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Chapter 128: Farchu (1)

"Kiiik!" The countless rats that were by the distance through the hallways yelled out a loud cry as their predatory red eyes met with the group.

"T-That's quite a lot of rats..." Kon trembled at the sight as he saw the growing number of enemies that were extending by the far back of the initial rats in front.

"M-Master... We're good, right?" Frey muttered out with a shaky voice. "I think is even more than the horde we faced before..."

"Hey... Slimes... Just how big is this 'elite army' you're talking about?" Ethaniel turned to Reru and Rustly who were by the front as he asked in a worried tone.

"The elite army of the Farchu..." Reru seemed to be frowning at the thought. "With the way they reproduce rapidly and their strength in numbers... I'd say we're facing about a thousand. Half of that if we're lucky."

"...what did you just say? A thousand?" Ethaniel dumbfoundedly opened his mouth as he soon closed it. "Why didn't you say this shit earlier?!"

"When you said you had faced against the Farchu army already, I assumed you already knew that," Reru stated in a calm demeanour whilst protruding out two swords from his side. "In any caseThis is not a cause for concern. The numbers are not a problem as we can sweep through them with our own. The problem I fear is..." As Reru continued his sentence, a loud roar rang through the hallways as the rats in front began moving to the side. "...is this."

In the far distance, a giant figure slowly made its way through the path that was made way for by the rats. At the sight of the figure, the group slightly took a step back in instinct.

"...this is...?" Shinto clenched onto his staff in alert as he scrutinized the details of the giant figure that seemed to be in the shape of a rat. In the next moment, he and alongside his party members received a sudden alert from the system.

[ King Fischier, King of the Sanke Rats has appeared before you! ]

[ All non-rats who are in his presence will have their agility lowered by 0.07% for every rat in a 35-meter vicinity. ]

[ All non-rats who are in his presence will receive 50% additional poison damage and it can only be cured through herbs. ]

[ The Curse of Sanke remains prevalent! The status of the 'King of Rats' has further been enhanced in Sanke's favour! ]

[ In addition to the decrease of agility, upon receiving poison from any source, all stats will be decreased by 15% and you will take 20% more damage by those who are from the 'Farchu' race. ]

[ You have partially resisted. Half of the status effect will only be applied. ]

...

"...!!" Shinto's eyes opened wide in shock as he saw the notification. "...what is this?" The reason for his shock wasn't because of the debuff effect given off by the rat king's presenceHowever, it was because of him only partially resisting the effects.

"...partial resistance..." Shinto dumbfoundedly stared at his screen, however, he quickly snapped back to reality as he heard the cries of 'Gloop' and from Ethaniel.

"Oi, Shinto!" Ethaniel snapped his finger in front of him. "Are you listening?!"

"...cough. What is it?" he shook his head as he quickly focused on the matter at hand.

"Reru is asking for us to clear the rats around us whilst he deals with that king," Ethaniel frowned at Shinto's current distracted face. "You got heard me?"

"Yes. I heard you loud and cry," Shinto took a deep breath as he regained his previous calm demeanour. In the next moment, his eyes quickly turned towards the rat king.

"Humans..." The king, Fischier mumbled out in a lifeless tone. "You dare trespass onto master's territory?!" Moments later, mumbles turned into shouts as a purple gas protruded from the mouth of the giant rat.

"Urk... Stand back, humans!" Reru clicked his tongue as he soon retracted his swords and later pulling out a shield, blocking and reflecting the fog. "Get caught in that fog, and you'll be poisoned!"

"Kiikk... Reru... You have yet serve master I see..." The rat chuckled as he pounced forward, quickly breaking the shield that Reru had put up. Then, from behind the king, its followers soon followed as it began charging towards the party.

"Ugh...!" Reru cried out as he was pushed back towards a wall. Meanwhile, the fog that he had reflected quickly blew back over to the group.

