Alien world

Chapter 1798, Section 431: Awakening
They followed Philosopher's siblings to sneak to see the Rat King. As a criminal rat semi-confined in the pit, the Rat King's surveillance and guards were clearly several levels higher than those of the contestants they had assassinated before.

Annan sneaked up to the Rat King through the rat hole, crawled out from under its feet, and hid in the huge shadow cast by the Rat King.

“We’ve finally met.” Annan looked up at the enormous creature.

The guide ratman ran to its feet, pressed himself against it, and transformed into a megaphone rat to convey the Rat King's words: "Lord Annan, please forgive me for not being able to express my respect to you for the time being."

"We don't need to be so polite between us."

Annan didn't have much time, so he got straight to the point: "You should already know the plan. Next, I will pretend to assassinate you to clear your name."

"I'm ready."

Even though it was relayed by the Messenger Mouse, Annan still felt the steadfastness and conviction that only the Blade of Freedom possessed.

Annan went to make preparations, but was suddenly stopped by the Rat King.

"What else?"

"Please stop."

The Messenger Rat relayed the Rat King's plea: "If I cannot truly defeat my opponent in the Blood War, it means I am not worthy of your trust, of Lord Little Smo, and of Free City."

Annan raised his head and stared at the Rat King.

Not only is it conscious, but it also has clear logic and loyalty to Liberty City... God knows what Little Smo taught it.

After a long time, he decided to follow the Rat King's choice.

"Okay, actually even if you hadn't said anything, I was already planning to stop."

Annan stepped forward and patted the Rat King's thick skin, which was as thick as a city wall.

"Don't feel pressured, and don't have self-destructive tendencies. A temporary setback is nothing. Even if you lose this time, we can help you get back to the top."

"Thank you."

Amidst numerous intersecting and watchful eyes, the Rat King slowly raised its head and gazed at the sky.

Outside the pit, dawn was breaking.

……

Thanks to their powerful physiques and the already formidable defenses, the attackers failed, but it still gave many gray rats a fright.

The Rat King is the key to the bloody battle; only by defeating it head-on can the legion commander's status be recognized. If the Rat King dies outside the arena, this already sordid and bloody battle will become so sordid that even the ratmen will find it filthy.

"Who's so stupid as to think of smashing the crown?" a gray rat sneered. Its subordinate had been assassinated yesterday, and it had been furious for a while, but now its face was full of schadenfreude.

The remaining gray-haired rats scrutinized each other, pausing on the suspicious rat-human creature, but mostly not pausing when looking at Philos.

Everyone knows about the Rat King's collaboration with it, and Philosopher is the least suspicious.

The gray-haired rats reached a consensus: whoever it was, they had gone too far. If this continued, wouldn't there be very few fighters left before the bloody battle even began?

Their gazes were fixed on High Priest McKennen.

"That's enough. Put your claws back. Anyone who disrupts the clan's arrangements will have to offer themselves up at the Dimensional Lake..." High Priest McKenne's scepter tapped on the floor tiles.

In the deepest part of the Skaven capital, in a luminous lake composed entirely of fluorescent green fel energy, a fel eye slowly rises, hanging high above the heads of all beings in the Skaven city-state.

Back at their rest area, Annan and Beldona also saw the Fel Eye. "What does it mean?"

“I think it’s probably a warning to stop harming the players.” Beldona sensed the surveillance from that high and mighty fel eye.

Annan looked away: "It doesn't matter, we've decided to stop anyway."

He couldn't rush into the bloody scene to assassinate anyone, and besides, he had already promised the Rat King, so everything was temporarily put on hold.

Later that evening, Annan received a message from Philosopher's siblings: according to incomplete statistics, approximately thirty-four athletes were injured or killed last night.

"Did we assassinate that many?" Annan checked the number several times but still couldn't make it up.

Berudona revealed the truth: "We weren't the only ones doing this."

"How could the rat people be so wicked, not even sparing their own people?" If one hadn't heard the gloating in Annan's tone, one would have thought he was indignant.

A new day has arrived.

Annan and Beludona parted ways at the crossroads of the Bloody Field, and he went back to check on the tavern.

Beldona's uncle had already run off with the money, and the oblivious demon hadn't noticed anything amiss; at most, he was wondering where the Four-Armed Bee Demon had gone.

Having confirmed that everything was going according to plan, Annan returned to the bloodbath, like a farmer who had worked hard all year and was finally welcoming autumn, waiting for the moment of harvest.

The red-hot iron gate opened, and then the entire bloody arena trembled—a massive shadow stepped through the tiny gate and into the bloody arena.

Opposite the Rat King, a massive, heavily armored beast emerged.

It was the prized creation of a gray rat sitting in the noble district, but the gray rat's face was gloomy at the moment.

If they don't encounter the Rat King, it wouldn't be a problem for his subordinates to enter the twelfth or even thirteenth round, but they are only in the tenth round now.

In contrast to its master's pessimism, the armored behemoth was full of confidence, believing it had grasped the Rat King's weakness. Its war roar stirred up sonic waves, and its hooves threw out sand and gravel trenches tens of centimeters deep, stirring up dust. The giant axe, carrying the momentum, smashed towards the Rat King's calf.

"Rat King, you sinful rat of McKenna, traitor to the Red-Eyed Clan!"

Keng!
Thick skin is not armor, and flesh is not steel. The giant axe instantly cleaved into the Rat King's calf, spurting acidic blood and hissing as it corroded the sand.

The armored behemoth spun around and slashed horizontally again, its momentum penetrating into flesh and blood, only to be stopped by its leg bones with a clang.

"The priests allowed you to participate in the bloody war to atone for your sins, yet you dared to lay a hand on the legion commander!"

To the audience, including Annan, the armored behemoth was incredibly strong yet slow-moving, but the Rat King was even slower, standing there dumbly as the armored behemoth swung its axe twice.

The armored behemoth spun around again, gathering new momentum.

If one of the Rat King's legs is cut off, the deformed Rat King with only one leg will be unable to support its massive body and move. Without the ability to move, the Rat King will be meat on the chopping block.

The armored behemoth could slowly slice off its flesh, killing the Rat King bit by bit!
Even if you're not strong enough to finish the thirteenth round and become a legion commander, the reputation you accumulate will still allow you to join the ranks of nobles!
The master of the armored behemoth also stood up excitedly, watching as his battle axe was coated with a layer of green light, and then he twisted his body and slashed.

"Why aren't you dead yet?!"

A faint green light sliced ​​through, and the entire piece of flesh crashed to the ground with a "thud," its acidic blood drenching the armored behemoth.

The armored behemoth grinned wildly, letting blood seep into its heavy armor and corrode its tough hide.

It won, and now all that's left is—huh? Why is the shadow still looming over it?
The smile that had just appeared froze. The armored behemoth looked up and saw the Rat King still standing in the same spot, bringing an immense sense of oppression.

(End of this chapter)