Mr. Rat of the Steam World

Chapter 107 Fratricide (6k8)

Lu Ran, like a gray shadow, silently scaled the tall back wall of the Morse factory, with Sang Biao following behind, carrying the gray rat brother who was still intermittently twitching and making painful squeaks in his mouth.

"Meow! We're home. What should I do with this little guy?" Sang Biao carefully placed the gray squirrel in his mouth on the ground and held it down with his paw to prevent it from jumping around again.

When the little guy came into contact with the cold cement floor of the familiar factory area, he seemed to quiet down a little bit in the familiar smells.

"I'll take care of the rest."

Lu Ran waved her little paw, and just as she finished speaking, a familiar voice filled with deep sorrow blocked her way like a wall.

"Woo..."

Bella's huge, snow-white figure suddenly appeared from behind. It had its head drooping, its two big, furry ears drooping, and a mournful expression on its face.

"Big brother, second brother, why didn't you take me with you when you went on your adventure?"

When Lu Ran saw Bella suddenly appear, he felt embarrassed at first, as if he had been caught red-handed. He immediately realized what was going on and said bluntly, "You're too conspicuous. You're too eye-catching on the street. Besides, even Boss Sang Biao and I can climb over walls, but you can't."

Bella glared at him, her big, round eyes full of defiance. "Who says I can't! It's just climbing over a wall! I can do it!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the silly dog ​​suddenly took a few steps back, pawed at the concrete ground a few times, and its huge body suddenly burst out with a sprinting speed that was disproportionate to its size!

"Woof! Watch out!" Bella growled, her stubbornness evident in her tense hind leg muscles. Her massive body shot towards the three-meter-high sturdy iron fence of the factory like a white whirlwind!

"Hey! Wait! Bella..." Lu Ran's little paws hadn't even been fully raised yet, and her exclamation was only halfway through.

boom! ! !
A muffled, deafening roar instantly echoed throughout the factory area!
The entire corrugated iron wall trembled violently, groaning under the strain, and a clear, dented, huge dog-shaped outline instantly appeared on the wall!

"..." Lu Ran's lips twitched.

"Alright, let's get back to what we're doing and let this silly dog ​​rest here for a while."

After saying that, he stopped paying attention to Bella. He figured that Bella was tough and wouldn't be hurt by the collision. So he grabbed the mouse that was still twitching from time to time and sped off toward the open space behind the factory.

Although there are more rats than people in the Morse factory now, and the workers are used to it, it is still very rare to see one rat carrying another. Lu Ran still tries to stay close to the shadows of the corners of the walls.

He arrived at the location quickly, swiftly found the hidden entrance, and slid rapidly down the familiar steps into the underground territory. The low hum of the factory machines was quickly replaced by a quieter aroma, a blend of damp earth and mineral scents.

As soon as I stepped into the tunnel, I was greeted by two sentry rats guarding the entrance.

"Lord Lord!"

"The boss is back!"

Their tone carried an unusual tension.

Lu Ran frowned, sensing something was wrong from the expressions of the two rats: "What's wrong?"

One of them pointed in the direction of the laboratory and spoke rapidly: "The money-grubbing manager wants you to come to the laboratory as soon as possible! It...it seems to be waiting for you too. It seems that another scout rat brought back a crazed one...yes, exactly the same as the one in your hand..."

"Grass!"

Lu Ran's vision went black, and before the guy could finish speaking, he accelerated and rushed towards the brightly lit laboratory.

Under the dim yellow light, the air felt heavier than usual.

As soon as Lu Ran rushed in with the convulsing mouse, he saw the money-grubber and the bald research mouse gathered around another simple wooden table.

On the platform, another gray-furred hamster was convulsing uncontrollably, its limbs contorting at bizarre angles, white foam tinged with blood oozing from its mouth, emitting painful groans. DouDou's eyes were rolled back, almost revealing only the whites. Its fur was disheveled and stained with dust.

"Quick! Hold it down!" The greedy man carefully restrained the rat's out-of-control legs and claws to prevent it from hurting itself or hitting the nearby equipment.

The bald mouse next to it quickly used a thin cable tie to hold the sick mouse as still as possible, while another young research mouse frantically tried to pry open the sick mouse's mouth and pour in a pungent-smelling sedative.

