As someone in sequence 001, I also want to give up today.

On the other side, Lin Weiwei was also working hard.

Her ability, "Fragrant Bubbles," has a sequence number of over 1,000. It's completely harmless, and its main purpose is to blow bubbles in class. The bubbles are colorful and pretty in the sunlight, that's all, so everyone calls her the Bubble Girl.

But now, she has a new idea.

"Wu Hao! Wu Hao!" Lin Weiwei tugged at the boy's sleeve. "Can you harden my bubbles?"

Wu Hao, sequence "Soft and Hard Transformation", has the ability to temporarily change the physical hardness of any non-living object upon contact.

He usually likes to turn erasers into hard little bricks or rulers into soft, limp noodles, so he is always called the Eraser Boy.

"Hardened bubbles?"

Wu Hao scratched his head.

"Won't the bubble pop?"

"No, no, that won't happen!"

Lin Weiwei's eyes sparkled.

"I'll blow a super big one, and if you touch it, it'll turn into a hard shell! Then we'll put it on the mouse's head!"

Wu Hao thought about it and felt that it might be feasible?

Five minutes later.

A gold-eating rat, which was gnawing on an electrical box, suddenly found itself in darkness.

It looked up and saw a huge bubble, about thirty centimeters in diameter, crystal clear, with a strange, hard luster on its surface, falling from the sky and landing steadily on its head.

The edges of the bubble fit perfectly against the ground, completely isolating the air inside.

Gold-Eating Rat: "Squeak?"

It tried to scratch with its claws, but couldn't.

Trying to bite it with your teeth is futile—the bubble has hardened and contains no metallic elements, so it has no ability to digest this stuff.

It was trapped inside a transparent dome.

Lin Weiwei squatted down next to Bubble, her little face flushed, and exclaimed excitedly, "I caught it! I caught it! Wu Hao, you're so amazing!"

Wu Hao, rarely praised, grinned and said, "It's because you blew the bubbles so well!"

The teacher next to them watched this scene, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

Very good, very creative.

Although it was a bit inefficient, it at least proved that preschool children can also contribute to this fight.

Lin Wanwan was another surprise.

She did not participate in the capture—her powers seemed to be completely non-aggressive.

No matter how hard I concentrate, I can't release a fireball like Zhou Yan or release an electric current like Zhang Yu.

But her title of "Starry Sea Witch" wasn't given lightly.

"There."

Lin Wanwan raised her hand and pointed to a pile of abandoned building materials on the west side of the training ground.

"Seventeen gold-eating rats are hidden inside the underground pipe at a depth of 0.7 meters below the building materials."

The senior high school student in charge of cleaning the west side was taken aback: "How did you know?"

"Detected by my 'Psionic Wave Sensor'."

Lin Wanwan solemnly held up her light-up plastic toy.

Senior student: "..."

But he still sent people to dig.

They actually dug up seventeen rats.

One time could be a coincidence.

What about two times, three times, or four times?

Almost every spot Lin Wanwan pointed out had a mouse.

Sometimes it's a small group of three or five, sometimes it's a hiding spot of more than ten, and the most outrageous time, she pointed to an abandoned fire hydrant fifty meters outside the training field.

The teacher pried open the lid and found more than forty gold-eating rats crammed inside, frantically gnawing on the copper valve core.

"This child..."

The head of the teaching department looked at Lin Wanwan with a complicated expression.

"His perception abilities have exceeded the normal range."

A biology professor standing nearby pondered, "What was her sequence number again?"

"The registered candidate is unknown, but has enormous potential." Another teacher pulled out a file, "But looking at this performance..."

The head of the teaching department looked thoughtful.

"It's like some kind of... directional detection talent, and at a pretty high level."

He paused, then said in a low voice, "Have Instructor Xinren test her again later. This child might still be underestimated."

Lin Wanwan was unaware that the adults were talking about her.

She held up the "psychic energy fluctuation sensor" intently, continuing to provide coordinates for the cleanup team.

This was the best thing she could do for this battle.

Lingdang stayed by Lin Wanwan's side the whole time, helping to record and pass on information.

Although she couldn't sense the location of the Gold-Eating Rats like Lin Wanwan, she could still deal with many of them with her near-D-level mental strength after the fission, but she dared not reveal it.

So she could only hold up her little notebook, carefully write down every coordinate Lin Wanwan mentioned, and then run errands to hand it to the teacher.

