"Hahh... huhh..."
Leaning against the wall, Bevis struggled to his feet and gasped for air.
Even though the air in the sewers was foul and reeked of rot, it felt precious at this moment.
Just a moment ago, the high-pitched shriek of the Rat King—a creature that wasn't just *like* something from a nightmare, but *was* something from the depths of one—had felt like being plunged into the icy depths of the sea.
One more second, and he felt he would have suffocated to death.
Thankfully... he had survived.
But a piercing pain deep in his soul made it difficult for him to stand steady.
As a Rat Catcher and a Transcendent, he was well-traveled and had seen it all.
But he had truly never seen anything like this before.
A human-like Rat King that was... even more beautiful than most young women.
Before, he had thought this was the private boudoir of some noble lady.
The illusion had deceived his eyes.
He had nearly lost his life because of it.
Fortunately... someone had pushed him at the critical moment.
Recalling the recent events, even though the young nobleman had already executed the Rat King, Bevis's heart still pounded with lingering fear.
"This is... the Rat King?"
His gaze swept over the humanoid figure of the Rat King, which was covered in silver fur.
When he spoke again, Bevis found his voice was hoarse and trembling.
After staunching his own bleeding, Zorn heaved the Silver Radiance Female Rat King out of the filthy channel and dragged her to the side.
Then, Zorn sat on the ground to recover his strength.
He looked down at his hands. Thankfully, the Iron Arm Guards had blocked most of the damage.
Even so, the backs of his hands were a mess of bloody scratches and wounds.
The Silver Radiance Female Rat King's blade-like claws were even sharper than he'd imagined.
Fortunately, a Fighting Master's arms and legs had exceptionally strong Defense and a high tolerance for pain.
This allowed Zorn to maintain sufficient combat strength even when injured.
With a Transcendent's amazing recovery ability, a few days of rest would be enough to heal completely.
"Yes."
Zorn nodded, looking at the snowy, furry corpse of the Silver Radiance Female Rat King.
"This thing is the Rat King. If I'm not mistaken, we'll find the skeletons of quite a few homeless people and other unlucky souls inside."
A Rat King that ate people and spat out their bones.
Bevis's heart tightened. An indescribable weight settled upon it.
To think that a monster even more terrifying than the rumors suggested was lurking in the sewers of Ogrande City.
And he had been here for so long without ever discovering it in his deeper explorations.
As he looked around at the deep, dark sewers, his breathing became suppressed and heavy.
Stepping across the channel, Zorn checked on the unconscious Isaac lying on the ground and spoke slowly.
"He's just fainted. His breathing is steady, and he's not making any strange noises or muttering anything weird. He should be fine. He'll wake up soon."
Just now, when Zorn had called for help, the young Isaac had bravely drawn his slingshot and fired at the Silver Radiance Female Rat King until her second shriek knocked him unconscious.
Facing such a terrifying monster, although his attacks weren't very effective, he had shown more than enough courage and composure in the face of fear.
Gazing silently at Isaac on the ground, a strange light flashed in Bevis's steady eyes, which were accustomed to the dark.
'Perhaps... he's ready!'
Zorn glanced at the corpse of the Silver Radiance Female Rat King, which was beginning to emit a faint silver glow. He then looked at the halo of the azure Blue Glow Moss, its brightness starting to rise and fall rhythmically.
Zorn averted his gaze and hurried into action.
He passed through the Magic Gate he had opened earlier and entered the Silver Radiance Female Rat King's lair.
A deep azure light illuminated the entire Rat King's nest.
He went around to the other side of the stone bed.
His pupils constricted.
There, piled on the ground, were gleaming white bones, including at least seven or eight human skulls.
Many of the bones bore the marks of being licked clean.
A man-eating Rat King, sleeping amongst the bones of its victims.
If Zorn had arrived any later, many more homeless people would have been devoured by this man-eating Rat King.
Once the Rat Plague broke out, the underground Rat King of Ogrande City would become exceptionally terrifying and powerful. It might even gain certain "Evil Spirit" characteristics.
At that time, many residents would be dragged underground by swarms of rats and imprisoned.
They would become food for the Rat King, or sacrifices to Demons and Evil Gods.
Once it reached that stage, it would be much harder to deal with.
Although Zorn and the Rat Catcher had teamed up to kill this Rat King, Zorn knew very well.
The Rat Plague would only be delayed, not stopped.
Before long—very soon, in fact—a new Rat King would be born.
It would be an even more ferocious, tyrannical, and bloodthirsty creature.