"Lord!" The money-grubber called out in a low, serious voice when he saw Lu Ran enter, then quickly noticed the small mouse Lu Ran was carrying and paused slightly. "You brought this one back? The same one?"

"Hmm! I was out running errands when I encountered someone being attacked!" Lu Ran gently put the mouse down: "What's wrong with this guy over here?"

While helping the bald rat restrain the newly sick rat, the money-grubber answered at lightning speed: "About half an hour ago! It was in a group with another little rat that was responsible for patrolling the sewer connection of Blackrock Street... When we found it, it was lying there, like it had gone mad."

The bald rat then freed its hand and pointed to the sick rat that had been stabilized but was still trembling: "It's calmed down, but it seems it still can't speak or communicate for the time being."

Lu Ran gestured to the one in his hand. "I think this one looks calmer, so let's ask about this one."

The bald rat was taken aback, only then noticing there was another one, but quickly realized: "Use that mild sedative!"

Immediately afterward, the young research mouse turned around and picked up a small bottle from the medicine shelf. Skillfully, it used its paws to control the dropper and carefully dripped a few drops of the cool, minty medicine into the mouth of the mouse that Lu Ran had brought.

"Squeak..." As soon as the medicine entered its mouth, the mouse's violent spasms visibly subsided. Its cloudy, beady eyes struggled to move, seemingly trying to recognize its surroundings. When it saw Lu Ran before it, it let out a weak, painful whimper: "Lord, Lord..."

"Don't be afraid, it's me!" Lu Ran squatted down and gently patted its head with his little paws, trying to keep his voice calm.

"Tell me how you became like this? Where did you encounter this trouble? Be detailed! Location!"

Mouse strained to focus, his words still a little unclear: "Boss... it's over in Blackstone Street... squeak, a really big place... underground... pipes... lots of iron pipes..."

"Blackstone Street? Exact location? Landmark?" Lu Ran pressed, already matching the location with Bobo's description in his mind.

The mouse seemed to be trying hard to remember, its body trembling slightly: "It was...it was...we followed the current...and saw a...very big...dark round hole...lots of smelly water flowing down from it...making a gurgling sound...right next to that round hole...squeak..."

"A round hole? A very big one? Is it a sewer drain?" the money-grubber asked, trying to understand. "There are multiple drains on Blackstone Street."

"...The light...is so bright..." the mouse began to mutter again, its eyes unfocused, "White...powder is piled up next to a...round brick..."

"White powder?" Lu Ran was stunned when he heard the keyword. He then looked at the mouse in front of him repeatedly before realizing what was happening and burst into curses.

"Damn it, could it be that thing?!"

The money-grubber asked, somewhat puzzled, "My lord, so what exactly is that?"

"It is... an addictive substance..."

Lu Ran scratched his head in frustration and continued to ask questions.

"Round brick? Is it a round manhole cover? Or a square one?" Lu Ran took a deep breath and continued to patiently guide him: "Where were you at the time? What did you see on the street?"

The mouse gasped, “...the tall house...the wall is broken...bricks are missing...creak...there's...there's wind...whoosh..." It seemed to be gripped by fear again, and its description became more and more incoherent.

The next moment, its voice suddenly rose, filled with terror: "Then... we saw so many lights! All sorts of colors... there were... there were huge monsters chasing us! How scary! Squeak—!"

When it got excited, it started struggling violently again.

"Okay, okay, it's nothing, it's nothing."

Lu Ran quickly comforted her, and only after hearing his gentle voice did the mouse gradually calm down.

The money-grubber asked cautiously, "What could a big monster be?"

Lu Ran was silent for a moment, then shook his head: "Ignore the rest. It sounds like he's delirious and hallucinating..."

After saying that, he sighed, knowing that pressing for answers would only cause the little guy more pain, so he could only say...

"Let it rest and recover."

His gaze swept over the money-grubber and the bald man: "Let me find that thing and get it back first, and see if it's what I think it is. At least I have to tell the rats not to touch certain things."

The money-grubber was taken aback and quickly suggested that it lead the team to investigate first.

"You guys... never mind... I'll do it myself!" Lu Ran hesitated for a moment, but still refused.

Lu Ran felt more at ease dealing with things that were suspected of being addictive.

He took a deep breath, and without further delay, his small figure darted out of the laboratory like an arrow released from a bow.