A little boring.

But it was also very fulfilling.

and……

Lingdang quietly examined her own spiritual core.

That dazzling, nebula-like swirling energy was slowly but steadily expanding outwards from its edges.

almost.

She has a strong intuition.

I'll get some more sleep, or have another meal cooked by Old Deng, or... when I wake up tomorrow morning, that thin barrier will break down.

20 points of basic mental strength.

After fission, 400 points.

That's the threshold for Grade D.

She, Li Xiaoling, is about to become a D-level expert!

Although in front of the whole class she was still the "average to above average ability user with poor self-control," that didn't stop her from secretly feeling smug.

Lingdang pursed her lips, trying hard to suppress the urge to curl her lips into a smile.

Once she breaks through, she must make Old Deng cook her a super luxurious celebratory feast when she gets home!

Ideally, it should include braised pork, steamed fish, and pudding!

---

The cleanup of the rat infestation lasted for a full seven hours.

At 4 p.m., when the last team reported that "the preliminary investigation of the sewer system in the west of the city has been completed," a tired but genuine cheer erupted in the temporary command center.

Chen Zhe slumped in his chair, his eyes dark and swollen, feeling even more exhausted than if he had fought an S-level battle.

Li Yu sat next to her, holding a cup of coffee that had gone cold, sipping it slowly, her eyes somewhat vacant.

The technician is doing the final statistics.

"Report: The surface rat population has been cleared approximately 92% citywide. Due to the complexity of the underground pipe network system, a small number of rats remain, and continued inspection and eradication are expected to take three to five days."

"What about the economic losses?" the branch chief asked.

The technician paused, then lowered his voice: "We're currently compiling the statistics. Preliminary estimates suggest that the total amount of damage to public facilities, private property, and businesses may exceed 10 billion."

The director was silent for a few seconds, then slowly nodded: "Understood. Continue with the statistics, and submit a detailed report tomorrow."

"Yes."

What about casualties?

The technician's voice lowered even further.

"As of 4:30 p.m., a total of 11,247 people have been injured, including 203 seriously injured. All of them have been sent to the hospital for treatment and are not in life-threatening condition."

"die……"

He paused.

"The death toll is 113."

In the command center, the air seemed to freeze for a moment.

One hundred and thirteen.

This number is too high for a horde of monsters that doesn't directly attack humans and only feeds on metal.

"reason?"

Li Yu put down her coffee cup, her voice calm, but there was a coldness in her eyes.

"The main focus is on these types of situations..."

The technician retrieved the report.

"Some elderly people suffered cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases due to fright, and were not treated in time; some residents fell from heights while chasing away rats; underground gas pipelines in several old residential areas were gnawed through by rats, causing leaks and explosions; and so on..."

He paused.

"Twelve other people were hit by collapsing metal structures while trying to protect their families or property."

The command center fell silent again.

One hundred and thirteen lives.

They didn't die from a direct attack by rats, but from fear, panic, and the city's vulnerability in the face of sudden disaster.

All of this could have been avoided.

If that rat king hadn't been released here.

If those supernatural metal fragments were not embedded in its core.

If that hand behind my back hadn't reached out to Jiangcheng.

"The God Group," Chen Zhe said the name in a low voice, his tone filled with no doubt, only confirmation.

"There is no direct evidence, but..." Li Yu didn't finish her sentence.

No evidence is needed.

The motives, methods, and timing all match up.

God Group.

It's them again.

---

Nighttime, at Li Xian's house.

Because Li Xian had set up some protective mechanisms in advance, his house was not damaged by the gold-eating rats.

Bell is already asleep.

She was exhausted today—even though she was only "running errands" in name only.

But standing by the training field for three or four hours is still a bit too much for a six-year-old.

Halfway through dinner, she started yawning, her little head bobbing up and down, almost falling into her bowl.

Li Xian took her to wash up, tucked her into bed, and she fell asleep in less than five minutes.

At this moment, he was sitting on the living room sofa, with Fat Orange, who was also exhausted, lying on his lap.

That fat cat really fought hard today.

Although Li Yu ultimately prevailed, the fact that it could hold its own against a peak B-level Rat King for twenty minutes without being at a disadvantage is a feat it could boast about for a lifetime.

Of course, it might not think that way itself.

