Chapter 3: [Raticide]

Congratulations! You have slain a [Rat {Level 1}]Congratulations! You have slain a [Rat {Level 1}]Congratulations! You have slain a [Rat {Level 1}]Congratulations! You have slain…Hey, maybe we can cool it with the notifications? Ethan asked as he gnawed through a still-dying rat, smearing his Host's silver teeth with its dark crimson blood.For once, his System didn't have an ambivalent-to-borderline-scornful objection to his thoughts. It seemed to have given up after he'd slain his twentieth rat today.[Current Spirit Cores: 25]He'd already upgraded Theodore's HP to 15 and Speed to 30 for some extra survivability and swiftness. His assassination technique was by this point perfected. The rats who dared to scurry about in his domain had learned to fear the Silver-Toothed Shadow that stalked the corners of their territory—the one that wore the single-eyed hat upon its brow.He had also found that Theo's [Detect Life] skill proved eminently useful in traversing the darkness of the mine. Using this skill, he could sense the scents of other rats or small spiders and grubs. Coupled with his [Hide] and [Skitter] skills, he was becoming a rat-assassin worthy of fear and renown. Within the last three hours, he'd practically emptied the place of Theodore's kind.If Theodore objected to any of this, Ethan certainly wasn't aware. Could rats get PTSD? He supposed he'd find out when he left his little host.And he would have to leave him eventually—that, he was certain of. From his hours spent in this dank, decrepit mine, he could tell that the only reason he was succeeding was because he was maximizing his environmental advantages. Out in the open, he'd be food for the first vulture that came his way. Assuming this world even had vultures…Argwyll has more than just vultures.There are winged beasts, the likes of which strike fear into even the most powerful beings that walk this earth.Argwyll… Ethan thought. I wonder what it's like outside.You'll learn soon enough.Or you won't. Not that it matters in the grand scheme of things.Are you on my side here or aren't you? Ethan asked.I don't have a 'side', [Hat].I am merely the System.Ethan wondered about that. So far, the System had been the one who plopped a big fat Bounty on his head and told him he had a day to become competent enough in this world to hold off a whole horde of monsters.Hey, Ethan thought as the notion suddenly occurred to him. I gotta know - if its not fucking [Classified] - is there any way I can get this Bounty off my head?.....There might be.The hell does that mean?There are those out there who wish to find you, [Hat].My programming will not allow me to say more.And lemme guess, Ethan snorted. Your 'programmer' is probably this Kaedmon guy, right? This world' God?When he got no answer, Ethan simply trundled on down the mine.Figures. I already hate the guy.He continued exploring each winding shaft, leaving the torn remains of rats to guide him and ensure he wasn't doubling back on himself. A tail here, an eyeball there—little markers that Blobbers had taught him were useful for traversing maze-like dungeons.But he had to admit, if this was some kind of tutorial dungeon, he wasn't impressed. All he'd come across so far were rats and the occasional spider—and not even the poisonous kind. More pressing was the fact that he kept discovering mining equipment and evidence of workers' exploits in most of the biggest vaults and shafts—ore veins of iron and silver that had been battered with picks before they had been forgotten about entirely. Crates full of coal and ore littered the bottom section of the mine, and Ethan's only lead for ages was the cart tracks that seemed to stretch on for untold miles. Following the tracks took him deeper and deeper, until Theo's [Detect Life] skill stopped picking up the scents of rats and started picking up the scent of something bigger. Something that waited in the depths. Something that, probably, wasn't friendly.Gotta be the troll… Ethan thought as he raced down the section of track he'd been following for the past hour. And he's gonna be mine. It's the only way I stand a chance long-term. On that note, I'm not overly cautious, Theo, but I'd prefer it if we were properly prepared before we took it on. We've seen what happens when I boost our stats. Now, let's see what happens when I boost a skill……Hey, System? That's your cue.Right away… Hat {Legendary}Skill List:

Possession (Grade F)Skill Siphon (Grade F)Appraisal (Grade F)Transmogrification (Grade F)

Spirit Cores to increase any [Hat] skill from F-E: 250 Current Host: Theodore the Rat {Level 25}Skill List:

Hide (Grade F)Skitter (Grade F)Detect Life (Grade F)Bite (Grade F)

