Apocalyptic World: Surviving with my husband and my cute little babies-Chapter 288: Everyone is scheming

Without losing momentum, the mutated rat retaliated, spewing a blast of acid from its mouth.

The corrosive spray shot straight toward Ethan, who narrowly dodged it by mere centimeters.

He had tried to block it with multiple shadow shields, but the acid tore through them instantly, disintegrating them on contact.

"A complete bane to my ability... this one’s tricky," Ethan murmured, narrowing his eyes as he focused all his attention on the mutated rat.

Seeing Ethan standing perfectly fine, the mutated rat let out an enraged screech and charged again, furious that its prey was so difficult to kill.

It lunged again and again, trying to bite and swallow him whole, but Ethan slipped away every time, calmly calculating its movements while observing each attack.

The fight turned into a game of cat and mouse.

The mutated rat chased relentlessly, doing everything it could to catch him. Yet whenever it came close, Ethan would vanish without leaving even a trace behind.

The sight baffled not only the mutated rat but also the abbots watching from afar.

For the first time, they truly saw the terrifying extent of Ethan’s ability. He could even conceal his spiritual energy, becoming completely invisible to their senses.

What they didn’t know was that Ethan was hiding within a separate space.

Whenever he was in danger, the space pulled him inside, following the Golden Tablet’s instruction—to protect those marked by it from immediate harm.

And with Lieutenant Fern keeping watch outside, Ethan could safely reappear the moment the mutated rat moved away from the spot where he had vanished.

This strange situation only enraged the creature further.

Unable to find its target, the mutated rat sprayed acid wildly in all directions, hoping to land a lucky hit.

Inside the hidden space, Ethan was already forming a plan.

He contacted Uncle Anthony and requested the most lethal pesticide they currently had, along with several grenades.

This time, his goal was simple—to test how the pesticide would react when sprayed over the mutated rat’s body.

From his observations, Ethan had noticed something crucial.

Every time the creature activated its acidic ability, its wounds stopped healing, as if the acid directly conflicted with its otherwise powerful regeneration.

If that was the case, then adding a lethal chemical into the mix might further disrupt its recovery.

Even if it didn’t kill the mutated rat outright, it would at least give Ethan a decisive advantage.

"Uncle, is everything ready?" Ethan asked.

"Yes," Uncle Anthony replied. "I’ve packed them into twenty bottles, each one gallon. Just throw them together with the grenades—they’ll explode and spread over the area."

"Good. That’s enough for now," Ethan said. "But keep preparing more."

"Alright. Just be careful—and don’t inhale the pesticide directly."

"I understand."

After storing the twenty bottles, Ethan contacted Lieutenant Fern to check the situation outside.

"Chief, the mutated rat is frantically searching for you and has moved away from the spot where you disappeared," Fern reported telepathically. "But be careful—it seems extremely alert."

"I see. What about the abbots?" Ethan asked.

"They’re watching the rat... and observing you as well."

Ethan smiled faintly. "They seem relaxed now. Then let’s bring them in. It would be a waste not to use their abilities."

With that, Ethan smirked—and vanished from the space once more.

The moment Ethan reappeared, the mutated rat—already waiting impatiently—lunged at him with full force.

But Ethan had anticipated the attack and instantly bound it with shadows.

The creature screeched and activated its acidic ability once more, melting the shadows restraining it and forcing its way free.

Yet this was exactly how Ethan had planned it. He calmly tossed several bottles of pesticide together with a grenade.

His action made the mutated rat dodge instinctively, assuming it was just another ordinary attack.

What it didn’t realize was that this was the core of Ethan’s scheme.

Boom!

A deafening explosion followed. The grenade detonated, and the pesticide splashed violently across the mutated rat’s massive body.

A shrill, ear-splitting screech rang out. This time, the creature felt pain.

"Squeee—eeek!"

Panicking, it immediately deactivated its acid ability that coated its body and tried to rely on its powerful regeneration to repair the damage.

However, Ethan didn’t give it that chance.

He activated [Shadow Forge] again, turning the battlefield into a sea of thorny shadow vines.

They wrapped tightly around the mutated rat, strangling it from every direction.

With no other option, the creature activated its acid ability once more. The cycle repeated. Ethan followed up with another wave of pesticide and another explosion.

Again and again. Pain piled upon pain. At last, the mutated rat snapped.

Ignoring its injuries, no longer caring about survival, it went completely berserk.

Its mind held only one thought—kill Ethan and devour him whole.

Seeing this change, Ethan did not retreat into the space again. Though dangerous, this was exactly what he wanted.

The mutated rat’s survival instincts were gone, replaced by blind bloodlust. It was no longer cautious—only reckless.

’Finally’

Ethan then glanced toward where the abbots were hiding and smirked.

"Looks like it’s your turn to shine," he murmured. "Let’s wear this thing down."

He quickly merged into the shadows and moved toward them.

Seeing the shadow approach, Brother Jay frowned. But when he noticed the mutated rat charging wildly after Ethan, realization struck him.

"Tsk... acting all mighty when he fought alone," Brother Jay muttered with disdain, "but in the end, he still needs our help."

A sinister smile crept onto his face.

’Die, both of you,’ he thought coldly, drawing the last of the high-grade talismans he had managed to save.

"Wind Talisman—pierce my enemy!"

