Chapter 15 - 10: The Sewers
Lin Yi stood his ground, holding his breath and focusing his mind, waiting in silence.
A moment later.
An extremely faint, almost imperceptible buzzing sound filled the air.
A tiny black streak of light cut silently through the dimness. It landed with precision on the tip of Lin Yi’s slightly messy hair, where it came to a weightless rest.
It was the Mosquito Avatar, arriving to rendezvous with him.
’I’ll aim to push my Qi and Blood to the 10.0 critical point within the next two days and break through to become a First-Grade Martial Artist!’
Lin Yi took a deep breath. With a sudden exertion of his arms, the heavy, cast-iron manhole cover was slowly lifted, revealing a bottomless darkness below.
A thick, damp stench—a mix of rotting organic matter and unknown sludge—surged upward like a tangible, viscous substance. It hit him in the face, almost suffocating him.
Below his feet lay the entrance to an intricate, perilous labyrinth hidden beneath the city’s glamorous facade.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Lin Yi took out a gas mask and put it on.
Instantly, the sewer’s foul stench was completely sealed away.
Next,
He switched on a high-powered flashlight. A brilliant white beam pierced the darkness below, illuminating a slippery, filth-covered metal ladder.
With one hand bracing against the cold wall of the shaft and the other gripping the flashlight, he lowered his center of gravity and nimbly descended the ladder. His feet landed on a cold, slippery concrete platform, and viscous sludge immediately submerged them past the ankle.
Thankfully, he had bought rain boots specifically for this hunt. Otherwise, just walking in this environment would require immense mental fortitude.
With a flicker of thought,
the Mosquito Avatar resting on his hair silently vibrated its wings. It became a tiny black shadow, almost melting into the darkness as it hovered at his side.
A strange sensation spread through him.
The mosquito’s compound-eye view and his own field of vision unfolded in parallel within his mind.
One view was the rough sewer wall, covered in moss and filth, illuminated by the powerful beam of his flashlight.
The other was a microscopic world, magnified countless times and filled with a complex tapestry of scent molecules!
The [Tracking LV1] skill activated at full power.
Countless points of light, each representing the heat and aura of a living being, lit up like stars on the mosquito’s sensory map. They were scattered deep within the pipes, in shadowed corners, and even at the edges of the sewage.
’So many!’
Lin Yi was momentarily stunned, but a surge of intense excitement quickly followed.
’This sheer number... it’s a natural hunting ground for the Mosquito Avatar!’
He moved forward cautiously along the narrow maintenance platform, doing his best to avoid the sewage below.
Meanwhile, the Mosquito Avatar, guided by [Tracking LV1], flew silently toward the nearest red dot like a precision assassin.
It was a rat, huddled in the shadow of a pipe corner, its fur matted and filthy. In the darkness, its eyes reflected a faint, eerie green light.
WHOOSH!
The Mosquito Avatar shot toward its prey.
The rat was completely oblivious to the approaching danger.
The next moment.
The Mosquito Avatar landed on the rat’s back and viciously plunged its sharp proboscis through the thick fur.
Before its evolution, an ordinary mosquito’s proboscis would have been unable to pierce a rat’s hide.
But now, the Mosquito Avatar was LV2, at the initial Martial Disciple Realm. It even had the [Iron Body] skill. Its proboscis was like a steel needle, and the rat’s defense was like paper, pierced with ease.
The moment the Mosquito Avatar’s sharp proboscis pierced the rat’s body, the Paralysis Skill activated, and an imperceptible toxin was precisely injected.
The rat’s body stiffened for an imperceptible instant. It didn’t even have time to whimper before it completely lost all sensation of pain.
Then,
with a powerful suck!
[Mosquito Avatar Experience Points +1!]
[Qi and Blood +0.001!]
A faint yet exceptionally pure and warm stream of energy instantly crossed space, flowing like a trickle into Lin Yi’s Dantian!
The Mosquito Avatar greedily drank its fill.
The rat’s size was limited, and its Qi and Blood was far less abundant than the Tibetan Mastiff’s. The boost it provided was minimal, but the key advantages were safety and stealth.
In just a few seconds, the large rat visibly withered. Its once-plump body deflated, and its life force was completely extinguished.
The Mosquito Avatar flew off lightly, leaving the stiffened corpse of the rat behind.
’It worked!’
