Skitterling

The class system has been simplified. Instead of Low-Class, Civilian Class, Soldier Class, Knight Class, Lord Class, and Half-King Class, we now use Rank 1 to Rank 6. This makes it easier to understand and less complicated. There are also ranks above Rank 6, which you may discover in the future.

---

"Brother Ezekiel! The humans are here!"

Under the dim light of flickering torches and the eerie green glow emanating from the walls, five humanoid rats moved and spoke like humans.

They were battling creatures that resembled zombies—grotesque, filth-ridden monstrosities. Though slow-moving, these creatures were difficult to defeat, regenerating far faster than expected.

Leading the ratkin was a small, white-furred one wielding a dagger. He continuously slashed at the filth zombie, only stopping when he heard his brother call out.

Ezekiel turned around to see a ratkin waving a torch, signaling him over.

"I spotted humans near the entrance! They're armed!"

Ezekiel frowned as he followed Mizu, the ratkin holding the torch.

Humans were always troublesome for the ratkin, especially since they lived within a human city. More than just a threat, they brought danger to the entire race. A single ratkin could easily defeat multiple adult humans, but with their current numbers and weakened state, they stood no chance against them.

After all, humans wielded immense power. Some appeared weak, but they hid dangerous secrets—like their proud technology, the long iron weapons that could kill from a distance. Moreover, the human world was filled with secret organizations lurking in the shadows.

That's why, unless necessary, Ezekiel had no desire to confront them just yet.

The Ratkin extinguished their torch. While their eyesight allowed them to see in the dark, they still needed the torch for light—dangerous Dark Creatures lurked in the shadows. Moving on all fours, they scurried into the entrance.

They hid deep within the tunnel, far from the entrance but still close enough to see the approaching humans. With the torches the humans carried, they stood out like a lone boat in the middle of an ocean surrounded by sharks.

The humans were clad in armor and carried swords. Some also wielded strange weapons that were supposed to be called "guns," though only the leading figure held one. He was a man with glasses and messy hair, his half-closed eyes giving the impression of someone on the verge of sleep—yet within them gleamed intelligence and cunning.

"What should we do, Brother Ezekiel?"

Ezekiel glanced at the one who had spoken before retracting his gaze. He thought for a moment before replying, "Zeus, go inform Father about this. The rest of us will continue watching them. Hurry."

"Okay, Brother!"

Zeus, a large Ratkin with black fur, nodded and swiftly departed.

"Brother Ezekiel, what do you think? Have they discovered us?" Mizu asked, concern evident on his face. Unlike his older brothers, Mizu despised fighting—more than that, he hated witnessing death. But he had no choice. He wanted to help his family grow stronger so they could one day leave the sewers.

"I don't know yet," Ezekiel admitted. After a long pause, he added, "Either they're investigating the sewers for the upcoming Cleansing or something else entirely. But we can't rule out the possibility that they've found us. We've been making too much noise on the surface to go unnoticed."

As they watched, the humans continued moving forward—until they spotted a Dark Creature. Ezekiel recognized it immediately.

The Filth Zombie.

A monster he had failed to kill. It moved slowly but possessed rapid regeneration. He hoped it would delay the humans until his father arrived.

Then, an idea struck him.

"You guys, keep watching them. I have a plan!" Ezekiel whispered before disappearing into the darkness.

...

Cloud Office was an organization that worked for the Church of Holy Bright Light. It specialized in intelligence and investigation, making its members the Church's equivalent of detectives.

Raginal Whitemore, a second-class investigator of Cloud Office, was currently in a bad mood. After a long vacation, the Church had assigned him a new task—or rather, a problem they could have solved themselves but instead dumped on someone else out of laziness.

"Should I just retire?"

His current assignment was to investigate a new species of rats rumored to be humanoid monsters capable of walking and talking like humans. More importantly, this task should have been left to the Witchfinders, but somehow, it had landed on his shoulders instead.

Accompanied by a squad of Church knights, Raginal entered the sewers. The unbearable stench hit him immediately. Though the smell was strong enough to make an ordinary person faint, he had long grown used to it. This wasn't his first time, after all.

"Let's see… a humanoid rat… hmm…"

As they moved through the dark, damp tunnels, the torchlight flickered against the surrounding filth. Suddenly, Raginal felt something was off—like he was being watched.

He scanned his surroundings, but unfortunately, the limited torchlight barely illuminated their immediate area. The faint green glow from the bioluminescent fungi wasn't enough to see far ahead.

