Chapter 378
With the collective intellect of the mages, a plan was devised. The only challenge was how to implement this "solution" among the ratmen without causing dissent. Observing the current crisis with the hybrids, Gurnak saw an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone: test the Empire’s solution on the ratmen while simultaneously addressing the hybrid threat.
The Empire was no longer interested in nurturing a technological route; they needed a relentless, rampaging force capable of tearing through demon ranks.
Gurnak placed his green, clawed hand on the tank, initiating its draining process. Once the liquid was gone, he muttered a spell under his breath.
Deep underground, the ratmen noticed an unsettling phenomenon. A faint green mist began to seep into their cavernous city, subtle at first but gradually growing in density and spreading throughout the tunnels.
The mist lingered for two days before dissipating, leaving the ratmen uneasy. Whispers of hybrid involvement spread like wildfire, but the true origins of the mist were known only to the goblin mages, who watched the events unfold with bated breath.
This experiment, if successful, would pave the way for large-scale deployment of the solution on the Empire’s ratmen forces, bolstering their effectiveness in battle.
However, the goblin mages had overlooked one critical factor: the hybrids. This oversight was not entirely their fault, as they had yet to capture or study a hybrid specimen to fully understand their biology and mechanics.
Unbeknownst to the mages, someone else was well aware of the unintended consequences.
In the shadowy halls of her castle, Demon Queen Vorenza’s laughter echoed, startling her spider-demon underlings. It had been ages since their queen had laughed with such genuine delight.
She and the fifth-stage demon spider overseeing the hybrid breeding watched with glee as the situation unfolded. The initial hybrids had been born from demon spiders and ogres, but now, after they were throen into the cavern, new hybrids were emerging—this time from ratmen and demon spiders.
This mist wasn’t designed to unlock potential but to forcibly enhance the ratmen’s physical attributes. The Empire, aware of the ratmen’s naturally sealed mana cores, had devised a chemical solution that would saturate the air with mana. This was intended to bypass the limitations of their cores and forcefully trigger physical evolution, creating a stronger, more resilient force capable of direct confrontation with demons.