Chapter 6, Desperation

Amidst the carnage, with blood and flesh flying, and the sounds of wretched howls echoing, in the brief span of two breaths, when the group of frenzied rats was shrouded in white mist, only five or six mangled skeletons remained at the scene.

The young man with a small mustache cried out in agony, his body convulsing as he turned and walked away

Suddenly, from the mist ahead, a heavy iron rod swept out.

The sound of squeaking grew louder, as large groups of black rats surged forth from the gray mist, rushing towards the person in the white fog like a tide

These individuals are not ordinary people; they all possess the existence of 'true power'

A loud crash echoed as the curved blade severed the longsword, leaving a deep wound that reached to the bone on the chest of the young man with a small mustache

However, he has never experienced such a hail of bullets, such a scene of blood and flesh flying.

Four men laughed with delight, and just as one of them, wielding a sharp iron rod, raised it high, he thrust it fiercely towards Joe's chest.

The bullet pierced the air, the crossbow bolts shot forth, and several men at a closer distance stirred up the wind as they brandished their weapons and charged towards that figure

Poison, highly toxic

This time, Qiao saw clearly that there were more than ten black rats, each over a foot long, with glistening green eyes. Swift as a ghost, they pounced on the man's calves, revealing their large incisors, resembling small saws, and in just a few bites, they severed his two calves.

Stay calm, and then seize the opportunity

Over time, this secluded alley came to be known by the evocative name of "Lovers' Lane"

The entire body feels as if it has been soaked in cold water

However, the speed of the young man with the mustache completely exceeded common sense

Not far away, the sound of a "rumbling" roar echoed again, followed by the ground shaking violently, the loud noise resembling muffled thunder, and the explosive flames flickering rapidly

The sound of a few sharp cracks echoed as the gruesome skeleton collapsed heavily to the ground, splattering a large amount of blood.

After a moment of hesitation, the beauty in the red dress squinted her eyes and said: "Retreat to the Naval Academy"

The caught-off-guard man in black was knocked to the ground by Qiao's reckless charge. Qiao opened his mouth and let out a meaningless, chaotic roar, his steps heavy, like an enraged wild bear, as he charged out, creating a whirlwind.

Caught off guard, Qiao was struck heavily in the chest by an iron rod. Accompanied by the piercing sound of shattering bones, Qiao spat out blood, his body flying backward for over ten feet, his chest caved in, with at least half of his ribs shattered by this blow

An imperial black dog

The woman in the red dress swiftly removed the tattered and cumbersome large skirt, drew a double-barreled flintlock pistol from the holster on her leg, and with two loud bangs, fiercely fired at the increasingly approaching massive figure

The massive figure chuckled deeply and strode purposefully towards the lady in the red dress

The subtle sound of the flute grows increasingly ethereal

Fear, gradually taking root.

Draped in a long cloak and wearing a wide-brimmed triangular hat, atop the pointed crown of the hat rests a bead the size of a child's fist, shimmering with a green luster that dances. This shadow twists and writhes in the white mist, emanating a suffocating chill.

The white mist flowed like water, carrying a hint of eerie chill, wrapping around the ankles of the crowd

The delicate sound of the flute gently swirled

Qiao possesses extensive experience in street brawls

Qiao ran forward in a frenzy, trembling all over, as the 'squeaking' sound behind him grew increasingly closer

Qiao convulsed like a dying fish, desperately looking at the man, screaming hoarsely: "No, no, listen to me!"

The sound of squeaking gradually emerged, followed by a mournful howl. Less than twenty feet away from Qiao, a man wielding knives in both hands had both of his calves simultaneously broken at the knees

An inexplicable chill seeped through the pores, enveloping the entire body; everyone felt their bodies grow cold, stiff, and their movements became rigid and sluggish

Such monstrous beings are not unfamiliar to Joe

In the burning pink mermaid, a bloodied man in black, covered in smoke and fire, desperately fled, while several young knights, who had just been with the young man with the small mustache, rushed out as well

Qiao felt his legs weaken

A denser mist surged from the direction of the pink mermaid's backyard, rising in layers, gradually covering the knees, reaching the waist, and then slowly ascending to shoulder level

A dozen flintlock guns and seven or eight crossbows simultaneously launched an attack on the shadowy figure twisting within the white mist

The speed at which he fled left Qiao feeling bewildered. Just moments ago, as Qiao ran away from the fountain to evade the bombardment of the old cannon, he felt that he was running fast enough, even faster than the wild rabbits in the mountains.

Qiao took deep breaths, his blood circulation accelerated throughout his body, especially near his heart, where a mass of heat the size of a fist was gathering and surging. He looked around in panic, his hands tightly clenched into fists.

The sound of squeaking echoed as dozens of strange mice chased after.

A sound of 'chirping' came from the mist, and a faint dark green glimmer appeared in the white fog. The subtle sound of a flute grew closer, and suddenly, illuminated by the light emitted from the burning pink mermaid, a shadowy figure emerged from the white mist.

The internal organs trembled incessantly, and in front of him stood two annoying fellows blocking the way. His legs were soaked in mist, making it difficult to move. Joe was filled with fear, yet he still stubbornly searched for an opportunity to escape

Four men, dressed in tight-fitting pants and short-sleeved shirts, emerged from the mist. They looked down at Joe with menacing expressions, their tall and strong figures accompanied by a gleeful sneer.

