This was the most dangerous part of the operation. Nick had no way to escape if he was detected. He would be in trouble if the creatures’ senses were sharper than he expected, and they decided to stake out the tree until he was forced to come down. Or worse, if they can climb.
This was a calculated risk, but one Nick felt he had to take. Running into the predatory beasts on the ground, on their own turf, no less, was a clear recipe for disaster. He realized that he was sweating through his shirt. In part because it was an unusually warm day on the isle, but mostly because he was nervous.
Although the tension was ratcheting up with the heartbeat, the moment wasn’t fated to last for long. Because that was when, right on cue, the beasts entered his view as they crossed the trail below. Shit. Nick frowned to himself. Not because he had been discovered, but because what he saw was worse than he had feared, for the creatures in question were both more numerous and more dangerous than he had hoped.
The beasts were big and had to weigh several hundred pounds each. At first glance, they looked like hyenas crossbred with wild boars. Their canine muzzles were long and round, and their eyes were placed further on the sides of their heads than on most earthly predators. Powerful muscles ran along the back of their jaws, and their teeth were long and sharp. Designed to crack bones and suck out the marrow inside. In front of their canine teeth, a pair of short, wickedly sharp tusks curved up before jutting out, allowing the creatures to gore and rend as well as bite.
Their bodies were coated with short, wiry fur the same color as the earth below, spotted with darker patches like speckles of mud. The beasts’ forelegs were significantly higher than their hindlegs, and their necks were thick and short. Their limbs ended in broad paws, and between their toes jutted long, sharp nails.
At least their legs aren’t designed to let them lash out and use their claws as weapons, like the komos or the lurk. They can still scratch the shit out of anything they leap on top of, though.
In addition to their prolific selection of natural weaponry, the beasts had one feature that worried him deeply—a pair of ears that were giant relative to the size of their heads. When Nick noticed them, he slowed his breathing and tried to go completely still. It was clear that the creatures possessed superior hearing—a trait that he would have to be on guard against going forward.
All in all, the beasts looked strong and fast and were clearly capable pack hunters. Although they moved together as they crossed the forest floor, the hyena-boars seemed to have less cohesion than a pack of wolves or wild dogs. Watching them closely as they walked past his tree, Nick was convinced that the beasts were vicious and cruel as well, since the minor disputes he witnessed between them were inevitably resolved with violence.
It was obvious that he had no chance of battling the pack using conventional means. Even a lone member would likely be able to slaughter him without having to expend much effort.
There were seven creatures in total. Two were smaller than the rest, and they seemed to be the lowest members of the pack’s hierarchy, judging by how they continuously gave way to the others. One was considerably larger and was obviously the alpha of the pack. The leader of the beasts seemed to rely on intimidation and, at times, outright aggression to keep the others in line. Nick could see fresh scratches and old scars covering the hides of the pack, many of which appeared to have been inflicted by their own kind.
In short, he had no chance of taking them on in a straight fight. He would have to go out of his way to avoid the pack until he came up with a plan to drive them out of the area. Unfortunately, he would not be able to avoid their notice for long. Not with those ears. By now, it was clear that the hyena-boars would pose a constant threat as long as they shared the southern forest with Nick and the tribe.
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As he watched them go, he realized it was lucky that the beasts seemed inclined to move as a group, as it made them easier to both notice and avoid. He would likely have already been forced into a fight if they were spread out across the region. If he wanted to keep the creatures from ambushing him, let alone find a way to defeat the pack, he needed to study their behavior over the next few days and figure out where the pack was laired.
Nick waited for another half hour before he was willing to climb down from his perch, tiptoeing down the path opposite the one they had taken. In the meantime, he decided on a name for his new hyena-boar opponents. Bonecrunchers, or crunchers for short. Now Nick just needed to figure out a way of dealing with them that would keep his own bones intact.
Once he was certain that the crunchers had not circled around to follow him, he continued heading northeast across the forest, keeping an eye out for the lemur tribe and any foraging grounds that hadn’t been picked clean. By now, the sun was directly overhead, making him miss the hat that he had left behind in the dungeon.
When he stopped to catch his breath, he heard the lemurs crying out in the distance. It took him a good twenty minutes to figure out where the sound was coming from, then find a trail that led in that direction. Eventually, Nick’s patience was rewarded, and he stepped into a clearing where the tribe was hard at work. At the moment, the industrious lemurs were busy harvesting roots and nuts, which his Foraging skill informed him were not suitable for human consumption. This was a disappointing discovery, as having other options for food would have been nice.
When the sentries noticed his approach, one ran off while the other warned him not to come any closer, barring his path with a weapon raised. The other lemur came running back five minutes later with Bandit at her side, who had grown considerably bigger since the last time he had seen the beast.
Bandit seemed genuinely happy to see him, especially after Nick tossed a berry his way. It meant that he would have to find something else to eat before it grew too dark to forage, but maintaining a good relationship with the tribe was vital at this stage. Besides, he liked Bandit and the obvious pleasure the furry primate took in devouring the sweet treat made Nick smile. And he really needed a reason to smile after everything that had happened in the dungeon.
This time, instead of scampering off after saying hello, Bandit grabbed him by the hand and led him deeper into the area controlled by the tribe. This development piqued his curiosity, and since being around the lemurs was safer than exploring the area alone, Nick decided to follow along and see what Bandit wanted to show him. As they walked, he had a chance to check out the other members of the tribe. It wasn’t just Bandit; the other lemurs were bigger too—further evidence that the beasts were gaining levels and raising their attributes over time, just like Nick.
The friendly primate led him over to the far side of the clearing, where a group of lemurs were busy rolling rocks to harvest the grubs beneath. These creepy crawlies were edible, at least according to his Foraging skill. He memorized the spot, in case he wanted to hunt some grubs when the tribe wasn’t around. Although this definitely counted as a backup plan, because, skill or not, Nick wasn’t willing to eat insects unless there was no other choice. He was still changing by the day, but some changes were easier to make than others.
After walking past a pair of the burliest lemurs that he had ever seen, who seemed to be stationed as bodyguards, Bandit presented Nick to a positively ancient lemur, whom he immediately began thinking of as “the Elder.” Despite her age and status, it was obvious that the Elder was a powerful warrior because she was even bigger than her guards. Though her fur was white with age, every inch of her body was coated with dense, powerful muscles. Her hide was a patchwork of old scars, evidence of a lifetime of battles fought and survived.
To be honest, the Elder’s stature was intimidating. Standing before her made Nick a bit nervous, as the elite lemur and her guard could casually tear him to pieces if they were so inclined.
I’ve already come this far. I might as well see this through to the end. Besides, Bandit had earned Nick’s trust. His furry friend had already saved his life and had no reason to set him up.