Ethan slowly backed away.
His back pressed against the damp sewer wall, his breathing heavy, chest rising and falling with strain. His suit had already been torn open in several places. An ordinary person would have collapsed long ago from those bites.
But Ethan's physique was far beyond normal. His skin was tough, his immunity strong. That was the only reason he was still standing.
The Rat King stood about three meters away, its crimson eyes locked onto him like a predator staring at a piece of fresh meat.
Ethan deliberately swayed, pretending he could barely keep his balance.
At the same time, his right hand quietly clenched into a fist. His knuckles turned pale from the pressure.
The movement was subtle. In the dim lighting of the sewer, the shifting shadows worked in his favor.
The Rat King took the bait.
Seeing Ethan on the verge of collapse, it immediately lunged forward, jaws wide open. Rows of sharp teeth glinted coldly. One bite would tear flesh clean off.
Ethan watched its approach, silently calculating the distance.
When the Rat King was just over a meter away, he moved.
The shaky posture vanished in an instant. His body snapped tight, legs driving forcefully against the ground. He shot upward like a compressed spring.
The speed was too fast. The Rat King had no time to react.
Midair, Ethan adjusted his posture. His right arm pulled back, every ounce of strength in his body gathering into his fist.
Boom!
The punch landed solidly on the Rat King's skull.
Screech!
The creature let out a piercing cry.
Its vision spun. Its massive head jerked sideways, its footing faltering as it staggered.
That single blow carried terrifying power.
For the first time, fear crept into the Rat King's mind. It wanted to run.
But Ethan gave it no chance.
He followed instantly with three more punches, each one striking the exact same spot.
Fast. Precise. Relentless.
Each blow drove deeper, leaving visible dents in its skull.
By the end of the third strike, the Rat King's head was completely deformed.
Its massive body trembled, then slowly collapsed to the ground, motionless.
[Congratulations. You defeated a powerful opponent using ancient martial arts.]
[Reward: Physique +0.3, Bajiquan proficiency +30%]
Ethan exhaled slowly.
It was over.
He slid down the damp wall and sat on the ground, breathing heavily.
Not far away, the Rat King's enormous corpse lay still. Its terrifying red eyes had finally gone dull.
With their king dead, the remaining rats scattered in all directions.
The overwhelming swarm from moments ago had vanished completely, leaving only faint squeaks echoing from the distance.
Bruno waded through the shallow water and gave Ethan a thumbs up.
Ethan tried to stand, but dizziness hit him all at once.
Just as he was about to fall, Bruno caught him.
Lily rushed over, her face full of concern. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Just exhausted," Ethan replied, forcing a small smile. "Thanks for coming."
Lily gently held his hand. "We're teammates. You don't need to thank us."
They exchanged smiles.
Just as they were about to leave, something caught their attention.
From the Rat King's stiffening corpse, near its heart, a faint red glow flickered.
Eyelash put on gloves and carefully parted the fur.
Beneath the thick layer of fat, something was glowing.
"A strange object…"
It was a red bead, about the size of a marble, emitting an eerie light in the darkness.
It felt warm to the touch. Almost alive.
Lily instinctively stepped back. "What… is that?"
"This might be the source of the Rat King's mutation," Eyelash said cautiously, sealing it inside a containment bag. "We'll need to study it."
…
The restaurant's chandelier cast a warm golden glow over the table.
It was filled with dishes. A hot pot bubbled, steam rising in soft clouds, while slices of meat sizzled on a grill.
The Blizzard Group sat together, their faces relaxed and cheerful.
Bruno grinned widely as he poured drinks for everyone, his large hands surprisingly steady.
"That was a clean job!" he said loudly. "Especially Ethan at the end. Bam, bam, bam!"
He exaggerated the punches, making everyone laugh.
Lily picked up a slice of freshly cooked lamb and placed it in Ethan's bowl. "You should eat more. You worked the hardest."
Her eyes sparkled under the light, filled with admiration.
Eyelash sat nearby, sipping her drink quietly, occasionally glancing at Ethan.
Fubuki stood up and raised her glass.
"Everyone did well this time. Especially Ethan." She paused briefly. "Without him, we might have paid a much higher price."
Everyone raised their glasses. The sound of clinking echoed brightly.
After that, Fubuki gestured for Ethan to follow her to the balcony.
The early spring night carried a slight chill.
"So?" Fubuki leaned against the railing, the distant city lights reflecting softly across her face. "Not bad, right? The Blizzard Group."
Ethan stood beside her, hands in his pockets, looking out at the night view. "When did I ever say your group was lacking?"
She let out a soft huff and turned to face him. "Then I'll ask you again. Will you officially join us? The vice-leader position is still yours."
Ethan fell silent for a moment.
Fragments of the past few days flashed through his mind.
"The power of bonds…" he murmured.
Looking into her expectant eyes, he slowly extended his hand.
"Alright. I'll join."
Then he added, "But not as vice-leader. Just a regular member. Managing people sounds like a headache."
Fubuki grabbed his hand, her eyes lighting up. "Deal. No backing out."
As they walked back inside, Bruno's loud voice rang out.
"Hey! Where'd you two go? The food's getting cold!"
He waved at them excitedly. "Look! I had them reheat the meat just for you!"
Then he noticed their smiles and frowned curiously. "What happened? Why are you both so happy?"
Ethan picked up his chopsticks and said casually, "I stepped down from the vice-leader position. Worth celebrating, right?"
Bruno froze.
He jumped to his feet and looked at Fubuki. "Boss! Is this because of me? I admit I didn't accept him at first, but now I respect him completely!"
Fubuki couldn't help but laugh. "You're overthinking it. He turned it down himself. Look how happy he is."
She glanced at Ethan. "Right?"
Ethan took a bite of meat and spoke vaguely, "Exactly. Fighting monsters is fine. Managing a group is too much trouble."
"Really?" Bruno asked.
"Really," Ethan replied with a grin. "Why would I lie?"
Only then did Bruno relax, sitting back down and continuing to eat.
The room filled with laughter once more.