Jin-woo took another few hours to search the entire area. He refused to leave anything that had any amount of value to him. This included gathering seven magical torches. Yes it was obsessive to rip them off the walls, some were too well bolted in, but it soothed a primal part of his brain. Fighting tides of Giant Rats would be worth it whether they liked it or not. At this current moment, he was thinking of a way to drag out the treasure chest that had appeared after he defeated the boss.
He tapped his chin. “Would the portal allow it to go through? Or would it suddenly shut and rip me in half?”
Eventually, he decided to tie a few of the bandages he received into a makeshift rope. It took a few minutes to make it strong enough. Then he made the tightest knot possible, with his limited expertise on the matter, on one of the handles of the treasure chest. The plan was simple. Go out first with everything in his hands and then pull the treasure chest out as quickly as possible. Not wasting a single second of time.
Yes. It better work! A magical chest that fit ten times more than it looked capable of holding and kept everything relatively new. It was a miracle, and one that he wanted to figure out to take with him.
Jin-woo looked back towards the corpse of the Rat Lord. Graq, the RatKin that had been stuck in the cage, had only recently stopped balling his eyes out next to the corpse of his ‘Big Brother’. It was strange hearing wails of grief and emotion that was so human from such a non-human figure like him. Simple nuanced looks, touches, and reactions that he expected to be different were very close to what he would expect a normal man or woman to do if someone close to them passed away.
Graq hiccuped. He stood and reached over the massive frame of the Rat Lord, and closed its eyes shut. The massive head was nearly half of Graq’s five foot stature.
“Rest now, Dhaz,” Grap struggled to cross the massive arms of the Rat Lord. But he managed without help. “You died as Rat Lord of a thousand brothers and sisters. You died a free Ratling, no longer enslaved by this cruel dungeon. Your memory will remain alive and strong with me. Protector. Warrior. Rat Lord Dhaz.”
Right in the fucking heart. Mentally, he was not moved much by the words and actions, but his chest nearly burned out of him. He was afraid a massive hole would suddenly appear there. The Power Core he took out of the Rat Lord’s sternum thrummed in his pocket. It pulsed in heat doing its best to remind him of what his theory was. He couldn’t use it anyway, and might as well figure out how to get the Ratkin tied to him for sometime. A guide and partner in crime until he was established enough to not be worried if he was making basic mistakes.
Graq walked up to him. “Thank you for allowing me this moment. You do not know how much this meant to me.”
“You don’t want to see your other kin…?” Jin-woo probed, setting him up slowly for his upcoming request.
“No,” Graq shook his head. “I know what they became. What they lost.” Its small hands turned into fists. “This dungeon must suffer what it has done to me and my people. Those scientists must suffer for their crimes against us!”
The lure was activated, and Jin-woo made sure to pull his catch without any chance of escape. “And you would accomplish this with your level of strength and ability?”
Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
Graq’s head shot up. It mimed a few words, unable to respond. “I-I’ll get stronger!” He finally managed.
“How? You would wait a lifetime until you are too old before trying to tackle the dungeon?” Jin-woo shook his head, laughing. “What about logistics? What about sustaining your existence until you are capable enough? What–”
“I get it!” Graq shouted. “I’m weak and unworthy to be a warrior! An educator was all I amounted to! Teaching little Ratlings their letters, numbers, and words–”
Jin-woo interrupted. The conversation was over and he had won it decisively. “There is a way.”
“What?” Graq wiped tears from its face. “H-how?”
Jin-woo pulled out the Rat Lord's power stone. It was burning in his hands by this point, but he refused to show any weakness. Green fog swirled inside it, obscuring a source of dim light deep within its core. It was much unlike the earth power stone he found within the hospital in the beginning. Alien to him in more ways than one. Pretty much worthless to him unless he found someone to buy it, but who would when only Ratkins could wield it. It would only gather dust.
Graq took a step forward, hands reaching for it. Eyes locked on the power stone.
Jinwoo gave him the Mutombo finger wag. He quickly pocketed it. “No.” His voice got deeper. Sinister. “Join my party. Become my guide and serve me well for a number of years. Your debt would be repaid.”
Graq’s hands fell to his side. His eyes rose to look into Jin-woo’s own. They were set and full of resolve. “How many years do you want me to work for you?”
“How much is this worth? How much is strength, enough for revenge, worth to you.”
“It is worth more than you could imagine. The opportunity to give my brothers and sisters merciful eternal sleep. I am not powerful by any means, my potential limited by genetic weakness unlike others of my kin. You may be disappointed.”
Jin-woo smiled. “You said it yourself. You are an educator. Guide me generally. Advise me as necessary. And fight beside me. Though I must warn you, I don’t plan to delve into this dungeon. You may not be given a chance to enact your revenge for much of the duration of your service with me.”
Graq frowned, he was thinking. Taking his time to process everything that was told to him. Jin-woo wouldn’t force the contract on him, there were other ways Graq could figure out revenge, this was just the fastest and most convenient at the time. Even if he rejected it, Jin-woo wouldn’t immediately attack him, but that meant he couldn’t be trusted. That massive door to his hideout would be locked whether he was in or out of it. And Jin-woo would never leave it without weapons and extreme paranoia. All of that was simply too much of a hassle. Graq being his ally made it much easier for everyone involved.
A system notification appeared in his feed. Jin-woo turned to the side, acting like he was surveying the contents of the treasure chest again.
[CONTRACT NEGOTIATION INITIATED]
[POWER STONE ANALYSIS:] -
Classification: Mutated Rat Lord Core
- Type: Ratkin Exclusive
- Affinity: Mutation/Evolution
- Power Grade: …
- …
[Note: Extreme caution advised - experimental modifications detected]
[COMPANION CONTRACT PROPOSED]
[SUBJECT: GRAQ (RATKIN SCHOLAR)]
- Race: Ratkin
- Class: Educator/Scholar
- Combat Level: (F-)
- …
[CONTRACT TERMS:]
- Duration: Extended Service
- Payment: 1x Corrupted Power Stone
- Primary Duties: Guide/Advisor
- …
[COMPANION ANALYSIS:]
- Combat Potential: Limited
- Loyalty Probability: 89%
- …
[WARNING: Subject exhibits strong revenge motivation]
[AWAITING FINAL CONFIRMATION...]
The notification continued on expanding providing him with too much information to digest. He didn’t need to know every little thing about Graq and the contract. But it was good information at the end of the day. He could plan better, maybe even use his SystemArchitect ability to improve the Rat Lord’s power stone, fixing the damages and allowing it to be more efficient than before. It would only help him if Graq was stronger and could carry his own weight.
[CONTRACT NEGOTIATION COMPLETED!]
[FINAL CONFIRMATION: Confirmed]
[SUBJECT 1: Graq (Ratkin Scholar)]
[SUBJECT 2: User (Jin-woo)]
[TERMS: Accepted]
[PLEASE NAME YOUR PARTY!]
[NAME: … ]