Chapter 255: Netherytes: Ratchyrs

After silencing Veyrath, Aelric suddenly extended an arm toward the group and began retreating, gesturing for everyone to follow his lead.

His movements were slow and deliberate, each step measured with a caution that seemed wholly incongruous with his usual nonchalance.

It was almost as though the green-eyed youth had stumbled upon a sleeping dragon sprawled over a mountain of treasures and, rather than allowing greed to cloud his judgment, had wisely concluded that preserving his life was preferable to becoming the dragon’s next meal.

Consequently, he retreated with all the painstaking slowness he could muster, careful not to provoke whatever danger might be lurking before them.

Regaleon watched him for several seconds, his brows gradually furrowing as he attempted to decipher the youth’s peculiar behavior. Finally, unable to make sense of Aelric’s sudden transformation, he decided to ask.

"Aelric, what in Aetherium’s name are you doing?"

The bewilderment and confusion in his voice were unmistakable, particularly given the incredulous expression with which he regarded the green-eyed youth.

Honestly, Regaleon could scarcely comprehend the abrupt change in Aelric’s demeanor.

The moment the latter had witnessed the scavenging, rat-like creatures, his characteristic indifference had vanished like smoke dispersing before a gale, replaced by such pronounced wariness that Regaleon struggled to reconcile it with the carefree individual he had come to know over the past three days.

Having spent considerable time around Aelric, Regaleon had become reasonably familiar with his peculiar habits.

He had witnessed the youth remain infuriatingly composed in situations that would have sent ordinary people into a panic, and he had learned that even the most extraordinary discoveries rarely elicited anything more than a casual remark from him.

Consequently, seeing Aelric behave this way was considerably more unsettling than Regaleon cared to admit.

Yet caution was not the only emotion emanating from the youth. Beneath the peculiar tension surrounding his body lurked something far more startling, something the silver-haired Knight had never imagined Aelric capable of displaying... Fear.

The instant Regaleon spoke, Aelric whipped his head toward him, his green eyes widening with barely concealed alarm. A vein throbbed against his temple as he pressed his lips together, delivering his reprimand in a whisper so subdued that it was almost inaudible.

"Didn’t you hear me? I said nobody should speak!"

Although his words carried unmistakable sharpness, his voice remained so low that anyone without their enhanced senses would have struggled to distinguish it from the incessant clicking filling the chamber.

Unfortunately, Sylveris had not caught a single word.

The fourteen-year-old scrunched up her face, perked her ears, and leaned forward with such exaggerated concentration that she resembled a curious rabbit attempting to eavesdrop on a conversation between elephants.

"What did you say, Aelric?" she whispered.

Before the green-eyed youth could turn toward her and deliver the same reprimand, Aureleah intervened. Catching Sylveris by the shoulder, she murmured, "Quiet," before gently pulling the younger girl behind her.

Her silver eyes remained fixed on the scuttling creatures, which had yet to acknowledge the sudden intrusion into their territory.

Having observed Aelric’s unusual behavior from the beginning, the Assassin quickly discerned the probable source of his uneasiness.

Without the slightest hesitation, she concluded that these grotesque creatures were responsible for his sudden apprehension and evident reluctance to remain where they were.

Aelric was frightened of them.

That realization alone was sufficient to make Aureleah considerably more cautious. If someone as enigmatic and experienced as Aelric considered retreating without hesitation, then the creatures deserved far more attention than their diminutive bodies suggested.

Meanwhile, seemingly oblivious to the danger, Valmyr suddenly leaned toward Aelric until his face was almost level with the youth’s.

"Aelric," he whispered, a mischievous grin spreading across his face, "why do you look as though you’ve just discovered a Rank Nine Anima sleeping beneath your bed?"

The failed Vanguard was apparently unaware of the danger surrounding them, which perhaps explained how he could still find the circumstances amusing.

Having grown accustomed to Aelric’s eccentricities, Valmyr expected the youth to respond with some equally ridiculous remark, perhaps mocking his imagination or dismissing his concerns altogether.

