Chapter 6, Lava Eruption

Today, it is not merely the word 'luck' that can describe it; it is as if the Lady of the Night herself has come to bestow her protection.

The Tukasar, along with the giant rat mount, was directly blasted onto the iron fence by this pitch-black cannonball

... ...

Mom! I miss Mom! Wow!

It enveloped all five giant rat knights it brought along, much like a sandwich cookie

It is evident that the status of Tujia Kasa in their hearts remains quite high

However, Tukasar now feels as if his entire body is about to fall apart, with the corners of his mouth seeping a trace of fresh blood from the impact of this charge, and his mind has gone completely blank

Whether it is a male voice or a female voice, both are incredibly tender childlike tones, unmistakably the sounds of human offspring

Tucasa suddenly recalled that before his previous trips, the deity would always remind him to pay close attention to any unusual areas in the sewers and to report back to him.

Is it ... ...

This is the aroma of grilled meat

Vicky

Then, the familiar language of the ratfolk reached my ears, the voice of Vicky.

The sight of the white-haired female human disappearing from view left Tukas unable to pay attention to Vicky's lack of response, as he had long been mentally prepared for Vicky's death

"Are you kidding me! Four or five human infants, in the sewer? What are they doing here? How did they end up here?"

However, the five giant rat knights behind it did not share such good fortune

Most ratmen professionals reach their limit at the fourth tier. Without other fortuitous encounters to enhance their own qualities, it is likely that once the period of decline begins, they will struggle to maintain even the fourth tier, let alone aspire to the fifth tier

Apart from a few ratmen who can transition into professionals and a small number of mutated ratmen who awaken magical talents after mutation, the racial potential of ratmen themselves is very low

"Get lost! Monster! Be careful, I won't be polite to you."

When Tukasar looked back, he could only feel a lingering fear in his heart

Monster! I want to go home!

The white-haired human girl nearby immediately distanced herself from Tukasar and climbed to the side of the black monster, wearing a somewhat timid expression

A fierce wind surged before the massive body covered in black scales

These are the sounds that Tukasar heard just now on the steps of the sewer

Reflected on the shiny black fur of the mouse, there is some glossiness

Where are the five human infants you promised?

Once again, a clear and crisp voice of a little girl rang out above Tukasa's head. Upon hearing it, Tukasa immediately recognized it as the voice of the girl who had just been crying and calling for her mother

This move is recognized by Tukasar

The dark and murky sewer opening suddenly revealed twelve pairs of densely packed scarlet eyes in a small area within a few breaths, accompanied by the rustling sounds. It would likely send a chill down the spine of anyone who happened to see it

stammering as he spoke

Its heart, emotions are insufficient to be expressed to outsiders

The sound has already distorted towards the back, restoring a kind of voice that Kasa has never heard before

Then, one could see the glow of fire in the chest of that black monster rising again, changing from orange-red to bright red

However, soon a chaotic uproar emerged from the sewer entrance, dispelling the doubts that had just arisen in Tukasar's mind

Just as Tukasar was about to question where he was, he heard a familiar voice coming from above

The girl, whose figure is even more imposing, appears more like a pet in front of this black monster, delicate and docile.

Tucasa suddenly felt a sense of foreboding and couldn't help but ask out loud

The last encounter was quite fortuitous, as I came across a human cub who had unexpectedly intruded into the territory of the rat people. This time, as Vicky mentioned, encountering four or five at once is simply as outrageous as stumbling upon a true dragon in the sewers

In less than a breath, a fiery red glow gradually rose from the chest, gathering into a sphere within the mouth of that black monster filled with sharp teeth

The dark golden vertical pupils gazed at it with a hint of greed

In these four years, apart from training its fellow rat people, its footprints have spread throughout the entire sewer, yet unfortunately, it has still gained nothing.

After two years of diligent practice, its "charging forward" has reached a level of proficiency, making it a seasoned veteran.

Damn it! Vicky! Where are you?

However, the speed of the black monster before me is faster than that.

Then, accompanied by the sound of footsteps, Tukasar felt its body being lifted by a sharp claw, gripping its neck, which it was unsure even existed.

The magma has blocked the road, and behind it is an iron fence. With the strength of the ratmen, even using the "Charge" ability, they cannot break through this fence made of wrought iron from years past

Thus, it quickly finalized the candidates to ascend, while it itself, along with five giant rat knights, would proceed, leaving the remaining five giant rat knights to wait at the sewer entrance

To Tuka's surprise, the corner led to a dead end, and there were no five humans as Vicky had mentioned.

However, upon arriving at Tukasar, it did not see the figure of Vich. In addition to the tattered mattress emitting a foul odor in front of it, it also saw the silhouette of a human infant, located at a corner deep within the pipe.

