A Champion of Rats – Chapter 7

Logout (1)

When I came to my senses, I saw a white ceiling, not the dark walls of the sewer. Then the nausea kicked in.

“Here’s the trashcan.”

I buried my face into the trashcan she held out and started to vomit.

A thick, mushy liquid started pouring out.

“You feeling okay?”

She asked, gently patting my back. I somehow got back enough of my breath back to ask a question of my own.

“Wh-, what happened?”

“You logged out.”

“Logged out?”

“Yes, logged out. How’re you feeling?”

Only then did I understand the situation.

“Everything’s dizzy, and my stomach’s churning.”

“That’s rather good. The others had it worse.”

I tried to complain at her words that lit a spark of irritation within me, but had to give up because of another round of vomiting.

“Why on earth… why am I feeling like this?”

“I told you, didn’t I? The game has some side effects. And because it’s so realistic, post-usage there’s this kind of rejection reaction. Are you having a hard time?”

“Yeah, –”

“Can’t be helped. It’s not easy to get somebody else’s money, right? But maybe the sight of your bank balance will comfort you a little.”

She held out my phone. I opened the bank’s app and was about to check the balance when I noticed something odd.

“… That’s odd. What happened? Did my phone break down?”

“What’s odd?”

“The date… it’s showing the wrong date. It’s ahead by almost a month.”

“… Isn’t that because it’s actually been a month?”

“Huh? It’s been a month? What the hell?!”

She put her hand on my shoulder. It felt very warm and soft.

“Calm down, will you? That’s how the game works. First of all, don’t worry about your mother. The company’s already assigned her a caregiver, and we’ve also told her about your hiring. She didn’t believe us at first, but seeing your bank account managed to convince her. Do you understand?”

At her sudden barrage of words, I could only nod like an idiot.

“A few other relatives apart from your mother have also been in touch, and I’ve given them the same explanation. So don’t worry too much. Okay?”

“Oh… I see.”

I acquiesced like a puppet. Be it at our first meeting, or when we first discussed this game, or this moment, the out-of-the-world air about her made it impossible to argue with her about anything.

“Now, time to properly get up.”

She grabbed my hands like I was a baby and lifted me up. As she put me down till my feet touched the ground, my legs staggered and I almost fell.

“Wh-, what’s happening? Did my muscles atrophy after a month in that chair?”

“Oh, you know some complicated words, I see. But it’s not that. Your body was kept under strict maintenance. This is happening because you spent too much time in the game.”

“You sound just like my mother.”

“Thank you for the compliment. But I’m being honest. Because you’ve been in the game too long, your… mind? Brain? Experienced something like an overload. … You certainly were immersed in the game.”

“… You saw what I did?”

“We do need to gather data, you know.”

“Ah… now I feel a little embarrassed.”

“You shouldn’t. Rather, you should be proud. Thanks to you, we got some nice data, so hiring you was a good choice. There’re a lot of people who can’t even finish the tutorial.”

After tottering a few steps with her help, I was able to start walking properly.

“There’s no problem with your body, you can take what happened as your brain freaking out for a while. If you have any doubts, go to the hospital and have a check-up. If there’re any problems, I’ll compensate you right away.”

She wasn’t just saying that, she sounded completely sincere. I couldn’t help but wonder if merely being good at playing a game was worth all this. Not that I had the guts to ask.

I checked my bank balance, recalling our previous conversation.

There was an additional 6,000,000 excluding the principal.

“After-tax salary 5 million, performance bonus 1 million. Any problems?”

I shook my head, unable to believe my own eyes. Could somebody really make this much money this way? It was like a dream.

“It’s no dream. And you did a good job, so don’t think too much of it.”

She held my hand and gave me something, an employee ID.

“Now, this is your official employee ID. You’ll need this, since you’ll have to come to work here from now on.”

I reflexively checked out the ID. It was something I couldn’t have dared dream of very recently, but such an overabundance of good fortune was really making me more and more apprehensive.

“Thank you. I’ll treasure it.”

“Glad to hear it. Now, let’s get to the point. You’ll keep playing the game, just like this time, in the future. Once you enter the game, you have to play for a month.

“Although, inside the game, it can feel longer or shorter than that. Some problems may crop up with your sense of time. Of course, you’ll be compensated accordingly.

“Oh, by the way, you can’t stop playing before the deadline we set, even if you feel like quitting. Do you understand?”

“Roughly, yeah.”

“And one more thing. You only get one week of vacation. If you don’t log back in on time afterwards, you’ll be fired. No matter the reason. Any problems?”

“No problem, but why?”

“Hmm, call it efficient management?”

I didn’t understand, but I nodded.

“So? What’re you going to do now?”

“I have to go see my mother.”

“You’re a good son. I’ll give you a ride.”

◆◆◆

She kindly drove me to the hospital and left immediately.

A month had passed in the meantime, and the hospital felt strange for some reason. Like the sense of displacement you feel when coming back to your home country after living abroad for several years. But it couldn’t be that, right?

I ran straight to my mother’s hospital room to show her my employee ID.

She was lying on the bed, alone.

“Son?”

She looked like she’d seen a ghost.

“Is that really you, Son?!”

“Mom.”

It felt like I hadn’t seen her for a long time. It reminded me of coming back home during military leave.

Maybe because of that, she looked older and frailer than I remembered. The guilt was coming back full force. What on earth had I been doing?

“I thought my son was taken away to somewhere… did you really get a job?”

I proudly took out the employee ID from my pocket. I still haven’t forgotten that moment. The way her face lit up…

My mother covered her mouth and shed tears, that’s how happy she was.

“Oh, God… thank you. Thank you.”

There were many things I wanted to tell her, but seeing her like that left me silent. She’d suffered so much and worried so much, because of whom?

So I hugged my mother and said hackneyed, cliché stuff like I’d do better in the future. Even so, I was very happy at that moment. It was like a dream come true, a fantasy.

My mother, who’d stopped crying and calmed down, suddenly started asking me questions as if she were curious.

“But, Son. I’m so glad you got a job, but how the hell did it happen? I heard from a pretty lady that she got you a job, what’s all this about? Honestly, if the director of the hospital hadn’t vouched for her, I would’ve called the police.”

I couldn’t figure out how to explain it. To be honest, I still didn’t know why I got the job.

“Uh… Mom, the place I got the job at is a game company. Oh, how do I explain this? As an analogy, think about checking product quality in a factory. Yeah, it’s like that. I’m actually testing a game that’s currently in development.”

“They’re paying you money to play games? The world’s become such a convenient place.”

“Mom, you probably shouldn’t say that front of your son who just got a job.”

“No, no, Mom’s proud. You were always in your room playing games, so I was worried about your future, but then you got a job like this. The lady even said that she paid you a lot of money in advance… By any chance, is it anything dangerous?”

Was this the so-called mother’s intuition? I flinched unconsciously.

“Uh… no. I need to play the game for quite a while, though. Other than that, there’re no problems, no problems at all.”

“Then I’m really happy. My son got a job at such a good company. I won’t have any regrets even if I die right now.”

“Mom… Don’t say something like that when you’re in hospital! See, I even got a job. You have to live a long time too, Mom. Oh! My salary’s come in. Here, see.”

When I showed her the amount on the salary deposit, my mother’s smile was about to reach her ears.

“Oh, God, thank you for your blessing. They even assigned me a free caregiver saying it’s for employee welfare, and now the salary’s this high… my goodness!”

After expressing her relief over and over again, Mom asked me to convey her heartfelt thanks to the one who’d given me my job.

After we finished catching up, I told Mom that I wouldn’t be able to visit her often because of work.

“It’s fine… but what kind of game is it that you have to play for a whole month straight?”

“They’ve introduced a new technology… well, so they say. Although, I’m grateful that they’re giving me a week’s vacation afterwards each time. Especially with how things are right now.”

Mom’s expression was once again filled with worry.

“Yes, that’s true. But the conditions are so good… There’s really no problem, right?”

“Of course!”

It was a true answer as far as I knew, but to be honest I couldn’t be sure. Why? Because too much good luck always made me anxious. That was just how I was.

“Any, forget that. Mom. Don’t worry about me anymore, just rest and take care of your own health. I’ll take you on an overseas vacation trip later, so you have to get well soon.”

‘A million won bonus from just killing goblins? Making money will be a piece of cake.’

