A night of heavy rain left the morning air exceptionally fresh.
The rain also helped Zorn sleep especially soundly last night.
Of course, for an Evil Spirit Wizard, sleep was merely the body's repose.
The Evil Spirit Soul of an Evil Spirit Wizard never slept.
It remained ever-vigilant of reality, the dreamscape, and the Spirit Realm.
At the same time, Zorn's Spiritual Will had spent the entire night digesting resources from the Hidden Source Land.
Zorn opened the window, letting the slightly chilly morning air blow into the living room.
While enjoying breakfast, Zorn checked the Level section of his system page.
[Star Trace Fighter] (30th Anniversary Exclusive Commemorative Edition) (Untradable)
Level: Level 1 (10%)
[Talent]
Gangyi Iron Bone (SS-Level): You possess a will and body of steel.
[Skill]
Basic Skull-Splitting Fist: Level 0 (35%)
...
'Yesterday, my Experience was still at 6%.'
After devouring the souls of several Mafia members and digesting a night's worth of offerings...
...my Sequence Experience has surged to 10%.
'The efficiency of this increase is self-evident.'
In the near future, his Sequence Experience would surge.
Zorn estimated that by the time he graduated from the Noble Academy, he would advance to Level Two, much faster than he had originally planned.
After finishing breakfast, Zorn looked over at his old butler, Glangk.
"Glangk, I heard some commotion from the kitchen this morning. What happened?"
Glangk's expression shifted slightly before he answered truthfully.
"Young Master Zorn, a number of rats have appeared in the kitchen. They're all very large, the size of house cats, and two of them were frighteningly huge."
"This morning, those terrible things were chasing the early-rising laundry girl, Sofia, and the kitchen helper, Daisy."
"They were both terrified."
"By the time Vanessa and the chef, Beretta, rushed over, those damned, terrible rats were dragging Sofia into a corner."
"When I arrived, Sofia was pale as a sheet and trembling all over. She still didn't have the strength to stand up."
"Those damned sewer rats are just... completely out of control."
"I've already reprimanded the chef, Beretta. He's currently inspecting and cleaning the kitchen."
"He found a rat hole in the corner, the size of a dinner plate."
Glangk paused for a moment before continuing.
"It's not just us, either. Other noble houses have been having rat problems lately. I heard that even some long-tailed hunting cats, bred specifically for catching rats, have been killed, overwhelmed by the swarms."
"Perhaps... we should hire a Rat Catcher to give the place a thorough cleaning."
Zorn's brow furrowed at his words.
'The terrifying power of the Calamity rats is brewing, and the signs are obvious.'
'This isn't something a simple cleaning can solve.'
"Glangk, I want you to find some masons today. Have them inspect the entire foundation of the manor and fill in any potential rat holes."
Facing the impending Rat Plague, Zorn couldn't afford to be uninvolved. He needed to make thorough preparations.
He wasn't afraid of the Night Disaster Rats, nor was he afraid of the Nightmare Ratmen, who possessed a degree of Extraordinary Power and were born from within the swarms.
In fact, when the Night Disaster Rats arrived, they would be nothing more than an extra meal for Zorn.
But the other people in the manor had little ability to resist the Night Disaster Rats.
"Also, I'll contact a Rat Catcher. They're more experienced in dealing with rats."
Even as he said it, Zorn was already pondering how to create a slaughterhouse trap for the Night Disaster Rats.
The terrifying Rat Plague was a disaster for ordinary people.
But for the Evil Spirit Wizard Zorn Corick, it was more like a—feast!
He could use the Catastrophe Power to leverage many things.
That very afternoon, Glangk found several masons, who began inspecting and repairing the manor's entire foundation.
「The next few days.」
Zorn continued his studies while steadily and rapidly digesting the resources transmitted from the Hidden Source Land, growing at a remarkable pace.
His serious demeanor while studying even attracted the attention of some innocent, shy young lady.
One afternoon after school, Zorn found an anonymous love letter in his schoolbag.
It made Zorn marvel at the simplicity and purity of youth.
And by the start of the new week, reports of frequent, small-scale rat infestations in Ogrande City finally started appearing in the *Ogrande Steam Daily*.
...
「The second-to-last weekend of May.」
Zorn was enjoying a rare, pleasant morning tea.
Good news had finally arrived!
Just yesterday, the management act for Ogrande City's Steam Factories was officially enacted.
A few of the key clauses were even stricter than Zorn had anticipated.
It not only set standards for workers' minimum wages but also for coal smoke emissions, and inspections of the numerous Steam Factories were to become much more stringent.
Apparently, Ogrande City Hall had already realized something was amiss.
The great expansion of the steam industry had driven Ogrande City's prosperity and development, attracting a large number of outsiders seeking to make a living.
