C30: The Demon King!

Jamie and the mutated monster rat were face to face now. Jamie was panting, but with every pant, he felt more and more powerful. His energy was down to 1 – yet, why wasn't he seeing any warning notification because of his low health?

The cat fell unconscious behind Jamie, and just as Andy fell, Jamie's body started to release a huge wave of dark aura. It was as if his body was burning with a strange dark flame, his eyes starting to flicker in red.

Morbius, the mutated rat with more muscles than a Viking was also surprised by this unholy presence. He furrowed his eyebrows and stared at the 'thing' walking toward him.

"Wha – what are you? Monster!" Morbius cried out.

Jamie had no idea what was going on either, but whatever was happening – it was for his own good. He could feel the power running through his veins too, he felt like his feet were sinking into the stone stairs with each step.

The Demon King smirked as he stepped forth.

The aura released from his flaming body was getting more and more intense by the second. The rat kept staring at the human, and the level displayed above his head was glitching. It was something Morbius had never seen in his life before.

<Level: 2 //>

??/??//

It was slowly shifting, shifting to something Morbius never expected to exist –

<Level: ???> /// <Level: 999>

"What – what!? Impossible –" the rat backed off.

But, he instantly figured it out. The aura wasn't just flaming the man, it was the power of a thousand souls. This was no man. This was a God.

Jamie looked up at the rat and smirked. The rat gazed at the dark creature's face and the face… it wasn't just one person. It was as if the face was representing a thousand screaming souls. This face, this power. It wasn't the power cultivated by a single person. It was something otherworldly. As if a thousand souls existed within this man standing here before him.

Slowly, above this otherworldly human's head, a crown formed.

Morbius was slowly concluding. Who was this epitome of Dark Magic? Of course, the crown, this unearthly presence. The rumors spreading across Kaden. It was none other than the Demon King himself.

"You – you're the demon king, aren't you? What are you doing here, hunting us down? We… we're trying to change the world, just like you. Why are you here to kill us? Isn't your real enemy back there?"

Jamie raised an eyebrow at the rat. "Pfft ~ what? I'm just here because I wanted a few gold coins. I haven't even had a shower for the past – ugh… twenty-four hours, or so? And then you guys took this seriously and went after the princess's life. It's your fault."

The rat was confused. "What – aren't you trying to save the world! My ancestors fought alongside you – Your highness!"

Jamie laughed. "You may be right, but who the fuck gives two shits about your ancestors being my allies... like I have any memory of them, man."

Morbius growled and snapped, "You! You can't be a true king. You're like them! You're just like that bitch inside there! Fate has taken a turn it seems…"

The leader of the Woodland Rats, Benny couldn't understand this. That man down there was the Demon King? And – Morbi's ancestors were Demon worshippers? What was happening?

'I… You – you were right, Dad. Morbius… he's a demon worshipper. You were right all along! I thought you made that up. I'm sorry, Dad – I should've trusted you!'

Benny fell back into the battlefield and gazed back at the rats battling the Downwood Guard. His rats, his followers. They were nailed to the wall with spears, some were dead with severed heads. And the princess – she was still alive!

"I failed you father, but I'll avenge your death at least – with her life!"

****

Morbius's eyes flamed with power. His aura raised into the air in flames, just like the Demon King's aura.

"You!! I'm gonna kill you –" the rat closed his eyes as he swung his fist to the face of the Demon King. The intense power within the Demon King made Morbius shut his eyes, out of fear.

But, he didn't feel anything, but… his soul freezing in place.

He opened his eyes, and all he could see was Jamie's face. His swinging fist was frozen in place. "Gr –" he couldn't move his mouth to speak either. The intense energy released from the King had made him freeze in place.

Jamie lowered his head with a smile and stretched out his left arm. It wasn't lightning fast, or slow. This was simply a stretch even a human could pull off. He clenched his fist and punched the mutated rat's heart.

His arm went right through!

"Haa… damn this is getting boring," Jamie pulled out his hand.

<You have killed a level 28 mutated animagi!>

<You gain 10 rare souls!>

The body of the mutated rat fell down the stairs.

***

Benny was only driven by a single objective now. Simply, killing the princess and putting an end to the royal bloodline. The presence of Morbius disappeared behind him, and the presence of the dark creature was growing stronger. 'I am going to die here, at least not with a fruitless purpose!'

He grabbed the knife hidden beneath his hoodie and rushed forward.

The princess, Hilde, was finally out of energy now. "I – I can't die here. I can't leave Lia!"

She was down on her butt, crawling away from the rat. She didn't know what to do. What could she do?

"Fuck! Get away! All my knights will murder every rat in Downwood if you even lay a finger on me you damned rat! Fuck off!!!"

The rat jumped at her with the blood-red knife in its hand.

"Oh fuck no!" A sword pierced through Benny's heart in mid-air, and the rat instantly died. The princess, panting heavily, crawled away upon seeing the blood falling to the ground before her feet.

"You're all safe, Princess." A vampire stood before her. He extended his hand to help her up.

"Wah – ha… Thank you! Thank you…" the princess laid back on the ground, refusing to grab the Vampire's hand. Eric frowned.

<You have killed 1100 Mutated Rats! Congratulations! Your curse has been lifted!>

A notification appeared on Eric's retina and he was completely shocked upon seeing this. He gazed back at the Animagi laying dead on the floor. Its heart was red and it was surely not a normal rat.

"Oh fuck… this guy was the one manipulating the mutants?" he asked himself. Then, he noticed the black veins growing around the red heart. He smiled upon seeing this. "Of course, how could have I not known? [A Soul Core] was the thing that kept them alive!"

He instantly came to a conclusion. All the souls he bonded with went to him.

Meanwhile… The Demon King walked up the stairs, only to see the pool of blood in the room. Only half of the Downwood Guard was dead, but all the rats were dead. Just as he saw them alive, the dark aura automatically disappeared and the crown around his head turned to dust.

However, he was even more shocked to see the man standing beside the dead body of the leader of the Woodland Rats and the Princess. "Eric?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Holy fuck, Jamie! When did you have a shower last time?" Eric waved away the smell as he made a disgusted expression.

***

The rapid scratches beside the door that was in between Sophia suddenly stopped.

She sighed and turned to Lin, who was still in his underwear. "Did they stop the damn thing?" she asked him, breathing heavily.

Lin gazed at her and said, "Maybe."

She slowly opened the door and checked inside the pub. "Hah… ha… suckers did it. That cat and the noob – they fucking did it," she laughed, kneeling in front of the dead rat.

"YEAH!!!"