[STRUCTURAL DAMAGE ANALYSIS]

[IMPACT FORCE: BEYOND MEASUREMENT PARAMETERS]

[WARNING: DIRECT HITS WILL EXCEED SURVIVAL THRESHOLD]

"I never would have guessed that getting hit by the bodybuilding nightmare rat might be unhealthy." He scrambled around one of the anchored cages. The Rat Lord rammed into it head first. It nearly broke through the thick bars of metal. Its foaming jaw snapping around a single bar that had somehow held tight to the ceiling. It snapped at him. But Jin-woo knew it was dazed.

It took a few steps back stunned. Shaking its head, testing its jaw. Jin-woo took that moment and committed to his own charge. Quick Strike activated, the familiar change of pace, the elongation of light, the shock of moving across distance faster than any human should be able to without significant damage to ligaments and muscle. Even the mental strain had become a calming sensation.

He drove his spear deep into the inner thigh of the right leg and slashed back at an angle to cause as much damage as he retreated in haste. Blue glowing liquid gushed out of its wound. Swinging fists as large as his torso whooshed past where he had been moments ago. He pressed his attack slamming Quick Strike after Quick Strike into its massive frame, dodging clumsy attacks.

The Rat Lord grunted and growled as it fell to a knee. Still dazed.

The remaining Giant Rats moved with the same unusual tactics they carried before the Mutated Rat Lord had appeared. They began to kite and herd him away from their Boss. It cut off his escape routes while their massive commander recovered from its dizziness. Each coordinated movement spoke of countless drills, of programming refined through brutal evolution. Jin-woo's tactical analysis highlighted their formation's efficiency. There was no wasted motion. No gaps in coverage. If the Giant Rats coordinated like this with the monstrous strength and size of the Rat Lord, he was confident he’d already be dead.

Much unlike the frenzied fury they carried when the Rat Lord ordered them to charge head first. Jin-woo had begun to take too much damage as the small scratches, claw marks, and bites started to add up. If this kept going, he’d bleed out or fall into his ‘Crimson Madness’. While that would give him a massive offensive boost, they didn’t mean he couldn’t still die. And charging head first without any tactics into the twelve foot mega bodybuilder rat of a boss was a losing recipe.

"SHOW..." the Mutated Rat's voice boomed through the chamber. The Giant Rats froze in their spots. Jin-woo took advantage of the moment, killing three more. "WORTH!"

The creature slammed both fists into the ground. Sending a shockwave through the floor that buckled concrete and sent debris flying. Two more of its own Giant Rats, caught in the blast radius, disappeared beneath falling chunks of ceiling. Jin-woo had to bring his arms up and squat as bits and pieces of concrete slammed into him. He struggled not to cry out in pain as the hefty stone pieces tore up the meat on his arms and parts of his legs.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Luckily, it wasn’t enough for ‘Crimson Madness’.

Even with the pain shocking his body, his mechanical mind was as clear as day. He roared his own battle cry and took out a few more Giant Rats before they woke form their stunned posture. A ‘Quick Strike’ killed another that tried to get away. The skill's enhanced speed let him close distance before the creature could react, his warped spear finding its mark. Leaving only three left.

But the victory cost precious seconds of positioning. The price was almost too much for him.

The Mutated Rat's massive hand swept through the space he'd occupied. It was fast enough to create a vacuum that pulled at his clothes, freezing his momentum. Jin-woo rolled with the pull trying his best to escape the suddenly close Rat Lord. But it wasn’t enough.

A massive meaty fist slammed into his body as he tried to scramble up from a sprawl. It launched him across the room into a pile of broken medical equipment. He struggled to breath, the wind knocked out of him, but he knew better than to sit there like a duck. He used an unconventional use of Quick Strike to dodge a full body slam. Targeting left, light extended, time slowed and he thrust his spear into nothing but air, far enough away from the Rat Lord’s attempt to make him paste.

That was the worst usage mana wise. It was nearly double the amount. Leaving him in a very precarious situation. His eyes surveyed the room as he ran to make space between them as the Rat Lord struggled to get up from the twisted metal around it.

His analytical mind raced through combat variables. Body screamed in protest at every moment. His mind was clear enough to zone out the suffering and agony, and focus on surviving for now. Jin-woo could deal with all the sustained damage after the battle.

[COMBAT ANALYSIS ACTIVE]

[OPPONENT STRENGTHS:

- Superior physical force

- Tactical coordination

- Environmental control

- Regenerative capabilities]

[AVAILABLE ADVANTAGES:

- Enhanced mobility

- Quick Strike (Mana: 692/1600)

- Environmental hazards

- Superior processing speed]

Again he returned to the vials and puddles of hazardous waste laying about the massive room. Each one shone in ominous colors of sickly greens and pulsing blues. Sizzling and crackling without any outside input. His system had flagged them as hazardous again and again, warning to not approach, but perhaps that warning could work in his favor. He dodged another earth-shattering punch, noting how the Mutated Rat's movements seemed to slow slightly after each massive exertion.

Was it using mana to power its body? Did it use mana to help its attacks gain more furiosity? What about when it commanded the rats and turned them into mindless attack robots? He had noticed the change after the second call for action the Boss had roared. Everytime he was stunned, the Giant Rats started to use actual tactics, applied caution, feints, and a myriad of other patterns that made it difficult on him to get solid hits, while they were slowly chipping at his health and bleeding him out.

But they forgot all the tactics as soon as the boss roared. Diving headlong at him in mad fury that suited his needs better. Made them more predictable and without enough of a plan to really hurt him. Crashing into each other, biting each other trying to get to him, causing chaos among their own ranks allowing him the ability to pick them off one by one.

I need to take out these Giant Rat’s first. He thought as he ducked and lunged under a swipe of the Rat Lord’s paw. They are protecting their Boss too well when he is down.