Spirit Cores to increase any [Rat] skill from F-E: 10Well, well, well… looks like someone's got it lucky in this world. You could max out your stats in no time compared to me, ol' Theo. Though in fairness, your likelihood of surviving anything more than a dwarf's foot is less than zero…Theodore the Rat continued running at the behest of the hat he'd been unfortunate enough to irritate. Somewhere deep behind his suppressed consciousness, he was evaluating all of his life choices up until this moment.I'm gonna level with you, Theo, Ethan told his host as he scrabbled along the increasingly ruined and rotted mine cart tracks. When we find the troll down here, I gotta possess it. We've all but depleted the rat population of this place. But don't you worry. I'm gonna give you a taste of real power just before we're done with our partnership. Skill: Hide (Grade F)Upgrade complete!Skill: Hide (Grade E)[Hide] can now be activated during combat.Success is determined by your SPD stat vs enemy PER statSpirit Cores to increase to Grade D: 40 Now we're a real assassin, Ethan giddily mumbled to his hat-bound host. And I've still got 10 spirit cores leftover to help with the possession of our big foe. Admittedly, I'd have liked a couple more to be on the safe side. But, meh, I've had worse odds against me before.Basic attacks and certain [Skills] can be used to lower the [WILL] of a creature.Sometimes persistence and patience will serve you better than raw strength.Huh. So, it's not just about cutting down a monster's HP for me—it's about fighting them to the point where they basically give up trying and submit themselves to my thready embrace.As uncomfortable as that sounds, you are correct.Ethan smiled (somehow).That means upgrades should always be on the table…His manic sprinting then finally came to an abrupt end. He had just come to the lip of a large chasm reaching into a seemingly endless depth. The thick red-scented trail cascaded down the chasm, and Ethan realized that, at this point, there was only one way to go.Theo? He asked his host. Are you with me?No reply was forthcoming.System?I have no choice in the matte-That's the spirit! Ethan squeaked. Into the abyss!The climb down the chasm was made easy by Theo's claws. Ethan kept him in [Hide] mode just to be on the safe side. A couple of spiders served as easy prey on their journey, even if each one offered up only a single Spirit Core as bounty. He'd have to remember to possess one in the future. If he was right about his [Skill Steal] ability, then he'd be able to transfer and upgrade any skills he attained from creatures he possessed. The possibilities were endless. Ethan knew that even the most basic skill used creatively could change the entire course of a battle. Therefore, it only made sense to possess one of every creature he could at some point in his adventures on Argwyll—but probably only if he could ensure his own survival. After all, he didn't have an [HP Transfer] skill… which limited how useful a weaker form could be.Eventually, he made it to the bottom of the depths and Ethan relinquished his grip on the solid earthen walls, dropping down into another blackened shaft with an audible snap!But this was not, as Ethan feared, the snapping of his tiny rat bones. As he surveyed the floor of the chasm, Ethan saw nothing but stretches of lithe skeletons and torn limbs, whole mounds of dead men of all shapes and sizes, surrounded by half-chewed pickaxes and crushed rocks.Well, I guess we know what happened to the miners… The only question now is… can I beat the thing that did them in?As if on cue, his eyes then centered on something that had just sniffed the air before him. Something big. Something bulky. And something mad. It rose from a mound of bones that it must have been sleeping under and inspected the new visitor to its lair through four beady eyes, all matted hair and muscle shimmering with the dried blood of its slain victims. Its mouth opened in a snarl that revealed row upon row of serrated fangs, throwing spittle across the whole boney arena. And when it reared up and roared—it was the voice of a creature on the verge of frenzy. ---BOSS ENCOUNTER!---Creature: Troll (LVL 10)HP: 80/80WILL: 35/35 Theo! Ethan roared in his host's headspace. Get ready to [Hide] and [Skitter]! We're gonna have to think about how to wear this guy down……Theo?His host's body would not move, no matter how much Ethan commanded its tiny limbs to skitter like hell. Status Effect![Roar]Paralyzed (5 secs) The troll lunged forward with a ferocity that was beyond anything else in the mine shaft, intent on one thing only: ending the life of the hat-bearing, silver-toothed rat that now trembled before it.And Ethan, having no other recourse, watched as it charged toward him.