Chapter 26 The Young Fox That Hunts Rats

Vinigo let out a quiet chuckle as he raised his bow and drew it back lightly.

Sonic Wave!

Sonic Wave was a hunter’s offensive skill, striking a three-meter square area at once. Though not especially powerful, it was swift and difficult to evade—perfect for dealing with these dire rats.

With a single Sonic Wave, the leading rats were blown back, momentarily stunned, clumping together with the ones that followed. Sophie stepped forward without a word, hefting her greatsword horizontally and smashing it down at a slant.

Yes, she struck downward with the flat of the blade.

It was a brutal blow—flesh and blood splattered everywhere. Vinigo’s first reaction was to spring back half a step, blocking Honey’s line of sight—and conveniently dodging the spray of filthy blood.

Vinigo nocked an arrow to his shortbow. This composite bow, bought in Whitecap Town, was small but both powerful and accurate—a true product of the kingdom’s foremost archer’s workshop. The minor magic imbued in the bow wasn’t particularly strong, but for Vinigo, it was just right.

Precision—his arrows gained magically enhanced accuracy. With his natural talent for archery, focus, and the “Gifted Marksman” trait, Vinigo was now on par with an elite sniper.

He drew and loosed. The bow sang with a clear twang as an arrow shot down the broad sewer passage. Almost simultaneously, an inhuman screech echoed from around the bend.

"Ratfolk… Monsters said to be born of alchemy and magic, with the head of a giant rat and the body of a half-man—cunning, savage, cowardly thieves," Vinigo explained to Honey. "So be careful. Don’t let them ambush you."

"Honey… Honey will be careful," she replied, a little nervously, glancing at the enemies around them. She wasn’t faint of heart and had seen plenty of battles, but as a girl, she couldn’t help being a bit uneasy around rats.

She hesitated, considering whether to cast a mass fear spell. But after glancing at Vinigo, she held back.

She’d grown used to fighting according to Vinigo’s instructions. Since he hadn’t spoken, it was better not to disrupt his and Sophie’s rhythm with her magic.

Still… she was a little disgruntled. Why were the two of them always so perfectly in sync, like twins?

Vinigo had no idea what was on young Honey’s mind; his attention was entirely on the composite bow in his hands.

This short, powerful bow was actually better suited for mounted archery, but hunters excelled not at rapid fire but at powerful, precise shots. Focusing intently, Vinigo loosed arrows that, with their astonishing accuracy, could pierce multiple dire rats or ratfolk in a single shot. The threat of his arrows struck fear into the monsters.

Once frightened, the dire rats and ratfolk scattered. But if Vinigo and his companions ignored them, they would quickly regroup and attack from every direction.

It was troublesome, but for now, there was no better way.

Vinigo sighed and signaled Sophie to keep moving forward.

"Honey, what’s wrong?" he asked, glancing back to see the little priestess looking somewhat absent-minded.

"Ah? Oh, Honey was just thinking about something odd," Honey replied with a bright smile, skipping after Sophie as she jogged ahead.

"Something odd?" Vinigo tilted his head with a faint smile.

The trio pressed on swiftly. Vinigo would occasionally turn to fire an arrow behind them or unleash a Sonic Wave to blast apart clumps of dire rats and ratfolk. The deeper they ventured into the sewers, the more numerous and densely packed the enemies became.

"What should we do?" Sophie asked.

"Sophie, can you use any other weapons?" Vinigo suddenly asked.

She shook her head softly. "I can manage swords, but not bows, spears, or hammers."

"You can manage?" Vinigo was momentarily taken aback. He opened his pack and drew out a pair of dark elven rapiers, reversing his grip to offer them to Sophie.

She took the twin swords and gave them a casual flourish—so this was just ‘managing’? Vinigo suddenly felt his poor pride take a serious blow.

"It’s not really suitable to fight these little creatures with a greatsword. Try the rapiers," Vinigo said, then leaned in close to whisper a few words in Sophie’s ear.

What he said didn’t matter—what mattered was that this was the hunter’s skill: Counsel. In the original game, it boosted an ally’s critical hit rate.

Critical hit rate, perhaps, meant it was easier to strike vital points, tear open wounds, or land a fatal blow.

With that, even the less powerful but quick-hitting rapiers could become deadly in her hands.

