"Have the rats been on steroids lately? They're attacking me!"
"With so many pouring out of the sewers, when will we ever finish cleaning them up?"
Two men walked down the street, faces full of worry. The bag behind them occasionally made squelching sounds.
They slowly opened the bag, revealing rats emitting sharp screeches, some even gnawing at each other.
"My God! These beasts are eating their own!"
The men entered the rodent control sanitation bureau and dumped two sacks of rats into the furnace. Amid the sharp cries, the furnace emitted a burnt smell.
A tall man walked over to them, a sack on his back, seemingly about to head out for rat catching.
"Where are the most rats?" Vasiliy asked calmly.
"Oh! Vasiliy, you should check out the reservoir in the west! I've heard it's overrun with rats there! God, if they don't raise our pay, I'm quitting!"
Ignoring the men's complaints, Vasiliy left the shop with his sack.
As an ordinary rat catcher in New York City, Vasiliy took his job very seriously. With the rat infestation growing, he felt obliged to clean it up!
He didn't notice that as he left, one of the men rolled up his pant leg, revealing a bloody ankle.
"Damn rats, they bit me!"
The New York reservoir was vast and sparsely populated. As one of the few suburban features of the city, Vasiliy quickly found the underground pipeline there.
Squeak, squeak, squeak! A flood of rats poured out of the sewer, a sight that even the experienced Vasiliy found troubling.
Could there be a new species in the sewer?
Vasiliy's experienced mind quickly deduced the problem. Unless something more dangerous appeared in the sewers, the rats wouldn't swarm out like this!
Securing his rat-catching gear, Vasiliy decided not to deal with the overflowing rats right away. He planned to start at the source, believing that solving the root problem would send the rats back into hiding.
He found a nearby sewer manhole and moved the heavy iron cover aside. Leaving his gear outside, Vasiliy carefully climbed down the ladder.
As the largest economic city in the United States, New York's sewers also served as air-raid shelters, making them spacious!
The burly Vasiliy jumped into the tunnel, turning on his flashlight to illuminate the pitch-black surroundings. The foul-smelling water trickled through the passage.
Thankfully, Vasiliy wore rubber boots.
Using his flashlight, he scanned the surroundings. The area was eerily quiet, with none of the rats that should have been there. Cautiously, he walked deeper into the tunnel.
After only a few steps, he stopped abruptly, his eyes fixed on several hunched figures in the shadows. These "people" stood motionless in the darkness.
His caution kept him from calling out. Seeing so many people in the sewer was a first for him. He slowly directed his flashlight towards the hunched figures, revealing pale skin, crimson eyes, and bald heads.
Vasiliy felt a chill run down his spine.
Gurgle!
The sound of swallowing echoed in the dark tunnel. Vasiliy kept his flashlight trained on the strange figures while slowly backing away.
Suddenly!
Roar! With a fierce roar, the pale figures charged at Vasiliy.
"Fuck!"
Uncertain of what was happening, Vasiliy dropped his flashlight and ran back the way he came. Reaching the ladder, he quickly climbed, but the pale figures followed closely behind.
Their speed was extraordinary, and Vasiliy couldn't shake them off. Seeing the manhole cover he had closed, his heart sank! Gritting his teeth, he prepared to push the cover open with his body. Just then, the cover was suddenly lifted from above, sunlight flooding down onto his face and the figures below.
Roar! The figures let out beast-like roars mixed with pained groans. In Vasiliy's astonished eyes, the creatures recoiled from the sunlight, their bodies emitting white smoke as they fled back into the shadows.
Breathing heavily, Vasiliy looked pale and gasped for air. Although he didn't know what those creatures intended, he sensed that being caught by them would have dire consequences!
Without hesitation, he climbed out of the tunnel, gratefully nodding at the two men standing nearby. His eyes also showed confusion.
"Thank you!"
Vasiliy awkwardly thanked the man before him, his face still showing traces of fear.
"Hello, Vasiliy!"
John extended his hand with a smile, looking at the man with the beard who had quickly regained his composure.
This was Vasiliy, one of the top fighters in the main cast. His strength might even surpass Gus's.
Tall, with incredible reflexes, Vasiliy's decisive actions and strong capabilities had won the audience's praise! In his previous life, Vasiliy was one of the few characters who made John feel safe in the series!
"How do you know my name?"
Vasiliy frowned, warily looking at the smiling young man and glancing briefly at the short-haired Gus.
Gus's appearance reminded him of the street thugs who loitered around!
"I don't just know you; I also know why the rats are fleeing the sewers!"
"Because of those strange people?"
Vasiliy looked puzzled.
"No, they're not people. They're the most terrifying creatures in this world!"
John walked to the sewer entrance. Through the darkness, he seemed to see countless bloodthirsty red eyes staring back at him.
"Blood Master, wait for me!"
He muttered softly to the sewer, smiling.
(End of Chapter)