In a seemingly spacious room, faint gasps began to rise.
Covered in wounds, the Mole slumped against the door, barely able to move. A bizarrely shaped wooden sword was lodged in his abdomen, his intestines spilling onto the floor.
Behind him, the door shuddered under repeated pounding.
*Thud!*
*Thud!*
With great effort, the Mole lifted his head and glanced at the Sky Rat seated across from him. A faint smirk curled his lips as he whispered, “Boss… where’s that usual swagger you used to toy with us? In our day, retirement came at fifty-five… What about you, Boss? Retiring a bit early today?”
The Sky Rat was equally bloodied—the two had clearly fought to the death.
But while the Mole’s injuries were fatal, the Sky Rat merely seemed exhausted.
“I really can’t figure it out…” The Sky Rat let out a bitter laugh. “I caught the scent of your killing intent the moment you stepped in… All these years, even with a collar around your neck, you never once radiated such malice…”
“So, Boss, do you finally understand my struggle?” The Mole chuckled weakly. “Suppressing the urge to kill someone as *magnificent* and *deserving of death* as you was harder than reaching the heavens. Every day, I stifled my true desires… just so you wouldn’t bother with a lowly pawn like me.”
The Sky Rat knew the Mole had been hiding his full strength, waiting for this moment. Though he lacked an “Echo” or formidable combat skills, he had something far more dangerous—utter recklessness.
And the Sky Rat’s own “Immortal Arts”—”Spirit Scent,” “Crafting,” and “Growth”—were useless in a fight for survival.
Without their abilities, stripped down to raw physicality, he was just a frail old man facing a young, desperate brute with nothing left to lose.
Even if their skills were equal… the Sky Rat still bore old wounds from the Azure Dragon.
Countless coincidences had led them here—both collapsed, barely clinging to life.
“You could’ve killed me from the start…” The Sky Rat coughed. “Why wait until now?”
“Come on, Boss…” The Mole pushed himself up with trembling arms, intestines dangling. “You didn’t actually think I was *afraid* of you, did you? Sure, I could’ve killed you anytime—but I’d die too. What scared me wasn’t your brittle bones… but the retaliation.”
He yanked the wooden sword from his gut and tossed it aside, blood pooling beneath him.
“And yet, do you really think you’ll live now?” The Sky Rat stared at the battered Mole. “If we keep fighting… who dies first is still up for debate.”
“Hard to say.” The Mole staggered toward him. “Boss… mind if I ask—have you noticed the knocking?”
The Sky Rat had heard it—the relentless banging—but why was the hallway so chaotic? Since when did “Zodiacs” pound on doors like this at night?
“Heard an interesting plan today.” The Mole bent down, grinning weakly. “They said they’d free all the ‘ants’ here… Boss, you’re wise, halfway in the grave already—care to enlighten this youngster? What do you think they meant?”
The Sky Rat’s eyes widened. He sniffed—yes, a faint murderous aura seeped from beyond the door.
Since when did ordinary “Zodiacs” knock with such bloodlust?
“‘Ants’… on the *Train*?!” The Sky Rat gasped. “Impossible… The ‘ants’ have the Stag Beetle… and that door *can’t* be opened from inside! They’re blind and deaf—this shouldn’t be possible! Even if they rebelled, you’d still die before—”
Mid-sentence, the Mole seized the Sky Rat’s face, pressing bloodied thumbs against his eyeballs.
The Sky Rat flinched, eyes squeezing shut as his hands flailed.
“Boss…” The Mole grinned, breath ragged. “If I open that door now, they’ll tear you apart. Yet here you are, *worried* about *me* dying? You’ve always cared so deeply for your subordinates… Where else could I find a leader so *devoted*?”
“Mole, wait—” The Sky Rat swallowed, panic creeping into his voice. “Listen, if you kill me, the Azure Dragon and Celestial Dragon will hunt you down! You’re gutted—if I beg for mercy, get you treated, you could—”
“Ah, Boss…” The Mole sighed. “You’re missing the point.”
His thumbs pressed harder.
The Sky Rat screamed, clawing at the Mole’s exposed intestines—but the grip didn’t loosen.
With a sickening *pop*, thumbs plunged into eye sockets, bursting them like foul water balloons.
“AAAAAAAAH!!!”
“Boss…” The Mole whispered, smiling. “Let me brief you on the next steps. First, I’ll torture you to death—slowly. No matter what happens to me, your demise remains my top priority. A fitting tribute to your decades of *ruthless leadership*.”
“You madman… You’re insane—*insane*!” The Sky Rat flailed, pounding the Mole’s wounds. Blood gushed, yet the thumbs stayed buried.
“And if my plan fails, don’t worry—the ‘ants’ outside are *eager* to greet you. The moment you meet them, you’ll experience the *full passion* of the oppressed.”
Realization struck—the Sky Rat was finished.
Even if he killed the Mole, opening that door meant annihilation.
No… He was overthinking. Could he even reach the door now?
He might die before it opened.
A dull ache throbbed behind his ruined eyes as the Mole’s fingers withdrew—weakness finally claiming him.
Then, slick hands wrapped around his throat.
But the grip was feeble, like a lover’s caress.
The Sky Rat’s pulse quickened.
*This* was his chance.
The Mole was all defiance—but his body had other plans.
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