Chapter 10: The Battle Between Cat and Mouse

Three hours passed in the blink of an eye. Chen Meng listened, utterly absorbed, never having imagined that nuclear weapons in this world had developed to such horrifying levels. Beyond nuclear arms, firearms and other hot weapons had advanced even further, surpassing those of his previous world. He could understand this, of course: when it came to divine body cultivation, humanity had started relatively late, and humanity’s chief advantage was always technology. Especially with the enhancement of runes, technology had undergone a profound transformation and evolution.

“All right, that’s enough for today,” Yan Ruoxi concluded at last. “The content about hot weapons is closely tied to future battles involving divine body beings, so it’s practically guaranteed to be on the exam. In fact, you can use this logic to guide your revision: anything related to future divine body cultivation is bound to be a key topic. There’s a reason why runes, alchemy, and artifact forging make up such a large portion of the score. Everything you’re learning now is to prepare you to become a divine body being in the future.”

Chen Meng felt a sudden clarity. The nation was training its current students in runes, alchemy, and artifact forging—essential skills for divine body cultivation. The other six subjects were much the same. It was all in service of developing divine body beings. Did that mean divine bodies held an even greater advantage over technology?

…

It was nearly half past nine when Chen Meng walked home alone. There were few people left on the streets; entertainment in this world was sparse, after all. Most ambitious people spent their time preparing for life and the advancement of their divine bodies. Humanity in this world was not safe. Cultists lurked in the shadows, causing harm to society, and many divine body beings committed crimes, their destruction far more severe than that caused by ordinary people.

Normally, the bus ride home would take Chen Meng about twenty minutes, but after alighting, he’d still have to walk another five or six minutes. There was, however, a shortcut that could reduce his walking time to three minutes. As always, Chen Meng took the shortcut—saving two or three minutes was better than nothing.

The shortcut passed through a half-demolished old residential complex. For some reason, the demolition had been halted, and the site had been abandoned for nearly a year. Chen Meng’s shortcut went straight through this derelict neighborhood.

“Still poor,” Chen Meng thought with some feeling as he looked at the deserted complex. “Otherwise, who would live here?”

With the ever-expanding Earth, land was no longer as valuable as it once was. Families with even modest means could now afford villas in less desirable locations—maybe not detached homes, but row houses were within reach for many.

He walked quickly along the complex’s old inner ring road. The streetlights outside the complex cast just enough light to see by, although it was quite dim. Still, it was enough for walking.

As he made his way, Chen Meng suddenly heard a sharp, piercing sound—not far off, and seemingly made by some animal.

“What was that? Nearly scared me to death!” Chen Meng muttered, glancing toward the old central square of the complex. He could just make out a dozen or so small figures, each about twenty or thirty centimeters tall—probably stray cats.

After that sharp cry, the cats began to yowl as well, their cries echoing through the night.

Chen Meng paused, curiosity piqued by the commotion among the strays, and wandered over for a closer look. Before he’d even arrived, the shrieking grew louder. He saw a group of wild cats swarming an animal roughly their own size. A battle had erupted.

“What the… What are these strays up to?” Chen Meng quickened his pace, thinking he might be witnessing an event worthy of tomorrow’s headlines.

He crept closer, finally taking cover behind a tree. By the faint glow of a distant streetlamp, he could at last see what was happening.

A dozen or so wild cats had surrounded a large rat with golden fur. Chen Meng was certain these were the most proper cats he’d ever seen—cats actually catching a rat. But a dozen cats against one rat? Where was their feline dignity?

Yet, upon seeing the rat, he understood. This was no ordinary rat—it was as large as a cat. In terms of size, it was hardly a rat at all.

A demon rat, surely!

What startled him even more was what happened next. The rat clutched a shard of broken glass in its paw, wielding it like a dagger. With each swipe, it slashed open the bodies of the stray cats, staining the square with pools of blood.

Several cats, likely from blood loss, lay motionless on the ground.

This rat was downright vicious.

But as the fight wore on, the rat’s stamina waned. Clearly, it was faltering. At last, a stray cat pounced, sinking its teeth into the rat’s foreleg.

“Squeak! Squeak!” the giant rat roared, stabbing at its attacker with the shard of glass. The makeshift blade pierced straight through the cat’s neck. The cat leapt away in agony, staggered a few steps, and collapsed, lifeless.

The rat scrambled back to its feet, glaring at the remaining cats. The shard of glass in its paw caught the distant light, blood still dripping from its edge.

“Squeak! Squeak!” it bellowed, as if threatening the other strays.

But the cats were beyond reason, their eyes red with fury—perhaps the one who had just died was their leader.

“Meow! Meow!” the strays cried, encircling the rat, refusing to retreat. They were ready to launch a second assault.

Chen Meng watched from the sidelines, exhilarated. He was certain this was better than any blockbuster film—who’d ever seen such a cat-and-mouse battle, especially with a rat like this that seemed almost supernaturally gifted.

Wait a minute—supernaturally gifted?

Chen Meng suddenly paused. This wasn’t just a gifted rat—it was intelligent!

What kind of rat wields a weapon? What kind of rat grows so large? What kind of rat exudes a tiger’s aura?

He remembered something he’d just learned: animals that awakened intelligence were protected by law. Killing one could carry the death penalty! And if he stood by and watched this intelligent rat die, would he be complicit? Forget about university entrance exams—he might end up in prison.

Chen Meng was suddenly at a complete loss. In this moment, the rat was the true boss.

The strays launched their second attack. Chen Meng could no longer sit idle. He glanced around—stones and bricks wouldn’t help; even if he killed one cat, there were too many left. His eyes landed on a rusty folding stool about ten meters away in the ruins.

Now that looked useful.

Chen Meng dashed over, seized the stool, and charged into the fray. “Brother Rat, I’m here to help you!” he shouted.

Wielding the stool like a weapon, he swung with force, sending a stray cat flying. The others, seeing a human of such size suddenly appear, scattered in terror.

“Hmph, not even close to a match for me!” Chen Meng looked at the corpses of the cats, then the fleeing strays, feeling a rush of invincibility.

He tossed the stool aside. “Thank goodness—I nearly broke the law today,” he thought with relief. Turning to the giant rat, he was more certain than ever that it was intelligent. What other rat would face a human fearlessly, even daring to lock eyes with him?

Especially those eyes—they almost seemed to speak. Though Chen Meng couldn’t read their meaning, he guessed it was gratitude.

“No need to thank me, Brother Rat!” Chen Meng said. The rat, sensing Chen Meng’s lack of hostility and recognizing his help, hesitated, then pointed to the ground.

“What, you want me to squat down?” Chen Meng crouched, and the rat gestured again.

“You want me to wait here?”

This time, the rat nodded.

Chen Meng was stunned. The rat actually understood human speech. This wasn’t just intelligence—it had practically learned a foreign language.

He had no idea what the rat was about to do, but seeing there was still time, he decided to wait.

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