The trail of the mimic lizard continued over the pungent earth for a distance until the trees opened out into a clearing where its trail disappeared into a field of grass.
The widely spaced forest floor finally ended, giving way to a meadow of grass spread out over plains as far as my eyes could see.
The continuous grass bordered the forest edge, growing in thick tall clusters. At my upright height I could see over some of the heads of grass but only at the periphery.
There, their size was no more than ten inches high, but further down the grasses increased in height, soaring to heights of ten feet and above, obscuring my view of the horizon.
It was the perfect place for any creatures to wait and hide in ambush, and it wasn't wise for me to enter it so carelessly. But the lizards trail led me right to it, meaning its nest must be somewhere inside.
A creature like the mimic lizard could completely camouflage itself by mirroring the blades of grass on its skin. In there, it would be completely at home. The only benefit for me was that the grass would hide me from passing airborne predators, but once inside - it was highly unlikely birds would be my only problem.
Countless predators, small and large would be perfectly hidden by the tall grass just waiting for a careless creature like myself to wander into their path. In the tall grass I would be utterly blind.
The vibrations I could sense were distorted by the many blades of grass rustling in the wind so closely together, which made it difficult to detect any movement from within.
My [Scent] was muddled by the smell of grass mixed with the distinct aroma of fetid earth, and the rustling sounds of many small animals scurrying inside the tall blades of grass, over thousands of brittle branches and twigs on the ground did not help my hearing either.
The constant vibrations in the air carried with it a variety of chemical traces both predator and prey, all melded together in the gently swaying caress of the breeze. The many sensations altogether overtaxed my senses, making it difficult to focus on anything.
I stopped at the edge of the tall grass and did not enter. Remaining close to the small cluster where bright yellow mushrooms and another dark mushroom grew in pairs, I stayed alert to guard against any flying predators that could be nearby.
My senses felt unusually heightened and the more I observed the movements of the grass, the more everything became confusing. Unable to bear it anymore, I buried myself in the dark earth to shield my body from the excess input on my senses.
Yet the simple action took longer than usual, my body's movements somewhat slow.
Each vibration made by a swaying blade of grass was like a voice, in multitudes they became like a chorus of voices assaulting my senses, making spotting any movement of creatures within the grass immensely difficult.
With my body in the ground and in the absence of winds carrying vibrations from above, the sounds were muted. I was able to focus on [Scent] alone, in an attempt to identify the smell of the mimic lizard amongst the sea of odours.
I felt an inexplicable rush of euphoria as I breathed in the thick humid air. Winds blowing over the tall grass carried with it the red and orange glow of fireflies and pollen dust.
«Was it really a good idea to eat three mushrooms at once?» The sound of Sensei's droll voice interrupted my reverie.
Mushrooms? I ate three at once?
What was he talking about?
Why would I eat mushrooms?
But then it struck me. I was out looking for something to improve my poison resistance. And then I found one with the antidote beside it.
And I'd consumed three of those mushrooms. But why didn't I hear the alert of the system telling me I'd gained [Poison Resistance]?
My health and stamina bars were also full, so I was confused as to what Sensei was worried about. The longer I waited here, the faster the lizards trail went cold, and the more frustrated I became at my current situation. Still, I wasn't brazen enough to simply enter the grass no matter how urgent my desires were. I had to draw the lizards out somehow.
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It suddenly dawned on me that the mushrooms could be a dud. I had gone more than an hour without showing any effects. I couldn't ignore the possibility that the mushrooms were simply ineffective against snakes.
"I feel fine." I answered. "It's either a slow acting poison or I didn't consume enough of it. Each mushroom is about five centimetres long, compared to the size of my body it is insignificant. The three I ate haven't shown any effect after an hour, I should've eaten more of them."
But which one was it, the yellow ones or the dark ones?
I experienced a feeling of weightlessness as all unnecessary distractions faded to the background. The swaying grass seemed to be moving slower than usual which enabled me to really hear things. Rather than merely hearing the rustling noises, I felt like I was getting drawn deeper into the grass to feel the sounds carried over the winds.
