Hans was currently feeling nothing but joy.

The entire cavern was soaked with blood and gore, from the ceiling to the walls, all painted a crimson red. The swarm that was previously numerous was now reduced to a dozen. However, these few remaining rodents were more substantial than their dead brethren.

They were bigger, and more savage, and judging by how different they looked compared to the rest of the dead rodents, they probably evolved as well. They had most of their furs fallen out, revealing hulking muscles like that of a tiger, their fangs elongated, sharp claws, and eyes filled with nothing but pure rage.

Hmmm...it would seem that he would have to take a more cautious approach with them.

Before he could move, one of the evolved rats sniffed the air, then turned around to see Hans, standing on top of the corpses of its brothers and sisters. It snarls and proceeds to let a screech of anger alert some of the evolved rats to his presence, the rest had their full attention on devouring the large number of corpses around them.

It then began rushing toward him.

Hans toss a dead rat at it which it dodged.

The muscled rat lunge forward jaws open to lock onto him and tear him apart.

Hans' response was to club it across the face with his claws, redirecting its head to the side for his other claw to lock around its neck. He began to try and crush its neck only to be met with a surprising amount of resistance when doing so.

It was probably due to the thick muscle around its neck.

Wait...

Does that help with choking or make it worse? Because like does it prevent your airflow from getting disrupted or make cutting off the blood flow easier since there're veins in the muscles or it—

Now is not the time.

Cursing his idiocy, Hans began slamming his claw into the rat as it struggles, scratching away at his claws. Venom coating his tail blade, he moves it to slash it across its side to weaken it.

However, he didn't have time for the venom to take effect as he senses more of the muscled rats sprinting toward him.

He threw the struggling rat at one of them, smack one that was leaping toward him away from him, and slash one across the face while moving out of its way, venom once more coating his tail blade, and injecting it into its body, moving out of its way after seeing it barely react.

Snarling, squeaks, and screeches filled the air as they all tumble to the ground, attracting even more of the muscled rats.

Hans dug into the ground to hide from them, feeling them run along the surface, searching for him. Staying underground, he starts to come up with a plan.

After all, these things had evolved and had the numbers advantage, meaning they were much more dangerous than usual. Also, the last time he fought something that was stronger than usual, he nearly die due he didn't have a plan when fighting them and had to improvise.

And he always learns from his mistakes.

At least starting now.

Anyway, firstly, these rats were much stronger than any rodents he encounter, that much was obvious. Secondly, these things likely have pain tolerance. Third, every step they take makes a lot of vibrations making them easy to track. Finally, one-on-one he was physically stronger than them.

"So the plan is to separate them, pin them down, and inject as much venom as possible inside them while beating the crap out of them," Hans muses. "Should be easy en—"

He paused and began to feel the vibrations that were carrying through the ground. There was a large amount of them, with whatever emitting them coming closer, then, a distinct gnarly squeak could be heard three meters to his left.

They were close.

[Mole’s Senses - Lv. 3] Leveled Up!

Hans went further down, the muscle rats following him. It would seem that there was only one following him, although that was hard considering all the vibrations that were traveling through the ground, muddling his senses.

One popped out from above him, landing on top of him. It began scratching and biting him to which he respond by stabbing it and filling its body with venom.

However, this did not seem to faze it as it continue to attack him with even more gusto. Hans kept on trying to dig his tail blade deeper into it but was finally having difficulty doing so.

Hissing in annoyance, Hans pull his stinger out of the rat, stretch his claw farther than he had ever before and grab it around the head and proceed to throw it across the tunnel with all his might.

The rodent crashed against the ceiling of the tunnel and fell to the ground. Before it could get up again, Hans pounce on top of it and began beating the life out of it.

He punches, stabbed, and even bit it but it would seem that the rodent was keen on putting as much of a struggle as possible, thrashing, and biting as much as it can, but soon, a stinger in its head would put it down.

You have slain [Berserk Warrior Rat - Lv. 2]!

One down, eleven to go.

Hans began going toward the surface after sensing if any other rats were underground, which was made easier by the sudden lack of vibrations which was suspicious.

As he was just about to reach the surface, Hans starts to feel a sense of danger, and while he didn't know why it did make him even more cautious. When he did reach the surface, erupting out of the ground, he was met with the rest of the muscled rats waiting for him.

Fuck, they set up a trap for him.

They lunge forward, jaws wide open, only to taste the air as he dashes out of there.

