Rats Out 1

Walking through the forest, Eddra could not control himself to take glances every minute at the plate floating before his face. The [System] was still updating itself and it was not giving any clues to how long it would take to finish. It made him wonder that perhaps the thing was stuck.

"Halt," Arundel sharply whispered, enough for Eddra and the others to hear.

Stopping from their tracks, they stood behind the man who ordered them to. They were on a cliff⁠—it was not that high of a cliff but it was enough for them to have a clear view below.

Taking shade and hiding under the trees, they surveyed the camping pitch just a few kilometers away from their location. Seeing the thin smoke coming at the campfire, Eddra could tell that the rats from the Demelza just recently extinguished the fire. He also scanned the tents carefully, only to see that two of the covers were already flattened.

'I think they were about to leave but...'

"... They moved out." Arundel aggressively shifted his body and turned at the recruits' direction, however, he was taken aback from what he saw.

"Blindness!"

Eddra heard a yell behind them, and shortly it was then followed with an order to eliminate everyone and leave no individual alive.

[You have been temporarily blinded!]

[The spell will wear off in 6s.]

Eddra bent his body forward from the tingling pain in his eyes. He knelt a knee and adjusted his vision however it was no use, he could not see anything but darkness.

"Just die!" was a shout he heard from a man then a thin note hummed through the air.

Immediately identifying the thin hum was from a blade that was whipped, he unleashed his brother's sword and threw a random slash by his side where he heard the voice. Later then, a squelching sound was produced followed by the liquid showering his face.

When Eddra brought a hand on his cheek to wipe off the thick liquid, he heard a hum from a blade once again, but this time it came behind him. From kneeling on the ground with one knee, Eddra rolled down, struggling to avoid falling from the cliff before him and the overhead cut that he was about to receive.

'Shit!'

He took a deep breath and blew it out sharply as the spell gradually subsided. He watched the numbers of men charging to their location while his fellow recruits were grappling to defend themselves as some were barely standing with wounds on their bodies.

'It's an ambush!'

His eyes instantly looked for the commander's situation but were interrupted with another slash coming to his face. Deflecting the attack using his sword in hand, he stood to reorient the enemy's direction and grabbed the man before him on his neck, thrusting the sharp point of his sword to his throat.

"Commander!" No, wait a minute. Why was he worried about a monster's well-being?

"Hak!"

Eddra heard a shout further down the cliff. Peeking beneath in curiosity, he saw the man he was searching for with a fellow recruit.

"The Commander is fine!" was Curstian's answer to Eddra's calls.

Ding!

[You have opened the 'First Order'.]

Just when he thought that the [System] finished updating itself, it showed him a different plate, telling him he had opened an order.

'What is this?' Eddra continued to wash off the blood residue on his ear.

Ding!

[Main Quest: Birth of the Culminating Hero!

Knights eliminated (6 killed / 50 left | Your kills: 2)

Mages eliminated (1 killed / 2 left | Your kills: 0)

Time Duration: 03:58:31

Reward(s): (75-150) EXP each kill

Warning: Failing the Quest will bring death to the User.]

'That's a decent amount of EXP.' His eyes widen from the rewards he saw. 'If I could kill more then I can fill half of the thousand EXP.'

Eddra's thoughts ran widely, almost failing to detect the incoming attack when a thrilling sensation crept on his chest.

"Where are you looking at brat?!" the rat charging from his behind cried out.

Swiftly turning his body halfway, Eddra took a step back, reversed his grip on the sword in his hand, and launched an underhand cut with his blade⁠—only to clash on the man's armor and producing a high-pitched clang.

The rat smiled widely, backing up a bit then launched for an attack again, only to be parried by Eddra. They had exchanged a few back and forths, however, soon as the rat threw an overhead cut, Eddra reoriented his direction.

And without a pause to his actions, Eddra threw a fist to the knight from Demelza's bare face, which caused him to lose his balance. This had created an opening to Eddra to slashed his blade deep on his throat and end the man's life.

[You have eliminated an enemy!]

[You have received 75 EXP!]

"Great." A smirk slowly grew on his lips while he whipped his blade wrapped with thick blood in the air.

"Men, kill the other mage first!" Eddra managed to hear the shout from the commander below.

The moment he was about to search for the mage's location, the plate told him that the remaining mage died and the number changed.

"Done, Sir!" Wensy cheerfully answered, pulling the dead body of the mage behind him by its collar.

...

Eddra thought that, perhaps, taking out the rats would not be easy if it was not for the [System] help and motivation. He assumed that maybe, it wasn't really that bad for him to follow the thing, although, he had Wensy to back him up most of the time when Eddra was lowering his guard.

Ding! Ding! Ding... Di...

[You have acquired 'Dungeon'!]

[You have acquired 'Map'!]

['Consumables' has been added to 'Inventory'!]

[To enter a dungeon, visit the distinct places...]

Ignoring the cascading translucent plates popping before his face, Eddra and Curstian grabbed the commander's hands as he climbed back up.

"How many survived?" was Arundel's question soon as he stepped on the top of the cliff.

"Four recruits, Commander," Curstian gave him the answer.

"And did you all kill the rats?"

Curstian looked to the direction where Wensy was restraining the knight from Demelza. "... No, Sir. We let one live—the Captain."

"Why did you do that for?"

"For questioning...?"

"Just kill the fucking wretch. I fucking fell on the cliff because of them." Arundel snatched his longsword on his recruit's possession, looking at the person who reached the weapon to him. "Actually, let this one do the interrogating thing."

Eddra's eyes widen when he heard the commander's words, telling him to lead the interrogation. Certainly, he had questions in his mind, however, would it be alright for him to do the asking?

"... Yes, Sir," Curstian nodded to Eddra, signaling to follow him.

'What am I supposed to ask them? What are they doing here? What are their intentions? How did they slip through?' The thoughts that were running in his head stopped soon after seeing the rat from the enemy's land.

Eddra knelt a knee, watching the enemy who was giving him the angry glares. "Are your buddies the only team who went through?"

"... Heh. Eat shit, child—" The rat laughed shortly before he bit his tongue off— "Hgmp!" was his cries when he became aware of the pain, eye widened as he saw his tongue fell off the ground.

"I think the mages cast this beforehand," Wensy butted in, removing his feet on the man's back. "I should just kill him."

"Wait! Let me do it!" Eddra protested to receive the EXP from the rat captain.

Eyeing his fellow recruit who allowed him to take the chance, Eddra pulled out his blade and slashed the man's neck.

Ding! Ding! Ding... Di...

[You have eliminated an enemy!]

[You have received 125 EXP!]

[You have completed the Quest!]

[You have gained a level!]