[April 4]
[The second wave of the plague broke out, the scope expanded more than tenfold, the entire Kingdom of Longlan fell into paralysis, the army was deployed hundreds of miles away, and today I am also trying my best to treat the sick.]
[April 23]
[I once heard rumors that when rats grow fat and eat human corpses, and there are no more humans to die, a Rat King will emerge from among the tens of thousands of rats underground. It will be as large as a human, wearing a crown made of human bones and gold coins, holding a cross and a scepter. It will kill all humans, and rats will rule the world…]
[I never thought I would actually encounter a Ratman today. It begged me not to burn the bodies of those who died from the plague, to leave the corpses for it as food. In return, it would reduce the spread of the plague. God of Healing, forgive my cowardice!]
[May 25]
[Crazy. Ratmen have flooded the underground. From the Ratman I met that day, I learned that someone deliberately had a witch cast a spell to summon the plague upon the Kingdom of Longlan, just to profit from selling their own “Plague Medicine”?!]
Lai En couldn’t help but think of that saying when he read this: capital will sell the rope used for hanging for profit. It seems this is true no matter which world it is.
To sell medicine, they didn’t care about human lives and actively summoned the plague…
Although he didn’t know what method was used, Lai En had already connected the dots with what the Xue Ru Mu had said earlier.
Someone used some method to attract the Rat Mother.
Otherwise, how could there be so many coincidences, with multiple female rats all coming to the underground of this kingdom?
[October 8]
[I haven’t kept a diary for a long time. The plague has come to an end. Power has changed hands. The princess has disappeared. The Regent King has won.]
[The burning of bodies is proceeding in an orderly manner…]
There was one more page of notes after that, but it was written so sloppily it was completely illegible.
Presumably it was written after he was locked in here.
After all, he knew too much, and he was just a doctor with no guile.
That was evident from the fact that he carried so many medical books with him.
His mention of power changing hands was probably related to the plague as well.
This was a premeditated man-made disaster.
It was just that the Ratmen were too tenacious, surviving to this day, though no one knew how many years had passed.
Maybe even the planners of this plague hadn’t thought that so many Rat Mothers would smell the scent and dig their way over.
It was impossible for humans to have someone specifically studying Ratmen.
Only someone like Lai En, who could communicate with them, knew the situation inside Ratman society.
Putting down the notes, Lai En walked out of the hidden door. The stairs behind the door led straight to a tomb.
Inside the tomb were many coffins. From their style, it was clear they contained clergy members.
If he were just a Ratman, he probably wouldn’t have thought much of it.
But Lai En was human.
In such a sacred tomb, such a dark secret was buried—quite dramatic, really.
But even though everyone buried here was clergy, a chill still ran up Lai En’s spine.
“I’d better get out of here quickly…”
Lai En planned to check the exit. Tombs like this were usually cleaned by someone from time to time, so there had to be an exit.
Sure enough, light came from not far away.
Lai En cautiously approached the exit. Fortunately, it wasn’t a busy area, but a cemetery.
And there was a forest nearby.
“Once I’m in the forest, it’s like a fish in the sea!”
As long as he could get in, he’d find a way somehow!
Lai En rushed out of the tomb and entered the forest.
[Forest Hunter has been triggered, all stats increased by 20%]
As soon as the system notification appeared, Lai En felt not only that he could see farther, but also that his body had become lighter.
However, no sooner had he run a short distance than Lai En keenly heard some noise.
“Boss, did the king really promise you an army?”
“Otherwise, why would we come here to kill rats? It’s a complete waste of magic power, and we’re broke.”
A girl responded.
Lai En didn’t dare move. A massive magical power was nearby, clearly belonging to the owner of that voice.
“The Sword Saint has already broken through the thirty-second layer of the dungeon, but we’re still stuck in the twenties because we’re short on people. If this keeps up, the merchant caravan will pull their funding sooner or later.”
“Then we’ll be back to working for the Adventurer’s Guild!”
A fiery red figure walked out from the forest.
“This should be the place, right?”
She asked, turning her head. Behind her was a youth carrying a greatsword.
“This is it. All the Ratmen are gathering in this area. It should be their queen’s nest.”
“I always feel it’s weird to use the word ‘queen’ for mere rats…”
“Can you think of another word?”
Lai En didn’t relax because of their casual conversation. The girl in the red robe possessed a magical power he had never felt before.
‘This must be that S-Rank adventurer.’
When Lai En had been Mimic-simulating earlier, he had seen a witch, but compared to this one, she was nothing.
This red-robed girl seemed like she could kill him with a casual wave.
‘Too bad I don’t have a Mimic’s body, or I could hide.’
Just as Lai En thought this, he remembered how he had been discovered by the witch.
Against a powerhouse like this, his disguise was probably futile.
Sure enough, only a few seconds later, the girl’s gaze swept over to Lai En.
A powerful pressure immediately made it hard for Lai En to breathe.
“Oh? Interesting. There’s a lone Ratman here.”
Lai En knew he was doomed, but he didn’t want to just hand over his life.
Even if he died, he’d at least spit—otherwise, what was the difference between him and a salted fish!
In an instant, a chitinous exoskeleton and various beast fangs burst out from Lai En’s body.
Two bolts shot out in succession, flying toward the red-robed girl.
She gave a cold sneer, her beautiful face completely calm.
Several magic circles condensed behind her in an instant, and several fireballs flew out, melting the inferior crossbow bolts in midair.
“Fifth-tier magic, Inferno—”
Lai En felt like he had run into a whale-whale player in a game. The casting speed and magic intensity were terrifying.
A flash of fire engulfed Lai En, and his brief life as a Ratman turned to ash.
“This Ratman… was quite interesting.”
The girl picked up the greenish-green dagger from the ground and casually tossed it to the youth.
[Death. Simulation over.]
……