What to recall about One-Eyed Rat from canon?
Weakest monster, warrior servant class, shoots energy beam from eye. Looks like overgrown rat with steel-ripping claws. Mo Fan mowed them in packs during Bo disaster. Seem harmless. But remember: first, Mo Fan's combat genius; second, in canon on his first city hunter mission, one nearly thinned a initial-level mage group—one third-step fire mage, others second. Not green rookies—city hunters with teamwork, combat experience.
From experience: normal situation, same-level monster ALWAYS stronger than human. Take one Ancient Emperor entering Holy City like home, tanking attacks without dodging, killing forbidden curse mage and many super tiers without twitching, spanking Archangel Michael, surrendering/dying thanks to Zhang Kong's soul still controlling body. Otherwise Holy City falls or badly damaged—from one low-mid Emperor without army.
Point: One-Eyed Rat no Emperor, nor am I full power. Max now: tussle pack leader, not strongest; many rats in sewers, so prepared thoroughly, using experience, checking textbooks on one-eyed rats. Too often saw high-tier mages die to servant monsters from daze or empty reserves.
Dressed sporty, backpack food/change clothes, head out—no family word; Sunday jog day, they'll assume.
Reach residential near classmate Zhou Min's house, enter abandoned factory, down to sewers. Nearly three years later, thousands one-eyed rats/wolves flood Bo attack, rare pack leaders mixed. Now, three years pre-disaster, fewer tunnels, no violence fountain effect—no one but rats.
Listening to magic senses—second boundary near peak high-tier—half-hour in, sense first-step initial-level magic flickers. Human mana calm outside battle; monster mana moves if not hidden—their bodies constantly magic-sustained.
Count four one-eyed rats total, pre-concentrate spiritual strike, cast first-step initial time spell—double acceleration. Dash from corner, spiritual strike rats; running, while stunned, form light dagger hand. Low lethality first step—better attack artifact, but enough unarmored warriors.
Rush rats, kill three; last farther not fully recovered—transform dagger blinding beam. While rat hisses eye shut, form new dagger, kill. Total 5 seconds, four corpses.
Space claws faster, but need motor memory this body. No soul drop—continue sewer run.
Out sewers four hours later; pendant ate soul, started shard collection. Now intense cultivation. Per element, extra two hours meditation; six elements=twelve hours vs others' two. Daily two-hour meditation no resources: 1-2 years (talent-dependent) to second step one element. Year two hours=730 hours breakthrough.
Pendant 20% cultivation boost: 584 hours one element second step. 12 hours/day: 1.6 months one element, 9.6 all. Ignores resources, pendant soul upgrades. By annual eval, second step all elements. How far resources/pendant push—test.
"Speaking of resources"—predatory smile spreads face.
Parallel reality, Bo City, Mu family estate, near Mu Yuan's house.
Mu Yuan happy: father gave triple resources for 18th birthday. Third-year Tian Lan school; half-year post-grad, plan third-step initial; 21 holy spring breakthrough. Genius even in capital.
Dreaming future, corner turn—kick balls; pain shock, attacker grabs resource bag, vanishes.
Mu Bai never learns: adoptive father nurses Mu Yuan post-injury, guilty for allowing it—Mu Yuan warms to him, skips Black Church.