The party spent the evening preparing for tomorrow's assault on the rat nest. They purchased additional torches, rope, and healing supplies, everything they might need for an extended fight in the sewers. Torvin acquired a new shield to replace the one damaged during the goblin operation, while Kelsa had her sword properly sharpened and balanced.

  Essa visited the temple again to receive additional blessings and protective wards that would help ward off disease and poison. The dire rats' bites were known to carry infections, and even survivors of rat attacks often died later from festering wounds.

  Arin used the time to read more of the System primer, focusing on sections about boss fights and tactical coordination. The book emphasized the importance of each party member understanding their specific role and trusting others to handle theirs.

  Tank, damage, support, scout. That's our composition. Torvin draws attention and absorbs hits. Kelsa and I deal damage. Essa keeps everyone alive and provides battlefield control.

  Simple in theory. Much harder in practice when facing a Level 10 monster that controlled a swarm of deadly minions.

  That night, sleep came slowly. Arin's core pulsed with anticipation and concern, running through scenarios and planning contingencies. Everything depended on their ability to separate the Rat King from its swarm long enough to kill it. If they failed, if the rats overwhelmed them through sheer numbers, this could be the party's last contract.

  Morning arrived gray and overcast, with rain threatening but not quite falling. The party gathered at a different access point than yesterday's, this one leading to a section of sewers closer to the Rat King's chamber based on Arin's mental map.

  "Everyone clear on the plan?" Kelsa asked as Torvin unlocked the grate.

  "Arin scouts ahead, marks safe paths," Torvin recited. "We move together as a unit, no splitting up. When we reach the junction before the Rat King's chamber, we set up the ambush."

  "I'll create a holy barrier that funnels the rats into a killing zone," Essa added. "They can either retreat or come through one at a time where we can handle them."

  "And I draw the Rat King's attention once the swarm is handled," Kelsa finished. "We focus fire on it until it's down."

  "Everyone remember," Torvin said seriously, "if this goes bad, if we get overwhelmed, we retreat immediately. No heroics. Living to fight another day beats dying for pride."

  The descent into the sewers was tense. Arin led the way, using his knowledge of the layout to guide them through the safest passages. They encountered several dire rats during the journey, but small groups that were quickly dispatched before they could raise an alarm.

  [+14 Mass]

  [+11 Essence]

  [Multiple similar notifications]

  Each rat Arin absorbed helped restore what he'd lost during yesterday's scouting mission, bringing his mass and essence closer to full capacity.

  They reached the junction chamber that Arin had identified, a space large enough for the party to fight effectively but positioned to control access to the Rat King's main nest. Essa immediately began setting up her holy barrier while Torvin positioned himself at the chamber's main entrance.

  "How many do you think will come?" Essa asked as she worked, her hands glowing with divine light.

  "At least two dozen based on what Arin saw," Kelsa said. "Probably more if the Rat King can summon additional swarms from other nest areas."

  The barrier took shape, a shimmering wall of golden light that left only a narrow opening where Torvin stood with shield raised. Any rats wanting to reach the party would have to come through that choke point, where they'd face the dwarf's defenses and the party's concentrated attacks.

  "Ready," Essa said, breathing heavily from the magical exertion. "But I can't maintain this forever. Maybe twenty minutes before it starts to fade."

  "Then we make those twenty minutes count." Kelsa looked at Arin. "Time to wake up the nest. Get their attention and bring them here."

  Arin activated Stealth and flowed toward the Rat King's chamber, his essence draining at the familiar rate. He'd need to be quick about this, conserve enough essence for the actual fighting.

  [-3 Essence per minute]

  The Rat King was exactly where he'd seen it yesterday, surrounded by its swarm in the large junction chamber. Arin positioned himself at the chamber's entrance, deactivated Stealth, and made himself as visible as possible.

  The effect was immediate. Every rat in the chamber turned toward him, their eyes reflecting hatred and hunger. The Rat King made a deep, resonant sound, and the swarm surged forward.

  Arin fled, not using Charge to preserve essence, but moving as fast as his gelatinous nature allowed. Behind him, the scratching of countless claws on stone grew louder as the rats gave chase.

  He led them through the tunnels he'd mapped yesterday, taking the most direct route back to where his party waited. The squeaking grew frenzied as more rats joined the pursuit, summoned by the Rat King's commands.

  When Arin burst into the junction chamber, at least thirty dire rats were pursuing him. He flowed past Torvin into the protected area behind Essa's barrier.

  "Holy gods," Torvin muttered as the rats approached. "That's more than we expected."

  "Hold the line!" Kelsa shouted. "Don't let them break through!"

