"Holy shit, I might actually die,"

There were three more rats, but their bloodlust had seemingly been increased by the others around them… meaning I had finally encountered a group of rats that used its unique skill.

[Resonance] is a unique monster skill that most rat-type monsters or some special slimes have, and it allows them to share the power of their dead comrades.

Of course, it only works if they have a strong bond, so a newly formed group of rats can't just activate this skill.

In my opinion, the skill is pretty useless… until it is actually put in place because now I'm facing three super rats, powered by the strength of two others.

"Kekekeke… HAHAHAHAHA!"

I continuously laughed at the fact that I might actually die to a few mere rats, and just as they charged towards me, I cocked my fist behind me and…

BAM

Slammed it straight into the top of the rat, rattling its brain within its tiny rodent skull.

It wobbled back and forth as it seemed I gave it a concussion that caused it to basically faint right before me.

The other two, on the hand, weren't pleased by this sight and whirled around me before latching onto my legs and continuously nipping at the free skin.

My pants had been almost entirely torn up from this journey, only due to the rats as I had a good idea of when the sludge was close.

You could smell it as it had the lingering scent of fresh garbage.

Ripppp… BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM

After tearing the rats off my legs, I threw them down and began to beat one until it was coughing up blood and wincing like a pussy.

"Shut up," I muttered as I then gave the finishing blow to the convulsing rat's head.

It kept flailing around so much before that I couldn't land a hit cleanly on its head, but now that it seized up, I was able to land the finishing blow.

CRACK

The feeble rat's skull was smashed underneath my fist, slightly scaring the other rat who I had been keeping at a distance with my foot.

I had to sacrifice probably half my foot to the rat, but now I had one on one with it… and I wasn't about to lose.

BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM

I showered it with a myriad of straight punches that had so much less power than before, and as it flailed around, its blood sprayed my face and surroundings.

My fists turned to claws as I began to scrape away at the hairy thing, causing it to cry out in much more pain than before.

"DIE! DIE! DIE! JUST FUCKING DIE!" I shouted before seeing an opening and grabbing its throat.

CRACK

I pressed down just hard enough for me to snap its neck… though the job still hadn't been finished.

Holding the unconscious rat in my hand, I could feel its fear radiating off of it, signaling that it had already woken up and tried to trick me.

"Kekekeke… HAHAHAHAHA! YOU MONSTERS ARE TOO SMART!" I shouted before holding its neck and slamming it repeatedly into the ground.

Eventually, I held a bloody, pulpy mess in my hand, and after confirming it was dead by seeing the XP notification, I fell onto my back.

"HUFF… HUFF… Huh? Is that it? W-where is my?"

.

[Quest still not completed]

[You have slaughtered 19/20 Rats]

[10 Minutes Remaining]

.

[A few gods have taken pity on you]

[Reward has been altered]

.

I glanced back at the quest panel for confirmation… and it was the exact opposite of what I wanted it to be.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no… NO!" I shouted, and my eyes locked onto a singular rat at the very end of the pip.

There were two separate turns from both sides… but I've already seen this trap so many times that I wasn't about to fall for it again.

"Come out—all of you. I'll take you all out at once," I muttered with a large smile that was covered by my blood-stained hands.

Tack… Tack… Tack… Tack Tack Tack Tack Tack Tack Tack Tack Tack

An entire horde of what seemed to be a hundred rats flooded into the pipe I was in, but I didn't run… I didn't hide… and I wasn't scared.

"Give me that upgraded reward. Give it to me,"

My smile warped into an ear-to-ear grin as the rats approached me and hundreds of panels that displayed the god's outrage at the one benevolent god who helped me.

They had basically given me a cheat code… and I was going to use it to its full potential.

[Water Ring]

Two rings of water wrapped around both of my index fingers, and I then snapped my neck around while bringing my arm upwards.

A rat had latched onto my arm and tried to chew through it, but my defense had gone way up now.

"Don't worry. I knew you were already there, so stay patient like the good little children you are and wait for your turn," I muttered as I gazed past the singular rat and looked at the horde of about fifty more rats behind me.

Before, I had to conserve as much mana as possible, and using [Water Ring] would essentially be suicide… though, now, I had enough mana to activate it once.

BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM

Using my speed, I continuously struck the rat into the pipe's wall, turning it into a pile of flesh.

The large groups of rats shivered and unconsciously backed up, but then stopped as a large rat who stood on two feet and had a small metal crown on its head appeared.

"I see… so that's why there were so many of you,"

The rat's all dogpiled onto me as most of my strength had left my body… but now the quest had been completed.

.

[You have completed the Side Quest: Slay Twenty Sewer Rats]

[Time remaining: 1 Minute]

[Reward has been granted]

.

I took a sip of the water beneath me, and that sound seemingly echoed down the entire system of pipes.