Chapter 547 A Nest of Snakes and Rats
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Pig-headed Knight: "Damn it, this isn't a gold-level boss at all! I'd believe you if you told me he was a demigod!"
Tauren Warrior: "Too hasty..."
One Leaf Knows Autumn: "Not quite a demigod, but he should be at least platinum or even diamond level."
Hu Wan: "A mere thread separates us, yet it feels like an insurmountable chasm."
Four familiar IDs appeared simultaneously in the forum's discussion area, and a large group of players eager to watch the drama immediately flocked in with curiosity.
Wang, the hairdresser at the village entrance: "What's going on?"
Flower Monk Daiyu: "Another air force failure?"
Mei Chuan Qiu Ku: "Hahaha! Seeing Brother Yi Ye lose money makes me happier than making money!"
Hu Wan: "Tsk."
Pig-headed Knight: "I hope you never get to eat four dishes in your entire life!"
One Leaf Knows Autumn: "It's a plot-driven death, there's nothing we can do about it. But it's not a bad deal, at least I received the mission rewards and unlocked clues for the new main storyline. It all depends on how far the official storyline goes."
Gou Shi: "If you win, it's Ezreal; if you lose, it's just a plot device, right? (laughs)"
One Leaf Tells of Autumn: "There's no conflict. (Winks and smiles)"
"Can't afford to play": "What's going on? What hidden mission did you guys unlock this time? (Curious)"
One Leaf Knows Autumn: "To put it simply, we discovered a ratman's nest in Earl Spinor's territory, which appears to contain an altar that summons chaos, triggering a boss battle... Of course, it might not be an altar of chaos, at least we didn't find any chaotic creatures or a gate to chaos, only some cut pieces of flesh."
Minotaur Warrior: "A dark magician's experimental field, a ratmen's slaughterhouse, or a heretical holy site... In short, it's very sinister."
One Leaf Knows Autumn: "Hmm, the strangest thing is that the dead corpses have no souls, so we can rule out necromancy first."
Pig-headed Knight: "But what's strange is that their spell can directly attack SAN value... that's pretty cool."
Dragon Travels Thousands of Miles: "What the hell is attacking SAN value?!"
One Leaf Tells of Autumn: "The literal meaning strikes straight to your soul, making you feel a chill down your spine even in reality, and wanting to disconnect... Has VR technology become that advanced already?"
Gou Shi: "Truly worthy of being called natural disaster technology! (humorous)"
Good Citizen of Gotham: "Uh, so...you lost?"
One leaf tells of autumn: "They just didn't win."
Gotham's Good Citizen: "Damn! What's the difference?"
The old man at the village entrance said, "Wait a minute, I remember you just upgraded your equipment, didn't you? Then you guys lost out big time."
One Leaf Knows Autumn: "It's alright. It was just a regular green outfit that was lost, worth less than 1 million ghost coins. I can just buy another set."
Knowledge Blast: "Damn, how come these bastards are so rich? TT"
One Leaf Knows Autumn: "That's impossible. My ghost money is just a drop in the ocean compared to Brother Longxing's. One of his collections can buy ten of my accounts."
Dragon Travels Thousands of Miles: "Go ahead and sell it, bro!"
One Leaf Knows Autumn: "Once you find the game operator and they agree to trade the account, I'll retire immediately, haha."
Dragon Travels a Thousand Miles: "Ugh... I really can't find it, there's no way."
Zheng Fangxing: "So, where is that rat-man's lair???"
Suddenly, it was reported: "Count Spinor's Domain".
Zheng Fangxing: "What I mean is, could you be more specific?"
Hu Wan: "Corporate secret."
He downed the chemical pool in one gulp: "%￥#@!"
One Leaf Knows Autumn: "What's the rush? Once we reach the main quest, the Demon King will naturally send you." (Winking)
...
Deep within the towering Wanren Mountains, in underground cavities untouched by sunlight, the air is thick with a nauseating stench of blood and decay.
The ground here is not paved with rocks, but is a "carpet" made of a thick layer of decaying matter and bacteria, which makes a sticky "smack" sound when you step on it.
It was practically a den of tentacles.
