Chapter 66: Filth and Purity
"Hel... help—!"
Screams rang out.
Rats with red eyes and furry bodies gnawed at everything around them. At the same time, the door of the snack bar was suddenly shut by someone, and the people inside were like lambs awaiting slaughter in front of the rat swarm.
“Squeak squeak…”
The sound of the rats made one’s scalp tingle.
The scene was extremely bloody and chaotic, and a strong smell of blood instantly filled the snack bar.
All of this happened in an instant. No one knew what was going on, and no one knew where the rats came from.
"Isana! Come here quickly!"
"Mm…"
Erika grabbed Isana's wrist as the scorching magic inside her began to surge.
As waves of searing heat emanated from Erika’s body, the rat swarm indeed did not dare approach her or Isana.
But the server nearby wasn’t so fortunate.
He was pitifully surrounded by the rats. However, he did have some skill—magic surged within him, and he grabbed a chair, swinging it wildly around. For the moment, the rats couldn’t do anything to him.
"Where the hell did these filthy creatures come from! Damn it!"
Cursing as he fought, the server’s face was starting to lose composure, because it seemed only a matter of time before the rats overwhelmed him.
At that moment, Erika was about to use magic to save him.
Just as she prepared to act, a footstep sounded beside her.
Tap.
It was a crisp sound—leather shoes stepping on the thick floor.
“Filthy creatures?”
A stranger’s voice appeared.
“Sir, in your eyes, what exactly is filthy, and what is pure?”
The speaker was a man with a clean face, no stubble on his chin. He wore a tailcoat, stood straight, and wore a tall felt hat on his head, looking quite proper.
At that moment, he held a glass of milk and took a slow sip.
Then he closed his eyes, as if savoring the moment.
Savoring the screams of the people around him.
"Survival of the fittest is the rule of this world—just like beasts eat humans, humans eat livestock, and livestock eat rats...
Now humans are the largest species in the world, undoubtedly at the top of the food chain. But why do humans see weaker creatures as filthy?
Heh, looking at it from the other side, perhaps in the eyes of these rats, you are the filthy one, sir."
The man spoke calmly, with a touch of mockery in his tone. His face, however, maintained a gentlemanly smile.
He lifted his hand slightly, and a furry rat with blood-red eyes obediently jumped into his palm.
"They’re simply cleaning up… cleaning up pollutants like you."
"Y-You… who are you?!"
The server was terrified.
Not because of anything else, but because the man in the tailcoat was surrounded by those man-eating rats.
Yet the rats did not harm him. Instead, they circled him, and some even perched on his shoulders. It was as if… this swarm of rats was under his command.
"Jesse Grote."
The man in the tailcoat introduced himself, then gave a gentlemanly bow to the server. “Perhaps you’ve never heard my name, but you must have heard of the organization I belong to—‘Cage,’ a group infamous in your eyes.”
Cage!?
Upon hearing the name, Erika and Isana’s expressions changed instantly.
This man in the tailcoat had been sitting in the snack bar the entire afternoon—right next to them—and hadn’t said a word.
They never expected that this man would be someone from Cage!
“C-Cage!? You’re saying you’re from Cage!?”
Clearly, the server had heard of this organization too.
His face twisted in fear, because he now understood why the rats didn’t harm this man named Jesse—he was a non-human species!
To them, a so-called “non-human species” meant he was not part of the human race…
“Of course.”
Jesse nodded. “I’ve already said clearly: I’m a beastman. Some people like to call me Ratman Jesse.
But, well, all those people… are dead now.
And you, sir, will be one of them.”
“Y-You… what are you trying to do!”
As he spoke, Jesse snapped his fingers.
Snap.
With the sound, the red light in the rats’ eyes suddenly intensified.
“Squeak squeak squeak squeak…”
As a dense swarm of rats appeared, the black tide of rodents pounced straight at the server.
In just an instant, the poor server was devoured—nothing left, not even bones!
The horrifying sight made Isana tremble.
Even though she had perfectly inherited the talent of the Elfreid Family, she was still just a little girl.
Her small body instinctively shrank back. This terrifying and bloody scene was the first of its kind she’d ever seen—a fear rising straight from her heart.
“Huff… huff…”
Her breathing became rapid. Isana’s legs began to weaken, her heart pounding as if stuck in her throat, her whole body as tense as a drawn bowstring.
“Don’t be afraid, Isana.”
A soft and gentle voice sounded in her ear.
It was Erika. She calmed herself first, then comforted the girl beside her. “I’m here. You’ll be fine. Don’t leave my side.”
“Erika…”
With Erika’s encouragement, Isana’s eyes began to shine, her emotions slightly easing.
That’s right…
What am I afraid of…
The one standing before me is the enemy I’ve been searching for!
Now that the enemy is right in front of me, what do I have to fear!?
He’s a member of Cage—the one who killed my mother, separated my sister from me, and shattered my family!
Hisshuff…
Taking a deep breath, Isana’s trembling body suddenly straightened. Her fingers slowly clenched, and a bead of sweat formed on her forehead.
I can’t be afraid!
Her gaze grew firm. Isana kept telling herself: if I can’t even face my enemy, how can I talk about revenge?
“Erika, I’m fine. It’s just that the guy in front of us is—”
“I know. Leave it to me, Isana.”
Before Isana could finish her sentence, Erika cut her off.
Her grayish-white hair began to sway with the surge of magic.
In an instant, her sharp red pupils flared with a spark of fire.
Whoosh!
The power of the Dragon Core Crystal began to circulate within her, and the scorching magic burst forth like a torrential flood.
This Jesse guy is from Cage?
Perfect!
Erika’s lips curled into a smile, her two fangs gleaming.
Jocelyn, who stole her Dragon Core Crystal, was also from Cage. And now this man had shown up—what a great opportunity to retrieve the crystal.
Strike first! Erika didn’t know any fancy spells. All she could do was use the magic from the Dragon Core Crystal to form pure fire in her hands—a non-chanting elemental burst.
Boom!
As fire surged in Erika’s palm, she flung her small hand, and the fireball shot forward like a cannonball, hurtling toward Jesse.
Jesse, sensing the sudden heat, snapped his head around, eyes filled with shock.
At the same time, he reacted swiftly.
Just as the flames were about to hit him, he quickly cast a spell.
A green mist emanated from his palm.
This green smoke, like a plague capable of corroding all, swallowed the fire completely upon contact.
A cold glint flashed in Jesse’s eyes. He smiled.
He said nothing—just hooked his finger slightly.
“Squeak squeak squeak squeak…”
Countless rats began swarming toward Erika.
“The rats are coming!”
Seeing this, Isana shouted and also began channeling magic, preparing to help.
But before she could act, the blazing energy inside Erika exploded, forming waves of flame around her.
Flames flew through the air, clawing and tearing.
The furious power rendered the approaching rats helpless against Erika.
This was the power of the Dragon Core Crystal—even though it hadn’t fully fused yet.
Erika now realized—when she met Meladin back then, she had made the right choice.
The power of the Dragon Core Crystal was simply amazing!