In its mindless fury, the monster stumbled, tumbling into the water. It was far too big to be pulled along in the current, the channel only submerging it to the waist. Putting a huge hand on walkways beside it, it pulled itself out of the water. While it did so, Jason watched from a safe distance. With the severing of the prehensile tail, the main source of danger for Jason was gone. As he watched the monster push itself upright, he chanted out a spell.

“Your fate is to suffer.”

Spell [Inexorable Doom] has inflicted [Inexorable Doom] on [Rat Gorger].

The monster was tough, but with Jason’s afflictions in place, its death was inevitable. He led it up the tunnel, the creature bellowing its rage at Jason as it sluggishly, hopelessly pursued. It struggled along as its blood poured from the stump of its tail and its flesh blackened with necrosis. It toughed it out surprisingly well until it crossed paths with the leeches that had finally caught up to Jason. Misery and pain finally overwhelmed its rage as it met a terrible, pitiful end, screams of pain and helplessness marking its passage into death.

Quest: [Contract: Rat Infestation]

Hidden objective complete: Eliminate the [Rat Gorger] 1/1.

[Rat Essence] has been added to your inventory.

Objective complete: Clear out rat nests 6/6.

Quest complete.

100 [Iron Spirit Coins] have been added to your inventory.

“Hey, an essence. Rat essence? Appropriate, but not what I would have picked.”

Animal-type essences were common, as much as any essences were common. Some, like bear, wolf and snake, were quite prized, while others were less so. He didn’t hold high hopes for the rat essence, but he should be able to trade it for several of the more common awakening stones.

Jason walked over to the dead monster.

“Why couldn’t it have been the might essence?” Jason asked it. Some essences were common as animal essences, yet were more valuable due to their desirability. The might essence, the shield essence or the magic essence could all have been traded for some quality awakening stones.

“As your life was mine to reap, your death is mine to harvest.”

The red glow of the monster’s remnant life force emerged from its body, streaming up into Jason’s outstretched hand. The monster’s body withered to a dried-out husk. It looked a lot like the ratling the monster itself had drained.

“Live by the sword, die by the sword, isn’t it, mate. Actually, I hope not. I live by a pretty grim sword.”

He lightly touched the corpse, then backed away before it dissolved into smoke.

10 [Iron Spirit Coins] have been added to your inventory.

[Awakening Stone of Wrath] has been added to your inventory.

Jason took in a sharp breath.

“Boss drops. Now we’re talking.”

He pulled out the awakening stone immediately. It was the same round, palm-sized crystal as other awakening stones. Inside was a burning, shifting red, wreathed in white-gold light.