However, there are no cute creatures here; all that's there are swarms of squeaking mice.
The name of this nest is Predator's Nest.
This place was once the underground fortress that a dwarf count was proud of, and exquisite geometric carvings still remain on the stone pillars.
Today, however, those dwarven reliefs that symbolized strength and glory are covered with filth, excrement, and graffiti.
Hordes of slave rats roam the lowest level of the nest, while the relatively respectable clan rats live in the upper levels of the burrow.
And at the deepest part of that cave lies the "Flesh and Blood Royal Court" belonging to Soulbreaker Mok.
In the center of the cave, on a high platform made of bones and blackened blood clots, sat a huge stone chair.
The bas-relief of the dwarf ancestor with wide-open, angry eyes on the back of the chair was now being pressed down by a pile of greasy fat.
That was Mok, the leader of the Carrion Clan.
At this moment, he was slumped on the throne without any regard for his image, holding a piece of meat leg in his hand and eating it with relish.
This enormous rat was astonishingly large, like a mountain of fat, and with each chew, a wave of flesh would roll from its neck to its belly.
The ratmen beneath the throne looked at their leader with envy, swallowing their saliva and making grinding noises.
For Moke, slave rats were both his snacks and his source of amusement.
Every time he finished a piece of meat leg, he would throw the bone to the group of little guys, watching them scramble for it and fight over it, before finally devouring the dying little guy.
This flesh-and-blood royal court was his palace, his kitchen, and also the place where he flaunted his power to other rat-man warlords and nobles.
Just then, a series of hurried and flustered footsteps broke the royal court's "meal time".
A gray-haired ratman scout scrambled in, his tail tucked between his legs and trembling like a sieve in fear.
"Boss! Something terrible has happened!"
The scout slid down to his knees and crawled on the ground amidst the mountain of corpses and sea of bones, screaming shrilly.
"We were attacked by human creatures at the altar south of Burial Peak! One of them got away!"
"What?!"
Moke, who was enjoying his meal, was taken aback and suddenly sat up straight from the stone chair.
As it moved, the layers of wavy fat on its body trembled violently, causing the stone chair beneath it to creak under the weight.
"Who dares to attack my territory! Send all the brothers of Burial Bone Peak out to attack! I'll make them pay the price!"
Watching the slick, oily flesh roll around, the little mice around swallowed even harder, their tiny eyes gleaming with a blasphemous green light.
The scout kept his head down and continued to report cautiously.
"The attackers came from the direction of Earl Spinor's territory..."
The rolling waves of flesh suddenly calmed down, and Moke plopped back down on the stone chair, which creaked under the weight once more.
"Count Spinor's Domain..."
As his fingernails rubbed against his greasy chin, Moke's eyes darted around in their sockets, and a murmur of doubt crept into his mind.
Human beings... these are not easy to deal with.
Unlike in the Dusk Province, he had the members of the Carrion Clan disperse and enter human territory to join Silas's ranks.
But they directly clashed with the rulers of humanity...
He still needs to think it over.
Especially since the Earldom of Spinol is backed by the Campbell family, he may not have read much human history, but he at least knows about the history of his neighbor.
Just as the rat swarm was thrown into chaos by their leader's startled outburst, a cold and calm voice suddenly came from the shadows on the side of the hall, instantly drowning out all the noise.
"No need. I've already taken care of that problem for you."
Moke's trembling fat stopped instantly, and he quickly turned his head to look in the direction from which the sound came.
A middle-aged human, dressed in a dark gray mage's robe, slowly emerged from the darkness.
The man had meticulously groomed gray hair parted in the middle, and wore gold-rimmed glasses, making him look like a scholar doing his work in a study, completely out of place in this filthy rat-man's lair.
Edgar Kaufman.
This is his name, and his title is professor.
This magician from the distant northern academy is Mok's honored guest and the nightmare of these little mice.
With his appearance, the rats, who had been scurrying around, seemed to have seen their natural enemy. They let out terrified squeaks and scrambled to retreat to both sides, creating a wide path in the crowded hall.
They will never forget what happened half a month ago.
At that time, a powerful ratman baron in the clan was executed simply for greedily stealing a magic stone from this human mage.