Instead, Aelric regarded him with an expression of absolute seriousness.

"This is worse than that, Valmyr." He said and those five words extinguished every remaining inclination Valmyr possessed to jest.

The Vanguard’s grin gradually faded as he finally began to understand the gravity of their predicament. Whatever these creatures were, Aelric considered them a greater threat than an exceptionally powerful Anima, and that was hardly a comparison anyone should take lightly.

Caelestra, who had been observing Aelric throughout the exchange, turned her attention toward the grotesque creatures scurrying among the fallen stones.

"Is it because of these things? Is that why you want us to retreat?"

Aelric hesitated, his gaze following the creatures as they darted between broken pillars and heaps of rubble. Their oversized ears rotated independently, while their elongated snouts twitched incessantly.

Every few seconds, one emitted a series of sharp clicks that reverberated throughout the chamber, contributing to the dissonance that had plagued their senses since entering.

For several moments, Aelric remained silent, seemingly weighing his response against the necessity of keeping the group informed. Eventually, he gave a slight nod.

"Yes. You see, those things aren’t ordinary creatures. They’re Ratchyrs." When he spoke that name, a shudder ran through his body, as though he had suddenly been struck by a past unpleasant memory.

"Ratchyrs?" Caelestra mouthed carefully, making certain not to raise her voice after witnessing Aelric’s earlier reaction.

It was the first time she had encountered the name, and judging by the bewilderment appearing across the others’ faces, she was not alone in her ignorance.

Even Kaeloris, whose scholarly inclinations usually compelled him to recognize unfamiliar creatures through their defining characteristics, seemed unable to recall any information concerning such beasts.

Aelric nodded.

"Yes, Ratchyrs."

He paused briefly before continuing his explanation, his eyes never straying far from the swarm.

"Ratchyrs are Netherytes, and they’re among the most disagreeable creatures you could possibly encounter in the Nether Lands. In fact, I’d say encountering that pack of wolves you discovered yesterday would be considerably preferable to stumbling upon these things."

The gravity with which Aelric delivered those words lent the moment an unmistakable sense of foreboding. There was no trace of his customary humor, nor did he attempt to disguise his apprehension behind one of his infuriatingly casual remarks.

He simply spoke with the solemnity of someone who understood precisely how unpleasant the situation could become.

The others exchanged uneasy glances.

They remembered the wolves they had encountered the previous day. Those creatures had been dangerous enough to warrant their attention, possessing the strength and ferocity expected of predators roaming the Nether Lands.

Nevertheless, Aelric’s comparison suggested that the Ratchyrs were considerably more troublesome and the implications were difficult to ignore.

The group had already learned that Netherytes were not ordinary beasts. The Nether Lands harbored creatures whose peculiar adaptations and supernatural abilities made them exceptionally dangerous, and appearances were rarely reliable indicators of their capabilities.

There were two kinds of such creatures; the powerful kind that could go toe to toe against an Etheryean of the same rank and the kind that is even more aggressive and powerful than an Etheryean of the same rank.

Judging by Aelric’s reaction, the Ratchyrs belonged firmly among the latter.

Even more troubling was the fact that they had entered the creatures’ apparent habitat without realizing what they were encountering.

The swarm had been occupying the ruined temple long before their arrival, and its inhabitants had seemingly adapted to the decaying environment with disturbing efficiency.

Regaleon watched the creatures carefully, his hand hovering near his weapon. Their small bodies offered little indication of the threat they represented, but he had already learned that underestimating the inhabitants of the Nether Lands was a remarkably effective way to shorten one’s lifespan.

Beside him, Valmyr had abandoned his teasing expression entirely. Vaelorin’s jaw tightened, while Veyrath swallowed nervously, apparently regretting every sound he had made since entering the chamber.

None of them needed Aelric to explain the implications any further.

They had encountered Netherytes before, and they knew what the designation meant... Trouble.

And judging by the green-eyed youth’s unusually grave demeanor, these Ratchyrs promised considerably more of it than they could afford...