The two of them headed back toward the main hall, the scenery this time looked completely different. Unlike before they knew the story of Van Dijk, now this place looked far more haunting. Now that it has a story and a past, the bones on the ground and the damage to the walls are enough to grant vivid images to the written words of Van Dijk’s diary.
Once Ludwig arrived to the dungeon entrance, “Looks like they tried to come out,” Ludwig muttered, his voice low as he noticed that the rubble he had placed at the front of the dungeon had been moved slightly. The stones were shifted as if something had pushed against them from the other side. He crouched down, examining the disturbed debris with a critical eye. The faint claw marks on the rocks confirmed his suspicion—the rats had tried to escape.
He approached the blockade cautiously, his movements deliberate as he began to move the stones aside. The sound of grinding rock echoed softly in the dimly lit entrance of the dungeon.
“That’s enough to squeeze in,” Thomas said, his voice echoing faintly in Ludwig’s mind.
“I’ll need to fully clear it,” Ludwig replied, his tone firm. “In case I have to back out, I don’t want to be stuck here with rats after me.” He continued to work methodically, widening the gap until it was large enough for him to pass through comfortably. Once satisfied, he stepped back, brushing the dust off his hands.
Ludwig placed his foot inside the dungeon’s entrance, the cool, damp air brushing against his skin. A faint, musty smell filled his nostrils, and the dim light from the outside world barely illuminated the first few feet of the tunnel.
[You have entered the Gray-Rat dungeon.]
The mouth of the cave was dug through what looked like dirt and grime, with pieces of rock and stone protruding from the walls here and there. Ludwig moved with slow, confident steps, his eyes scanning the surroundings. The inside of the dungeon was thankfully large enough for him to walk and even swing his weapon freely, though the structure was slightly awkward. The floor slanted steeply downward, forcing him to slow his pace to avoid slipping or tumbling.
Once he reached the bottom of the slant, the dungeon revealed itself to be part of the mansion. Thomas had been right—this was indeed the basement. The walls here were man-made, constructed of sturdy stone that had weathered the passage of time far better than the eroded walls of the mansion above. Despite the claw marks and old, petrified feces of rats that littered the floor, the basement felt less eerie than the mansion itself, especially after what Ludwig had read in the journal.
What looked like old wine cellars, broken barrels, and old wooden boxes full of dust and grime revealed broken bottles of what looked like wine. pieces of old wood remained there suffering slowly and unfortunately under the passage of time. What could have been good wine was turned to waste because of these rats. Ludwig could only sigh at the waste.
“I can’t use the chain’s long-range moves freely,” Ludwig muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. The tightness of the walls limited his ability to swing his weapon widely, forcing him to adapt. While he could use mana to make the chains move by will, it would exhaust him faster in terms of mana usage. Instead, he flicked the chains on his left arm, watching as they wrapped around his forearm in tight, protective coils, forming a makeshift shield.
“Hmm, pretty handy,” he said, testing the weight and flexibility of the chain shield. Satisfied, he moved forward, his footsteps echoing softly in the damp, narrow corridor.
The only sounds that filled the dungeon were the constant, monotonous dripping of water and the occasional echo of Ludwig’s footsteps. However, after a short while, the sound of skittering feet and claws striking against the cold, hard floor began to reverberate through the walls. Enemies were approaching.
Ludwig flicked his scythe open, transforming it into its sword form. He gripped the weapon tightly, his body ready for the upcoming fight. The first rat charged ahead, its eyes glowing a menacing red and its mouth wide open, revealing rows of sharp, yellowed teeth. Ludwig’s experience in killing them allowed him to replay the exact same sequence from his last fight.
The charging rat leaped at him, claws extended and mouth gaping, ready to tear into his flesh. Ludwig’s left arm, protected by the chain shield, shot forward, the chains collapsing around his arm as he shoved it into the rat’s mouth. The sudden movement caught the creature off guard, but unlike the last time, Ludwig’s arm was only partially coated in chains.
[-144hp!]
[You have been afflicted with Rabies!]
[As an Undead, you are immune to all mortal diseases.]
Ludwin grimaced but didn’t falter. He slammed his arm down onto the ground, crushing the mud-covered floor beneath him. At the same time, he drove his sword through the rat’s eye, twisting the blade to ensure a quick and decisive end to the creature’s life.
