War Rats

When it came to hunting monsters, no one could defeat the Witchfinders, the elite units of the empire specialized in hunting various kinds of creatures. Monsters trembled at the mere mention of their name, cowering in fear. Their name alone could be used to frighten children into behaving.

They had become legends...

But for Light, the Witchfinders were far from his concern. As long as no one knew of his existence, he’d probably remain safe. Of course, that didn’t mean he’d let his guard down.

"Another day, another life..." Light muttered, stretching his arms as he stepped out of the small hut. It was only his second day in this strange new world, though there was no sun to mark the passing time. He knew it was a new day because the system had informed him that his child would be born today.

Thinking about his child, he couldn’t help but feel a strange mix of emotions. As a former human, he’d once dreamed of having children with his wife, of starting a family the way he had always imagined. But life—or rather, death—had taken an unexpected turn, and now his firstborn would be a Ratkin.

Still, he had come to accept it. The Ratkin bore his blood, his essence. That was enough to consider them his family, no matter their form.

"I should check on them later," he muttered to himself. The mutant rat was safely hidden, guarded by a swarm of lesser rats, so he wasn’t overly concerned about any harm befalling them—especially since there was little danger in these sewers, aside from the cowardly half-mutant on his side.

For now, his main concern was constructing the Scrapfang Depot. The sewers were too cramped to accommodate a full building, especially a two-story structure. He wasn’t sure what might happen if he attempted to build it here—would the structure collapse? Or worse, would it damage the entire sewer system?

"Rats..." Light raised his hand and pointed into the tunnel’s darkness. From all sides, a swarm of rats rushed forward at his command. He ordered them to search for a larger area within the sewer.

"If I want to build my base, I need a bigger place. But this place is too small for the ratkin’s development. I need to find somewhere else... but it’s dangerous for me to go out right now," he mused.

Last night, he had sent rats to explore all the sewer entrances. He discovered that most led to streets or hidden locations heavily guarded by human soldiers. Some of the entrances connecting to the streets were sealed with metal plates engraved with strange patterns.

He hadn’t understood why the sewers were treated as something dangerous—until Ignatius explained it to him.

According to Ignatius, aside from Mutants, there were three other dangerous entities in this world: Dark Creatures and the Entities Behind the Shadow. Dark Creatures were monsters born from darkness or any negative energy.

The sewers, with their decay, waste, and rot—both physical and metaphysical—were the perfect breeding ground for these creatures. The accumulated refuse of society, pollution, and darkness created the ideal conditions for Dark Creatures to spawn.

Moreover, the toxic atmosphere, mixed with lingering magical residue, occult rituals, or even the despair and suffering of the impoverished, amplified this negative energy. The sewers had become a cradle for twisted forms of life, creatures embodying the corruption from which they were born. In essence, the filth was more than just physical—it had a spiritual and magical essence that fueled the creation of Dark Creatures.

Fortunately, the churches and the empire cleansed the sewers annually to prevent Dark Creatures from being born. The last cleansing had occurred just a month ago, so there were currently no Dark Creatures to be found here.

In short, Light was considered the strongest presence in the sewers, except for certain half-mutants.

However, for Light, this was a disaster. He clutched his head in frustration and rolled on the ground.

If there were no monsters, where would he get energy from? Rats couldn’t provide enough, and the other animals he encountered here were too weak to contain any significant energy. Creatures below the Low Class simply didn’t have any to offer.

And that wasn’t the end of his problems. Where would he find food? Resources like wood, steel, or even clean water?

This place was, in essence, empty.

"Ugh... I'll think about it later," Light muttered, rubbing his temples. He continued deeper into the sewers until, after a long search, his rats finally found a large area to build the depot. It was located just before an entrance—not too close, but close enough to monitor anyone coming in.

For now, this place would do.

---

Do you wish to construct Scrapfang Depot?

---

"Yes."

