Beyond the west side of the large river lay the territory of various small kingdoms, collectively known as the Western Lang Alliance, because all the tribes there worshipped a sacred White Wolf God ??. This region was also strange because it harbored countless ferocious monsters ??, some reaching ten meters in height, with echoing roars that shook the earth. Occasionally, sitting atop the tallest tower of Doanh Thành, one could see their gigantic silhouettes ?? slowly emerging to drink from the river, their forms silhouetted against the sky. Furthermore, there were also Divine Beasts ?, radiant all over, moving gracefully in the forest across the river when the full moon hovered overhead, the sparkling light they emitted appearing mystical.
The Garrison Lord personally went to invite Noe. Not finding him at the inn, he went searching. Finally, he found his friend standing quietly by the riverbank, watching the sunset ??, the sky shifting from brilliant orange-gold to deep violet. The Garrison Lord slowly approached, his footsteps soft ?? on the ground.
The two happily greeted each other and reminisced about their previous meeting on the Atlantic Continent, east of this MU Continent. They walked and chatted, their intimate laughter ?? blending into the air, heading to the banquet already prepared in the tallest tower of Doanh Thành.
At the tower, all the guests were gathered. The highest table was reserved for the Garrison Lord and his closest friends. A man over four meters tall ???♂?, with dazzling golden skin ?, was casually eating, the sound of him chewing ?? echoing loudly. No one else seemed impatient; they waited patiently. Below them were tables for the elders and the wealthiest citizens, who were attentively watching a man performing magic.
This performer made objects appear and disappear ?? suddenly, enlarging and shrinking them with a mere flick of his hand, flying like a bird, creating gentle breezes ??? and illusory flapping sounds. Everyone applauded thunderously ??, cheers echoing throughout the room for his performance. No one was eating or drinking, their eyes glued to the show.
Suddenly, someone shouted and pointed toward the riverbank across the way. A Divine Deer ??, radiant and shimmering in the bright moonlight, slowly walked out of the forest, treading lightly on the water ?? and gracefully dancing, its steps flowing across the river surface, a truly beautiful sight. Silver light ? from its body reflected on the water, creating an ethereal scene.
The crowd gradually abandoned the performance by Hàn Kh?ng B?o (Hàn Kh?ng B?o), turning instead to admire the Divine Deer. Hàn Kh?ng B?o sighed with resignation, then returned to his seat of honor at the main table.
Just then, the Garrison Lord entered with Noe. The two sat down, and the Garrison Lord introduced everyone at the table. Most were Noe's old acquaintances:
- first, the tall man with the golden skin turned out to be a Golden Dragon ?? in human form, (Noe recalls the past);
?? Gold Dragon Stats - Combat Dragon Class (LV 650)
- second was the Garrison Lord’s sworn brother, Rau B?c (Silver Beard), whose beard was white as flax and flowed down to his chest;
- third was the Garrison Lord’s disciple, also from Atlantic like Noe, named Aeris, with sharp eyes and a friendly smile;
- fourth was the grumpy, silver-bearded Dwarf Ufretin, also from Atlantic, whose face was scowling but whose eyes were keenly sharp.
The rest of the guests were strangers whom Noe was meeting for the first time.
After the joyful banquet, Noe had nothing much to do for a few days, so he wandered throughout Doanh Thành. Sometimes he went down to the riverbank, silently fishing ??, enjoying the gurgling sound of the water and the smell of damp earth; sometimes he went to the grasslands to play with the animals, the rustling of grass ?? underfoot and the whinnying of horses ?? echoing; sometimes he climbed the mountains to search for herbs, breathing the fresh air and sensing the aroma of the forest soil. But most of the time, he dedicated himself to reading books to learn about this new world. He devoured every book he could find—history books, herbology books, geographical books—his eyes gleaming ? with every new piece of information.
In contrast to the lively atmosphere on the top floor, the air within the town was quiet and strangely subdued. Noe spent the next few days reading books on the history and geography of the MU Continent. What caught his attention wasn't the legends of Giant Beasts in the West, but the peculiar abnormalities in the Doanh's ecosystem.
- Too Many Rats: It wasn't just a normal number of rodents, but their organized movement, deliberately avoiding human eyes, as if they were concealing something.
- The Forest God's Silence: Noe recalled the dance of the Forest God Deer he had observed from afar. The dance did not signify a blessing but a "Farewell"—a dance warning of impending death and isolation.
