Arriving at their destination, the Rat Catcher, Bevis, narrowed his eyes. A deep caution was revealed in their depths.
He meticulously surveyed every corner of the deep, azure underground tunnel.
As a Rat Catcher, he could feel a faint, indistinct threat emanating from the depths.
It was as if a pair of eyes, hidden deep in the darkness, were staring them down.
He had come here to investigate before but had found nothing.
But this time, the feeling was much stronger.
This mysterious and unknown change made him feel slightly uneasy.
"Is this the place?"
Bevis asked, his voice rough.
If it weren't for the 5 gold pounds, he really wouldn't want to linger here any longer than necessary.
"Yes!"
Zorn rubbed his palms together slightly and gave a small nod.
He had come fully prepared.
Beneath his rather loose-fitting formal wear, he had already donned Iron Arm Guards, which could effectively counter the bites of the Rat King.
A fully loaded Revolver was tucked into his waistband.
He even had a small bag of lime powder in his pocket.
They followed the tranquil, azure path lit by Blue Glow Moss for a short while.
He stopped at a spot on the wall bearing the Mark of a double-ringed snake.
Lifting his head, it was as if the rings of time were unfurling in his pupils.
Even after the passage of countless years, the double-ringed snake Mark on the wall remained vivid and lifelike.
The Blue Glow Moss on the surrounding walls seemed to fear something, avoiding the area around the double-ringed snake Mark.
'The power of the Sun Double Serpent... still lingers here.'
'Just as my inheritance has reawakened within me, its perfect vessel, other powers are also lying dormant, awaiting their own revival and awakening.'
Zorn was lost in thought as he examined the strange scene before him.
"There's a dangerous aura here. Perhaps... we're very close to the Rat King."
Before preparing to open the door, Zorn said slowly, "We need to be ready for a fight."
"The Rat King?"
Zorn's words made Bevis's heart leap into his throat.
'As expected, 5 gold pounds isn't such easy money.'
As Zorn silently recited the Ancient Spell to open the "Double-Ringed Snake Gate" in the Saint Maya Secret Language...
WHOOOOSH...
A bone-chillingly cold wind swept past.
Immediately after,
KRAK...
A Magic Gate slowly opened before him.
Normally, the Ancient Spell to open the "Double-Ringed Snake Gate" could only be found after a Rat Plague.
Members of the Church and Law Enforcer squads would only discover it on a Scroll after completing their mission to clear out the underground creatures. The Church would then seal away these Ancient Spells, keeping them from the outside world.
But this was where the advantage of being a Player showed itself.
Like a Prophet, he could accurately grasp the veins of the World and certain unknown secrets.
Moreover, Zorn not only knew the secret words to open the "Double-Ringed Snake Gate"...
He was even aware of the revival materials, rituals, Spells, and more for the indescribable Upper Ranker creature hidden in the deeper reaches—the Double-Ringed Snake.
However, if the current Zorn were to revive that terrifying Upper Ranker creature, he himself would be the first to be eaten.
As the Magic Gate opened, a scene like a painting from a dream slowly unfurled before the three of them.
Inside a quiet stone room covered in ethereal Blue Glow Moss.
A completely nude, silver-haired girl of about fifteen or sixteen lay on her side on a grayish-white plush mattress.
She propped herself up slightly, her light red pupils rippling as she looked at the three intruders, an expression of astonishment spreading across her fair and delicate face.
Her graceful and well-proportioned figure was on full display.
Zorn, however, watched this provocative scene with a smirk.
The veteran Rat Catcher frowned slightly. He felt something was wrong but couldn't quite put his finger on it.
As for the young Rat Catcher apprentice, his heart raced and his cheeks flushed. He had only ever seen such a titillating scene in his dreams.
In the next instant, the graceful painting was ripped open to reveal the terrifying face of a Demon.
HISSS—
The beautiful girl's mouth snapped open, revealing black fangs.
A sharp, furious shriek instantly pierced their minds like steel needles.
'This is bad!'
Bevis, dizzy and disoriented, knew things had gone wrong. He wanted to retreat, but it was already too late. In a daze, he saw the graceful girl charge toward him at an unbelievable speed.
In the process, pale, needle-like fur rapidly grew all over the graceful girl's body.
Her fingers glinted like sharp blades.
And trailing behind her was a long tail like a steel chain.
The beautiful girl who had sparked their imagination instantly transformed into a bloodthirsty Rat King that devoured men.
"Damn it... She... is the Rat King!"
Bevis's heart trembled as he tried desperately to get away.
But the crimson pupils grew larger and larger in his vision. There was no escape.
He could almost smell the stench from its gaping maw.
'A Rat Catcher, devoured by a rat.'
He could already see the tragic end to his life.
But at that very moment, a strong hand shoved him hard.
CRUNCH!
The Rat King's bite hit nothing but air.
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the young nobleman grappling with the Rat King.
In the Era Era, which was slowly reviving to the roar of steam, the new generation of Rat Catchers had never seen the lifeform of a BOSS from the Rat King Sequence.
But as a veteran who had butterfly-stroked his way through the tides of steam countless times, Zorn was all too familiar with the Rat King BOSS.
Fake Rat Kings lived in sewers, drank sewage, ate trash, and groveled in filth and stench.
Real Rat Kings were in Ogrande City, transforming into drunk, beautiful girls, getting picked up by lust-filled passersby, and then, with zero-frame startup, enjoying a private dinner!
The secret chamber in the sewer was merely this Rat King's den.
Ogrande City was her hunting ground.
