Goblin Dependency
Chapter 318 - 168: Swarm of Rats

Chapter 318: Chapter 168: Swarm of Rats

"Ah!"

The sudden attack startled Iron Head, who was originally leading the way for the two at the front of the group.

This fierce-looking bald man shuddered in fear at the giant grey-skinned rat that leapt out of the darkness.

He staggered back with a scream, his heel caught by a pebble on the ground, and if it weren’t for the support of the wall behind him, he would have fallen to the ground.

He exerted force in his arm, tossing the grey-skinned rat, skewered from the chest, to the ground.

He casually flicked off the remaining bloodstains on the sword’s surface, his gaze sweeping over the twitching, weakening rat as its life quickly ebbed away.

Xia Nan looked at Iron Head with a peculiar expression.

He still remembered the time he first met him, and the arrogance he displayed towards Jeff and that passerby in the tailor’s shop.

He hadn’t expected him to be so helpless now when facing a slightly larger rat.

Assuming there might be something he didn’t know that was particularly important, he couldn’t help but ask:

"What’s wrong, is there something special about this rat?"

"No, nothing." Realizing he might have appeared too disheveled, a trace of shock-induced pallor left on Iron Head’s face, he denied repeatedly.

"It’s just... it was too sudden, I didn’t react in time. Normally, I and the brothers in the gang would catch and eat these grey-skinned rats."

"They’re actually quite tasty." He deliberately changed the subject, "I’ve heard that in River Valley Town, there are a few taverns that specifically hire people to bring some from Neum, and they sell for a lot of money."

"So, is it normal for a rat like this to attack humans of its own accord?"

Looking at the grey-skinned rat lying in a pool of blood, already completely dead, Xia Nan asked further.

He didn’t care much about what the other mentioned, the grey-skinned rat dishes of River Valley Town; before he had transmigrated to this world, his predecessor had been treated to it by Hunter Magi, and he had long forgotten the exact taste, thinking it probably wasn’t that great.

What he was more concerned about now was whether the rat’s act of attacking humans was some kind of dangerous omen, whether they should be more alert to prepare for any possible danger.

"It should be... normal?"

For Xia Nan’s question, Iron Head’s expression was a bit hesitant, ambiguous in his response:

"Generally speaking, the grey-skinned rats in Neum’s sewers are much larger than their counterparts. They often come up to snatch stray dogs, stray cats, and the like."

"Sometimes, if they appear in groups, they might cause some loss to the noble masters’ property."

"They can’t be called ’demons’, but if they’re really hungry, it’s not impossible for them to attack some larger creatures in the sewers."

"Moreover..."

As he spoke, as if remembering something, Iron Head showed an expression of sudden realization.

"Moon Feast!"

According to him, the Moon Feast was approaching. Every year at this time, weird things in the sewers would increase. These furry big rats also seemed to be able to sense the increasingly bright moonlight outside, becoming more excited and aggressive.

Explaining to Xia Nan, Iron Head’s eyes, which had previously lost focus due to the sudden attack of the grey-skinned rat, regained their previous brilliance, but in the depths of his pupils, there was still some suspicion and urgency.

The approaching Moon Feast, the sudden appearance of the grey-skinned rat, the guards missing from their posts...

It made him have some ominous connections in his heart.

At the same time, Wood, who had been keeping vigilant before the appearance of the grey-skinned rat, his attention highly focused.

Also completed a check of the surrounding environment at an extremely fast speed.

"In the direction towards the deeper part of the conduit, there are many rat tracks. I also found some clothing fragments and relatively fresh bloodstains inside, someone should have already met with misfortune."

The sharp short dagger gleaming with a cold light was reverse-gripped in his hand, tightly held in his palm.

His calm eyes glanced over the iron-grey Beheading Longsword in Xia Nan’s hand.

Outwardly, Wood felt a bit of surprise inside.

In just over a hundred days, transitioning from someone who had just stepped into the adventurer’s path, a complete rookie who only knew one battle skill, to become a professional like himself, was enough to be astonishing.

But what he didn’t expect was that Xia Nan’s response to the sudden danger was as quick as his, who had been at the professional level for many years.

He even seemed to possess some special ability that Wood couldn’t discern, causing that not-slow rat to lose control of its body in a short time.

"Could it be that he’s not a [warrior] class professional?"

Recalling the battle skills known in the [warrior] category, Wood pondered quietly.

Of course, although feeling puzzled, he wouldn’t actively ask Xia Nan about such sensitive issues for adventurers, just marveling at the rapid rate of his progress internally.

Just as they were about to reach their destination, the situation had become dire.

Xia Nan stood in place with his Longsword, eyes cast to the dim depths of the conduit swallowed by darkness.

He deliberated in his heart, weighing the pros and cons.

Turning his head, wanting to discuss with Wood, who was experienced, a few words.

The roar of human voices suddenly came from deep within the darkness.

Faint and weak firelight could be vaguely seen.

Standing beside, the gangster Iron Head, who appeared somewhat uneasy because of his conjectures, his expression suddenly changed upon hearing the sound.