Sophie swept through the sewers with twin blades whirling like a fierce storm. With her at the vanguard, not a single ratfolk thief or dire rat could get close; if they hesitated for even a moment, they were shredded by the storm of steel.

Vinigo put away his bow and drew a short sword, following just five paces behind Sophie. If any monster tried to ambush them from the sides or rear, he would dart forward and take its head with a single stroke.

Hunters excelled with bows and short blades. Unfortunately, most of their skills were designed for controlling the battlefield—highly effective against powerful ‘monsters’, but a bit wasted on weak, numerous foes like dire rats.

Only Sonic Wave truly suited this situation.

After turning several corners and walking dozens of meters, they reached the heart of the sewer system. This was where all the wastewater collected and was purified.

And where dire rats were thickest!

"Honey, the usual," Vinigo said quietly.

The usual? Honey blinked, then quickly understood.

"That’s right, Honey is pretty amazing too," she thought to herself. "Yes, Honey and Little Fox are just as in sync."

Honey chanted loudly, her prayer-song sending waves of Berserk spell directly into the center of the monster horde, landing squarely on the half-ratfolk warlocks.

These warlocks possessed innate spell-like abilities, able to conjure poisonous jets to attack their enemies. The point of the Berserk spell was to drive them mad, forcing them to attack the nearest target like crazed beasts.

Thus, the warlocks would no longer cast spells, and their chaos would split the monster horde in two.

Sophie’s rapiers whirled like a meat grinder through the front ranks of dire rats and ratfolk, while Vinigo’s composite bow calmly picked off distant warlocks and any enemies that managed to slip past Sophie’s sword dance.

Vinigo would occasionally send a Sonic Wave to ease the pressure on Sophie. Though the fight was perilous, with the sense that a single mistake could break their defenses, they nonetheless pressed steadily toward the center of the sewage pool.

The hunter’s Counsel—what a divine skill, Vinigo thought.

Under its effect, Sophie’s twin blades seemed possessed. Her strength was already formidable, and wielding rapiers with such might made her blows blindingly fast. The air was filled with the sound of slicing steel, flashes of blade, and spurts of blood.

"Sophie, your strength surpasses my wildest imagination," Vinigo murmured in admiration.

"Little Fox, there are so many enemies… Honey’s getting tired," Honey whispered in warning.

Vinigo was surprised; he hadn’t noticed Honey’s dwindling mana. They’d never faced such a large host before.

Still, by his estimation, she was holding up well enough. He nodded, patting her head and signaling her to rest a bit.

"Sophie, fall back," Vinigo ordered.

He loosed a Sonic Wave to scatter the foes in front of Sophie, then pulled Honey back with him. Sophie, needing no further cue, automatically dropped to the rear to cover their retreat.

As they fled, their pace was swift. Few enemies remained behind them, and those that did couldn’t mount an effective pursuit against Vinigo’s Sonic Waves and Honey’s group fear spells.

When the trio finally escaped through the entrance, Honey’s face was pale and she was utterly spent, unable to cast another spell.

"Rest for a while—I need to prepare," Vinigo told her, giving her a gentle pat.

Character reset complete: Vinigo.

On the back of Vinigo’s mechanical bull were several packs, each filled with equipment for different situations. He pondered for a moment, then opened pack number four and rummaged through it.

"Honey, take a nap. We’ll keep watch," Vinigo said. "We’ve already cleared out nearly half the sewer’s lesser monsters. Next, the Prince of Thieves will probably reveal his trump cards—unless he plans to abandon Free Haven and flee."

"Our demonstrated strength shouldn’t be enough to make him choose that," Sophie agreed with a nod.

"Let’s rest a bit too," Vinigo said, spreading his pack on the ground and sitting on it. It was filled with leather armor and other items, so he didn’t mind the weight.

Sophie nodded but didn’t sit. She leaned against the wall, one hand resting on her greatsword, the twin rapiers planted in the ground beside her, eyes half-closed as she dozed.

Half an hour passed quickly. Honey slept soundly, and Vinigo, fully rested, stood up.

He was about to speak when he saw Sophie, eyes closed, suddenly snap them open, a brilliant light flashing in her gaze.

"What a mesmerizing look…" Vinigo found himself thinking.

"Careful," Sophie said sharply, springing up and yanking Vinigo aside. At that instant, a flash of cold light shot from the corner of the building, twisting rapidly through the air, striking the spot where Vinigo had just been standing.

What was that?