Within the Land of Water, a once peaceful and prosperous village had fallen deathly silent.
Corpses of people who had succumbed to disease, their bodies covered in festering sores, lay in every corner of the village, filling the air with a terrible stench.
Even more chilling were the swarms of rats, their eyes glowing red as they gnawed on those disgusting corpses.
"Word just came in. It seems that cowardly piece of trash Mirage Mist has already been killed by humans."
Atop a pile of corpses, a strange figure with a rat's head, a human body, and a long, thin tail growing from his backside stroked a little rat in his palm as he spoke to another figure.
"I knew all along that he was useless. I thought that with the terrain in his favor, as long as he stayed put, he could at least draw away some of the humans' forces and cover our real operation. Who knew he'd get himself killed so soon? Trash, utter trash!"
"Sickly Ghost, why aren't you saying anything?"
An emaciated figure with a bulging belly slowly emerged from the shadows, wearing a tattered black robe and a bird-beaked mask.
The skin accidentally exposed beneath his clothing was covered in rotting sores, a horrifying sight.
"I think I'm almost there. My instincts tell me that I only need to spread disease to a few hundred more people, then let them die in despair amid endless suffering, and I'll be able to construct my own domain."
Sickly Ghost's voice was hideous, like that of an old crow rendered hoarse by poison.
But upon hearing this, Rat-Headed Man immediately gave him a terrifying look of envy and resentment.
"Damn it! We've been working together for so long. Why should a sickly ghost like you get to