Knowing the Rat King's methods, the iron will of Zorn's Star Trace Fighter was more than enough to withstand this Tier One Rat King's "Resentful Wail."
After casually pushing the Rat Catcher aside, Zorn immediately began to grapple with the Rat King.
BANG! BANG! BANG...
Zorn's fists flew with incredible speed.
His Basic Skull-Splitting Fist dealt 1.5 times the damage when hitting the head and could also cause a certain amount of stun and suppression.
Therefore, every one of Zorn's punches smashed viciously into the Silver Radiance Female Rat King's head.
Although she was beaten back steadily by Zorn's iron fists, her Crimson eyes still gleamed with a bloody and cruel light.
This creature was, after all, a Level One Rat King, and its ability to take a punch was considerable.
Even as she was being hit, she was looking for a chance to counterattack.
Catching sight of the other two, still dazed, out of the corner of his eye, Zorn immediately roared in a low voice.
"Don't just stand there, help me!"
'This Rat King has a lot of tricks up her sleeve. On top of that, we're in the sewers, her home turf. If she gets a chance to use all her abilities, we'll be in trouble.'
Bevis quickly snapped out of it.
He swiftly summoned his Contracted Spirit Rats to join the fight.
Then he quickly activated the Rat Catcher's core Extraordinary Ability.
[Mouse Strangling Hand]
This Ability could effectively restrain and slow down murine creatures.
Zorn had barely finished speaking when the Silver Radiance Female Rat King lunged back at him.
Her sharp claws were as fast as an Assassin's daggers.
SHING... SHING...
SHING... SHING...
The sleeves on Zorn's arms held for only a moment before being shredded into strips of cloth.
Fortunately, the Iron Arm Guards he had prepared beforehand blocked the Silver Radiance Female Rat King's claws at the critical moment.
But some attacks still landed on the back of Zorn's hands.
Seeing the Silver Radiance Female Rat King's assault grow more ferocious, Zorn's right hand shot into his pocket, and he violently threw a handful of lime at the Silver Radiance Female Rat King's head.
The Silver Radiance Female Rat King had never encountered such a despicable fighting style.
She was hit square in the face with the lime powder.
HISSS... HISSS...
The piercing, sharp hisses were laced with anger and pain.
The Silver Radiance Female Rat King wanted to tear that damned human to shreds.
But Zorn seized the opportunity to retreat, preventing the "blinded" Silver Radiance Female Rat King from counterattacking him.
At the same time, the Extraordinary Rat Catcher Bevis's Extraordinary Ability had activated.
The silhouette of the Silver Radiance Female Rat King was quickly reflected in the depths of his pupils. Then, an enormous black hand squeezed viciously toward the Rat King.
A hidden and formless power descended abruptly.
The body of the blinded Silver Radiance Female Rat King, which had been attacking wildly, was suddenly crushed together.
The three Contracted Spirit Rats also pounced, biting down on the Rat King like hyenas, making it difficult for her to break free.
The perfect opportunity created by the Rat Catcher Bevis was brief but precious.
Zorn whipped out his pre-prepared Revolver with extreme speed.
The Tier One Fighting Sequence was certainly useful.
But the Revolver was the caliber of truth in this age of steam.
As he shoved the barrel of the gun into the Silver Radiance Female Rat King's mouth...
"I'll be sure to remember your graceful figure."
Zorn gave a vicious grin and ruthlessly pulled the trigger.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
Three consecutive shots, each one exploding inside the Rat King's mouth, sending blood flying.
Deep within the Rat King's crimson, lime-burned pupils, an emotion called fear flickered wildly.
Possessing a sufficiently high intellect, she understood perfectly the terrifying power of this thing in the current age of steam.
'If this bastard unloads a full cylinder, I'll be severely wounded, if not dead.'
HISSSSS...
She twisted her body frantically as a Forbidden Power from the depths of her bloodline silently bloomed.
'She's about to activate a powerful Forbidden Secret Technique from her bloodline, one that requires a price, to break free.'
But as a top-tier Player, Zorn saw through her plan in a single glance. There was no way he would give her the chance.
While continuing to fire with one hand, his other hand, wrapped in a faint, starlit energy, struck the Silver Radiance Female Rat King's forehead like a meteor streaking across the sky.
Although it was only a small amount of Star Trace Qi from the Star Trace Fighter Sequence...
...as it burst forth with his Skull-Splitting Fist, this surge of Star Trace Qi pierced into the Rat King's skull and soul like a sharp needle.
PFFT!
A barely audible piercing sound penetrated the Silver Radiance Female Rat King's Forbidden Secret Technique and her last hope.
HISSSSSSS...
For a moment, the Rat King let out a sharp, high-pitched shriek, her body convulsing and trembling violently.
Throughout the tunnel, large patches of the glowing moss trembled violently at the mournful wail, which was like a song of sorrow.
Zorn's vision also blurred and distorted.
But he followed his combat instincts and continued to pull the trigger.
Even after the Revolver's six rounds were spent, the CLICK-CLACK of the empty hammer continued to ring out, resolute and steady, as cold as an executioner.
When the shrieking finally stopped...
The Silver Radiance Female Rat King had already collapsed into the sewer drain, like a pile of mud, only twitching and squirming faintly.
Zorn felt a tickle in his nostrils. He wiped his nose, and his eyes fell upon a hand full of blood.
With no time to stop the bleeding, he reloaded his Revolver with another cylinder of bullets.
He fired another round into the Rat King's head, completely shattering it.
After confirming the kill and making sure it was truly dead, he finally lifted his head to stop his nosebleed.