After testing "Dakoul's Blessing," Renato turned his attention back to the dire rat on the ground, gnawing at its forelimb.
Recalling the pronunciation his original self had learned, Renato adjusted his voice.
A string of indescribably grating syllables rang out from his mouth:
"n'gha fhtagn!"
Deep Speech used tones no mortal tongue could produce. His original self had only been able to fluently chant this language of aberrations after undergoing alterations through potions and rituals.
As he chanted the blasphemous syllables, the rat before Renato began shrieking as though it had gone mad.
It twisted frantically, wrenching at its limbs until it tore off those pinned between the paving stones. Blood poured out.
Yet the rat paid no heed. It simply writhed its limbless body, struggling to escape across the ground.
"Apocalypse Prophecy" had taken effect.
In Renato's vision, an eerie change came over the rat.
Dark red cracks appeared across its body, like shattered porcelain.
Renato did not know what this meant, but an inexplicable feeling rose within him.
If he attacked along those dark red lines, he could end the life before him with the utmost efficiency.
Renato picked up the Silent Lady and took two steps forward, catching up to the little creature crawling laboriously through the courtyard and leaving a bloody trail.
As the blade wreathed in black mist drew nearer, the rat shrieked even more frantically.
Watching closely, Renato noticed more and more cracks appearing on its body, until they densely covered it from head to tail.
What was going on? Did Apocalypse Prophecy grow stronger the closer he got? But the [Guide] hadn't mentioned that...
While Renato was pondering this, before he could swing his blade, the dark red lines covering the rat's body abruptly vanished from his vision.
He froze for a moment,