Chapter 306
Another surprise was the presence of strange entities that neither Ikenga nor Keles had encountered before. Within the Ratman’s consciousness were bizarre creatures, which they called "dream creatures."
These beings appeared both real and unreal at the same time, yet they paid the gods no mind and simply roamed the dreamspace. Ikenga was tempted to investigate them further but held back, remembering from stories of his past world that venturing into someone’s mindspace without fully understanding it could be dangerous.
With no interference from the dream creatures, Ikenga and Keles continued their search through the Ratman’s memories. Their journey led them to a glowing magical chain wrapped around an orb. Ikenga refrained from probing it, aware of the potential consequences, but he could sense the mana radiating from the chains.
"Do you think all Ratmen have similar chains deep in their consciousness?" Ikenga asked Keles, who was circling the chained orb.
"This is our first encounter with a Ratman, so we can’t draw conclusions yet. But I do think they all might have similar chains," Keles replied, glancing at Ikenga.
Ikenga could guess why she believed that, but he wanted to hear her full reasoning.
"Our exploration of this creature’s memories shows that he’s still a recently-turned adult Ratman. His memories reveal that, for as long as he’s been able to think, their race has been oppressed by the goblins," Keles explained.
"To this point, we’ve yet to see any memory of him interacting with or even being near a mage who might have placed this chain on him. This leaves us with two options: either his memory was wiped, or the chain is a curse that’s passed down from generation to generation."
Ikenga nodded thoughtfully at Keles’ conclusion, his eyes narrowing as he processed her words. "A curse passed down through generations," he mused. "That would explain why the chain feels so deeply embedded, almost as if it’s woven into his very being."