NOVPUB
Chapter 313: 313
"Check it out," one of the bolder Ratmen said, grabbing a rusted dagger from his belt. He crept cautiously toward the source of the noise, his senses heightened as he moved through the shadowed tunnels of the underground. His claws scraped the damp stone floor as he approached a large pile of waste, his eyes squinting to peer through the thick, murky air.
Suddenly, something moved.
It was subtle at first—just a ripple in the waste, as though something beneath the surface had shifted. The Ratman froze, his heart racing. A moment later, the surface of the waste seemed to swell, and without warning, something emerged from the filth.
A small, spindly leg, sleek and black like polished onyx, shot out from beneath the waste. The ratman staggered backward, eyes wide in terror, as more legs began to crawl out—thin, sharp, and disturbingly long. The creature that rose from the sludge was a twisted amalgamation of ogre and spider, its body drenched in filth but unmistakably powerful.
The hybrid’s eight eyes stared at the ratman before a web shot out, entrapping him. Having captured its prey, the hybrid moved forward to devour him.
The other ratmen, seeing this, roared out in alarm as they grabbed their tools to chase away the spiders. However, their courage was soon diminished when four more hybrids emerged from the waste, each shooting out webs that ensnared them in place.
The old ratman, who hadn’t picked up a weapon, slowly took a step back, watching in terror as his brethren were devoured by the hybrids, which grew larger the more they ate.
"What kind of abomination have those goblins cooked up this time?" the old ratman thought in terror. His eyes widened as his foot kicked a pebble, the sound echoing in the waste dump.
The hybrids, still munching on their half-eaten meals, turned toward the noise. Their attention locked onto the old ratman, who was now scrambling on all fours, trying to escape.
The hybrids, abandoning their unfinished prey, rushed toward him, their spider legs covering the distance quickly. One of the spiders at the forefront shot out a web that transformed into a spear. It grabbed the spear and hurled it at the fleeing ratman.
The old ratman tried to dodge, but as the spear got close, it dispersed into a net, wrapping tightly around him.
The old ratman watched in horror as the hybrids descended from the ceiling, one of its spider legs easily impaling his body. In the abyss, this scene was observed by Vorenza, who was taken aback by the appearance of the ratmen.
She had thought this world only contained goblins, but now it seemed she was wrong. Nonetheless, this discovery caused her to change her plans. One of the reasons hybrids were often dismissed was their inability to reason—mere mindless killing beasts.
For them to work together and efficiently, a higher power was needed to lead them, which was exactly what Vorenza was providing. Previously, she had planned for the hybrids to lie low, grow to their full potential, and then attack the city from within, creating chaos.
Chaos she would use to her advantage to quickly erode the lands around the city, granting her more freedom to deal with the mages.
But with the appearance of the ratmen, her thoughts shifted. If planned well, she could take over the city in one decisive push. The structure of the underground network indicated that these ratmen had spent considerable time developing it.
Development meant there were likely a significant number of them in the underground—perfect for the growth and expansion of the hybrids. Before, the hybrids had been limited in their expansion due to the lack of food, but with the ratmen, sustenance was no longer a concern.
Vorenza rose from her throne, her unnaturally tall, human-like form casting a long shadow across the chamber. She walked to the edge of a glowing pool, one of her many conduits in the abyss, and gazed into its depths, watching the ratmen’s futile struggle against the hybrids.
"The ratmen... such fragile creatures," she mused. "Yet their numbers could serve a greater purpose."
Vorenza raised her hand, and a dark, swirling mist formed in her palm. The hybrids below were doing well enough, but she needed something more—an alpha, a leader for the hybrid pack. Her gaze shifted to the writhing form of the old ratman, still impaled by one of the hybrids.
"Yes, you’ll do nicely," she whispered with a wicked grin.
