Chapter 186: Slaughtering rats
Thank you to the user "Christomol" for donating a gift. I will be releasing several Chapters today.
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After saying that, I ignored everything else and walked away.
I needed a cleaner place.
Not because I was worried about dirt.
But because Ruby was hanging by a thread.
I found a relatively flat and clean area inside the cave. Then I knelt down and, with all the care I could muster, placed Ruby on the ground.
Even so, the simple movement caused countless pieces of ash to fall from her charred body.
Ffff...
The ashes slowly fell.
My gaze remained fixed on her.
Ruby was practically unrecognizable.
Then I pulled the dagger from my waist.
I didn’t hesitate.
I drove the blade directly into her chest.
The partially cooked flesh parted before the blade. The steaming heat struck my face, but I completely ignored it.
I moved the charred flesh aside.
There it was.
Ruby’s heart.
Or, more precisely, her conscious core.
That was where her central consciousness remained.
As long as that core wasn’t destroyed, Ruby could still return.
Even if her body had been completely mutilated.
Even if almost no flesh remained.
Enough blood could bring her back.
I looked at that nearly dead heart.
Then I cut my own wrist.
My little angry fairy, you can’t die!
My blood began to drip.
The reaction was immediate.
A small amount of vitality appeared within the core.
The flesh, previously burned and lifeless, began to regain its color.
Small blood vessels began to grow.
They looked like tree branches rapidly spreading through the flesh.
They stretched and multiplied.
And soon covered the entire heart with a thin layer of blood tissue.
I continued letting my blood drip.
The vessels began advancing outward from the heart, spreading throughout Ruby’s body like living tentacles.
Little by little, the heart began recovering its original shape.
Even so, my blood continued being absorbed.
Every drop disappeared the instant it touched the core.
Then I heard it.
Thump.
I stopped breathing for an instant.
Thump...
The heart had begun beating again.
Ruby was alive.
But before I could even relax, I heard a hoarse sound.
— Blood...
Her charred lips moved.
— I need more blood...
Her voice was weak.
Hungry.
I looked at my wrist.
My blood wouldn’t be enough.
— Why is it taking so long?!
My voice echoed through the cave.
Outside, the rats’ camp had been transformed into a true hell.
Blood was being spilled everywhere.
My Shark King had taken on the task of slaughtering them.
Its enormous body moved through the camp while using its Thorn spell, destroying the cave entrance and eliminating the rats that tried to escape.
Meanwhile, the Hunter Knight had separated from the enormous golem.
He walked toward me carrying a long spear made of earth.
Two fat, furry rats were impaled on its tip.
The knight raised one hand.
The ground opened.
A hole approximately half a meter deep appeared before him.
Without wasting time, he tore apart the rats’ bodies and threw them onto the edge.
Blood began gushing out.
Within moments, the bottom of the hole was covered with a red, muddy layer.
A few minutes later, the hole was completely full.
A pool of red blood had formed before me.
Around it was a huge pile of corpses.
Rats of all sizes and appearances.
I carefully picked up Ruby’s body.
Then I placed her inside the pool.
As soon as her body came into contact with the blood, a violent reaction occurred.
The surface began to boil.
Bubbles appeared everywhere.
The blood was being absorbed.
The level of the pool began dropping before my eyes.
— Quickly!
— I need more blood!
More rats were killed.
Some tried to flee.
Others begged.
None of them managed to escape.
The bodies were thrown onto the edge of the pool, and the blood flowed into it like water.
The level continued to drop.
But at least now Ruby had enough to sustain her regeneration.
I continued watching.
Then, fifteen minutes later.
Splash!
A huge sound of water echoed through the cave.
My gaze immediately rose.
A female body emerged from the blood pool.
Her body was launched into the air and remained suspended for a few seconds, floating with her wings.
The healthy glow had returned to her body.
Ruby looked confused.
She seemed not to understand where she was.
Then she put a hand to her head.
I remained silent as the memories returned.
A few seconds later, her expression changed.
— You...
— You’re George?
— I... I’m Ruby!
Ruby looked at the enormous pool of blood below her.
Her nose wrinkled.
— Damn it!
I frowned.
— What?
— How could you use this filthy blood to resurrect me?!
She pointed furiously at the pool.
— Bastard! Don’t you know that I hate the blood of low-grade creatures?!
I stared at her.
For a few seconds, I couldn’t answer.
Then I sighed.
The combination of a Blood Fairy and a human woman was probably one of the most confusing creatures that existed.
— Welcome back.
— If it weren’t for you, I’d be dead. Thank you..
My voice was sincere.
Much more sincere than I usually allowed anyone to notice.
Ruby probably understood.
If it weren’t for her...
In the previous battle, Ruby could have crossed that blue fire trap alone.
She had enough strength and enough Speed, but she chose to stay and protect me.
— My sweet red fairy.
As for my gratitude, Ruby merely sighed and shook her head.
She seemed not to know exactly how to react to my words.
Then she snapped her fingers.
Snap.
The pool of blood that remained on the ground began to move.
As if it possessed a life of its own, the red blood rose and completely enveloped Ruby’s body. Within a few seconds, it transformed into an exquisite red dress, fitting her body perfectly.
I said nothing.
I simply called back my Giant Shark King golem.
My intention was simple.
Return to the Tower of Kar-Dur.
After everything that had happened in that place, I was already tired of remaining in the Subterranean World.
But just as I was about to leave, Ruby stopped.
She turned her head.
— Wait.
I stopped.
— What is it?
Ruby narrowed her eyes.
— What’s that?
I followed the direction of her gaze.
A stone.
A perfectly ordinary stone...
Or, at least, that’s what it appeared to be.
It was approximately one meter in circumference and had exactly the same color as the cave floor.
It was positioned in the center of the rats’ former camp.
I frowned.
A stone?
I looked around.
There were countless small broken stones scattered throughout the camp.
But none large enough to resemble that one.
Besides, that stone had appeared right beside the only broken tent in the camp.
Before, I had been completely focused on saving Ruby.
I hadn’t paid attention to the details of that place.
But now that Ruby had drawn my attention to it...
I couldn’t ignore that anomaly.
I activated the Biochip.
My perception expanded.
The elemental particles in the air began becoming visible to my senses.
That wasn’t a stone.
I had been deceived.
"Shark King."
"Go to that stone."
The golem advanced.
At the same time, the Hunter Knight prepared his earth spear.
The creature had clearly realized that its disguise had been discovered.
Before the spear could pierce it...
The stone disintegrated.
Or rather...
It didn’t disintegrate.
The rocky surface simply disappeared.
Beneath it was a small rat.
Just over one meter tall.
It was hiding inside a cloak that perfectly reproduced the appearance of the stone.
The rat fell to its knees.
— Spare my life!
It began prostrating itself frantically.
— Great and powerful Mage Master!
— Please spare my life!
— Forgive this Raticati!
— Raticati is willing to be your slave!
— Just don’t kill Raticati!
I stared at him.
The rat continued bowing.
— Raticati is very obedient!
— Raticati can do anything! Raticati...
I raised my hand.
"Stop."
The Hunter Knight interrupted its movement.
I looked carefully at the creature.
— A low-grade creature like a rat possesses enough intelligence to speak?
The rat immediately raised its head.
Its tiny eyes gleamed.
— Master! Raticati isn’t an ordinary rat!
He beat his own chest.
— Raticati is the smartest rat in the world!
— Raticati can serve tea, prepare meals, make your bed!
— And I can even guard the door! Raticati is extremely capable!
I looked at Ruby.
Ruby looked at me.
Neither of us knew what to say.
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