Chapter 528
He huddled in the shadows, trying to appear inconspicuous. Just as his hunger began to feel unbearable, another ratman approached. His movements were deliberately casual, as if he were simply passing by, yet he subtly placed a larger bowl, brimming with the greyish paste, directly in front of Boltthrower.
Boltthrower stared at the unexpected bounty, then at the ratman who offered it. Confusion warred with a surge of desperate gratitude. He hesitated, unsure how to react, his mind racing. Then, almost involuntarily, his enhanced senses reached out, probing the energy that clung to this fellow ratman. It was... normal. It mirrored the passive interaction he had observed in others of their kind.
The ratman leaned closer, his whiskers twitching slightly, and whispered, his voice barely audible above the din of the camp, "You shouldn’t do that."
Boltthrower’s heart hammered against his ribs. "Do what?" he managed, his voice a low croak.
"You can see it, can’t you?" the ratman replied, his own eyes, surprisingly steady, meeting Boltthrower’s.
Boltthrower’s eyes widened further, a dawning comprehension mixing with a fresh wave of apprehension. He remained silent, his mind reeling.
The ratman continued, a hint of grim amusement in his tone, "You are lucky those pompous goblins have their noses so high in the air they haven’t bothered to conceal how they react with... mana." He used the unfamiliar word with a subtle emphasis, as if it held a deeper significance.
"Otherwise," the ratman continued, his voice a low murmur, "your... probing... would have had you caught instantly. You can’t perceive how it interacts with me because I consciously refuse to engage with it, a necessary measure to keep us hidden. You must have been the one casting those quick, curious glances at everyone."
The word "everybody" sent a tremor of fear through Boltthrower’s small frame. He had believed himself to be a shadow, unnoticed in the teeming masses of ratmen. To realize he had been so transparent, so easily observed, was a chilling revelation. He had been a beacon, not a shadow.