"These damn rats again!" grumbled the old man as he smashed the head of a rat trying to steal meat from his storage.
Tossing the dead rat into the trash can, he wipe his hand before stepping outside. Three black cats were lounging on his doorstep, lazily grooming themselves. The moment he tried to pick them up, they hissed in protest.
"Pests have been unusually active lately. I wonder what's stirring them up…" The old man clicked his tongue and shook his head, adjusting the cats in his arms.
Behind the storage area, there was a small hole—just wide enough for an adult cat to squeeze through. Darkness pooled inside, and the stench of feces wafted out, making him grimace. He pinched his nose and nudged the cats toward it.
"You three are worth one hundred Echoes. Time to earn it—get to work!"
That hole had been there since the day he bought the shop. Though he'd often thought of sealing it, the previous owner had warned him against it. According to the old man, some kind of creature lived down there. It brought an awful smell, yes—but also luck. The hole, he'd said, was its passage in and out.
"Seal it up," the old owner had warned, "and you'll curse yourself with misfortune for the rest of your days."
The old man sighed, setting the area back in order before returning to his work. The rhythmic sound of his knife chopping meat filled the dimly lit room, the red light overhead casting long shadows across the walls.
Unseen by him, a pair of glowing green eyes emerged from the darkness, watching silently from behind the hanging slabs of meat.
...
In the pitch-black hole leading to the sewers, the cats darted forward, hissing as a cacophony of countless scuttling feet followed them through the darkness. The eerie sound of grinding teeth mixed with the cats' snarls, echoing through the narrow, damp tunnels.
"Why?"
A voice broke through the din, quiet yet filled with frustration.
From the shadows, a pair of glowing green eyes emerged, trailing the swarm of rats. The figure halted abruptly, staring down at the murky water pooling beneath the sewer walls.
"Why am I a rat? Why me? A rat?! What the heck!"
The rat—once a man named Light—shook his head in disbelief. Of all the things he could have been reincarnated as, this was the cruelest joke. A goblin? That would've been tolerable. A dog? He could've managed that. Even waking up as a woman wouldn't have been so bad. But a rat? No way.
As far as he could remember, he hadn't done anything so terrible as to warrant divine punishment. He'd been a good guy—at least, he thought so.
"My life… my precious life… I didn't even get a girlfriend yet!"
Light collapsed onto the grimy sewer floor, his tiny claws scraping against the slimy surface. Hopelessness gripped him. How was he supposed to live like this? He was just a rat, scurrying in a filthy sewer.
He sighed deeply but immediately regretted it, gagging as his own breath stung his nostrils.
"What am I even supposed to do now? Should I… just end it?" he muttered, gazing up at the damp ceiling with lifeless eyes. "If I die again, will I get another chance? Or is this it?"
After a long moment of pondering, Light made his decision: he would end it. There was no motivation to live as a rat. What could he possibly do with this body? Eat garbage? Feast on cheese in some dark corner? It was a pitiful existence.
But just as he was about to act, glowing blue words appeared before his eyes.
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Congratulations!
You have become the first-ever Ratkin to exist in this world.
I am the system that will guide you from now on. Note: I am not a sentient being, so please refrain from talking to me. I am simply designed to assist you in achieving your goals.
The system has three main functions:
1. Energy Source – The system can gather Energy from various sources such as artifacts, items, gems, stones, corpses, and more. This Energy can be used to empower yourself and other Ratkin.
2. Buildings and Units – The system can create structures to train Ratkin in various professions such as Ratkin Warrior, Ratkin Warlock, Ratkin Thinker, and more. Note: Buildings and units consume Energy.
3. Condense – Energy can be condensed into Energy Cores, which can be used for magic, technology, and more.
Important Note:
- Buildings are usable only by Ratkin.
Stolen novel; please report.
- By birthing more Ratkin, you can grow a powerful army and establish a stronghold.
If you have any questions, click below:
(More Information)
------
Light bolted upright, staring at the glowing words in disbelief and amazement. This kind of scenario felt like something out of a novel or video game. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine he'd end up in one himself.
The sudden appearance of the system gave him enough motivation to reconsider ending it all. With a swipe of his tiny paw, he opened the holographic screen and clicked on the (More Information) option.
His first question was obvious: Would he keep the system if he died again? Maybe reincarnation could offer him something better—a dragon, perhaps, or a demon?
The answers, however, dashed his hopes. If he died again, the system explained, he would enter the normal reincarnation cycle. He'd lose all memories of his past life and receive no special abilities or systems in his next life.
Light let out a long sigh, his whiskers twitching with frustration.
"...Alright. I guess living as a rat isn't 'that' bad. Maybe I'm just being overly dramatic," he muttered, trying to convince himself.
Despite his words, his mind remained thoroughly human. How was he supposed to live like this? Eat trash? Scavenge leftovers? The thought made him shudder. He resolved to endure for now. If nothing else, he had to figure out where he was and what kind of world this was before making any drastic decisions.