[You have obtained 1 feeble soul.]
[You have obtained 1 feeble soul.]
[You have obtained, perfect Gray Rat leather.]
[You have obtained, Gray Rat’s poisoned fang.]
Ludwig picked up the items and tossed them into his ring, his movements quick and efficient.
“The drops are doubled for anything you get in this dungeon,” Thomas remarked, his tone casual. “By the end, you’ll probably have more trash than anything useful inside that ring of yours. Also, how come you still have space left in there?”
“I barely have any space left,” Ludwig admitted, his voice tinged with frustration. “With all of Master Van Dijk’s items, it already feels packed as hell. I’ll need to sort things through later…” He sighed, pausing for a moment before moving forward.
[Deus Necros’s Blessing is activating!]
‘Huh?’
Ludwig’s body froze for a second as he immediately lost all control, a sensation that always accompanied Deus Necros’s interference. His hand moved on its own, pointing to the small, fist-sized lantern on his side and tapping it twice.
Immediately after, Ludwig regained control over his body as the blessing dissipated.
[You have unlocked, [Inventory].]
Ludwig touched the lantern, and his mind felt as if it had been transported inside it. A massive space, the size of several football fields, appeared before him.
“Damn, must be nice to have a backer as powerful as Necros,” Thomas said, his voice filled with awe. “Something this size would easily be worth ten times the annual income of one of the seven countries under the Lufondal Empire. Might even be more than what the empire itself incurs in taxes every year.”
“Interesting,” Ludwig murmured, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “Well, I guess I won’t have to worry about space anymore.” He willed the contents of his ring to pour into the new subspace, watching as the items transferred seamlessly.
The contents of Van Dijk’s tower were immense, to say the least. Books he had never gotten the chance to read due to their complexity, forbidden spell books, banned curses, and dark magic tomes filled the space. Alongside them were alchemy materials, a few corpses, and what looked like necromancy study materials.
“You think Master would be angry if I use some of his stuff?” Ludwig asked, his voice hesitant.
“I mean… he never specifically said not to use them,” Thomas replied, his tone nonchalant.
“You’re right,” Ludwig said, a small smile forming on his face. “But not right now. Let me finish this dungeon first.”
“And since we’re no longer under the scrutiny of the academy, Rise Undead!” Ludwig declared, pressing his palm against the ground next to the Gray Rat’s corpse.
Black and purple sigils of power surged from under Ludwig’s palm, spreading until they touched the corpse. The creature began to shudder and rattle, its lifeless form twitching as the necromantic energy took hold.
[Your Necromantic Spell [Rise Undead] is being affected by [Codex Necros].]
Instead of a skeletal corpse emerging, the entire creature stood up, its fur falling away in patches as its skin tore and its flesh rotted. The transformation was grotesque, yet fascinating.
[You have revived [Zombie Gray Rat].]
[Your proficiency in Necromancy has marginally increased.]
The rat turned to look at Ludwig, its glowing red eyes now dull and lifeless. It simply stood there, waiting for his command.
Ludwig inspected it, curious to see what had changed.
[Inspect.]
Zombie Pestilent Gray-Rat
Level 40
HP: 40,000
Damage: 700-900
Tier: Uncommon
Status effect: [Plague], [Cholera], [Rabies], [Undead]
Skills:
[Aura of Death]: All undead have a unique aura around them. For a Zombie Undead, the aura [Contagion] is applied.
[Play Dead] – Removed Due to Undeath.
[Burrow]: Can burrow in almost any terrain to hide and escape danger.
[Festering Wounds]: Each time the Pestilent Gray-Rat attacks, it has a 10% chance to land one of three random status effects on the target: [Plague], [Cholera], or [Rabies].
Lore: A mutated rat species that lives in the Bastos March, they’ve encountered a severe mutation that allows them to carry diseases that are incurable or deadly for humans. They usually move in packs. It fell under the curse of Undeath and now serves a new master as a low-tier zombie that only follows orders.
“Lead the way,” Ludwig commanded, his voice firm. “Find your species, and kill them.”
The zombie rat obeyed without hesitation, its rotting form shuffling forward as it began to scout the dungeon ahead. Ludwig followed closely behind, his weapon at the ready, without the fetters of the Empire, he could finally let loose now.