Thus, it quickly rode the giant rat and dashed forward, and in just a few breaths, it had scurried from the pipe entrance to the corner.

It is important to note that the sewers in Kalandu are relatively chaotic. The sewer entrances in the civilian district have long been sealed off with iron bars. Should adventurers wish to enter, they must obtain a commission from the guild, after which the responsible guards will hand over the key.

However, one could say that the luckier one is that kid Vicky, as the worry that had been etched between Tukas's brows completely vanished, and he couldn't help but crack open his mouth filled with sharp teeth of varying lengths, his cherry-sized red eyes still retaining a hint of bewilderment and emptiness.

Only one white-haired human female leaned against the iron railing, gazing intently at them

Although Tukasar does not know what the legendary mage represents, it is certain that with the prefix of 'legendary', it must be something that the ratfolk cannot afford to provoke

Let it feel like the surprise of being struck by a giant cheese, even carrying a sense of confusion as if just waking up and finding oneself lying on a cake

The legendary ratmen in the history of the Aio Continent are indeed few and far between, and even to this day, not a single ratman has been able to attain divinity or ignite the divine fire

Like a delicious dessert

Little ones of humanity! Outside are all my companions, you cannot escape!

Adventurers find it quite troublesome to enter the sewers, let alone those frail human infants. If Tuka's memory serves correctly, human infants can only be encountered in the sewers under very rare circumstances

I am here

Only fear and panic, it realized that it had no way to retreat.

It was a black creature with a pair of eyes identical to those of the white-haired human, the creature was gripping the overhead rock wall tightly with its sharp claws, staring back at it, and in its dark golden vertical pupils, Tikas could discern no emotion

The crimson eyes no longer held the previous joy and confusion

This time, Tukaasa clearly saw the face of the white-haired female before him, as well as the dark golden, cat-like vertical pupils that could not be concealed even under the enhancement of dark vision.

Under the illumination of the flames, Tukasar felt an ominous sign suddenly arise, and was just about to say something

Faced with the eager willingness to fight from the giant rat knights, Tukasa found it difficult to select candidates for deployment, as they clamored about who should go forward.

Only the searing, majestic crimson lava could be seen erupting from the mouth of the monster, which was filled with sharp teeth.

The defect of the "Charge" prevents it from adjusting its angle in the first instance, resulting in an inability to control the overall direction after use, and it can only rush behind the black monster, remaining five meters away from the white-haired human.

However, even though some of the giant rat knights were not selected by Tukasar and appeared somewhat dejected, they did not complain; instead, they quietly withdrew and began to stand guard in unison

The ratman priest, who appeared somewhat aged yet radiated a brilliance of wisdom in the eyes of Tukasa, did not conceal anything from Tukasa; it spoke the entire truth without any concealment.

Before the lance of the knight from Tukas could even touch the white-haired girl within one meter, a thunderous sound was heard

The tail, covered in black scales, curled up in the shadows, making no sound

The remaining corpses of the ratmen were curled up like half-cooked prawns, resembling the posture of the ratmen when they were just born

However, before finishing the sentence, a menacing black monster suddenly charged towards me like a cannonball.

It shouted in the language of the rat people, but not only was there no echo, it also frightened the human child at the corner of the pipe, causing the child to hide around the corner

I am indeed not Vicky, my apologies

Monster! I want to go home!

Yet it did not give up, but instead had those rat-like beings it trained search for it together, until the day they found it

The sounds in the drainage pipes gradually faded away, returning to silence; however, none of the rat people, including Tukaasa, paid any attention.

The figure of Kasa and the giant rat beneath it vanished in an instant; in the blink of an eye, they surged forward with the force of a gale and a roar, dashing to the rear of the black monster

Beneath the thin, gleaming scales on the chest of that black monster, it seemed as if a flame was gradually igniting, transitioning from darkness to brightness

Damn

In less than a breath, this black monster before me was already engulfing the corner of the pipeline with molten magma reaching temperatures of several thousand degrees Celsius

It turns out that in the sewers of Kalandu, there lies a magical artifact of spatial nature, said to be a relic of a legendary traveling mage, though it is unknown why it ended up in the sewers

A chill also rose along its spine, for the source of that voice was exactly the same as the direction from which Vicky had spoken

Certainly, more of them took the initiative to step forward and offered to assist the ratmen of Vichy

When the first ratman stepped forward, the other giant rat knights also surged around Tukas, requesting to join Vicky in battle.

In order to obtain this magical artifact of space, according to the esteemed priest, he has already devoted four years of time

However, it still did not give up. In a sudden flash of lightning, he saw the dark golden vertical pupil, instantly recalling the nearby white-haired human girl.

