Mia's eyes narrowed as she scanned the floor, her Tracking ability honing in on any traces left behind by the monsters. Her deep green eyes glinted with determination, and her wavy auburn hair war dirty where it fell around her face in a disarrayed halo. As she crouched down to examine the faint scratch in stone, she could feel the pulsating energy that the creature had left behind.
"There," she whispered, pointing to the faint trail of moved debris going deeper into the building.
"Okay," Frank said, shuffling his feet. "So, we know where they went. But what's our plan? We can't just go charging after them without some sort of strategy."
"Agreed," Mia nodded. "We shouldn't try to take on more than we can handle. Let's track down a small group for now. Once we find them, we'll have Frank lure one away from the others so we can trap it."
Frank raised an eyebrow, a nervous grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Me? Did I suddenly become monster bait while I wasn't looking?"
"Your skills make you the perfect candidate," Mia said, smiling sweetly. Better him than her. "Besides, you're practically a professional joker – I'm sure you'll come up with something to grab its attention."
"Fine, I'm sure I can come up with a ... pointed remark or two," He said, lifting his daggers.
Everyone groaned.
Frank sighed, running a hand through his dirty blonde hair. "I hope you're ready for that thing when I bring it your way."
"Of course," Mia reassured him. "And once we've slowed the monster, with Diana's runes, we'll use our combined skills to finish it"
"Sounds like a plan," Frank replied, cracking his knuckles nervously. "Let's get this show on the road."
As the group prepared to move out, Mia couldn't help but wonder about how this adventure could end. She looked at the dried blood on Hectors jacket that she was wearing.
"Hey, Earth to Mia," Frank called out, snapping her out of her thoughts. "We've got a monster to catch!"
"Right," she said, shaking off her contemplations. With renewed focus, she followed the trail left by the monsters, her friends close behind her.
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The scent of dust and the silence hung heavy in the air as Mia led her friends through the maze of rooms. Every piece of rubble moved and every little noise sent a chill down her spine, causing her grip on her spear to tighten. She kept her eyes trained on the ground, following the traces left by the monsters. She didn't know why but the tracks felt fresher with each step they took.
"Looks like we're getting close," Mia whispered, his voice barely audible.
She was scanning their surroundings for any signs of danger. Her heart pounded in her chest, but she knew that they needed to find these monsters, just another step on the way home.
As they continued to follow the tracks, Mia couldn't help but admire Frank's ability to remain upbeat despite their dire situation. His humor had always been a source of comfort, even when they found themselves trapped in this strange, dangerous world. And now, when hope and comfort were scarce she appreciated it all the more.
"Hey, Mia?" Frank's voice pulled her from her thoughts. "We're going to make it through this, right?"
"Of course," she replied, giving him a reassuring smile. "We're all going home."
"Right," he said, his fears apparently abated for the moment.
Mia nodded, feeling kind of bad for lying to Frank. She didn't feel like they were all going home.
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The moment had finally arrived. Frank's heart pounded in his chest as he tried to swallow the lump in his throat. He knew his role was crucial – if anything went wrong, it could mean disaster for the entire group.
"Alright," Mia whispered, crouched behind a big pile of rubble with Hector and Diana. "Frank, you're up. Remember, we'll be right here, ready to jump in when the time is right."
"Got it." Frank managed a weak grin, trying to mask his growing nerves. "Wish me luck."
"Good luck," they murmured in unison. Frank nodded once more before stepping out of their hiding place and moving toward the unsuspecting monster that Mia had tracked down.
"Be careful." Mia said with a small smile.
Frank smiled back "Always am." Their little ritual complete Frank turned towards the centipedes.
As he neared, Frank hid again, this time closer to the monster, and shuffled his feet lightly. The centipede reared its front half and on the side of the head Frank could see a slit open as the monster froze. Frank realized that the creature was listening for him. He noted all the extremely sharp looking teeth. He kicked a stone.
With a guttural snarl, the monster started crawling towards him. Frank couldn't take it any more, he turned and sprinted back toward the waiting trap. His breath came in ragged gasps as adrenaline surged through him, propelling him forward. "Not doing this ever again," he thought, praying that the plan would work.
"Get ready!" Frank shouted as he ran past the group's hiding spot. As the monster barreled after him, Mia, Hector, and Diana sprung into action.
"NOW!" yelled Mia, signaling the attack. Hector charged forward, brandishing his mace, while Diana activated the wards she prepared before, symbols glowing bright purple under the monster, its movements slowing visibly. Mia moved in with her own weapon, and thrust at the monster. She managed to hit the monster between the armor plates and pierce its white flesh, dark blood started oozing from the wound.
The monster was caught off guard by the sudden assault, giving the team a crucial advantage. Hector smashed his mace into its front legs, breaking two of them with the heavy weapon. Diana released more wards, this time causing muffled explosions under the monster.
