Chapter 40: The Rattans’ Lair

The group ascended the spiraling stairs cautiously, each footstep echoing faintly through the dimly lit passage. The marble-like surface beneath their boots gleamed faintly in the lantern’s warm, flickering glow. The air grew colder with each step upward, as if they were climbing into the heart of something ancient and dangerous.

Niko, trailing at the back of the group, felt his heart pounding in rhythm with each step. His translucent orb of a spirit floated serenely beside him, its peaceful aura a stark contrast to the tension that gripped his chest. He glanced at the spirit, contemplating its usefulness. Rankless though it was, its performance during the recent skirmish had made him reconsider. Disposable as these spirits were, they had their merits. But in the back of his mind, he knew he needed stronger, more evolved spirits to survive whatever lay ahead. He couldn’t afford to be weighed down by rankless spirits for long.

The others, though focused on the path ahead, couldn’t help but glance at Niko from time to time, a mixture of respect and curiosity in their eyes. They had all seen the strange power he wielded, summoning spirits from the dead like a necromancer from the old tales. Though they didn’t understand it fully, they couldn’t deny its effectiveness.

As they reached the top of the stairs, they found themselves facing yet another wooden door. This one stood ominously in the dim light, its surface worn and scratched. Everyone exchanged uneasy glances. They had no idea what lay on the other side—more monsters, more danger—but they were ready to face whatever came next. They had to be.

"I’ll open it and step aside. If anything hostile comes through, attack immediately," Fumito instructed in a low voice. Everyone nodded in agreement, gripping their weapons tightly.

Fumito approached the door with slow, deliberate steps, his hand trembling slightly as he reached for the handle. He took a deep breath, lowering his head briefly as if preparing himself for the worst. In that moment of silence, the group could hear nothing but the faint drip of water from somewhere deep within the walls.

Fumito counted silently to three, then—

Swish!

The door flew open, and what awaited them on the other side made their hearts stop.

Standing on two hind legs, tall as nine-year-old children, were grotesque creatures. Rats—larger than any they had seen before—clutched rusty knives in their clawed hands. Their matted fur was cleaner than the rats from earlier, but their glowing red eyes burned with a more malevolent intelligence. There were eight of them in total, the first four illuminated by the lantern light, the rest lingering just beyond the reach of the light, their eyes glowing in the shadows.

For a moment, the group froze in shock. These weren’t mindless beasts. They were something far worse.

Before the rattans could react, Niko seized the moment. With a flick of his wrist, he commanded his bee spirit to fire. The spirit obeyed instantly, sending a stinger bullet flying through the air with a sharp bang. It pierced the stomach of the nearest rattan, and the creature collapsed to the floor, blood pouring from the wound.

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But the death of their comrade only fueled the remaining rattans' fury. They screeched in rage, rushing toward the group in a blur of fur and steel.

The battle erupted.

Andrea moved first, her metallic legs gleaming as she spun into action. She leaped into the air, delivering a brutal spinning back kick to one of the rattans, her foot connecting with its skull with a sickening crunch. The creature’s head snapped back, its body crumpling to the floor, lifeless.

Kyle wasn’t far behind. His draconic tail whipped forward, the spikes along its length catching the light as they sliced through the air. A rattan lunged at him, its knife aimed at his chest, but Kyle’s tail struck first, impaling the creature through the torso and pinning it to the wall. With a grunt, Kyle flicked his tail, sending the corpse sliding to the ground.

“Watch your backs!” Singh called, hurling one of his axes with deadly precision. The blade whirled through the air, embedding itself deep into the chest of another rattan. The creature let out a shrill screech, clawing at the weapon lodged in its body before falling to the ground in a heap.

Eitan, Zheng, and Candreva worked together seamlessly, cutting down the remaining rattans in a storm of slashes, stabs, and crushing blows. Blood sprayed across the walls, turning the dark stone a deep crimson.

But the battle wasn’t over yet.

Niko, watching the chaos unfold, commanded his rat spirit to attack. It darted forward, biting the leg of a rattan that was charging toward him. The creature shrieked and lashed out with its rusty knife, slashing the spirit in two. Niko’s eyes widened as the spirit shattered like glass, its form dissolving into a mist of green light. He had never seen a spirit die like that before. For a brief moment, fear gripped him, and a srange pain ran through his chest.

The rattan, eyes locked on Niko, growled and lunged at him. Instinct told Niko to retreat, to flee down the stairs, but something inside him snapped. He wasn’t the weak human he once was. Not anymore.

“No!” he shouted, his voice steady. “Die for me!”

With a wave of his hand, Niko summoned the spirit of the Boar King. The massive creature appeared between him and the rattan, its tusks gleaming in the dim light. The rattan didn’t stand a chance. The boar charged, its tusks impaling the rattan’s chest, lifting it off the ground and slamming it into the wall with a deafening bang.

The Boar King shook its head, dislodging the rattan’s limp body from its tusks, then vanished back into the ether.

Niko exhaled, his heart pounding in his chest. He had done it. He had fought back.

But as the adrenaline began to fade, the reality of the situation hit him. Priya, who had been battling her own rattan, was slumped against the wall, her side bleeding profusely.

“Priya!” Singh knelt beside her, panic in his voice.

“I’m fine…” Priya muttered, though the deep cut on her side told a different story. Blood seeped through the leather armor that had failed to protect her, staining the cloth Singh wrapped around her waist. She winced in pain, but put on a brave face. “I was careless. Thought I could handle them without trying… should’ve known better.”

Niko watched as Singh carefully tended to her wounds, his hands trembling slightly as he wrapped another cloth around her. Priya was tough, but even the strongest could fall if they let their guard down.

While Singh worked, Niko turned his attention to the fallen rattans. He had already made up his mind. He would take their spirits, and this time, he wouldn’t hesitate.

With a flick of his wrist, he summoned the spirits of the two rattans he had killed. Green light surrounded their bodies as their spirits rose, joining his growing army.

“Guys! You might want to come see this!” Fumito’s voice broke through the silence. He stood at the far end of the room, his face pale as he stared into the darkness beyond the door they had entered.

Niko, along with the others, moved cautiously toward him, their lanterns casting long shadows on the walls. As the light illuminated the next room, their hearts sank, and their blood ran cold.