Chapter 37: Hunting Trip (2)
Lin Mu frowned as he spotted the creatures. They were larger than any normal mutated rats he had seen, their wiry bodies covered in coarse, matted fur. Their crimson eyes glistened like freshly dropped blood in the dim light.
Shreickkkkk!!!!!!
One of the mutated rats, The Rat King, suddenly let out an ear piercing cry, the others responded in twine, their sharp claws digging into the sand as they moved in coordinated waves.
Before Lin Mu could react, the Lang brothers sprang into action. "Watch and learn, outsider!" one of them sneered before charging at the pack with reckless abandon.
The rest of the group followed suit, eager to showcase their prowess.
" Idiots...." Lin Mu on the other hand stayed back momentarily, observing their foolish tactics.
Like he expected, It didn't take long to see the flaws in their approach. The Lang brothers' bravado quickly turned into chaos as multiple mutated rats surrounded and swarmed them, their sharp teeth and claws leaving deep gashes in their pair of mounts.
Lin Mu cursed under his breath." F*cking Idiots."
" Come on girl, let's go save them before those b@stards end up throwing their lives away." Without hesitation, he flicked her reins, urging Autumn wind forward whilst drawing the bone spear weapon he had borrowed from the tribal head.
The system's voice hummed in his mind, offering tactical suggestions as he waded into the fray.
«[Alright, listen carefully. You're vastly outnumbered, but numbers mean nothing if you apply the right strategy. Here are a few tactics to handle this swarm of mutated rats.]»
"Sure, I'm all ears, lay it down on me..." Lin Mu said as Autumn wind got closer to the others who were being biseiged.
«[ Alright, first option is to Divide and Conquer. Rats may be fast, but they'll break formation if you lure them into smaller, more manageable groups. Use the terrain. Funnel them into narrow passages or in this case, in crater like areas where their numbers work against them.]»
"Okay, I like that. What else?"
«[Second is Fire and Smoke. Historically, during the Siege of Vienna in 1683, soldiers used fire and smoke to drive enemies out of tunnels. Rats are highly sensitive to smell. Ignite something strong to disorient them, and attack while they're panicked."
Lin Mu's eyes squinted who he felt a sudden itch on his nose."Fire in a desert?, I don't think that would work. What's next?"
«[Third is the Phalanx Formation. Have your escort form a tight defensive line with spears or long weapons, like the Macedonians did under Alexander the Great. Keep the rats at bay while you pick off the stragglers.]»
Lin Mu glanced at the Serinerians who seemed more worried about killing more rats than their peers than to worry about their own lives. Seeing such a scene, he shook his head before letting out a breath."These guys don't seem like the 'teamwork' type, anything else?."
«[Well their is the Feigned Retreat. You all could pretend to fall back, luring the swarm into an ambush. The Mongols were masters of this tactic. Lead the rats into an area where your group can strike from the high ground or from both sides."
"High ground, huh?, I think if I used that tactic, I'd have to be more worried about whether my so called allies would simply abandon me and flee, besides that plan requires teamwork so thats a hard pass for now."
«[Then what about this, it's the most ruthless option, Scorched Earth.]»
«[ Leave behind bait laced with poison or traps. This is dirty but effective, much like the Carthaginians did to their own fields during the Punic Wars. In this case, you'd use carcasses or food scraps."
"Poison? Do I even have that?. No, I think I should worry whether these guys would think of using me as the bait instead."
" Never mind. I'll just stick with your first suggestion...."
«[That's the spirit, now go prove those imbeciles wrong or at least survive through this.]» The system added.
The mutated rats were relentless, their movements quick and unpredictable as they scampered around the battlefield.
" I think it's about time you vermin took a nap or two." Lin Mu finally arrived with Autumn Wind, striking with precision as his bones spear pierced forth, impaling three mutated rats in one motion.
' So sharp!.' Lin Mu drew in a breath of cold air when he witnessed first hand the power the weapon he was carrying really possessed. ' just what creature did they even get this from...' he thought to himself as he stared at the bone makeshift weapon.
To be able to kill 3 rats in one swoop was a frightening scene no doubt.
«[Congratulations, you killed 3 mutated rats]»
«[Two 4th stage and one 5th stage]»
Lin Mu watched as the Mutated rat corpses turned into glistening fragments and vanished with the wind. Luckily no one was paying attention towards him, otherwise even they would be stunned by the scene.
" Hahahaha, that's what I'm talking about. Let's go Autumn wind, today, non of these vermin are leaving here alive!." Lin Mu declared with excitement.
In the blink of an eye, he began piercing through their ranks while keeping an eye on the struggling tribesmen.
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When one of the tribesmen was thrown off his mount, his weapon knocked from his grasp as a rat lunged for his throat, Lin Mu rushed forth at blur like speeds on Autumn wind.
Lin Mu moved swiftly, throwing his bone spear through the air. Like a lightning bolt, his weapon struck down the beast, sending it flying 2 meters away in the process, his bone spear piercing through the it, skewering it just in time to save the poor fellows life.
He couldn't help feeling a strange taste in his mouth as he watched the mutated rat twitch on his bone spear.
He clicked his tongue, disgust fleeting across his face for a brief moment before he turned his gaze to the Serinerian. The tribesman looked up at him in shock, his expression a mix of embarrassment and grudging gratitude.
"Get back on your mount," Lin Mu said calmly before moving towards his weapon and pulling it out of the beasts flesh.
As if planned by him, the instant he pulled it out, the creature vanished into fragments as well, unbeknowst to the tribesman who had long since found his way.
Turning in another direction, He prepared to face another wave of the creatures.
In the blink of an eye, he continued on with his ruthless slaughter, whenever he encountered a mutated rat above the 6th stage, Autumn Wind would lend him a hand in killing it, which meant that within the battlefield, he wasn't hindered at all.
Unlike the others, he was like a dark knight charging through enemy lines with his trusty stead by his side, clearing those who dared to stand in his way.
By the time the pack was defeated, the sand was stained with blue and red blood, both Serinerian and beast but not of a humans. Lin Mu's arms ached from the effort, but he remained alert, scanning for any additional threats.
Lin Mu wiped the sweat from his brow, his breath steadying as the last mutated rat twitched lifelessly at Autumn Wind's feet.