"Tch..." Shinto clicked his tongue as he saw that the fog was moving towards him in a fast manner. Just as he was about to dodge the attack, he was slightly slower than his intended reaction time, thus he was helpless as the fog surrounded him. "Ugh..."

[ You have been poisoned by the rat king's 'Purple Shangra'! ]

[ Enhanced by the curse of Sanke, poison damage is increased by 50% ]

[ Inhaling the fog increases the damage! ]

[ You have partially resisted. ]

"Ack!" The fog soon covered the area as it swallowed up his party members.

"Ugh... This fog... cough," Frey let out a cough as she punched the rats that pounced towards her, quickly knocking them back. "This is annoying!"

"Damn it," Ethaniel frowned as he lit his blade in a white aura. Moments later, he drew his sword in an arc, quickly sweeping the rats around him. "The damage is insane... cough."

"This partial resistance is annoying..." Shinto hurriedly covered his nose as he sent out multiple strikes of his basic attack through the medium of his staff. However, due to his speed decreasing majorly by the Fischier's status. it proved difficult for him to easily kite the enemies whilst also being able to chant out skills to support his allies.

With the fact that there were many rats in the vicinity, it meant that the agility decrease of a per rat ratio was dangerously high. With the estimation of the elite Farchu army ranging between 500 to 1000, it meant that the percentage was a full 40% at its lowest level and at its highest, 70%.

"What do I do..." Shinto's mind quickly worked as he tried his best to avoid the attacks of the countless rats on him. He couldn't ask help from his party members as they were busy with the horde of monsters, and Reru had his hand tied with the king. "...if I want to get out of this situation..."

This all would have been made easier if he could've resisted the status effect, however, he couldn't do much about it. With his eyes frantically moving around the area, he noted a slimeRustly wasn't as busy as compared to the other members of his party.

Making quick note of that, he turned his head over to the direction of the slime and quickly called him out. "Rustly! Can you make a wall in front of me?!"

"Huff... huff..." Rustly breathed heavily as he struggled against the rats whilst shooting out multiple spikes towards them. "This stupid... thing..."

"Rustly!" Shinto shouted out once again as the rats closed the distance between him. Soon after, Shinto was slightly knocked back as his health decreased to yellow. "U-Ugh..."

"Hah... Hah..." The rats hurriedly pushed Rustly back to the corner as he seemed to be at his limit.

Unbeknownst to Shinto as to why it seemed so, he soon gritted his teeth as he forcefully chanted out a spell whilst enduring the hits from the rats. "...damn it." Taking hit after hit from the monsters, Shinto completely disregarded his health that was dropping into the red zone.

With a shaky vision, Shinto muttered out his spell, completing it. In the next moment, a warm shadow shot forth from his staff, quickly enveloping Rustly in it.

"...!" Upon receiving a warm feeling on him, Rustly abruptly sent out multiple shots of slime that pierced through the rats and turned them to ashes. Moments later, he turned to Shinto who was still in trouble.

"...hah took you long enough..." Shinto let out a sigh of relief as a giant wall of slime directly pushed the rats that were constant at his throat upwards to the ceiling.

"Tch... Thank you, Shinto..." Rustly seemed to let out a scoff as he moved over towards the other allies. Then, moments after, from his body, Rustly rained down a small rain over to them and in turn, creating a barrier around them.

"...I better not fall behind." Upon looking at his health that was slowly going up from the skill [ Soft Root Heal ], Shinto nodded his head as he averted his attention over to his group. In the next moment, he began chanting out multiple spells.

From the ground, goo of slime begun to form and within the air, a veil of shadow was cast.

Finally, upon taking a deep breath and finishing off his final chantsAnother cloud of rain befell down the group, however, it wasn't targeting his allies, but instead the rats around them.

[ Rainy Slime ]

"K-Kikk...!" The rats flinched at the rain that touched them. However, Shinto wasn't done just yet. Following after, from his ring, he shot out another goo of slime, hurriedly pushing it over towards Ethaniel.

[ Poison Cure ]