Chapter 9
Kyaaaah!
Plop—
A dark sewer.
Relying on the dim, reddish light of the torch, Eric had been following the trail left by the Ratmen for who knows how long.
He had already fought through countless battles, and glancing at the dozens of corpses piled nearby, he frowned.
“Ugh… this is just disgusting.”
Ding—
[Your body adapts to explosive movements.]
[Agility has increased by 1.]
Even just the Ratmen he had personally killed numbered nearly forty. Panting from reaching the limits of his stamina, he took some comfort in the cheerful notification and the rewards that appeared before his eyes.
“If you’re tired, you could take a short break. I’ll gather the materials.”
As he reached for the collecting knife and moved toward the stacked corpses, Leona, who had been quietly watching him, spoke in a concerned voice, suggesting he rest.
“Ah, then I’ll take you up on that.”
Appreciating her thoughtfulness, Eric did not refuse and sat back. After all, collecting already-dropped materials didn’t really matter who did it.
<Eric Ather>
Level: -99
Strength [3]
Agility [3]
Stamina [3]
Magic [1]
Trait: <Indomitable>
“Ugh…”
Leaning against the wall and watching Leona collect the Ratmen corpses, Eric checked his stats with a somewhat disappointed expression.
“Even with this many Ratmen killed, I should have leveled up by now… but it seems this body can’t gain experience at all.”
A powerless person.
He knew humans without the goddess’s blessing couldn’t level up, but experiencing it firsthand was maddeningly unfair.
Ever since awakening as Eric Ather, he had prepared himself for this—but seeing that his painstaking effort only increased agility by one after all that fighting, he couldn’t help but sigh.
“Well… I guess that’s why it’s hell-level difficulty. But leveling up isn’t the only way to get stronger.”
Even if stat increases couldn’t match the benefits of leveling, combat in Protect Humanity wasn’t purely determined by stats.
The effectiveness of weapon types, quality of equipment, the number and mastery of skills, presence of powerful abilities, and special effects of traits—all mattered.
With the right conditions, even enemies with much higher stats could be defeated.
Like how he had once taken down a Ratman with stats three times higher than his own in a single strike.
“Of course, if the gap is too big, it can’t be overturned. But for now, I’ll stick to areas where the rewards are decent.”
Being extremely low-level wasn’t all bad.
Thanks to it, he had obtained the S-class trait <Indomitable>.
In some situations like boss hunts or dungeon raids, the level gap even provided bonuses.
Looking at the corpses before him, unlike the ones Leona had killed, all possible materials were dropping from a single monster.
“Are you feeling alright?”
After a brief pause watching the rapidly collected materials, Eric spoke as Leona returned.
“I can move if I have to… but since I’m already sitting, I might as well rest a little longer. Rushing won’t change anything.”
Though his breathing had stabilized and his trembling limbs felt better, his sweat-soaked body still felt like a stone.
Thanks to <Indomitable>, he didn’t tire as easily during training or combat—but a mere stamina of three still had its limits.
He could easily handle Ratmen now, but thinking about what lay ahead, it was better to be fully prepared.
Thunk—
Leaning against the wall and staring at the ceiling for a while, Eric turned at the sound of rustling. He noticed Leona glancing at him from a short distance and smiled.
“You look like you have a lot of questions.”
“…Do I?”
In response, Eric shrugged slowly.
She kept looking at him, but of course he had noticed.
“If you’re curious, ask. I’ll answer as long as it’s not too troublesome.”
Leona nodded slightly at his answer.
“Lord….”
Back at the manor, he had seemed persistent, contrary to rumors. Watching him swing his sword silently despite being disregarded reminded her strangely of her past—but that was all.
Even a few days before her duel with the youngest son of the family, he insisted on fighting a scarecrow alone, so she assumed he was just a fool.
“Are you really powerless?”
She hesitated before asking, worried it might offend him.
“Yes. You saw it yourself.”
Seeing Eric nod nonchalantly, Leona bit her lip with a complicated expression.
He was definitely powerless.
A human born without the goddess’s blessing. Persistent, but weak, unable to absorb any strength from monsters, and leaving all materials intact—a perfect example of the incompetent.
“But when you encountered the elder, you recognized the wound was from a Ratman. Even when surrounded earlier, you didn’t show the slightest panic.”
Eric was powerless, but not incompetent.
No one had heard of a powerless person capable of killing monsters in a single strike.
Ordinary people might need years to reach that level of skill; he had done it in just a month.