Only when the terrible disaster erupted, when the deadly Calamity of the Rat Plague swept through Ogrande City and left an indelible scar, would it be taken seriously and finally extinguished.
If he were just a Player, Zorn wouldn't have cared about the disaster erupting.
But now, he was a part of this world, and Ogrande City would be the fertile ground that nourished his growth and power.
He was determined to fight against these damn Evil Spirit elements and the terrifying source of the Calamity.
And take back what was rightfully his.
The Silver Radiance Female Rat King's combination dining room, boudoir, and lair was not very large.
A moment later, Zorn found what he was looking for under the bed.
It was a Monster Treasure Chest, about the size of a lady's handbag, covered in short, snow-white fur.
In the world of Holy Relic: Eternal Poem, there were many Magical Creatures.
This Monster Treasure Chest before him was one of the Magical Creatures that would, in the future, integrate seamlessly into the lives of Transcendent beings, nobles, merchants, and even the middle class.
Previously, Zorn had already thought of the idea of a "Monster Treasure Chest factory."
Using professional breeding techniques, he could boost the production of these chest-monsters, yielding seven or eight, or even more than a dozen, per litter.
He could cultivate Monster Treasure Chests with better temperaments, more brilliant colors, and larger internal spaces.
It was definitely an investment with an extremely high rate of return.
He opened the Monster Treasure Chest to give it a quick check, confirming that what he needed was inside.
Satisfied, Zorn closed the Monster Treasure Chest again.
Inside were approximately 3,200 Kruger Gold Coins.
These were Gold Coins from the Krug Plateau Empire, a realm from the Saint Gane Mist Plateau that had long been submerged in the depths of history.
Their value was higher than the imperial gold pounds of the Autanston Republic, which was currently located on the Northern Border of the Continent, bordering the mists and controlling Ehai Bay.
One Kruger Gold Coin was equivalent to about 1.6 gold pounds.
A little over five thousand gold pounds, plus one of the Forbidden Items.
This was the substantial income Zorn had earned by exploiting his informational advantage as a Player.
Low risk, high profit.
This was more profitable than robbing a bank.
When Zorn reappeared in the sewer carrying a Monster Treasure Chest, the veteran Rat Catcher saw what the young nobleman was holding, but he pretended not to have noticed.
At this moment, the flickering of the surrounding Blue Glow Moss became more frequent and rapid.
Both men's gazes fell upon the Rat King's corpse.
The Rat King's corpse, originally shining with a silvery light, was now shriveled and withered. Its fur had lost its color, becoming drab and coarse.
And above the Rat King's body, an object the size of a thumb, like a brilliant silver star, was floating.
"What's that..."
The Rat Catcher, Bevis, squinted his eyes to get a better look.
"It's a sacrificial offering that can be used to trade with the mysterious and the unknown for Extraordinary Power," Zorn said slowly.
"Or, to put it another way... a core material."
"However... it also requires a ritual, other materials, and a small price that we must pay."
'The stepping stone into the Extraordinary World. The key to opening the great door of the Extraordinary.'
Bevis knew exactly what the young nobleman meant, and he understood the immense value of this material from the mysterious Rat King.
He glanced at Isaac, who was still unconscious on the ground, but he was too embarrassed to speak up.
After all, the young nobleman, Zorn, had been the main force in defeating the Rat King.
Zorn took a piece of leather from the Rat King's Blue Glow Moss-lit nest, wrapped the material in it, and pressed it directly into the Rat Catcher Bevis's hand.
"This..."
Bevis's heart trembled. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but no words came out.
"Consider it my welcome gift to Isaac. Noble masters are always loaded with money, aren't they?"
Zorn laughed self-deprecatingly. He was already on the verge of bankruptcy.
This material was worth at least a hundred, maybe even several hundred, gold pounds.
But for the sake of his future investment, Zorn was being quite generous.
'Future Legendary God Hunter, I will be the one to guide you on your path.'
Just as Zorn was wondering whether he should take the Rat King's corpse back with them...
"Aka... las..."
"Aka... las..."
A murmur seemed to bubble up from the darkness of an endless Purgatory.
It was accompanied by a strange, dream-like whisper.
Zorn felt the world around him become hazy, illusory, and unreal.
The once solid and straight underground tunnel began to sway slightly from side to side, the path ahead twisting and turning.
Shadowy figures seemed to stir within the sewer's wastewater, and strange, pale faces emerged from the filth.
'They're here this fast?'
Zorn's heart skipped a beat.
The two men exchanged a knowing glance, quickly worked together to lift the unconscious Isaac, and sprinted back the way they came.