Professor Edgar didn't even lift a finger; he merely glanced at the unfortunate man. The baron, who had been tyrannical in the clan, was reduced to a pile of ashes devoid of any soul fluctuation, his bones and flesh seemingly crushed by an invisible hand amidst a piercing wail.
Although there are countless barons among the ratmen, who often claim to be barons simply by occupying a hilltop or a few tunnels, they are still quite remarkable "big shots" compared to the ratmen's vast and humble population.
Even barons are crushed like ants, let alone these ordinary rats.
Upon seeing Edgar emerge from the shadows, Moke's terrified rat-like face immediately plastered with a fawning smile, his tiny, beady eyes gleaming with ingratiating light.
"Oh! Professor Kaufman! So you've already taken action? How embarrassing, you've solved another big problem for us... Haha, I mean, well done!"
Edgar glanced coldly at the fat rat king, offering no response to its flattery. He adjusted his glasses and spoke expressionlessly.
"Two gold-level skeletons and two silver-level lizardmen, you've attracted quite a troublesome enemy this time... I don't understand, Mok, why did you target the Campbellians' railway? I remember warning you that if you're short of materials, the Kingdom of Lane has plenty."
Upon hearing this question, Moke's smile vanished.
It irritably ground its two yellowed front teeth, shifted its plump rear end on the throne, and finally helplessly spread out its two short, thick paws.
“I know, Professor, I don’t want to offend those guys in the south either, but… Ryan’s old friend asked me to do something, so I can only do it. I have no other choice.”
Edgar frowned slightly.
"Ryan?"
“Yeah,” Moke mumbled, pointing at the rat’s head. “I’m not stupid. Why would I provoke the Campbells?”
Strictly speaking, the Carrion Clan is not afraid to provoke the Campbellians, but rather they are afraid to provoke any internally stable human kingdom.
After all, if they attack a baron, they will offend an earl, and if they offend an earl, they will offend a duke... If they lose, that's fine, but if they win, the empire's warships will be docked in a nearby port.
Then, the dwarves in the Ten Thousand Mountains will need new equipment, and humanity will remember the alliance with the dwarf kingdom. The Carrion Clan will soon face disaster and eventually split into more than a dozen clans of varying sizes.
The ratmen cannot be wiped out, but Mok's family is finished, a pain that Soulbreaker Mok cannot bear.
Mice are very intelligent animals.
Bullying caravans, adventurers, and neglected farmers is one thing, but actively attacking human kingdoms or principalities is quite another.
The Church of Saint Sith, in particular, is quite peculiar. Often, a chosen hero will suddenly appear during a battle, such as the "Rock Saint" Gaunt Steinggraber, whom they encountered in the Twilight Province.
Seeing that Edgar still seemed somewhat skeptical, Moke added another sentence to make his argument more convincing.
"I heard that a while ago, there was a foolish demon king in Thunder City who was killed by Duke Aaron with a single spear thrust the moment he showed his face. That demon king was no less powerful than me, and he was a demon with thick skin... Even such a ruthless character died mysteriously. My flesh wouldn't even be enough to fill his teeth. How could I possibly provoke him?"
Looking at the pitiful-looking fat mouse, Edgar remained silent for a moment, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.
Although the scholars of Xuebang often give the impression of being naive and ignorant, only a truly foolish person would think that these extremely intelligent guys are a bunch of straightforward people.
The truly straightforward people are all working hard in the mage tower. Edgar is not without shrewdness to be sent to the Ten Thousand Mountains to cooperate with the ratmen forces.
In particular, his hometown is the Kingdom of Ryan, so he is no stranger to the political ecology of the Kingdom of Ryan.
Considering the recent chaos in Roland City, he could more or less guess the king's intentions; he probably wanted to use the chaos in the Spinor County to cause trouble for the Duchy of Campbell.
However, this guy must have lost his mind, or maybe he started fighting with his left and right hands... Who uses a glass to hit a dog?
Their soul experiments deep within the Wanren Mountains were a taboo subject, and such research must never be known to the people of the Holy City, nor to the demons of Hell.
While ordinary people might see the demons of hell and the nobles of holy light as enemies, the clever people of Xuebang are not so naive.
