Mad Ratfolk

Late at night, for many in Caledon, it wasn't time to sleep.

Quite the opposite!

This was the most active and intense time of their day.

Especially in the vast and complex sewers beneath the city's surface, hundreds of ratfolk were gathered, laying siege to a group of Ko-Tao fishmen also hiding in the sewers.

These were intelligent amphibious creatures with fish-like heads, bodies covered in colorful scales, atrophied limbs, and webbed fingers and toes.

They often lurked in the sewers of port cities or attacked and occupied small coastal fishing villages, turning them into their territory.

However, today, these creatures, regarded as a great threat and scourge by coastal residents, were facing utter annihilation.

Although the Ko-Tao fishmen were better equipped than the ratfolk, who simply overwhelmed their enemies with numbers.

They even had a Cleric constantly casting Divine spells.

But ultimately, they were pushed back wave after wave.

The bodies of some fishmen were so mangled by the frenzied ratfolk that their muscles and bones were exposed beneath their scales and skin.

After the last Ko-Tao fishman Cleric was cut down, the victorious ratfolk immediately raised their hands and let out a chilling cheer.

The dark red bloodstains on their gray fur, the remnants of flesh and blood in their mouths and teeth, all bore witness to their madness tonight.

Undoubtedly, among all lycanthropes, ratfolk were not known for their combat prowess.

But at this moment, they had become incredibly brutal and bloodthirsty, contrary to their usual nature.

The reason for this, of course, was the figure standing atop a small mountain of dead Ko-Tao fishmen.

This individual was missing an eye, had only half a tail, and a notch in his left ear, but his gaze was fiercer than that of his kin, clearly marking him as the leader of the entire ratfolk clan.

He used his curved saber to sever the head of the Ko-Tao fishman Cleric, raising the bloody fish head high, and declared loudly, "My dear brothers and sisters!

Today we have made history!

A history that Caledon has never seen before!

That is, under the guidance of the great God of Hunt, we have conquered every corner of the sewers!

Whether it's those werewolves who look down on us, or the trolls who see us as a food source, or these stinking fishmen covered in scales, all have fallen at our feet.

Glory to Mala!

I declare!

From this moment on!

The ratfolk will establish our own kingdom in the sewers of Caledon!

No one can dictate to us anymore!

And I promise this is just the beginning!

Next, I will lead you back to the surface and, through practical action, teach the leaders of the Thieves' Guild to respect us!

Otherwise!

We will chop off their heads and offer them as sacrifices to the Lord of Beasts."

"Ooooooh!"

"Well said!"

"Thanks to the great God of Hunt Mala for his blessings!"

"From now on, the sewers belong to the ratfolk kingdom!"

"That's right! Anyone who dares to enter without permission, we'll kill them!"

"Caledon's Thieves' Guild must learn to respect us!"

"Lanny! You are our king!"

For a time, the surrounding ratfolk roared like they were on stimulants.

Especially those at the front, their eyes filled with adoration for this ratfolk leader named Lanny.

It was precisely because of this almost fanatical atmosphere that no one noticed a pair of eyes in the shadows not far away, watching everything that had just happened.

This was none other than Bernis, the assassin master under Epke.

"These ratfolk have actually embraced the God of Hunt Mala?

No wonder they've suddenly become so frenzied and bloodthirsty.

But who exactly is this Lanny?

Why do I have no impression of him at all?"

Bernis muttered to himself, audible only to him.

However, seeing these ratfolk begin to pile up the corpses of the slain Ko-Tao fishmen, seemingly preparing for some kind of bloody sacrificial ritual.

He dared not linger any longer to observe and turned to retreat towards the sewer entrance.

After all, no one knows if something terrifying might be summoned during such a chaotic and evil divine sacrifice ritual.

If by chance they summon a creature that can see through invisibility, no matter how skilled your stealth techniques are, you'll be exposed in an instant.

One of the most important reasons Bernis has been able to live safely in Caledon until now is that, unlike other rogues, he doesn't possess an overly active curiosity.

An hour later.

A circular room on the second basement level of the Thieves' Guild.

Epke sat in his usual spot, wearing a silk pajama, and quietly listened to Bernis's report, continuously stroking his plump, bouncy chin with his fingers.

After a long silence, he finally frowned and asked his magic advisor, "Aren't followers of Malar, the God of Hunt, usually active in remote forests and wilds?

And I heard that this group calling themselves the [Blackblood People] extremely despises the ratfolk living in the city sewers.

Why would a ratfolk who worships Malar appear in the Caledon sewers?

This is simply too strange!"

"Malar is the common faith of all evil-aligned lycanthropes.

In theory, it's entirely possible for ratfolk to become followers of this God of Hunt.

However, what I find incredible is that this ratfolk leader named Lanny is ambitiously trying to establish an underground kingdom in the sewers.

This is an act that the entire Thieves' Guild of Caledon cannot tolerate."

The middle-aged wizard Kurang pointed out the problem from a professional standpoint.

As everyone knows, the Caledon sewers are a complex underground network with passages in all directions.

Many Thieves' Guilds utilize it for smuggling activities or to establish black market strongholds for buying and selling stolen goods.

This means the sewers are for public use, and no one can monopolize them.

Otherwise, it's clearly declaring war on all other guilds besides oneself.

"Hmph! It seems someone made promises they couldn't keep to trick these ratfolk into fighting for them.

But it doesn't matter!

If others can use them, so can I.

Bernis, send a letter to this ratfolk leader named Lanny.

Tell him I'll meet him at midnight tomorrow at the entrance to the sewers on South Street."

As expected of the leader of the Thieves' Guild, Epke immediately saw through the essence of the entire matter.

Since the ratfolk had become a weapon under the manipulation of someone with ulterior motives, why couldn't he become the owner of that weapon?

Since no one intended to keep their promises anyway, he could offer an exorbitant price to lure the ratfolk to defect.

"Understood! I'll deliver the letter."

The assassin once again melted into the shadows and left without a sound.

After he was far away, Epke continued to inquire, "Kurang, how many of the rats Lord Soth asked us to prepare have we caught?"

"We've caught over two thousand. You know, these things are extremely difficult to catch.

And once their numbers reach a certain point, they'll start killing each other and devouring their own corpses.

Our men had to use wire to separate them one by one in cages, feeding them food and water every so often."

As soon as he mentioned these rats, the middle-aged wizard couldn't help but complain.

The thought of the densely packed rats in cages now gave him goosebumps all over.

"Hahahaha! I'm becoming more and more curious about what tricks Lord Soth will play with these rats. You know, I've always been very interested in magic, but I just lack the talent for it..."