Chapter 16: The Vanishing King and the Urgent Commute

Only after fleeing to a place it deemed safe did the Drill Rat King finally halt its escape. Its current refuge lay even deeper than its original nest, for during its frantic burrowing, it had deliberately carved out several diverging tunnels.

This elaborate escape route was a calculated move: even if the advanced individual decided to pursue it after dispatching its subordinates, she would likely abandon the chase, uncertain which path to take.

Even if she were to try each tunnel sequentially, the sheer amount of time required would be more than enough for the Drill Rat King to make its getaway to a far more distant location.

‘Surely, that advanced individual wouldn’t waste so much time just to hunt me down,’ it thought.

‘For now, I should rest. Having dug so many tunnels, my stamina needs time to recover.’

Yet, just as it relaxed its guard during this respite, a searing, cerulean flame directly struck it, igniting its unsuspecting body and eliciting agonizing screams.

“Die, this is the price you must pay. A mere vile beast, daring to lay hands on Her Royal Highness, the Seventh Princess—such a grave crime can only be atoned for with death.”

In less than a second, the Drill Rat King was consumed by the inferno, its screams fading as its body turned to ash, leaving not even a trace of bone or dust behind.

****

Having effortlessly dealt with the Drill Rat King, the shadow returned to its surveillance mission.

His target, none other than Liu Xingluo, remained within the Drill Rat nest.

Liu Xingluo, meanwhile, was still deep within the nest, savagely slaughtering the remaining burrowing rats.

Perhaps it was the intoxicating thrill of effortlessly dispatching each one, but Liu Xingluo was now in a full-blown, bloodthirsty frenzy.

“Come on, come on, all of you! Come at me together! And then, all of you shall perish beneath my sky-piercing drill! And that big one over there… hm?”

It was at this moment that Liu Xingluo finally realized the Drill Rat King, the one she had been so eager to kill, had vanished without a trace.

‘Could it have burrowed underground, waiting for an opportune moment to strike?’ she wondered.

‘If so, I must be on high alert. Attacks from below are notoriously difficult to block. I need to remain vigilant, sense its movements, and anticipate its attack position to effectively counter it.’

Conversely, the Drill Rats, who had been relentlessly encircling Liu Xingluo, also discovered that their proud king had disappeared.

However, rather than believe their king had abandoned them to flee alone, they preferred to imagine it had burrowed deeper underground, awaiting the perfect moment for them to create an opening for its attack.

Thus, despite realizing their king’s absence, they continued their relentless siege on Liu Xingluo, adhering to their original plan.

[Damn it, I can’t let them keep me entangled like this. If this continues, the situation will only grow more disadvantageous for me. I need to find a way to break this stalemate.]

Unfortunately, Liu Xingluo was not inherently a particularly shrewd individual.

Expecting her to devise a brilliant solution in such an urgent situation was clearly beyond her capabilities, especially given her current state of anxiety, fearing an unexpected subterranean attack at any moment.

She could only continue to eliminate the surrounding Drill Rats while remaining vigilant for an attack from the Drill Rat King, ready to counter the instant it struck and hopefully inflict a severe blow.

Maintaining this mindset, Liu Xingluo pressed on with her battle against the swarm of Drill Rats.

Yet, when the number of Drill Rats dwindled to a handful that could be counted on one’s fingers, she noticed the situation was not unfolding as she had anticipated.

[Wait a minute, I’ve killed so many that only a few are left. Why hasn’t that big brute made its move yet? Could it have run away?]

With their numbers reduced to such an extent, Liu Xingluo could now dedicate a portion of her focus to her sensory abilities, scanning for any signs of other Drill Rats.

Similarly, the few surviving Drill Rats also realized the absence of their king.

[Indeed, that big brute has escaped. Damn it, I thought it had some guts when it came to confront me, but it actually fled. How dare it be their leader with such meager courage? What a shameless display!]

Having detected no movement from the Drill Rat King, Liu Xingluo could only conclude that it had abandoned its subordinates and fled.

Such a disgraceful act earned the creature nothing but contempt from Liu Xingluo.

As for now, she decided, it was best to finish off these remaining Drill Rats.

They were aberrant beasts, a species that posed a grave threat to humanity, and there was no justification for allowing them to continue existing in this world.

Those few Drill Rats, too, grasped this stark reality, especially with the palpable killing intent now emanating from Liu Xingluo, directed squarely at them.

They immediately chose to burrow and escape; their king had already fled, so what reason did they have to stubbornly fight this advanced individual here?

There was nothing to be gained from it.

However, Liu Xingluo had no intention of granting them an escape.

Seeing their attempt to flee, she swiftly impaled one of the Drill Rats with her drill, granting it a quick end.

As for the others that successfully burrowed into the tunnels, Liu Xingluo now possessed a drill just like theirs.

Coupled with her enhanced sensory abilities, she could effortlessly track their movements, making it a simple matter to pursue and eliminate them.

****

After disposing of all the Drill Rats, the question arose of whether to pursue their king.

Considering its considerable size and formidable drill, allowing it to escape might lead to innocent people being harmed in the future, making it far better to hunt it down and deal with it.

On any other day, Liu Xingluo might have done just that.

But not today.

For Liu Xingluo, there was something far more important than chasing the Drill Rat King.

Work.

Today was her first day reporting for duty at the company, and if she were to be half a day late on her very first day, how could she ever show her face there again?

She was no longer her former self, an unemployed drifter with ample time to spare for monster hunting.

Now that she had a job, time had become precious, and unnecessary endeavors were best avoided.

Therefore, the runaway Drill Rat King could be left for others to handle.

Having already wiped out an entire nest of Drill Rats, she felt she had done quite well for a non-professional exterminator, and her conscience was clear. Indeed.

However, speaking of which, her suit was now so tattered and ruined that she couldn’t even dream of going to the office.

She’d be lucky not to get arrested by the police just walking down the street.

She decided to call her sister, Liu Ruyan, once she returned to the surface, to ask if her old suit had been repaired.

Though it pained her to disrespect her deceased father, this suit was beyond repair and should probably be discarded at the first opportunity.