What Herhail, the serf, saw, was a few rats with unique circumstances eating the corpses of three guys.
The place around him already had a very big problem with too little vegitation or life at all, it was like this close by, within 50m from his home, all had this problem.
This showed what 'scorched earth' meant, to turn the earth into baren lands, although it's usually done with flames. Herhail knew of these words because it was a very common word when talking about wars long ago with a rival country he didn't know the name of.
He really liked the idea of destroying everything, to stop all life, just to kill a higher enemy. It just felt so cool.
Herhail felt no real problems with killing the three people, like you may have already picked up on, you often get shanked or lynched here, death is very normal. By starvation, plagues, murder, tier 2 monsters, shankings, lynchings, betrayals, many, many ways.
So you kinda get used to it, but then he noticed something.
[Rat 1 has killed human (Tier 4 path, lvl 7); gained 420 exp.]
[Rat 5 has killed human (Tier 2 path, lvl 13); gained 370 exp.]
[Rat 3 has killed human (Tier 3 path, lvl 11); gained 340 exp.]
Humans had great exp returns for their difficulties at killing, three gang members were already 1130 exp.
Herhail hadn't killed any humans before, shanking another kid in the gut for some of the distributed bread of the gang head wasn't murder, because the guy didn't die through his hands, so he didn't know about human exp rates.
Herhail's choice not to kill people had fallen into extreme questioning, coming out of the situation as dead "Kill them all!"
There were currently only 6 rats around, this was because Herhail didn't feel an honest fear to the gang members. And he just wanted to see what happens, also saving exp for those land cards, he literally didn't have enough mana for most other cards right now.
Quickly many notification appeared.
[Rat 3 killed human (Tier 1, lvl 3); 40 exp.]
[Rat 1 killed human (Tier 2, lvl 4); 140 exp.]
[Rat 5 killed human (Tier 3, lvl 2); 90 exp.]
[Rat 6 killed human (Tier 1, lvl 1); 10 exp.]
[Rat 2 killed human (Tier 2, lvl 2); 65 exp.]
[Rat 4 killed human (Tier 1, lvl 6); 120 exp.]
[Rat 1 killed human (Tier 4, lvl 8); 490 exp.]
It truly exploded, he respected the many deaths with .0001 seconds of silence.
Quickly, all the rats had attained all the exp they needed, which was two times the previous one. In the end he had gotten 27520 exp in the end, it's called an expecience overshot, he couldn't make rats get the perfect amount of exp for their levels.
Herhail already started to rub his hands in excitement "Come on! Something good!"
[Evolution rat into;
(Old evolutions except [healthy rat])....
Tier 1; ambitious-rat
A rat with a high hopes has a better future if it survives the gamble. Better potential, and stats.
Tier 1; Black rat
A rat with a higher bloodline, with a higher attunement with physical stats, gaining a +1 to dexterity, strength, and vitality every level. While getting 2 free stats every level.
Tier 1; White rat
A rat with a higher bloodline, with a higher attunement with magical and intellectual stats, gaining a +1 to magic and a +2 to intelligence. While getting 2 free stats every level.
Tier 2; Briaraik
A higher sub-species of the Braik, tunnels faster, and is overall better at everything. Not that well known of a creature, and is mistaken for a Braik, the difference is the black claws instead of gray ones.
Tier 2; Healthy Giant rat.
A giant rat with higher potential and future.
Tier 2; Uiniakqua (Rat 1 only)
A higher species of the Yuarqua, can kill tier 3's of the same level with it's power, solitary and usually just a urban legend due to it's rare-ness. Has increased size and a bit more vitality.
Tier 2; Iraijikijiaji (Rat 2 only)
A higher species of the Irijikaij, far more powerful, and can live without 90% of it's blood and most organs, a great power for rat-likes.
Tier 2; Ruiriakia (Rat 3 only)
A higher species of the Ruiniaka, It's speed is extremely high, and it's mind has adapted to the high speeds, pretty violent and hungers for more blood. Often confused for a Wertsusut since it's speed is far higher than most 3rd tiers since it has not increased endurance at all.
Tier 2; Ariariasis (Rat 4 only)
A higher species of the Yrairis, has all sizes; width, length and hight dubbled in comparison to the original Yrairis. Is 99% of the time confused for the tier 3 Iraisurau, but there's a pretty big difference in the fact it has red eyes and has white hair instead of grey hair in it's ears.
Tier 2; Eriakyia (Rat 5 only)
A higher species of the Irkaria, it's pure magical power was not hightened, but it's adaption to the magical power has hightened and started to understand magical spells in rare instances. kind of violent, but has control over it's own mind.
Tier 2; Yrisairariaar (Rat 6 only)
A feat for a newbie to slay, but most mages above lvl 10 can kill it and it's colony with ease, as long as they don't fall for it's many gambits. Which they often do, since they don't know anything above Uqirisiaar is hidden, it's a higher species of the Urisiaar.]
Again Herhail threw the rats into a trail by fire as he choose [Ambitious rat], this time needing 30 exp to level up to lvl 1. Then 60 for lvl 2, then 90 to lvl 3, you understand?
But this time Herhail had no worries at all, with human resources, this would be done quickly "Kill the children first, go for the aorta! Open the throat with your fangs! only get ready for adults after you level up twice!"
