Chapter 129: A Ray of Hope Amidst the Gloom

Rat noticed this as well, and his expression grew increasingly grim.

If it had just been the Gold-Devouring Rats in front of them, they could have taken turns holding the line. With the rich spiritual energy in this area, their ability to recover their own reserves was fast enough that they might have been able to withstand this tide.

But now, the Gold-Devouring Rats were attacking from all directions, and the pressure on them intensified instantly. This required them to fight simultaneously in every direction, which meant their spiritual energy might not be able to keep up.

Just then, Rooster stepped forward.

"Everyone, take a break! Cover your ears!"

They all knew what Rooster was about to do and instinctively covered their ears. Lin Xiao, seeing their reaction, followed suit.

"Death Howl! Aaaah!"

A violent sonic wave erupted from Rooster as the center. The effect was immediate; a massive number of the surrounding Gold-Devouring Rats were shattered and killed. Rooster’s cry continued, and by his own strength, he forcefully held back the swarm.

Although Lin Xiao had covered his ears, he still felt his head spinning. Among those present, his cultivation was the lowest, and he felt that if not for his superior physical constitution, he might not have survived the onslaught. *Damn it,* he thought, *I thought Rooster was just like me, tasked with reconnaissance. I never expected him to have such skills. I really am the weakest link here.*

Lin Xiao could see the predicament the War Wolf Mercenary Group was in. It wasn't that their strength was lacking; it was simply that the number of enemies was too overwhelming. The biggest problem now was the risk of them running out of spiritual energy. If the Gold-Devouring Rats managed to close in, even though everyone else was a Level 5 powerhouse, the end result would surely be death.

He had a way to solve this: Spirit Recovery Pills. They would allow the team to rapidly replenish their energy. However, he hadn't planned to reveal them yet, intending to use this opportunity to gauge the true character of the War Wolf members.

Rooster’s sonic attack continued for a while, causing immense damage to the swarm, but the cost was that his spiritual energy was quickly depleted. The others immediately moved to fill the gap.

Rat’s expression grew even darker. In this short time, they had killed at least a hundred thousand Gold-Devouring Rats, yet the swarm around them showed no signs of thinning. Could it be that they were truly going to perish here today?

Everyone’s spiritual energy was running thin. Snake, who had exhausted hers first, was forced back into the battle before she had fully recovered. Horse and Monkey, being melee fighters, had plenty of spiritual energy but lacked area-of-effect skills. Even if they wanted to charge out, they were powerless to do so.

Rat sighed and took two jade bottles from his spatial ring. Lin Xiao was stunned to see them; weren't those the Spirit Recovery Pills he had sold at the auction? He had been debating whether to take his own out, never expecting Rat to have some as well. They must have been purchased at the auction.

Rat tossed both bottles to Snake. Her poison mist attacks were more lethal than Rooster’s sonic waves, and besides, he needed to give orders, which he couldn't do if Rooster were still screaming.

After receiving the pills, Snake immediately swallowed one. Her spiritual energy was instantly restored, and she began a new round of slaughter. Taking advantage of this, Rat gathered the others.

"Listen, everyone. I never expected us to encounter a Gold-Devouring Rat tide of this scale. Looking at the situation, the numbers are too high; we won't be able to hold out for long. I am ordering that when we can no longer maintain our defense, everyone must try to break out. We cannot all die here. Horse, Monkey, your speed is the greatest. I believe you have the best chance of escaping. I ask nothing else but that you take Pig with you—we were the ones who dragged him into this!"

"Big Brother! We aren't leaving! If we die, we die together!"

"Abandoning you to save ourselves? What do you take us for?"

"Shut up! At this rate, we will all die here. If we all die, it’s for nothing. If you make it out, you can at least take care of our families and tell our leaders that we failed their expectations."

Horse and Monkey wanted to argue, but seeing the look in Rat's eyes, they swallowed their words. As Rat said, if they couldn't escape, their deaths would be meaningless.

Rat finally turned his gaze to Lin Xiao. "Pig, I’m sorry. I never imagined this would happen. All I can do is ensure Horse and Monkey try to get you out."

Lin Xiao hadn't spoken until now. Seeing the situation, Snake could hold on for a while longer; it wasn't yet time to reveal his trump card. Rat’s words only improved his impression of the War Wolf Mercenary Group.

At a time like this, Rat and the others wouldn't waste their energy putting on a performance for him. What moved him most was that Rat had chosen to have the fastest members take him along, rather than anyone else from their own squad. In that moment, he knew this was a group worth trusting. He couldn't let these people die here.

"Big Brother Rat, isn't it a bit too early to be talking about such depressing things? We might not necessarily die here."

Seeing Lin Xiao’s calm demeanor, Rat looked at him with even greater appreciation. If nothing else, this attitude—remaining unflustered even as the sky falls—was worthy of admiration. But business was business; he truly didn't believe they could survive this tide.

"Pig, it was a pleasure to know you. Prepare to break out with them. Don't worry, they will do their best to keep you safe. Don't feel guilty; sometimes living is more painful than dying."

Lin Xiao had completely dropped his guard. How could the character of someone who said such things be anything but noble? He reached into his spatial ring and pulled out several bottles of Spirit Recovery Pills. Unlike Rat’s, his bottles contained ten pills each.

Seeing the bottles, Rat was surprised. He narrowed his eyes; he was certain Lin Xiao hadn't had these on him earlier, which led to only one conclusion: Lin Xiao also possessed a spatial ring.

"Pig, even if these are all Spirit Recovery Pills, we might still not be able to hold them off."

"Big Brother Rat, you're truly impressive; you guessed it. As for whether we can hold them off, just open the bottle and see."

Though still skeptical, Rat didn't actually want to die if he could live. With a mix of doubt, he opened the bottle Lin Xiao had given him. When he saw that every bottle contained ten pills, he lost his composure.

*Damn it! With this many Spirit Recovery Pills, the outcome isn't decided yet!*

It was truly a case of "when you think you've reached a dead end, you find a new path."