Lin Yi’s spirits soared. The Mosquito Avatar’s three main skills—[Tracking], [Paralysis], and [Blood Sucking]—were the perfect combination for an assassin!
’Silent, stealthy, and leaving no trace.’
Lin Yi quickly walked over, cut off the rat’s tail with a small knife, and placed it in his waterproof backpack.
This was the proof he needed to claim his reward from the Health Department.
He directed the Mosquito Avatar to continue searching for its next target.
’I need to find a Martial Apprentice Level rat demon!’
Ordinary rats had too little Qi and Blood. The efficiency was too low. He needed more valuable prey.
The Mosquito Avatar zipped through the dark pipes. Its LV2 speed was double what it was before, making it exceptionally agile in the complex environment.
Lin Yi himself followed cautiously, his flashlight beam sweeping his surroundings, ever vigilant for greater threats that might lurk in the darkness.
One...
Two...
Three...
In just half an hour, the Mosquito Avatar had silently killed more than twenty rats.
The efficiency was terrifying.
Even the most seasoned professional rat catcher could never have completed a hunt of this scale in such a short time.
But the Mosquito Avatar’s Tracking skill was practically a divine skill.
It could rapidly lock onto prey via heat signatures and carbon dioxide. Any rat that entered its sensory range had nowhere to hide.
’Just half an hour, and my Qi and Blood is already up by 0.025! Awesome!’
With a thought, Lin Yi brought up the system panel. A sense of indescribable satisfaction filled his chest as he watched the numbers tick upward.
His Qi and Blood had now climbed to an impressive 9.155!
At this rate,
even if he couldn’t find a Martial Apprentice Level rat,
just by hunting these ordinary rats, he could raise his Qi and Blood to 10.0 within two days!
BZZZZ~
The faint sound of beating wings broke the silence.
The Mosquito Avatar’s heat sensors locked onto a new target.
It swooped down silently, landing precisely on the target’s back. Its sharp proboscis struck like lightning!
Hot blood was greedily siphoned. The entire process was as smooth as flowing water.
Lin Yi was becoming more and more proficient at controlling the Mosquito Avatar’s hunting style.
[Qi and Blood +0.001!]
[Mosquito Avatar Experience Points +1!]
[Mosquito Avatar has Leveled Up to LV3!]
’It leveled up?!’
Lin Yi’s heart skipped a beat, and a wave of pure ecstasy washed over him.
Though his hands didn’t stop cutting the rat’s tail, he eagerly pulled up the system interface.
[Avatar]: Common Mosquito.
[Level]: LV3 (Initial Martial Disciple).
[Experience Points]: 0/30.
[Skills]: Flight LV2, Blood Sucking LV1, Tracking LV1, Paralysis LV1, Iron Body LV1.
After reaching LV3, its body had visibly grown larger. Its menacing proboscis glinted faintly in the gloom.
Though still within the initial Martial Disciple Realm, its steel-like carapace and more powerful wings signaled a massive leap in its overall power.
Unfortunately...
’the five core skills didn’t level up with it.’
’And it didn’t unlock any new ones, either.’
Suddenly!
The Mosquito Avatar, which had been searching for prey, came to an abrupt halt in mid-air.
At the same instant, the hairs on Lin Yi’s neck stood on end!
In the Mosquito Avatar’s shared sensory view, a red dot, several times more intense than the others and as bright as a small light bulb, suddenly appeared deep inside a branching pipe ahead!
With it came an aura far more potent than any ordinary rat’s—a palpable wave of brutal energy!
’A Martial Apprentice Level rat demon!’
Lin Yi’s heart tightened, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
’I’ve finally found it!’
Without a conscious command, merely at the direction of his will, the Mosquito Avatar turned without hesitation. Like a miniature black arrow, it shot silently toward the source of the dense life force.
From the silent depths of the pipe came the unnerving CRUNCH of gnawing bone, accompanied by a grating, teeth-grinding squeal, like a dull knife scraping against metal...
Lin Yi subconsciously held his breath. He lightened his steps, controlled his breathing, and tightened his grip on the folding knife at his waist. His eyes were locked on the Mosquito Avatar’s path, his muscles tensed, ready to react to anything.
After navigating a few bends in the pipe,
the Mosquito Avatar finally neared its target.
Through their shared senses, Lin Yi got a clear look at the rat demon.
