NOVPUB
Chapter 319: 319
The ratman who had opened the door stood at attention, giving a quick nod before taking his own place at the table. He was younger than the rest, his fur cleaner, and his eyes sharper, but his posture was rigid with the weight of responsibility.
The female leader, Por, gestured for them to begin. Her eyes flicked toward the oldest of the ratmen, a grizzled elder whose fur had turned almost completely white with age. He cleared his throat before speaking, his voice rasping from years spent in the tunnels.
"The hunts today were successful," he began, tapping his claws against the stone table. "Four teams went topside. Three returned with prey—boar, deer, and even a bear. The fourth team encountered a pack of dire wolves. They managed to kill two, but we lost two of our own in the process. The rest of the team is being treated in the infirmary."
Murmurs rippled around the table, but there was no surprise in their eyes. Losses during the hunt were expected, even in the best of times.
"The meat will sustain us for the next few weeks, as it all came from mana filled creatures. Mana filled meat tends to take longer for us to process but because of that we can stay filled for days off one meal, but it’s becoming clear that the prey is starting to dwindle. Our increased rate of hunting has left the usual prey no time to grow and expand." He paused, his expression grim. "We could aim for the larger, stronger prey, but that would increase our casualty rate, and we risk endangering our settlement if we anger one with enough weird magical talent to destroy our home."
To emphasize his point, he pulled out a snake fang hanging from his neck. "I don’t need to remind everyone what happened the last time we angered one of those beasts. We lost thousands before we could defeat it."
The room fell into a tense silence, the weight of the elder’s words hanging over them. Por’s eyes flicked to the fang, a grim reminder of the dangers lurking beyond their underground sanctuary. She remained silent for a moment, her sharp gaze sweeping over the gathered leaders. Each of them had witnessed the devastation firsthand, had seen comrades fall to creatures far beyond their ability to understand, let alone control. The memory of that beast—a serpent with strange magical abilities that allowed it to swim through the earth—was burned into their collective minds. It had taken everything they had: every piece of their steam-powered technology, every ounce of cunning, just to bring it down. But the cost had been nearly catastrophic. Their underground home, once thought to be safe, had felt like a prison that day.
The ratman seated closest to her, dressed in soot-stained garb and representing the steam engineers, spoke next. "Our steam rifles and gauntlets give us an edge over the smaller prey, but against creatures with mana, we’re as blind as ever. We can’t sense it. We can’t fight it on equal terms. Our only defense is our technology, but even that’s not enough against the more powerful creatures." He glanced around the table. "We need more than just weapons—we need a plan to secure resources without risking another disaster."
Another ratman, bulkier and wearing soot-stained overalls, representing the settlement’s steam engineers, spoke up next. "The workshops are pushing the limits of what we can build with the materials we’ve scavenged. Our steam rifles and gauntlets are holding up, but we’ve had three explosions today alone. If we keep pushing the machines like this, it’s only a matter of time before one of the workshops goes up in flames." He leaned forward, wiping his brow with the back of his hand. "And we’ve had no new supply runs from the deeper tunnels. Without more metal and fuel, we’re scraping the bottom of the barrel."
Por’s eyes narrowed at the mention of the explosions. "I’ve heard the booms. The workers don’t even flinch anymore. They’re becoming numb to the dangers."
The soot-covered engineer grunted. "We can train them better, sure, but the problem isn’t them. It’s the equipment. We’re stretching it too thin. If we don’t start replacing parts, we’re going to lose more than just a few workshops." 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓅𝓊𝓫.𝒸ℴ𝓶
Another ratman, this one slender and dressed in tattered robes, representing the farmers who oversaw the settlement’s plant reserves, leaned in. "The plants we’ve been cultivating are struggling," she said, her voice soft but urgent. "They feed off the mana that seeps into the caverns, but the supply is inconsistent. We’ve tried growing more, but it’s clear that without an understanding of mana or sunlight, the plants are mutating unpredictably." She glanced around, her eyes darting nervously. "There’s no telling when the mutations might turn dangerous and breed something not good for us. The fungi are stable for now, but it’s not enough to sustain our population. We need to find a more reliable source of food."
Por’s sharp eyes scanned the room. "We cannot afford to remain complacent," she said, her voice cutting through the silence. "The forest above is not endless. We may avoid conflict with the goblins for now, but we need to start thinking beyond what we’ve done before".
The older ratman shifted in his seat. "And what do you suggest, Por? We’ve stretched our hunters thin, our workshops are on the edge, What do we turn to next?"
Por didn’t answer right away, her gaze thoughtful as she tapped a claw against the table. "We need more than just survival. We need better communication with other ratmen settlements.
"Surely they are going through the same things as us, if not worse, but we are too divided as a race. It is well known that each settlement specializes in something, but they are held back by the resources of their specific settlement, making it hard for them to grow.
"I propose we call another official meeting so that this issue can be brought up and discussed. We ratfolk need a leader to unite us under one banner so we can grow as a race. We could create our own underground world, not falling behind what the goblins on the surface have built, but we need everyone working together."
Por’s words were followed by silence as they looked uneasily at her. This topic was always something she managed to bring up at each meeting. Some leaders supported her idea, but others still refused to entertain the thought of merging with other settlements.
The silence that followed Por’s proposal was thick with unease. The ratmen around the table shifted uncomfortably, their eyes avoiding her piercing gaze. Many had heard this before—this call for unity, for merging their scattered settlements under a single banner. It was an ambitious idea, one that both inspired and unsettled them.
The elder ratman, Arrat, let out a weary sigh, leaning back in his chair. "You always bring this up, Por. Unity, cooperation—it all sounds good, but you know as well as I do that the other settlements are stubborn. Each one thinks they can survive on their own, and none of them want to give up control."
Por’s eyes narrowed, her patience visibly thinning. "And where has that pride gotten us? A few more years of struggling to keep the lights on? Scraping by with mutated plants and outdated machines? We can’t keep pretending that what worked before will keep working now. We are losing, Arrat. Every explosion, every failed crop, every hunt that brings back less than the last. Our newborn generation can’t even read or write or know anything about our past.
"We’ve managed to survive this long, but sooner or later, we will lose the essence of civilization and become something akin to beasts—only without the useful magical talents."
A younger ratman seated further down the table, dressed in the armor of the hunters, leaned forward. "But how do we make them listen?" he asked, his voice quiet but firm. "The other settlements see us as rivals. They’re just as proud as we are. If we send word asking for another meeting, they might see it as a challenge."
Por was about to respond when the stone table shook. All eyes turned to the one who had caused it—the young ratman who had opened the meeting. His arm was now replaced by a gauntlet, which he had slammed against the table to get their attention.
Looking at Por, the young man said, "We can discuss your ideas and ambitions at a later time. Since everyone has given their reports, it’s time to get down to business."
Por scoffed as she turned to her meal, while the others nodded in agreement and fell silent. The younger ratman stood up from his seat, placing his hand behind him as he addressed the room.
"A few hours ago, before this meeting began, I received a call from Tower Master Vellok. He will be sending one of his apprentices to deliver a message to us. At the same time, he asked if any ratmen have recently gone to the surface."
