The Evolver’s Rat Kingdom

Vanderlin gazed delightedly at the scene unfolding before him.

The once bustling streets, now cleared by the giant rats, lay eerily deserted.

The sporadic, terrified screams of humans only fueled his uncontrollable laughter.

“Hahahahaha, this place shall become my base of operations.”

As a member of the [Evolvers], Vanderlin had always been unpopular among his fellow members, a fact solely attributable to his peculiar eccentricities.

He adored rats.

Moreover, he had dedicated himself to resurrecting this extinct species, once universally despised.

Perhaps it was due to having watched too many cartoons like Tom and Jerry (TL Note: A popular cartoon featuring a cat and mouse duo.) in his childhood, or perhaps it was because his diminutive stature had earned him rat-related nicknames; whatever the reason, he harbored none of the widespread aversion others felt for these creatures.

Even with his profound affection for rats, Vanderlin was acutely aware of the dangers these creatures posed.

At most, he would playfully interact with white lab mice, never having succumbed to the madness of unleashing them to disgust everyone.

Until…

The arrival of the Blackblood race.

They effortlessly annihilated the habitats that countless creatures relied upon for survival, and innumerable species vanished beneath their iron hooves.

Rats, naturally, were among them.

Utterly uncompetitive in the face of the Blackbloods, they weren’t even considered food.

For Vanderlin, that which no longer existed became the most beautiful.

To muster the strength to survive the catastrophe, the utterly bereft Vanderlin chose rats as his spiritual anchor, resurrecting them, empowering them, and ultimately, ruling over them.

Now, he had undoubtedly succeeded.

Riding in a hovering sphere capable of withstanding a pre-cataclysmic nuclear blast, and surrounded by towering, three-meter-tall giant rats, he descended upon the city like a king, heralded by his loyal subjects.

As for those lapdogs from the Regulatory Bureau…

Bring him to me.

No words were needed; a mere thought was enough to summon the giant rats.

“Let go of me!”

“Thud!”

Someone was unceremoniously dropped directly beneath the hovering sphere.

It was a young man in a police uniform.

His once pristine uniform was now tattered and torn, his issued weapon discarded nearby.

Though encircled by the horde of rats, he showed not the slightest hint of fear.

“Well, well, isn’t it Captain Wang? What a sorry state you’re in.

I distinctly recall you hounding me so closely back then, even when I burrowed into the sewers, I could still see you trailing right behind me!”

Despite confronting the very adversary who had once humiliated him, Vanderlin remained cautiously suspended in the air.

“Old Fan, stop this charade and surrender.

The [Evolvers]’ stronghold has been dismantled.

Why are you still doing this?

Surrender now, and you might receive a lighter sentence.”

Captain Wang urged.

Though the situation was somewhat absurd, Vanderlin’s giant rat gang had caused no casualties.

They had merely driven out the human residents of the area, and it was precisely this fact that had compelled him to venture deep into enemy territory to persuade a surrender.

‘What?’

‘The [Evolvers] are gone?’

He had spent two full years underground, searching for data and experimental subjects.

Emerging, he had never imagined his organization would have ceased to exist.

He had initially hoped other members would come to his aid, but now, he was utterly alone.

‘However…’

‘This is even better.’

“Hahahahaha, what a useless bunch of good-for-nothings!

So many people, yet they couldn’t even protect their own home.

It seems I am truly the strongest!”

No matter how panicked he felt internally, Vanderlin knew he couldn’t show it on the surface.

He forced a calm demeanor, uttering awkward lines.

“Indeed, without a doubt, as the last and strongest Evolver, you have far surpassed your former colleagues.

Compared to your research achievements, they are utterly worthless.”

While the words were largely complimentary, they also contained a measure of truth.

They had already experienced the combat prowess of these giant rats firsthand.

Intelligent and cooperative, their defenses were so formidable that even the available modern weaponry couldn’t penetrate them.

At this thought, Captain Wang resumed his fervent flattery (TL Note: A Chinese slang term, ‘chuī cǎihóng pì,’ literally ‘blowing rainbow farts,’ meaning to give exaggerated praise or flattery.).

They had compiled a detailed dossier on Vanderlin.

Within the [Evolvers], he had never achieved significant results nor caused much destruction, marking him as a low-ranking member.

His sense of belonging, while not entirely absent, was certainly minimal.

With such a person suddenly gaining power, a little more praise from them could resolve this crisis without bloodshed.

Considering it further, they might even become partners.

Captain Wang glanced at the surrounding giant rats, instantly finding them much more endearing.

‘These could very well be future teammates!’

As for the affected residents, the council’s funds would surely be allocated anyway, and they might even end up thanking the “rat brothers.”

Vanderlin, seizing the opportune moment to save face, spoke up: “Hmm… I’ve always wanted to visit the Regulatory Bureau’s Research Department.