The Quiet Investigation
Aeris sought out Noe when he saw him poring over an old map. He enthusiastically invited Noe to help him with his class breakthrough, but Noe shook his head:
"The breakthrough can wait," Noe said gravely. "But there is something more important. You are a Druid; don't you notice the imbalance here?"
Aeris frowned, his keen eyes showing suspicion: "Imbalance? Do you mean the rats? I've lived here a long time; I'm used to them. They're just small animals; I don't pay attention... Besides, I'm only good at listening to fish, not small beasts."
"I see. What about the Forest God's dance? The 'Farewell' ritual?" Noe asked again. "It warns of decay and impending death. I also read in the ancient texts that if too many rodents congregate in one place, it is often a sign of dark sorcery or forced evolution."
Aeris was startled. As a Druid, he should have been more sensitive to the language of the Forest God than anyone. "There must be something wrong. My master and I have been too focused on cultivation and have become negligent. We must go into the forest and meet the Forest God immediately."
Chaos in the Forest God's Domain
Noe and Aeris crossed the river. The forest, which should have been bright and pristine under the Forest God’s protection, was now gloomy and devoid of birds and small animals. The deeper they went, the more they heard the ferocious growling of Demonic Beasts.
When they arrived, a fierce battle was underway. The Forest God Deer (in its half-human, half-deer form, wielding a staff) was fighting a controlled pack of White Dragon Lion Demonic Beasts. The Demonic Beasts fought with unusual ferocity and irrationality, clearly being manipulated by an external force.
Aeris hurled his Golden Trident (a Sea God relic with various powers depending on the wielder's strength; its basic ability is to automatically fly back if thrown too far). Aeris's strike drew the Demon Beast King's attention while the Forest God retreated to cast a spell. Seeing the urgent situation, Noe drew an arrow and unleashed his unique ability: Aura of Luck covered all allies.
Note: Aura of Luck is Noe's unique skill, slightly increasing the accuracy, critical hit chance, and evasion/defense of all allies within range.
With the effective support of Noe's Aura, the Forest God's side reversed the situation and repelled the Demonic Beasts. Aeris was gravely wounded from directly confronting the Demon Beast King and lay unconscious.
The Truth Revealed
The Forest God sighed with relief and thanked Noe. "Do you know why the Demonic Beasts have gone so berserk?" Noe asked.
The Forest God mused, "I don't know exactly. But recently, a Piper has been traveling around. He not only drives the Demonic Beasts insane but also controls the Ratfolk to attack and loot. This individual possesses the ability to blind those without strong wills, making them ignore the unusual signs."
Noe was horrified. This confirmed his suspicions about the number of rats in the town. "Ratfolk? They are normally docile, but recently they have been gathering into immense swarms, continuously evolving..."
He presented his thoughts: Their lair must be located right beneath the Doanh, near the Dragon's Den where the Golden Dragon sleeps. Their forced evolution requires a unique power source.
Aeris, having just regained consciousness and hearing the entire story, panicked: "Under the city! We must return immediately!" Despite his injuries, he rushed out.
Climax: The Broken Plan
As soon as Noe and Aeris returned to the Doanh, they noticed the rat activity had surged. They quickly reported to the Doanh Lord. The Lord, though worried, tried to reassure them that he had sent soldiers to investigate (but they were prevented from digging deeper by the Piper's magic).
The Rat King, fearing discovery, decided to accelerate the attack plan.
Suddenly, a massive earthquake shook the Doanh!
- Underground: The cavern where the Golden Dragon slept collapsed. The Golden Dragon awoke after three months of hibernation, transmitting a message to the Doanh Lord that it was fine, but it was immediately surrounded by tens of thousands of Ratfolk and attacked with specialized weapons. The Golden Dragon was horrified to see a colossal Ratfolk City built right beneath it.
- Above Ground: The ground cracked open. Millions of rats, along with Evolved Ratfolk (1–2 meters tall), weapons in hand, surged up like a waterfall. They split into dozens of legions, attacking relentlessly.
The Doanh Lord donned his Dragon Scale Armor, grasped his Fire Spirit Sword, and, along with the brave Knights, fought against the five powerful Rat Princes, but were forced to retreat and fortify their position with their families and many citizens.
