Chapter 106: Ratavalry

Zach, Yanael, Nora, and Lexi continued walking and killing ratlings, only occasionally taking breaks to rest and eat. The longer they walked and the more time that passed, the more surprised Lexi became. But she didn't show it, nor did she say anything. Instead, she just looked at her younger brother with curiosity.

Lexi, like the rest of their family, was more than familiar with the youngest son's tendency to end up in unfortunate situations. She was also familiar with how his sense of direction was non-existent. Like several of her siblings, she also thought that there was something more to Zach's misfortune than simple bad luck. Searᴄh the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

After everything he had been through, he had never been injured or seriously affected. If anything, there was a trend of him coming out on the other side of his incidents with something gained.

It wasn't always proportional to the suffering he endured or the threats he had faced. But, considering he was rarely, if ever, injured, it could be thought of as a net gain.

However, it was all too circumstantial to say anything concrete about it, and Zach's older siblings had just talked about it among each other while discussing Zach when they had the opportunity and time to meet up.

But as Lexi looked at Zach, she figured that there was something up with it, especially when combined with his poor sense of direction.

What was happening right now couldn't be explained otherwise. She wasn't doing anything, neither was Nora and as far as Lexi could tell, Yanael was also not affecting the Labyrinth in any way.

As inauspicious as it was, it could only be related to Zach. But the person himself seemed to be completely oblivious as he walked while chatting with his maids or daydreaming.

Lexi wondered when she should say something, but maybe mentioning how to access the second floor, or rather, how people ended up on the second floor, would break the magic of Zach's mysterious wandering. She didn't want to jinx it. She was curious about how long they could keep going. It also wasn't like they were in a rush to reach the next floor.

Lexi took it easy and looked over her brother and their surroundings until things started to change.

The ratlings gradually grew in strength and size. They also changed attackers. The ones coming from underground with rapiers still came. The poison dart ones were still hiding in the grass and shooting at them from a distance. But every now and then, another one or two types of ratlings popped up.

One was a simple archer that shot arrows much more powerful than the poison darts. Still not powerful enough to break Zach's barrier, though.

The other type of ratling that came to attack Zach's group was a suspiciously knight-like one riding an ordinary rat and carrying a lance. It charged at Zach's barrier with a mighty war cry that sounded very squeaky to Zach and the others.

"Am I the only one worried about the ratlings riding other rats?" Zach asked with a concerned wrinkle in his brow.

"Don't let it get to you."

"It's nothing to be worried about, Young Master."

"The ratlings are different from the rats, Master. Besides, they are both monsters coming for your life. They do not deserve your thoughts."

Hearing all three of his companions so quickly shut down his concerns, Zach didn't mention it again. But he did think about it. He also thought about the theory of evolution that Yanael had mentioned.

Based on his understanding of the theory, it seemed like ratlings had evolved from rats somehow. It very much looked like it, at least. They had grown a sharper intellect, opposable thumbs, an erect spine, and the desire to use tools. But they originated from rats.

What could it then mean that they were riding the rats?

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Zach's thought painted a strange picture in his mind.

'Seems inefficient.' Apes didn't look like they were easy to ride or make saddles for, unlike horses.

But he realized that it wouldn't be strange other than how impractical it was. Humans and apes were different, after all. It was the same with ratlings and rats.

After coming to that insight, Zach didn't think about it anymore.

But that started changing again when the rats grew in size and came without riders. They ran on all fours sometimes and lumbered forward with hunched backs other times. It was like the stage in between rats and ratlings.

As if that wasn't enough, the ratlings also changed. They also became bigger, partly thanks to the muscles they had learned how to build. Their spines were even straighter and their tools became slightly more refined.

It was like they were watching the development of rat society just by walking through the grass fields of the first floor of the Jira Labyrinth.

But whatever stage of evolution the rats had reached, they were still monsters out for Zach's blood.

The only thing that changed was when they came with organized cavalry that used tactics. It wasn't any advanced tactics, but they rammed Zach's barrier, ran away, regrouped, and then tried from another angle if Yanael didn't kill them first.

It was enough to make even Lexi frown, though it was mostly out of confusion and surprise than anything else.

This wasn't in the Guide.

There were a bunch of ratling types listed, as well as when they started to show up. But there was nothing about a rat cavalry or organized attacks on the level Zach was enduring. The rats were even powerful enough to crack Zach's barrier.

If he had been alone, he would have been in trouble since he would have been unable to kill all the swarming rats before they broke through his barriers and killed him. Fortunately, he had Yanael. If it came to it, Lexi and Nora were also there.

Zach wasn't sure about how strong either of them were. But Nora was trained by her mother, and Lexi was Lexi.

He didn't think anything on the first floor of the Labyrinth could threaten them.