Growl.
Light's stomach began to rumble. He rubbed it, now facing one of the problems he'd have to deal with in the future: starvation. The sewers offered no food for him, so Light might have no choice but to go to the surface unless he wanted to die here from hunger.
He stood and patted his leg as his gaze fell on the three cats being overwhelmed by the swarm. The cats were like killing machines, but in this place, the rats were the true kings. With their overwhelming numbers, sooner or later, the cats would become their food.
So Light needed to kill them and eat them before the rats did.
"I don't want to do this… Back then, I had pet cats. But now, I'm pretty much starving. I'll just apologize to you guys later."
Light closed his eyes, then opened them again with a new determination burning within. Even though his race had changed, his mind and soul were still human. It was still hard for him to kill the cats and eat them raw, but starvation was gnawing at him, making him weak and uncomfortable. He had no choice.
Light vanished from his spot as if he had teleported, but he moved too fast. In the blink of an eye, he appeared behind the cats. His claws extended, five sharp points coated with green liquid, and with one swift motion, he sliced one of the cats clean in half.
[Based on your level, you can now view the status of enemies.]
A notification popped up.
> [Species: Black Ferlin]
> [Rank: 1]
> [Energy: 1]
It was a simple status screen, but it gave Light enough information about his enemy. He immediately searched for more details. What did "Rank" mean? He assumed Rank represented a creature's overall strength, while Energy was, he knew, related to one of the system's functions.
The system confirmed his guess. Rank was indeed based on a creature's overall power, and even a single rank difference could mean a world of disparity. Energy was tied to Rank; it determined strength. For example, if two Rank 1 creatures fought, but one had 1 Energy (like a cat) and the other had 2 (like a dog), the dog would win and assuming no other variables.
After killing all three cats, Light took two of them and threw the last one to the swarm, which immediately tore it apart. Some of the poor rats didn't manage to slip in and taste the flesh. Light found an empty spot to sit, staring down at the cat in his hands. He exhaled slowly and took a bite slowly.
An intense sensation hit his tongue; it was surprisingly delicious, like eating grilled chicken without any seasoning. The slimy texture and warm blood didn't bother him; instead, they made his hunger fade and even quenched his thirst. He kept devouring both cats until nothing was left, not even the bones.
It seemed Light had underestimated his starvation, because while eating, he almost lost himself to instinct.
"Eating a cat feels... kinda good. No, wait... that sounds terrible."
Light burped, wiped the blood from his mouth, and with nothing to do, he then pulled up his own status screen.
[Name: Light
Race: Ratkin Progenitor
Title: The First Ratkin, Ancestor of Ratkin
Rank: 1 (0/100)
Class: (None)
Energy: 3
Skills:
> King's Aura (Passive): Emits an overwhelming presence that demands submission from those of the same race or within the muroid family. It can control anyone who submits under its influence.
> Plague Body (Passive): The blood is composed of toxic substances, diseases, and poisons, granting full immunity to all forms of poison, disease, and infection.
> Giant Strength (Passive): With every Rank increase, physical strength becomes significantly higher than that of the standard Rank.
> Battle Instinct (Passive): Can sense danger from afar, including the hostility level of opponents. When in combat, gain enhanced battle intelligence that improves tactical decision-making. The effect diminishes outside of combat.
> Extendable Poisonous Claws (Active): Able to extend razor-sharp claws from the hands, coated with poison drawn from the blood.
> Unique Night Vision (Passive): Can see clearly in total darkness and detect hidden entities or objects obscured by shadow.
Ratkin Status:
Ratkin (Population): 1
Structures (Built): (None)
Buildings:
(Expand to view)]
Naturally, as the ancestor of the Ratkin, Light gained many benefits, but what really excited him were the six skills he had received. No matter how he looked at it, they were simply too powerful for someone like him, and he was glad he didn't have to start weak at the beginning of his journey.
"No wonder killing the cat was so easy… It's because of my Battle Instinct."
The improvement in his strength lifted his mood a bit, and he could hardly wait to test it out. But he knew now wasn't the time for that. With his newfound strength, all his problems would become much easier, including finding food.
"Now, I think it's time to leave this place. I wonder what the world looks like."
Light stood up and gazed at the ceiling with anticipation, curiosity burning in his eyes for the world that awaited him. Without hesitation, he went to find the exit after saying goodbye to the rats.
....
At the end of the sewers stood a thick steel gate embedded with strange patterns. The gate looked imposing, covered in moss and glowing green vines that shimmered in the dark. It seemed as if it had been built to contain something dangerous.
"Why the hell is there a huge gate in the sewers!?"
Light was shocked when he saw it. He began to think that maybe he had been mistaken, perhaps this wasn't the exit after all. He slid his fingers across the cold steel surface, looking around for a lock or some kind of mechanism.
'To build a gate in the sewers… there's only one explanation. Behind this gate isn't an exit; it's another place. Or maybe… a prison, holding something dangerous.'
He sighed and shook his head, deciding not to waste any more energy thinking about the gate's purpose. After lingering for a while, he finally decided to leave and search for another way out.
The sewer was enormous, not only vast but completely dark. There wasn't a single light source, making it difficult to find an exit. Fortunately, he had a skill suited for darkness, so navigating was easy for him. Light wandered through the tunnels for hours, but he couldn't find any way out. Slowly, he began to believe that the gate really was the only exit.
There were no manholes leading to the surface, the pipes were too small for him to fit through, and there wasn't even a main sewer trunk line. Light was starting to grow irritated; it felt as if the entire sewer system was sealed off, leaving only that steel gate as the sole way out.
But Light didn't give up. And while he didn't find an exit, he did find something else, or rather, someone who might lead him to the surface.
Small lights began to appear in his vision. As he got closer, he realized they came from torches fixed to the walls. Nearby stood a small hut made of wooden planks and cardboard. A large trash can sat outside, and a clothesline stretched from the hut to the wall, with a few pieces of underwear hanging from it.
Light moved carefully and peeked inside. The hut was lit by a lantern on a desk, where an old journal and a pen rested. Beside the desk was a broken bed. The place was small, and it didn't take long for him to realize that there was no life inside.
But, to be safe, he commanded some of the rats to search the surrounding area while he stepped inside.
He sat on the chair, but it immediately let out a creaking sound beneath his weight. So, he stood up, took the journal, and sat on the bed instead before flipping it open.
...
October 23, Year 872 A.R.
I don't want to live like this... please, someone help me.
...
The entry was simple, but it carried the writer's emotions. The handwriting was messy, almost childlike. He flipped through the other pages, but all of them were blank; only the first page had an entry. What surprised Light the most, though, was that he could understand it. It wasn't written in English or in any language he knew; the words didn't match anything familiar to him.
Even more surprising was the feeling that he could somehow write it too. Holding the pen in his hand, he paused for a moment, wondering, 'What should I even write? Wait... why am I overthinking this? I'll just write whatever comes to mind.'
Without further hesitation, he wrote his name, Light, on the blank page. His hand moved as if it had known this language for years. The sensation was the same as writing in English; it felt too natural.
"I really can write in this language... Is this one of the perks of being the ancestor of the Ratkin?"
With nothing else to do, he decided to write something in the journal. In his past life, journaling had been one of his favorite things; it was what kept him sane. Now, in this new life, Light thought maybe keeping a journal wasn't such a bad idea either.
Maybe someday, in the future, he could look back and read about how it all began.
Just as he was about to write his first entry, a rat climbed onto his hand and squeaked repeatedly. Light narrowed his eyes.
"You found someone?"