Mom touched my cheek and smiled.

“Mom’s really proud of you, Son. Now, you just came back from work, so you must be tired. Go home and get some rest.”

“I came to see you after a full month; how can I go back already?”

“The caregiver will be here soon, so don’t worry about me and go. You must be bone tired.”

“Not really, Mom. I’m fine.”

“Go home and rest. You managed to get a job, so you can’t make mistakes because you lacked rest, okay?”

I almost said that that was impossible. It was just a game, what mistake could I make?

“Mom…”

“Really, I’m fine. My son even got a job, what could be wrong with me now? You can come back tomorrow, so just go home and rest today. Eat something delicious and get a good night’s sleep.”

“That’s no different from when I was unemployed.”

Mom laughed.

“Oh, and call your uncles and cousins later. They heard that you got a job, but everyone’s worried that you’ve been kidnapped. Really, they were about to call the police.”

“Ugh, how thoughtful of them.”

“They’re just worried about you. Don’t you remember, your cousins used to give you pocket money?”

“Yeah, yeah, I remember. That was three months ago.”

“So, make sure you get in touch with them.”

“Okay. I’ll do that tomorrow.”

“Alright, go home now. My son’s safe… no. He even got a job. Mom no longer has to worry. Now I really can rest.”

In the end, I nodded to my mother’s repeated suggestions. Well, it was true that she even had a dedicated caregiver assigned to her, but I honestly didn’t know if being well-rested or working hard would make a difference at my job. In the end, it was just a game.

‘But what if my character dies? Do I have to restart? I’ll have to ask.’

I waited a while so I could meet the caregiver and give my thanks for taking care of my mother so far. Then I left the hospital.

I was thinking about going home, but I suddenly started feeling hungry. Come to think of it, I couldn’t even remember when I’d last eaten (in the first episode, I’d left with her without eating anything in the cafeteria).

I thought I should fill my stomach first, and a fast-food chain happened to catch my eye. I went straight into the store.

I liked hamburgers, but I’d always hesitated to eat them because they were actually pretty expensive for their weight.

‘This, this… and this! Hmm, I should try this side dish too.’

The bill turned out to be about 30,000 won. My hands would’ve shaken seeing the cost in the past. But it was different now. Was this the power of employment?

I took my food and sat at one of the large tables. The smell was appetizing, making me salivate.

I peeled off the wrapping paper. Melted cheese, browned patties, and gooey sauce spilled out.

Anticipating the taste, I bit into the hamburger, but my brows unconsciously furrowed the moment it touched my tongue.

What the hell did this mean?

◆◆◆

A week later, I went back to work. The week had been busier than expected, but I’d managed to visit all my relatives living nearby and inform them of my survival and employment.

The second part of the news had been a tough sell.

“Why don’t they believe you?”

“Apparently there’s no company in this world crazy enough to give a job to an unemployed man who hasn’t even prepared for it.”

She giggled.

“Crazy… that’s a relative term. How did people react the first time somebody built an airplane?”

“That’s pretty philosophical.”

“I’m just talking casually. Now, let’s get right into the game, shall we?”

“Ah! Before we do, may I ask you a few questions?”

“Yes, of course.”

“I ate a hamburger on the first day of vacation. I happen to like hamburgers.”

“Ah! Hamburgers. It’s rare to find people who don’t like hamburgers. I like them too.”

“The burger was completely inedible.”

“That’s amazing. It’s harder to make a hamburger not taste good, to be honest.”

“No, I don’t mean that… I just didn’t like the taste. So I bought some other food and tried them. Like pork belly, or ramen.”

“I like those too. They’re full of that authentic Korean taste, aren’t they?”

“But none of them tasted very good either. It felt more like… eating dry bread? Whereas while I was a rat, everything tasted delicious, even the bedbugs… is this some kind of a side effect?”

“Well, that’s interesting. I’ll check it out. Anything else?”

“Not that I… ah! One more question. What if I die while playing the game? What if I meet a strong enemy that kills me?”

She pondered for a long time, as if she hadn’t even thought about the issue, before finally answering.

“Then you’re fired.”

---

Editor’s Notes:

None for this chapter.

Remember to leave likes and comments! Especially if you want this to be picked up!

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A Champion of Rats – Chapter 6

Champion of Goddess Derubo (1)

“Everything. Been moved. Falk.”

First, his face swollen and bruised, came up to me and spoke.

“Good. You better remember this. Never run away before I do in the future.”

“I get it. Falk.”

Somehow, he seemed to put a bit more feeling into the last word than normal, but I wasn’t in a place to care about such things.

There were other things that worried me more right now.

The size of our colony had dwindled drastically, from thirteen including me, to four.

They’d died fighting the goblins. Although, there were gains as well as losses.

In addition to a large amount of goblin meat, I’d gotten my hands on five pregnant goblin females, and two male goblins who could serve as studs.

Besides that, I’d also gotten some apples, bread, beef jerky, two tents, and a bone chair the chieftain had used. It made me feel positively wealthy. And more than anything else…

[Congratulations on the windfall.]

I sat on the chair made of bones and tried to communicate.

“So… you’re like an ‘AI assistant’ meant to help during gameplay?”

[Yes. You can use ‘Jarvis’ and ‘Friday’ in ‘Iron Man’ for comparison.]

“… I have far too many questions, but I’ll start with just one. Why didn’t you help me earlier?”

[My apologies. But as a rule, I only help someone who’s passed the tutorial by themselves. I don’t want to waste my time.]

“You sound strangely human.”

[Technology marches on.]

“Yeah, I don’t even know what to say. There are so many things that I want to ask.”

[Please take it slow.]

I was scratching my head.

“First of all, what should I call you?”

[Call me what you wish, Champion.]

“Okay, then since you sound female, I’ll call you Mimi. It’s after my favourite character^[1], Misaka –”

[– Please call me ‘Mercury’.]

“… That was a quick about-face.”

[I might be a mere AI assistant, but please treat me with the minimum dignity.]

“You really sound like a real human… Fine. Next question. What can you do for me?”

[I can provide appropriate information according to your level of activity, and also inform you of your current status and abilities, Champion. In some specific cases I can also offer advice.]

“Why do you call me Champion?”

[Because you are a champion according to your character setting. Champion of Goddess Derubo.]

“Ah… Is there a setting like that?”

[Derubo, the goddess of the damned. You are her champion.]

“Sounds like she’s got a lot of personality. Hmm. Is that how my character is set?”

[Yes. I’d appreciate it if you could immerse yourself in it.]

‘Ahh, this AI’s so well-spoken that it’s uncanny. Truly, the march of technology waits for no man…’

[Thank you for the compliment. FYI, I can also read your thoughts.]

“What the… That’s fucking creepy! Isn’t that a violation of my human rights?”

[I’m just trying to serve you better. It’s no different from how you consent to T&Cs for collecting personal information on the internet.]

Don’t they say, you can’t spit on a smiling face? Similarly, it was tough to argue against such a kind tone.

“Alright, whatever. Let’s do our best together, Mimi.”

[Please call me Mercury.]

“Don’t sound so angry, it’s scary. Anyway, there’s one favour I gotta ask for first.”

[I’ll show you your status window.]

Mercury read my thoughts and quickly carried it out. It looked like I wouldn’t get bored for a while.

Surprisingly, the status window didn’t appear as a hologram in front of my eyes, but was injected directly into my head as information instead.

[Style]

• Goddess Derubo’s Champion (1): The one chosen by Goddess Derubo. Champion-specific corrections available.
• Friendly Stranger (1): Helped the colony. Develop colony affinity.
• Spy (1): Spied on enemies. Develop concealment and observation skills.
• Agitator (1): Recklessly agitated others. Develop persuasion skills.
• Tactician (1): Made use of tactics, albeit clumsily. Develop tactical intelligence.
• Berserker (1): Went into frenzy due to starvation. Develop berserk effect.
• Terrorizer (1): Terrified allies and enemies alike. Develop terror effect.
• Predator (1): Consumed a certain amount of food. More meals become available.
• Machiavellian (1): Used an ally as a meat shield. Develop rational decision-making.
• Goblins’ Bane (1): Repelled the goblins. Receive a bonus when fighting goblins.
• Colony Chief (1): Recognized as the chief of the colony. Receive bonuses to Leadership and Fame.
• The Enraged One (1): ???

