Name: Dire Rat
Type: Beast
Level: 1
Disposition : Passive
HP : 40/40
Physical Attack: 8
Magic Attack: 7
Speed: 73
Attack Range: Melee
XP : 35
Description : One of the most typical mana-based mutations of the common sewer rat. This species is often seen in the deeper levels of the underbellies of large cities.
"I guess they're gonna make us work for it," Sith said, and pulled the elf with her into the room.
Neleth closed the door behind him and a couple of minutes later they both came out of the room carrying the same bag, its new contents squirming in terror at their new surroundings.
"This was a lucky selection. We should have enough for all the nameless," Neleth said, and together they all carefully walked out of the tower.
Yvonne scouted ahead of them while Sith showed them the way back to the barn, which they were thankful to see had not been compromised.
"Just three wolves?" Yalfrigg said, as soon as he saw the party enter the building.
"And a whole bag of rats," Neleth said, passing him the big, moving sack.
"You didn't take too many, did you?" Yalfrigg asked, but already nodded at his first party leaders to step forward and instruct them. "You hit the monsters with the order I gave you. As long as each of you gets one hit, your whole party should level up."
"Start with one of my wolves," Menos said, and stepping forward.
"Have you tagged all of your party members with the Delay Adhesive?" the doctore asked one last time, before he nodded at the elephantaur.
The large warrior threw a confused timberwolf into the middle of the gathered party leaders. Before the beast was able to attack anyone, they all rushed at it, hitting it with their bare fists. This would guarantee that their damage would be low enough for everyone to land at least one hit before it was taken out. As the animal's HP rapidly dropped, the vampire group took up a position right behind the party leaders, facing the nameless and waiting for a flash of recognition in their eyes.
The exact moment the timberwolf fell to the ground dead, eight groups of eight people woke up from the state they'd been in for all this time. Their eyes raced around, trying to absorb information about their predicament and to understand what had occurred since they'd lost their wits--for most of them, the last thing they remembered was probably a different fight.
"What the hells?" said a woman who instinctively stumbled backward as soon as she leveled up.
"Please, no!" shouted another.
"Alex? Is that you?" said a woman, who was looking straight at the berserker. "It is you. You saved us from the undead. Why are you--"
This moment lasted only for a couple of seconds before the vampires immediately went to work, commanding their attention and casting a multitargeted glamour. In a matter of seconds, the nameless that had regained their souls and critical thought, looked like nothing had changed for them. Scanning them showed that they were still level zero, and their eyes went back to empty and unthinking.
"First group ready," Yalfrigg said and moved to a large recess at the right side of the building. "Bring the ones we've tagged and leveled to this side of the barn."
The party leaders did as the dwarf bid them and pretty soon the newly awakened nameless were standing on their feet, above the ones who were still sleeping and waiting for their liberation.
"Okay, now break your parties and make new ones with the people sleeping here." The doctore continued issuing commands. "And then bring them into the middle again."
The procedure was repeated multiple times until all of the stored nameless had been tagged, leveled up, and sent back to sleep. The rats alone had been more than enough to work through the hundreds of people in the barn, and the whole operation lasted less than an hour, during which Alexander's party stood next to the guards outside the barn, watching for any suspicious movements.
But the patrols proved to be a one-off occurrence and before long, the doctore ordered the parties to disperse.
"Vampires, you fly out of here," he said. "And the rest go out in groups of no more than three. Berserker, you're with me."
Alexander joined the dwarf on their way back to the camp, something that proved to be much easier than the journey out to the barn since they were now walking toward the lights of the campfires. For a good few minutes, the two men did not talk, but Alexander was thinking about what they had just achieved and unfair it felt on the people he had ended just a day before.
"Yalfrigg," he said eventually, when they were nearing the slave camp, "I'm sorry for your brother. Had I known we could have brought him back like we did with those people--"
"There is nothing to apologize for," the dwarf replied with a stern look. "That would have been my brother's wish. Besides, he was part of the dominus's personal guard. He wasn't staying in that barn, and we'd have to fight him when the revolution starts."
"When are we going to strike then?"
"In two days. During the gladiatorial festival. There will be more people like our dominus joining our arena."
"More people who will fight against us," Alexander said. "But does that mean there will be more slaves to fight for our cause as well?"
"Not all doctores can be trusted," the dwarf said, a hint of concern in his eyes, "though some of them will join us with their troops and reclaimed nameless."
"What would you have me do?" Alexander asked, once they entered the illuminated area of the slave camp.
"I think you already got your instructions, lad," the dwarf said, and Alexander almost shuddered at
