As the group prepared for battle, the enemies in both directions simultaneously detected their presence.
The first to come into view was a massive swarm of rats, an overwhelming tide flooding in from the front.
Their sheer numbers were enough to make anyone’s skin crawl.
Soon after, a dozen figures emerged from behind the rat swarm—ratmen!
Their gray fur glistened with a cold sheen under the light, their crimson eyes brimming with savage hostility. Accompanied by low, guttural growls, they closed in swiftly.
At the same time, unsettling noises began to echo from behind.
The rapid "scritch-scratch" sound grew closer and closer as another wave of rats surged forward from the rear, cutting off the group's retreat entirely.
Hot on their heels, the ratmen from behind also made their appearance.
Their grotesque silhouettes flickered in the dim light, sharp claws scraping against the ground, producing a piercing, nerve-racking sound.
Seeing this, Allen shouted:
"Throw away any extra weapons! Ethan, Landon, guard the rear! Eli and I will hold the front!"
Alan's orders were succinct and precise. The group immediately understood and quickly adjusted their actions, taking their positions, ready for battle.
Ethan gripped his metal rod tightly, prepared to confront the enemies in front of him.
Landon, though his face was filled with fear, still held firmly onto his rusty metal rod.
Eli's gaze was sharp as a blade, calmly assessing the enemies ahead.
The sewer's lighting had already been turned on by the ratmen, but the light brought them no extra sense of security.
The number of ratmen in front and behind was increasing, and the writhing shapes of the rats could be seen in every corner.
Alan's eyes turned sharp in an instant. Without a moment's hesitation, he swung the fire axe to meet the oncoming ratman.
His movements were clean and decisive. As the first ratman lunged forward, Alan had already aimed at its neck in a split second.
The axe drew an arc in the air, flashing with a cold glint, as if carrying the breath of death.
The blade struck down heavily!
The ratman let out a low wail, blood spraying into the air, splattering onto Alan's clothes.
It collapsed, twitching a few times before lying still, its eyes still reflecting a trace of terror.
Alan's eyes widened, his heart racing, as a fleeting sense of relief washed over his mind.
"They're not hard to deal with!" he shouted, his voice carrying a hint of barely concealed excitement. "Keep pushing forward! Don't stop!"
Hearing this, Landon felt a surge of energy, a flicker of hope igniting in his heart.
However, the overwhelming swarm of rats shattered Landon’s illusion—these creatures were living, breathing killing machines.
Under the command of the ratmen, the hordes of rats went berserk, charging towards the group.
Eli showed no signs of panic, his eyes calm as still water, calculating the enemy's attack routes step by step.
A few rats tried to bite his feet from the ground, but he quickly leaped, moving nimbly like a cat, dodging their attack.
Immediately after, he kicked away a rat lunging at him, then swung the baseball bat fiercely, smashing it directly at the head of a ratman coming at him from the side!
The moment the bat made contact with the skull, there was a dull "crack."
The ratman's eyes widened, blood gushed from its mouth, and its head twisted to the side as it collapsed, twitching on the ground.
Alan's eyes quickly scanned the battlefield and noticed more rats attempting to bite Eli's ankles.
"Watch out!"
Alan dashed over, swinging his fire axe at the rats lunging toward Eli.
With one powerful strike, two rats instantly became a bloody mess of pulp.
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As he retrieved the axe, the blade sent a leaping rat flying, which slammed into the nearby wall with a shrill squeal.
"Ethan, how's it going over there?" Alan shouted loudly, his back to Ethan, his voice carrying a hint of anxiety.
"I can handle it!" Ethan's voice rang out immediately, firm and concise.
The ratmen at the back were cunning; they wouldn't approach Ethan easily, instead using the rat swarms to drain the group's stamina.
Ethan gripped the metal rod with both hands, tangling with the rat swarm behind him. His movements were precise and powerful, each strike hitting the rats' vital spots.
But Ethan's gaze never strayed from the group of ratmen; he knew very well:
They had to deal with these ratmen, or the rats would keep coming endlessly!
However, the rats tightly surrounded him, clinging on without end, leaving him no chance to get close to the ratmen.
Moreover, Landon's situation was also far from optimistic.
Landon was positioned behind Ethan, looking somewhat panicked. Though his swings were still fairly quick, his fear made it hard for him to hit the rats accurately.
Thankfully, Ethan was always by his side, stepping in whenever Landon found himself in danger.
"Stay calm, Landon, stay calm! You can do this! You’ve got this! Hold on!"
Landon kept repeating these words to himself, trying to push back the fear invading his mind.
It was these constant self-affirmations that allowed Landon to grit his teeth and swing his metal rod to fend off the rats.
Each strike was clumsy, but he never gave up.
As Landon swung the rod, a cunning rat quietly approached him.
It crept low, using the darkness and chaos to move silently, seemingly having set its sights on Landon's neck.
