The ratman heavy-infestation zone — Shen Cong had been through it before and broken out before the encirclement could close. Great Vajra was beyond anything ratmen could damage.

A smaller vehicle wouldn't have that luxury. Being surrounded by ratmen meant no way out.

He decided the military jeep trailing behind wasn't safe enough as-is. He ran the winch cable out and tethered the jeep to Great Vajra's rear. If ratmen pinned the jeep completely, the cable would let Great Vajra drag it clear by force. If he'd committed to protection, he was going to do it properly. That was his way.

Both vehicles reached the Chuma Expressway. Right on schedule, ratmen began emerging from the ruins on both sides of the road — lining the shoulders, watching.

Then the larger ones came. After a brief exchange of what sounded like coordination calls among themselves, they rushed both vehicles in a mass. These big ratmen showed no concern for their own survival and fought with genuine ferocity. Their numbers kept climbing. One by one they hauled themselves onto Great Vajra and the military jeep alike.

The Flying Wing Knives on Great Vajra and the core-weapon blades on the jeep cleared large numbers as both vehicles pushed forward. It wasn't enough to stop the surge.

"Hold your speed. We push through." Shen Cong's voice through the walkie-talkie was steady, carrying only a trace of detachment.

Zhao Zilong answered immediately. "Understood."

More ratmen this time than last. Significantly more.

Within ten minutes, Great Vajra was a creature covered in moving bodies. The military jeep was similarly engulfed. Vehicle speed was beginning to bleed off under the accumulated weight.

Shen Cong checked the power reading — 85% — then checked their position on the map. He pressed a control without hesitation.

CRACK.

The High-Voltage Perimeter Grid discharged. A hundred-odd large ratmen, hair standing up, convulsed and fell in a rain.

Great Vajra's speed recovered. The cable went taut. The jeep — still wrapped in a moving cluster of ratmen — was dragged forward along the expressway.

The ratmen were inexhaustible. This wave was substantially…