The cave was filled with a foul, rotten smell, like the smell emitted by various food wastes fermenting together in the sewers.
After gradually calming down, everyone smelled the smell.
They didn't know how long they had been crawling in the cave, and their elbows and thighs had long been bruised and bloody.
The searchlight's magic power was almost exhausted, the light was dim, darkness was coming, and their sanity was being eaten away bit by bit.
Under the dual mental and physical torture, they could no longer hold on. The only motivation was the will to survive that came from life instinct.
Someone held an octopus head pendant in their hands, praying for the blessings of the great being of Dagon’s secret sect.
Others pray to the bad luck of wandering to come here and take away their sins.
It's just that all this is in vain. An existence that is worse than an ant will not attract anyone's attention.
However, the person crawling at the front was also the one who first discovered the abnormality, and he was also the one holding the octopus head pendant.
His ears moved, and he seemed to hear a strange sound coming from a certain passage.
"There's a noise! I hear a noise, something is calling us!"
Ever since they climbed into the cave, they seemed to have entered a silent world.
Whether it was the previous rattle or any other movements, they all disappeared.
In addition to the friction sound of their climbing, he could now hear some other sounds again. Although the sounds were strange, they seemed to be sounds of nature to him.
The people behind still heard nothing, but this time, they all chose to believe it.
"Where is it! Hurry, maybe we are close to the ground and there is someone!"
Although this chance is very small, and they know it well, this wonderful fantasy is their only comfort.
Following the sound, they climbed quickly in the cave that was almost plunged into darkness and lost most of their senses.
They didn't notice at all that not only did they not crawl higher than the ground, but they went lower and lower, deeper and deeper into the underground caves that extended in all directions.
They didn't know how long they had been climbing, but they were exhausted.
A huge, flashing light suddenly appeared in front of him.
Bright light shone in their eyes, highlighting the black eyes.
That is rekindled hope!
"Light, it's light! Is that the ground?"
"It must be! It is!"
Their exhausted bodies were re-energized, and they crawled over in a twisted posture.
And the closer to the front, the wider it becomes.
They could even stand up with their waists hunched over, but their legs had already become weak, and they could only kneel on the ground and drag themselves forward.
But as they got closer, they also discovered that the light was very wrong.
It was erratic, flickering on and off. It was not a normal light at all, but rather like fire.
Moreover, the putrid smell is getting stronger and stronger.
When they approached the end of the passage, they were ready to find out.
The passage beneath their feet suddenly collapsed, and they followed the rubble as they rolled down.
After a while, they saw the scene here.
I saw the source of light, but I also saw despair.
This is not the ground at all, but a huge underground space.
The surrounding red ore is burning. Under the light of the fire, the walls here are also densely packed with cave entrances... or the exits of the caves.
This place is like the center of the underground world, as if any underground passage that can be discovered will eventually lead to this place.
A twisted, ugly, irregular tower-like building was displayed in the middle.
Even random piles of branches seem to be more beautiful than this tall tower.
There is no way this could have been built by humans. The lowest level of human aesthetics is far beyond this.
The fact that it can be displayed here without falling down seems like a great miracle.
The surface of the building is filthy and disgusting, giving people a strong sense of disgust.
But at the very top, there is a clock that is the opposite of dirt. There is not a trace of stain on it, but it reflects the ancient and solemn brilliance in the firelight.
Surrounded by the firelight and beside the twisted tower building, pairs of green eyes were watching them.
The owners of these eyes are all huge, deformed mice.
There should be some connection between the deformed mice here, the buildings and the space here.
But they couldn't relate that the buildings and spaces here were dug and constructed by these lowest-end rats.
But this thought quickly dissipated as a large group of shadows came out under the light of the fire ahead.
They also saw scenes they had never dared to imagine!
Silent footsteps, rustling scratching sounds, and sweeping sounds that swayed back and forth.
Every minute, it gets louder and louder.
Dirty fur gushes out of the dark, gloomy cave like boiling water.
Oncoming was a wave of deformed rats.
And in this frenzy, there are several taller figures mixed in, which is very eye-catching.
They were several rats walking upright, half as tall as a man.
No, that shouldn't be called a mouse.
They are similar in size to humans, with lean and hairy bodies, round eyes, long and narrow mouths and noses, and extremely sharp teeth in their mouths.
No matter in terms of body shape or appearance, it has already escaped the category of mice.
It's like a fusion of humans and rats... Ratmen!
These four people never imagined that they would see such a being one day.
How long have these mice been dormant and hidden, and how far have they grown?
In their frightened eyes, these rats made strange noises.
“×&%￥#@yesyes…”
They don't understand it, but they know it.
The death that belongs to them, the death that belongs to this world, has finally come.
There is no peace, no tranquility, only fear, only trembling.
After everyone died, there was silence for an unknown amount of time.
The dull bells rang in the huge underground space, spreading in caves large and small.
…
Since the Skaven first came into contact with humans, they have remained dormant in the underground world.
The ugly buildings in their lairs were built from materials brought back by the deformed rats under their leadership.
The purpose of construction is to respond to the existence of wisdom that brings them.
The existence that brought them wisdom was naturally Chen Hui.
Whenever Chen Hui takes action to use the power of the world to help these mice evolve, the bell will ring once.
But these mice didn't know who it was. It was an existence in the dark. They only knew that after the thirteenth bell sounded in this underground tower.
They will gain wisdom far beyond what they have now.
And until now, it is already the ninth bell.
…
As the years continue to develop, the bell underground has rung for the eleventh time.
There are fewer and fewer deformed rats, replaced by more rat-men.
They have now evolved to a very high level.
It has a body shape and cunning intelligence that are getting closer and closer to humans, and has learned some human languages.
Didn't name himself Skaven.
They also began to attack remote edge towns among humans.
Stealing materials and technology belonging to humans.
They have not spared any human beings, and their existence has not been openly exposed.
However, as the number of visits increased and time passed, rumors about the rat men began to spread in some places.
"Everyone finds rats disgusting.
They are signs of disease, rummaging through our garbage heaps, and frightening children.
Filthy Skaven, standing in mocking imitation of humans.
A rat as tall as a human, blessed with evil wisdom and cunning.
He is the dark side of our human souls, destroying us with our sins. "
The original spreader of this rumor was also sentenced to death for spreading harmful rumors.
In this world, it is forbidden to talk about weirdness, let alone spread fear.
But it won’t be long before humans will discover it.
This is not a rumor, it is fact.