[Leadership]

• Current: 5 (+5) : You can lead 25 ratlings.

[Fame]

• Current: 10 (+10): A scant few may have heard of your name.

[Special Ability]

• Racial Skill(s): Caloric Growth, Caloric Recovery, Caloric Overburn, Starvation Frenzy
• Champion Skill(s): Degeneration – Blessing of Domestication

“There’re a lot of things I want to ask, but this is the biggest one. What’s this champion ability, [Degeneration – Blessing of Domestication]?”

[A sacred blessing exclusive to champions. Like a wizard’s magic or a paladin’s class ability.]

“Doesn’t sound very sacred, though, does it?”

[Because you’re Derubo’s champion. This ability causes a defeated enemy who’s succumbed to fear, to degenerate into tractable livestock. It’s a blessing from the goddess.]

‘That’s one creepy goddess.’

[You’re her champion. I advise you not to harbour such disrespectful thoughts.]

“Geez, stop reading my mind already!”

[Why don’t you try it once?]

◆◆◆

“Kahk! Curse you!”

“Kieek! I’ll kill you!”

“Ugh! Gah!”

The two male goblins I’d wanted as studs were already battered and demoralized, but not the females.

Despite their bulging, bloated bellies that made it hard for them to move, they showed no hesitation in threatening me.

[It might be better to experiment on the males first. Those females don’t seem to like you very much for some reason, Champion.]

“Because I raided their tribe and killed their husbands?”

[Ah, that makes sense.]

Even though it was just a game, the behaviour of the female goblins was absurdly lifelike, and I couldn’t help but feel a little guilty.

[Don’t worry so much. It is just a game. Let’s check out your ability.]

“Don’t read my thoughts every time! I keep telling you, it’s creepy… You, bring those guys over here.”

The surviving rats, including First, quickly pulled a goblin close. He looked like a mess from the beating I’d already given him.

“Stoooop ittttttttt…”

[He’s afraid of you. The ability can be used. Place your hands on his head and apply the blessing.]

I obeyed. As I put my hands on the goblin’s head, something ran through my veins and came up to my fingertips.

A sense of ecstasy that filled me with power.

At the same time, the goblin’s eyes widened and foam dribbled down from his lips. Soon his bones buckled, his words vanished to nothing, and all signs of intelligence vanished from his eyes.

“““Falk!!”””

The rats shouted in unison.

“Kwik-, kkwiik-”

The blessed goblin turned into a more terrifying figure than expected.

It wasn’t about how he stooped or crawled on all fours. Rather, it was as if the intelligence and dignity of a rational sentient being had been murdered.

“Wow…”

[This is the power of Goddess Derubo. Your colony will benefit a lot from these domesticated goblins, Champion.]

[As a result, you’ll becomes stronger and accumulate more achievements. Then the power of the goddess will become stronger in turn, and she will bestow more blessings upon you. So do your best, Champion. For the glory of Goddess Derubo!]

“Do AIs get drunk too these days? I’ve got no idea what you’re yammering about. Is this goddess really a goddess?”

I asked, unable to take my eyes off the cattle-goblin. Even when I look back on it now, it was a horrific sight.

[Different gods have different alignments.]

“Is that a game setting?”

[… … … Of course, Champion.]

“Wait, what was that three-second pause just now?”

[The speaker lagged. Anyway, please do your best for the glory of Goddess Derubo.]

“Yeah, okay, look. My character’s setting might be like that, but I was hired for this job by someone else, you know? And more than anything, worshipping a perverted god like that is a bit… This place is too realistic, so I’m feeling a sense of rejection.”

[But your bonuses and incentives depend on how well you do on your quests.]

“Huh? Bonuses?”

[Yes. For example, you’ve just received a 1 million won bonus for beating the tutorial. Here, check.]

Then the information entered my brain.

[Incentive details]

[Quest success reward: 1,000,000 won]

“…”

[…]

“…”

[…]

“For the glory of Goddess Derubo!”

[Now we’re talking.]

---

Editor’s Notes:

[1] Not using ‘waifu’ here was the real struggle. Pretty sure Mimi is Misaka Mikoto from Index. Our man is a degenerate. Man of culture.jpg, etc etc.

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A Champion of Rats – Chapter 5

Tutorial (4)

I waited for the goblins near the ratlings’ old feeding ground.

Before long, four or so goblins emerged, armed with clubs and crude spears.

‘It’s a damned game, why am I feeling so nervous? This is really unnecessarily high quality!’

Splash. Splash. The goblins waded into the standing water.

They started running from place to place to catch the croaking frogs, and when they’d completely scattered, I gave the signal.

“Now!”

The rats who’d been hiding in the water pipes jumped out at the same time.

Thirteen rats quickly surrounded the goblins.

“Keeek?! What?!”

“How are they here?”

It was a very successful ambush. The goblins were too surprised to respond in any meaningful way.

In that moment, I could smell victory. And it wasn’t just me.

The rats, smelling the same smell, savagely attacked the goblins – the kids, the elderly and the young ones, all of them.

Although they were armed, the goblins couldn’t properly resist due to the surprise attack and the fact that each of them were ganged up on by from at least two to as many as four ratlings, and they quickly fell down one by one.

“Cut their throats immediately. So they can’t make a sound.”

Fortunately, the rats remembered my command. Even if they looked sloppy at first glance, they were a species that sometimes became surprisingly effective at stealing, fighting, and conspiracy.

The goblins died without being able to make a commotion due to the fangs of the ratlings. I didn’t even get a chance to to step out.

‘Maybe they’re better at this then I thought!’

But did I end up taunting Murphy? A sudden and unexpected problem revealed itself.

We had to prepare for our next move right away, but the rats were busy devouring the meat in front of them!

“Meat! Goblin meat! Looks delicious!”

“Eyeball! Brain! Balls, good for stamina!”

“Mine! I caught him! Mine! Don’t touch it!”

My stomach was twisting itself up in knots. If the hunting team didn’t come back, they were going to send others soon.

Impatient, I caught the rats who were hurriedly eating the goblins and tried to make them listen.

I was hungry too, so it was understandable, but there were priorities.

“Calm down you bastards! I know you’re hungry, but in a little while you can eat as much as you want! Get ready for the next one –”

“– Let go! Mine. Don’t touch it! It’s mine!”

“No! Mine! Mine!”

Literally five minutes after the opening act. Some even showed their fangs to me.

They dared say that to me. Me who was taking the risk and hunting the goblins for them.

Almost unconsciously, I swung the club in my hand and hit the ratling who’d bared his fangs.

The impact was so hard that it blew him away. His head was crushed with a crack.

“…”

The atmosphere became tense. Everyone looked at me. Now they were scared.

“What are you doing? If you don’t start moving right now…”

◆◆◆

As expected, the goblins reappeared. Six in total. A good number.

As soon as they arrived, they started searching for traces of their comrades, and soon found them lying scattered on the ground.

Because they were stupid, they didn’t pay attention to their surroundings, and they raised their fallen comrades up. After a while, they couldn’t stop their astonishment.

It was because the fallen had their eyes, noses, and lips eaten by the rats, and at that very moment I cried out.

“Now!”

At my signal, the rats all jumped down. Just like before, they surrounded the goblins.

Bewildered goblins, numerical superiority, and an angry me.

I was again confident in my victory.

Again, the numbers were around the same. The only difference was that we had four more armed guys at our side.

A battle ensued again. It was rough, but I won again, and luckily there were no casualties.

While the rats with weapons stood guard, the rest quickly went around biting the goblins’ necks.

At this point, I was thinking the rats might actually be stronger than the goblins as long as they had any semblance of organization.

Then courage welled up from inside me.

‘Is there a need to play hide-and-seek like this? Let’s go forward with this momentum and destroy them! This is a game anyway! What’s the problem with that?’

And maybe there was something else mixed in, too.

◆◆◆

The goblin shaman kept casting the spell for five seconds or so, before lightning flashed from his staff.

The power was strong, sure, but the main problem was its enormous range, and it roasted three rats in one go.

Gathering momentum, the goblin chieftain fired an arrow and shouted.

“Don’t be afraid! We are stronger!”

In fact, the goblin’s arrow accurately pierced the head of one of mine, resulting in an instant kill.

Thanks to this, the twelve rats were reduced to eight before we could even get close.

