Lord: Sequence Master

"Two Gray Rat Patriarchs?"

After sensing the vague positions, Rosen began to analyze the situation.

One location was extremely far away, likely the true body of the Gray Rat Patriarch residing in the Spirit Realm. The other was nearby, possibly a second divine avatar of the Patriarch within the current Void Wasteland Realm.

Rosen wasn't sure about the specific terms of the bet between the Gray Rat Patriarch and the Duke of Blazing Shadow, but he knew that the Void Wasteland was already a low-level realm. Under normal circumstances, any supernatural being above Sequence 9 shouldn't be able to enter.

The fact that the realm was currently accommodating Sequence 7-level powers meant that external forces had temporarily enhanced its capacity.

If the Gray Rat Patriarch had descended with two avatars at Sequence 7, it was possible the Blazing Shadow Duke could only send one Sequence 7-level entity. Otherwise, the conflict between the Patriarch's two avatars and the Duke's forces would have already reached a conclusion.

Following the direction indicated by his intuition, Rosen activated Shadow Step and rushed forward at maximum speed. His Predator Boots, which greatly boosted his mobility, proved to be quite the gift from that assassin he had previously slain.

Within ten minutes, Rosen reached the battlefield.

He immediately recognized both combatants: one was a familiar avatar of the Gray Rat Patriarch, while the other was Baron Karman.

This Baron, who had once been a Sequence 7 Gourmet, still hadn't reached Sequence 6. However, he had now established a Divine Domain using the divine essence of the Gray Rat Patriarch. At this moment, Karman had trapped the second avatar of the Gray Rat Patriarch inside his Divine Domain, and shockingly, he held the absolute advantage in the fight.

Back in Spiral Harbor, Karman had struggled to defeat even a Sequence 8 avatar of the Gray Rat Patriarch, relying heavily on external aids to claim victory. Yet here he was, firmly dominating a Sequence 7 avatar.

Divine Domains were powerful, no doubt, but only if they were well-developed.

After observing carefully for a while, Rosen discerned the situation. This avatar of the Gray Rat Patriarch, despite being Sequence 7, was only at the initial level, even weaker than the avatar Rosen had previously dealt with. It seemed likely that, under the terms of the bet, the Gray Rat Patriarch could only descend with one Sequence 7 combat power.

However, the Gray Rat Patriarch had split that one power into two weaker avatars—one to stall Karman while the other was sent to chase Rosen.

As fate would have it, Rosen had already killed the stronger avatar with the help of the Mysterious Study Room and his Gluttony Beast. Now, this weaker avatar was on the verge of defeat under Karman's assault.

It seemed that in the end, the winner of the bet would be the Duke of Blazing Shadow.

Just as Rosen was about to turn and leave, a small, golden rat emerged from a nearby pile of trash.

At a glance, Rosen recognized it as yet another avatar of the Gray Rat Patriarch, though this one was significantly weaker, only possessing Sequence 9 strength.

This must have been the Patriarch's last resort. But why was it here?

"Don't act rashly..."

The tiny rat stood upright and squeaked, staring up at Rosen.

"Speak your piece," Rosen replied, his finger transforming into the barrel of a gun aimed directly at the rat.

"I've lost the bet with the Duke of Blazing Shadow," the Gray Rat Patriarch quickly confessed. "But I don't want to die. I know you're a hunter, and I can become your pet, following you. If you promise to help me resurrect in the future, my millennia of experience could be of great benefit to you."

"Why choose me?" Rosen asked, frowning.

"Not just anyone could kill two of my avatars," the Gray Rat Patriarch replied with a bitter smile.

Rosen had to admit, the Patriarch's proposal was tempting.

This was a former Sequence 3 Demi-god after all. Although this avatar had fallen to Sequence 9, the being's vast knowledge and experience accumulated over millennia would be invaluable. Such a pet would be a tremendous asset to him.

Yet Rosen also had his doubts. His limited knowledge wasn't enough to assess whether this ancient being posed any hidden dangers.

The Gray Rat Patriarch had been humiliated twice, but that didn't mean Rosen should underestimate him. Who knew if such an entity had any means of turning the tables? Keeping such a being as a pet could very well rob him of any future peaceful sleep.

Sensing Rosen's hesitation, the shrewd Gray Rat Patriarch quickly realized what was going on.

"You wouldn't want the Duke of Blazing Shadow to discover the treasures you possess, would you?" the rat added, with a threatening glint in his eyes.

"And you wouldn't want to perish completely, right?" Rosen countered, glaring back with equal intensity.

The two locked in a tense standoff before the Gray Rat Patriarch ultimately relented.

"I'll stop resisting and submit to your control," the rat said, defeated.

Without hesitation, Rosen summoned his Gluttony Beast, which swallowed the Gray Rat Patriarch whole. He then threw the beast into the Divine Beast Pen, ensuring the Patriarch had no chance to stir up trouble before Rosen figured out how to fully control him.

No sooner had Rosen dealt with the Gray Rat Patriarch's Sequence 9 avatar than the Sequence 7 avatar on the battlefield began to fight like a cornered beast.

In a final act of desperation, the Gray Rat Patriarch self-destructed, shattering Baron Karman's Divine Domain. Amid the spiritual explosion, a few strands of seven-colored light silently drifted toward Rosen, coalescing into a rainbow-colored crystal, which was promptly sucked into his Void Scavenger Space.

At that moment, the entire realm of the Void Wasteland began to collapse.

All the remaining supernatural beings within the realm were forcibly ejected to the edge of the Void Wasteland as the realm broke down.

Rosen, of course, was among them. He clutched the returning Nightmare Slime, carefully observing the cloaked figures holding cages filled with countless slimes.

Someone tried to leave, and the cloaked figures made no effort to stop them.

Taking the hint, others quickly fled, and Rosen mingled with the crowd, departing the scene.

Only Baron Karman and a few other supernatural beings remained, venturing deeper into the Void Wasteland alongside the cloaked figures.

Glancing back one last time at the collapsing Void Wasteland, Rosen summoned his wilderness motorbike and left the area as swiftly as possible.

Those cloaked figures likely belonged to the Duke of Blazing Shadow. Though they didn't appear to be eliminating witnesses, Rosen wasn't willing to risk staying any longer. With the situation still developing, anything could happen.

No matter how reluctant he was to abandon the vast resources of the Void Wasteland, Rosen knew that leaving was the safest choice for now.

By the time he returned to Blazing Shadow City, it was already evening. Rosen switched back to his identity and headed straight for the Artist's Guild.

Before he could even inquire about the Gray Rat Patriarch, news of a grand celebration had already spread through the city.

It turned out that the Duchy of Blazing Shadow had been founded on the corpses of the Gray Rats, and the Gray Rat Patriarch had cursed the entire duchy using a Demi-god Artifact. The curse had prevented the duchy from producing any new Sequence 3 beings, and every century, the duchy had suffered devastating rat plagues and epidemics.

This time, the Duke of Blazing Shadow had won his bet against the Gray Rat Patriarch, breaking the curse in the process.

No one cared about the dozens of lower-tier supernatural beings who had died as collateral damage. All they knew was that the curse had been lifted, and the plagues and epidemics scheduled to erupt in a few years were no longer a concern.

For the Duke of Blazing Shadow, this victory was yet another achievement to bolster his reputation.

(End of Chapter)