  The first wave of rats hit Torvin's shield like a living avalanche. The dwarf braced himself, his enhanced strength and heavy armor keeping him stable despite the impact. His warhammer swung in devastating arcs, crushing skulls and breaking bones with each strike.

  Kelsa positioned herself at Torvin's right, her sword work a blur of defensive strikes that kept rats from flanking the dwarf. Arin took the left side, using his mass to block the narrow gap and his acidic nature to burn any rat that tried to force through.

  Essa stood back, her healing magic ready, but also casting offensive spells when opportunities appeared. Bolts of golden light shot from her hands, striking rats that tried to climb walls or the ceiling to bypass the choke point.

  The fight was chaos. Rats died by the dozen, but more kept coming, an endless stream of fur and fangs and disease. Arin absorbed what he could when rats died near him, his mass growing as essence reserves depleted.

  [+12 Mass]

  [+9 Essence]

  [-15 Mass] (from rat bites)

  [+15 Mass]

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  [+12 Essence]

  His Status fluctuated wildly as he took damage and recovered it through absorption. Torvin's armor was scoring deep scratches from repeated attacks. Kelsa had several bleeding wounds on her arms where rat claws had gotten past her defenses.

  "Barrier's failing!" Essa warned. "Maybe five more minutes!"

  "We need to thin them faster!" Kelsa called back.

  Arin made a split-second decision. He activated Charge and slammed into the mass of rats beyond Torvin's position, using his full weight to crush several at once.

  [-5 Essence]

  The impact killed three rats instantly and scattered several more. But it also left Arin temporarily isolated beyond the barrier, surrounded by enemies.

  Rat bites tore at his mass from multiple directions. Claws raked across his surface. For a terrifying moment, Arin thought he'd made a fatal mistake.

  Then Torvin was there, his shield clearing space, and Arin flowed back behind the dwarf's protection.

  [-28 Mass]

  "Don't do that again!" Kelsa shouted at him.

  The rat swarm's numbers finally began to thin. The sustained fighting had killed dozens of them, and the survivors were showing signs of hesitation. Without the Rat King's constant commands driving them forward, the dire rats' natural survival instincts were emerging.

  "They're breaking!" Torvin called out.

  He was right. The remaining rats scattered, fleeing down various tunnels to regroup deeper in the sewers. The choke point had worked, the party had survived, and now only one threat remained.

  The Rat King emerged from the tunnel system with a deep, rumbling growl. Without its swarm to shield it, the massive creature was forced to approach the party directly.

  [Rat King - Level 10]

  "Formation shift!" Kelsa commanded. "Surround and strike!"

  The party moved into a different configuration, with Torvin engaging the Rat King from the front while Kelsa and Arin attacked from the sides. Essa maintained distance, ready to heal but also casting offensive spells when she could.

  The Rat King was fast despite its size, its movements driven by predatory instinct and surprising intelligence. It focused first on Torvin, recognizing the dwarf as the primary threat, and its massive jaws clamped down on his shield with enough force to dent metal.

  Torvin staggered under the bite force but held his ground. His warhammer came up in a devastating uppercut that caught the Rat King under the jaw, snapping its head back.

  Kelsa's sword opened a long gash across the creature's flank. Arin flowed up its leg, his acidic nature burning into diseased flesh as he wrapped around the Rat King's throat.

  The creature thrashed wildly, trying to dislodge them both, but the party had found their rhythm. This was what they'd trained for: coordinated assault against a powerful single target.

  Essa's holy magic burned into the Rat King's milky eye, and the creature shrieked in pain. It reared back on its hind legs, exposing its belly, and Kelsa drove her sword deep into vulnerable flesh.

  Arin tightened his grip on the throat, burning through windpipe and arteries. The Rat King's movements grew weaker, more desperate. Blood flowed freely from multiple wounds.

  Torvin's final warhammer strike caught the Rat King squarely between the eyes, and the massive creature finally collapsed.

  [Rat King Defeated - Level 10]

  [+68 Mass]

  [+52 Essence]

  [LEVEL UP!]

  [You have reached Level 10]

  [+1 Skill Points]

  [New Essence Capacity: 200]

  The level-up notification blazed through Arin's consciousness as he absorbed what he could of the Rat King. Level 10. The threshold for Silver rank certification. He'd finally reached it.

  The party took a moment to catch their breath and assess injuries. Everyone was wounded to some degree, covered in bites and scratches that would need proper treatment.

  "Everyone alive?" Kelsa asked, her voice tight with exhaustion.

  "Aye," Torvin rumbled. "Though I'll be spending tomorrow getting this armor repaired again."

  "I'm out of healing magic," Essa said. "We need to get out of here before any surviving rats regroup."

