'My Power has increased quite a bit. I just wonder how many stages there are to the Entry Level...'
Han Ning glanced at Yin Yi's data, closed the panel, and walked toward the remaining four white rats.
'Now isn't the time for a close inspection. I can study it later when I get back.'
He led Yin Yi to the four long-dead white rats, one by one. He cut open their abdomens and pulled out white Crystal Stones of varying sizes.
The smallest of these four Crystal Stones was still slightly larger than the one from the first white rat they had killed, and the largest was just a bit smaller than the White Rat King's crystal.
[Energy +1.23] [Energy +1.56] [Energy +1.2] [Energy +1.32]
After extracting the Energy from the Crystal Stones, Han Ning gave all the now-dim stones to Yin Yi.
[Ice Element Affinity +0.01] [Ice Element Affinity +0.02] [Ice Element Affinity +0.03] [Ice Element Affinity +0.02]
From the four white rats, he gained a total of 5.31 Energy and 0.08 Ice Element Affinity.
As Yin Yi's Ice Element Affinity rose to 0.13, the faint silver veins on its body turned whiter, resembling the hoarfrost of early spring.
"Yin Yi, how are you feeling?" Han Ning asked with a smile, watching as Yin Yi's body grew slightly larger again.
Its body was covered in dense, tiny wounds from being swarmed by the rats, and a clear liquid continuously oozed from its emerald-hued trunk.
But thanks to the system's attribute enhancement, these injuries were already beginning to slowly heal.
"Bobo~" Like a small child who had just gotten a treat, Yin Yi happily hopped in place twice.
After calming Yin Yi down, Han Ning passed through the crowd and walked over to Lin Tianhe and Chen Linyu, who were surrounded by a dozen or so people.
The two brothers had exhausted nearly all their Physical Strength and Power in the previous battle. Even their Silver Lotus Woods lay to the side, looking wilted and listless.
Chen Linyu's condition was the most severe. A large chunk of flesh had been torn from his thigh by a Monster Rat. His face was as pale as paper, and he couldn't stop shivering, even wrapped in a blanket.
Fortunately, some of the students' Silver Lotus Woods had already gone through an Awakening and gained Purification, so the Monster Rats' toxins couldn't do much harm to them.
Plus, everyone's physical conditioning was noticeably better than when they first transmigrated. Their lives were saved, but it was hard to say how long they would need to recuperate.
Lin Tianhe's injuries were slightly less severe. He had a few relatively deep wounds, but he was still lucid.
Seeing that his two roommates were too weak, Han Ning gave up on the idea of talking to them and just gave them a supportive gesture.
"Han Ning, are those two going to be alright?"
Just then, Teacher Zhou, who was in charge of the cleanup, walked over. He glanced at the two boys, who were wrapped in layer upon layer of gauze, and asked in a serious tone.
"Their lives are saved, but I don't know if there will be any lingering effects," Han Ning said conservatively.
"As long as their lives are saved, that's what matters. Wounds can heal over time." Teacher Zhou's expression relaxed a little. He scanned the surrounding battle, which was now winding down, and asked, "What on earth did the three of you do to attract so many rats?"
"It all started when we went to the Bioengineering building..." Han Ning proceeded to tell Teacher Zhou everything about their earlier actions, leaving no detail out.
Teacher Zhou listened intently. When Han Ning finished, he patted his shoulder. Instead of blaming him, he offered words of comfort. "You've worked hard. We've done very little exploration around the dormitories. We have no idea what kinds of monsters are hiding in those buildings, or how many there are. A situation like today's was bound to happen."
"It's just... next time we explore a building, we should send more people in to minimize the chance of accidents."
"This was an oversight on our part, the teachers... When we get back today, I'll talk with Dean Wu and hold a small meeting with the other faculty members to re-optimize our exploration model."
Han Ning grunted in acknowledgment and asked, "...I understand, Teacher Zhou. What should we do next?"
"Since we've successfully dealt with the rat swarm, why don't we take this opportunity to go to the Bioengineering building and retrieve the supplies you abandoned? There are a lot of us here now, so it'll be safer."
As Teacher Zhou spoke, he looked with a smile at Han Ning and the Yin Yi beside him. "What do you say? Still have the Physical Strength for it?"
Han Ning chuckled. "Of course."
「A dozen or so minutes later.」
With the help of Han Ning and Yin Yi, the students managed to kill the vast majority of the fleeing Monster Rats.
The asphalt road in front of the dormitory was piled high with the black, ugly corpses of the rats.
"Teacher Zhou, the count is complete. There are 183 rats here in total. About a dozen more probably escaped. We weren't strong enough to wipe them all out."
"In addition, 20 students were injured while fighting the black rats, but most of the injuries aren't serious. Nothing life-threatening."
Luo Chen reported, walking over from beside the pile of rats.
Teacher Zhou nodded, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. "Good work, everyone. We'll pack up these rats and take them back for now. We'll distribute them after we return from the Bioengineering building. Any objections?"
"None."
"Good. Liu Zhiran, you take 80 people and carry the wounded and the rat corpses back. The rest of you will come with me to the instructional building."
To rescue Han Ning and his two friends, the academy had mobilized over 200 surviving teachers and students, along with an equal number of Silver Lotus Woods. Although individual humans were insignificant before some of the more powerful Soul Beasts, by working together and coordinating their efforts, they had managed to kill the vast majority of the Monster Rats.
...
The two groups parted ways. Teacher Zhou led a group of about 120 people toward the Bioengineering building, while the other 80-odd people returned to the dormitory with the wounded and the supplies to rest and regroup.
Perhaps because the students had all but wiped out the Monster Rat swarm, their path was unimpeded. The group soon arrived at the base of the instructional building and headed straight for the third-floor lab classroom.
Han Ning walked into the lab classroom where they had hidden before. The once-heavy, sturdy stainless steel door had long since been knocked down by the frenzied rat swarm and now lay silently on the messy floor.
The dark green surface of the door was covered in dents and depressions, a testament to the immense force and crazed frenzy of the Monster Rats' impacts.
He slung the supply backpack he had abandoned onto his back, then hung Lin Tianhe's and Chen Linyu's supplies on Yin Yi.
Having gone through a bitter struggle, Yin Yi's Power had increased, and its body could now bear a greater weight.
Two large backpacks, weighing well over 200 pounds in total, hung from its branches, yet it showed no sign of strain.
Taking advantage of the large number of people present, Teacher Zhou directed everyone to search the entire instructional building, inside and out.
Aside from the laboratories containing valuable experimental equipment, there were plenty of good finds in the ordinary classrooms as well.
Unfinished snacks, mineral water, drinks, some cold medicine, firefighting supplies, pens and paper... and so on.
These little things, hardly worth a mention on a normal day, were exceptionally precious in the current environment.