Chapter 278: A Resounding Victory
Chapter 278: A Resounding Victory
Generally speaking, human armies tend to scatter when casualties reach a certain proportion.
However, for the starving rats, this proportion was clearly much higher.
It was only when the rat population was reduced by more than half that the first rat started to flee—it was one of those that had managed to eat its fill by scavenging the corpses of its fallen comrades.
As the number of rats continued to dwindle, several more began to scatter, this time including those that were clinging to the golems.
Even as they turned red with rage, climbing and biting at the golems, they could only gnaw on the hard, unyielding stone.
The golems paid little attention to the rats on their bodies, focusing instead on stomping and smashing with their feet and fists.
The two floating cannons, however, would occasionally fire a few shots to help clear them off.
Rod watched the scene with discomfort and asked Lighning, “Can you fetch a few buckets of water for me?”
“I’ll go right away!” Lighning, who had been engrossed in the battle between the insects and the rats, immediately complied upon hearing Rod’s request.
Mira, curious, asked what he intended to do.
Rod said, “I’ll mix some disinfectant to clean the golems. Otherwise, it just feels a bit unsettling.”
“Won’t it hurt them?”
“No, actually, even boiling water wouldn’t hurt them. It just feels too cruel.”
“Yes, and finding a pot big enough for boiling water would be difficult.”
“Hmm, hmm?”
Rod was momentarily taken aback. What would they need a large pot for, to boil the golems? Was she misunderstanding him, or was she being deliberately mischievous?
The unscrupulous summoner, after hastily formulating his disinfection plan, fell into deep thought.
The battle continued for a while longer, and the rat population began to scatter in large numbers.
A few of the worms were dragged away by the fleeing rats, but the majority were still surrounding and pursuing the remaining rats.
Rod gave orders to the three Void Nest Worms: “Chase after them. Stay behind and kill as many as you can.”
Surprised? My barracks will chase you down.
The three Nest Worms left the village entrance, pursuing the retreating rat pack, and continued to spawn more worms on their backs as they moved.
The newly spawned worms hopped and jumped forward, even moving faster than the Nest Worms.
Jasper asked, “Mr. Rod, should we chase after them? This is a good opportunity to finish them off completely.”
Rod shook his head. “Leave the pursuit of the rat pack to me. You have more important tasks to attend to.”
“What tasks? We’ll do our best.” Jasper was confident, and everyone’s enthusiasm was at an all-time high. He felt that they could accomplish anything.
“Once the remaining rats are dealt with, the rat corpses around the village need to be handled quickly to prevent disease.”
Rod continued, “When handling the rat corpses, remember to take proper precautions. Also, the village’s water sources might be contaminated, so remind everyone to boil the water before drinking it.”
Jasper glanced at the buckets of water that Lighning had fetched at Rod’s request.
Mr. Rod is so considerate! He even tested the water quality for them in advance!
“Yes, I’ll arrange it immediately!” Jasper left with gratitude.
“Is he misunderstanding something?”
“Possibly, but it’s probably because you did such a great job,” Mira said, having stopped throwing ‘grenades’ and staying by Rod’s side.
“Your praise makes me very proud. Hmm, how about a reward?”
“No.” Mira covered his mouth as he leaned in, with so many people still watching.
The final pursuit lasted nearly half an hour. The worms chased the last few fleeing rats out of sight, disappearing into the darkness.
The villagers cheered, for although they hadn't eliminated all the rats tonight, they had dealt with a significant portion of them.
Moreover, with so many insects around, it was only a matter of time before the remaining rats were taken care of.
It was only June, and it was still possible to plant summer corn, sorghum, soybeans, and late rice. As long as they worked hard in the coming days, their lives would not be significantly affected.
Just the 200,000 J commission to hire such a powerful mage was incredibly fortunate!
The villagers started to get busy. They used shovels, sieves, and other tools to collect the rat corpses, piling them into small mountains.
They then checked the wind direction, built a simple incinerator downwind of the village, and gathered firewood and charcoal to burn all the rat corpses.
The ashes from today’s burning would later be used as high-quality fertilizer for the fields.
Even the black granules left by the rats were swept up and collected to be turned into fertilizer.
The night was deep, but outside Lavender Village, the lights were still bright, and the scene was one of bustling activity.
Meanwhile, Rod was busy pouring disinfectant water over the golems.
The disinfectant was brought by Rod himself. It could be used by diluting it in water. Since the mission's goal was to exterminate rats, Rod had come prepared.
The golems stood there docilely, letting him pour as much as he wanted, even cooperating by squatting, standing, and even lying down.
Mira found the giant's clumsy movements oddly endearing.
Jasper was busy organizing the villagers to work, and he would pitch in himself when necessary. Despite his busy schedule, he took the time to find Rod: "Thank you both for your help!"
"It's just a mission, no need to be formal," Rod said, pointing to the collapsed fence and the pitted road. "We'll try to fix these tomorrow."
The culprit who had caused the damage to the road looked a bit embarrassed: "I'm sorry, I didn't notice before."
"Don't worry about it! We can fix these quickly," Jasper reassured him. He knew the quality of the village's fence and the road. A few holes were nothing; solving the rat problem was the most important thing.
Rod was about to say something, but his face grew increasingly pale.
The golems, which had been squatting obediently, suddenly disappeared. The three Nest Worms, which had been chasing the rat pack, also vanished.
The worms lingered a bit longer before disappearing one by one.
Mira immediately supported Rod when she saw his condition.
"Mr. Rod?" Jasper was startled.
"I'm fine, just reaching my mana limit. I need to rest a bit."
"Please come to my house; the room is already prepared."
Rod's arm was around Mira's shoulder, and her right hand was around his waist. Mira supported Rod as they headed toward the village chief's house.
But they hadn't gone far when she suddenly had a good idea. She bent slightly, and with her left hand, she hooked Rod's leg, lifting him up.
Rod was taken aback: "Eh eh~ Mira?"
Mira smiled cutely: "This way is more convenient."
Rod couldn't help but laugh: "But it's a bit strange."
"What's strange about it? When I fell into the water, you carried me like this," Mira said, even adjusting his position slightly. She grinned, "Isn't this fun?"
"..." Rod wrapped his arms around Mira's neck, pressing his face into her hair, "I suppose it is."
Mira could feel his breath and playfully threatened, "If you move around, I'll drop you."
(End of Chapter)
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