"That idiot..."
Edgar cursed under his breath, his eyes fixed on the fat rat on the throne, and squeezed out the rest of his sentence through clenched teeth.
"Did the king order you to do it? Or was it one of his men?"
Moke quickly revealed.
“Marius! It’s Lord Marius, the head of the gravediggers! You know that gentleman! He’s the king’s sidekick, our supplier!”
"I will find him and ask him what happened."
Edgar turned around, his gray robe drawing a cold arc in the air, startling the surrounding mice into taking a few steps back.
"Also, keep a low profile lately. Whatever tasks Ryan has given you, I don't want my experiments to be disturbed anymore. If you bring unnecessary trouble here..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but instead turned back and gave Moke a meaningful look, as if he were looking at a corpse.
You know the consequences.
Moke's fat body trembled violently, and his narrow eyes narrowed into slits. Although he glared back defiantly, a trace of fear gradually seeped into his otherwise fierce but cowardly eyes.
An empire that gets serious can crush them, and so can the Academy when it gets ruthless. A demigod can't wipe out the ratmen in the Ten Thousand Ren Mountains, but wiping out this fat rat is more than enough.
For this mouse hiding deep in the mountains, deciding who to offend and who to please is a difficult question that requires a life-or-death struggle.
Only after Edgar's figure completely disappeared into the shadows did Moke breathe a long sigh of relief and wipe the sweat from his forehead with his paw.
Uneasy whispers spread around the throne.
High Priestess Scar emerged silently from behind the throne's shadow, looked at the sweating monarch, and spoke in a hoarse yet gentle voice.
"These human things are such a hassle... We can't kill them, and we can't leave them alone. Can't they just finish their left and right brains before coming after us?"
"Lord Gellow above! Now it's not just human creatures anymore, how come skeletons and lizards have appeared too? Has the Dragon God returned? And with the God of the Underworld? Damn it, this is truly... utterly blasphemous!"
Moke spat a mouthful of saliva mixed with bits of meat onto the ground, then grabbed the half-eaten leg and began to tear at it fiercely, as if venting his anger.
High Priestess Scar glanced at His Majesty.
“Your Majesty, let’s put aside the skeletons and lizardmen for now… What about Burial Peak? The earls and barons there are waiting for orders from the royal court. If we don’t give the order soon, they might start fighting among themselves.”
Moke's small eyes darted around.
"Take down our altar and give the Earl of Burial Peak a new banner! From this day forward, they are independent!"
Scar looked at His Majesty in surprise, then nodded respectfully.
“That’s a good idea… but what about the sacrifice that ran away? He did come from the altar, after all. I’m worried that he might know something and tell everyone what he saw.”
Moke's eyes flickered with uncertainty as he hesitated before finally issuing the order.
"Send my Plaguefang Assassins on a mission!"
Scar nodded respectfully.
"yes."
...
Generally speaking, offerings placed on the altar cannot escape, but rat people are always clumsy and careless, so it is inevitable that one or two will slip through the net.
Previously, the altars were all located in the caves in the north, so these escapees couldn't go far. But now, the number of offerings is constantly overflowing, and with the Dwarf Kingdom causing trouble, even a nobody has managed to escape to the south.
The problem is that the damned people are still alive.
The summer night, like a heavy curtain, enveloped the rolling hills and vast forests of the Count of Spinor.
A long steel train, spewing white steam, sped along the newly laid tracks in the Duchy of Campbell, its wheels making rhythmic sounds as they rolled over the joints of the rails.
Inside the luxurious royal carriage, warm, magical lighting dispelled the darkness.
Eileen sat on a soft chair covered in velvet.
Her gaze, however, could never be focused on the book in her hands. She would often look out the dark window, a faint cloud of sorrow in her emerald green eyes.
"Don't worry."
Noticing the anxiety on Eileen's face, Luo Yan, sitting opposite her, gently put down his teacup and made a casual joke.
"No matter how great the threat of the ratmen is, can it be greater than the Demon King of Thunder County?"
"...Even so, I still can't put my mind at ease."
Turning her gaze away from the window, Eileen looked at Colin sitting opposite her, and after a moment of silence, spoke in a very soft voice.