Since the mouse had mentioned it was the sewers, he didn't choose to walk within the factory area. Instead, he skillfully and quickly traversed the drainage pipe system, leaving the Morse factory area silently and stealthily heading towards Blackstone Street.

……

Blackstone Street's narrow lanes are like a maze, with sewer entrances scattered throughout.

Although Lu Ran was not very familiar with the sewers in the area, as the lord, it was not complicated for him to find the rats in the vicinity and ask them questions. Even ordinary gray rats that had not yet developed intelligence would be intimidated by his power and answer obediently.

Although it spoke in unclear mouse language like squeaking, its gestures were enough to identify the nearby drainpipe.

First, following the signs, we rushed to a maintenance well near the main road. The sewage smelled murky, the pipes were large, but the walls were intact and the surrounding buildings were in good condition, which did not match the description of a broken wall.

He carefully searched the surrounding vents, but found nothing but moss and grime.

He immediately turned to the next possible area.

Behind an old warehouse deep in a back alley. There is indeed a high wall here that has been in disrepair for many years, with peeling bricks, which somewhat matches the description.

Lu Ran quickly located several pipe openings hidden below and carefully crawled inside.

"Where is the white powder?"

The inside of the pipe was pitch black and damp and sticky.

As Lu Ran walked, he looked around, ignoring the dirt and grime, and pressed his ears against the cool, slippery tube wall, trying to catch any subtle sound.

Just then, a deliberately hushed, angry voice drifted from the direction of the alley entrance!
"Damn it! Is the information accurate or not? Which sewer did that Black Dog kid throw the goods into? We've been looking for days!" A rough male voice complained impatiently.

"Alright, keep your voice down! Didn't I say it's right here? Instead of wasting time talking nonsense, hurry up and look for it."

Another, slightly calmer voice rang out, "This thing is extremely valuable! It's brand new, completely different from those old junk. If we can't find it, neither of us will be in good shape."

Lu Ran's ears twitched slightly.

There were people there, who seemed to be looking for the white powder as well.

In the dim light of the sewer, Lu Ran's body was pressed against the cold, damp shadow of the pipe wall.

The two burly figures were squatting beside a huge, dilapidated drain hole, cursing and swearing, with murky, foul-smelling water dripping down from above.

"Damn! Finally found it! That's disgusting..."

A burly man with a scar on his face exclaimed in surprise, but before he could even get excited, he immediately started cursing.

"Damn it! It's leaking! Quick! Be careful! There are still a few dead rats over there... What a waste, but judging from their appearance, those little guys must have had a good time before they died."

He then held up a crumpled, mostly wet double-layered paper bag. An irregular tear had been bitten at the bottom of the bag, and a small amount of shimmering, pure white powder was spilling out, spreading a murky white ring in the sewage.

Another, slightly shorter man with fierce eyes hurriedly reached out to pinch the tear in the bag, his voice low but barely concealing his anger.

"You saw it leaking and you're still holding it up? This little bit of powder is worth several gold pounds! Don't waste it! Damn it! That son of a bitch made me lose so much money, don't let me catch him..."

……

Lu Ran followed the sound and crept over, his eyes narrowing.

It wouldn't do for the things to be taken away; he was planning to take them back and study them.

When he arrived, he was also recalling information about this thing. After all, he had been in this era for almost half a year, and he vaguely remembered that morphine, opium, and the like were not yet controlled substances in this era. They were common drugs, and many people would even buy them to relieve pain and fatigue.

So he wasn't sure if the thing in front of him was what he imagined.

Lu Ran paused, watching as the two thugs were laughing and preparing to leave, when his hind leg, like a taut bowstring, suddenly slammed against the slippery brick wall!

The next moment, whoosh.

Lu Ran's small figure struck the scarred, burly man with his back turned like a bullet, right below his shoulder blade! From this angle, one could just see the snake tattoo on his neck.

"Ah—!" Scarface was caught off guard and let out a miserable howl in pain. He staggered forward as if he had been hit by a heavy hammer, and the paper bag in his hand flew out of his hand.

The bag tumbled in mid-air, and the little white powder remaining inside scattered out like fine snowflakes.

"Damn it! How did you spill everything?!"

The fierce-looking man next to him cursed loudly and was about to make a move when he saw the scarred strong man stagger to his feet. At the same time, he drew the half-foot-long bull-ear-shaped knife from his waist without hesitation, his face contorted with rage.

"You think you can get the goods and then double-cross me?"

Before the fierce man could react, she took advantage of the dim light and stabbed him hard.

"Damn it, are you crazy? What did I do?! I think you're the one who wants to be alone... *splat*!"

A duller, more muffled sound of flesh being pierced rang out.

The fierce man stared in disbelief at the hilt of the knife piercing his ribs; the immense shock and excruciating pain choked him even as he tried to scream.

"You...you stabbed me?" The fierce man's eyes were so wide they almost popped out.

The scarred man was stunned. His vision blurred for a moment, and the fierce man who had been holding a short knife just seconds before suddenly clutched his stomach and stared at him blankly.

"I...Fuck! Scarface! It wasn't me! Weren't you holding a knife just now?!" The scarred man released the knife handle as if he had been electrocuted, and tried to back away to explain, but the extreme fear and the blood in front of him completely confused his mind.

The excruciating pain completely ignited the ruthless man's ferocity. Seeing his good brother stumbling backward, he suddenly cursed loudly.

"I'll fuck you!!"

Despair and anger gave rise to terrifying power. The fierce man suddenly pulled out the knife stuck in his body and charged at his opponent with all his might, like a raging bull!

"Bang!! Crack!"

Two burly bodies collided violently, slamming hard against the damp, slippery sewer pipe wall with a dull thud that made your teeth ache.

The two of them tumbled together like rolling gourds, falling into a foul-smelling muddy puddle.

With bloodshot eyes, the vicious man ignored the excruciating pain from the knife wound in his ribs, gripped the knife handle tightly with his still-functioning hand, and pressed his entire body weight onto the scarred man, slowly pushing the bull-ear-shaped knife that had been taken away and then stabbed back into the other man's chest!
"Traitor! You bastard! Die! Die!" A beastly roar rolled from his throat, and blood and saliva splattered on Scarface's face, which was contorted with fear.

The scarred man struggled desperately, his hands gripping the knife-wielding man's wrists tightly, his fingernails snapping from the force. Muddy sewage poured into his mouth and nose, and the chilling sensation of suffocation and death seized him simultaneously.

His eyes were filled with incomprehensible panic—why? He had clearly just seen a fierce man holding a knife, about to kill him! Had he imagined it?

"Ah—!" The scarred man let out a hysterical, inhuman scream, and suddenly began to exert force, forcibly turning the blade little by little towards the fierce man.

After all, he wasn't injured, while the vicious man had been stabbed at the beginning and was still losing blood and strength.

The sharp blade slowly moved toward him under the terrified gaze of the fierce man, and then gently swept across his neck.

Pfft——!
The dull thud of a sharp weapon sinking deep into flesh was so clear it made your teeth ache.

The scarred man felt a lightness in his hand, followed by a smooth sensation of piercing through the obstruction, and even couldn't help but continue to stab.

The fierce-looking man's body convulsed violently, his eyes bulged, and he made a hoarse sound. All his struggles stopped instantly, and he was then forcefully pushed away by the scarred man and thrown to the ground.

The rise and fall of his chest weakened visibly, and blood mixed with sewage quickly spread into a large dark red patch beneath him.

The scarred man, panting heavily, stared in disbelief at his companion beneath him, who had instantly lost consciousness.

Won?

I killed my best brother?
But why is everything so inexplicable?

Overwhelmed by exhaustion and dizziness from blood loss, the scarred man groaned, his body went limp, and he slumped wearily to the ground.

The icy, dirty water jolted him awake. He leaned against the foul-smelling pipe wall, panting heavily.

"...Damn it...why does it feel like...I've seen a ghost..."

He muttered to himself, his eyes unfocused as he stared at the blood-stained sewer ceiling.

at this time.

A gray, almost gray figure, almost blending into the shadows of the environment, appeared silently beside his limp body.

It's Lu Ran.

He didn't use his own claws, and those strange claw marks would inevitably increase people's suspicions about the existence of man-eating rats.

He looked at the knife lying in the sewage, and then gently picked it up.

The scarred man was still tilting his head back, trying to figure out how the farce had just happened, when suddenly he felt a weight on him, as if something had jumped up on him.

Then suddenly I felt a chill on my neck.

Puff-!
An extremely faint tearing sound rang out.

He turned his head in astonishment, and in his murky vision, he could only see... a mouse.

