Chapter 849: Little rat in danger

One of them even sent an entire reef exploding into fragments. Now he was in a fight where a single mistake could be fatal.

But Max didn’t panic. His mind was calm. With a deep breath, he activated his sword technique—Void Severance Slash. The lake trembled. A high-pitched ringing filled the water, like thousands of swords vibrating in unison.

The pressure intensified as Max’s sword concept manipulated the surrounding water, shaping the flow into countless blades of condensed liquid. These water swords shimmered with killing intent and sliced through the charging beasts like an ambush from every angle.

Then, in a masterstroke, Max’s body and the Blue Dragon Sword fused into one. He became a streak of silver-blue light, cutting downward through the water like a divine executioner. The pressure from his blade parted the lake itself, pushing massive waves to either side.

The Fish Lizard in the path of the strike instinctively froze, its eyes wide with a terror far too human. But it was too late to run. The moment the slash fell, the beast was cleaved apart, its shriek silenced forever as its body split and floated downward in halves.

The moment the remaining Fish Lizards—including the terrifying ones at the 5th and 6th level of Legend Rank—burst forth in a frenzy, the lake erupted like a beast enraged. Waves surged upward like rising dragons, soaring into the sky and violently quaking the lakebed below.

The water trembled as if reacting to the fury of the Fish Lizard horde. A thunderous bang echoed underwater as Max was seen flying backwards like a fallen comet, but his expression remained calm. It wasn’t because he had taken damage—in fact, he was completely unharmed.

The retreat was deliberate, a calculated move in the plan he had orchestrated. His goal was to bait the strongest Fish Lizards away, and judging from how the highest-ranked ones had finally erupted into motion, gnashing their teeth and charging with vengeance in their eyes, it had worked.

Their intelligence, far above average, led them to conclude that Max was the threat responsible for the massacre of their kind. With a roar that shook the depths, they led the entire school of Fish Lizards in pursuit, their serpentine bodies slicing through the lake like harpoons.

Max, hiding his satisfaction, acted composed, slashing backward once with his sword before spinning around and fleeing. It was all a part of his plan. The real task had already begun. Far in the distance, hidden in a quiet corner of the lake, the little Treasure Seeking Rat poked its head from behind a cluster of coral.

Seeing the powerful monsters gone, the little rat cautiously emerged, swimming deftly through the water. With its nimble movements and expert nose, it quickly found the Fish Dragon Grass growing between the reefs. Max had instructed it to grab three stalks—no more, no less.

The little rat worked fast, using its claws to slice the stems and clutching the foot-long, lizard-shaped green herbs to its chest. Then, without wasting a second, it vanished into the water, heading toward the meeting point Max had marked outside Mirror Moon Lake.

Meanwhile, Max was caught in a frantic chase. The speed of the Fish Lizards was terrifying, and the three leaders, at the 5th and 6th level of Legend Rank, were especially fast underwater. Their streamlined bodies shot through the current with ease, even faster than Max despite his mastery of multiple flight and movement skills.

He poured all his strength into every swimming motion, creating currents behind him as he twisted and burst forward like a spear trying to break free from the tide. Still, the sheer pressure from behind—those gnashing jaws and ancient, furious eyes—made cold sweat run down his back.

But after a relentless dash, the surface drew near, and with one explosive push, Max burst through the surface of the lake, sending a column of water crashing into the air like a fountain.

Roars followed close behind.

The three high-level Fish Lizards rose after him, breaking the water’s surface in pursuit, their mouths wide and filled with razor-sharp teeth. They lunged, determined to devour him in one bite. But as soon as they left the water, their momentum failed.

Unlike Max, they lacked wings or the ability to take human form, and thus were confined to the realm of water. They thrashed at the edge of the lake, furious, but powerless to leave it. Max turned to glance back at them, his chest rising and falling with exhaustion as he finally exhaled in relief. The plan had worked. Now he had to find the little rat and secure the Fish Dragon Grass.

But just as he began to move in the agreed direction, an explosion of noise shook the jungle beyond. Booming echoes rang out like drums of war. Trees cracked and collapsed in waves as intense light surged into the sky. Fist shadows punched through the forest canopy, razing entire swaths of jungle into open ground.

In the middle of that violent chaos, Max spotted a small figure darting through the bursts of light and smoke. His heart clenched as he realized—it was the little rat.

And it wasn’t alone. Two human silhouettes loomed amidst the carnage, unleashing devastating attacks as they chased the frightened creature. The little rat squeaked and dodged, but it was clearly no match for their relentless assault.

Max’s eyes went cold seeing this.

They were none other than the two young men who were fantasizing about sneak attacking Max earlier—Nico, the ugly one with squinty eyes and a lopsided mouth, and Raul, the handsome one in the silver robe whose eyes always carried a dangerous gleam.

Nico had reached the 3rd level of Legend Rank, while Raul stood a level higher at the 4th level. The little rat, though talented and rare, was still only at the 3rd level of Legend Rank, and compared to the two humans, it was simply no match.

It had tried to run, squeaked in protest, and darted in every direction to avoid them, but eventually, it was struck by a powerful palm strike and sent flying like a tiny furball. It rolled across the ground, leaving a thin trail of blood behind.

The little rat’s large golden eyes shimmered with tears as it curled up, trembling, the precious Fish Dragon Grass still clenched tightly in its mouth. Despite the pain, despite the fear, it didn’t let go. Its soft whimpers sounded like it was calling for Max, its little heart holding onto the last thread of hope.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay