Hunter’s ankle burned as he struggled against the vine that wound itself around his lower leg like a snake suffocating its prey. The sensation of Earth chi pulsed within his core—a familiar warning of impending danger. In fleeting desperation, he slammed the butt of his weapon against the vine, its tough exterior blocking the blunt attack. With that failed attempt, he swung his blade in a deadly arc, slicing through the stubborn plant. Vines, like the arms of an octopus, lashed out at them from every direction.
"Where the hell is this murder plant coming from?" he wondered aloud, unable to locate the source of the relentless attack.
Beside him, He Xiangu moved with the precision of a battlefield surgeon, her blade slicing through the snaking tendrils. The severed vines writhed on the ground, still twitching and coiling like serpents.
This brief respite allowed Hunter to break free, his Earth chi pulling at his core toward the ground. Seizing He Xiangu's hand, they leapt away as a fire trap exploded into a scorching geyser, rippling waves of searing heat surrounding them.
Hunter blinked the stinging dryness from his eyes to see the plant still intact. The vine, strangely, seemed immune to the inferno, and Hunter was still at a loss as to their origin.
He Xiangu’s eyes widened, matching the frantic tone in her voice."It's not the plant but the root we need to watch out for. Killer Ginseng, hidden underground, occasionally sends its vines to the surface to hunt."
A wave of vibration ran through Hunter's feet as the ground beneath them trembled. He glanced toward Bravo about to speak when she grimaced at the rocky soil. Cracks spider-webbed out from underneath them, and they barely managed to sidestep the gaping crevices when the sudden grip around his ankles thrust him face down. The impact with the ground knocked the breath from Hunter, He Xiangu landing beside him, her fingers clawing at the earth to resist being dragged away.
Having ensnared them from behind, the Killer Ginseng tightened its grip the more they struggled against its forceful pull. Hunter's skin grated rocks, streaking them with blood. He Xiangu flopped around, trying to grasp her sword that’d flung from her hands with the fall.
The icy dread in Hunter's stomach surpassed the physical pain as he glimpsed a large cavernous hole swallowing them into darkness. His stomach dropped and air rushed beside him as the weightlessness overcame his body into a free fall, the vines tethered to his only source of life. He threw his arms over his head to shield himself from the pulsating, orange-glowing vines they passed.
After what seemed to have been an eternity of falling, they crashed to the ground, the vine finally releasing its grip. Hunter winced from the pain as he struggled to open his eyes. In the cool, damp darkness of the gloomy cavern, the only light came from the eerie orange glow of the vines trailing back to the surface high above.
Sensing movement, Hunter rolled aside, giving He Xiangu space as he gathered his bearings, forcing himself to stand. Helping her to her feet, they stood shoulder to shoulder, surveying their surroundings.
"Something tells me we weren't brought down here for fun." Hunter smeared the warm blood from his arm.
"I've heard tales of adventurers and demon folk who ended up in these caverns," He Xiangu said, her tone somber, echoing the darkness that enveloped them.
Hunter's spirits lifted for a moment. "Then you know how we can get out of here?"
“No.” He Xiangu's shoulders sagged. "None have survived. If the Killer Ginseng didn't consume them, then the bones were picked clean by the Water Dragon that calls this place home."
The blood drained from Hunter's face. "So, even if we manage to survive the Killer Ginseng that pervades every inch of this place, we still have to contend with a Water Dragon?" Looking up, signs of daylight were no longer visible. "Is there any chance we can climb those orange glowing vines back to the surface?"
"The odds are not in our favor. Even if we defeat the Killer Ginseng, we'd be vulnerable while climbing. We need to find another way out. The Water Dragon likely has another tunnel leading to its spring, needed to feed its hatchlings. It seeks the protection of this cave because males are cannibalistic—they will eat their young. Water Dragons are meticulously clean, so tracking them by scent is out of the question; even their young don't shit in the nest."
Hunter's eyes narrowed as he scanned the darkness. "If this is anything like the underground caverns back home, there'll be dead-end tunnels we'll want to avoid." He thought it wise to look for familiar signs of cave systems, like steam vents. As he took a cautious step forward, He Xiangu's grip on his arm halted him. "Don't move, don't breathe. It's watching us."
Confused and concerned, Hunter wondered if his Dark plasma taint was worse than he realized, affecting his chi cultivation beneath the surface. He missed what He Xiangu had noticed.
She nodded toward a shadowy figure moving in the gloom. Feeding chi into his eyes to enhance his vision, Hunter slowly made out the monstrous form of a creature resembling a cactus, advancing toward them. Its sharp spines rippled, and its gaping maw, lined with the same deadly spines, snapped with hunger.
Without a weapon, Hunter raised his hands, hoping for a chance to identify and reason with the creature.
Name: Killer Ginseng
Type: Plant
Age: 621 years
Energy type: Dark plasma
Bond type: Unavailable; Already Bonded
Relationship: Hostile
Specialization: Crispifying and consuming its prey
Training Progress: Untrainable
Swallowing hard, Hunter shoved his dread to the side. He couldn't beat it into submission with words, but he still had his skills. As chi swirled within his core, energizing every fiber of his being, his confidence surged.
Simultaneously, he activated his Dust Storm Whip while He Xiangu, with the grace of a seasoned warrior, charged forward. Her spear held firm, she leapt with a predator's precision, aiming for the creature's head. But the beast, with its spiny tentacle vines, swatted her away like a mere nuisance. Unfazed, He Xiangu regained her stance and dove at it again and again, her determination steel-clad, until she finally pierced its defenses.
The storm unleashed by Hunter's attack carved a rift in the ground, sending dust and debris flying in all directions matching the chaotic predicament they'd landed themselves in. Yet, He Xiangu moved through it untouched. Her dark hair billowed around her like a shadowy aura, as she drove her spear through the tough, spiny flesh of the Killer Ginseng. Its gnashing, spiny mouth thrashed, dangerously close to her face.
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Hunter, seizing the moment, sent another Dust Storm Whip crashing across the creature's mouth, its spines flying off like deadly daggers into the surrounding darkness, clinking against unseen walls. He Xiangu’s movements rivaled a dance with death, dodging and countering each attack with agility born from years of experience.
Their attacks merged into a relentless onslaught, the tentacle vines' resistance dwindling with each strike. In a last-ditch effort, the creature coiled a vine around He Xiangu's spear, attempting to wrest it from her grasp. Hunter’s remaining Refiner stage chi keeping him vigilant, distracted the beast with a series of leaps and dodges, a bid for survival against the monster's fury.
He Xiangu wrapped her hands and knuckles with spineless vines, creating a makeshift armor against the beast's attacks. Spotting an opening, she executed a spin and leapt over a tentacle vine, narrowly avoiding a sneaky strike. With precision, she drove her spear into its gaping mouth and twisted, pushing until the creature's resistance ceased with a thud. The monster slumped, lifeless, as she withdrew her spear, now dripping with green slime.
The dimming orange light lit her smirk before she spoke between breaths. "Cauliflower ears…no cauliflower face."
Hunter waved a hand in front of him, crinkling his nose as he sniffed at the growing humidity filling the cavern.
The slimy aftermath left the air tinged with the strange, fresh scent of cut apples, reminding him of the Night Mare's favorite treat.
Gasping for breath, He Xiangu retrieved her water skin, taking deep gulps before offering it to Hunter, who drank, grateful she had a storage ring for such items. The coolness of the water provided a small relief against the heat of their exertion and the cavern's oppressive atmosphere.
Peering beyond the vanquished ginseng, he eyed the dark tunnel before a small flame appeared next to him in He Xiangu’s palm.
"Do you think that way leads to the Water Dragon?" Hunter's voice echoed slightly in the vast cavern, mixing curiosity with a hint of trepidation.
"Whether it does or doesn’t, I’d rather not scale this cavern back the way we came. Since I’m not on my own, we can handle the Water Dragon. Maybe you can use your beast tamer skills," He Xiangu said, her smirk barely visible in the dim light as she gestured towards the tunnel's yawning entrance.
Hunter's core tightened as he focused on his breathing to circulate chi from the little energy that surrounded him. He glanced down at the vines, more than eager to leave the stifling remnants of their battle behind.
Together, they stepped with caution into the shadows, ducking beneath outstretched stalactites, the closeness of the walls constricting their speed.
The tunnel gradually broadened as they ventured deeper, leading them into another cavern.
Hunter froze, his senses assaulted by the unmistakable stench of decay and old blood. "You smell that?"
The odor was overwhelming, transporting him back to a haunting memory of Death Island and the countless dead bodies thrown into the open graves. His stomach churned with dread, the memory of past horrors mingling with the fear of what lay ahead in the dark.
He Xiangu paused mid step as something crunched against their boots. She released a short groan, her voice edged with a low murmur of frustration. "Damn ginseng, killing baby dragons."
She waved her hand out front, the flame casting an eerie display of shadows across the wall. They stood about five paces from the remnants of what was once a nest the size of a horse and chariot. The cavern floor was littered with large shards of eggshells, their vibrant colors and distinctive scale patterns unmistakably belonging to dragon eggs and small bones.
"Looks like they died a long time ago." Hunter observed, his heart heavy with the sight. As they moved past the tragic scene, despair deepened upon discovering the tunnel exit had collapsed, likely a casualty of the vine's wrathful encounter with the mother dragon.
He Xiangu's eyes darted around, searching desperately for another exit, but the silence of the cavern offered no clues, no signs of recent passage, only the distant sound of trickling water beckoning them.
Hunter's heart raced as they continued, following in the direction of the sound, He Xiangu's strides echoing his own urgency. The light dimmed, the shadows growing longer and deeper around them. "You think this is the water source the Dragon would have used?"
Suddenly, Hunter’s footing slipped, his reflexes catching him from a fall. The ground beneath them more treacherous, slick yet soft, sucked at Hunter's feet until he found himself wading ankle-deep in muck. The stench that hit him was unspeakable.
"That’s worse than the bowels of the underworld." He Xiangu’s face twisted in disgust. "Looks like we've stumbled into shit,...dragon shit."
Despite the grimness of their situation, a shimmering glow of cool blue light emanated from a narrow bend in the cavern wall that hinted at an unseen tunnel. As they approached, cautious with each step through the dragon dung, the source of the light became apparent—a colossal blue-scaled dragon, its indigo eyes ablaze with a fierce radiance, fangs bared, and its tail whipping with aggressive lashes.
"Go ahead, use your beast tamer skills before it decides to turn us into toothpicks," He Xiangu said as though she believed Hunter was capable. Her hands tightening around her spear, still wrapped in protective vines, told him otherwise.
Hunter swallowed hard, activating his Beast Tamer skill, hoping against hope that the dragon was more than a mindless beast driven by hunger. The size of the creature alone made the idea of outrunning or outfighting it laughable. Its massive body, even with wings folded, completely blocked the tunnel.
Name: Saiphan
Type: Water Dragon; Sapient
Age: 360 years
Energy type: Aether
Bond type: Unique
Relationship: Hostile, but Open to Persuasion
Specialization: Unknown
Training Progress: Formerly Trained
That bit of information offered a glimmer of hope, though they were far from safe. Hunter's attempt at humor did little to ease the tension. "You know, I haven't actually tried this on anything as big as a dragon... Rats, yes. Horses, sure. And even then, the horse still wanted to kill me at first."
"Well, you won't know unless you try." He Xiangu encouraged, with her stance ready and spear raised. "I've got your back."
Clearing his throat, Hunter addressed the dragon with a bow, careful to keep his eyes on the massive beast for any sign of aggression. "Greetings, we mean no harm. We're merely lost and seeking a way out. Perhaps you could assist us?"
The dragon's response was a roar that shook the cavern, dislodging stones from the ceiling and forcing Hunter and He Xiangu to dart aside. "Intruders here will die." The Water Dragon hissed, its voice a rasp of fury as it advanced with a thunderous step. Lowering its massive head, its eyes narrowing into slits of pure anger.
Hunter's heart skipped a beat, fearing the worst. But He Xiangu, undeterred, raised her spear higher and countered. "We are not the intruders you seek. The ginseng that dragged us here, hoping to feed us to its vines just like it did your children, is dead by our hands."
The dragon paused, its mighty head inching closer, nostrils flaring as steam billowed around them. "You killed the enemy of Saiphan?"
Seizing the moment, Hunter activated his beast tamer skill, nodding. "Yes, we've eliminated your foe and avenged your offspring. In gratitude, we only ask for passage from this cavern."
The dragon's demeanor shifted, its eyes softening at the corners, a contemplative silence falling before it spoke again, locking gaze on Hunter. "I can do more than only allow you to leave.” The scaled beast’s stomach rumbled and its mouth gaped into a yawn, causing Hunter to take in a sharp breath.
He glanced at He Xiangu and spoke in a low voice. “Get ready to run.”
Unseen dust filtered the cavern as the dragon snorted and dipped its head, baring its fangs. Hunter's pulse raced, but a tingling sensation pulled on trace amounts of aether in his core. Much like Alice the Night Mare, the dragon only needed to be persuaded.
He Xiangu withdrew her extended spear, turning her hands to display the vines wrapped along her knuckles to the massive beast. “We can't run where we need to go.”
Hunter cleared his throat and stepped forward. “Is it not enough that we defeated your enemy?”
Snapping its mouth, the dragon failed to muffle laughter.
Raising a brow, Hunter kneeled and grasped a stray vine and held out his palm.
The dragon's nostrils flared, a faint stream of heat whisking past Hunter’s hair. The subtle pull of aether on his core slowed his heart. He remained silent and held steady, unmoved by the lingering threat of the vicious mouth creeping closer.
“You have my gratitude.” The dragon’s wings stretched, nearly spanning to the edges of the outer walls. “I will take you where you need to go. For years, I've sought vengeance on the ginseng, but you,...I sense a difference in you compared to others. The plant knew my weakness, yet you see my strength."