An archer and a wizard. Close combat would be one thing, but eight goblin warriors were making a wall in front of me, so I couldn’t get close.

In the meantime, lightning flashed again, and another arrow flew in, killing three more of my alleys in total.

Defeat was staring us in the face for all to see. At that moment, the courage of my allies burst like the bubble it was.

“Run!!”

When one coward shouted that, every single one of them abandoned me and ran in different directions.

If they think they’re going to win, they’ll be braver than anyone else, but if they’re going to lose, they’ll run away immediately.

That was my first time experiencing this.

In the end, I too had no choice but to run. And I regretted it. I should’ve been more careful.

But it was too late for regrets, and I ran away alone as fast as I could.

In fact, running away wasn’t a problem. Compared to goblins, rats run like Usain Bolt.

Rather, the problem was hunger. First might’ve spouted some nonsense about how rats should eat a lot to get strong, but the sudden surge of hunger that hit me made it so that I couldn’t even walk.

I didn’t realize it until later, but at that moment, I fell into [Starvation Frenzy].

A unique characteristic of ratlings, that appears when hunger is at its peak.

Their strength increases manyfold, but they enter a berserk state which is like a double-edged sword, where they’ll perish before long if they can’t find any food.

At that moment of crisis, a goblin that’d been chasing down the rats appeared in front of me. How lucky!

“Kyakyak-! Found you, rat. If I cut off your tail and give it to Chief, he’ll definitely reward –”

At that moment, I opened my mouth wide like a crocodile’s maw and bit the goblin. No, instead of saying I bit him, it was more like I bit parts of him off.

And I swallowed.

Chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, gulp.

In just a few seconds, I ate up most of the goblin who’d been about my size. Only his left leg was barely holding its shape. At that moment an arrow flew in and pierced my side.

“You bastard!”

When I turned to check, the goblin chief was standing there, enraged. He was alone, without any escort.

He must’ve gotten alone while chasing the scattered rats.

I pulled out the arrow stuck in my side and looked at it. An arrow. Normally, it should’ve been painful and frightening, but fortunately I wasn’t in a normal state.

To wit, I was starving!

“I was fucking eating, you motherfucker!”

I held out the arrow to the chieftain. And shouted –

“I’m gonna stick this arrow into your asshole!”

I was being serious. The goblin chieftain’s face turned black with rage. But I just rushed him regardless.

In my head, there was only anger, revenge, and a desire to dismember and eat the body of that goblin chieftain alive while savouring his screams.

I didn’t realize this at the time. That I was gradually assimilating into being a ratling.

The goblin chief loosed another arrow. But I instinctively burned all the nutrients inside my body and narrowed the distance between us in the matter of an instant.

Was he scared? The chief’s arrow hit me in the shoulder, not in the head.

I pulled out the arrow as I ran.

“I’ll put this into your eye!”

And I soon kept that promise.

“Take this! For my shoulder!”

Snikt-! With a loud roar, I plunged that arrow through a goat-like eye. Then that majestic chieftain got cold feet, and tried to run away, screaming in pain.

“And this is for my side!”

The goblin chief collapsed, still screaming like an animal.

He couldn’t straighten or get up properly because the arrow was stuck in his ass, so I took the chance to stand over him and slam my club on his back.

Fortunately, it wasn’t covered by his armour, so there was nothing to soften the blow. There was the sound of something cracking. Foam began to drip down his chin.

But my rage didn’t leave me. Isn’t that natural? What would you do if somebody bothered you while you were hungry?

I hit the goblin chief as if to vent all the rage that had piled up inside me. I struck the hand he’d stretched out in an attempt to live, I broke the legs that were still kicking, and I crushed the broken shoulder and the back of his neck.

“Aaaaaaahhhhhh! C’mon, turn over! Lie on your back!”

It was, literally, madness. However, despite that, I felt a pleasure no other game had ever provided me. I felt alive.

There was nothing but the pure liberation brought by unfettered violence, free of petty ethics or morality.

Just then, two goblins appeared out of nowhere. But I didn’t need to do anything, because they were scared stiff at the sight of me screaming and beating the chief like he was come common street dog.

I turned the battered chief over, stripped off his armour and rammed my snout into his soft belly.

The fresh meat and hot blood brought strength to my body.

Eating meat, really, not metaphorically, healed my fatigue and wounds.

I ate the entrails, chewed the muscles, gnawed the bones, and even munched on the heart!

The goblins found their feet and ran away. But I didn’t care. I only continued to revel in my feast of flesh.

Hunger was the one and only thing that dominated my being.

‘It’s good! My god! Delicious! This is no joke, it’s more delicious because it’s the chieftain! Gotta grab a female! Raise cattle! Ride them later too! Yeah!!!’

By the time only the skull and the pelvic bones were left, I was feeling full, so I got up and stretched. My muscles felt longer, and my bones were slotting properly into place. It was a refreshing feeling. I was growing.

There was only one thought running in my brain that was drowning in adrenaline.

“Fuck yeah! Now this is what you call a game!”

◆◆◆

Do ratlings grow if certain conditions are met? Or if they eat a lot? I didn’t have time to think it through.

I just wanted to test my new strength and punish the evil goblins who had humiliated me so.

“Boys for meat! Girls for cattle! Hee hee hee!”

If that doesn’t sound normal, you’re right. During a ‘Starvation Frenzy’, you lose your reason.

After killing the chief, the battle became easy. Thanks to them scattering to chase us, I was able to take the goblins down one by one.

While moving through the complicated maze of passages in the sewer, whenever the smell of goblins got thicker, I used my speed and terrain to conduct repeated raids and ambushes.

My grown body surpassed the goblins in physical strength, so I was even able to fight them two-on-one.

One blow to the head was enough to finish one off. You get one shot! And you get one too! Everybody gets one!

‘Fuck yeah! This is what a game should be like!’ As I killed the scattered goblins one after another, I kept thinking. I wondered if the warmongers throughout history had also felt this feeling when they fought. Trampling on a weak enemy was so much fun!

At that moment, while I was careless, I saw an actinic flash of lightning, along with the faint smell of goblins.

I quickly ducked into the nearest passageway.

“You damned monster rat!”

It was the goblin shaman.

‘Damn it, I should’ve gotten rid of him first!’

I clicked my tongue quietly. That light felt like it could kill me in one hit. Even if I survived, I’d be very poor shape. I knew from the arrow wound last time, how meticulously this shit game implemented the feeling of pain.

‘Should I run away and set up an ambush?’

I recalled my memories of hunting monsters stronger than me in other games in the past. I’d either chip their health down with arrows from range while running away, or pretend to run away and then strike from behind.

As I was thinking about how to do that, a rat that I’d thought had run away appeared. The one who’d made the first call to escape. The very first one to abandon me!

“Falk. Found you. I saw. All right. Thank god. You. Can win. I get it. Me too. Again. Help.”

And then I stumbled upon a devilish idea. It was so amazing that my own creativity surprised even myself.

“Oh? Great. I need your help!”

And then I grabbed the bastard. Like you’d grab a dog by the back.

“Falk? Falk?”

I came out of the passageway. As expected, the goblin shaman had been waiting. A lightning bolt raced towards me right away.

And I threw the rat in my hands as hard as I could to block it. This was the power of friendship!

“Falk?! Falk!!”

The guy who became my shield left a last will and testament like that, and was baked to a crisp mid-air. I was running past him before he could even fall.

On all fours! With all my might! Whiskers fluttering in the wind!

The goblin shaman was taken by surprise, just as I’d hoped. He belatedly tried to cast another spell, but I was faster.

“Shit!”

That was the last will and testament left by the goblin shaman.

I used my speed to imbue my club with force as I hit the goblin shaman in the mouth.

His teeth flew out. His face became a bloody mess. And then I proceeded to tenderize him like I’d done to the chief. The more you beat the goblins, the more delicious they become.

After a while, before the shaman had even stopped breathing, I buried the snout in his flesh and started eating. At that very moment, someone spoke to me in my head.

[Congratulations. You have successfully completed the tutorial, ‘The Saviour’.]

---

Editor’s Notes:

None for this chapter.

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A Champion of Rats – Chapter 4

Tutorial (3)

When we returned with the two goblin corpses, the atmosphere became truly festive.

Everyone shouted my name. I felt like a hero.

