Chapter 56: The Weak Kitty

"What should we do now, Ji Ge?" Huang Mang's expression turned cold as he witnessed the scene unfolding before them. His body began to undergo a metallic transformation, though due to the limited spiritual energy remaining within him, the process was slow. In this moment, a sense of urgency gripped Huang Mang.

A mere presence of a single rat had nearly depleted his spiritual energy. Looking at the dozen or so whiskers protruding from the drain, there must be at least six or seven rats down there. Facing this substantial number, Huang Mang felt a surge of panic.

Just moments ago, the existence of a single rat had drained him significantly. Considering this multitude of rodents, he realized that escape was likely the best option. Despite his usual reckless behavior, Huang Mang could distinguish between recklessness and foolishness. Confronted with such a large number of rats, he believed that survival was paramount.

However, when he glanced at Ji Chang, he noticed that Ji Chang didn't seem to have any intention of fleeing. "Stay calm," Ji Chang lightly patted Huang Mang's shoulder and reassured him.

The whiskers emerging from the drain indicated that the number of rats was considerable. Yet, Ji Chang surmised that the rats' sizes couldn't be significantly larger, given they were able to squeeze through the drain opening simultaneously.

Furthermore, perhaps due to their scramble, the rats seemed to be stuck inside the drain, unable to get out immediately. This delay bought Ji Chang more time.

With a thought, Ji Chang immediately signaled the wolf spider to approach. As the wolf spider reached the drain's edge, it swiftly emitted an abundance of silk, instantly sealing the drain's opening securely. "Rest assured, these rats won't be coming out anytime soon," Ji Chang said.

Once the spider completed sealing the drain, Ji Chang's relief was palpable. He lifted his head toward the still somewhat flustered Huang Mang. The sheer number of rats had caught Ji Chang off guard. However, as Ji Chang had speculated, the information provided by the wolf spider indicated that the rats inside the drain were small, possibly even smaller than the spider itself.

In the heat of the moment, Ji Chang had injected a substantial amount of his spiritual energy into the wolf spider to enable it to drag the rats off Huang Mang and onto the wall. The rat's size was considerably larger than that of the spider, and relying solely on the spider's strength would have made this feat challenging.

Consequently, this effort had cost Ji Chang a significant portion of his spiritual energy. If he were to confront the numerous rats once again, he'd be stretched thin. Sealing the drain with silk now seemed like a viable option. Ji Chang believed that this would at least prevent the rats from escaping for the time being.

Of course, to ensure the rats wouldn't quickly break through the silk seal, Ji Chang lightly pushed his palm in the direction of the wolf spider. A surge of his spiritual energy flowed into the spider through the palm. This was a newly discovered application of his spiritual energy, which he had learned after a lunchtime meditation that day.

In this moment, he could infuse his spiritual energy into his spirit beast's body from a distance, thereby enhancing its abilities. This method incurred some degree of loss due to the distant transmission, unlike the direct contact which was more efficient. However, given the current situation, where time was of the essence, this remote infusion was the optimal choice.

Although the loss was nearly half, it was within the acceptable range for Ji Chang. He believed that with his constant improvement in spiritual energy, this loss would gradually diminish.

Soon after receiving Ji Chang's infusion of spiritual energy, the wolf spider's spinnerets emitted thicker and stickier silk. With the combined strength of multiple threads, the drain was sealed even more securely. Even the scratching and rustling of the rats against the silk had subdued significantly.

Observing the sealed drain, Huang Mang blinked and then admired Ji Chang, saying, "Ji Ge, you're truly impressive! Why didn't I think of that?"

Initially, Ji Chang had been contemplating why he couldn't increase his spiritual energy a bit more. If he had enough, he believed he could handle any number of rats. He hadn't expected Ji Chang to effortlessly resolve the crisis.

However, Huang Mang was curious about Ji Chang's recent action of lightly pushing his palm into the air. Huang Mang knew that Ji Chang could enhance his spirit beast's abilities using his spiritual energy, but previously, this was accomplished through physical contact. Ji Chang's recent move had given Huang Mang a clue.

"Ji Ge, can you infuse spiritual energy remotely into the wolf spider?" Huang Mang stared at Ji Chang inquiringly.

"Mhm," Ji Chang pursed his lips into a smile and nodded.

"Amazing!" Astonished, Huang Mang gave Ji Chang a thumbs up.

Simultaneously, he pondered how he could apply Ji Chang's technique to his own extraordinary abilities.

"Don't worry, I'll teach you when we get back! You can explore how to use it with your exceptional powers!" Ji Chang grinned and said again to Huang Mang, who was lost in thought.

"Sure thing!" Huang Mang rubbed his head and grinned.

...

Not long after, once the wolf spider finished devouring the fallen rats and Ji Chang ensured the silk seal on the drain was secure, he and Huang Mang left the bathroom with the wolf spider. Ji Chang had no intention of returning to their base; instead, he directed the wolf spider towards the kitchen.

"Ji Ge, where are we going?" Huang Mang seemed to have a notion, but he still voiced his uncertainty.

"Why do you keep asking questions you know the answer to?" Ji Chang gave a wry smile, noticing Huang Mang's expression.

Ji Chang's plan was to visit Uncle Zhou's kitchen once again while there was still time. They had expended a considerable amount of spiritual energy and needed to recover. After sleep, the quickest way to regain spiritual energy was through eating. Resources were limited at their base, and the distance between the bathroom and the study desk wasn't significantly different from the distance to Uncle Zhou's kitchen.

Given this, Ji Chang decided to head directly to Uncle Zhou's kitchen. The pantry contained a substantial amount of food supplies, and after they ate, they could transport another batch of supplies back.

"Haha, it seems we'll be able to recover our spiritual energy quickly again!" Huang Mang exclaimed, excited.

During their previous supply transport, Huang Mang hadn't eaten much due to team considerations. However, now that he was at the pantry, he could indulge freely!

Soon after, Ji Chang prompted the energized wolf spider to lead the way, and they made their way to Uncle Zhou's kitchen. Guided by familiarity, the duo quickly settled on the pantry and began to feast.

"Hey, isn't that the same cat from earlier?" Ji Chang happened to glance at the kitchen floor while eating, causing him to muse aloud.

Although his line of sight was partially obstructed, Ji Chang could still make out the silhouette of the cat lying on the ground.

"Oh? Where?" Huang Mang, with his mouth full of bread, sunflower seeds, and potato chips, looked over and attempted to articulate through his munching, "From the looks of it, it should be..."

Hearing Huang Mang's muffled words, Ji Chang sighed, "This cat seems quite feeble."

Staring at the motionless feline on the floor, Ji Chang pondered. Then, he turned to Huang Mang and said, "Mang, keep eating. I'm going to check it out."

"What? Ji Ge, where are you going?" Huang Mang was about to speak, but Ji Chang had already directed the wolf spider downward towards the ground.