"Let me ask you this. What time do I normally clock in?" She said, pushing his brother's face away.
"Around 5? Out of the five of us, you're the earliest one to come here." Alexander said, sitting down in his chair again.
"That's right. When I came here this morning, I found him waiting outside."
"Why was he here that early? The sun isn't even up that time."
"He said he always wakes up around four in the morning. Since he can't sleep again, he decided to jog around town and visit the guild at the end of it." She paused for a bit.
"Since he was already there, I asked if he wanted something to drink. He quietly said yes, so I served him some coffee."
"This still doesn't answer why he is already doing a quest," Alexander said, tapping his fingers on the table.
"Just wait will you!" His sister sneered. "After I served him, I then set the quests on the board, he went and helped me with it, and asked if he could take one of those."
"I told him yes, but when I saw the one he was planning to take, I told him to take another one. Since he will have a hard time doing it. He answered that he has something that can help him do it. So, since he was willing to take it, I just gave it to him. After we were done he said thanks and left."
Alexander sat quietly for a moment before asking: "What quest was it then?"
"Hmm? It was a sewage cleaning quest. If I remember correctly, the quest needs you to unclog some pipes deep underground that have been stopping the flow of the water below."
"Why would he take that? That place stinks so much that not even those working in the temple would take it. Almost everyone who takes that one, would come back demanding more rewards because of the smell they had to endure."
"I know right. But he said he had something to let him breathe without smelling anything down there."
Alexander took a deep breath, seeing how he couldn't help Nine himself. The only thing he can do right now is do his job, wait for the next chance, and give him the quest he had.
*****
At the same moment, within the town's underground sewage system. Nine quietly ran away from the horde of rats chasing him. He knew screaming out loud would only make things worse.
"Shit! Shit! Shit!!! Not again!" He cursed and screamed in his mind, hearing the squeaks of the rats chasing him.
"I thought I avoided them? How did they suddenly group up and make this rat tsunami?"
---
Let's go back a few hours ago.
After leaving the weapon shop, Nine made his way to the inn, after checking in for one night, he ordered some food and then slept with his stomach full.
Waking up around four in the morning like he always does, he found he had nothing to do since his phone did not cross with him. So, he decided to run in the center of the town.
After running loops around in the center, he unconsciously made his way to the adventurer guild set on the east side of the town.
There he found one of the beautiful female receptionists from yesterday, since it was still early, he wanted to run away, not wanting to be called a stalker or such.
Before he could even prepare himself to run, the lady suddenly started talking with him, and as the conversation went on, he found himself helping her set the quest on the board.
By that time, it was already too late to leave her alone. Having served drinks and talked for too long with her. As he was putting the quest on the board, he found one asking to clear out trash in the sewage system.
Remembering how the thing he received from the Elf the night before allowed him to breathe without smelling something else.
He asked the lady if he could take them. After some debating, he managed to take the quest. Of course, he made sure to finish the job and the drink before leaving her alone.
Going back into the inn, Nine checked out and made his way outside the town where the entrance is. There he met a man, who made the quest, after some talk, he received a pair of knee-high boots and a cloak.
He was told to clear out as much sewage debris as he could and come back when he can't do it anymore. He asked how he would know he had done it, if he wasn't going in. The man just told him he knew whether Nine actually did the job or not.
With that, he entered the sewage and put on the mask he received from the night before. At first, everything was good, he avoided dealing with the giant rats and made sure to do what he was meant to do there.
After half an hour in, he found his first sewage debris. Using the iron staff with a hook at the end, he got from the man before, he cleared them out, and made the flow of water move again.
Looking at the things within the water, he felt disgusted by it, even though he could not smell anything thanks to the mask he had on. Still, it felt fulfilling seeing how the stagnant water began moving again.
After putting the trash on the side where the water can't get to them, Nine continued to move deeper. After moving for a few minutes, he met the end of that road. Going back, he then started moving on to the other sections.
Within a few hours, Nine went through 4 sections and cleaned four sewage debris. During that time, he accidentally crossed paths with some rats and got chased by them.
He managed to escape from them by going around the corner and not moving as much as he could. Thanks to the darkness of the sewage, the rats would miss him.
When the conversation between the siblings in the guild started, Nine found another area to clear.
"My god. This shit is big." Nine said looking at the giant pile of trash leaning against the wall, covering the road behind it.
Without wasting any moment, he started using the staff he had, pulling out a large amount with the hook and putting them on the road area.
"Hooo. My stamina is getting depleted a bit too much." He said, seeing how he was sweating a lot. After clearing the small ones, Nine found a giant tree branch within them.
