Chapter 20 Deadly Sewers!

The sewers were utterly dark… and smelly!

Jack had the feeling of having been plunged into a pile of vomit, only for someone to add manure and an unhealthy dose of mushrooms to it.

Yes, mushrooms, but not regular mushrooms, radioactive-looking ones! They glowed in the dark, a mix of green, yellow and blue.

Then there was the torrent raging near them. The water was so brown and full of garbage that it looked like a moving swamp monster.

"There's no way this place's sanitary!" He groaned.

As for the foxes, they seemed utterly pitiful. The ambient odor utterly crippled their sense of smell, and they now looked discouraged at the various sewer tunnels.

How were they supposed to find their way if everything looked and smelled the same?! What if they ended up lost and dying here?! This would be the worst death ever!

They were already making puppy eyes toward Jack, hoping for them to turn back. But just as they felt utterly down, Jack rose, his tiny back looking incredibly reliable.

"So what if it's a maze? Follow my lead, and our army will prevail!"

They quickly followed their leader, carefully stepping on the slippery stones. Facing their fears, thanks to him. But the more they walked, the more baffled they became.

"Woo?! Woo!" (H-how?!")

No matter how many forks there were in the road, Jack would confidently pick one and lead them. He looked so carefree as he did so too!

The foxes couldn't understand how that was possible. No matter how much they checked and double-checked, he wasn't using any magic… then how?!

Jack chuckled at their silly antics, finally revealing his secret.

"Just create a mental map of the place as you go."

That's when they looked at him as if he were a monster. Mental Map?! This was way harder than using magic! How awesome! That's why he deserved to lead them!

Pfft— Impressing them sure was easy! But just as Jack was about to teach them mental mapping tips… his Danger Sense activated!

"Careful! Something's coming!"

A mere second after his shout, the ground began rumbling. Then an ear-rapping rattle came from one of the tunnels in front of them. What the Hell was this?!

After the sound came the smell: if the sewers were terrible, this was DEATH!

Then they saw hundreds of bloodthirsty red eyes!

"RUUUNNNN!" It was time to get the fuck out!

The foxes did their best to bolt out, but this place was horrendous. Slipping meant death, and their slender paws weren't suited for such an environment.

Meanwhile, the rattling kept growing stronger and stronger.

Jack quickly checked his mental map; the nearest sewer exit was… way too far! Was it a coincidence or part of an ambush?! Either way, fleeing wasn't an option.

"We'll have to fight whatever's behind us!" Jack announced.

Instantly the foxes began whimpering. They'd have to fight here?! But just as they thought it couldn't become worse… they found themselves at a dead end?!

They lost their souls when they saw the wall in front of them. Was this how they'd die?! As they turned around, they finally saw the creatures chasing them.

Rats, rats, so many RATS!

All the size of rabid dogs straight from Hell.

So many of them that they formed a gray-brownish wall!

Their red eyes glowed with hunger as they stared at their prey.

Foxes were strong but facing hundreds of giant rats? There was no way they'd survive this! Soon they'd be in the monsters' bellies, Jack included.

At this moment, they felt endless regret. If only they hadn't entered this death trap! Yet, none blame Jack, for they knew he had tried his best.

"Why the long faces? We're exactly where we're supposed to be." Jack chuckled.

The foxes perked their ears, confused. Why did he sound so calm?!

"Now that we're at a dead end, they can't backstab us!"

As if that would help… even they who were born fire-masters would eventually run out of Mana. Then they'd get devoured entirely, their bones adorning the sewers.

"Hehe, worried about Mana? Just follow my lead, and everything will be fine. Now, let's play a game, shall we? It's time for Simon Burns!"

Before the foxes could understand what was happening, he had already assigned them numbers from 1 to 21. They had to shoot a fireball when he called their number.

It was incredibly easy, but would that even accomplish anything?! Yet, they all complied. Playing a game was the best way to go!

"1, 2!"

"3, 4, 5!"

"...….."

"6, 7, 8, 9!"

The rats charged at them!… only to squeak in agony as flames engulfed the corridor!

Jack kept calling numbers seemingly in random groupings. At times he'd call many in a row, while at others, he'd remain silent for a solid minute.

At first, they were confused, but then they slowly realized what he was doing. Whenever there was the slightest movement in the rat pack, he'd order them to launch fireballs!

He never used more firepower than was actually needed, preserving their

Mana as much as possible! Good thing the rats were very flammable!

To an external observer, it would look like suicidal rats would charge… straight into the fire! Yet, it was actually Jack predicting the timing perfectly!

That's when the rats suddenly retreated a few paces. They realized they'd lose their entire pack if they tried to kill those soldier-like foxes!

"16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21…. And 1 to 7 again!" Seeing the fear and hate in their eyes, Jack instantly called out for an all-out offense! That's when the rats retreated completely!

The foxes instantly erupted in cheers! Who knew that coordination was all they needed to defeat such a scary rat pack?!

"Wooo!" (We did it! Master, we did it!)

Yet just as they were growing complacent…

"8, 9, 10, 11!" Jack screamed at the top of his lungs.

The foxes threw fireballs just in time to collide with the rat swarm! The sneaky creatures had only faked a retreat?! Now they were once again retreating.

The sewers became peaceful again. All that one could hear was the soft gurgle of the water and the smell of burnt fur permeating the air.

"Sigh. I think it's fine. They're gone for real now." It seemed like they had survived the encounter. Jack carefully approached one of the corpses to observe it.

That's when it happened…!

[Completed First Combat Encounter!]

[Killed > 100 Rats! Rat Slayer!]

[Unlocking XP System!]

[Received 232 XP!]

But that wasn't all. Jack and foxes found themselves staring at an orange translucent panel that appeared before their eyes. What the heck was this thing?! It looked so… shiny!

[Ding! Master of the Foxes Title Activating!]

[Please Assign Your XP!]

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Jack Bright (Classless)

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BODY 3 (STR 1 / AGI 1 / RES 1)

SOUL 42 ( MAGIC 7 / SENSE 17 / WILL 18)

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(NEW!)

- Great Rat Slayer! (+1% Dmg Versus Rats!) ????

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