This had also allowed the Evil God Esoteric Sect, mafia organizations, and criminal gangs to fester and grow within Ogrande City.
When a city becomes too crowded, the light can no longer reach its darkest corners.
A restless Catastrophe Power was brewing in the dark shadows of Ogrande City.
Given Ogrande City's population density...
...if a power like an Evil God Calamity were to descend...
...it would be a terrible nightmare.
For Zorn, the enactment of the stricter *Steam Factory Management Act* was excellent news.
In fact, three Steam Factory owners had already come to visit Zorn just this morning.
The old butler, Glangk, was responsible for receiving them.
Glangk had already left with one of the owners to conduct an on-site inspection of their Steam Factory.
If all went well, he would be able to finalize a deal for a Steam Factory within a couple of days.
Once he secured a Steam Factory and hired an Alchemist, the factory could begin training its workers.
Unfortunately, the Alchemist, Vladimir Kojin, had not visited in the past few days.
Zorn had already begun to secretly scout for new candidates.
He couldn't let the lack of an Alchemist interfere with his Steam Factory plans.
Just as Zorn was wondering whether he should go to Adolf Monastery to purchase some needed resources, he heard footsteps outside the door.
It was Old Nero, bringing the young Rat Catcher, Isaac.
"You Rat Catchers must be very busy lately!"
Zorn asked as he stood up.
Zorn had sent Glangk to 1456 Ruke Long Street to find the Rat Catcher, Bevis.
But Glangk had gone three times, and they were never there.
He learned from the landlord that the Rat Catcher master and apprentice had been so busy with the rat infestation these past few days that they were nowhere to be found.
"We've been run ragged!"
Isaac scratched his head, smiling shyly.
Then, his expression turned apologetic.
"I'm so sorry, Lord Zorn. My master told me to come yesterday, but I was just too exhausted."
"I swear I only meant to rest for a little while, but when I opened my eyes, it was already morning!"
He stood there, fidgeting nervously over his "transgression."
'What an earnest kid,' Zorn thought to himself.
"I imagine you haven't eaten breakfast yet."
Zorn gestured for Isaac to sit and pushed a plate of delicate cheesecake pastries and scones toward him.
After a moment's hesitation, hunger won out.
Washing it down with morning tea, Isaac began to wolf down the food.
Seeing how starved Isaac looked, Zorn couldn't help but smile as his gaze drifted into the distance.
When he first obtained the Evil Spirit Wizard Sequence and was tormented by hunger, the way he'd frantically devoured the life force of mutated gray rats wasn't much different from Isaac now.
Once he had taken the edge off his hunger, Isaac looked up at Zorn with a slightly embarrassed smile.
Previously, every time Isaac had come to deliver gray rats, he would spend some time with Zorn.
Isaac would ask Zorn many questions about Extraordinary Studies.
Zorn, a natural teacher, was always happy to instruct him.
Every conversation with Zorn left Isaac with a wealth of new knowledge and deeper insights.
"How has the rat problem been lately?"
Zorn pulled his gaze back from the window and asked Isaac.
Isaac thought for a moment before replying in a serious tone.
"It's bad! And very tricky!"
"Rat infestations have broken out in the homes of many people living on the ground floor or in basements. A lot of people have been bitten."
"If the plague breaks out, it'll be even worse."
"As far as I know, there have already been several cases of homeless people being eaten to death by rats in the middle of the night."
"Their screams alerted the patrolling police, but even the officers were powerless against the swarms of rats."
"Yesterday, a police officer even came to us. He said a child had been dragged into a rat hole by those damned things and hoped we could help."
As he spoke, Isaac's face fell, and his spirits seemed to dim.
"I searched the area for a long time but didn't find a single trace."
"If I were stronger, maybe... I could have found that child who was dragged away."
The Rat Plague was beginning.
Listening to Isaac's account confirmed Zorn's thoughts.
This was just the prelude, a restlessness that stirred in small areas after nightfall.
When the Rat Plague reached its peak...
...tens of thousands of rats would surge through the streets in broad daylight, completely unrestrained.
The Nightmare Ratmen, possessing Extraordinary Power, would even dare to attack police stations, challenging the state's instruments of force.
At that point, residents would only be able to hide in their homes, watching the terrible disaster rampage outside through their windows, praying those horrid things wouldn't break down their doors.
An army of ants can take down an elephant.
And these were no ordinary rats, but mutated gray rats, corrupted and warped.
Their squealing and hissing would drown out the noon bells of the Holy Fierce Sun. The terrifying Catastrophe Power would no longer be content to lurk in the sewers but would permeate the entirety of Ogrande City.
At that time!
The Catastrophe Power of the Rat Plague would brazenly challenge the authority of the Holy Fierce Sun Church.
And it would carve an indelible Calamity Sacred Mark upon Ogrande City.