His speed increased, and the power of his flames intensified, each punch accompanied by a whistling sound. Although wounded, the monster fought back fiercely, its jaws agape, biting and lunging, its claws and venom alternating in an attempt to force Han Zu back. But Han Zu was in peak condition, his agility and reaction speed at their maximum, making it impossible for the monster's attacks to touch him. The narrow space of the corridor didn't limit Han Zu's movements; instead, it restricted the monster's range of motion, preventing it from launching wide-ranging attacks. Han Zu continued attacking while constantly shifting his position, searching for the monster's weaknesses. He discovered that the scales on the monster's abdomen were thinner than those on its back, and there was no dark green sap seeping from there—clearly a weak point in its defense.

The little mouse in the pocket was jostled about, but it still clung tightly to the inside of the pocket, its eyes fixed on the battle outside. It could clearly see every attack Han Zu made, and every resistance the monster offered. It realized that Han Zu had found the monster's weakness and was relentlessly attacking its abdomen, while the monster, weakened by fear and injury, was becoming increasingly vulnerable. The little mouse's round eyes darted around. It knew Han Zu would soon defeat the monster, but it also noticed the monster's claws still waving, making a final struggle. Its golden tail twitched slightly, as if considering whether to intervene again to help Han Zu end the battle quickly. But it quickly abandoned the idea, because Han Zu now held an absolute advantage, and a hasty attack might expose itself. It decided to remain hidden and wait until the battle was over before making any further plans. It even deliberately moved its body deeper into the pocket to avoid being caught in the monster's waving claws.

Just as Han Zu launched another attack on the monster's abdomen, the monster suddenly unleashed its last burst of strength, gripping Han Zu's arm tightly with its claws. Han Zu was slightly startled, not expecting the monster to possess such strength. He could feel the monster's claws temporarily suppressing the pain, piercing through the flames and heading towards him.

The monster opened its massive jaws, aiming to bite Han Zu's neck, its three eyes filled with crazed greed. The little mouse in the pocket, witnessing this, was terrified, its heart pounding. It wanted to jump out to help Han Zu, but feared the flames engulfing Han Zu would incinerate it as well. Just as it hesitated, the monster's gaping maw had already clamped down on Han Zu's neck.

"when!!!!"

But Han Zu's physical strength was no joke. It was not easy to really hurt him. Han Zu's tough body even broke the monster's teeth. The monster felt the pain and quickly released its mouth.

"Ow—"

The monster let out a piercing scream, and dark green blood gushed from its mouth. It shook its head in agony, trying to banish the pain, but it was no easy task.

The monster, wounded, became even more ferocious, but also lost its precise judgment, its attacks becoming chaotic and disorganized. Han Zu dodged its wildly flailing claws and slammed his fist into its injured mouth, piercing its teeth. After sticking his arm into the monster's mouth, the black and red flames on Han Zu's arm instantly surged into its body.

"boom!!!!!"

With a deafening roar, most of the monster's body was blasted apart, splattering dark green blood and brain matter all over the ground. The massive body crashed to the ground, twitched a few times, and then lay still.

"Ptooey, what's that taste?"

Han Zu spat out the blood that had splattered into his mouth when the monster died. He spat it out a few times with disdain. The taste was indeed unpleasant, like rusty metal with a fishy smell.

The little mouse peeked out of the pocket, glanced at the monster's corpse on the ground, and its golden tail swayed slightly, as if celebrating a victory. It then looked at Han Zu, who was searching for the monster's body, its round eyes filled with a complex emotion, before curling back into the pocket to rest.

Han Zu frowned as he looked at the monster's corpse on the ground. He had only just killed it, yet its body was already emitting a pungent stench, and its scales were unusually hard. He considered going closer to examine it and see if he could find anything useful, but the stench almost made him vomit, so he had to abandon the idea.