Seeing how this one was the core foundation of the pile, he placed the staff on the side and hype himself up to pull it out. If he can take this out, the entire thing will fall down, and clearing it will be much easier.
Pushing away the small trash on the branch, Nine placed his hand around it tightly, using his legs to pull it. Groaning, Nine muttered: "It's a bit hard, with all things wrapped around it."
The trash pile consists of some discarded clothes, crates, ropes, food, broken weapons, and glass. With the ropes holding together everything, Nine would need to pull harder to take out the foundation of it.
Which is the giant tree branch within the pile? "Oh! Just one more push." Nine muttered, feeling that he could now pull it much more easily.
With a bit more effort, Nine successfully pulled out the branch, making the three-and-a-half-meter trash pile fall apart. Watching the tiny glass shattering, he wondered if this was all right.
"That man said, he'll bring others in to clear this up, I just need to put them on the side where they can take them." Remembering the words of the man before.
Half a minute later, Nine was finally able to see the other side of the wall..... There, behind that wall were tens of red pupils staring at him. Although that freaked him out a bit, he knew he could just scream really loud making them run away.
But deeper behind that side, a pair of emerald eyes at the same level as his was glaring back at him. With how quiet the sewer was he could hear sounds where those eyes were.
A sizzling sound echoes from it. Nine closed his eyes, then opened them as soon as. Seeing how the rats haven't moved yet, he plans to take this chance and run.
As soon as he grabbed his staff, which he had put away before, he heard the rats moving forward. Without looking back, he held on tight and started running away.
Within a few steps, he turns to the corner, going back to the area he had explored earlier. Then suddenly...
BOOM!!!
A large, exploding sound echoed from the area where he had been before. Looking back, he found the trash pile scattered on the walls. Dirt, clothes, food, and water slowly falling down from the wall onto the roadside.
....!
Before he could even turn his head back on the road. Nine was looking at a two-meter-sized humanoid rat. Its skin color combinations are red, green, brown, and black.
"Fuck!"
***
Back in the weapon shop. At the same moment, the humanoid rat appeared before Nine.
"Hey, boss." The female shop assistant that Nine met yesterday called out to her boss.
"What?" He replied.
"Whatever were you guys talking about yesterday? The two of you spent like hours sitting on the floor, talking nonstop till the night came."
She was curious about what the conversation between her boss and Nine was about yesterday. Seeing them happily talking about that one weird weapon.
"Nothing much. I just had this deep conversation with him about that dropped item I got in the dungeon. Other than that nothing else."
"Hmmm. Then how come you gave him some lantern oil bottles yesterday? Those were quite profitable."
Yesterday, before Nine left the shop. She spotted him giving three bottles of lantern oil to Nine.
"Oh. That's nothing much. I just saw something interesting back then. To be precise, right now, as we talked, those bottles I gave him will probably be used up by now."
"Saw? You mean your innate ability?" She said, remembering how he had a prediction ability.
"That's right. Yesterday while I was talking to him, I learn he stumbled upon a quest dealing with the sewage system below us....."
"Why did you stop? Come on continue." The helper said, wanting to know more about the prediction her boss had.
But he only stayed silent and ignored her calling, continuing his work in his forge.
*****
Within the last few minutes, Nine continued to run away from the horde of rats chasing after him.
Each time he turns a corner, he would have a split-second glimpse of the rats.
From the thing he saw, the smallest one of them was at least the size of a shoe, and the biggest would be around half a meter.
Terrifying if he had to say so.
Looking forward, he spotted another corner. The sewage system was like a labyrinth, having many turns and ends.
If he somehow placed himself in one of those ends, he would surely die.
Taking a sharp right, he managed to get a glimpse of the rats once again, this time, there was a change. The rats were forming this small tsunami-like sight before him.
"What the hell!?" He screamed, panicking at the sight of it.
"Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! I did not sign up for this!" Cursing nonstop, Nine did not realize that each time he took a turn.
The rats that he had avoided earlier would run towards the horde that was chasing him, increasing their numbers and their combat power.
The humanoid rat from the very back of the horde was in awe, watching the human who destroyed the walls it had created, panicking and running away.
The way the human's facial expression changed significantly as the number of rats chasing after him increased was heart-pumping for him.
The humanoid rat started squeaking, making it echo to the walls of the sewage, allowing him to tell what was in front of them.
As the rat let out more squeaks, it realized that the next turn, if the human turned left, it would run to a dead end.
Allowing him and the tsunami rats to kill the human and feast on his corpse.
A few seconds later, the human before him finally saw the next turn, and to his surprise, the human turned left.
Where the dead end was, from their speed, it would take them four seconds to get to the human.
Having the ability to rule over the rats of the sewer, he reinforced their teeth, sharpening them. With this, they turn to the left where the human was.