“In the past, although the ratmen would harass our borders, they were mostly in the form of scattered bandits, often robbing and running away... However, now, their henchmen have actually infiltrated the inner side of the northern border of the Earl’s territory, and even penetrated into the vicinity of Raven City. This kind of organized infiltration is too abnormal, and I am worried that there is an even greater disaster behind it.”
As Campbell famously said, a dagger hidden in the shadows is always more terrifying than a sword laid bare in the open.
Eileen, in particular, knew this very well.
Desire and ambition are like moss in a gutter; if they are not eradicated immediately, they will grow wildly if tolerated.
Moreover, there is no contact between humans and rat-people, and no one knows what those filthy rats are plotting.
"...So that's exactly what we're doing now, isn't it?"
Seeing Eileen still lost in thought, Luo Yan comforted her gently, raising his index finger slightly as he rested it on the table.
The exquisite silver milk jug on the table seemed to be lifted by an invisible hand, floated to Eileen's side, and filled a cup of hot drink that exuded a rich aroma.
"This is cocoa I brought from the continent of Gana. When mixed with milk, it makes the originally monotonous sweetness richer and more mellow."
"Thanks."
Eileen held the warm porcelain cup in both hands, the warmth spreading from her fingertips throughout her body. She was feeling a little hungry, and this slightly bitter yet sweet drink unexpectedly suited her taste.
After drinking a cup of hot cocoa, Eileen's originally pale face finally gained a blush, and her tense nerves relaxed a little.
After putting down her cup, she spoke again, her voice filled with deep confusion.
"Colin, there's something I don't understand. Logically speaking, it's still early summer, far from harvest time, and food in the mountains shouldn't be scarce yet. Why would the ratmen in the Ten Thousand Ren Mountains choose to emerge at this time?"
This doesn't seem to be a good time for either side.
Luo Yan picked up his black tea and took a sip.
"Perhaps it's because the Northern Rescue Army has just withdrawn from the Duchy of Dusk, and some people feel that the Principality of Campbell is too idle, so they want to find you something to do."
Clang.
The silver spoon struck the side of the cup with a crisp sound.
Eileen stared at him in astonishment, then a shadow of gloom gradually settled over her eyes, and her index finger unconsciously tightened around the handle of the cup.
"You mean... the Kingdom of Ryan is the mastermind behind this?"
Luo Yan said leisurely.
"I don't know, but I think it's not something we need to guess about, nor is it as important as we imagine."
Real-world games are different from the back-and-forth moves on a chessboard. Players often play their own moves until the very end, when the outcome is revealed.
Sometimes, there's no winner or loser at all.
As the Demon King, Luo Yan didn't care at all whether the Kingdom of Ryan and the ratmen in the Wanren Mountains were colluding.
If there is, that's a matter of convenience; we can take care of it all at once. If not, then we'll have to dig up the old accounts from the First Era.
In fact, this step was unnecessary, since there was no conflict of interest between humans and ratmen. He was going to build the railway to the gates of the Mountain Kingdom, and he could easily remove the rat burrows blocking the way.
The only thing that interested him was that the thing hidden deep in the cave had wiped out the scouts he had sent to explore.
Those were two Gold-level undead and two Silver-level peak lizardmen.
Under normal circumstances, this squad would have been well-equipped to dominate the map, but they didn't even make a ripple.
The Demon King had kicked a hornet's nest.
Then I'll have to use some force and give it a proper kick.
Just then, two soft, rhythmic knocks came from outside the carriage.
"Please come in," Luo Yan said.
The carriage door opened, and Sarah, draped in a travel cloak, stepped inside. She stood by the door, nodding slightly, her amber vertical pupils gleaming with the light of someone spotting prey.
"Your Highness, there are business matters that require your decision."
This is a secret code between the two, indicating that there is important information that should not be overheard by a third party.
Eileen was a smart and considerate girl. She immediately looked at Colin and gave him an understanding and gentle smile.
"You go ahead and get busy, I want to be alone for a while."
"I'll be back in a bit."
Luo Yan gave her an apologetic look, then stood up, straightened his collar, and followed Sarah out of the private compartment to the next carriage.
