After we healed our monster, we approached Mrs. Lexi, who was waiting for us. Novelle asked her opinion about Apvalier's behavior.
"I think it's a similar situation to what Rain experienced in his dorm last night," Mrs. Lexi replied.
"You think so?" Novelle asked.
"Yes, Apvalier, they are like a knight; they must protect their queen, which is why they never fly far away from the nest."
"So, that's why?"
"Yes, someone must be controlling them."
After that, Mrs. Lexi told us to take a rest since the Practical Class was already over. Everyone took their monsters back to the card. Fortunately, Mermaphin agreed this time; she must have been really tired.
For the rest of the day, things continue as usual. We eat and talk in the cafeteria and in the afternoon class. With Mr. Levi, he continues to teach as usual and doesn't mention the Apvalier incident at all. After the class ended, we went back to our dorm.
In Mr. Levi's morning class, he teaches about the spirit monsters, which include Pyro, Aqua, and Undead. He explains that spirit monsters lack a physical form; instead, their bodies are created from elemental mana. Undead were not classified as spirit monsters until the eighth Grand Summoner studied different monster types.
The morning class has ended; it's time for the practical class. This is the favorite part of most students, especially Cerise and me, because battling monsters is what summoners do. This time, instead of battling with each other, Mrs. Lexi said she would guide us into the city dungeon.
"It's time for us to go to the dungeon. All of your monsters have already reached level 5," Mrs Lexi said.
"How do we get there?" Novelle asked.
"We are going to the city area; the dungeon entrances are scattered near the residential area, and we'll go to the nearest one."
After that, Mrs. Lexi led us to the location she mentioned. In front of the dungeon entrance, some people were waiting in line to get inside. Mrs. Lexi said they were adventurers who were probably taking a daily quest from the guild.
"There's a guild in this town?" I asked.
"Yes, every town has one. This city guild is a major guild, the Electric Guild," Mrs. Lexi replied.
After waiting in a long line, it's finally our turn to go inside. The entrance was through a huge door, and stairs led us down. The place had a terrible smell, and a river ran through it. It was also quite dark, but we could still see because there was a lamp. That's when we realized we were in a sewer.
"Mrs. Lexi, I thought we were going to the dungeon, but isn't this place just a sewer?" Novelle asked, as she pinched her nostrils tight.
"It serves as both a sewer and a dungeon. As the city expands, the sewer grows larger. When the sewer becomes bigger, it attracts wild monsters, transforming it into a dungeon," Mrs. Lexi explained.
"What kind of monster resides in this sewer?" Caelenra asked.
"You can see it for yourself—now take out your monsters, so you will be ready for any attack."
We summon our monsters as we've been told. At this point, Mrs. Lexi walked behind us and told us to take charge. Think about it, this is our first time walking with our monsters, and it feels great. I think the monsters feel the same. I can see their excitement, as well as Cerise and Caelenra, and Novelle still can't handle the smell.
It has been an hour, but we haven't encountered a single monster. Mrs. Lexi found this strange; she thinks we are supposed to encounter a monster at least two or three times an hour.
After a long walk, we suddenly stop by a silhouette under a dark corner, it's taller than Mermaphin. When it emerged from the dark, the black rat monster appeared. I immediately opened my MonsterDex and pointed at him, which responded with a cold, mechanical voice: Ratomp. Their jaw were so strong that they could chew through metal easily. The database appeared as it spoke.
[[Monster Data]]
Name : Ratomp
Gender : Male
Type : Beast
Attribute : Dark
Species : Corrosive Jaw Rat Monster
Height : 0.7 m
Weight : 25.5 kg
Abilities : Corrosive Saliva
Prior Form : Ratang
Next Form : -
[[Monster Stats]]
Level : 20
HP : 75
Attack : 71
Defence : 70
Sp. Attack : 40
Sp. Defence : 80
Speed : 77
"So this is the next evolution of Ratang, the one who horde my dorm two days ago, huh?" I said.
"So, what's the plan?" Novelle asked.
"He is level 20, but our monsters' levels are either 5 or 6. So it's actually equal," Caelenra said.
"So, what is your plan?" I asked.
"Maybe we should just approach him and beat him?"
"What?"
"But, he is level 20. If our monsters got hit by him they might die," Novelle said.
"As long as they didn't get hit, right? Galguana uses Fire Shot," Cerise commanded.
