Chapter 5: The Courage to Face Death!

The curtain of rain grew increasingly fierce.

Inside the carriage speeding toward the old district.

Having changed into a clean set of clothes, Isaac the rat catcher had slightly reddened eyes. He sniffled as he recounted the events.

Lately, the rat catchers had been very busy.

It had been some time since Isaac and his master were last seen.

Isaac’s growth was somewhat astonishing.

He had already reached Tier 2, and his Sequence was remarkably stable.

As a favored child of fate, a trendsetter of the era, and the bearer of a special Sequence, leveling up just a tiny bit faster was completely reasonable.

After all, as the core protagonist of the *Evil Spirit Wizard* chapter, "Zorn Colic," during the latter half of the story, was either running away or preparing to run away. Yet his power and level still soared upward by leaps and bounds.

"... We followed that hidden passage and arrived at the border between the dark realm and the depths of the sewers."

"Although the floodwaters in the sewers were exceptionally violent, they were all swallowed up by that peculiar boundary."

"We followed the trail and found the tranquil forest behind the Rat King’s Castle, originally intending to patrol and eliminate the Night-Fiend Rat-folk there."

"But we encountered that terrifying monster."

"It was like a mountain, and every step it took fell with a terrifying heaviness, as if a massive iron hammer was pounding against our hearts."

"We were completely powerless to resist and could only flee in panic."

"During the escape, three rat catchers in our team were killed by that terrifying Rat King."

"My master’s chest was also pierced. Although I used all my strength to bring him out and gave him a potion meant to restore vitality, bizarre bloody bubbles and black mist continuously drifted from his wound, and the injury simply refused to heal."

"You are knowledgeable and experienced... I beg you, please save my master!"

As he spoke, Isaac's voice grew increasingly hoarse.

While he explained, Zorn listened attentively.

*“They discovered a hidden passage leading underground? Their luck is truly astonishingly good.”*

This unexpected discovery brought many thoughts to Zorn’s mind.

However, although Isaac and the others had good luck, their strength fell far too short.

After finishing the account, Zorn steadied his mind and nodded slightly.

"Let’s wait until we arrive and see the condition of your master first."

Soon, the two reached a temporary resting place behind a tavern on Rook Main Street.

There were quite a few rat catchers gathered here, able to help one another when situations arose.

Just as they pushed through the old wooden door.

"Hah... hah..."

Zorn heard a strange sound coming from within.

"Oh! Damn it! Bevis is going berserk again."

Immediately afterward, Zorn saw several rat catchers pouring out in a panicked cluster.

"Bang... bang, bang..."

Heavy, twisting, and tumbling sounds echoed from inside the room.

"Everyone, please step aside! I’ve brought Mr. Zorn, he can save the master!"

Isaac pushed hard through the crowd and shouted loudly.

Mr. Zorn?

Upon hearing this, the various rat catchers couldn't help but freeze slightly.

Long before this, stories had circulated in their rat-catcher circle about the formidable [Brawler] Mr. Zorn brutally beating the Rat King.

This had filled them with curiosity about Mr. Zorn.

Now that Isaac mentioned Mr. Zorn, the rat catchers looked over one after another.

This was the legendary Mr. Zorn?

This... isn't he just a child the same age as Isaac?

When they saw the true appearance of "Mr. Zorn."

The rat catchers exchanged glances.

Could Isaac have made a mistake?!

Entering the room, Zorn’s gaze fell upon Bevis.

His powerful insight instantly allowed Zorn to perceive Bevis's current condition.

"Both his body and his spirituality have been polluted."

"And there is a tendency toward aberration and losing control."

Zorn immediately exerted [Evil Spirit Authority] to soothe Bevis's constantly writhing Sequence spirituality.

"Hoo... hoo..."

Bevis, who had been breathing heavily with blood-red eyes, arching his back and dropping to all fours like a beast, began to calm his breathing.

After a short moment, he slowly lowered himself, curling up on the bed and falling into a deep slumber.

Zorn stepped forward and pulled back the clothing. The wound on his chest had healed superficially but not completely, and thick, minuscule tendrils of bizarre black mist continued to seep out.

Beneath the skin, a black trace was clearly visible, gently writhing and climbing like a raised vascular earthworm.

"Not only is there pollution, but there is also a very powerful—curse!"

