'Even if I was in top shape this would be too many to fight!'
Just as I am starting to try and think of how to escape, the ettins overcome their shock. However, instead of attacking and killing me they all start screaming and run off in terror. It is only then that I think about how I must look to them right now, after all they probably saw the demon as their god.
Seeing me sitting on their god's chest, eating his heart, and covered in blood and burns, I must look terrifying. In fact I am rather glad I can't see myself right now and neither can anyone else. That and with the ettins scattering it will be much easier to hunt them down.
Hunting them will have to wait for a bit, I am still exhausted from fighting the demon. Before I try to rest I fish out the demon's core and take his head, which is only attached by scraps of flesh. Then I move away from his corpse and start looking for somewhere safe to rest.
A small cave, too small for an ettin to enter, ends up being the best I can find. Once inside I sleep until dawn and wake up fully refreshed and healed. Returning to where the demon's corpse is I start searching the area looking for my sword.
The reason I want the sword back is because it makes hunting the shadow apes much easier. However, the sword is nowhere to be found, meaning an ettin probably ran off with it. Tossing the demon's corpse aside I recover the spear from the ground, it may not be as good as the sword but it will work for now.
With the spear in hand I set out to hunt down the ettins who are scattered all over the hills area. Half the day and over fifty ettins later I finally find the one who ran off with my sword. Once he dies, painfully, and I have my sword back I turn from hunting and head for the underground.
By the time I arrive at the underground world there are only about three hours of 'night' left for me to hunt. So I start without wasting anymore time, roaming around making lots of noise to attract hunting parties. Over the next two hours I kill another 35 shadow apes and take their cores, giving me a total of 79.
With an hour left to go I am aiming to reach one hundred cores, but then something happens. Suddenly a deafening roar sounds and echoes throughout the entire underground world. I quickly look around and pick out the tallest tree near me before starting to climb it.
From the top of the tree I have a fairly good view, but I can't see what roared. After fighting with the demon I am not really in the mood for another major fight so soon. Just as I am deciding to head back to the surface I see several trees off in the distance fall.
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Since the area of fallen trees is between me and the exit I decide to sit tight and watch to see what is going on. As I watch, the ground beneath the fallen trees rises up as if a new hill was being created. Then the dirt falls away and reveals the creature that is the source of the roar.
The thing is massive, it's body is at least a couple of hundred feet long, and covered in scales like a snake. It has six legs, each as thick as a tree trunk, and it has two arms that end in blades like a praying mantis. Its head is probably the most horrifying thing about it, the massive jaws are full of teeth.
However, the worst part is the tentacles, they are located on either side of the jaw. As I watch the thing lowers its head into the forest and when it rises back up I can see a dozen shadow apes. They are being held by the tentacles and as I watch they are thrown into the mouth and eaten.
Now I know what the top predator is and I have absolutely no intention of fighting it. It probably wouldn't even notice me if I attacked it, but I won't be finding out. All that is on my mind right now is how to get past the thing to the exit.
Normally I would just try to sneak past it, but based on how easily it caught the shadow apes it must have really good senses. Meaning I don't want to go anywhere near the thing, so I decide to stay put and wait. Once it finishes its meal it starts moving, as soon as I see which way it is moving I have to move.
If it stays on its current course it will pass far too close to where I am and then I will end up as its dinner. Instead of climbing down the tree I just jump and as soon as I hit the ground I start running. Suddenly I am reminded of all the times I laughed at people trying to run away from Godzilla.
As I run away from the thing’s course I just have to hope that it doesn't pick up my scent and decide to follow. From what I saw of the thing it moves much faster than I do so all I can do is hope it doesn't notice me. After all, I am the size of an ant to the thing and I have about as much chance of surviving as an ant beneath a shoe.
Before I have been running for long I can start to feel the ground beneath my feet quivering. Impact tremors, only much stronger than a t-rex would make. Unfortunately, because of the trees I can't see the thing so I won't know if it changes directions.
What worries me is as the seconds pass the impact tremors keep getting stronger. Soon it is enough to make it a challenge to keep my footing as I run. As I run I don't see another living thing, everything is either hiding or has long since fled the area.
If I hadn't been so focused on hunting shadow apes I might have noticed all the bigger creatures running away. In fact now that I think about it, the last couple of groups of shadow apes I killed were all heading in the same direction. They must have sensed the approach of the thing and were running for home.
Hearing a tree shatter behind me I look back as I am running only to see the things head turned in my direction. It definitely spots me, but then it turns away and continues moving on its original course. I guess it decided I am not worth the effort, which stings my pride a little bit.
However, I am not going to die for pride, at least not today. So I turn my steps and head straight for the exit to the surface, running as fast as I can. I think I will make due with the cores I have and never return to this underground world.