Galguana concentrates gathering fire energy and shoots it at Ratomp rapidly, meanwhile Caelenra commands her Pionfle to lunge forward at Ratomp.
Even though, his size is quite big, Ratomp is very agile that makes him easily dodge every Galguana's Fire Shot. Even so, he keeps firing, meanwhile, Pionfle swiftly runs toward Ratomp between Fire Shots without getting hit. At that time, Novelle and I commanded our monsters to follow Pionfle.
"Pionfle, uses Leaf Blade!" Caelenra commanded.
Galguana stops his fire because it's time for Pionfle to strike, but despite his size, Ratomp is very agile to dodge Pionfle's attack.
Mermaphin and Rallas already reached Ratomp and were ready to attack. The three of them attack Ratomp simultaneously, but none of them hit him. Ratomp swiftly dodges every attack either Pionfle's Leaf Blade, Mermaphin's Scratch, and Rallas' Lighting Shock.
After a series of attacks, Ratomp gently stepped back and distanced himself from the three of them. He took a deep breath, then exhaled a Miasma Breath—a toxic gas that poisoned Pionfle, Mermaphin, and Rallas.
Ratomp crouched low, thick strands of sickly green saliva dripped from its jagged fangs, each drop hissing where it struck the floor, making tiny craters in the surface.
The three of them, who got poisoned, could hardly move. Cerise commanded Galguana to rush toward Ratomp. In a mere moment.
Then, with a twitch of muscle and a ripple through its spiked back, Ratomp lunged forward, jaws yawning wide in a grotesque grin, ready to unleash Acid Gnaw. When Ratomp was about to bite Galguana, Cerise interfered.
"Galguana uses Smoke!"
Galguana let out a thick black gas that covered him in a mere second. Galguana successfully avoided his bite, Ratomp was trapped inside Galguana's Smoke. In the middle of confusion, Ratomp was hit by Galguana's Tail Whip.
"Mermaphin uses Electroreception, and then uses Water Shot!" I commanded.
Mermaphin focuses on finding the Ratomp amidst the Smoke. After she locates him, she concentrates on gathering water energy, forming it into a water ball, and shoots it at Ratomp.
It blew Ratomp out of the smoke. But the difference in level made Ratomp almost unscathed and immediately stood up.
Ratomp took a stand, once again his teeth let out his sickly green saliva. Knowing that Cerise commands Galguana to use Smoke once more.
But instead of running toward the smoke, Ratomp ran across the wall beside him to avoid it and continue forward to Mermaphin and the others. When he gets close enough, he lunges forward, attacking Mermaphin with his Acid Gnaw.
"Mermaphin, uses Tidal Vault!" I commanded.
Mermaphin let out a shimmering wave erupted beneath the three of them shaped like a protective dome, protecting them from Ratomp.
Unlike Ratang, who got swept away by the wave immediately, Ratomp seems still trying to breach the Tidal Vault with his Acid Gnaw. A mere moment later, Ratomp realizing he couldn't break through he decided to retreat.
"Galguana uses Fire Shot!" Cerise commanded.
Before Ratomp makes another move Cerise tells Galguana to make a move. Galguana shot several fireballs against Ratomp. Ratomp with his agility keeps dodging the Fire Shot.
"Pionfle uses Leaf Blade!" Caelenra commanded.
The wave that had been enveloped them for a while making a hole for Pionfle to get out and lunged forward Ratomp. Even now that Pionfle started attacking him, Ratomp didn't seem to struggle to avoid all the attacks from both Galguana and Pionfle.
Rallas begins to make a move as his Summoner commands. He jumps up from behind and releases his Thunder Surge. Unaware of Rallas's attack, Ratomp gets hit by Thunder Surge, causing him to struggle to move and then is hit by Galguana and Pionfle's attacks.
"Let's finish this, Mermaphin uses Water Shot!" I commanded.
"Rallas kept using Lighting Shock until he was dead!" Novelle commanded.
Ratomp finds himself cornered as the four adversaries close in from all sides. Without hesitation, they launch a swift, coordinated assault, attacking the paralyzed Ratomp simultaneously.
The more they attack him, the louder he cries. Eventually, he stopped making a sound and fell to the ground. That's how they stopped their attack.
[[Mermaphin grew up to Level 7]] [[Rallas grew up to Level 6]] [[Pionfle grew up to Level 6]] [[Galguana grew up to Level 7]]