“Falk! Falk! Falk! Falk! Falk!”

A hero with only two goblin kills. How cheap.

Although, thinking about it, it might not be that weird. Considering how hard a time I’d had killing a goblin, such treatment might’ve been natural.

Suddenly, an ominous feeling that rats might be the weakest creature in this world setting settled over me.

We were having a life-and-death match^[1] here with a bunch of goblins, so was there any point in comparing with other races?

However, oblivious to my worries, First tore the goblin apart and showed me the best part.

“Falk! Here! Meat! Hunter! Ratman! Gets! Best! Part! Eat!”

The best parts of a goblin were the head, shoulders, and chest. In particular, eyeballs and brains were delicacies among delicacies.

“Brain. Soft! Eyeball. Pops! So sweet!”

Since everyone was looking at it with envious eyes, it seemed true.

As I was about to eat, I realized that everyone was looking at me.

I suddenly remembered that animals living in packs wait for the leader to eat first. Who said I wasn’t smart?

‘No way, are they treating me like the boss? Not bad, not bad.’

If nothing else, they were sincere. Cheering my name, giving me the best food, and watching me eat – all these actions made me happy.

Even though this was merely a game, I’d never been treated like this before, so I found it fresh and enjoyable.

Suddenly, I even thought that I wanted to savour this moment some more.

The moment I put the piece of goblin meat in my mouth, everyone started eating.

First ate the other goblin’s brains, eyeballs, and torso, while the other rats shared the rest.

But it wasn’t shared equally.

The best parts were eaten by those in their prime, and the remaining scraps were eaten by the rest, indicating again that rats treated the older and weaker the worst.

‘That’s just how animals survive in the wild, I guess… man, these are really delicious! Brains and eyeballs!’

After that round of dinner, we started a meeting. About what to do next.

Should we stay hidden or fight the goblins?

To be honest, the last fight had given me confidence, so I thought it was worth a try.

Although we lagged slightly behind in strength, we had the upper hand in speed and stealth, so as long as we used our brains a bit, defeating the goblins wasn’t an impossible task.

But the rats other than First didn’t think so.

Even when First insisted on attacking the goblins, the other rats were passive.

“Goblins. Attack. Kill many. Falk. Could. We can.”

“Goblins. Strong! Weapons. Hurt! Arrows. Shoot! We. Lost!”

“Goblins. Danger! Hide!”

Judging by the reaction, the goblins had left behind significant trauma. But First still kept trying to convince the others.

“Like this! Eat. Each other! We all! Die!! Anyway! So!! Have to! Eat! Goblins!”

For the rats, it always came down to food in the end^[2], didn’t it? Although, First wasn’t wrong.

The stockpiled food was running out, and with how much the rats ate, they were heading for a miserable fate of extinction while preying on their own.

After watching quietly for a while, I decided to take First’s side in the end. There were points where I agreed with him, of course, but more than anything else, it was because running away from itty-bitty goblins would hurt my pride.

In other games, I’d killed and enslaved countless goblins, but in this game, I planned to make them into livestock and eat them forever.

“If I have to say one thing, these guys are beaten down right now. If you’re going to fight, you have to fight now!”

First shouted happily.

“Right! They! Lost and fled! Conversation! Heard! For sure. I heard!”

“That’s right. If you are going to fight, now is your only chance. Once they recover, then we won’t be able to fight them at all.”

First nodded quickly.

“Don’t you all want to eat goblin meat? Is it fun to starve? As long as we win, everyone can eat their fill of brains and eyeballs!”

I heard a quiet gulp, followed by a dry swallow. But still no one spoke up in favour.

They wanted good food, but didn’t want to put forth the effort.

What a disgusting attitude. I was feeling annoyed without even consciously realizing it.

“Good. If everyone’s scared, let’s not fight.”

Everyone’s attention was drawn to me at my unexpected remark.

“Even if we stay here, we can eat the kids and the old-timers first, right? But that won’t tide us over. So it’ll be the young guys’ turn after that! Since I’m the biggest here, I’ll be fine!”

At that moment, all the rats’ faces turned blue.

After a while, there was a unified decision to attack the goblins. Great. Splendid.

◆◆◆

The goblins numbered twenty-five in total. There’d been thirty-five of them originally, but ten had died while fighting the rats.

Honestly, I wanted to charge in from the front and kill them all, but I couldn’t because the rats’ combat power was weaker than expected. Or rather, I couldn’t believe those shits were my same kind.

‘I wish there was a system like the status window. There’s too little information.’

But what was the point of regretting it? So I decided to hide and observe my enemies.

The goblins’ nest was a space connected to two sewer passages, and thanks to the rats’ knowledge of the local geography, finding a spot to lie down and watch was a piece of cake.

There were cracks in the ceiling and gaps in the walls that made it possible to watch them from very close range.

“Any. Nearer. See through cover. Danger.”

First, who was in charge of showing me the way, said. He was more competent than I’d thought, and helped me reconnaissance without being noticed.

“Good, good. Anyway, this is enough.”

I observed the goblins from the ceiling.

Five bulging females. The rest were male, but it didn’t seem like there was any setting of kidnapping and impregnating human women… Honestly, it was a bit disappointing.

‘Although… if the settings are too dark, the game might run into problems while selling.’

I immediately shook off my thoughts and observed the goblins again.

Most were armed, but they weren’t living the high life or anything.

All they had for weapons were rusty kitchen knives and clubs, and they had no fixed place to eat or sleep. Except for two of them.

The two were none other than ‘chief’ and the ‘shaman’. The chief was a big one clad in bone armour, and the shaman was an old guy with a goatskin headdress.

They slept in proper tents, albeit crude ones, and ate better – like beef jerky and apples.

Must’ve looted them from somewhere. The sweet smell of apples stabbed inro my nostrils, overriding the stench of the sewers.

In the past, I wouldn’t have eaten them even if they’d been to hand, but now they looked so delicious! To the point where I was ready to kill to have some.

‘Now there’s another reason to kill them.’

But leaving that aside, I couldn’t see a way to beat the goblin chief or the goblin shaman.

I couldn’t see their levels or abilities, but the tingling on my whiskers at their sight spoke of how formidable they had to be.

‘We’re lagging behind in numbers and weapons, and there’s a chiefs and a shaman who’re both stronger than me. A frontal attack is absolutely forbidden.’

Then I had a question.

Even twenty-five was not a small number, so what the hell did they eat?

The beef jerky, apples, and bread they’d brought with them seemed to belong to the chieftain and the shaman. So what did the other twenty-three goblins eat?

The answer came from First.

“Around. Here. Feeding ground. Food! Lots! Salamander. Frog. Lizard. Snake. Snail. Lots! We! Lost! So! Starve!”

“Where is it?”

First was only too happy to guide me there. There was a complicated maze of sewer passageways that we needed to cross before we arrived.

The feeding ground was a cylindrical space connected to numerous water pipes, with water and moss pooling on the floor, and sewage pouring out regularly.

And frogs and lizards were falling through the sewage.

This was the largest feeding ground in the area. The ratlings used to procure most of their food from here, but now it was occupied by the goblins.

I crouched down to observe my prey.

The goblins visited this feeding ground in groups of three to five.

Eavesdropping on their conversations, I could see that life here was not very satisfactory.

“Ugh. Smells! Doesn’t taste good either. How long do I have to stay here?”

“As I thought, young humans are the most delicious!”

“I think it has to be a pig or a cow! Both are delicious!”

“We have to wait! Chief said. Once the females give birth to offspring, we’ll raise our heads and return. Then you can eat as much as you want! After our bloody vengeance on Rumble!”

‘Who the hell is Rumble? Anyway, so if I wait, they’ll leave on their own.’

For a moment, I fell into thought.

Why bother fighting against a group of goblins who were stronger than us?

The thought flashed through my head that it might be safer to simply wait them out.

Maybe that would be the wiser course. If lack of food was the problem, I could find some without alarming the goblins.

But at that moment, I startled and thought to myself – what was I doing? Since when did I become so passive?!

This was a game. It wasn’t just for fun, it was work!

I got this job because she liked me.

But if I made things so boring, I might get the boot.

I’d gotten cautious because everything felt too realistic. But being a fool in real life was enough. I was at work now, wasn’t I? This had to stop.

I calmed down and told First that we could go back. First, I needed a plan.