It was no longer overwhelming to hear, and I suddenly realised I was able to make out the swaying sound of each blade of grass in an organised rhythm like a song resonating deeply through the ground.
My senses all seemed enhanced somehow, their effects subtle but ever present and I began to feel different. I checked my surroundings and after about a minute I noticed my peripheral vision had become blurred.
While I found this strange, I felt my breathing slow down, the colours of the forest becoming noticeably brighter. My surroundings seemed to appear frame by frame like a succession of photographs were placed in front of my eyes only a fraction of a second apart, rather than my normal snake vision.
I felt a sensation like time itself had slowed down and my observations of my surroundings were far more detailed than usual. It gave me a greater appreciation for the scenery of the forest, but there were instances when the detailed flood of information overburdened my body, causing momentary blots of pain over my skin and eyes that made me wince.
At the same time I was flooded by immense feelings of euphoria that felt incredible, letting me ignore the pain.
«I don't think that's a good idea.»
Sensei response sounded genuinely concerned, setting off a host of thoughts and malignant emotions that stirred and churned inside of me, spilling out in the form of rage.
Why must he scrutinise my every action like I was his own personal puppet? Within a few seconds, I felt myself fighting the inexplicable urge to engage in an argument with him. My anger grew greater whenever I heard his voice like a mad beast struggling to claw its way out of my throat. Why did he feel the need to contradict me all the time?
«The size of a mushroom doesn't indicate its poison content and it's only been a few minutes. Do you truly feel fine?»
"I'm not your puppet! I've had enough of you telling me what to do!"
Unable to control myself I felt the insane urge to lash out at him and the anger did not seem to disappear.
«What on earth are you talking about? I didn't mean anything by it.»
I focused my senses on something else to ignore Sensei's pestering. My attention was drawn to a noise coming from inside the grassy meadow.
Something was moving there.
Focusing my hearing, I cut through the vibrations of the swaying grass, zoning in on a deeper sound. A dull thumping, like the sound of a heartbeat as something large moved through the tall grass with its enormous figure completely hidden. Under the cover of the ground I was confident no one could see me, so I crept towards it.
The sound of the creature came from deep within the grass, and to attack it I would have to move further inside.
As the creature moved the grass swayed, the winds scattering more dust and pollen that floated in the air. They refracted the floating incandescent red lights of the fireflies, engulfing the tops of the grass in glowing embers in hues of gold astir with life.
In my enhanced vision, the lights appeared brighter, the forest broader, the swaying grass seemed to swim before my eyes and the pollen dust appeared ablaze in the air like sparks, their red and gold lights dancing in the dark like fireworks.
«Are you sure you are okay?» Sensei asked, concerned.
I wanted to tell him I was not. I realised something was deeply wrong with me, but before I could respond, the tall grass parted revealing the creature.
It was shaped like an antelope and at six foot tall it was enormous. Its hulking frame larger than anything I'd seen so far. It's body that should be covered in fur was a deep green carpet of moss-like growths and leaves.
Its long majestic beard was unlike any hair, it was a curtain of green vines nearly reaching its feet that housed many forms of entangled plant life, from spindly thin ferns to furry lichen growing in strings like hair, each with leaves that snaked around its body, covering it in a coat of deep green fur.
Entombed in overgrown moss, the creature would have been mistaken for a moving hedge if not for the pair of giant opal horns in the shape of a spiral growing from its head that added an additional five feet to its height.
The beautiful horns were made of crystal and displayed a dizzying array of colours in shifting spectral hues, creating shimmering glowing lights fragments of pinks, light blues and silvers reflected on the tall grass.
I was astonished at the sight of the creature but something was clearly wrong here. My body's movements were more sluggish than usual and I observed through my overly heightened senses, slight tremors moving over my muscles through my skin. Something that should not be happening.
My breathing had slowed down significantly too and Sensei had mentioned something about mushrooms.
It dawned on me that everything I was experiencing was the effect of a poison, and that the creature I was seeing could very well be a conjuring of my delirium.