Fear brought an inexplicable power, a surge of warmth welled up in Qiao's chest, gradually intensifying and beginning to spin rapidly. Unbeknownst to him, a force emerged from somewhere, causing the cold aura surrounding Qiao to dissipate quickly. He let out a low, hoarse roar, akin to a frenzied wild bear, and charged with one shoulder into the two men in black who had just blocked his path.

It appeared to be more than a foot taller than Qiao, its figure becoming increasingly corpulent, resembling the shadow of a large meatball that rushed towards the young man with the small mustache. With a wave of its right hand, a menacingly shaped curved blade, its edge lined with sharp teeth, whistled down towards him.

However, tonight, on this Mid-Autumn night, the entire city is in celebration, and the old theater has no performance. The usually bustling rendezvous alley is empty tonight, almost resembling a ghost town

Ha, ha, ha, ha. A vague and unclear laughter, reminiscent of a piece of rotten, greasy meat, evoked feelings of disgust and nausea, as an extremely robust figure, almost inhumanly so, rushed out from the white mist.

The young masters and young ladies of Tulum Port often send private carriages to this alley to welcome the renowned individuals who have completed their performances

Two dark, curved sabers slashed from left to right, and the bullets fired from the short gun struck the edges of the sabers, producing two ringing sounds of 'ding ding'. Sparks flickered at the edges of the blades, and the two bullets were sent flying to an unknown location.

The navy of the Delun Empire, little rookies, I like it. The bones of the little rookies are crunchy.

"Great Mu, merciful Mutestis, let those damned fellows come quickly." Joe prayed in his heart

Blood splattered everywhere, and bones and flesh were scattered.

His strength is sufficient to crush the young man with the mustache, yet he shamelessly poisons the weapons.

However, they greatly enhanced the strength of the lady in the red dress, with the roar of firearms and the whistling of swords, as they became entangled with the enemies in the white mist

In the midst of the squeaking sounds, dozens of large rats, each over one foot long, closely followed behind Joe

Attack! shouted the young man with two exquisite little mustaches.

Qiao gritted his teeth, silently encouraging and bolstering himself. Since childhood, he had fought alongside the ruffians of Geerjin and Tulan Port. After Geerjin enlisted in the army, he took charge of leading his own group to brawl with the offspring of rival families.

The flesh of the wound was everted, and by the light of the surrounding flames, Qiao clearly saw the flesh of the wound rapidly turning black, oozing pus, and then emitting a pungent stench of decay

Qiao was trembling; he did not dare to look back but instead ran with all his might. In his panic, he did not choose the grape peel alley he had come from, but rather, either disoriented or drawn by the flames, he ran to the side of the old theater that was collapsing and burning, and slipped into the 'Secret Meeting Alley' on the east side of the old theater

The beauty in the red dress spat out a mouthful of blood, her azure eyes flickering, her crimson lips slightly pale, trembling all over as she issued the command: "Retreat, towards ... ... "

The Port of Tulin has a large police department and a powerful stationed military force. Near the new dock No. 3, there is also a naval base and the Imperial Royal Naval Academy. This place has been turned upside down; even a group of dead pigs should have noticed that something is amiss here

Stay calm, as Gorky said, even when surrounded by enemies, one must remain calm

Rescue is on the way, Joe constantly reassured himself

More than one hundred individuals in black rushed into the pink mermaid, and at this moment, fewer than fifty were able to escape

The second round of shelling from the old fort arrived as predicted by Qiao, and this time the explosions were more than three.

Among them, there are many young and beautiful young ladies, as well as handsome and dashing young men

Qiao was gasping for breath, and the white mist pouring out from the backyard of the pink mermaid had surprisingly crossed Swordfish Street, flowing into the alley across the street.

In addition to the three "Tor" heavy artillery pieces, at least several dozen large-caliber secondary guns also opened fire

He slid out in a single step, covering more than twenty feet, and in the blink of an eye, he had escaped nearly a hundred feet. Qiao faintly felt that even his best hunting dogs would not be able to catch up with the little mustache at this moment

A thunderclap echoed through the sky, and before one knew it, the heavens had become overcast with thick clouds. An unexpected downpour descended from above, drenching everything in its path, as the dense curtain of rain swiftly obscured all visibility

The young man with a mustache let out a strange cry, his right hand wielding a long sword that emitted a cold gleam as it met the curved blade

The beauty in the red dress dropped the broken sword in her hand, not knowing where she had found a long sword, and engaged in a fierce battle with the massive figure. She continuously issued commands, and the men in black around her gathered towards her, providing mutual cover as they retreated step by step

Cutting open the bullets of a firearm with a knife

The person who burst out of the white mist not only possessed astonishing combat power but also employed despicable tactics

It is as if slender feathers are gently stirring the hearts of everyone, causing a tingling numbness and a sensation of sweetness and itchiness in the chest

Hundreds of black mice squeaked frantically, surging forth like a tide from beneath the long cloak of the figure. They leaped wildly, using their bodies to shield against the bullets of the flintlock and the powerful crossbow bolts, and then they overwhelmed the several charging men

The old theater frequently hosts various large-scale musical performances, often featuring renowned performers who travel from other regions to take the stage in Toulon Port