Cyberserk & Vampiress

Kill the Rat King

Count Tail gave details of the mission at the Muddy Hill location.

"Right now your king is very busy trying to capture mines with, especially valuable resources. At one time my clan got a few mines and we managed to capture these places. But there was one assignment that proved to be beyond our capabilities. A group of twelve warriors failed to kill the main monster. After that, the requirements for the quest worsened. The second time, the mice could only send eleven warriors. As a result, the requirements for completing the capture of Mud Hill are now absurd in their cruelty. Only one hero can enter the mine," Count Tail looked at the young man with amused eyes. "That's your style, Baron. I don't want to embarrass you and talk about your mastery and your secrets. Everyone is convinced that the mysterious skill of your victories lies in the fact that your power grows when you are alone. It's a one-hero challenge. Do you want to discuss the reward for completing the quest?"

Dan looked respectfully at the Mouse Overlord. This mouse had made no secret of his intentions to use the man to his advantage. The young man was not embarrassed that the clever creatures of the city were beginning to guess his secret. He had too brightly and quickly achieved great results! Now he could talk cautiously about the reward.

"I will gladly try to show off my bargaining skills. But please excuse me. I am a warrior and I am not a good merchant. What does Overlord Tail have to offer me?" Dan placed his dagger on his plate and prepared to listen intently to the suggestions of the head of the mouse clan.

"The vampires receive two-thirds of the profits from the mines of Zangar. I'm willing to split the profits equally. Fifty-fifty. Half the profits from the four mines. And no vampires in my possession! Only mice will manage the mice mines. You will receive the favor of our nation. Discounts in the stores and other conveniences are nice for a warrior after hard fighting in the dungeons. All trophies from the Rat King you keep, of course."

The Overlord was silent and waited for a reply from the man.

Dan scrutinized the message of the mission. The information did not surprise him but made him a little worried. The requirements were severe.

[Warning. Purple Rank's Kill the Rat King quest is available.

Quest Details: Kill the King of the Rats and clear the castle of the Muddy Hill location. Bring the monster's head as proof of your victory.

Quest Conditions: The player must be at least level 19. This quest is for one player!

Reward: Unknown.

Do you accept the quest? Yes/No]

The status of the reward did not surprise the player. Profits from the mines were changing every day. What trophy will the boss leave? Unknown. The assignment was completely consistent with his character. Go in alone and summon support to destroy enemies. It was the same as always. The boss would be a perfect example of the kind of monsters that awaited him on the top floor of the Tower of Destiny.

"Not enough," whispered the young Baron. He did so only out of respect for the ancient tradition of trade. One must not accept the first price. One must bargain. "I appreciate the respect of your folk. I like mice. I want something else as a reward."

Count Tail laughed and set his glass on the table.

"Good for you. I didn't know how stupid you were until now. It's nice to see you're not exactly a lost cause. I'm ready to give you this," the overlord held out an old piece of paper to the young man. "You can give it to your blacksmith acquaintance. Mice don't do blacksmithing. We are not interested in that area of the market."

Dan Raven looked at the prized possession with delight. It was already a solid bonus to his ambition to defeat the Rat King.

[Strengthened Defense. (Drawing armor. Rank 6 - Epic).

Property of the armor: increase of Strength attribute depending on the mastery of the smith.

Requirements: Apprentice Blacksmith Level 3]

You can go to any mousetrap for a piece of cheese like this! Attentive to the progress of the profession Tom learned that the increase in attributes is a rare drawing. This drawing was awarded to masters of the Blacksmith Guild. At this point, Dan was able to raise the rank of Apprentice and had already paid 1000 gold coins to promote his status. This drawing is what the friends needed! With this drawing, Tom would be able to make a whole new item that would be worth a lot more gold.

The young man put the drawing on the table and nodded his head.

"That's enough. And I'm interested in it. One question. You said that Mud Hill resembles Zangar. If I fail, will I be a prisoner of the castle forever?"