A thin, deep red line instantly split open on the side of the scarred man's neck, and blood gushed out like a fountain.

A sense of absurdity and a hint of fear that had just been suppressed surged up instantly! He wanted to shout, to struggle, but could only utter strange "ho ho..." sounds in frustration.

Lu Ran silently placed the knife back into the scarred man's hand, creating a scene of gangsters killing each other, and then, without glancing at the horrific scene again, continued with his own business.

As long as they don't suspect it was done by a gray rat, that's fine; other details don't need to be too rigorous.

Lu Ran continued to focus his gaze on the paper bag containing the remaining white powder, which was mostly spilled and stained by sewage.

He stretched out his claws and carefully used the tips to hook up the uncontaminated part of the bag's edge—there was a small clump of relatively dry white powder crystals protected by the folds of the paper bag.

With a slight hook of its claws, the small bag was lifted up deftly.

Lu Ran also found the place where the two thugs had found the paper bag. There were indeed a few dead gray rats there, but they were just ordinary gray rats.

Currently, it seems that ordinary mice would die instantly from just a whiff of it, while the mice in his territory, despite their superior physical condition, couldn't control themselves from hallucinating and going berserk due to excessive inhalation.

Adding to the new gadgets the two thugs mentioned... does that mean it's a recently developed product?

Lu Ran also checked the condition of the other man who had fallen to the ground and was surprised to find that he had the same snake tattoo as the scarred man.

"Is it because of a good relationship, or because of gang characteristics? Oh well, I'll keep an eye on it when I have time."

Lu Ran pondered for a moment, and the next moment his figure swayed slightly in the dim light, then disappeared completely like a ghost.

"Ho ho..."

Scarface stared intently in the direction Lu Ran had left, his eyes filled with terror and disbelief.

Mice... there really are mice.

But why is it a mouse?

……

Lu Ran, with the last bit of white powder still lingering in his claws, retraced his steps, as the familiar mechanical hum of the factory grew clearer and clearer.

Just as I stepped out of the shadows, a huge white figure came into view once again.

Bella was lying next to the huge dent in the wall that she had just bumped into.

Lu Ran then remembered the guy again, sighed helplessly, walked over and patted the edge of its thick paw with its little paw: "Alright, alright, stop complaining here. I'll have the workers come and fix it later. I'll definitely call you next time."

Bella looked up abruptly, her ears perking up instantly: "Really?"

"real."

Lu Ran was both amused and exasperated. Seeing Bella become happy again, he didn't linger and quickly walked towards the open space behind the workshop.

The main reason was that he suddenly remembered something.

Can the magic they created be learned by creatures outside their territory?

Because the rats in his territory are clearly a level 4 collective intelligence, he doesn't know if Bella's intelligence is up to par.

If possible, I'd like to teach these guys some interesting magic when I have time; they might be able to help me in the long run.

Especially... divination.

He felt that the crow named Bobo was simply a chosen tool... oops, a fortune teller.

……

Underground laboratory.

The bald mouse and the greedy mouse were still taking care of the two little mice, and they seemed to be in much better condition.

Lu Ran placed the tattered paper bag in his hand directly onto a clean workbench next to him. "Here's the stuff. Be careful. I brought back a few samples, not many."

He then added seriously, "Research is research, but take proper isolation measures and don't use it. You've all seen the consequences."

The bald research mouse stood nearby, observing carefully, and nodded thoughtfully: "Understood."

Lu Ran continued speaking to the money-grubber.

"As for you, I'll tell you the exact address in a bit. Two people died there, and I have a feeling that someone who knows them will come looking for them. Send a few groups of scout rats to keep an eye on them! Pay special attention to whether anyone has those venomous snake tattoos! Report immediately if you find any, and keep tracking them at the same time."

"in addition."

Lu Ran paused. "Send out the scout rats again, have them keep an eye out for people with snake tattoos around Baker City! If they find one, don't alert them, just keep a close watch on him, figure out his usual routes and who he contacts!"

Although we don't know the origins of this gang, it's always good to keep an eye on it. It would be even better if Inspector Edwin could take it down when the opportunity arises.

However, there doesn't seem to be any law prohibiting the sale of white powder yet, so we might have to start with other illegal activities.

After explaining everything, Lu Ran finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Then came... a new magical inspiration.

(End of this chapter)