She also possesses the same pair of eyes

Then, Tukasar felt a pain in its tail, and everything went dark before its eyes, leaving the last scene in its mind.

After a few breaths, the five giant rat knights behind him climbed up one after another. In an instant, if there were ordinary people present, they would be scared half to death

Upon hearing Vicky's voice, Tukas's anxious heart was set at ease. However, after listening to Vicky's words, its brow furrowed slightly, and a human-like confusion emerged on its rodent-like face.

At first, Tukas could still hear the squeaking cries of despair, but after a few moments, the wails of the ratmen and giant rats abruptly ceased

It once inquired of the sacrificial elder, what was it searching for

As if countless pieces of firewood were added to burn within it

The first to bear the brunt is precisely the place where it has just stood; if it does not evade, it is likely to be the first to suffer.

However, only a silhouette can be seen, with disheveled white short hair, tattered linen clothing, and a frail body

It could not help but look up, and there it saw a creature it had never seen before, to be precise

Taking the white-haired girl hostage as a bargaining chip, whether it will be effective or not, Tukas can only try his luck with a dead horse as if it were alive

The giant rat, being the primary target of the black monster, is on the verge of death, unable to move beside it

It was instantly so frightened that its soul seemed to leave its body, no longer pretending, and hurriedly tried to turn around to grasp that last straw

After all, even Tikasar himself must admit that the rat people are a naturally weak intelligent race in the continent of Aio

For the current situation of Tujia Kasa, it can be described as a dead end

What they care more about is the honor presented before them, while other matters are not worth mentioning

You are not Vicky, who exactly are you ... ...

In the past, Tukasak would have regarded this as a blessing from the gods, but when it comes at the cost of his own kin being reduced to ashes

Although not as robust as the human cub encountered last time, Tukasar is still quite satisfied, after all, there are still four of them; the emaciation of one or two is not a significant issue

After all, although returning home may be credited to everyone's efforts, the merit of personally capturing a human infant is certainly different from that of merely observing from below

The column of magma not only transformed the originally cold and damp sewer pipes into what resembled a furnace, but also illuminated this confined environment, casting a bright red reflection even outside the sewer entrance

After assembling five giant rat knights, Tukas rushed forward and quickly darted up the entrance of the sewer pipe, which was over one meter high

The ominous signs in Tukasar's heart had not yet faded when he felt the hairs on his body stand on end once again, and he could not spare a moment to warn the other ratmen

It is one of the advanced talents of the Giant Rat Knight, known as [Charge]

Get lost! Monster! Be careful, I won't be polite to you!

Before Tuka's mind could even react, the ten corpses in front of him had already been engulfed halfway by magma at several thousand degrees Celsius

Then it fell straight to the ground, unable to hold onto the lance in its hand. All that could be heard were a few crisp sounds, as the lance, over half a meter long, rolled to the feet of the black monster, coming to a stop in front of its sharp claws

Mom! I miss Mom! Wow!

In the confined environment, apart from the still blazing magma, the air gradually filled with the aroma of meat.

He... they are here!

They are somewhat impatient, but the knights' code of conduct prevents them from rushing forward like other creatures; instead, they follow the instructions of Tukas.

The desperate cries of a child echoed in the silent drainage pipe, but now Tukas's heart suddenly began to race violently

Tucasa did not think much of it and questioned.

After all, the giant rat knight is at most half the height of a person, so its size advantage is not significant, and it only has a slight edge in terms of skill

Upon learning of this news, the esteemed priest hurriedly arrived at this city of freedom—Kalandu

And now, if the sudden appearance of those human infants is all due to that spatial magical artifact

He immediately urged the giant rat beneath him to unleash his most exquisite skill, the Charge

However, it is mixed with Vicky's smug yet somewhat stammering vernacular, in a rather peculiar tone that seems somewhat out of place

The other ratmen on the giant rats also began to chirp and communicate upon hearing the commotion, expressing their gratitude towards the great sacrificial master, as well as their admiration for Vicky's keen sense of smell

A creature covered in pitch-black scales revealed a chilling grin with sharp teeth, displaying a semblance of human-like apology.

The emotions that Tukaasa perceives from the sound include weeping, despair, and resentment

A familiar ratfolk language echoed above Tukasar

The rumbling sound, akin to the whimpering and moaning of a steam locomotive

However, Tukasar did not delay for long, as although Vich's first-tier Giant Rat Knight was formidable, facing five human cubs could still lead to a potential mishap if he were to underestimate them

Thus, it immediately devised a plan in its mind, but it did not act immediately; instead, it slowly drove the giant rat behind it backward