Underground City

 The city was alive with sound and movement. People filled the streets, talking, shouting, and rushing about. But they weren't all people—at least, not the kind you'd see every day. Different races mingled together, some familiar, others strange. A man with four arms and dark skin walked past, his extra limbs moving naturally as if they'd always been there. Nearby, a woman with mechanical eyes scanned the crowd, her gaze glowing faintly in the dim light.

Buildings of all shapes and sizes lined the streets. Some looked old and patched together with metal scraps, their pipes wheezing steam into the air. Others were sleek and polished, glowing faintly with green smoke that hummed quietly. The streets were crowded, with vendors calling out to sell their goods and machines chugging along on narrow tracks, carrying crates or passengers.

The others were shocked as well, especially Ignatius. He quickly moved to stand behind them, ensuring he was positioned in the middle of the group.

"Master, this place is..." Ignatius glanced around. When their group entered the underground city, he could feel everyone's attention on them before the crowd went back to minding their own business.

"I don't know either," Light shook his head and led the group forward. "Let's take a look. Be careful, and don't stare at anyone—we might provoke them. We still don't know much about this place."

The underground city didn't smell like a sewer. Instead, there was a metallic scent mixed with something else that lingered in the air. Light was sensitive to smells, but he couldn't quite pinpoint where it was coming from.

Ratkin moved through the streets, blending seamlessly into the crowd. In a place filled with so many different races, humanoid rats didn't seem out of place at all.

Light spotted a building with a sign that read The Black Boiler. Through the window, he could see that it was a bar—one of the best places to gather information. Without hesitation, he opened the door and stepped inside, immediately hit by the sharp smell of alcohol and sweat.

The moment he entered, all attention turned to him. However, upon seeing their terrifying appearance, everyone quickly lowered their heads. 

A rat as large as a human, walking upright, was a terrifying sight—especially when it came to Kratch. Larger than most of his kin and wearing a pair of glasses, he struck an odd yet strangely fitting figure. Despite the incongruity of his appearance, there was something about him that made it seem natural.

Light noticed this reaction but chose to ignore it. Moving through the bar toward the counter, he glanced left and right before nodding at Kratch. Understanding the signal, Kratch led the Ratkin and Ignatius to another table.

"New here... Never seen a brood like you before. What do you want?" the bartender asked, eyeing Light curiously.

"What do you recommend?" Light replied.

"How about the Ebonbrew? Not too strong—good for newbies. Gentle and smooth."

"Sure," Light said almost casually. He paused for a moment, then added, "I never knew there was an underground city hiding beneath the capital..."

"Capital? Which empire?" the bartender repeated, his voice faltering for a moment as he stood with his back to Light. His expression was unreadable, hidden from view, as he paused briefly before turning around to face him, a drink in hand.

"This underground city has no way in or out. Most people here are ignorant about the outside world. I was born in this place, and my knowledge comes only from books."

Hearing this, Light frowned. He had just obtained crucial information: the underground city supposedly had no way in or out. But what about the entrance he had just used? Something felt off.

"What do you mean, 'no way in or out'?" Light asked.

"It's exactly as it sounds," the bartender said, sliding the drink toward him. He leaned on the counter, his tone cryptic as he continued, "If you can't enter, you can't leave. That's the rule of this place. I know you've got a lot of questions, but I can't answer most of them."

"Then..."

The bartender shook his head, then suddenly added, "You already know the answer, don't you? So why are you asking about something that's common sense here?" 

"As you can see, I'm new here. I need to know more about this place," Light said, taking the drink.

The moment the liquid touched his throat, he felt it burn like fire. Then, a strange new sensation followed, spreading from his throat down to his stomach. He grimaced slightly but remained silent. He didn't want to answer the bartender's questions—if he did, he might reveal information he preferred to keep hidden.

Light reached for his pouch, intending to pay, but suddenly froze. He had no idea what currency they used in this place—and, besides, he wasn't carrying any money.

"It's on the house, newcomer always doesn't have money on them." The bartender said but he sighed silently, it was the rule of the city so he needed to follow it. 

Light nodded and left, as he followed by Kratch and others. 

There were two things Light noted as important information: no one could enter or exit this place. But then, where did all these people come from? He wanted to dig deeper, but when the bartender's demeanor grew more suspicious, Light decided to stop asking questions. He didn't want to draw unwanted attention to himself.

The bartender said I already knew the answer... but what exactly is it? Don't tell me it's the door we came through.

