Jett sighed as he turned towards the direction of his apartment, since it was just behind another building with broken glass windows, he had to go around it through a small alleyway.

  Usually, he took the main roads on his bike, even if it took a little longer. But tonight he was exhausted from trying not to get killed by an enraged Gargoyle. He also couldn't even defeat it—despite initiating the fight first. The feeling of being utterly weak left a strange hole in his chest.

  'I just want to get home, eat something questionable, and pass out," he muttered to himself.

  The alley was dimly lit, with the only light coming from a flickering street lamp at the entrance. The air was thick with the smell of damp concrete, stale garbage, and another putrid scent..

  Something that relentlessly assaulted his nose.

  Jett wrinkled his nose in disgust. "What died in here?"

  As he walked deeper into the alley with his bike at his side, he heard a faint skittering sound. It seemed to be coming from the shadows across from him.

  'Probably just a rat,' Jett thought, trying to reassure himself.

  'Just keep moving, and don't make eye contact. They probably have..like, the plague or something."

  The skittering grew louder and closer. Jett's altered eyes pierced the darkness. He could now make out a clear shape in the foggy alley. It was small, hunched over, and it was moving erratically.

  As it got closer, Jett's eyes widened in horror. It was a rat, but not any rat he had ever seen. The thing was easily the size of a cat, its fur was patchy and matted, and its pink tail was long and unnaturally thick. Its eyes glowed with a green light, and its mouth was filled with rows of razor sharp teeth.

  But the worst part was the mass of writhing tentacles that sprouted from it's back, each one was tipped with a wet barb.

  "What in the hell is that?!" Jett exclaimed.

  The rat-thing screeched with a high pitched grating sound that irritated his ears. It lunged at him with unnatural speed.

  Jett stumbled backward, his foot slid against a discarded can as he fell to the ground. He was afraid to the point that he had forgotten that he had a weapon on his back.

  The rat was on him in an instant, its tentacles closed in on his face. He threw his arms up to defend himself, but he knew it was futile.

  Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed in his mind.

  < You have acquired a Carcinoma Shard: Spawn Rat. >

  Before Jett could even process what was happening, his body moved on its own as he rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the creature's attack. He scrambled to his feet, he felt his heart pounding like a boom box in his chest.

  'Oh shit!'

  The rat turned to face him—its green eyes were filled with hunger and bloodlust.

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  He had to get out of the alley, he turned around and ran, the rat chased after him. He dodged garbage cans and leaped over puddles.

  The rat was faster than he expected, another tentacle shot out in an attempt to grab him. It wrapped around his ankle.

  Jett yelled out in pain as he was yanked off his feet. He crashed to the ground. Its green eyes narrowed as it opened its maw wide, going in for a bite, rows of dark green razor sharp teeth with maggots falling out were revealed.

  "Oh, hell no!" Jett yelled. He kicked out with his free leg, slamming the bottom of his shoe against it's head.

  The creature screeched in surprise and stumbled back, releasing its grip on Jett's ankle. He didn't waste a single second, he immediately scrambled to his feet and kept running.

  He could hear the rat still chasing him, its skittering was getting closer. He risked a glance over his shoulder.

  It was still moving on all fours, with every tentacle flailing from it's body. Jett knew he couldn't outrun it.

  He had to fight.

  Jett gripped the bat on his back tightly as his knuckles turned white. The wood was dark and smooth. He swung the bat with all his might, it struck the rat thing's head. There was a loud impact, and the rat-thing's skull caved in. It unleashed a loud squeak before collapsing to the ground, turning into ashes.

  The voice announced his kill.

  < You have slain a Spawn Abomination: Parasitic Rat. >

  Then, his Vitriol counter went up:

  [ Vitriol: 12/1000 ]

  Jett didn't notice the strange counter rising. He was too focused on getting out of the alley and away from the ashes of the creature.

  -

  Jett finally made it back to his apartment, his body was aching from the night's events. He collapsed onto his couch with a loud sigh, the events of the night replayed in his mind.

  The gargoyle, the rat thing… it was all too much. He decided to check his status again, to see if anything had changed.