But the human was not there. The end of the wall was there, but not the human.
Annoyed by this, he ordered the rats to use their nose to find the human.
Seconds gone by, and one of the tsunami rats squeaks. Telling the humanoid rat that the water they were on was kinda oily.
This angered the humanoid rat, which kicked the small rat to its death. Scaring the horde to search for the human more.
Drip.... Drip... Drip...
Droppings of liquid were wetting the humanoid rat's head. Wiping it off, it yelled out to the small rats why they hadn't found the human yet, even after two minutes already.
Should they give up? Or go to the other side now, since the human could have run away by now. The humanoid rat was deciding which one they should do.
Because of the dropping of liquid on its head, it couldn't decide clearly.
Stepping out from where the dripping was, the humanoid rat realized something.
Huh? Dropping of liquid?
They were underground, so there should be no such thing as droplets of liquid here.
With how stagnant the water is, it should be impossible for it to reach the ceiling, to create such an event.
Then... What's been dripping on its head these last few minutes? Slowly, the humanoid rat looked up, and there in the ceiling he found a white tooth from a grinning figure.
It was the human. The human was on top of them all this time. Stepping back deeper into the corner, the human suddenly spread out his hand.
Then, a tiny object was in the human hands, and it lit up. Fire formed from the tiny object the human was holding.
The humanoid rat then remembered the words of the rat from before, about how the water they were in was a bit oily.
There in that moment both Nine and the humanoid rat moved. Nine let go of the lighter in his hand, while the humanoid rat tried to run away from there.
Knowing that, if that object with fire hit the ground, it would light up everything in that corner.
But Nine didn't simply let go of the lighter in his hand; he shoved it to the ground, faster than the humanoid rat could get away from there.
As the fire hit the water, everyone in that corner was lit up in fire. Burning the rats that were drenched in the water.
Because the humanoid rat runs to this corner, the water splashes throughout its body, resulting in it being covered by the fire.
Nine took a deep breath, watching everything below him get burned by the fire.
He didn't expect that the lantern oil he got from the shop owner yesterday would be useful in here.
As Nine eased up, the humanoid rat grabbed the tsunami rats, who tried to run away from there, and hurled them towards him.
Making Nine let go of the staff, he dug in the ceiling which he used to stay there and fall down into the fit of fire.
*****
Watching the human fall from the ceiling, the humanoid rat smiled but... why is the human grinning?
The rat, who was entirely in flames, felt that something wrong was about to happen. Before the human could balance himself on the ground, he stretched out his hand toward Nine and hurled him deep into the flaming corner.
The sound of splashing water echoed within the walls, clashing with the sizzling sound of the fire around them. The rat successfully pulled Nine before he could even balance himself.
Before the rat could celebrate much further, Nine stood up... perfectly fine, with no sign of any damage on him. Most of all, he was clean even though he should have been drenched by the dirty water of the sewage.
"Wow! These items are really good. Didn't even have a scratch even after that. Most of all, I don't even feel the heat of the fire." Before Nine entered the sewage system, he was given three main items and one minor by the quest maker.
These three are the cloak, boots, and the staff with a hook at the end, and finally a small necklace. When the quest maker met Nine this morning, he found him a bit... unattended, having no basic gear or weapon on him.
Even though the quest does not need Nine to fight, he felt that sending someone barely around the age of 20 in there with only civilian clothes was too much. In the end, the quest giver temporarily gave Nine his gear.
[ Cloak of water. A cloak made by a water spirit that wants you to stay clean all the time.
Effects: Agility: 40. Defense: 10. Body control: 30%. Mana: 230. Attack power: 20.
Skills: Water floor: allows the owner of this cloak to walk on top of water with his/her will.
Shield: Create a shield made out of the owner's mana. ]
[ Jumping Earth boots. Crafted by a young earth spirit that wants her first human friend to experience how fun jumping is.
Effects: Agility: 20%. Defense: 30. Spirit: 10. Mana: 100. Attack power: 30.
Skills: Jump: allows the owner of these boots to jump 5–7 meters high.
Spider Feet: allows the owner to walk and stay on the walls and ceiling like a normal spider. ]
[ Necklace of fire. Created by a fire spirit that wants her human child to remember the warmth of her love for him.
Effects: Fire resistance: 80%. Attack power: 200. Elemental attack: 40. Mana: 10.
Skills: Fire Eye: allows the owner of this necklace to see perfectly within a range of 10 meters of darkness. ]
Within a split second, all three panels appeared before Nine's eyes. "Still... these items are overpowered as hell." Nine looked up and stared at the staff on the ceiling.