◆◆◆

When I returned along with First, the rats swarmed us all at once.

It was obvious at a glance that they were becoming increasingly sensitive about the food issue. This was a good sign.

The hungrier you are, the harder you’ll fight.

“The goblins outnumber us and are stronger.”

The rats let out a sigh in unison.

“But don’t be discouraged! After all, I am an experienced warrior.”

It wasn’t a lie. I’d been a sergeant in the Republic of Korea Army before my discharge.

Even leaving that aside, they were NPCs anyway. Plus, all of us here were rat monsters, so what was the problem with telling a fib or two?

“I am an outstanding fighter who’s won even in the worst of situations! So all of you, follow me, and you’ll be able to eat your fill of goblin meat! We might even be able to catch a pregnant female or two and raise goblins to eat for later!”

“Goblins. Raise?”

“Right! Humans raise pigs and cows to eat, don’t they? There’s no law saying we can’t do the same! If we succeed, we’ll be able to stuff ourselves with goblin meat whenever we want! One per head!”

It was true, although of course I couldn’t guarantee it.

But so what? Bolstering the morale of this bunch of cowards was the top priority right now.

Fortunately, my prediction was correct, and the morale of the rats surged at once.

It was false courage, like a bubble that might disappear in an instant. But they still needed it to take the plunge.

“Then let’s start hunting the goblins!”

“Falk! Falk! Falk! Falk! Falk!”

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Editor’s Notes:

[1] 용호상박 (lit. dragon and tiger gourd), a fight between dragons and tigers, a match between strong people.

[2] 기승전먹 (giseungjeon + meog), where the preceding part 기승전 (giseungjeon) means that no matter what happens, it all comes down to 먹 in the end, i.e., eating.

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A Champion of Rats – Chapter 3

Tutorial (2)

The situation was something like this.

This sewer used to be the ratlings’ den, but one day, goblins came in, killed a bunch of them, and took away their home.

Of course, there were more details to the story, but this was all I could understand from the shallow and halting speech of these rats.

At first, the rats had also resisted the goblins, but they couldn’t compete either in weaponry or in military organization, so they’d naturally lost in the end. The ones before me were the remnants who were hiding here.

“Indeed. Right. That’s it.”

“I get it, but did you need three hours to explain that?! Three whole hours!”

“Three hours? What. Is that?”

“… That’s right, there’s something like that… Oh, you ignorant bastards.”

I was feeling so weak even my words were slurring. I’d been ignoring it for a while.

“You. Vagabond. We. Colony. New brother! Receive. Give! In return. Help! Us!”

A ‘colony’ referred to a community of rats, and ‘vagabond’ was a term for rats who didn’t belong to a ‘colony’ and roamed around.

In other words, they’d accept me into their community and I’d help them in return.

I hesitated for a moment. Because, just looking at the situation, I could see that he was trying to use me.

But a group of goblins was out there, and I was reluctant to just leave.

As I pondered, the ratling who’d brought me here suggested something. Oh, by the way, his name was ‘First’. He was the guy who’d become my right-hand man in the future.

“First. Meal. New brother. Been a long time. Special meal.”

When the phrase ‘special meal’ came out, the younger and the elderly rats all flinched.

Why? Because you get to be that ‘special meal’ if you’re unlucky.

That’s common sense, isn’t it? Ratlings are cunning, cruel, and greedy creatures, and they’re merciless to the weak of their own kind.

They treat their slaves and their prey much worse than humans.

The rats who were on the younger or the elderly side were quickly encircled by their stronger brethren who were in their prime, as if they’d been waiting for such an opportunity.

The younger and elderly rats were the majority, but they didn’t dare put up a fight.

Realizing the situation, I cried out in surprise. To have your first meal by preying upon your own kind? I couldn’t agree to that, at least not now.

“What do you fucks think you’re doing!”

“We. Are. Not. Fuck.”

“Huh?”

“Falk. Is. Your. Name. Last time. Goblin. Fight. I heard.”

“Fuck it, you bastards…”

“We. Are. Not. Fuck.”

“Ah, really… alright, let’s say that’s true. What are you doing?”

Then ‘First’ said with an expression full of pity, as if he was looking at an idiot.

“Special meal. Meat. Now. Our. Kin. Are. Only meat left.”

Understanding his meaning, I shouted at the ceiling.

“Hey you. You made a real good game, you fuckheads. How do I log out?”

“Log. Out?”

“Ugh, making money sure isn’t easy. Fuck… Hey, forget all that. Can I get something else to eat? Something a little less disgusting.”

“Need. A lot of. Food. Eat. More. Get smarter. Eat less. Weak. Die.”

It was true that I needed to eat a lot to get strong and smart.

Rats require a higher amount of food than other races to survive. Not only that, the amount of food also determines their intelligence and physique.

In other words, the more nutrients they get, the stronger and smarter they become. Maybe that’s why rats literally risked their lives for food.

‘Food’ is essential for ‘survival’ and ‘evolution’. So ‘First’ continued to explain to me the importance of special meals.

However, I refused again and again. Less than a day had passed after starting the game. I was reluctant to prey on my own people.

I liked playing hardcore, but there was a limit to everything. And above all, rat meat was disgusting.

Another ratling intervened.

“We. Want. Eat. Meat.”

The other bastards all screamed in unison that they too wanted to eat meat. At this point I wanted to go and ask ‘her’.

Why did you design such a perverted race that eats its own kind? Didn’t you have any other options? Like handsome elves or muscular barbarians?

Whether they knew what I was thinking or not, these idiots kept shouting for meat. They were dancing with excitement. (I mean this literally.)

“Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat!”

I was at the limit of my patience. All the stress that’d been building up inside due to various reasons, such as my mother’s sickness, my worries about the future, and my sudden employment, all erupted at once.

“Fffffuuuck it, fine! You nasty assholes! Fine! I’ll get you meat!”

Everyone looked at me with surprised eyes. I thought I’d said something wrong, but suddenly they started cheering. Even the young and the elderly rats cheered.

“Falk! Falk! Falk! Falk! Falk!”

‘It looks like they’re cheering, but why does it sound like they’re swearing at me?’

That was how I happened to become a meat delivery boy for the rats.

As I was about to return to the hole I’d come from, First followed me.

“Me too. Go. With you. You. Amazing. Meat. Me too. Help. Falk.”

I was too exhausted to argue.

“It’ll be tough. Do as you like. And stop tacking on ‘fuck’ at the end of your sentences.”

“Got it. Falk.”

“You son-of-a… But more importantly. What’s your name?”

“Me? Name. Don’t have one.”

“None?… Then, should I make one up for you? Talking feels uncomfortable if there’s nothing to call you by.”

“Me? Name?”

He had a surprised look. This was when I came to know how valued names were for them.

“Umm… come to think of it, you’re the first one I met. So let’s go with ‘First’. It’s easy to remember, too. Start with ‘Fur’. End with ‘St’. How about it?”

“Great! I like it! I am. First!”

I got the directions from ‘First’ and returned to the sewer.

Surprisingly, this body that could squeeze into and out of narrow gaps was quite useful, and besides that, I also quite liked the eyes and nose that worked smoothly despite the darkness and the stench.

Rats might not be too bad.

I used my sleek and muscled body to shoot through the sewers.

It was a gigantic place, and after wandering around for a while, we arrived at a section submerged in water. First was about to wade into it, but I put my hand on his shoulder to stop him.

“No, doing that will make noise that others might hear. See there, those parts of the sewer walls sticking out of the water? We can cross from there.”

“Oh! Falk! Smart!”

“Shut up, please.”

Me and First started crossing over to the other side by stepping over those outcropped parts of the wall.

When we’d almost reached to other side, we smelled goblins.

“Kahak. I don’t like it here. It smells.”

“Can’t be helped. Need to lie low. First recover here, then take revenge.”

“I’m sleepy. Why do we need two to patrol?”

“Stop complaining! Just before. One of ours got attacked. Search has stopped. We move in twos till we catch the culprit. Keep patrolling.”

I guessed it was about me. But what bothered me more was that the goblins were more erudite than the rats. My god. Were we a race inferior to even the goblins?

“Meat. Goblin meat. Good. Chewy.”

“Can we take them?”

“Oooh! Great! Goblin. Good! Strong but good! Two. Eat to the full!”