"That's right," the mouse quickly hid the drawing in the sleeve of his shirt. "Several dozen of my ancestors disappeared in this cursed place. Don't worry about the consequences of your victory. My ancestors did not turn to other nations for help. Back in the old days, the Mice needed every grain of gold they could get their hands on. Then it was too late. No one dared to challenge this danger. But you have strong and loyal allies. The Lord of Fear is a legend."

Dan smiled at the words of the shrewd and wise ruler.

"I am ready to accept the assignment. I dare assure you that you can count on my victory. Respect for my allies requires me to hold a council with them. But I am sure my friends will approve of my mission," the swordsman said. Dan was fully confident that Tom would want a new epic drawing in his collection.

"I don't want the vampires and elves to know about your quest," Mouse asked.

"Why didn't you mention King Arador?" Dan did not understand the mouse count's suggestion.

"Young man, do not remind me of your king. There is a very difficult situation at the palace. Capturing ancient sources of resources is a complicated matter. Arador and Gemma have already lost some of their forces in unsuccessful attempts. The king is now preoccupied with matters of diplomacy. Everyone is willing to help. But dividing such a big pie is difficult. I'm not surprised Arador hasn't asked for your help," Count Tail squinted his eyes and grinned. The cunning mouse played with the young man like a master with a novice. The man was immediately hooked.

"I don't understand," Dan admitted. "I'm ready to help the king of men."

"The baron helps the king! What a humiliation. Why do we need such an overlord? We will force you to take the princess as your wife and become her faithful swordsman. And we will all be comfortable using your youth to our advantage," laughed the count.

Dan froze at such sincerity. He didn't want to get married and become the sword of the kingdom. He wanted to play for his pleasure. He and Tom were already planning to leave this location. Level 19 was too little! Beyond the threshold of the Tower of Destiny, new places and new levels and new adventures awaited them. He liked Koreima! She's harmful and sneaky, but she's always fun to be with.

"This is unexpected for me," the young man shook his head. "I'm too young to take on that kind of responsibility. Vampires already influence me. I don't even want to think about any complicated intrigue! This is your battlefield. My place is in the dungeons. I have no time for politics. I'm an honest warrior! The smith Humhum gives me gold. Vampiress Koreima takes care of my household Zangar. I don't want to be distracted from developing my mastery as a warrior."

"Excellent! I'm glad we have a deal, Baron. You can have the portal to Mud Hill Castle at any time," the Count rose from his chair.

"Very well. Thank you for the excellent impression of the meeting. It is a pleasure doing business with mice," the Baron stood up and bowed to the head of the Tail Clan.

"It is a pleasure to do business with the Heir. Dealing with people is difficult. Many of you are as greedy as gnomes and nasty as rats. But the mice are happy to take part in bringing order to Grossroads. It pleases us to increase our influence," the Overlord said seriously as he said goodbye.

Dan stepped out of the gate of the Tails lineage territory and was immediately transported to his room. He was in a hurry to talk to the phantom. He liked the prospect of getting a new drawing that fully satisfied his interests.

Tom listened intently to his friend and smiled.

"You know that such a drawing is worth more than five hundred thousand gold. And no one will sell it. The rank of master is hard to obtain. The Smith Guild is a strict organization. Even if we drop everything and work only in the forge, we can get the rank of master in three years. More precisely, we will be able to claim that title. But the Guild will not immediately give us such an important title. Professionals have their intrigues and their complicated affairs within the guild. A master is on the guild council. A master is required to have apprentices. It's too out of character for our desire to play with a sword in our hand," the clone smiled and winked at the man. "Go back to the count and take the portal. Let's have a look at this King Rat. A good test before visiting the Tower of Destiny."

The young man snorted with indignation. He's almost a viscount! And this insolent clone has him running back and forth like a little porter! Ugh, the frustration of that clone.

On the way to Castle Tail, Dan thought about the need to make peace with Koreima. He should get her some kind of present! And of course, he doesn't have to die in that Mud Hill.