A Champion of Rats

Chapter 2

Tutorial (1)

Skin green like algae, a skinny frame, hooked nose, fangs.

The moment I saw the goblin, my first thought was Attack!'

Why? Do we really need a reason? Goblins are simply creatures meant to be slaughtered (in games), are they not?

I reflexively raised the club that was rolling on the ground beside and struck the goblin in the head.

The impact of wood on bone felt so real that I couldnt help but flinch for a moment.

But even more surprising was that the goblin, who I thought would be killed in one shot, didnt even get knocked down, and counterattacked instead.

Kyakyak!' screamed the goblin as he swung his dagger. The tip almost carved out one of my eyes.

What? What the hell? This is too damned realistic!'

Taken aback, I swung the club once again. The goblin ducked under it and swung his dagger.

Give and take, give and take, give and take.

That was how the goblin and I exchanged swings and misses, until I finally landed a lucky shot.

The goblin staggered back with a grating kwikwi-.

I seized my chance and rammed into him, sending him down to the ground. Then I started smashing his head without a single speck of mercy.

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fffuuuck! Just die, damn it!

I still remember that hard yet moist feel, but the more I hit him, the more it felt like reality than a game.

But that was nonsense, wasnt it?

By then the goblin's head had burst like a watermelon. I calmed down and looked around.

It was dark, and walls that felt like they were made of cement were there at all sides. And above all, the place reeked.

Through the acrid smell, I was able to intuit that this was a sewer. I remembered what she had said.

Ratlings Lets just say that theyre monster rats that live in the sewers. A mutant race created by the goddess Derubo, who loves the cursed and the marginalized.

I looked at my hands. Little pink hands, and arms covered in brown fur.

I touched my face, and I could feel the bristling hair, long whiskers, protruding nose, and sharp fangs.

So I really look like a rat. A monster rat, at that. I wouldve preferred being a handsome blond instead. But man, this really feels real. Technology marches on, indeed.'

It was regrettable, but I wasnt particularly upset. Wasn't this just a game, anyway? Id been informed beforehand, so I wasn't too shocked.

Rather, the difficult part was to decide what to do next.

I didn't have much information about the game, and I couldn't figure out what the hell a monster rat in a sewer should do.

Hunt goblins? Kill adventurers, even? This felt a bit too real, though.

I felt like Id be more comfortable if I had something to do. Like a quest.

Right at that moment, remembering that this was a game, I shouted into the air.

Status window!

Silence.

Status?

Silence.

"System? Jarvis? Friday?

Silence, silence, and more silence.

The system that shouldve been the staple of any RPG game, didn't come out. The embarrassment I felt was a bonus.

What is this, some kind of avant-garde design so you can say youre different from other games?! You idiots!

I shouted into the void as if I was arguing with the GM or the devs.

Bewildered, I scratched my hairy face with my small pink hand. But right then! I smelled something from the other side of the darkness.

Goblin!'

I wasnt sure how I knew. But the moment I smelled it, goblins came to mind.

When I narrowed my eyes and focused my vision, I could see five goblins approaching from beyond the dark.

Most of them were poorly armed, except for one. A bigger goblin that looked a bit different from the rest.

It was armed with bone armour and a bow.

Obviously, he was the leader of the bunch.

Theres no status window hovering over their heads that I can see. Honestly, what kind of UI design is this? But I don't think I'll win if I fight here and now.'

I thought back to the last fight. That crappy fight where our clubs and daggers had only whistled through the air, until Id managed to end it with a lucky shot.

The approaching goblins werent holding a tight formation, though. There were gaps.

Let's bounce.'

My hesitation didn't last long.

Taking only the goblin's dagger, I started running away without looking back.

Along the way, I went down on all fours instead of using only two legs like a human, and it felt so natural that even I myself was surprised. It was quite fast, too. Like I had a racial trait or something.

By the time I thought Id made good on my escape, hunger and fatigue assaulted me suddenly. I was surprised and annoyed that theyd even implemented something like this.

Is it really necessary to implement stuff like this? Id suggest they drop it. Although, theyve done a great job. Its unimaginably realistic.'

Rustle-

"Who is it!"

The sudden sound made me unknowingly make a loud noise.

Moments later, a huge rat popped out from a crack in the walls.

Brown bristly fur, yellow eyes, yellow fangs. An absolutely appalling appearance. I was so startled that I screamed involuntarily.

What the fuck, you shitty rat!

"You too. A rat!

Cried the giant rat in an angry voice.

Seeing that, I instinctively realized that he too was a ratling'. The same species as me.

My own people. At least in this game but what's up with his speech?'

Rat. Apologize. Do it. Shitty. Swear word."

"Sorry!"

I apologized without the slightest hesitation. I didn't know how this game worked, but I wasnt going to turn even my own people into enemies.

When I apologized, he was rather taken aback. He seemed surprised to receive an apology so easily.

" You. Follow. Us. Colony. I guide. Come."

Saying that, he suddenly shoved himself through the crack in the wall and squeezed in like a cat.

I pondered for a moment. Whether to follow or not.

There's nowhere else to go anyway, so if I follow him, something should happen, right?'

Having come to a conclusion, I shoved myself into the crack too.

Then, to my surprise, my chubby body began to contort to fit into the crack. It didn't hurt at all.

Rather, it easily squeezed in and began to swim freely among the cracks and gaps, as if it knew how to do that from birth.

The ratling's voice urged me forward.

"Hurry! Hurry!"

I followed the sound. Soon, we arrived at a huge empty area. It reminded me of a shelter, and there were a total of twelve rats gathered there.

The ratling whod brought me here said to his fellows.

"New. Kid. Brought here. Met. Just now."

The rats gathered around me. They were smaller than me, but the hungry expressions on their faces gave me goosebumps.

"Big. Looks delicious. Meat. Must be a lot.

Is he young? Eat?"

Eat? Eat?

I doubted my ears for a while. This was our first meeting; I couldn't believe that they were treating me like food. I realized all over again that these were no run-of-the-mill rats. These were monster rats.

Aren't rats ferocious beasts that eat not only their own but also their young?

Hey, you said I was delicious right now, right?

I grabbed my club and the knife Id taken from the goblin, each in one hand.

At that time, the rat whod brought me said.

"Not. Food. Killed. Goblin. I. Saw."

Then, voices of exclamation and denial flowed from here and there.

No. Cant!"

"No way!"

Eat? Eat?

The ratling insisted again and again.

"Really! Knife. Evidence!"

The rats looked at me and noticed. I showed everyone the blade Id taken from the goblin.

"It's real!"

"Really! Really!"

"Not. Food. One of us! Brother!

Are we going to eat? Something to eat?

I was dumbfounded. From being treated as prey, to suddenly being treated as kin? Talk about whiplash.

Seriously, it felt like that. Like I was about to receive a quest. And then the rat whod brought me in, continued.

"Partner! Brother! Together. Goblins. Let's get rid of them!

I knew it!

Editor's Notes:

None for this chapter.