The moment the carriage door closed, Luo Yan took out a magic crystal and placed it beside the door, casually setting up a silencing barrier.
The clanging sounds outside the car window seemed to have been pulled out of the space.
Sarah stopped and took out a sealed document from her personal storage bag, then expertly handed it to Luo Yan.
"My Lord Demon King, there has been progress in the matter you asked me to investigate."
"After nearly a year of infiltration and reconnaissance by the Holy Mark Organization, we have finally identified the head of intelligence in the Kingdom of Laine. His name is Marius, a monk in the Saint Laurent Cathedral and the caretaker of the royal tombs of Laine, as well as the most trusted shadow of King Theodore. Although his origins remain a mystery, we have found some interesting clues in old documents."
As she spoke, a faint smile played on Sarah's lips, and the cat ears on her head swayed gently with a smug air.
That was an emotion that only one person could see.
"Well done."
Luo Yan affirmed her work, then opened the document, his eyes scanning the dense text on it, and his eyebrows twitched slightly.
It was a resume from twenty years ago, and according to the notes, it was originally kept in the abandoned archives of the Royal Guard of the Kingdom of Ryan.
Even the Royal Guard probably forgot about it, but the Stigmata Organization, a subordinate organization of the Salvation Army, dug it out of the junkyard.
"Twenty years ago, Mr. Marius was just an ordinary bronze-level warrior, and his strength remained unchanged until he retired at the age of thirty. However, after retiring, he suddenly transformed into the king's 'top bodyguard'..."
Luo Yan turned a page of the document in his hand, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.
Is that a correct interpretation?
Although she didn't quite understand the term "high-ranking expert," Sarah still understood the Demon King's meaning based on the context and nodded slightly.
"As you can see from your keen eye, apart from the Radiant Knight Hagmer, Marius should be the strongest fighter by Theodore's side. Based on indirect clues, the intelligence personnel of the Stigmata Organization speculate that his strength has probably reached the Grandmaster level."
The amusement in Luo Yan's eyes deepened.
He picked up where Sarah left off, and said thoughtfully.
"A mediocre swordsman, whose strength has not improved at all in ten years, encountered a series of fortuitous events after leaving the front line, and rose from the Bronze level all the way to the Grandmaster... If it were the well-known 'Rock Saint,' that would be fine, but no one has ever heard of the legend of Mr. Marius. Hmm, that sounds interesting."
The power of faith is a very complex thing. It is not just a simple variable, but a complex formula that includes quantity, time, and many multiplier variables.
But no matter what, a Grandmaster also means 1% of the power of faith... at least according to the algorithm developed by Lint Isaac.
Sarah hesitated for a moment before offering her guess.
"Could it be... the virtual realm of the Academy?"
In her knowledge base, the virtual realm of Xuebang was an exception, as it could obtain additional extraordinary power factors from other worlds.
Luo Yan smiled faintly, neither confirming nor denying the statement.
"The resources of the virtual realm are so scarce that even the professors of the Academy don't have enough to go around. What benefit would they gain from selling them to the monarch of Ryan?"
Moreover, those magicians don't care about worldly resources; they are a group of cultivators who are independent of the secular world.
Whether it is true or not, that's at least how these magicians see themselves.
Only scholars who are truly unable to make a living will leave the academy to become tutors to monarchs or become the principal of Thunder City University.
Luo Yan is more inclined to believe that he relied on a different kind of power.
A power he hasn't seen yet, or one he has seen but hasn't yet summarized into experience...
Just then, Luo Yan suddenly raised his head, a faint chill flashing in his deep purple pupils.
The gaze seemed to pierce through the thick walls of the carriage, traversing hundreds of kilometers, and land on the shadows outside a certain outpost north of Raven City.
I didn't expect them to actually come.
A playful smile curled at the corners of his mouth.
Noticing Luo Yan's subtle change in expression, Sarah's expression gradually became serious, and she asked a question in a low voice with caution.
What happened?
"nothing."
The Demon King regained his composure and calm, put the document in his hand into his spatial ring, and said casually.
"They're just a few clueless rats, Sisi will handle them."
(End of this chapter)
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