  They collected what evidence they could of the Rat King's death, teeth, claws, anything that would prove they'd completed the contract, and made their way back to the surface. The journey was tense, everyone alert for ambush, but the surviving dire rats had scattered too thoroughly to mount a counterattack.

  When they emerged into daylight, stumbling out of the sewers into the merchant quarter, a small crowd had gathered. Word of adventurers entering the sewers had spread, and now people watched to see if they'd succeeded or become another cautionary tale.

  Guild Master Theron was among the crowd, his expression carefully neutral until he saw the party's condition and the trophies they carried.

  "The Rat King?" he asked.

  "Dead," Kelsa confirmed. "Along with most of its swarm. The ones that survived fled deep into the system, probably won't be a problem for months if ever."

  "Outstanding. Return to the guild hall once you've seen the temple healer. We'll complete the contract payment and discuss next steps."

  The temple healing took several hours. Essa's earlier blessings had prevented the worst of the rat bite infections, but everyone still needed treatment. Arin's mass had taken significant damage, leaving him smaller than his usual size despite absorbing the Rat King.

  When they finally reached the guild hall to collect payment, the fifty gold contract fee seemed almost insufficient for what they'd endured. However, it was still the largest payment Arin had ever received, and it represented something more significant than mere coin.

  "You're the first party to succeed with the merchant quarter sewers," Theron said as he counted out the gold. "That earns you reputation in Thornbridge. Other adventurers are watching, seeing that you can handle what defeated others."

  He slid the payment across his desk. "I'm also authorized to inform you that Bronze rank parties with your record of success are eligible for Silver rank testing. The next testing period begins in two weeks. Would you be interested?"

  Kelsa looked at her party members. "We'll discuss it and let you know."

  After leaving Theron's office, the party found a quiet corner of the guild hall to talk.

  "Silver rank," Torvin said, his eyes distant. "I've been working toward that for three years. Three years of Bronze contracts, building skills and reputation."

  "We've only been together for a month," Essa added. "Is this too fast?"

  "Arin just hit Level 10," Kelsa said. "I'm Level 11, Torvin's Level 12, Essa's Level 11. We meet the level requirements. And we just proved we can handle Silver-rank threats."

  She looked at Arin specifically. "What do you think?"

  Arin considered carefully. Silver rank meant harder contracts, more danger, but also more opportunities. It meant being taken seriously in cities like Thornbridge and eventually Vyrdan. It meant growing stronger faster.

  I V O T E Y E S W E A R E R E A D Y

  "Then we test in two weeks," Kelsa decided. "Which means we have time to take smaller contracts, build up our equipment and supplies, maybe do some individual skill training."

  They split the payment equally, twelve gold and five silver pieces each, and headed to the guild clerk to deposit their earnings into their accounts. Arin marveled at how quickly his financial situation had changed. Two months ago, he'd been surviving in the forest with nothing. Now his guild ledger showed enough wealth to fund months of living expenses or purchase significant equipment upgrades.

  As the party dispersed for the evening with plans to reconvene tomorrow, Arin reflected on everything that had happened since arriving in Thornbridge. The city was exactly as it was advertised. It was larger, more complicated, more dangerous, and more rewarding than Greengate.

  But it was also a stepping stone, a place to grow stronger and build the reputation he'd need for eventually reaching Vyrdan and finding a way to reveal the truth about Levi's death.

  I’m level 10! Silver rank testing in two weeks means I’m one step closer to avenging Levi.

  He checked his Status before returning to the inn, noting with satisfaction that his essence had fully recovered despite the mass damage.

  [Name: Arin]

  [Species: Adaptive Slime]

  [Level: 10]

  [Mass: 256% of base]

  [Essence: 167/200]

  [Skills:]

  - Charge (Tier 1)

  - Darkvision (Tier 1)

  - Stealth (Tier 1)

  [Abilities:]

  - Absorption (Tier 2)

  - Acidic (Tier 1)

  - Fire Resistance (Tier 1)

  - Ice Resistance (Tier 1)

  - Lightning Resistance (Tier 1)

  - Physical Resistance (Tier 1)

  - Shadow Resistance (Tier 1)

  - Magical Resistance (Tier 1)

  - Slime Control (Tier 1)

  [Skill Points Available: 2]

  Being level 10 with two skill points saved suddenly gave Arin options. He could either unlock a fourth skill slot for five points total after getting three more levels, or upgrade an existing skill to Tier 2.

  Those were decisions for tomorrow, though. Tonight, he would rest and celebrate surviving another major challenge.

  The path forward was clear, and Arin was ready to walk… or slide along it.