Chapter 21 – Echoes in the Sludge
The viscous squelching of slime bodies dragging across the ground echoed off the damp sewer walls. The acidic smell and the greenish mist made the air dense, almost solid. Huge rats, with red eyes and yellowed teeth, advanced with animalistic fury, while the slimes left sticky trails everywhere they went.
The Black Armored Knight swung his sword, burying the blade into the body of one of the rats. The creature shrieked before twisting and falling dead. The game's protagonist said nothing—his expression was hidden by his helm, but his movements revealed absolute concentration.
Cael, meanwhile, drew the Abyssal Blade and swung it with precision. The black blade sliced through the slimes like warm butter, even when the gelatinous bodies tried to split apart or snag his leg.
"Are they infinite, or do they just seem that way?" Cael muttered, panting.
"Depends on how much bad luck you're carrying on your back. But relax. This is still just the sewer tutorial," the System said in his cynical mental whisper.
"Great, the tutorial smells like a rotting corpse."
A rat lunged at him, but Cael pivoted his body and buried his blade in its side, cutting the animal in half. Dark blood splashed onto his white armor, which shimmered for a second before absorbing the filth.
The Black Armored Knight took down another slime, then stepped closer.
"You fight well," he said, without emotion. "Better than you appeared to when we met."
"And you speak more than you appeared to when we met," Cael retorted with a half-smile, though he didn't take his eyes off the darkness ahead.
The creatures were thinning out. The sounds of battle gave way to a constant dripping. The echo of their footsteps reverberated like a distant drum.
It was then that the System manifested again.
"Congratulations. You have completed 60% of the Side Quest: Abyssal Rats."
"Objective: Eliminate all corrupted rodents in the lower section of the sewers."
"Reward: Determined at the end of the mission. Tip: keep moving forward."
"Hmph. Of course," Cael murmured, whispering lightly so the other wouldn't hear. "And what if I want to leave?"
"You could. But you'd lose out on the special loot. And are you really going to turn down special loot?"
He huffed.
"Hey," the knight called out. "Are you talking to yourself?"
Cael cleaned his sword, covering his tracks.
"Old habit. It helps me look for an exit... or more monsters, if any are left."
They pushed forward, the darkness slowly swallowing them like a hungry mouth. Deeper into the sewers, the sound of something heavier moving began to echo...
"Ah... here comes the mini-boss. Good luck."