  [ Vitriol: 12/1000 ]

  Jett stared at the display. The number had gone up. "What the hell?" he muttered.

  "I still don't know what Vitriol is supposed to be."

  He scrolled down further, and his eyes widened as he read the additional information:

  "The flow and manipulation of supernatural energy, Vitriol and Ruin are present in all beings and abominations."

  Jett's eyes scanned the information, trying to make sense of it all. "So, Vitriol is…energy? And I get it from killing things?"

  He paused, a realization dawned on him.

  "That means…that rat thing wasn't just some random monster. It was…something else."

  He scrolled down to the section about Ruins.

  "Ruins…creatures that can be summoned? And I got one from that thing?"

  Jett's mind raced. This was getting weirder and weirder. He had so many questions, but no answers.

  Then, he saw the description of the Spawn Rat.

  Spawn Ruin: Murk Rodent

  [ Vitriol: 0/1000 ]

  [ Chthonic I: 0/1000 ]

  The Murk Rodent is a Spawn Ruin born from the chaotic energy of a Parasitic Rat. Its form is a twisted amalgamation of rodent and nightmare, with razor sharp claws, glowing green eyes that pierce through all things, and a constantly twitching tail that ends in a cluster of venomous barbs. It exudes an aura of unease and decay, leaving a trail of sickly green slime wherever it goes.

  Innate Traits:

  [ Gait ]: The Murk Rodent can move with unnatural fluidity, almost as if it's partially phasing through its environments. This grants it slightly increased speed and agility, allowing it to slip through small gaps.

  [ Blight Sting ]: The barbs on its tail can deliver a mild venom that causes numbness and slight pain. The venom's effects worsen over time.

  [ Desolation ]: The Murk Rodent is capable of releasing a weak pulse of negative energy that slightly weakens nearby creatures, reducing their speed and strength. This ability has a very short range and can disrupt a single enemy.

  [ Entropy Gnaw ]: The Murk Rodent can bite with surprising force, causing wounds that fester and resist healing slightly. It also drains a tiny amount of energy from a victim.

  Jett stared at the traits with a mix of disgust and fascination.

  "So, I can summon…that thing?" He shuddered.

  "Great. Just what I needed. A giant, venomous rat monster."

  He leaned back on the couch, rubbing his temples.

  "This is too much," he muttered.

  "First a Goblin looking creature, then a Gargoyle, then a mutant rat, and now I'm apparently some kind of monster summoner? What's next? Will I find a dragon in my bathtub?"

  Still, his curiosity was growing. He stared at the description of the Murk Rodent for a few moments in silence.

  "Alright, let's try this," he muttered to himself.

  He stood up from his couch, pushing aside the pizza boxes and miscellaneous clutter. He cleared a small space in the center of his living room, the flickering light of a single overhead bulb casted shadows across his worn carpet.

  "Okay, according to this, I can summon it," Jett mumbled, rereading the descriptions.

  "But how?"

  There were no instructions, no magic words, no instructions of any gestures. Just…information.

  He closed his eyes, trying to focus. He pictured the Murk Rodent in his mind: the grotesque blend of rat and nightmare, the glowing green eyes, the twitching tail with its venomous barbs. He tried to feel a connection, a pull, anything that might trigger the summoning.

  Nothing happened.

  Jett sighed, opening his eyes. "Maybe it's one of those things that just…happens?" he said to himself.

  "Like, you think about it hard enough, and poof, monster rat."

  He decided to try again, this time with more intensity. He closed his eyes, visualizing the Murk Rodent, imagining its skittering movements, the feel of its claws, the glow of its green eyes. He held the image in his mind, focusing all his energy and will.

  A moment passed, then another. Nothing happened.

  Jett opened his eyes, a wave of frustration washed over him.

  "This is ridiculous," he grumbled.

  "Maybe it's a delayed thing? Like, I have to wait a few hours for the damn rat to show up?"

  He was about to give up when a faint sound caught his attention. A soft wet thump came from the corner of the room.

  Jett turned around quickly, his eyes widened in disbelief.