novelraw Chapter 938: Rat Battalions
Chapter 938: Rat Battalions
Han Yu looked down at the oversized rat sitting proudly before him before finally shaking his head in resignation.
There truly was no saving Chitterfang from becoming rounder with every passing year. The creature had gone from a nimble spirit rat into something that looked halfway between a wealthy merchant and a fluffy meatball.
Still, despite the ridiculous appearance, Han Yu trusted the rat more than most cultivators in the sect. Without saying anything further, Han Yu raised his hand and took out a dark silver bracelet from his spatial ring.
The bracelet looked simple at first glance, but upon closer inspection countless tiny formation lines could be seen etched into its inner surface. Small beast shaped runes moved faintly across it like living creatures swimming beneath water.
The moment it appeared, Chitterfang’s whiskers twitched.
"Oh?" the rat squeaked excitedly. "Are we traveling again?"
Han Yu slid the bracelet onto his wrist before activating it with a stream of spirit Qi. A faint brown glow spread through the treasure and a circular spatial ripple briefly appeared beside him.
"Enter it," Han Yu ordered calmly.
Chitterfang blinked twice before narrowing his eyes suspiciously.
"Who else are you bringing?" the rat asked immediately.
Han Yu paused for a moment in thought.
He originally intended to bring only Chitterfang, but considering the scale of the mission and the unknown territory they were heading toward, additional scouts would greatly improve efficiency.
After a few seconds, Han Yu finally spoke.
"Bring the Third Rat Battalion and the Sixth Rat Battalion with you."
The moment Chitterfang heard that, his eyes lit up.
He stood upright proudly on his hind legs and puffed out his already enormous chest.
"Understood!"
Then the rat released an ear piercing squeak that echoed throughout the massive palace halls.
A few moments later...
Chaos erupted.
From vents.
From corridors.
From hidden holes within walls.
From beneath furniture.
From ceiling rafters.
Rodents began pouring into the hall endlessly.
Hundreds first.
Then thousands.
Within mere minutes the enormous hall had become packed with moving fur.
Even Han Yu’s expression twitched slightly.
Meng Jueyan, despite seeing this many times before, still took an unconscious step backward.
If an ordinary mortal saw such a scene they would probably faint instantly.
The rodents came in every imaginable shape and size.
Some were tiny enough to fit within a palm.
Others were massive creatures nearly as large as wolves.
There were ordinary looking rats with blood red eyes.
Long tailed burrow beasts with armored backs.
Fat mole like creatures with sharp crystal teeth.
Hairless tunnel rodents covered in black veins.
There were even mutated squirrel like beasts carrying miniature satchels on their backs.
A few creatures barely resembled rodents anymore.
One particularly horrifying beast had six legs and two twitching tails while another looked like a cross between a porcupine and a swamp rat.
Yet despite their appearances...
All of them moved with eerie discipline.
The massive swarm instantly organized itself into orderly clusters after arriving.
Han Yu silently observed them.
The intelligence among the rat network had clearly improved even further.
Chitterfang proudly waddled back and forth before the gathered battalions like a general inspecting elite troops.
"These are my finest children," the rat declared proudly.
Han Yu glanced toward one especially huge rat chewing loudly on something.
"What is that one eating?"
Chitterfang turned to look.
The large rat immediately swallowed whatever it was.
"...Possibly furniture."
Han Yu narrowed his eyes.
A moment later one of the palace chairs collapsed partially.
Meng Jueyan sighed softly.
"Master, I believe Battalion Six has been eating the palace decorations again."
Chitterfang immediately looked offended.
"Growing children require nutrients!"
Han Yu felt a headache forming.
Still, he had to admit the rat network had become extraordinarily useful.
Over the past years, Chitterfang had unknowingly created one of the largest covert intelligence organizations on the Blood Continent.
The Jiangshi network dominated within the sect itself.
The rat network dominated outside it.
The combination was terrifying.
And now Han Yu intended to use both fully.
The beast storage bracelet on his wrist began glowing brighter.
One after another, the rodents started vanishing into streaks of light as they entered the treasure.
The process continued rapidly.
Despite the massive numbers involved, the bracelet handled it easily.
This was no ordinary storage tool.
Han Yu had commissioned it personally several years ago after realizing ordinary beast storage treasures were insufficient for Chitterfang’s absurdly expanding empire. Most beast storage treasures could safely contain only one or two beasts comfortably.
This one was completely different.
It was a High Grade Beast Storage Treasure crafted specifically to house large populations of smaller creatures. These were particularly popular among the Sect Disciples who specialized in raising poisonous insect swarms.
The tool contained an artificial environment maintained through several complex formation arrays. It had airflow systems, water gathering formations, underground tunnel regions, feeding chambers, and even small spirit vein nodes to sustain living creatures over extended periods.
Of course, it was hardly luxurious.
The environment resembled an endless underground cave system more than anything pleasant.
But for creatures that naturally preferred burrows and tunnels...
It was practically paradise.
And because of the sheer complexity required to safely maintain living ecosystems within spatial treasures, the bracelet had cost Han Yu an absurd amount of resources.
Far more than a normal High Grade Spatial Storage Ring.
Still, it had proven worth every spirit stone.
Especially now.
The northeastern border region was vast and poorly monitored.
Han Yu alone could never search such an enormous territory efficiently.
But two thousand intelligent rodents spreading underground?
That was an entirely different matter.
Within ten minutes, the massive hall finally became empty again.
Only Chitterfang remained outside for the moment.
The rat patted his round belly proudly.
"My battalions are ready."
Han Yu looked down at him.
"You speak as if you are leading armies."
"I am leading armies."
"...Fair enough."
Finally, Chitterfang himself jumped toward the bracelet. Though due to his current size, the jump looked less graceful and more like a furry sack being tossed through the air.
The spatial light swallowed him.
Silence returned to the hall.