"It seems the Dark Creatures have already begun to spawn," he muttered, clicking his tongue. That was the only explanation he could think of for the eerie gaze fixed upon them. Fortunately, dealing with Dark Creatures wasn't part of his assignment, so he ignored them—even though he had no idea where they were hiding.

The knights following him suddenly tensed, raising their swords.

"Sir! Stay back!"

A monster emerged from the darkness—it was a Filth Zombie. Raginal recognized it immediately. He glanced at the knight who had shouted and scoffed.

"It's just a weak monster. You're overreacting."

The Filth Zombie moved as slowly as a frail old woman, but its regeneration was comparable to that of a vampire. As long as filth existed around it, the creature would continue to regenerate. In the sewers, this monster was essentially invincible.

Unfortunately, the best way to kill zombies was with a Warlock, and there wasn't one among them. All he had were mid-level Church knights.

"Ignore it," he said.

They walked past the zombie and continued their investigation.

Time passed. The distant sound of dripping water echoed through the tunnels, adding to the unsettling atmosphere. The torches flickered as if struggling against the overwhelming darkness, which seemed endless no matter how far they walked.

Then, suddenly, a sound echoed from deeper within the tunnel—a bestial roar, followed by a strong gust of wind.

Raginal and the knights instinctively tensed. Their torches nearly went out, but the knights reacted quickly, shielding the flames just in time.

"What was that?"

A shadow emerged from the darkness. Raginal's eyes narrowed as he shouted, "That's it! Capture it!"

Before them stood the reason for their investigation—a humanoid rat. Raginal squinted. Yes, it was indeed a humanoid rat.

The knights sprang into action, moving to capture it. Raginal raised his gun, ready to fire, but suddenly, his finger trembled.

The Ratkin jumped into the sewer water. But that wasn't what made him hesitate—something else had appeared instead.

A monster.

A creature beyond comprehension.

It was the size of a man but scuttled on multiple legs, its hardened exoskeleton glistening under the torchlight. Its presence radiated insatiable hunger and primal horror. A chill ran down Raginal's spine, and sweat began to form on his brow.

Suddenly, the Ratkin didn't seem so bad.

"It's a Skitterling!"

Unlike him, the knights quickly regained their composure. They were experienced, having fought countless monsters before. While a Skitterling might startle them for a moment, they wouldn't falter so easily.

"What are your orders, sir?" one of the knights asked.

Raginal gritted his teeth. He wanted to retreat, but if he failed this mission, the Church would hound him relentlessly. Worse, they might assign him an even more troublesome task. He couldn't simply postpone this fight—Cloud Office operated under strict rules.

Besides, Skitterlings were one of the fastest monsters in the sewers. If they tried to run, he, as the weakest of the group, would likely die first. Others might lose their lives as well.

It was better to fight.

"Kill it. I'll provide support from the back!"

-Bang!

He fired his gun. He wasn't sure if he hit the creature, but the Skitterling screeched in agitation and lunged at the knights.

The knights, trained personally by the Church, didn't fall so easily. They immediately launched a counterattack.

The battle had begun.

...

"Do you think they can win, Brother?"

The Ratkin watched the ongoing fight. The Skitterling seemed to be struggling against the knights, though the knights were also having a hard time. However, the monster was taking more damage—wounds had begun to appear on its legs, and its movements were becoming reckless.

From their perspective, the Skitterling would lose. After all, the knights were strong, and there were three of them, supported by the investigator's powerful gun. But Mizu was surprised by his brother's response.

"No," Ezekiel said, shaking his head.

"Really? Why do you think so?" Mizu frowned. It was clear that the Skitterling was struggling.

"I'm not entirely sure, but I don't think this monster will lose," Ezekiel replied. "According to Father, Skitterlings are Rank 5 Dark Creatures. Only a Warlock or a human of equal or greater strength could truly defeat it."

"How do you know these guys aren't Rank 5?"

Ezekiel glanced at Mizu and sighed. "These knights don't give me the same feeling as that monster."

According to Kratch, Dark Creatures were entities born from negative and corrupted energy, making them fundamentally different from ordinary monsters. Unlike common beasts or mutated creatures, Dark Creatures possessed unique abilities tied to their environment, energy source, and level of corruption. Their powers often scaled with strength—the stronger the Dark Creature, the more devastating and complex its abilities became.

Weaker Dark Creatures had simple traits, like the Filth Zombie's rapid regeneration or the toxic bodies of Spawns. But the more powerful ones had far more unique and dangerous abilities.

And Skitterlings were among the powerful ones.

It was clear that this one had yet to reveal its true ability.

Ezekiel could only guess, but if the Skitterling got serious… the knights would face certain death.

But what was the Skitterling's true ability?