The chubby orange cat curled up into a ball of orange fur, its tail swaying idly, and a steady purring sound coming from its throat.

The small patch of curled cat fur on its belly stood out under the light, like a special medal.

Li Xian reached out and touched the fur.

The fat orange cat paused its snoring for a moment, didn't open its eyes, but its tail swished more frequently—a signal that it was "comfortable, continue."

Li Xian touched it a couple more times.

The phone screen was lit up, displaying preliminary casualty statistics sent by Li Yu.

One hundred and thirteen.

He stared at that number for a long time.

Bell returned safely today.

Although the chubby orange cat was tired, it only lost a little fur.

Neither Li Yu nor Chen Zhe were injured.

On the rapid response team's side, Xiao Yuan's feet were sore from stepping on rats all afternoon, Su Lin's voice was hoarse from exhaustion, and Ci Xian was reportedly still working overtime analyzing energy fragment samples from the rat king's body.

Everything is fine.

But 113 people were unable to go home.

Li Xian placed his phone face down on the coffee table, leaned back against the sofa, and closed his eyes.

Fat Orange seemed to sense something, opening one eye, its heterochromatic pupil gleaming eerily in the darkness.

It hesitated for a moment, then stood up from Li Xian's lap, walked with its paws to his chest, and pressed its weight of over ten kilograms firmly onto him.

"Meow."

Li Xian opened his eyes and met a pair of cat eyes that shone brightly in the darkness.

He was silent for a few seconds, then reached out and ruffled the fat orange cat's head.

"Okay," he said softly. "Go to sleep."

Fat Orange lay down contentedly, and its snoring resumed.

The only sounds in the living room were the low hum of the air conditioner and the cat's purring.

Outside the window, the night of Jiangcheng unfolds silently, with countless windows lit up.

Behind some windows, no one will ever return tonight.

---

Outside the ruins of an abandoned dock in the northern suburbs of Jiangcheng.

Two figures stood at the edge of the shattered warehouse, gazing at the devastated battlefield.

One was tall, the other was short.

"The Rat King was captured, and the clan scattered."

The shorter one had a hoarse voice, like sandpaper rubbing against glass.

"This is our second defeat in Jiangcheng after the death of 'Flame Sacrifice' Tu Yan."

"Hmm." The taller voice was calm, revealing no emotion.

"The God Emperor will be dissatisfied."

"He knows."

silence.

The short figure bent down, picked up a metal fragment tainted with the Rat King's aura from the ruins, and tucked it into his sleeve.

"There's still a chance," he said. "Jiangcheng... is too special. The souls here are the best offerings."

The tall figure did not respond, but simply raised her head and gazed at the scattered lights of the city in the distance.

After a long pause, he said in a low voice:

"It's all because of that wretched fat cat... and those two S-ranks from Jiangcheng are a problem, we need to lure them away."

"clear."

The two turned and disappeared into the night.

-

The next morning.

Lingdang jumped out of bed, ran barefoot to the living room, and pounced on Li Xian, who was making breakfast.

"Old Deng, Old Deng, Old Deng!!!"

Li Xian held the frying pan steadily with one hand, protecting the fried eggs in the pan with the other, his face expressionless: "Speak."

"I've broken through!!!"

Lingdang's face turned bright red with excitement. She jumped up and down, her golden hair sticking out in a messy, frizzy mess, like a cat with its fur standing on end.

"20 points! 20 points of mental energy! I've reached Rank D now!"

Li Xian shoveled the fried egg into a plate and said in a flat tone, "Oh, congratulations."

Bell puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction: "You just said 'oh' once!"

Li Xian thought for a moment, then pushed the plate of fried eggs in front of her and added two more strips of bacon on top.

"...That's more like it." Bell was satisfied, climbed onto the chair, and began to eat her "breakthrough celebration breakfast" with big bites.

Li Xian leaned against the kitchen counter, gazing at the gradually brightening sky outside the window, sipping his slightly hot coffee in a daze.

The cleanup of the rat infestation will take several more days, the assessment of economic losses is still ongoing, and the work on the death toll has only just begun.

Bell's mouth was glistening with oil from eating, Fat Orange was squatting on the windowsill licking its paws, and Little Goldfish on the balcony was gently swaying its golden flowers in the morning breeze.

Li Xian took another sip of coffee.

Life goes on, but this matter in Jiangcheng cannot be left unresolved.