Ratapocalypse (4)

Panting and bleeding from several cuts, Ulysses stood back again, rolling on the ground. His back muscles were burning with a familiar pain, causing him to curse the game.

'How realistic is this game?!' he swore inwardly, casting one wary glance back at the teenage girl riding the enormous rat.

Luke was engaged with its counterparts and barely had time to breathe, although most of them were after him. Ulysses hardly stood back up, and they were after him in no time.

Ulysses started running away, the rats chasing after him. The burning pain in his back muscle fibres was making it even harder, leaving him to wonder if this was fun.

Was he having fun? No, not much of anything, but the pain, really.

But Rin wouldn't hear the end of it from Luke if he left him to die here.

Thankfully, he had a temporary solution to it. Ulysses brought a fistful of red gems out of his pocket, along with the Stain of Sin.

[Would you like to absorb a common Physique Enhancing Gem?]

[Would you like to absorb a common Physique Enhancing Gem?]

[Would you like to absorb a common Physique Enhancing Gem?]

[Would you . . .]

Over a dozen such notifications popped up in the corner of his vision, and Ulysses wasted no time in accepting them, barely reading them.

[+ 0.1 Physique]

[+ 0.3 Physique]

[+ 0.1 Physique]

[+ 0.2 Physique]

. . .

[+ 0.1 Physique]

[Your Physique has reached 20. You have reached the limit of your mortal being.]

[You cannot absorb common ranked Physique enhancing gems anymore.]

[You cannot absorb any Physique enhancing gems without ranking up to Copper.]

Not having enough time to digest all the information, Ulysses simply left it for later as his purpose of absorbing those gems met.

A fiery warm energy spread into his body, making him uncomfortable for a few moments. But it soothed down, releasing him from the back pain, as well as refreshing all the muscle fatigue he had accumulated in the last few hours.

However, the most relieving for him was the refreshing back muscle pain and the issue he had with his fibre.

These gems were undoubtedly better than the best painkillers modern medical science had managed to create. The gems weren't as intoxicating as the green ones, but these were all he had with him. Nothing could even come in comparison with the green gems as far as Rin was concerned, and he had quite the experience with painkillers in his life.

Ulysses's back pain was barely relieved when he heard a yelp for help from the teen who was riding the rat monster.

Well, not anymore. The disgusting rodent sent her flying as she crashed into the ground, screaming all the way. Her blight wasn't over, though, considering the rat monster was proceeding to take revenge on her, forgetting about the Stain in the state of frenzy.

"Rin," Luke screamed after him, "do something!"

Ulysses wasn't sure whom he was asking for, as Luke himself was in a terrible situation, having already got bitten more than half a dozen times.

Ulysses released a deep breath and calmed his breathing, instantly focusing back on the boss monster. His eyes narrowed at the huge disgusting monster as he appeared between it and its prey.

Well, not physically, but Rin always had his way of getting under someone's skin.

"Oi, you uncircumcised troll penis," Ulysses yelled, showing the Stain of Sin, "do you want this?"

The boss monster squeaked horrifyingly, changing its priority back to the small obsidian gem again.

"Go get it then." Rin simply threw it in the direction of the hundreds of smaller rats.

All the rats were already in a frenzy, and they couldn't go crazier than this. But this game was something else. They got the proof of it again when one of the rats swallowed down the small obsidian gem.

It was lucky to get the first contact with the Stain, but it was the cause of its damnation as well.

As Ulysses hoped, the Stain of Sin made the rats crazier, as all the rats went after it, leaving the other two in a relatively free state. Well, he had hoped for a rat fight, but this was on a completely different level.

The other rats surrounded the one that swallowed the gem, and literally tore through it to take possession of the obsidian gem. And the same happened with the one that became the possessor of the gem.

It was probably the most horrifying visual depiction he had ever come across. And the realistic approach made it even worse.

But Ulysses had another concern to take care of. He returned to the rat monster again, which squeaked at its counterparts, its minions, but they weren't listening to it at all. It couldn't control what's already lost its mind.

It turned its head and rushed at the minions to gain the Stain as well. But how could Ulysses let it go, after all the trouble it caused him?

"You ain't going anywhere, bitch!"

Ulysses came flying, utilising his low body weight. Even with that, his speed could hardly compare to the rodents. Thankfully, the rat's destination wasn't far away.

Just where the rats were cannibalising.

It almost got there, but all the wounds he and Elise caused were just about enough to slow it down a little for Ulysses to catch up.

Ulysses landed on its back, and forced his mana downwards into the [Mark of Protection], increasing his weight. He wasn't just idle when he was doing that, though.

The monster rat jerked its body violently, turning to shrug him off. But Ulysses found Elise's machete on its back to latch onto. With his sword free, Ulysses used his acquired body weight to exert all the strength needed to drill the sword into its neck.

Mana surged through him as motes of green light radiated out of his mana cloak. The sword crashed into its neck, digging in, as filthy purple blood bobbled out from the wound.

The rat monster screeched in agony and dropped onto its fat stomach, Ulysses lying on top of it. Not leaving it enough time to collect back its strength, he pulled out the sword and slashed it again, now into its head.

The obstruction was way higher in the head than it was in the neck, but putting all his effort in mana utilisation, Ulysses managed to get the elevation.

The sword pierced through and cracked its skull, plugging forth more, as Ulysses rammed his foot onto its neck, cracking it the way.

That completed the deed.

The rat screeched one last time. The sword pierced completely to come out the other side of its head, and the lifeless body of the ugly rodent fell.

[Congratulations! You have defeated Corrupted Famine, Giant Rat Chief (copper)]