"Even with all of these, my win rate against this rat is still slim... but if I can have that back, I'll surely wi—"
Before Nine could complete his thoughts, the rat suddenly appeared behind him and let out a punch. Thanks to the item skill [ Shield ], he was saved from the attack and only pushed back a bit.
With a sharp turn, Nine summoned his hammer from the string bracelet around his wrist and pointed it at the rat. "Come!" he announced, running toward it.
As the two were steps away, the rat spread out its hand and swung it wide at Nine. With the fire covering him entirely, the rat's attacks were more lethal than they should be.
Thanks to the increased stats from the items Nine had, he managed to avoid the attack and bend down before the rat, giving him a clear path to attack its jaw.
Remembering the details of this hammer, Nine smiled, swinging it high above, hitting the humanoid rat's chin clean.
And without hesitation, using the 10 seconds he had before the rat could move again, he ran back into the opening of the corner they were in and looked up.
Locking his eyes on the staff on the ceiling, he yelled: "I need that." Activating the [ Jump ] skill of his item allowed him to hold onto the staff stuck on the ceiling.
And with the [ Spider Feet ] skill, Nine stepped onto the ceiling floor, digging his feet into it.
Activating the [ Jump ] skill once again, Nine had enough force to pull out the stuck staff on the ceiling, which led to him falling down into the fire pit once again.
This time, with all four items, he got them from his quest giver.
[ Staff of wind: The last thing a wind spirit gave to the human it considered a rival. A weapon that allows you/owner to win an unwinnable fight.
Increased penetration damage: 50%. Evasion: 30%. Attack power: 20%. Stats increased: 30%.
Skill: Penetrate: using 30% of your stamina, your next attack/action will penetrate the target of your mind, and a critical hit will be 300%. ]
Now, with all four items on him, Nine felt his body overflowing with power once again.
It was thanks to these that clearing out the sewage debris was easy. And even pulling out the manhole around the area didn't bother Nine at all.
As the ten seconds of stun on the rat came undone, the two looked into each other's eyes once again. In this blazing water they stood on, they didn't make any sound.
The silence was broken by the sound of their echoing movement on top of the water. One hit..... one hit is all it takes for this entire thing to end.
And with that in mind, the rat stretched out its hand toward Nine, its nail sharp like a blade that could pierce anything through.
While Nine pointed the staff's end toward the humanoid rat's heart, activating its skill.
He felt his body getting heavier as his stamina instantly depleted, his hope at its highest, hoping he would be the first one to make the attack.
.....
.....
[ Level up! ] [ Level up! ] [ Level up! ]
[ Your stats have increased. ]
[ You have earned 3 AP and 1 SP per level. ]
[ The system will now evaluate your entire fight. ]
[ 3... 2... 1... Evaluation end. ]
[ The system evaluation has ended. You will now receive a Title due to your performance in this fight. ]
[ Congratulations!
You have successfully made the mutated sewer rat fall into your trap.
Using the lantern oil to make the water flammable allowed you to burn the horde of rats accumulated throughout the sewage system.
Hiding on top of the ceiling and creating a droplet situation allowed you to fool the mutated rat into thinking it was nothing but rain, when in reality, you were soaking it in oil that would lead to its death.
Utilizing all your items at their best.
From the hammer to stun the mutated rat.
Use the skills of your boots to stay hidden on the ceiling.
Using the {Jump} skill to pull out the dug staff on the ceiling. ]
[ All of these are memorable memories that have pleased the battle maniac Gods in the Divine Realm.
With this you have earned a Slayer Title. ]
[ Title: Rat slayer.
When fighting rat-type beings, your attack power and damage to them will increase by 30%.
When fighting rat-type beings, you'll receive a 30% damage reduction to all of their attacks. ]
[ You have earned a title. ]
[ You have earned a large amount of EXP. ]
[ Level up! ] [ Level up! ]
A barrage of status windows appeared before Nine's eyes as he stared at the lifeless body of the humanoid rat before him. Pulling out the staff from its body, he stepped out of the blazing area he was in and sat on the roadside.
Summoning his status window, he saw the updates within it. From the Title section appearing next to his Class section.
He earned AP and SP from all the level-ups, and finally, his updated stats increased.
— — — — —
Name: Nine. | Level: 6. | Class: None. | Title: 1.
[Physical stats]: Strength: 15. | Agility: 25. | Defense: 15.
[Energy stats]: Vitality: 25. | Mana: 15. | Stamina: 25.
[Existence stats]: Intelligence: 15. | Spirit: 15. | Luck: 10.
[Skills]: None. | [Items]: 5. | AP: 15. | SP: 5.
— — — — —
*****
End of chapter 3
Original chapters: 5-7