It was several times larger than an ordinary rat—about the size of a cat. Its body was covered in coarse, jet-black fur as stiff as steel needles, and its scarlet eyes shone in the darkness with a brutal, bloodthirsty light.
It was crouched over a pile of unidentifiable animal skeletons, its sharp teeth gnawing on the bones with a sickening CRUNCH. This was punctuated by a low, GRINDING sound as it gnashed its teeth, as if declaring its dominion over the territory.
The aura, a mix of bloodlust and brutality, hit him like a tangible shockwave through the Mosquito Avatar’s senses. Lin Yi’s heart sank, and his grip on his knife tightened.
Martial Apprentice Level rat demon!
’This was nothing like that Tibetan Mastiff from downstairs, which was all bark and no bite. This was a truly vicious creature, raised on slaughter and nourished by Spiritual Qi!’
The Mosquito Avatar didn’t hesitate.
Although its Flight skill was still LV2 and hadn’t been upgraded,
the Mosquito Avatar’s upgrade to LV3 had made its body stronger, its speed faster, and its flight path more erratic and stealthy.
Like a drop of ink melting into the darkness, it glided silently along the damp pipe wall. It aimed with precision for the back of the rat demon’s neck where the fur was sparse—a common weak point for many creatures.
[Paralysis LV1] activated!
A neurotoxin, fine as a silk thread yet incredibly deadly, was precisely injected into the rat demon’s body the moment the proboscis pierced its skin.
However, something unexpected happened!
The moment the toxin was injected.
The rat demon, still gnawing on bones, let out a sharp, ear-piercing SQUEAK!
Its body convulsed violently, and its scarlet eyes erupted with a ferocious glare filled with shock and rage!
Effective!
But the effect... it’s nowhere near as potent as it was on the ordinary rats!
The skill level of [Paralysis LV1] was clearly not high enough to completely suppress a Martial Apprentice Level rat demon with such abundant Qi and Blood and a vicious nature!
Instead of being instantly paralyzed and losing consciousness, it was now like an enraged beast!
’The Demon Qi gave away the Mosquito Avatar’s position!’
Lin Yi sighed, instantly realizing what the problem was.
The Paralysis Skill wasn’t meant to completely incapacitate the target. Its true purpose was to numb the pain during the Blood Sucking process, making it easier to steal the target’s Qi and Blood unnoticed.
But the Mosquito Avatar’s blatant Demon Qi was as conspicuous as a lightbulb in the dark. It made a stealthy approach impossible, completely undermining that sneak-attack advantage.
’The Mosquito Avatar is supposed to be an assassin. Without a stealth skill, it’s at a huge disadvantage!’
"SQUEAK SQUEAK SQUEAK!!"
The rat demon shook its head violently. Its large body shot up as if spring-loaded. With sharp claws glinting ominously, it swiped viciously at the source of the threat it sensed—the Mosquito Avatar hovering behind its neck!
Its speed was astonishing!
Lin Yi’s pupils contracted. His heart leaped into his throat!
’Dodge!’
BZZZ!
The advantage of the Mosquito Avatar’s [Flight LV2] was on full display!
Just as the claws—sharp enough to shred steel—were about to make contact, the Mosquito Avatar twisted its body at an angle that seemed to defy physics, narrowly dodging the attack by a hair’s breadth!
The wind from the swipe was so sharp it disturbed the air around the Mosquito Avatar.
Too close!
Lin Yi broke out in a cold sweat, a wave of fear washing over him at how badly he had just underestimated his opponent.
A Martial Apprentice Level is still a Martial Apprentice Level. Even though the Mosquito Avatar is the same rank, its disadvantage in size and strength is enormous in a direct confrontation!
’If a sneak attack doesn’t kill in one hit, you immediately lose the initiative!’
Missing its attack, the rat demon became even more frantic.
It had lost track of the Mosquito Avatar, but its rage from the sneak attack had driven it mad. Its scarlet eyes locked onto a larger target in the tunnel not far away, one radiating a much stronger life force—Lin Yi!
"SQUEAK!"
With a threatening shriek, the muscles in the rat demon’s hind legs bulged. It shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, becoming a blurry black shadow that carried a foul wind as it lunged ferociously at Lin Yi!
Its sharp claws were aimed straight for Lin Yi’s throat!