am-books Chapter 34: The Rat King
Chapter 34: The Rat King
When I wake up I feel great, get out of the hammock and stretch before heading to the river for breakfast. After eating I check my gear and then jump across the river, then touch the amulet.
"Ruby, are you ready to go exploring?"
Ruby steps out of the amulet and takes human form before turning to smile at me. I smile back and extend the new sword to her.
Ruby asks "What is this?"
"A replacement for that old sword, it matches the other one."
Ruby says, "Oh, thanks. I guess you found some good stuff in the armory."
"Yeah, pretty good stuff, too bad I can't take advantage of most of it because it's enchanted."
Ruby says, "So, shall we go exploring again?"
"Yes, we can explore to the north this time. I'm pretty sure that's where the rat men are coming from."
Ruby says, "Yeah, a fight! I'm ready, let's go."
I exit the main cavern through the nearest exit. This time, instead of turning, we cross directly into the new hallway, follow it for about ten meters and then turn left to make our way into a room.
We look carefully at the room, it is huge, about fifteen meters wide and forty-five meters long. As we look around, there are vats and strange pipes; I assume this is the imperial version of sewage treatment. On the other side of the room is an area that looks like a camp and we can count ten rat men gathered around it.
"This seems like the perfect time to test your fireball."
Ruby says, "Really? Yeah! Okay, here we go!"
Ruby leans into the room and throws a fireball into the campfire, which explodes right in the middle of the rat men. To the poor rat men, it must have looked as if their campfire had suddenly exploded.
- Killing the rat men 18/30
Only three rat men survive the explosion and they don't look very good, so Ruby and I quietly enter the room and head towards them. The three rat men, instead of trying to run, rush at us. Ruby and I draw our swords and split up, one rat man heads towards Ruby and the other two rush at me.
Ruby eagerly reaches for hers while I calmly wait and let mine come at me. Just as they are five feet away, I move in, with a quick lunge I close the distance and slash crosswise with both katanas. As the two rat men fall, I look to the side and see Ruby already cleaning and sheathing her swords.
- Killing the rat men 21/30
I clean and sheathe my katanas and then set about collecting the ten beast cores from the bodies. I find that the burned bodies smell even worse than normal corpses, but I hold my breath and take the cores. I divide them equally and give five to Ruby and keep five for myself. We both take a few minutes to absorb the beast cores.
- You have absorbed the core of the Lesser Beast. HP +5 MP +5
- You have absorbed the core of the Lesser Beast. HP +5 MP +5
- You have absorbed the core of the Lesser Beast. HP +5 MP +5
- You have absorbed the core of the Lesser Beast. HP +5 MP +5
- You have absorbed the core of the Lesser Beast. HP +5 MP +5
⟨⟨-DING-⟩⟩.
- Congratulations, your familiar has reached level 2!
"Ah, Ruby, did you just level up?"
Ruby says, "Yes, I did. I have stat points to spend, what should I put them into?"
"Well, Int is better for magic, so that would be my suggestion."
Ruby says, "Okay, I'll do it!"
"Man, I'd love to be able to level up!"
We then set about searching the room, which took us two hours just because of all the pipes we climbed and checked behind. I didn't find anything useful, but Ruby did, she proudly walks over to me and offers me a blue stone the size of my hand. I stare at it.
"MAGIC OBJECT".
√ Cleaning stone.
- Cleans everything it touches.
"So, they used magic for sewage treatment, impressive."
I reach out to take the stone from Ruby, and as I do, Ruby starts laughing. Suddenly, I feel my entire fur bristle and puff up like I've just been blow-dried. Ruby is bent over, laughing so hard she's clutching her sides. I just look down at my fur, which is all shiny and clean.
"Did you know that was going to happen?"
Ruby laughs and says, "I had a really good idea, yes!"
I sigh and tuck the rock in my belt before heading for the only way out of the room. Ruby follows me laughing. We enter a tunnel that runs east for about twenty-five feet before we come to a T-shaped fork. The right hand leads back to the main hallway, so we continue straight ahead into the smaller hallway.
"Finally!"
The helmet appears before me, floating in the air, waiting for me to take it. I reach out, grab it and smile as I look at the lion design on the helmet.
Ruby says, "What, it just appeared out of nowhere!"
"It's one of my quest rewards."
"MAGIC ITEM."
√ Lionheart helmet.
- Defense +4 Immune to fear
- Durability 300/300
I lay my axe on the ground next to the rat king's throne so I can use both hands to put on his helmet.
"So, how do I look?"
Ruby says, "Majestic and intimidating, though your ears sticking out of your helmet also make you cute at the same time!"
I pick up my axe again and wipe it clean before resheathing it on my back, then pull out the Black Razor and cut the core of the beast from the king's chest.
"ITEM."
√ Beast Core
- Quality: medium
Would you like to absorb it? Y/N
"No!"
Would you like to evolve blacksmithing now? Y/N
"Yes!!!"
As soon as I say yes, the core in my hands turns to dust, but this time I don't feel the surge of power in my body, it goes somewhere else.
⟨⟨-DING-⟩⟩.
- Congratulations, the blacksmithing skill has evolved to the expert blacksmithing skill!
⟨⟨-DING-⟩⟩⟩.
- Congratulations, the skill Expert Blacksmithing has advanced to level 11!
√ Expert Blacksmithing
√ Level 11
- Strength +12 Fire resistance +12
- You can craft expert level metal items.
"Yes! My blacksmithing evolved!"
Ruby says "Congratulations!!!"
"Since I used the higher quality core, you can absorb the lower eight of the other rat men."
Ruby says "Are you sure? We can still split them up, master."
-Yes, I'm sure. I want you to be stronger.
Ruby goes around collecting and absorbing the cores, while I rummage around the throne area looking for anything that might be useful. I'm having no luck when suddenly there's an explosion behind me.
I turn around expecting to find enemies when instead I see Ruby engulfed in flames with a huge grin on her face.
"What happened?"
Ruby says, "I just evolved from a minor spirit to a half spirit!!!"
"Congratulations!!!"
Ruby says, "This means absorbing cores is even better than I thought! I have more spirit energy now, so I can stay out longer!"
-Good, I like having you around.
Ruby smiles and asks, "So, what's next, master?"
I point behind the throne and say, "Let's see where that tunnel leads."