I leaned further and observed the two goblins patrolling.

The lack of torches suggests that they had natural night vision, but the conversation made it clear that they weren’t used to the smell of the sewers. Above all, they were poorly armed and hadn’t noticed us.

In other words, they were vulnerable.

There was a sudden sense of tension thrumming in my veins. I knew it was a game, but I was feeling very nervous at the thought of the upcoming fight. This game was too well-crafted.

For a moment, I considered simply retreating, but then I remembered that I wasn’t just playing for fun. I was doing this for money.

I might have to test how the game system would react if I killed them. And more than anything, First’s eyes filled with expectations were bothering me. His eyes were shining far too brightly for an NPC.

‘It’s really, needlessly high-quality.’

I passed the club to First. Because I remembered how hard it’d been to catch the goblin with it. In th end, men are made to wield blades.

“I’ll count one, two, three. On three, we attack.”

“Great. One, two, three… But. What’s ‘count’ mean?”

“Fffuuuck…”

I sighed and charged at the back of the goblins. Fortunately, First followed right behind me.

Susurr-

I moved swiftly like the wind and plunged my dagger into one goblin’s shoulder. The green-skinned shorty understood the situation only after he’d been stabbed.

The goblin screamed in pain, but unfortunately it wasn’t a fatal wound.

He turned and saw me. Those goat-like eyes gave me goosebumps.

I muttered to myself.

‘This is a game. This is a game. It’s a really fucking well-made game.’

I couldn’t finish him in one shot, so I had to tangle him from up close. Unfortunately, he was stronger than me.

He knocked me over and climbed on top of me.

I tried to ask First for help, but he was occupied with the other goblin.

‘Useless bastard! I should’ve taken the club!’

The goblin climbed on top of me and pulled out the dagger stuck in his shoulder. His grin was dripping with malice.

Was it instinct? The moment the goblin raised the dagger, I surged up and bit his neck with my snout.

My sharp fangs pierced flesh and cut through bone.

‘Blood!’

The goblin’s green blood flowed naturally through my fangs and into my mouth. I might’ve gone crazy, but the taste of that blood was amazing!

Just a single sip of that indescribable sweet and salty taste filled me with a surge of energy like I’d just downed a bottle of energy drink, and I unconsciously bit down harder with my snout.

Then, the neck bones completely snapped, and all strength drained out of the goblin’s body.

It was my victory.

Feeling excited after getting a taste of goblin blood, I immediately jumped at the second goblin that First was dealing with.

He was so distracted with his own fight with First that his side was completely open. My dagger stabbed into his earhole.

Something soft yet dense broke inside.

And the goblin trembled and collapsed.

I involuntarily licked the dagger. The sweet and salty taste of victory rode down my tongue and lit my brain on fire.

This game… I loved it!

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Editor’s Notes:

None for this chapter.

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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 couldn’t help but flinch for a moment.

But even more surprising was that the goblin, who I thought would be killed in one shot, didn’t 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, wasn’t 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… Let’s just say that they’re 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 would’ve preferred being a handsome blond instead. But man, this really feels real. Technology marches on, indeed.’

It was regrettable, but I wasn’t particularly upset. Wasn’t this just a game, anyway? I’d 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 I’d 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 should’ve 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 you’re 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 wasn’t 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.

‘There’s 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 I’d managed to end it with a lucky shot.

The approaching goblins weren’t 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 I’d made good on my escape, hunger and fatigue assaulted me suddenly. I was surprised and annoyed that they’d even implemented something like this.

‘Is it really necessary to implement stuff like this? I’d suggest they drop it. Although, they’ve done a great job. It’s 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 wasn’t 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 who’d 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 I’d taken from the goblin, each in one hand.

At that time, the rat who’d brought me said.

“Not. Food. Killed. Goblin. I. Saw.”

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

“No. Can’t!”

“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 I’d 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 who’d brought me in, continued.

“Partner! Brother! Together. Goblins. Let’s get rid of them!”

I knew it!

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Editor’s Notes:

None for this chapter.

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A Champion of Rats – Chapter 1

Her

First of all, before we jump into the full story, let me clarify one thing.

I wasn’t always a ratling. Instead of being a half-man half-rat monster living in a sewer, I was a human like you. A very average one.

… Hmm, no, let me correct that. Come to think of it, my life was actually below average.

It wasn’t my family or my parents who were to blame. The problem was me.

Lacking any semblance of motivation, dreams, or passion, I studied randomly, entered the first university that had a spot open, and lived a colourless life.

I had no drive to go out and get a job, and I had no ambition.

As I spent time like that, I was nearing thirty before I knew it.

The job market was tough, so I still lived at my mother’s, earning some pocket money from playing video games.

Ah, now that I’m remembering it again, my life sure was pathetic.

It was after my mother collapsed that I came face-to-face with reality.

A woman who raised her son by herself, had to keep supporting him even after he became an adult, was it any wonder that she’d fall ill?

Because she didn’t have any money saved up, she didn’t even go to the hospital at the start.

I was able to put a lid on the fire somehow thanks to the help of my kind-hearted relatives, but still, it was at that time that I finally saw myself properly in the mirror.

A useless human being who couldn’t even take care of his sick mother.

The only thing he knew how to do was to earn some money from playing games.

I was drowning in self-loathing, and the fear of living all alone in the world hounded my every breath.

That was when I met ‘her’.

◆◆◆

She was a beauty that would turn any man’s head, and it was my luck that she was a fan of mine.

I’d once uploaded a let’s play video with a camera view of my face. This was when I had a delusion of becoming a famous streamer. Of course, I didn’t have the kind of guts that required, so I’d quickly dropped the matter, but she said she recognized me from that. She was one of the few subscribers to my channel, apparently.

“Your taste is really unique.”

Exhausted in both body and mind, that was the only way I could respond.

It was nothing but the truth. Because I always chose to play as monsters or villain characters in games, and as all sorts of perverts, too, my subscribers often left malicious comments under my videos. For example –

‘He always makes the games feel weird. I bet this bastard’s some kind of a NEET shut-in.’

But she only laughed.

“Well, everyone has their own preferences, don’t they? Anyway, nice to meet you. What’re you doing here at the hospital?”

Then, as if possessed by something, I started telling her my life story.

About my sick mother. About my uselessness, belated regrets, self-loathing, fear of the future, and above all, about my anger at the world.

“Why are you angry?”

“That’s…”

I was reluctant to say it, but in the end my words poured out. Now that I think about it, I really must’ve been possessed.

“Because this world neglected me, and abandoned me.”

“This world?”

“I know. I’m talking nonsense. But I can’t help but be angry, y’know? This world never gave me any attention, and thanks to that, I’ve lived my life without paying any attention to myself. If anyone had found my talent or had enough interest in me to give some guidance, I wouldn’t have ended up like this.”

“Oh? Bullshit as that is, it sounds quite novel.”

“I know. I know already how ugly it all sounds. You don’t have to remind me.”

“But it is impressive. In a way. It’s not easy to open up like that, even to your friends. I think I have an inkling of how hard it is, and how desperate you feel.”

“How desperate I feel? Just the hospital bills – no, if I could get even a single chance to be a good son or a useful human being once again, I could trade my soul to a demon for it. I’m serious.”

“Oh, is that enough? Then would you like to work for my company?”

My head went blank for a moment at the suggestion that popped out without any sense of reality.

“Are you a demon?”

“Oh dear me. Have you ever heard of a demon this pretty? And honestly, your soul isn’t even worth trading, right? Ah, sorry. I didn’t mean to insult you. I was just telling the truth.”

Harsh words. However, they happened to be true.

“Fffuck… then are you some kind of an organ trafficker? A dating scammer? Or a con artist?”

“Aren’t you just imagining things?”

“But it fits. A job offer out of the blue… let me be clear, I’m poor as dirt, so stop thinking about scamming me. I already have enough problems on my plate right now.”

She giggled and said something incomprehensible.

“Ah, you guys really have overactive imaginations. Well, that’s what we live for, though. But anyway, don’t worry, it’s not what you think.”

“Even if you say so…”

“Then let me show you something you can believe.”

As she said that, she started tapping at her phone.

After a while, a text message came to my phone. It was a notification of money being deposited. A ridiculous amount of money.

“What is this… how many zeroes are there?”

“Now do you believe me? Isn’t that enough money to blow all your worries away?”