Eli, who was at the front of the group dealing with the ratmen, sensed the deadly threat with his strong intuition.
Almost instinctively, Eli shouted loudly, warning everyone, "Watch out!"
Landon dodged almost reflexively.
At that exact moment, the rat lunged at him!
Its sharp teeth tore through his pants, nearly biting his skin.
He froze momentarily, anger and fear mingling and rushing to his heart.
Pushed to his limits, Landon acted without thinking, blurting out, "Die!"
Before he could finish, he stomped down fiercely, crushing the rat beneath his foot—bones shattered, and blood splattered!
"Landon, stay calm! Focus!" Ethan shouted urgently.
Landon snapped back, quickly adjusting his stance, but his hands, tightly gripping the metal rod, couldn't stop trembling.
Alan's fire axe swung down heavily, striking the charging ratman with a chilling force.
The blade collided with flesh, producing a dull thud. The ratman fell to the ground, its body split in two, blood splattering everywhere.
Eli followed right after, his eyes calm as water, rapidly assessing every opportunity for attack amidst the chaotic battlefield.
As a ratman lunged towards him, he raised his baseball bat without hesitation, bringing it down with force.
The ratman's head was struck hard, accompanied by the dull crack of bones breaking. It fell to the ground, twitching before dying.
Despite their achievements, the swarm of rats surged even more ferociously.
They began to use faster and more coordinated attacks, forcing Eli to retreat.
Eli's heart sank; the ratmen in front were getting serious, trying to use the rats to suppress them from multiple directions.
Alan's rhythm with his axe swings was continually disrupted, forcing him to divert more attention to dealing with the rats.
"Pay attention, they're being commanded!"
Eli's voice was calm but carried an edge of urgency as he quickly adjusted his combat rhythm.
Alan's eyes narrowed upon hearing Eli's warning.
The group's advance was becoming increasingly difficult, and the enemies were reacting faster and more in sync.
If they continued like this, they were bound to lose!
A determined glint flashed in Alan's eyes. "Follow me, take out the ratmen quickly!"
He knew this battle wasn't just about physical combat; it was about breaking the enemy's command structure.
Alan pushed forward swiftly, each swing of his axe decisive and fast, as if the world itself made way for him.
Eli stayed close behind Alan, and with every swing of his bat, at least one rat was sent flying.
However, the ratmen were not foolish.
Every time Alan got close, they would quickly retreat, using the rats to keep Alan and Ethan occupied.
Alan's muscles were fully tensed, his eyes glimmering with determination: "We have to finish them quickly!"
Alan suddenly accelerated, leaping over the rat swarm, swinging his axe forcefully before landing.
The axe cut through the air in a deadly arc, striking heavily on a ratman's shoulder!
The ratman had no time to react; its body split instantly under the power of the axe, blood splattering everywhere!
Alan didn't pause; his body barely slowed, moving like a whirlwind toward the next ratman.
The ratmen sensed Alan's fierce attack and retreated quickly.
Alan paid no mind to whether the ratmen retreated or not; his speed only increased as he fought desperately toward the next ratman!
Eli followed closely behind, swinging his baseball bat to protect Alan whenever rats tried to lunge at him from the sides.
Although the rats continued to swarm endlessly, Eli's speed and precision prevented them from getting anywhere near Alan.
"Faster! Faster!" Alan growled under his breath.
As Alan's pace quickened, it seemed as if he had completely unleashed himself.
His steps were full of power, as if the narrow space of the sewer could no longer contain his movements.
Accelerating into a run, he leaped again, his axe sweeping like a storm, taking down another ratman in an instant.
"Next!"
Alan roared, his desire to fight fully ignited, his eyes shining with a glimmer of madness.
The three ratmen closest to Alan had panicked, instinctively starting to retreat, trying to escape from this beast.
But it was too late!
Without hesitation, Alan charged toward the first ratman, his axe swinging fiercely, the blade striking precisely into the enemy's chest.
The ratman let out a heart-wrenching scream, its body split in two by the tremendous force of the axe, blood splattering everywhere.
Alan didn't stop. He pushed off with his legs, accelerating again, swinging his axe like a storm.
The second ratman barely had time to react before the axe cleaved into its neck, blood spurting out.
Its eyes widened as its body flew backward like a kite with its string cut, crashing heavily into the wall.
The third ratman watched as its companions were slaughtered, retreating in a panic, but Alan's speed was even more relentless.
With an angry roar, Alan suddenly accelerated, closing the short distance in an instant.
The axe was raised high and came down on the third ratman, striking heavily at its waist, splitting its bones.
The ratman let out a piercing scream, its body falling to the ground, dying in a grisly manner.
Alan stood beside the fallen corpses of the three ratmen, the blood on his axe still fresh, his breathing ragged and heavy, but his killing intent was still intense.
He could feel every nerve in his body boiling, every ounce of strength urging him to keep moving, demanding that he continue destroying the enemies before him.