"It seems Butch has officially forged the crown of his subordinate."

While Zorn was examining the wound, the other rat catchers lingered near the door and windows, curiously watching the scene as Zorn pacified Bevis who had been on the verge of going berserk.

To put it in perspective, when Bevis was manic earlier, five or six of them couldn't hold him down, and someone had even been bitten twice.

Yet now, that Mr. Zorn had used some unknown, powerful method to actually calm the rampaging Bevis.

Earlier, they had been somewhat skeptical about whether this young "Mr. Zorn" possessed any real capabilities.

Now, it seemed that this young "Mr. Zorn" was quite resourceful.

Naturally, they grew even more convinced of the previous rumors that this Mr. Zorn had confronted and killed the Rat King head-on.

Isaac, his eyes still red, stepped forward cautiously.

"Mr. Zorn, is my master alright?"

Zorn glanced at Isaac, pointed at the earthworm-like black thread writhing and crawling near the wound, and spoke slowly.

"Do you see this thing?"

"I see it," Isaac nodded. "It was there before, but it seems a bit longer now than it was earlier."

"This is the death-ring curse of the [Blood Origin - Subordinate - Rat King Knight]," Zorn said softly.

"A regular Tier 2 transcendent afflicted with the death-ring curse can hold out for at most one day. However, your master is a rat catcher..."

"Can he withstand this death-ring curse?" Isaac asked anxiously.

Zorn glanced at Isaac.

"He can barely hold on for one extra day."

Boom... rumbling...

Thunder surged deep within the curtain of rain.

Much like the sudden thunderclap crashing deep within Isaac’s soul.

He stood completely frozen in place, with only endless roaring reverberating through the depths of his spirit.

Watching the utterly stunned rat catcher Isaac.

Zorn withdrew his gaze.

This kind of lethal death-ring curse was extremely powerful.

Eradicating it was actually quite simple—one just had to kill the [Blood Origin - Subordinate - Rat King Knight].

Once the curse was dispelled, drinking a few potions would also purge and purify the pollution.

However, for a rat catcher, that was simply far too difficult.

Gathering all the rat catchers together right now might not even be enough to take down the [Blood Origin - Subordinate - Rat King Knight].

Most likely, they would merely become "food" for the Rat King to grow even stronger.

Even the transcendents of the Church would have to pay a heavy price to kill the [Blood Origin - Subordinate - Rat King Knight].

In fact, along the original trajectory.

The Church indeed paid a tragic price to eliminate the [Blood Origin - Subordinate - Rat King Knight].

And during that process, sooner or later!

In the future, "Bevis," the master of the [Legendary - God Hunter] Isaac, would fall in a bitter battle.

Before his fall, he would pass the fire of the will of rat-catching and hunting on to Isaac.

After the passing of the torch, the old fire would be extinguished and a new fire would be born.

The will of rat-catching and hunting would permeate his soul and Sequence.

Compelling him, at a crucial moment, to deal a fatal blow to the grand boss of the evil spirit wizards, "Zorn Colic," taking one of his lives.

Stepping upon the corpse of the world-class grand boss [Evil Spirit Wizard], he would write his own legendary epic and forge his own imprint of poetry.

And now!

Zorn was going to rewrite this ending.

A very long time afterward.

With bloodshot, dry eyes, Isaac looked at Zorn, pleading with a hoarse and raspy voice.

"Mr. Zorn, you possess astonishing transcendental knowledge. You must have a way to save the master..."

"You often told me that in the transcendental world, if one wishes to gain something, they must pay a sufficient price."

"As long as you can save the master... I am willing to pay any price!"

Clenching his fists so hard his entire body shook, he was now willing to sell his very soul just to save his master!

If not for his master, he would have long since starved to death on the streets, let alone come into contact with this bizarre and mysterious transcendental world.

Everything he had was bestowed by his master, and he was willing to return all of it.

"I do have a way to save your master."

Zorn looked at Isaac, speaking in a low voice.

These words caused Isaac’s soul to tremble slightly.

"But the problem is, you must be prepared to bear a heavy price akin to shackles. You may lose your freedom, lose your own will, and even... forfeit your life for it."

"I am willing!"

Gritting his teeth, with an unprecedentedly resolute expression, Isaac gave his low reply.