"Keep it up!" Mia urged, as she pulled her spear back from the monster's side to stab it again.
Frank could feel every muscle in his body tense as he watched his friends battling the ferocious monster. He was frozen for a moment after the centipede focused on his friends. He activated Shadow Dance and felt safely hidden. It took a lot of effort to go back and join the fight, but his moment of hesitation gave him time to come up with a crazy plan. He started climbing the pile of rubble the team was hiding behind before.
The monster was thrashing around attacking Mia and Hector at the same time, Hector was managing its mouth and some of the claws while Mia used her range advantage and kept poking holes in the monster. It was weakening but so were they. Even a single monster was stronger than the four of them. They had an advantage of surprise and got in a couple of important free hits but it wasn't going so well now.
"Finish it off!" Hector yelled as the monster began to falter, weakened by their relentless onslaught. With a desperate roar, the creature lashed its claws at Hector who threw himself back, barely avoiding the attack.
"I'm all out of explosives, I can only keep it slowed" Diana shouted.
"Shit" Hector exclaimed as he partially blocked another blow from the monster, this time the claws raked his left bicep. The monster pushed its advantage and lurched forward, slashing again and ripping the mace from Hector's hands. The attack ended up pushing Hector onto his back. Mia stabbed the monster to try to save Hector but the creature straightened up and she had a choice of being lifted up or letting go of the spear. She let go. The monster was about to crush Hector, who was out of breath and couldn't move.
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Suddenly a dark shadow jumped from top of the pile of rubble onto the monster's back and sunk daggers deep into it. Frank pulled one of his daggers and started stabbing the easy target before him as many times as he could.
The monster roared and tried to fling Frank from its back, forgetting all about Hector. The rogue managed to hold on by keeping one of his daggers buried deep in the oily flesh before him, stabbing with his other hand. With a final roar the monster started collapsing to its side. Frank jumped off but couldn't manage the landing and fell in a heap. He instantly scrambled up.
"YES! That was fucking amazing!" Frank exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air. His face covered in monster blood and ooze. His eyes glowed intensely. "We did it! We actually did it! When do we get the next one!?" He jumped back on the monster and stabbed it again. "Take that you ugly fuck!"
The group exchanged exhausted yet triumphant smiles, their spirits buoyed by their successful trap. Only Hector threw a strange glance at Frank, a bit surprised at the amount of crazy energy his friend was giving off.
Mia wiped the sweat from her brow, her heart still pounding in her chest, the adrenaline slowly leaving her system. She glanced over at Hector and Diana, who were both taking deep breaths calming down from the rush.
YOUR SKILL TRACKING REACHED LEVEL 2 !
A notification appeared before her, indicating her progress. But amidst the excitement and satisfaction, Mia felt her empty stomach acutely.
"Guys, food first," Mia said, her stomach growling loudly, she steeled herself against the sight of the fallen monster. "We have no choice but to make use of this...thing."
"Agreed," Hector replied, his face a mixture of resolve and disgust. "We need to eat, and this is our only option. As fucked up as this is." Mia was hungry enough she didn't care anymore. Meat was meat.
"Let's just get on with it," Diana added, her voice wavering slightly.
The group set to work gathering firewood, looking for dry piles of wood suitable for burning. As they gathered the materials, a cooking area began to take shape - little more than a fire pit actually.
"Okay, I think we've got enough wood," Hector announced, dropping his bundle next to the others. "Now comes the hard part."
"Right," Mia agreed, staring at the monster's lifeless form. "How do we even begin to butcher this thing?"
"Carefully," Diana muttered, swallowing hard as she surveyed the creature. "I'll try to figure out which parts are safe to eat, and you guys can handle cutting it up."
"Sounds like a plan," Hector nodded, his unease clearly visible.
As they approached the monster, its grotesque features and pungent odor threatened to overwhelm them. Gritting their teeth, they focused on the task at hand, forcing themselves to ignore the repulsion surging through their bodies.
"Okay, let's start with the arms-legs things," Diana suggested, pointing to what appeared to be muscular limbs. "Those should have some meat on them. Also no armor we have to peel off first."
"Here goes," Frank mumbled, gripping his dagger tightly. With a deep breath, he sliced into the monster's flesh, grimacing as a thick, dark blood oozed from the wound.
"Ugh," Mia groaned, fighting back nausea as she began to carve away the meat. "This is disgusting..."
"Keep going," Diana urged, her voice trembling. "We need the food."
As they continued their grisly work, the hunger fueled their determination. Piece by piece, they removed chunks of meat from the monster's carcass, each cut bringing them one step closer to actually eating.
"Are we done?" Mia asked, struggling to maintain her composure as she held a slab of meat in her trembling hands.