"That was a close call," Hans mutter.

He then rushes forward, dodging a muscle rat that was running toward and proceeds to body slam it, sending it far away from him.

A second muscle rat was leaping toward which Hans ready his claws, ready to club it before he felt a sense of danger and found himself being body slammed by a third muscle rat!

Hans was sent straight into the waiting paws of the rest of the muscled rats who did not hesitate the slightest to start piling on top of him, some trying to hold down his claws and tail while the rest focus on attacking him.

After struggling to lift his limbs and failing, Hans snarls in frustration trying to think of a way to get the rats off him.

He considered biting them but unfortunately, they were just out of reach from him. Looking around his surroundings for any clues to solve this situation he was in along with thinking of any skills that could help.

[Sneak]? Hiding wouldn't help. [Flexible Grapple]? Wouldn't help with his limbs being pinned down. [Dash]? That should work, if he dashes, he could send these rats flying off him, though three rats standing guards but he should be able to take them.

Hans dashes, surprising the muscled rats and sending most of them flying with one still clinging onto him.

The three muscled rats standing guards immediately rush toward him, Hans smacks one away from him and grabs the rat on his back, and used it as a flail against the other two, using the added range to his advantage to keep them at a distance.

The other seven muscle rats tried to ambush him, so he threw the rat he was holding, sending one tumbling to the ground while punching away the other.

He then grabbed the last one mid-air and slammed it to the ground hard enough to form a crater in the ground, Hans then proceed to raise his other arm and bring them onto the muscle rat's neck.

A loud crack could be heard as the muscle rat went limp.

You have slain [Berserk Warrior Rat - Lv. 4]!

Ten more to kill.

Turning around as two muscle rats sprint toward him only to be slammed to the ground. Hans readies his arms once more to crush their heads only for him to sense another rat rushing toward him.

He slashes it with his tail blade but it shrugs it off and the body slams him away from its brethren.

Hans snarls and anchors himself by stabbing his tail into the ground and grabbing a muscled rat that got too close and slamming it into the ground. He then grabs its head and with some effort, snaps its neck.

You have slain [Berserk Warrior Rat - Lv. 1]!

Nine.

Tossing the corpse aside, Hans ducked, dodging a muscled rat lunging, his tail moving to slash at a second muscled rat before Hans punched it straight in the guts with full force.

You have slain [Berserk Warrior Rat - Lv. 2]!

Eight left.

Sidestepping another attempt at pouncing at him, Hans grabs the pouncing muscled rat by the tail and began spinning. He builds up momentum while keeping the rest at bay before deciding he builds up enough momentum and let go.

Muscle rats scurried out of the way as the muscle rat that was turned into a rodent shape meat missile soar past them and landed on top of a corpse pile, the only thing that kept it alive.

Taking advantage of this chaos, Hans body-slammed a muscle rat. He then pick up the rodent and threw it at another muscle rat before moving on to attack a third muscle rat, grabbing it and dragging it face-first across the ground.

He then proceeds to chokeslam the rat before ending its life with a fist to the face.

You have slain [Berserk Warrior Rat - Lv. 3]!

Seven left.

A muscle rat latches onto his back screeching and clawing at him. Hans spears it with his stinger and flings it off his back, he then plants his claw into the rat's body, sending it flying.

You have slain [Berserk Warrior Rat - Lv. 2]!

You Have Leveled Up! [Sandstream Scorpion - Lv. 6 —> Lv. 7]!

Six left.

Hans clock a muscle rat that was trying to sneak up on him across the face before grabbing it and slamming it into another muscle rat. He blocks a muscle rat from biting at his face with his claws and backhanded it away from him.

He then slams both of his claws into two muscle rats, causing them to crash into the ground. Hans then let out a flurry of punches at the two, the sounds of bones breaking could be heard throughout the craven.

You have slain [Berserk Warrior Rat - Lv. 4]!

You have slain [Berserk Warrior Rat - Lv. 1]!

Four left.

A bruised and battered muscle rat slammed into him, throwing him off balance as another rat headbutt him with enough force to make him fall onto his back.

The rats move in and take advantage of this, however, Hans with some quick thinking, slams both of his claws into the ground, generating enough force to land back on his feet. He lashes out with his stinger, spilling blood as the rats leap back, snarling.

The four remaining muscle rats circle him, wary and cautious. Hans eyes them as they moved around and did what he does best, attack.

