First Quest: Dishonored Rats

"Rat infestation?"

The twin-tailed goddess asked me. While walking in the dirt of a track leading towards a hill. I gave her the quest paper.

"Not only rats. From the description the villagers gave to us, it seems somehow the Ignis Rats, a common type monster that usually roams around middle floors, has been spotted en masse in this village."

"No wonder they appeal for the quests to the guild."

I nodded at her. The rats were even weaker than a goblin in terms of endurance and strength, but one ability makes it stand out and regarded as one of the deadly menaces on the middle floors. As the name suggested, their ability was to ignite themselves in a burst of fire once they reach their target. Not to mention they're fast and agile, an attack within numbers, have the size of a common rat and when killed they will explode to take any possible casualties.

That ability was the most troublesome for adventurers, who had a comforting common thought to rely on melee weapons in the confined space of the dungeon. Bow and ranged weapon was never choice with how limited space the dungeon has, not to mention they will be rendered useless when facing an overwhelmingly large number of foes. That's why when facing middle-floors there's an unwritten rule to bring a party with mages.

"Hmm, but wouldn't it be a quick job once you use that aura magic of yours?"

"Perhaps, but this is surface monster we're dealing with. Surely, they have built a nest or two, and there's a report that they have a natural resistance against fire magic."

"So, what are you planning?"

"For now, we check the situation first."

I said to her, stopping our track as a mansion was greeting our sight. It was at the top of the hill, surrounded by growing greeneries and trees. Wheat and vegetable field could be seen down below through the crevices the trees created and the sunlight gave.

"Prepare your magic goddess, we never know what might inhabit the mansion."

The goddess nodded at me, as she concentrated magical energy at her palms ready to strike whenever I open the front door. The mansion was started to see the age, as the white paint deteriorated and the front garden appeared vandalized from what I presume the cause the rats.

I un-sheathed the Daedric dagger from my back-waist, as I sort a few spells to be auto-casted once we open the door. Nodding to the goddess behind my helmet, I push the door wide open.

[Aspect of Brilliance]

[Devastation]

[One ring] – [Target – Dro'zah – Ereshkigal]

A flash of light work enveloped me and the goddess, signing that the spell was cast. In an immediate response, a growl of feral beast upstairs greeted us in a black claw. It was jumping above the railing of the imperial stairs.

I intercepted the claw by sliding past my gauntlet to the beast's hand, and smash it to the ground as I slit the throat. The goddess on my side launched a few barrages of [Firebolt] to the beasts that ran toward us from the other room.

They were easily cut down, like a knife through the butter, yelping in pain and died short after. We were on each other back killing over a dozen of the beast. None has successfully slipped past our perimeter. Then the growling stopped, replaced by a whimper as I slid the dagger to the throat of the last kobold.

It was kobold, a pack of a kobold. I inspected the mouth from the kobold I had killed. Laceration and infection spread from the mouth, as the black fur started to whiter away revealing rotten flesh beneath. There's a sign of malnutrition from their skinny body.

"I heard from some whispers of the villagers that the current owner is a retired adventurer."

"The Kobolds were either drawn to the mansion or in the first place, it was the tamed monsters of the adventurer."

Either way, the reports from the villagers that the hill was the source of the infestation.

"Let's go."

I stand up, beckoning to the goddess to stay close and alerts.

We inspect each room for a sign of clues of what happens here. Each room we found was covered in a reek of piss and shit of the monsters, and what left of the furniture was broken and destroyed. There's nothing much we can do, and my nose was useless in the stench filled mansion

I concentrated the Magicka on both of my hands, forming it to my desires.

[Detect life]

[Detect dead]

I sweat slightly, not because of fear.

Oh shit, shit. Hundreds of blue auras, signifying living things, was enveloping my visions. They were in the ceiling, in the wall, under the ground. They're everywhere.

"What is it, Dro'zah?"

I motioned the goddess to shut her mouth, as I cast another spell.

[Concealing Cloak]

Grabbing her hand, we quietly leave the mansion through the front door.

"Now, what was all that about."

The goddess asked, raising her eyebrows as wanting an explanation.

"The rats, they're everywhere."

We presumed the Ignis Rats were nocturnal, seeing no tiny creatures hiding made an attempt to swarm us the moment we entered the mansion or detected them.

"All right, now what do we do? Obviously, we can't just set the mansion in a fire, lest they will escape."

True to that, the rat had also resistance to fire. Although I could just burn the mansion just fine, the collateral damage would be enormous if I use my magic. And we also need some proves to the villagers so we can complete the quest.

"For now, let's return. Dro'zah had an idea to vanquish these vermin."