Hearing its companion’s warning, the Little Black Cat immediately retracted its gaze and followed the Little White Cat, leaping down from the wall that was several meters high.
After landing, they tiptoed toward the big rat’s location.
Word was that food was plentiful in this residential complex, so the big rat had traveled from far away to settle down here.
The big rat that emerged from the sewer was extremely timid. It peeked its head out, nervously looking all around. Despite its caution, it failed to notice that it was already being watched by its natural predators.
"Meow..."
A terrifying sound echoed in the big rat’s ears, sending a shiver through its entire body. It immediately fled for its life toward the entrance of the sewer.
"Meow... You idiot! Why’d you have to meow so soon?" the Little White Cat scolded the Little Black Cat while chasing after the desperately fleeing rat.
"Meow... I just wanted to give it a little scare! Don’t worry, it won’t get away," the Little Black Cat said, full of confidence.
And it was just as the cat had said. Under pursuit from its two natural predators, the big rat from the sewer had no hope of escape.
"SQUEAK..." After letting out a despairing cry, the big rat, pinned firmly to the ground, had its neck snapped and went silent.
"Meow... See? I told you it wouldn’t get away!" After snapping the big rat’s neck, the Little Black Cat lifted its paw, turned to the Little White Cat, and boasted smugly.
"..." The Little White Cat shot its companion a sideways glance, then padded forward, nudged the dead prey with a paw, and began to enjoy its midnight snack.
"Meow... Hey, save some for me! Don’t eat it all yourself." Seeing the Little White Cat dig in, the Little Black Cat immediately joined the feast.
In the darkness, the two little stray cats relished their hard-won, delicious prey. The CRUNCH CRUNCH of snapping bones occasionally echoed from their mouths.
Outside the residential complex, Li Ying, who was there to case the joint, stubbed out the last bit of his cigarette. In a rather uncivilized manner, he casually tossed the butt on the ground and turned to leave.
...
A full moon hung high in the sky, and the depths of the South District’s wilderness were shrouded in silence.
Suddenly, a deafening roar shattered the silence of the wilderness.
That first roar triggered a chain reaction, as continuous howls and cries erupted from all directions.
RUSTLE RUSTLE RUSTLE...
Within the dense, man-high grass, numerous figures moved swiftly, their passage marked by the rustling of colliding leaves and branches.
Countless Mutant Beasts with crimson eyes and vicious auras burst forth from the grass.
From their appearance, it was clear these Mutant Beasts had been affected by the blood-red moon that previously appeared through the spatial rift.
These Mutant Beasts, influenced by the blood-red moon, listened to that first distant roar. After pinpointing its direction, they all rushed toward the source.
At the foot of a small hill deep in the wilderness, bathed in the silver moonlight, a view from high above would reveal Mutant Beasts from all directions rapidly converging on the hill.
On a massive boulder by a stream, a tall, pitch-black figure stood on two legs. It gazed at the bright moon hanging in the sky, letting out a long howl from time to time.
"ROAR..."
The summons-like roar was extraordinarily effective. Before long, one after another, the Mutant Beasts—their forms twisted and immense from the blood moon’s influence—arrived before the figure standing on the massive boulder, howling at the sky.
On the night-shrouded wilderness, in this treacherous land, a massive Exotic Beast Group had just been formed.
Every single Mutant Beast was powerful, and each one exuded a vicious aura, making them look far more dangerous than any ordinary Exotic Beast Group.
Surprisingly, the Mutant Beasts that arrived at the destination all maintained a peaceful attitude toward one another. This was unlike their usual behavior, where any encounter would immediately erupt into a deadly brawl, as if they were mortal enemies.
They waited quietly, anticipating a command from the tall figure that had summoned them.
"ROAR..."
"It seems everyone has arrived. We move out now...!!!"
The blood-moon-affected Mutant Beasts let out a cacophony of excited cries in response to the tall, pitch-black figure.
Then, under the leadership of the tall, pitch-black figure, the Mutant Beasts that had been summoned from all directions began to advance in a single, orderly direction.
Any ordinary Mutant Beasts that lived in the wilderness and foraged at night who happened to encounter this advancing Exotic Beast Group were all scared into fleeing for the hills.
A few of these Mutant Beasts, belonging to established factions in the wilderness, hurried to report the matter to their leaders.
...
The next morning, the sun began its slow ascent over the horizon.
At first, the sky was still gloomy, but after a sliver of dawn-light appeared on the horizon, the golden sun quickly conquered the world, banishing the lingering darkness.
RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE...
A tremendous roar echoed from the sky. In his dim bedroom, Lin Li, who had been fast asleep, was jolted awake by the sudden, massive sound.
He grabbed the phone from his nightstand, unlocked the screen, and checked the time. It was only seven-thirty.
Although it wasn’t that early, Lin Li, who had planned on sleeping until nine, was still driven mad when he saw it was only seven-thirty. He muttered irritably.