The moment their feet touch the ground, the silence is shattered by a sudden, sharp clanking noise. Before they can react, something streaks out from the shadows of a collapsed building. A blur of metal and gears shoots towards them—a mechanical rat beast, its body covered in jagged metal plates and sparking wires. Its glowing red eyes lock onto them with predatory intent.
Feng Lan barely has time to shout a warning before the creature is upon them.
"Watch out!" he yells, leaping back, his body instinctively moving as his qi surges through him.
The mechanical rat lunges at Jian Wuyi, its sharp, steel-like claws aimed for his throat. In one swift motion, Jian spins, a glowing sword of flame appearing in his hand. He swings it down with deadly precision, but the rat is fast—too fast. The beast twists its body mid-air, narrowly avoiding the strike and landing on the ground with a screech of grinding metal.