And piercing the hearts of frenzied Ratmen while dodging their attacks was a feat even most knights couldn’t replicate.
At the academy where the continent’s best talents gathered, even the top student would have been impressed by his combat sense.
Today, seeing him up close, she realized that just because he was powerless didn’t mean he was to be underestimated.
“My observation skills are naturally good. Growing up in my household, always being watched, I learned to be aware of my surroundings. Maybe that had some influence.”
Eric offered a plausible excuse as he noticed Leona’s suspicious gaze.
He had anticipated questions like these—it was a troublesome topic.
This world was actually a game, and he was a veteran in Allen Ather’s body, having fought countless battles.
Even if he answered truthfully, she wouldn’t believe it.
Thunk—Thunk—
“Besides, what is there to panic about?”
As expected, Leona didn’t seem satisfied with his answer. Eric brushed himself off and added quietly,
“Well, you’re here, Leona.”
Leona, now beside him, silently looked up as he tapped her shoulder.
“Anyway, that should answer your question.”
Judging from how he was treated at the manor and recent events, Eric didn’t seem to be lying.
Yet she still couldn’t shake the feeling he was hiding something. She wanted a more definite answer, but judging by his reaction, he wasn’t going to volunteer one.
‘Guess I’ll have to find out myself.’
“All right! We’ve rested enough—let’s move out.”
After a brief pause, Eric followed the Ratmen’s trail again, and Leona picked up her sack of materials and rose to her feet.
Curiosity about what he was hiding nearly drove her mad, but there was no rush.
Whatever it was, she would find out in due time.
For now, they needed to finish the upcoming duel without embarrassment.
Splash—
“Wait.”
After some time walking, just as their tension eased from not seeing any Ratmen, Eric froze at the faint sound of water ahead.
“What is it? Is there something…?”
Leona cautiously followed as Eric rounded a corner. She narrowed her eyes at the monster standing in the wide central channel of flowing water.
Kiiit.
Kiiik…
Unlike Ratmen that even an ordinary person could handle with training, this was far more dangerous.
Even well-trained soldiers would struggle to face it alone.
“…Rat Warrior?”
<Rat Warrior>
Level: 10
Strength [16]
Agility [21]
Stamina [9]
Magic [1]
Trait: <Rotten Claws>
“Two of them are manageable. Still, just in case, step back.”
Even with his extraordinary combat sense, Eric’s body—still weaker than a farmer’s—was at risk.
After surveying the area, Leona drew her sword, confirming only two Rat Warriors were present.
“No, that’s not it.”
As she was about to charge the nearer one, Eric stepped forward, blocking her path.
“…There’s a bigger one.”
According to stories from NPCs, the monsters in the sewer were not all.
Ratmen, Rat Warriors, and a named monster that had decimated the hunting party and eaten three Ather family knights in an instant.
‘The floor…’
Cautiously surveying the channel, Eric noticed corroded stone floors above the water and looked up.
Grrr…
A massive figure, at least twice the size of a Rat Warrior, with a beast-like build and glowing green eyes in the darkness.
<Decayed Morbus (Injured)>
Level: 20
Strength [24(↓)]
Agility [53(↓)]
Stamina [12(↓)]
Magic [1]
Traits: <Acid Blood>, <Neurotoxin>
Drip—Drip—
Chiiik—
“What… is that…?”
Blood flowed from the gaping wound in its ribs, boiling and steaming the floor below.
Leona, shocked by the horrific sight of the unfamiliar monster, turned to Eric urgently.
“Lord… shouldn’t we report this to the Grand Duke?”
“Leona.”
Eric’s serious expression met her worried eyes.
“How long do you think it will take to take down the two below?”
Retreating now was out of the question.
To win the upcoming duel with Ivan Ather, the rewards from this monster were essential.
“If we strike one by surprise, we can finish quickly… maybe in 20 seconds.”
“Twenty seconds?”
Eric gauged the monsters’ condition and nodded.
“That’s enough.”
It would have been impossible if the monster were uninjured, but now, with its chest bone exposed, the timing was perfect.
He grabbed some Ratmen claws and teeth from his sack and prepared to throw them.
“Eh? Enough… Lord? You can’t be serious!”
Before Leona could stop him, sensing something ominous, Eric threw the materials at the Rat Warriors without hesitation.
Clatter—
Kiiik?
Kyaaaah!
The claws and teeth arced over the two monsters and landed behind them.
“…Damn!”
Escape was impossible now. Leona had no choice but to leap forward and engage.