He dashes forward, tackling a muscle rat, lifting it up, and throwing it at its brethren, knocking over another muscle rat. Hans threw a jab at a muscle rat and knock over the fourth muscle rat. He grabs the rat by its tail and began smashing it repeatedly into the ground like a rag doll before throwing it at a boulder.

You have slain [Berserk Warrior Rat - Lv. 4]!

Three left.

Hans dodged a lunge from a rat and inject it full of venom while he drive another muscle rat's head into the ground with a loud crash.

The envenomated rodent staggers, glaring at Hans, and let out screeches that reverberate throughout the cavern they were in and causing him to grunt in pain as he covers his ears. The other muscle rats were suffering as well, holding their heads as they thrash around.

Boulders were shattered, and cracks appear in the ground and wall.

It kept it up for a while before flopping over, dead, eyes blank, the venom having taken its life.

You have slain [Berserk Screecher Mice - Lv. 2]!

Hans uncovers his ears, which despite him covering them, were bleeding, his head was pounding against his skull as well to no end.

It would seem that the rat wasn't a rat but instead a mouse that only look like one due to the amount of muscle that it had.

Evolution was weird.

Two left.

The two remaining muscle rats that were thrashing in pain, got up. Their breath was labored, their bodies full of bruises, and cuts, and blood seeped from their ears as they fought to regain their balance.

They shook their heads and glances at him. Their eyes were wild, unfocused, and glazed over but most importantly filled with uncontrollable rage.

"I got to say, you guys put up quite the fight," Hans said. "Although unfortunate for you, the difference between us is far too wide. Which is to say, I'm gonna crush your skulls into bits and pieces."

Rolling his shoulders, Hans lashes out with a punch which the rats dodge. They circle around him, scratching and biting at him. One tried to body slam him which he dodge easily and drive his claw upon it like a hammer to a nail.

The rat squeaks and hit the ground with a crash, forming a carter as Hans tanks an attack from the second muscle rat, its claws and bites not being able to pierce his shell. He grabbed it and pulled it into a bear hug using his tail as support, stood up, and proceed to perform a piledriver on the rodent.

They hit the ground with a loud bang! Hans let go of the rat who was dazed and struggling to get up, he didn't let it recover as he jumps and slam onto the rat's back, a loud crack could be heard as the rat went slack.

One left remaining.

You have slain [Berserk Warrior Rat - Lv. 4]!

"Hahaha! How was that?" Hans roar.

His only answer was a snarl and the sounds of claws against the ground, as the rat glowered at him. It was clearly unimpressed or uncaring of what he had just done.

"Couldn't even be a little impress could ya?" Hans grumbles.

It snarls before leaping toward, Hans tensing up and readying his claws before something unexpected happens.

The muscle rat had stopped in mid-air.

Something seems to be holding it in place as no matter how much it twists or turns it still remains floating in the air. Then, it began wheezing as if it was being choked, and imprints of hands began to appear on its body as it was slowly forced into the shape of a ball, the sounds of bones breaking and wheezing could be heard.

Hans could see the eyes of the rat poking out of the flesh ball, no longer filled with rage but with fear. He watches as the eyes slowly swelled to an enormous shape before going pop.

Zero remaining.

The bloodied flesh ball that used to be the muscle rat drops to the ground like a child dropping a toy they grew bored with as an eerie silence echoes through the cavern.

Hans stared at the flesh ball for a long moment, his [Danger Sense] hadn't gone off which means that who or whatever that did this was hostile toward him, and beside him and all the muscle rats and mouse were dead, there was only one other person in this cave, so discounting a new arrival, whoever or whatever that did this was—

Hans snaps toward the direction of his little hole in the ground, staring directly at Em who was notably bigger than they previously used to be.

"Did you do this?" Hans asks pointing at the flesh ball. "If so, then I didn't know you had it in you. Was that a skill you just learn? Do you even have access to the system?"

He pauses.

"I just realizes that amongst the many times, we spent together that I don't know much about," He muses. "Well, that's something we should fix at the utmost importance!"

It can't talk.

"Shush you! Don't bring in your pessimistic vibe here!" Hans snaps, before facepalming and groaning. "Fuck, I'm starting to talk to myself." He sighs, note to self Hans, don't talk to the voice in your head because that means you're insane and you are definitely not insane.

Just embrace the truth.

In fact, you're a very sane person, Hans.

"So Em, what's your favorite ice cream flavor?"

Idiot.