Herhail let the exp get to his head, and he had no problems with that morally. Human life was just a number afterall, easily replenished with a few years of hard work.
That was what the slums were for, conscript soldiers used to death, and without fear of it. Otherwise they wouldn't be given 'Rations', moldy bread and the like, by the kingdom.
It really sped up quickly, that human murder.
[Rat 1 has killed human (Lvl 0); 10 exp.]
[Rat 1 has killed human (Lvl 0); 9 exp.]
[Rat 1 has killed human (Lvl 0); 13 exp.]
Rat 1 with his increased power quickly killed a few orphans and leveled-up "Nothing personal."
Quickly he added on 2 stat points to strength and found out that he would get 2 stats every level like those white and black rats, he was expecting the same things as last time, since the two colored rats expressly stated that 2 free stats would be given per level.
As such rat 1 was allowed to kill normal humans without restriction, then rat 3, then rat 2, then rat 4, then rat 5, then rat 6 in the end.
Then rat 2 & 6 were told to work together, since they were the weakest ones.
Then he went and started to train with his bad bow, shooting with arrows which was now a stick with a shank on it. He was doing his best to get the archery normal skill, but it wasn't working right now.
So he got a new bow, it was quite easy to waste time like that. Just make a new bow, make new twine, make new fire-drills. Until he suddenly got the skill.
[Obtained the normal skill;
He never expected this, he already felt arrogance growing "I must be pretty talented."
As such, he went to sleep peacefully, as his rats were looking for more people to kill as they had all hidden under the gang boss. They were paying him protection money for so long, he should at least keep them alive. The real boss was also getting paid to keep them alive.
There she is actually, in the best house of the slums's basement with far better conditions "My lady, the rat-likes have been spotted in district 5, district 2, 7, and 4 have become dead zones with little life."
A woman with long slightly purple dark hair strained her eyes in annoyance "Why can't I just send one of you two to deal with them?"
"My lady," Another hooded figure said "We cannot let people know that a noble, even if a baronet's daughter, is taking business in ruling the slums."
"Tsk!" The woman clicked her toung, she had been here for 13 years now, since she was 15. Although she did look older, and she didn't have big breasts, she still looked good for the common folk.
"Show me your goddamned status!" She suddenly burst out of her mouth.
"Yes my lady." both of them said, used to her outbursts.
[Name; Jakos
Normal skills; Running, lvl 4. Poison resistance, lvl 21. Rot resistance, lvl 8. pain resistance, lvl 12. Burn resistance, lvl 12. Water resistance, lvl 16. Drug resistance, lvl 3. Impact resistance, lvl 5.
Innate traits; Anger prone, lvl 2. Enduring, lvl 4. Adaptive, lvl 1
Aquired traits; Calm, lvl 3. Vigerous, lvl 2. Survival centered, lvl 1.
Titles; Baronet's soldier (Irial baronet).
Paths;
Path skills;
Equipment; Cloak of obstruction, shoes, gloves, shield, sword, shirt, pants, partial plate-armor, pauldron, underwear.
Stats: Strength; 23. Vitality; 39. Dexterity; 9. Endurance; 24. Magic; 9. Intelligence; 10. Charisma; 12.
7638 exp.]
[Name; Marum Ulysses.
Normal skills; Etiquette, lvl 1. Soft breathing, lvl 12. Soft footsteps, lvl 9. Assasination, lvl 14. Dagger mastery, lvl 16. Danger perception, lvl 2. Wilderness survival, lvl 2. Risk-management, lvl 1.
Innate traits; Shadow attuned, lvl 1. Greedy, lvl 2.
Aquired traits; Cold-blooded, lvl 2. Avenger, lvl 3.
Titles; Assassin (Free contractor), Grand murderer (Human).
Paths;
Path skills;
Equipment; Dual daggers of shadows, cloak of shadows, blade of shadows, shirt, pants, underwear, shoes.
Stats: Strength; 14. Vitality; 11. Dexterity; 42. Endurance; 9. Magic; 31. Intelligence; 13. Charisma; 9.
42946 exp.]
"Marum! You can hide in shadows, so why can't you kill some mere rat-likes?!" She spat out.
"My lady, if I were to leave, you could fall into danger." Marum said "It states in the contract that I'm not to leave your side unless, and I quote; 'There are dire circumstances.'"
"There are two of you to guard me! Why doesn't Jakos go then?!" She asked with rage obvious.
"My lady, you may have a misunderstanding, but my master is your mother, the 4th wife, not you." Jakos said matter-of-factly "I was told to protect you at all times, so that is what I am going to do."
The woman of the Irial baronet gnashed her teeth, she wished to get out of the hell hole she was in "Curse you urina! You think you can surpress me because you're the child of the first wife!"
Back with Herhail he woke up in one of the gang boss's shacks/rooms, he was filled with confusion and asked why he was here "We found you sleeping in a danger zone, so you were picked up and brought you to somewhere safe."
'So this is where they were hiding...' Herhail thought, he told all the rats to come in for the hunt. This would be his best shot for revenge, he litterally saw the gang boss sitting in a two story shack, with his smug little mask!
He would get his revenge!