Chapter 44: The Rat Army

As the army of grey rats began their descent down the stairs, the air thickened with dread. Dharma was the first to act, his legs bending before launching himself into the air with an unnatural grace. He gripped the side of the upper balcony, pulling himself up with one hand in a fluid motion. His expression remained stoic, but the urgency in his movements betrayed the rising tension.

Veronica followed closely behind, her voice a mere whisper as she murmured, “[Boots of Shadow].” Black fog enveloped her feet, and she, too, leaped gracefully onto the balcony, vanishing into the shadows.

Niko watched all of this unfold with a sense of growing panic. His gaze lingered on Candreva, who lay unconscious on the bloodstained floor, too heavy and too far gone for anyone to save. The guilt gnawed at him as he realized the hard truth—there was no saving Candreva now. The rats, those wretched, bloodthirsty creatures, were closing in.

There's no choice... I have to leave him. Niko thought bitterly, the weight of survival pressing down on him as his mind raced for a solution. His feet carried him toward a wooden table as his heart pounded. Leaping onto it, Niko called his spirits back, unwilling to let them get lost in the endless tide of vermin. He couldn’t afford to lose them—not now, not here.

Blood soaked the floor around Candreva, slowly seeping toward the edges of the room. As Niko balanced on the table, he quickly brought up his status window, his fingers shaking as he allocated points to intelligence, trying to gain any advantage he could. The green glow of his aura expanded around him, casting a sickly light as he activated [Spirit King's Order]. The dead ratmen from earlier were his only chance, their lifeless bodies stirring as his aura surrounded them.

For a brief moment, the oncoming tide of rats slowed, their movements dulled by the power Niko exuded. His heart surged with a shred of hope—these creatures were weaker than him. Maybe, just maybe, they stood a chance.

But hope was fleeting.

Ivanic, Zheng, and Fumito had taken refuge on another table, while Singh and Priya balanced precariously atop two fragile chairs. They exchanged glances of silent dread as they saw Kyle—still standing where they had left him, his head bowed, his draconic tail twitching in agitation.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Fumito’s voice broke through the chaos, but Ivanic quickly restrained him. The situation was far too dangerous for rash movements.

The rats had finally reached Kyle, their filthy, sharp teeth gnashing into his legs and arms, but he didn’t seem to care. His eyes were clouded, distant, as if he were no longer present. His voice trembled with raw emotion, a sorrow that made the entire room pause.

"You… will die for me today!!!" Kyle’s roar was one of pure anguish, his draconic tail slamming into the floor with a thunderous crack. Rats were crushed beneath the impact, their bodies splattering like broken sacks of blood and bone, but more swarmed to take their place. His eyes were distant, consumed by grief for Andrea. He swung his tail again, pulverizing more rats, but his wounds grew deeper with each passing second.

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“Kyle, stop it!” Fumito called out again, his voice cracking with desperation. But it was no use. Kyle was beyond reason, beyond hope. He was a broken man, driven by pain and loss. Every step he took toward the stairs was drenched in agony. His legs, ravaged by rat bites, left a trail of blood as chunks of flesh were torn from his body. Yet he pressed on, his mind fixed on one final, futile act of defiance.

He reached the base of the stairs, his body trembling from the sheer amount of blood he had lost. With one final step, Kyle collapsed backward, his body swallowed by the writhing mass of rats. His screams were quickly silenced by the relentless gnawing of the vermin.

And above it all, the wise ratman stood, unmoving, watching with a gleeful grin. His beady eyes shone with malice as he raised his staff, directing the endless tide of rodents like a conductor orchestrating a gruesome symphony.

"NO!" Fumito’s voice cracked as he watched Kyle disappear beneath the swarm. Tears welled in his eyes as the pain of loss crushed him. First Andrea, and now Kyle. The weight of their deaths was unbearable.

Niko, still balancing on the table, felt his chest tighten with panic, trying to use all of his spirits even the rankless to do whatever it could. The rats swarmed around Candreva’s motionless body, gnawing at his flesh, while Eitan’s lifeless form was similarly consumed. Niko’s heart raced as Candreva let out a faint, unconscious grunt—his life slipping away with each passing second. The sound of their bodies being devoured was sickening, the room filled with the gnashing of teeth and the wet, tearing of flesh.

“They're swarming everything! The more we kill, the more that come!” Niko shouted, his voice thick with desperation. “We need to take out the source!”

Everyone agreed, though their bodies were weakened from the battle. Singh, driven by the desperate situation, gripped both his axes tightly and hurled them toward the wise ratman. But the creature was quick, dodging the spinning blades with ease, its cruel smile never wavering.

As the rats began to climb the furniture, panic set in. The tide of vermin was unrelenting, their red eyes gleaming with hunger.

“AHH!!!” Priya’s scream tore through the air as one of the legs of her chair snapped, sending her crashing to the floor below. Rats swarmed her in an instant, their teeth sinking into her flesh as she thrashed wildly, trying to fend them off.

“NO!” Singh leaped after her without hesitation, his body slamming into the sea of rats as he tried to pull her free. But it was futile. The rats were too many, too strong, and Singh was overwhelmed. Blood poured from his wounds as the vermin tore into his arms and legs, and with one final gasp, he fell beside Priya, his strength giving out as the rats claimed him too.

Niko’s mind raced, his heart pounding in his chest. "This is it," he thought grimly. "We’re all going to die here."

But then, a spark of an idea flickered in his mind. Desperation drove him to think quickly. His unranked spirit was gaining power from each rat it killed. Maybe… just maybe…

"Zheng!" Niko shouted over the chaos, his voice cutting through the din. "Jump on the boar and follow my lead!"

Zheng confused but trusting, glanced toward the Roughback Boar spirit that appeared next to the table. He didn’t hesitate, leaping onto its back as the rats closed in.

Niko’s plan was desperate, but it was the only chance they had left.

As the wise ratman raised his staff once more, preparing for the final blow, Niko knew the endgame was about to unfold—whether they would live or die hinged on the next few moments.