A blue holographic screen appeared in the air, displaying the shape and dimensions of the building. As it hovered above the ground, the earth below began to shift. Slowly, a foundation rose, layer by layer. Walls took form, followed by windows, and doors, and every detail aligned perfectly with the glowing outline. Bit by bit, the structure materialized, and as the hologram faded, a solid, two-story building stood where once there had been empty ground.

Above the door, a sign read Scrapfang Depot, accompanied by an image of a rat’s head clutching a pickaxe and sword.

A status update popped up in his system:

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Scrapfang Depot (LVL1)

Durability: 100/100

Resources: (none)

Workers: (none)

Units: Ratkin Worker (LVL1)

---

Ratkin Worker

Training Time: 10 minutes

Description: A Ratkin specialized in labor, trained to efficiently gather resources and perform essential tasks with agility and skill.

Starting Rank: Civilian Class

---

The Scrapfang Depot stood silent and empty, lit by the soft glow of flickering lamps on the walls. On the ground floor, a counter greeted visitors near the entrance, with tables and chairs arranged neatly nearby. Behind the counter were three doors leading to a kitchen, an office for record-keeping, and a food storage area.

Up a wooden staircase, the second floor was equally bare, with workbenches, rows of empty shelves, open crates, and storage racks. This floor served as the building’s storage space. Behind the depot, a large gate wide and a staircase led directly to the second floor, making it easy to load resources through the back.

"This place is cozy, warm even," Light muttered, settling into one of the chairs. For now, the depot was empty, but in his mind, he could already picture it bustling with Ratkin workers. He looked to the future, feeling more determined than ever to grow stronger.

The door creaked open, and as the lamps flickered, a familiar face entered.

Ignatius rubbed his head as he walked in, scanning his surroundings with a mix of curiosity and caution. The rat monster had told him to follow, but now it was nowhere to be seen—instead, a whole new building had appeared. How long had it taken to build this? And how had he not noticed?

“What... what is this place?” he murmured.

“This is the Scrapfang Depot," a voice answered him.

"Ah... Sir! How may I assist you?" Ignatius stammered, bowing respectfully. He wasn’t sure why he called this strange rat creature "Sir," but it felt necessary. Saying the wrong thing could easily offend the intelligent, imposing figure before him.

Light sat in silence, watching Ignatius with those intense purple eyes. The man could feel his heartbeat pounding in his chest. He had seen many strange creatures, but none like this—a towering rat that spoke as if it were human.

‘Could he be an intelligent mutant? But is that even possible?’ Ignatius wondered. As a child, he’d been fascinated by stories of monsters, the three races, and the gods. He’d dreamed of meeting one, but as he grew older, that dream had lost its charm and now he wanted nothing to do but live peacefully away from those monsters.

"I want you to go to the surface and buy artifacts, food, and other resources," Light instructed.

Ignatius blinked, opening his mouth, but hesitated before scratching his head and saying, "Sir, I... don’t have any money. And... I’m afraid. The surface is dangerous."

"Oh..." Light paused, realization dawning. Initially, he had assumed Ignatius was hiding in the sewers mainly to avoid those who hunted him. But he hadn’t considered the possibility that Ignatius was also penniless.

For a moment, silence settled between the two as they exchanged glances, two unlikely allies in shared misfortune. Light cleared his throat and finally spoke, "Since you’ve chosen to serve, it’s only natural to do your work. Go to the surface and find a way to earn some money."

Ignatius’s eyes widened slightly. Had he agreed to serve? He didn’t recall saying it explicitly—maybe it looked that way, but fear had mostly guided his actions.

"Don’t worry," Light added. "I’ll have someone protect you."

Hearing this, Ignatius thought for a moment. 'Maybe if I serve him, he really can protect me from those people... I don’t have much to lose anymore.' He considered his options, weighing his chances and swallowing his hesitation.

After a moment, he nodded slowly, "O-okay..."

Just as he was about to head out, a thought stopped him. He wanted to ask his new master if he had any money he could spare—but he hesitated, uncertain.

'It might offend him...'