Chapter 196: Chapter 196: Giant Rabbit

With their previous experience in mind, the moment they heard another mournful cry, the two exchanged a glance and immediately sprinted toward the source of the sound.

Earlier, for some unknown reason, they had missed the critical window. By the time they arrived, nothing but bones had remained. This time, they didn’t hesitate. They wanted to reach the scene the very second the attack happened, determined to figure out exactly what this elusive creature was.

However, even though they had moved as fast as possible, when they stood outside the adjacent cage, they were still greeted by a blood-spattered scene and bare bones covered in scattered fur.

Taking a deep breath, Lu Jingyu broke the lock and entered the room. The bones were once again covered in densely packed teeth marks. It was hard to imagine what kind of creature could leave such traces. The two searched the room but still found absolutely nothing.

After a moment of thought, Xu Qingsui said, "Since we can’t catch it from behind, let’s go wait up ahead.

"There are still more captive animals further down, right? I wonder if it’s full yet!"

Lu Jingyu immediately understood her point. He swiftly led her toward the cages further ahead where the remaining animals were kept.

But when they arrived, the gate to the cage had already been destroyed.

The interior of the room was fully visible—the animal that had been kept inside was gone. Furthermore, one of the walls had a massive crack running from top to bottom, with some unknown liquid lingering around the edges of the fissure. Seeing this, they both reached the same conclusion.

The creature inside had been infected! It had broken out of its cage and escaped.

"Could that thing we’re chasing be the one that escaped from here?" Since their previous questions had gone unanswered, encountering a mutated creature finally made Xu Qingsui connect the two.

Lu Jingyu slowly shook his head. "Probably not. I remember a giant rabbit being kept in here. Even if a thing like that mutated, it shouldn’t be able to completely evade our sight!"

Just as they were speaking, a massive shadow loomed over them from behind.

Acting on a subtle cue from Xu Qingsui, Lu Jingyu pulled her forward while spinning around and hurling his weapon. The sharp blade slashed directly into a fur-covered wall of flesh, leaving a deep, gaping wound.

Blood instantly dyed the thick fur red. Immediately after, accompanied by a piercing shriek, a pair of gigantic, clasped claws smashed down viciously.

The massive claws descended like a sledgehammer, aiming straight for Lu Jingyu’s head. He felt a violent gust of wind rushing toward his face. Dodging on pure instinct, the claws grazed past his body and slammed into the ground.

The reinforced floor began to spiderweb with cracks under the heavy blow, showing exactly what would have happened if that strike had actually landed on him.

Catching a glimpse of the shattered ground, Lu Jingyu drew a sharp breath. He immediately raised his weapon and thrust it at the wall of flesh again. Learning from his previous strike, he didn’t dare pull back right away. The moment the weapon pierced the flesh, he gripped it tightly with both hands and exerted all his strength to drive it deeper.

SQUELCH!

A stream of blood sprayed out from the gap where the blade entered the flesh. Lu Jingyu had always been somewhat of a neat freak. Figuring the strike was fatal and the creature was as good as dead, he quickly stepped aside to dodge the splattering blood.

But just as he dodged, the giant claws that had attacked him earlier actually grabbed the weapon embedded in its body and forcefully wrenched it out. At the same time, its other claw swung straight at Lu Jingyu. The wind generated by the strike was so strong it made him stumble.

Witnessing this, Xu Qingsui’s pupils shrank in shock. She immediately reached for her waist, ready to pull out Crimson Chain to help.

But Lu Jingyu was no ordinary Sentinel. After steadying himself, Tan Lang—a weapon that resembled a sword but wasn’t quite one, half red and half black—flew out from behind him.

Tan Lang shot toward the fleshy behemoth, darting and weaving around it in a rapid flurry of motion. Mid-swing, the creature’s massive claws froze in the air.

By the time Tan Lang flew back to Lu Jingyu’s side, the wall of flesh was still frozen in place. Aside from the bloody gash Lu Jingyu had inflicted earlier, there wasn’t a single new wound on its body. Yet, the creature remained completely motionless, having entirely lost its ability to fight.

Puzzled, Xu Qingsui carefully scrutinized the behemoth. It was only then that she realized it was a giant rabbit that had been magnified several times over.

Due to the mutation, the fur on the rabbit’s ears stood fully on end, the edges gleaming with a chilling, metallic light. The upright ears seemed to have transformed into sharp weapons themselves.

Its naturally crimson eyes had also changed. Within the red, there was a heavy trace of deep purple. Its pupils were profoundly dark, like vortexes ready to suck in anyone who made eye contact. Furthermore, the rabbit’s two iconic front teeth hung out of its mouth like a pair of half-meter-long white slabs.

Getting a clear look at the Mutant’s appearance, Xu Qingsui couldn’t help but let her mouth twitch. Logically, rabbits were adorable animals, but this mutated giant rabbit was completely devoid of any cuteness.

Just as she was feeling utterly speechless, the giant rabbit Mutant deflated right before their eyes at a visible rate.

In almost an instant, nothing was left of the Mutant but its fur. Without the support of flesh and blood, it collapsed directly onto the floor, its fur haphazardly covering a pile of bones.

The two couldn’t help but exchange another look. Understanding her silent question, Lu Jingyu stepped forward and swept the fur aside, revealing the tooth-scarred bones underneath.

Seeing the exact same phenomenon occur again—and this time, right in front of them—their expressions instantly turned grave. They quickly stood back-to-back, vigilantly scanning their surroundings.

"I feel like we’re being provoked!" Even though the attack had happened right under their noses again, Xu Qingsui still couldn’t detect the aura of any enemy. But the fact that this scene had played out right in front of them meant the culprit was in their immediate vicinity. This behavior was nothing short of a blatant show of power, taunting them.

"Don’t worry. So what if we can’t find it right now? As long as it’s still here, it will eventually expose a flaw. When it does, that’ll be our chance to strike back," Lu Jingyu encouraged her, his eyes still sweeping the area.

However, finding nothing left him feeling unsettled; he wasn’t nearly as confident as he sounded while comforting her.

"That thing has been following us but hasn’t attacked us directly. I suppose it won’t make a move in the short term. Let’s keep moving forward! Like you just said, it’ll eventually expose a flaw." Since she couldn’t detect that mysterious entity even with her spiritual power, Xu Qingsui decided to stop trying. That thing would definitely appear again. Since there was nothing they could do about it right now, there was no point in wasting any more time.

Lu Jingyu understood what she meant. Nodding, he immediately led Xu Qingsui onward.

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