Rats have infested the water tunnels underneath the Cavendish District of Old City. Clear out the nests and eliminate all the rats.

Objective: Clear out rat nests 5/6.

Objective: Eliminate [Stone-Chewer Rats] 31/44.

“One more nest to go. That’s a lot of leftover rats for the last one. Or are the others roaming around loose?”

Jason was curious why some quests showed him the exact number of monsters when others didn’t, but he wasn’t going to complain. He pulled a pocket watch from his inventory and saw they were making good time. Colin might be slow, but its ability to sense life was unerring.

Looting the lesser monsters only produced lesser spirit coins, but they were welcome nonetheless. Most things were paid for in lesser coins and it saved him using the money-changing services of a brokerage.

Moving further into the tunnels, he followed Colin’s leisurely lead. Jason noticed a change in Colin’s behaviour as they went further. Throughout the hunt, leeches had been breaking off in batches to seek out rats inside tunnels and various unreachable nooks. Now they were all slowly converging in the one direction.

“One big nest it is, I guess.”

Objective: eliminate [Stone-Chewer Rats] 31/43.

Jason looked at the message that popped up. Normally it told him when he had progressed the objective, but he hadn’t killed any more rats. He looked at it again.

“The objective used to be forty-four rats,” he mused. “Did some old lady with a broom kill one?”

Objective: eliminate [Stone-Chewer Rats] 31/43.

Objective: eliminate [Stone-Chewer Rats] 31/42.

Objective: eliminate [Stone-Chewer Rats] 31/41.

Objective: eliminate [Stone-Chewer Rats] 31/40.

Objective: eliminate [Stone-Chewer Rats] 31/39.

“What’s going on there?”

Quest: [Contract: Rat Infestation]

Hidden objective discovered: Find the secret of the final rat nest 0/1.

Quest cannot be completed until all hidden objectives are completed.

“All hidden objectives? There’s more?”

Jason wanted to pick up the pace, but without Colin leading the way he could easily go off track in the maze of tunnels. He considered for a moment, then lowered his hand close to the ground. The cut on his palm was still there, as his rapid regeneration only worked while the familiar was inhabiting his bloodstream. The leeches crawled into his hand, vanishing as they touched his blood. He wondered if he should have washed them first. Finally, only one leech was left, sitting in his hand.

“Alright, Colin. Lead the way.”

Jason moved forwards at a brisker pace, hand held out in front of him. Holding Colin out in front of him, he could move his hand side to side. The leech would rear up when Jason was holding it in the right direction, letting him find the right path at every junction.

Objective: eliminate [Stone-Chewer Rats] 31/38.

Objective: eliminate [Stone-Chewer Rats] 31/37.

Objective: eliminate [Stone-Chewer Rats] 31/36.

“Is someone killing them off? What do you think, Colin? Is it going to be super easy? No, I don’t think so either.”

Objective: eliminate [Stone-Chewer Rats] 31/35.

Objective: eliminate [Stone-Chewer Rats] 31/34.