With a flick of her wrist, the mist snaked out from her hand, passing through the abyss and into the underground sewer network. The magic wrapped itself around the dying ratman, pulling at his soul, manipulating it, and twisting it to suit her needs. His body convulsed as Vorenza’s power took hold, reshaping his form, merging his ratman essence with the dark, arachnid power of the hybrids.
The old ratman’s body bulged and contorted, his fur falling away to reveal hardened, chitinous plating. His eyes turned black as midnight, his limbs elongating into sharp, spindly legs like the hybrids. But unlike the others, he retained a cruel intelligence, his mind fully intact yet loyal to Vorenza’s will.
"Rise, my lieutenant," Vorenza commanded, her voice echoing through the abyss and into the newly transformed creature’s mind. "You will lead the hybrids, expand their numbers, and bring me this city."
The creature that had once been a simple ratman slowly stood, its new spider-like form towering over the remaining ratmen. It gazed around with newfound purpose and hunger, its mind connected to Vorenza’s. The hybrids responded instantly to his presence, gathering around him, awaiting his command.
"Bring me the Ratmen," Vorenza instructed. "Feed the hybrids. Expand their ranks. And when the time comes... we will strike at the heart of the city."
Vorenza’s grin deepened as she turned away from the glowing pool, already envisioning the city’s downfall. "Soon," she whispered to herself, "very soon."
Above ground, the bodies of the dead guards were being carried away to the mage tower, where the tower master and his apprentice immediately began their work.
The master’s expression changed as he examined the ogre guard’s corpse and discovered something resembling a placenta. Without hesitation, he ordered his apprentice to inspect the other dead guards for similar anomalies. Soon, he had his answer, and his face darkened with concern.
All this time, their attention had been focused on the pink mist that controlled the guards and disrupted the city’s defenses. It had never occurred to the tower master that the mist’s true purpose might be something far more sinister—a way to turn the guards into breeding grounds for monsters.
"But why?" the tower master muttered, pacing the room. Suddenly, realization dawned on him. "World suppression," he whispered. The truth hit him like a blow, and he immediately teleported to the calling room, summoning Vellok and the head mage who served beside the Emperor.
In the dimly lit chamber, the air shimmered with residual teleportation energy as the goblin tower master appeared. His green skin, dulled with age, pulsed with anxiety as he hurriedly prepared the arcane circle to summon Vellok and the head mage.
Muttering incantations, he traced glowing symbols in the air, his fingers trembling. The discovery of placenta-like structures in the corpses of the city’s dead guards had disturbed him deeply. Something was growing inside them, something unnatural. The pink mist was just a distraction, its true purpose far darker.
"Why didn’t I see it sooner?" Gurnak muttered, frustration clear in his voice. He stopped pacing, taking a deep breath. Now wasn’t the time for self-blame—he had to act.
The symbols flared to life, and the air thickened as the calling spell took hold. Moments later, the images of Vellok and the Emperor’s head mage materialized within the circle.
"Master Gurnak," Vellok greeted coolly, his deep voice resonating through the room. "This had better be worth the disruption. The Emperor does not appreciate—"
"It’s not the mist!" Gurnak interrupted, his voice sharp with urgency. "The pink mist was just a ploy! We were so focused on it controlling the guards that we missed the real threat."
Vellok’s eyes narrowed. "Explain."
Gurnak hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I examined the bodies of the ogre guards... Inside, I found something—something akin to a placenta. Whatever it is, it’s gestating within them. And it’s not just one, Vellok. All the dead guards have it."
The head mage’s eyes flickered with concern. "Are you saying they weren’t just controlled, but turned into vessels?"
"Exactly," Gurnak confirmed in a low hiss. "The mist was meant to weaken our defenses, but that wasn’t its endgame. These guards were being used to grow something else. And I suspect... whatever is gestating inside them isn’t being suppressed by the world’s natural defenses, unlike the demons."
Vellok’s face darkened as the severity of the situation dawned on him. "World suppression... It makes sense. The demon invasion has been held back due to the world’s suppression of foreign entities. They needed something that could bypass that, and these abominations... they’re it."
