Bestowing a Name

"Village Chief, you were looking for me?"

Avilan's face instantly darkened. He simply could not understand how they communicated. Could it be like in the animal kingdom, where they identified one another by scent?

"Forget it. I'll give you a name. Not having one is far too troublesome."

The moment Avilan said this, the surroundings suddenly erupted into noise, and every gaze focused on him.

Even the non-combat Ratkin watching from the sidelines were no exception, all looking at Avilan in astonishment.

"Y-you are willing to...?"

The village chief asked fearfully and anxiously.

What was going on? Why were they so excited?

"Is there a problem? Don't you need one?"

As soon as Avilan finished speaking, the Ratkin who had been holding their breath in anticipation immediately burst into cheers.

What was wrong with everyone? They looked incredibly excited...

Getting a name was that satisfying? Couldn't they just name themselves?

Clearly, Avilan did not consider naming someone to be a big deal.

"You will be called 'Mole Xiu.' Put together, it becomes Mole Xiu. If you have descendants, let them inherit the name Mole, while you add 'Xiu'!" Avilan suggested half-jokingly. The name had no particular meaning; it simply rolled off the tongue, chosen on a whim, much like naming a pet dog.

"To think you would graciously permit my descendants to inherit this name! This lowly one is endlessly grateful!"

But once the name was decided, Avilan saw blue light rise from Mole Xiu's body as vast amounts of magic essence poured into him. At the same time, the number on Avilan's blue bar began to fluctuate.

Avilan enlarged the blue-bar display. Sure enough, it was dropping by one point per second. However, Avilan was now level one hundred, and all the equipment he wore was mage gear with mana regeneration effects, so that one-point loss was immediately restored.

Giving a name consumed mana. That mana represented magic essence, and that magic essence was entering Mole Xiu's body.

Could it promote Mole Xiu's evolution?

Avilan was instantly intrigued. After naming him, he quietly watched as Mole Xiu's body changed.

Just as Avilan had expected, he was evolving.

His height steadily increased, while his once frail body, as though it could topple in a gust of wind, gradually straightened.

This process lasted nearly three full minutes. Mana no longer drained, and no more magic essence flowed into Mole Xiu's body. Yet the formerly hunched Ratkin had become a strong Ratfolk.

How strong was he? He was like the fitness coaches Avilan had seen in his previous life. From roughly 1.3 meters tall, he grew to nearly two meters. Muscles bulged all over his body, making him look like a hulking mass of muscle. His appearance also began evolving toward a human's, with distinct facial features. Only his enormous ears on either side resembled Mickey Mouse's. The whiskers beside his nose had become two antenna-like strands growing from the top of his head, while a huge pair of buck teeth protruded from his mouth.

If not for his excessively muscular build, he might actually have looked somewhat cute.

This evolutionary effect had consumed less than three hundred mana points.

"Mole Xiu, attack me with all your strength." Avilan directly summoned a Magic Shield and had Mole Xiu attack it.

Mole Xiu nodded, let out an angry roar, and slammed his fist into the Magic Shield.

That heavy, powerful punch instantly shattered the level-one Magic Shield, but Avilan had tested Mole Xiu's strength.

Mole Xiu, a second-tier Demonic Beast. Ratfolk of the demi-human category. Level 21.

He then cast another Magic Shield and had that Ratkin leader attack it.

Ratkin, a first-tier Demonic Beast. Ratkin of the beast category. Level 5.

Seeing this data, Avilan's lips twitched slightly.

He knew the Ratkin were weak, but he had not expected them to be weak to such an extent. A leader was only level five; the ordinary Ratkin were probably only level two or three.

They were a little weak, but they would have no problem working and clearing garbage.

Avilan led a vast procession of several hundred Ratfolk toward Despair Fortress. Along the way, he visited several more Ratkin settlements. By the time they returned to Despair Fortress, there were more than a thousand Ratkin in total, though only six were Ratfolk.

Mole Xiu was the strongest among them at level twenty-one. The others were only around level seventeen or eighteen.

Meanwhile, the Ratkin whom Avilan had bestowed names upon, and who had likewise been permitted to pass those names down to the next generation, had also been slowly growing stronger over the past few days. Magic essence entered their bodies every day, though at a very slow pace.

The initial estimate was roughly one point of magic essence per day. To evolve into Ratfolk would take at least around three hundred days.

Of course, this applied only to the direct descendants of Ratfolk named by Avilan. Other Ratkin had no such benefit at all.

When they returned to Despair Fortress, Zhou Yu and Arthur stared wide-eyed at the Ratfolk before them.

Their first impression was that they were filthy and weak.

"Respected Lord Avilan, these pitiful, weak creatures...?" Zhou Yu asked, somewhat unsure how to phrase her question.

Avilan said with a smile, "Of course I brought them back to work. Zhou Yu, don't hold back. Have them help with the work, but make sure they get enough to eat."

Hearing this, Mole Xiu became somewhat excited and quickly bowed to Zhou Yu.

Zhou Yu looked at the six Ratfolk and could barely accept them. As for the Ratkin, she feared she could not avoid them quickly enough. She instinctively pulled away, constantly covering her nose with a silk handkerchief, her face filled with disgust.

The moment Arthur saw so many Ratkin joining them, his heart blossomed with joy.

"Respected Lord Aslan, this subordinate requests that all Horned Demons within the territory be gathered together to form Despair Fortress's guard. Their primary work area should be Despair Fortress, while the city districts can be left to these Ratkin!"

After considering it, Avilan nodded. "Very well."

Upon hearing Avilan's order, Zhou Yu's face instantly turned green. Yet she did not dare object, and she also understood that Arthur's suggestion was the best decision at present.

As the supreme existence of Despair Fortress, Avilan had only himself and Arthur, the guild's chief steward, in the entire fortress. It truly did not suit Avilan's status.

After handing the Ratkin over to Zhou Yu, Avilan returned to Despair Fortress surrounded by a squad of Horned Demon guards.

Watching Avilan's retreating figure, fire flickered in Zhou Yu's eyes as she turned around.

"All Ratkin, listen up! You lowly creatures have received Lord Avilan's favor; this is a blessing cultivated over three lifetimes. If any of you dare offend Lord Avilan or fail to follow the rules, there will be no pardon—kill without mercy."

After Zhou Yu finished speaking, immense fire-attributed magic essence erupted instantly, frightening the Ratkin into kneeling on the ground and trembling. Even the six Ratfolk were no exception.

"The first thing you will do now is bathe. From now on, you will bathe on time every day. If I see you still covered in filth tomorrow, then wait for death!" After saying this, Zhou Yu left without looking back. He was afraid that if he stayed any longer, he would not be able to stop himself from vomiting.

Zhou Yu had completely inherited one of Zheng Xiuqi's minor flaws: her obsession with cleanliness. Zhou Yu had only been forced by orders to remain here and give commands. If Despair Fortress had been at its peak, she would surely have cast Beacon Red Cliffs and burned these disgusting creatures to ashes.