Aeris, severely wounded, poisoned, and exhausted, stood on the brink of life and death while trying to escape the Doanh and warn the Forest God for help. He was saved just in time, despite his blood loss from the poison. He met the condition for his breakthrough. Aeris touched the boundary of life and death, realizing his hidden potential.
Finally, the Forest God, leading his Centaur allies, along with Noe and the timely reinforcement of Tiger Leopard Cavalry Noe had summoned from a nearby major city, combined forces to defeat the Ratfolk, forcing them to retreat underground.
The Piper Emerges
Just as the Ratfolk were being overwhelmed, a mysterious man sitting on a white cloud, holding a jade flute, appeared and played a melodious tune. Immediately, all the Ratfolk, including the Rat King, ran quickly toward the misty mountains in the North, as if hypnotized.
Concurrently, the Doanh Lord and all the citizens were overcome by an overwhelming sleep, collapsing where they stood, due to prolonged exposure to the sound, which lowered their resistance to the sound-based magic, allowing the spell to hit them hard.
The Forest God, Noe, and the Tiger Leopard Cavalry also felt mild sleepiness but woke up instantly as soon as the music ended. Unlike the deeply sleeping citizens, the conscious people felt a terrifying pressure from the north that prevented anyone from daring to pursue.
When they awoke, they found the Piper had vanished, and there was no trace of the Ratfolk to pursue. An immense spiritual pressure from the North instilled fear in the military; no one dared to advance north, leaving them with no choice but to seek aid from the Immortals. The Golden Dragon was also heavily affected by the flute's sound (having heard it too much—this was a hypnotic flute that not only caused sleep but, with long exposure, could alter one's mind, making the listener follow the Piper and become a loyal subordinate). When the Golden Dragon awoke, it immediately transmitted a gleeful message to the Doanh Lord from underground: "We're rich! There's a colossal treasure hoard down here!"
The North: The Immortal Maiden and the Treacherous Disciple
Far to the North, on a large stone, sat an immortal maiden in white robes, holding a bamboo flute. She had a breathtakingly beautiful face and snow-white hair; her name was Ngoc Tuyet Anh.
All the Ratfolk knelt before her. The Rat King bowed his head, speechless. Ngoc Tuyet Anh's face was filled with fury as she scolded her disciple, named Quy Am:
"What exactly were you trying to do?"
Quy Am stammered, "Forgive me, Master. I thought you had been gone too long, so I wanted to surprise you by capturing that Golden Dragon to be your mount."
Ngoc Tuyet Anh threw a pile of demonic items belonging to the Demonic Cultivators onto the ground. She furiously exposed him: "Audacious! You dare to deceive even me? Who taught you the Demonic Cultivation? Who instructed you to sacrifice all life in a city to practice this Cultivation, huh?"
She continued, her voice filled with contempt: "I wouldn't care if you sacrificed a city full of humans, who are of your own race. But how dare you sacrifice the Rat Kingdom that I painstakingly built? Do you have a death wish?"
Quy Am knelt, begging for forgiveness, but Ngoc Tuyet Anh was cold: "Get out of my sight immediately. Don't let me see you again; I will kill you on sight."
Quy Am was relieved to hear this and immediately turned and fled.
The Rat Mother's Directive
The Rat King (who had been infected with the idea of looting) spoke up: "Please spare me. I will make amends. In that town, there was a lot of gold and precious stones. I was in too much of a hurry earlier and couldn't bring them along. Please allow me to go back for them, Mother."
Ngoc Tuyet Anh sighed: "You have been infected by that Quy Am's thinking. Those worldly trinkets mean nothing to me. I hate looting. My hands can create everything. Looting belongs only to the weak."
She looked at the Ratfolk with pride: "To me, your lives are very important; you are my pride and glory. You must become a kingdom, dominating a territory, not mere thieves and robbers. Do all of you understand your Mother's intention? I am your creator; I will show you the way."
All the Ratfolk responded in unison, "Yes," and resolutely advanced North.
Ngoc Tuyet Anh briefly thought of the Golden Dragon with regret: "It's been so long since I found a dragon with such pure bloodline, and that Quy Am ruined it. Just a few more years, and I could have subdued it."
Quy Am, however, did not leave. He disguised himself as a hunter living near the Doanh, waiting for an opportunity to infiltrate the underground and steal the Rat Kingdom's treasure.