A sharp blade of wind materialized, slicing cleanly through debris and solid objects alike. Its penetrative power was terrifying, a true testament to its high grade.

Swoosh!

Instead of assisting Ethan, Brother Jay aimed the strike directly through him—intent on taking out the mutated rat and Ethan in a single, cold-blooded move.

They might share the same goal of killing the mutated rat, but that didn’t mean he had forgotten this masked man—the one allied with that woman the heavens wanted to eradicate.

Ethan sneered the moment he sensed the abbots’ attack and swiftly maneuvered to evade it.

The mutated rat, however, was far less fortunate. Its focus was locked entirely on Ethan, leaving it no time to react.

Boom!

The wind blade struck its abdomen head-on, sending the mutated rat crashing into a pile of abandoned cars.

Black, foul blood burst out, mixed with thick, acidic mucus as the attack tore through its body.

Ethan didn’t waste the opening. He immediately hurled several bottles of pesticide along with a grenade.

The explosion, combined with the spreading toxic mist, drove the mutated rat into a frenzy of pain and rage.

"Squeeeke....’’

Standing not far away, Brother Elias also seized the chance and activated a high-grade Fire Talisman.

A blazing fireball erupted, scorching the mutated rat. Already wounded by the earlier strike, its body was burned even deeper.

"It seems the pesticide worked," Brother Elias said sharply. "Its regeneration isn’t functioning."

Ethan glanced at him. Though Brother Elias looked disheveled, his expression remained calm despite the fierce battle.

"I just happened to have those pesticides, so I tried them. Luckily, they worked."

"Hmm... fighting a creature like this is extremely difficult," Brother Elias admitted. "Even for us Rank 2 Mystic Arts practitioners, without your help, it would be a total disadvantage."

Ethan didn’t fully understand the ranking system, but judging by how Brother Elias fought on equal footing with the abbot leader, he was clearly among the most powerful in their order.

"Indeed," Ethan replied, then explained the mutated rat’s abilities and weaknesses, allowing Brother Elias to finally understand why its wounds were no longer healing.

Watching them stand so close, irritation boiled in Brother Jay’s chest. It was as if his junior brother had betrayed them long ago. Worse, the two looked far too familiar.

"Tsk. What a touching friendship," Brother Jay sneered. "Working together now, are you? Since you’re back, let’s continue what we started."

Before he could act further, the mutated rat launched another attack, turning the area into complete chaos.

The abbots quickly unleashed relentless strikes to suppress the beast, while Ethan drew its attention, continuously tossing pesticide-laced attacks.

From Ethan’s calculations, the outcome was already decided. Both the mutated rat and the abbots were rapidly draining their spiritual energy.

All Ethan needed was the right moment—for the final act, and for revenge.

He smirked, hidden in the shadows, as he watched Brother Jay panting heavily, exhaustion written all over his face.

Nearby, the mutated rat thrashed wildly, spewing corrosive acid in every direction in a desperate, final stand. Its movements had slowed, and the accumulated damage was beginning to take its toll.

The instant it deactivated its acidic ability to regenerate its worst injuries, Ethan then moved.

"[Shadow Forge]—thorny vines."

Shadows surged violently, tearing into the mutated rat from all directions.

"Squeeeek—!"

With a final, shrill cry, the mutated rat collapsed and died.

But Ethan wasn’t finished.

He seized the corpse and flung the still-corrosive body toward Brother Jay. Acid splashed violently, eating away at the high-grade defensive talisman protecting him.

Crack.

A gaping hole tore through Brother Jay’s shield, freezing him in shock. ’This masked bastard is scheming, too.’

"Finally," Ethan mocked, "you’re defenseless."

A shadow nail shot forth instantly, aimed directly at Brother Jay.

Woosh!

It slammed into his shoulder, piercing through with such force that it nearly severed his left arm.

"Urgh—!" Brother Jay screamed, blood spilling from his mouth.

"Well played..." he gasped. "But don’t get overconfident. This isn’t over."

Soon after, a supreme talisman flared with blinding light—and in the next instant, Brother Jay vanished.

Brother Elias stood frozen, not shocked by the battle itself, but by what he had just witnessed.

"That talisman..." he whispered.

"That wasn’t just rare. In the monastery, that teleportation talisman is legendary. Only the monastery leader should possess one. Someone might have given it to Brother Jay."

His expression then darkened. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

"Now that he escaped, things will only get worse. The monastery will definitely come after you, Ethan. And me as well—for betraying them."

Ethan hadn’t expected Brother Jay to have such a trump card.

"Well," he said calmly, "what’s done is done. We’ll deal with it when the time comes."

Brother Elias nodded tiredly. "I need to return. I’m completely exhausted."

Ethan didn’t stop him, acknowledging the effort he had made today.

He planned to try convincing them to join their forces later, but for now, his focus was on the true prize lying amid the ruins—the Tier 1 core of the mutated rat.

He took it without hesitation, placing the Tier 1 core into his [Inventory] for later use. Then he instructed Lieutenant Fern to continue monitoring the area before he entered the space.

Ethan then took a quick bath, finally exiting the space to be with his wife. Exhausted from the relentless battles, all he wanted was to sleep beside Elena.

As for their babies, he could only apologize, promising himself he would visit them once he was well rested.

"Goodnight, wife."

In mere seconds, he sank into a deep, untroubled sleep, holding her close.