I suddenly had a bunch of stuff I wanted to ask, but because of my shallow vocabulary, I could only ask something stupid.

“How did you get my account number?”

Hee hee hee! She laughed.

“I sent that much money, but that’s what you’re curious about? Something so trivial?”

“Uh, no, sorry.”

“Then, would you like to come with me for a bit? I know the director of this hospital. You can stop worrying about your mother for a while.”

Gripped by an unknown fear, I hesitated for a moment. She urged me once more.

“Maybe I’m the last one in this world who can help you. Shouldn’t you take it? It’s a rare opportunity.”

At those words, I moved like someone possessed.

◆◆◆

When I came to my senses, I was sitting with her in her car. It was a luxury sports car you’d only ever see in movies.

I thought I wouldn’t be able to buy a single doorframe even if I sold all my organs, but then I felt relieved. At least she wasn’t someone who’d cheat somebody like me.

Right? Somebody driving a car like that would look for bigger prey.

Instead, a new question arose.

“Who are you, really?”

She’d introduced herself as an employee of a foreign game company.

When I asked her the name of the company, or their flagship game, she said it wasn’t important.

At first, I thought it was some small indie game company, but that didn’t track with her extravagant car.

‘Maybe she was born into money? Ah! I bet that’s it!’

However, such expectations were shattered the moment I saw the company building.

The building she worked at was a splendid high-rise nestled in the middle of a forest of concrete.

She took me into the building and started explaining the job.

“First of all, I’m serious when I say that I’m your fan. I’ve never seen such perverted gameplay anywhere else. Instead of hunting monsters or completing quests, you were kidnapping village NPCs or trafficking player characters… it was really fun. Why did you do that? Because you were angry, like you said?”

“Don’t get me wrong. It was just an experiment to see how high the degree of freedom was. I don’t have some kind of mental illness if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“How unfortunate. Personally speaking, I wouldn’t mind a mental illness or two.”

“Haha. You’re kidding, right?”

“Of course, of course. Anyway, I said I was offering you a job, right?”

“Yes.”

“There’s a game at the testing stage, and I want you to play test it.”

We stopped in front of a room. When I opened the door, there was only an armchair and a game console inside.

“Can I ask a question?”

“Of course.”

“What do you mean specifically by play testing?”

“There’s this product that our company is developing. It’s a virtual reality game, but there’s a twist. You can eat and sleep in the game, or even do something a little naughtier if you want. To sum it up, you could say that another reality has been made into a game.”

“What, really? That’s amazing. Incredible. Is something like that possible already?”

“Yes. Technology keeps marching on, after all. But there’s one problem. The game is too realistic. So the users have been experiencing some side effects.”

“Side effects?”

“Yes, side effects. Like inability to distinguish between the game and reality due to excessive immersion. Symptoms of PTSD and the like. If you can’t spot one from the other, is there any difference between a war game and a real war?”

“Then, I…”

“Yes, your job is to be a kind of an experimental subject to obtain data on the side effects. Think of it like a part-time job in a clinical trial at a pharmaceutical company.”

She pulled out a document from somewhere and handed it to me.

“Of course, I won’t lie to you and say that it’s safe. But there’s no free lunch in the world, right? Read here. These are the provisions for compensation – wages, welfare, and unforeseen circumstances.”

To be honest, I’d never laid eyes on an employment contract before, so I had no idea what was what.

But even at a glance, the conditions looked excellent.

All the more so for somebody like me, who had no relevant prior job experience or related skills. A question came to mind.

“I remember from the elevator, that this is the 66th floor.”

“Yes. Are you uncomfortable with heights?”

“I noticed quite a few foreigners along the way.”

“This is the era of globalization. Are you a racist, by any chance?”

“Everyone greeted you politely.”

“I might be a woman, but I’m a high-ranking executive. What, are you a male chauvinist?”

“No. No… I’m just curious. You’re a high-ranking executive at such a great company, why the hell would you offer a job like this to someone like me?

“I’ll be honest. I don’t deserve this. Honestly speaking, this is all so unrealistic that it feels like you’re setting me up for a joke.”

She smiled. It was a smile that could bewitch anyone who saw it.

“I told you. I’m your fan, so I’m here to help. Also, I need you, too.”

It wasn’t a convincing answer, but I couldn’t ask any more questions because of that bright smile.

Her pure charisma was hard to resist.

“Well, then what do you want to do now? Would you like to try it? Or would you like to quit? You’re free to choose. Just in case you’re wondering, the money I gave you is yours, so don’t worry about it. Even if you refuse, I won’t ask for it back.”

I hesitated. Would I go back like this? Or would I give it a try?

Common sense was telling me to just go back.

Didn’t this whole setup smell dodgy? But I couldn’t.

Because she needed me. Because someone acknowledged me, and expected something from me. It wasn’t an offer I could refuse.

Because I yearned to be needed. By somebody. Anybody.

“No, I’ll do it. But I have a question about this part here, about the character. It’s been decided by… this ‘A’. The provision that the character must be a ‘ratling’. What does that mean?”

“Just as it sounds. You literally have to play the game as a ‘ratling’.”

“And? What’s a ‘ratling’?”

“Let’s just say that they’re monster rats that live in the sewers. A mutant race created by the goddess Derubo, who loves the cursed and the marginalized.”

“Is this a game setting?”

“Ah… of course. Do you have any concerns?”

“No, no, it sounds a bit disgusting, but that’s just fine with me. Hmm. By the way, can you tell me why I have to play as a ‘ratling’ character?”

“It’s a race I designed. So I guess I’m fond of them? Anyway, right. Make sure to also check out the main storyline.”

“Hmm, I see. Then, how should I play the game?”

“Just go as hardcore as you want.”

Her words sounded like a riddle. But I just nodded and signed the contract.

“Then, shall we try it right now?”

“Right Now?”

“No time like the present, as they say. Or, you don’t want to?”

“No. No, I’m ready.”

“As expected! I have a good eye for people, you know. Just sit on that chair over there and relax. It should be pretty comfy, it certainly costs enough.”

It was true. As I sat on the chair, my body relaxed as if I was lying on a fluffy cloud.

“Now then, wear this.”

As I was about to put on the VR console that looked just like sunglasses, I paused as a question suddenly came to my mind.

“By the way, what’s the name of this game?”

“Oh, the name of the game? I haven’t decided yet… how about ‘M&A’?”

“… Like, merger/acquisition?”

“Yes, or rather a hostile takeover, to be precise.”

“What do you –”

I tried to ask, but she forcibly put the console on me. She was so strong that I couldn’t even resist.

After a while, I managed to open my eyes… and there was a goblin standing right in front of me.

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Editor’s Notes:

None for this chapter.

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A Champion of Rats – Chapter 0

Preface

A rocky mountain towering high into the sky. At its peak stands a form. Half-man, half-rat. The ratling roars.

The sea of ratlings that fill the horizon as far as your eyes can see, all join their voices to his in a chorus of screams.

Why, you ask?

Because they’ve won. Because they’ve driven out the old and helpless natives of this land and have become its new overlord.

Oh, I haven’t introduced myself yet, have I?

Now they call me ‘Falk’^[1].

That ratling screaming from the mountain peak a while ago? That was me.

Don’t get me wrong though, I wasn’t always this way. I was a human too, once.

How did I end up here? Now there’s a story.

Would you mind listening to me for a bit?

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Editor’s Notes:

[1] 쓰벌 (sseubeol) is a derivative of the swear word 씨발 (ssibal) meaning ‘fuck’. We’re transliterating it as Falk.

To the readers. Ever since Barbarian translation stopped, we’ve been on the lookout for other projects to translate – ideally, something that has a punch, and deserves a look from the translation community (instead of being the ten thousandth rehash of a cookie-cutter tower, academy or hunter plot). This eminently qualifies. There were some other choices (including some that were recently picked up or resumed by other groups – check out Cthulhu Reincarnated and Martial Wild West, for example), but only a couple ended up winning. We’ll translate a few (maybe ten or so?) teaser chapters for each, then see which one is more popular, meaning that gets picked up for regular releases (or as regular as we usually manage) and the rest remain in teaser project hell.

Warning. This is one of the most consistently dark webnovels on the Korean scene. Trigger warnings for gore, cannibalism, slavery, etc. This is your only warning.

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