Chapter 264: Watching from the Sidelines
Upon receiving Fang Xiaocao’s orders, Tom, Taotie, and Hummingbird sprang into action.
Tom led the way, with Fang Xiaocao and Hummingbird in the middle, while Taotie stayed at the rear to guard their escape.
The four of them formed a tactical formation and began retreating swiftly.
Who cares about treasure?
Nothing is more important than staying alive!
They ran with all their might, fearing that if they slowed down, they would be surrounded by the army of flesh-eating rats.
After running less than a thousand meters, a loud explosion suddenly erupted ahead. Flames shot up into the air, and the agonizing screams of humans echoed through the cavern.
The four of them froze in shock.
Tom gestured for everyone to halt and crouched down, looking at Fang Xiaocao.
The others also turned to look at Tom.
Among them, he was the expert in explosives. If it wasn’t his doing, then whose was it?
“Your Highness, it was one of my traps. Someone else has entered this place,” Tom explained in a serious tone.
“What do we do now?”
“We’re caught between a rock and a hard place.”
“Should we charge forward and fight?” Taotie scratched his head and suggested.
“No!” Fang Xiaocao immediately rejected the idea.
This reckless fool only knew how to fight and never used his brain.
Taotie might be rash, but she wasn’t.
Even a fool could tell this was a terrible idea.
If they fought now, they’d be trapped between two enemies and wouldn’t stand a chance.
“Tom, find another way. We need to avoid them.”
“Better yet, let the mercenaries and the flesh-eating rats fight each other while we sit back and reap the benefits.”
Fang Xiaocao blinked mischievously, a sly grin forming on her lips.
Tom was stunned for a moment but soon smiled and pulled out his device.
He opened the treasure map and began studying the terrain.
“Hurry up, Tom! The enemies are less than a kilometer away. They’ll be here any second!” Taotie urged impatiently.
Fang Xiaocao shot him a glare, shutting him up instantly.
Taotie chuckled sheepishly but obediently kept quiet.
After studying the map for a minute, Tom’s eyes lit up.
He put away his device and whispered, “Your Highness, follow me. This way.”
He led them into a narrow passage hidden behind a rock crevice.
After walking about 200 meters, they reached a dead end.
“Your Highness, we should stay here for now. This spot is extremely well-hidden. Without a detailed map, those mercenaries won’t be able to find it. The only problem is whether the flesh-eating rats will track us by scent. We just have to hope they run into the mercenaries first,” Tom explained in a hushed tone.
“Hmm, it is well-hidden.”
“The flesh-eating rats aren’t a problem. I brought something for that.”
Fang Xiaocao smirked, setting down her backpack and taking out a small spray bottle.
The others stared at her curiously, wondering what the unlabeled bottle contained.
“What’s that?” Taotie asked.
“Synthetic beast scent spray!” Fang Xiaocao grinned.
“I knew we’d be going into the mountains, so I bought this just in case. It contains synthetic tiger scent with added tiger urine. If I spray it around, it’ll leave a lingering tiger smell. Those flesh-eating rats may be bold enough to attack humans, but they won’t dare mess with a tiger.”
“And according to what you guys said, they prefer human flesh. If they don’t find any corpses, they’ll likely go after the mercenaries rather than a tiger.”
Fang Xiaocao explained with a smug expression.
Tom and the others finally understood, their faces lighting up in realization.
“Smart thinking!” Taotie praised.
“Of course~” Fang Xiaocao said proudly.
She began spraying the scent around the rock crevice and, for good measure, even sprayed some on Taotie.
“Ugh, that stinks!” Taotie pinched his nose in disgust.
“Deal with it! Better than being eaten alive.” Fang Xiaocao giggled.
Just then, a rustling sound came from outside the rock crevice.
The sound of countless creatures scurrying rapidly through the cave sent shivers down their spines.
No doubt about it—
The flesh-eating rats had arrived!
The four of them held their breath, not daring to make a sound for fear of drawing attention.
At the same time, voices came from the other side of the cavern.
“Captain, there’s movement ahead!”
“The mercenaries are here,” Tom whispered.
Fang Xiaocao nodded. “Perfect timing.”
She flashed a devilish grin.
The next second—
“What the hell is that?!”
“Rats! So many rats!”
“AHHH! They’re biting me!”
“Shoot! Shoot them all!”
The cave erupted with screams, gunfire, and the high-pitched squeals of the flesh-eating rats.
The mercenaries had run straight into the swarm, and the rats, drawn to human flesh, wasted no time in launching a frenzied attack.
Gunfire and screams filled the cavern as the mercenaries fought desperately against the horde of rodents.
The intensity of the battle was evident, with the echoes of gunshots and agonized wails constantly reaching Fang Xiaocao and her group.
“They’re fighting like crazy out there…” Fang Xiaocao muttered.
“Damn! Listening to this is getting me pumped! I wanna jump in and fight too!” Taotie clenched his fists in excitement.
“Sit down and shut up!”
Fang Xiaocao smacked him on the head.
“If you make a move, I’ll break three of your legs.”
Taotie instantly went quiet, sulking in the corner like a scolded golden retriever.
The fierce battle didn’t last long.
After ten minutes, the sounds of fighting gradually weakened.
The relentless gunfire, once as intense as a rainstorm, became sporadic.
Taotie listened for a moment and turned to Fang Xiaocao.
“Your Highness, it sounds like the fight is over. Everything’s gone quiet.”
Fang Xiaocao blinked and looked at Tom.
Tom nodded in understanding and cautiously made his way to the entrance of the rock crevice.
“Be careful,” Fang Xiaocao reminded him.
Tom nodded, pulling out a grenade in one hand and gripping his gun in the other.
He peeked out of the crevice, scanning the area.
Outside—
Blood was everywhere.
The ground was littered with the corpses of mercenaries and flesh-eating rats.
A few mercenaries were still alive, convulsing on the ground.
Surrounding them, a dozen flesh-eating rats feasted hungrily on their bodies.
