33 Giving up the Final Blow

While carrying Kent away, James applied pressure on his wounds to stop the bleeding. "Hey, Kent! Don't close your eyes, you f*ck*ng bastard!" He stared at his friend worriedly.

"S-Stop s-screaming, you f*ck*ng idiot…" Kent responded in a weak voice.

"Alright. Alright. Don't say anything." James' heart felt heavy when he saw Kent's pained expression.

Just as they were about to enter the office, James saw Rendell coming out with Aurora following behind him.

"Kent! What happened to you?!" Aurora cried out in shock when she saw Kent's injuries.

"Where are you guys going?! It's dangerous out there! Go inside and help me bring Kent to Ericka. He needs to get treated immediately. Hey! Hey! Where are you going?!" James shouted as he watched Rendell leave with uneven footsteps.

Aurora stared at Rendell and then turned her gaze to Kent. She was in a dilemma. She wanted to follow Rendell, but she couldn't leave Kent. In the end, she decided to bring them inside to get treated first. "Follow me."

At this moment, the battle between Celine and the remaining Level 4 Black Rat was reaching a critical stage. Celine was almost out of stamina and her movements were getting sluggish. Meanwhile, the Black Rat was severely injured and it was no longer as fearless as it was earlier.

The sounds of their clash echoed within the basement.

Rendell finally arrived at the scene and he was a bit surprised to see Celine fighting toe to toe with the fearsome creature. From what he could remember, she was only at Level 2. Looking at the Black Rat she was fighting, he could tell that it wasn't weak. He estimated that it was at least Level 4.

"What a reckless girl…" He muttered in admonishment while sneakily getting closer to them.

From the corner of his eyes, he saw Phillip leaning on the wall, unconscious. His body was filled with all sorts of injuries. It wasn't even long since he left the office, but he was already seriously hurt. This guy's luck was terrible.

Rendell went to check Phillip's pulse and felt relieved when he sensed his heartbeat. He then placed him somewhere safe before quietly moving towards the Black Rat.

His sword was already unsheathed and he was prepared to make a move once he was close enough to land a fatal blow.

He silently hid behind the rubbles and scattered chairs and tables.

'Now!' Rendell shouted in his heart as he pounced at the Black Rat.

His sudden arrival surprised both the Black Rat and Celine.

With a swing of his sword, he cut off the rat's front legs!

Squeak!

The rat cried out in pain and it showed a look of desperation as it tried to escape with its remaining legs. However, Celine blocked its path and ended its life with a stab to the head.

You have slain a [Level 4 Black Rat]!

There was no level-up notification, but Celine wasn't disheartened. She knew that she was close to leveling up. She gained a substantial amount of exp after killing the last Black Rat.

After taking a glance at her status screen, she looked at Rendell with her eyebrows raised upwards. "Why did you come out? Your injuries haven't healed yet."

Rendell put down his sword and leaned against the wall while taking deep breaths. "We can't afford more casualties. If you and James also get injured, no one will be left to protect the group."

Hearing this, Celine became silent.

Rendell suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her behind him. "Wait! More are coming!" He then glared at the entrance while lifting his sword.

Celine frowned in trepidation. She remembered that there were two more enemies and their levels were higher than the ones they killed.

At the entrance, two shadows soon emerged. Their large stature almost couldn't fit inside the entrance.

As soon as they entered the basement, a bloody stench filled the air.

Two incredibly large rats walked slowly while glaring at them. They looked enraged when they saw their fallen comrades.

SQUEAK!!!

One of them emitted a deafening scream that almost burst their eardrums.

Celine covered her ears, while Rendell groaned in pain. He saw Celine's mouth moving, but he could only hear a ringing sound in his ears. He made a gesture to her, signaling that he couldn't hear anything.

Celine quickly understood what he meant since she was experiencing the same thing.

At this moment, one of the Black Rats made a move.

Rendell was observing them so he immediately noticed this. He felt his body trembling from the pain as soon as he made a quick move. He gritted his teeth and swung his sword.

To his surprise, the large rat was weaker than he had anticipated. He evaded the rat's claws and even managed to land a deep cut that tore open its flesh.

Seeing this, Celine was also surprised. 'It seems like those two are only Level 5 at most. Even Rendell in his injured state can overwhelm them.'

Rendell kicked the Black Rat and pulled out his sword. He then charged at the other rat and stabbed it with his sword.

He was so fast that the Black Rat failed to react in time. It could only helplessly watch as Rendell stabbed its neck with his sword.

Squeak!

Just as Rendell was about to deal the killing blow, an idea occurred to him. He changed the trajectory of his sword. Instead of cutting off its head, he purposely sliced open its guts.

The Black Rat cried out in distress when its intestines burst out of its body. It was bleeding all over the place, but it was still alive.

"Quick! Kill these two!" Rendell shouted to Celine.

Hearing this, Celine was shocked, but she understood his meaning. She rushed out and quickly dealt with the severely injured creatures.

You have slain a [Level 5 Black Rat]!

You leveled up!

You have slain a [Level 6 Black Rat]!

You leveled up!