Light shook his head. That couldn't be it. He must have misunderstood something. If the bartender said he was born in this city and mentioned that I already know the answer, then maybe there are two kinds of people here: those born in this city and those, like me, who come from outside through other means. Damn, I hate using my brain. I'll leave this to Kratch.

Even in this mysterious and dangerous place, one thing stood out to him as they walked through the streets: there was no discrimination against their race. On the surface, they always had to be cautious, constantly afraid of being discovered by humans.

Perhaps, within this underground city, they could finally find a place to belong—a place where they wouldn't have to live in the sewers anymore.

"I'll miss you, surface," Light murmured as he led the group forward. 

"Father, I think someone's following us," Kratch said, glancing behind him.

"I know." Light had already noticed. His senses were sharper than most. The moment they exited the bar, a group of men emerged several minutes later. It wasn't a coincidence that they were moving in the same direction—Light had sensed them, though just barely.

A human approached from the opposite direction, and Light purposely bumped into him. The man turned, furious, but upon seeing Light's group, his anger vanished. He quickly apologized and hurried away.

Light didn't stop. He walked up to a nearby stall selling apples, grabbed one, and tossed a few coins at the seller.

"Keep the change," he said casually, taking a bite as he moved on.

He led the group into an alleyway, vanishing swiftly into the shadows.

Several minutes later, another group of men entered the alley. Their leader frowned. "It seems we've been found out. They've already escaped."

One of his lackeys clicked his tongue. "Tsk. What should we do now, boss?"

"We rarely encounter newcomers, so we'd better find them. Besides, we know this place better than they do—it won't take long," the leader said, his expression calm and composed.

The alleyway is long. They couldn't have disappeared in minutes unless they hid themselves or entered one of the buildings. For the sake of my goal, I need to find them.

The leader adjusted his prosthetic arm, the metal letting out a sharp clink as a thin stream of green smoke hissed from its joints. For a moment, his eyes darkened, and black patterns crawled across his face. One of his men quickly stepped forward and injected a pink serum into the leader's neck.

He clenched his fist, stretched his neck, and continued walking forward, his steps steady and determined.

Unbeknownst to him, a few shadows were standing on the roof. Light and the others looked up at them from below. He narrowed his eyes when he noticed the prosthetic arm of the leader. The moment he saw it, his sense of danger flared, screaming at him, but it remained manageable before suddenly fading away.

I want to gather more information about this city before proceeding with the next plan. It seems they've volunteered themselves.

The group of men wasn't armed—not even wearing armor. They looked like common thugs who relied on brute force, except for their leader, who was clearly hiding a significant secret. In contrast, Light's group was equipped with basic weapons like swords and armor, giving them a clear advantage.

"Father, what should we do?" Kratch asked, his voice low.

Light didn't respond. Instead, he suddenly leaped toward the group of men. For a brief moment, a strange sense of familiarity washed over him as he aimed directly at the leader's head. He shook off the thought and pushed forward.

The rest of the group followed swiftly, jumping in one by one to surround the enemy.

The leader quickly raised his prosthetic arm, a sharp shing sound echoing as glowing patterns appeared on its surface, withstanding the Ratkin's attack. He took a step back, his expression turning serious.

"I expected this," he said calmly.

He didn't waste any more words. Talking to newcomers was pointless—they had nothing he wanted. The only thing he desired was their lives. Smoke continued to hiss from his prosthetic arm as the glowing patterns deepened. A magic circle materialized on his palm, and with a swift motion, he raised his hand.

A flaming shadow ball shot from his palm, hurtling toward Light.

Light's eyes narrowed as he quickly dodged, the heat grazing him. He was surprised. What was that? Magic? No… technology?

"What are you?" Light growled, extending his claws as he lunged at the leader. His movements were swift—he ducked low and slashed upward. The claw and prosthetic arm collided with a metallic clink sparks flying from the impact.

Suddenly, Light did something the leader never expected. The Ratkin's face moved close, and he blew into the leader's face. A foul stench filled the air, assaulting the leader's nose with an unbearable odor.

The leader winced but quickly composed himself. His prosthetic arm hissed as more smoke escaped, and he swung it toward Light's face.

Light swiftly stepped back, narrowly avoiding the attack.

And then...

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Based on your level, you are able to view the status of enemies.

Troy

Gender: Male

Race: Human

Rank: Soldier Class

Energy: 202

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"Master... I think he's a warlock!" Ignatius shouted.