"Almost," Diana replied, examining the remaining sections of the creature. "Just a bit more and we should have enough for everyone."
"Thank God," Hector whispered, wiping his brow with the back of his hand, leaving a smear of blood.
Finally, the gruesome task was complete, and the four stood over the fruits of their labor - a pile of monstrous meat that would soon be cooked over an open flame. Despite their disgust, the promise of a meal drove them forward, pushing aside any thoughts of what they were about to consume. It was a matter of survival, and they had no other choice.
The fire crackled and hissed, casting flickering shadows on the faces of Mia, Hector, Frank and Diana as they sat around the makeshift cooking area. The aroma of the sizzling meat wafted toward them, enticing and peculiar scents that made their stomachs growl even louder.
"Does it smell... normal to you?" Mia asked hesitantly, her eyes fixed on the pieces of monster meat roasting over the fire.
Hector sniffed the air, then shrugged. "As normal as any monstrous meat can smell, I suppose. Better than starving, at least."
"True," Frank agreed, his voice wavering slightly. "But what if it's poisonous? What if we're making a terrible mistake?"
Mia sighed and shook her head. "We don't have much choice, do we? If we don't eat, we'll be too weak to continue exploring and finding a way home. And if it is poisonous..." She paused for a moment, her eyes clouding with uncertainty. "Well, I guess we'll find out soon enough."
"Look at it this way," Frank chimed in, trying to lighten the mood. "If it doesn't kill us, it'll make us stronger. Literally, given our situation."
"Right," Mia said, forcing a half-hearted chuckle. "I guess there's some truth to that."
As the meat neared completion, the four stared at it with hunger. They took turns prodding the meat with sticks, ensuring it was cooked through. Finally, Hector declared the meal ready, and they each grabbed a piece, blowing on it to cool it down.
"Here goes nothing," Diana muttered before taking a tentative bite.
Mia and Hector followed suit, chewing slowly and deliberately, carefully analyzing the taste and texture. It wasn't as revolting as they'd feared; in fact, it was almost... enjoyable.
"Hey, this isn't half bad," Mia mumbled through a mouthful of meat.
"Tastes like chicken actually," Frank added.
"I have no idea where you were eating before, Frank," Hector nodded, swallowing his bite with a satisfied grin. " Honestly, not exactly gourmet cuisine, but it'll do."
As they tore into their meal, each mouthful replenished their strength after the days without food. Conversation dwindled, replaced by the sound of voracious eating. With every bite, they felt more alive, more human again .
And for now, at least, the fear of poison seemed unfounded.
With their bellies full and strength renewed, they sat around the dying fire, planning their next move. The aroma of cooked monster meat still hung in the air, a reminder of their success and a hint of newfound confidence.
"Do you guys have a better idea than to wander aimlessly around?" Mia said, her voice quiet. "doesn't seem to be working that well."
"Agreed," Hector nodded. Rubbing his bicep, that was already healed thanks to Diana's magic. "We need a better way to explore, but we also need to keep leveling up our skills and abilities. We would be way safer if we were stronger."
"Right," Diana added, fidgeting with one of her wards. "We'll need every advantage we can get."
"Let's make a pact," she stood up, looking at each of her friends in turn. "We'll never give up, no matter how difficult the challenges we face. We'll get stronger, smarter, and more resourceful. And together, we'll find a way back home."
"Deal," Hector agreed, reaching out to clasp Mia's hand.
"Count me in," Diana chimed in, her expression resolute as she joined the pact.
"Can't really say no, can I?" Frank said. "I always wanted to stand like this, hands joined. Feels very awkward."
The group laughed and sat back down.
"Okay, so maybe while exploring we look for marks similar to the one on our hideout? Other than that we explore, level up, and search for other clues about returning home," Hector recapped. "But we should also keep our eyes peeled for any signs of other people. We can't be the only ones trapped here, right?"
"Good point," Mia agreed. "Maybe they'll know or have something we can use."
"Or maybe they'll try to kill us and take our stuff," Diana countered, her tone dark. "We need to stay vigilant and be prepared for anything."
"True," Hector conceded. "But we can't let fear paralyze us. Allies could be as much help as skills and equipment."
As they discussed their strategy, a sudden roar in the distance caught Mia's attention. She held up a hand, signalling for silence. The others immediately complied, tensing as they listened to the ominous sound.
"Sounds like... more monsters, a lot more" Frank replied, his voice very quiet.
As the noise drew closer, Mia's heart raced. They'd barely finished dealing with one creature, and now more were on the way.
"Run," she instructed, her voice steady despite the pounding in her chest. "We don't know what we're facing, run for the grand hall"
And as the first of the incoming monsters emerged from the shadows, the group turned and ran.