There wasn't much useful stuff in the Ratmen’s camp seeing as they were armed with very basic weapons and armor and the food they had was... less than appetizing for someone with a normal brain.

Even so, the werewolves spent several hours scavenging all the armor and weapons from the tents and the dead bodies.

Akira knew that Delgar and the other dwarf blacksmiths needed all the material they could get their hands on right now with the expanding army and constant battles that Kodria and its allies found themselves in.

With the dwarves’ skills, they could use them as raw material and melt them down to create something more useful. The more minerals they had to work with was best for all.

As they were finishing gathering everything a black raven swooped down and landed on Bo's shoulder.

The four guards protecting the sitting Bo loosened up their stance as Bo stood back up and headed towards Akira.

From the look on his face, Akira could see he had found something troubling.

Bo quickly gave his report without Akira needing to ask.

“They were heading farther north towards the dark mist. So I went ahead using the direction they were using to escape and I did find a larger group that I believe is part of their main force.”

“Part of?” asked Akira.

“Just to be sure I followed the tracks they made coming south... and I saw a large number of tents surrounded by an uncountable number of infected.”

Several gasps were heard from Akira's guards who were standing behind him.

“Are you saying the Ratman are the ones controlling this attack on Kodria?” asked Klyn.

“I'm not sure, but from what I saw that might be a possibility,” said Bo.

“I have my doubts about that. That person we fought outside of Madu was not a Ratman but a human and definitely part of the Cult of science,” said Akira.

Ding!

Branch 3 Stage 4 S rank mission start!

The first wave of enemies is on their way to Kodria!

“What were the numbers of the Ratman army?” asked Akira.

“At least 15,000,” said Bo.

“That much,” asked a worried Klyn.

“HA! That's nothing, the Ratmen are worse than those goblins. They breed like crazy but are just too weak,” said Zundar, shaking his head.

The goblins living at Kodria were breeding faster than all the other demon races combined and made up a large portion of the outer city’s population. Each of their houses was crammed with tens of goblins. Even if they were small it always surprised Akira how many they could pack into a home.

Like the goblins, the ratman normally made up their forces with overwhelming numbers to wear down the enemy before sending in their stronger warriors to finish them off.

“From what I saw there were 4-6000 regular soldiers while the rest seemed to be similarly armed and equipped like the rabble we cleared up here,” said Bo waving his hand to the dead ratmen around them.

“Your orders?” asked Zundar.

“There were no infected traveling with them?” asked Akira.

“None that I could see.”

“Alright, let's head out!” ordered Akira as he hopped onto Grarr's back.

***

Crack!

A black leather whip shot out and snapped above the heads of ten ratmen who were wearing thick leather harnesses.

“Reee che ree!” ordered Rechee angrily. He sat back down in his sled and covered himself with his thin fur blankets to try and keep the southern cold winter at bay.

The ten ratman who had been slowing down once again picked up their pace as they pulled the sled forward through the deep snow.

The unlucky ratmen tasked with this job were selected from the surviving warriors who had returned after their utter defeat to the werewolves that had nearly wiped them all out.

The officer in charge of that mission was now placed in the lead position of the harness forcing him to clear a path through the deep snow allowing those attached behind him to have an easier time.

This was the punishment they had to endure or die trying to complete.

Rechee was still angry with his father for sending him down south to lead this force of misfits. Even by the standards of the ratman he could see they were a poor excuse for an army.

He would have refused to lead this force if it were not for the sneaky black cloaks giving him thousands of random junk weapons and armor to his best warriors that had been sent with him.

The armor and weapons were far superior to anything the overworked ratman blacksmiths had created for the average soldier. Even Rechee had changed a few pieces of his equipment for the ones given out by the sneaky black cloaks.

“Chee re chee che...” grumbled Rechee.

Why, out of his 20 or so brothers, was he picked to lead this group? He was one of the youngest princes. Shouldn't have one of his older brothers taken on this suicide task?

He felt that his father had sent him and the rabble south to clear up space in the crowded nests. If not, then why were the elite soldiers as well as the main army kept at the nest? He was only able to bring his royal guards along with him, which was nothing when compared to the task he faced.

Rechee tried to think positively. He would use this chance to outshine his older brothers. According to the sneaky black cloaks, Rechee and the ratman were not expected to capture Kodria.

The sneaky black cloaks tasked him with two main jobs.

The first was to set up a siege to block anyone from entering or leaving Kodria to wear down the city's morale.

The second task was to test the strength of Kodria's defenses and army. While completing several side tasks such as clearing any defensive traps, exhausting the city's range munition.

If he completed all these tasks and reported the information to the sneaky black cloaks, Rechee was sure he would be able to complete their end of the deal. If it went as planned his father would have to acknowledge him when they started a new phase in the history of the ratman demon race.

Fwoosh! Splat!

Blood from a nearby ratman splattered all over Rechee's blankets and face.

“Chee?!” shouted Rechee in surprise, slow to understand what was going on.

The ratman whose blood was splattered all over him no longer had a head, since the large metal barb had passed through it and over Rechee's head.

Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh!

Dozens of ratmen were being pierced and torn apart all around Rechee.

The ones that took the brunt of the attack were the ten ratmen pulling the sled causing it to come to a halt.

Rechee tumbled out of the sled and fell into the deep snow as he tried to dig towards the hard ground to get away from the large flying bits of metal all around him.

Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Several more projectiles flew over his head piercing dozens of other ratmen around him.

“REE! CHE REEE!” ordered Rechee from his hole next to his sled.

A thousand of the ratman warriors turned towards the area where the projectiles were coming from and started to run towards it.

When they reached the spot they found it was empty. But since the attacks had stopped, they returned to the main force.

Rechee stood back up and got back into his sled.

“Che reee,” said Rechee.

Several nearby ratman began removing the dead from the harnesses and quickly butchered them with well-practiced motions.

Of the 10 that had been pulling the sled only 2 were still living and the officer was not one of them.

Another 8 ratman from the original defeated group were dragged to the harnesses and attached to the sled.

Crack!

With the whip snapping above their heads the sled once again started moving.

Rechee was confident that they had chased off whoever it had been that attacked them.

A half-hour later...

Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh!

And like this, Rechee learned a new hell as he was forced to continuously dive out of his sled and into the snow as they inched their way towards the city Kodria.