Just as he started to plan his next move, his body suddenly began to twitch uncontrollably.
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Undergoing Evolution…
(1%)
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A sudden, excruciating pain surged through Light's body, leaving him unable to scream or even mutter a word. His eyes widened in terror as his body convulsed uncontrollably. The pain was unlike anything he'd ever felt as if someone was ripping his skin off and stretching his organs to their breaking point.
"It hurts… Damn it!" he thought, his mind reeling from the agony.
His body was undergoing evolution. Slowly but surely, he began to grow larger. Coarse hair erupted from his skin in patches, followed by the sickening crack of bones rearranging and expanding. His limbs elongated, muscles bulging and twisting as they adapted to the changes.
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(99%)
------
Light had no idea how much time had passed. He lay on the cold ground, utterly exhausted, his mind barely clinging to consciousness. Every fiber of his being felt like it had been through a grinder. He couldn't move, his body too drained to respond as he struggled to catch his breath.
"Damn it! At least warn me before pulling something like that!" he groaned.
He exhaled slowly, forcing himself to calm down as he wiped the sweat from his fur-covered head.
"I feel like crap…" he muttered, shaking his head weakly.
After a moment, he managed to sit up, his muscles still trembling from the strain. He noticed a faint glow in the corner of his vision—a status screen. Curious, he reached out and tapped it, revealing his profile.
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Name: Light
Race: Primal Ratkin
Title: The First Ratkin, The Ancestor of Ratkin
Rank: Civilian Class
Class: (none)
Skills & Abilities:
- Night Vision (Evolved)
- Extendable Claws
- Battle Instinct
- Plague Body
- Giant Strength
- King Aura
Energy: 0
Ratkins: 1
Buildings: 0
------
Next to the stats was an image of his new form: a towering humanoid rat with glowing purple eyes, razor-sharp white teeth, and sleek, white fur covering its body. The creature looked both intimidating and strangely regal.
"This is… me?" Light murmured, staring at the screen in disbelief. His gaze lingered on the polished fur and commanding aura of his reflection.
"Why do I look… so handsome? And kind of… charming?" he wondered aloud, his rat-like features twisting in confusion.
Even as he questioned his appearance, a faint glimmer of pride sparkled in his eyes.
Light's gaze shifted to his abilities. As the ancestor of Ratkin, it was only natural that he'd receive significant advantages. With a smirk of satisfaction, he averted his eyes from the screen and stood up.
Towering over ordinary rats by at least a hundred times their size, he was a giant among them. The sounds of scurrying echoed through the sewer as countless rats moved about, their beady eyes glowing faintly in the darkness. From his elevated position, Light noticed a cluster of rats locked in battle with three pitch-black cats that had wandered into their territory.
Stretching his newly evolved body, he let out a groan of relief as a satisfying crack echoed from his joints. His stomach, however, had other concerns, rumbling loudly in protest. Evolution had drained him of nearly all his energy, and now he was ravenously hungry.
He grimaced, glancing toward the cats. "I don't want to eat cats, but…"His stomach growled again, leaving him with little choice.
To the starving rats, the cats weren't intruders; they were simply prey—another source of much-needed food.
The cats, nearly invisible in the shadows, blended seamlessly into the darkness of the sewer. Yet Light's evolved night vision and enhanced eyesight allowed him to see them clearly. The other rats had developed similar adaptations, but they were no match for the feral cats' claws and agility.
"Alright, let's get this over with," Light muttered, steeling himself.
He dashed through the swarm of rats, forcing his way to the center of the fray. With a swift kick, he sent one of the cats tumbling away.
"Meow!"
A system notification appeared before him:
------
Based on your level, you are able to view the status of enemies.
Black Ferlin
Gender: Male
Race: Cat
Rank: Low Class
Energy: 3
------
"Low Class, huh? Shouldn't be too hard..." Light clenched his fists, sizing up the cats. The system had explained that rank and class determined strength and even a single rank difference could mean a world of disparity.
"Sorry, cat…"
With that, Light's claws extended, sharp and deadly. His body moved instinctively, blending into the shadows. In an instant, he appeared behind one of the cats, driving his claws through it before flinging the lifeless body at another.
His movements were fluid, precise, and unnervingly stealthy. It felt natural—like second nature. His Battle Instinct skill seemed to guide his actions, crafting a combat style that was swift and lethal, like of that an assassin.
The final cat's wide eyes gleamed in terror as it watched its companions fall. It tried to flee, darting for the safety of the shadows. But before it could escape, its head was already severed, rolling lifelessly across the ground.
"M-meow..."
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You have gained +3 Energy.
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Light stood amidst the carnage, panting slightly. His first real battle had gone better than he expected. Relief washed over him, followed by an odd sense of satisfaction.
"Beating a cat feels... kinda good," he muttered, then cringed. "No, wait—that sounds terrible."