I wonder, Captain Wang, if you could perhaps arrange an introduction?”

“Naturally, I, Wang, will do everything within my power to assist you…”

‘What was that?’

‘A rock just flew over?’

“Boom!”

Captain Wang stared dumbfounded at the scene before him.

The hovering sphere, renowned for its defenses, had been struck by a mere rock, and now swayed precariously, threatening to fall at any moment.

‘Hadn’t he explicitly stated not to act rashly?’

‘Who on earth was it?’

An enraged Captain Wang felt as though he might explode.

‘It was so close, just a little bit more!’

“Very well, very well.

Is this truly the Regulatory Bureau’s way of treating guests?”

A cold sneer escaped Vanderlin’s lips.

He had already abandoned the hovering sphere, now riding atop one of the giant rats.

A palpable fury emanated from him, visible to the naked eye.

This was a so-called decapitation strike, dispatching an envoy to lull him into complacency, while secretly arranging for his assassination.

He commanded the giant rats with a sinister tone: “You, start it off.

Give Captain Wang a little game of aerial toss.

Do not stop without my explicit order.”

The giant rats received their command.

One of them seized Captain Wang’s uniform, and, as despair washed over his face, prepared to hurl him into the air.

“Are you a member of that… *thingy* organization?”

The sudden voice drew the gaze of everyone present.

Two figures, clad in black, approached from the distance, one following the other.

‘This person looks somewhat familiar; I feel like I’ve seen them somewhere before.’

Captain Wang, still held captive, mused inwardly.

“Naturally, I am the last and the strongest [Evolver].”

Vanderlin shamelessly affixed this label to himself.

“Then I just need to get rid of him, right?

Don’t worry, you poor soul over there, I’ll come rescue you once I’m done.”

The husky, sharp voice was brimming with confidence, as if the speaker held no regard for anyone present.

Upon hearing such audacious remarks, Vanderlin couldn’t help but burst into laughter:

“Where did this greenhorn come from?

No skill whatsoever, yet a mouth full of bluster!”

Having spoken, he commanded one of the giant rats to approach the figure in black.

“Hey, hey, are you sure about this?”

Robin knew this person was immensely powerful, yet every time she watched them fight, a sense of dread would creep in, fearing they might, once again, spectacularly fail…

‘Wait, why did I say ‘again’?’

“Don’t worry.

Didn’t I take care of a few on the way here?

There are just more of them here, that’s all.”

Without the absolute ability to crush her opponents, Xiu Lan would never dare boast.

The humiliation of feigning weakness only to be outsmarted far surpassed the disgrace of outright defeat.

Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit.

Xiu Lan’s right hand coalesced into a flowing sword of shadow, as she advanced, step by deliberate step, towards the giant rat.

“Heh, not running away, but actually approaching me?”

To be safe, Vanderlin summoned a few more giant rats, ordering them to stand by, just in case.

The lone giant rat, dispatched earlier, was now less than three meters from the figure in black.

The tension between them was palpable, ready to erupt.

Xiu Lan was the first to act.

She swung her shadow sword, cleaving forward.

As an intelligent creature, the giant rat did not meet the attack head-on.

Instead, it nimbly leaped into the air, evading the black-clad figure’s strike, then, with the force of Mount Tai, landed precisely where Xiu Lan had just been.

The fluidity of its movements suggested an almost prescient awareness of the future.

“……”

“……”

‘No, it’s just that person is far too predictable.’

Robin covered her face, speechless.

To be outmaneuvered so disgracefully in public, she already anticipated someone’s impending tantrum.

“Hahahahahahaha!”

Vanderlin roared with laughter.

The enemy’s perceived weakness made him feel that all his preparations had been entirely superfluous.

Pinned by the weight of the giant rat, even those hunters wouldn’t be able to break free for a while.

‘This black-clad figure must surely have been flattened into a meat patty by now.’

He commanded the giant rat to return to his side.

Yet, for some inexplicable reason, the giant rat remained utterly motionless.

‘What’s wrong…’

‘No reaction?’

“Heh…”

A chilling laugh emanated from beneath the giant rat.

Dark sword energy flickered, and in a mere instant, the colossal body, now a desiccated corpse, crashed heavily to the ground.

A seething killing intent permeated the entire space, as terrifying pressure radiated from Xiu Lan, akin to a demon god from hell.

“I’m going to kill you all, ahhhhh!”

‘Sure enough, she was throwing a childish tantrum again…’ Robin thought with a sigh.

‘I remember who this person is now.’

Meanwhile, Captain Wang, still suspended by the rat, finally recalled the black-clad figure he had encountered that day when Yao Jing had forced him to drive.

“To deal with a naughty child, it seems one truly ought to call their parents.”

Using the communicator hidden in his ear, he began to contact a certain acquaintance.