Great just great, they have started to arrive.
I was worried the [Unended] were increasing, I was seeing more an more of them when I went far away, but it's unmistakable. My web has caught one.
Olme stops the moment we skitter into view of the web. It is caught right in the corner, near one of the other bugs. Normally a bug get's caught, struggles, and runs out of stamina. This [Unended] is certainly not running out of stamina. We can see significant damage to the web, and the bug it was after is ripped into several parts, most likely from the threads being tightened by the [Unended] relentless assault. Still it flails and twitches as if trying to end the already ended.
Checkered Beetle [Unended] [Insect] [Horde] [Unended Checkered Beetle] 6 This Unended Beetle is relentless attacker, that is capable of little else other than forceful attacks.
-It is [Mindless] with a desire to end all it encounters.
-It was ended by a [Unended] [Aura of Unending]
-[Horde]s tend to fight as a swarm of creatures
We must know a bit more in any case, and Olme moves closer. We get a better look as we approach. It's another bug, a beetle again. Not a [Horned Beetle] this time. Fortunatly it is caught in my web, the [Stabilimentum] seem to be holding it fast. The normal thread are all torn, and it does have quite a big of movement. The moment we get in range Olme attacks, biting the creature and injecting it with venom. We move back to wait... but nothing comes of it, the spasming and attacks never cease. Olme shows a little more cunning, and bites again, pushing out digestive juice into it like we do for something we would eat. Not this time, I can feel Olme nausea and know we agree that this must not be eaten.
Even then, as it liquified on the inside and becomes ready to drain, it does not stop it's struggles. A different creature would have ended ages ago, but the [Unended] it seem do not end until they are fully destroyed. To test Olme dart forth one more, landing a hit on it's chitin. Once, the twice, and it cracks as we retreat. We watch as the creatures insides drain out, just like we had risked eating them. They are wrong, and turn our desire to eat off. It is not appetizing in the least. Even my newly awakened self did not try to eat the first [Unended] to attack, and I am ever so glad.
The last of it's internals drain away, and it becomes a husk, nothing left to eat even if we desired it. It does not stop it's spasms, not even when Olme moves forth and hits it again. The chitin cracks freely now, no internals to dampen the blow. It's like breaking apart a husk, the [Unending] a shell of it's former self. I check with [Appraiser] on a whim, and I am surprised.
Checkered Beetle [Unended] [Husk] [Insect] [Horde] [Unended Checkered Beetle Husk] 3 This Unended Beetle is a mere husk of it's former self, it is still capable of attacking
-It is [Mindless] with a desire to end all it encounters.
-It was ended by a [Unended] [Aura of Unending]
-[Horde]s tend to fight as a swarm of creatures
-It was drained and turned into a husk by an [Arachnid]
Does this mean my other husks can become [Unending] I wish I had known this sooner. Olme, make sure to destroy any and all husks you leave. As I am thinking this I skitter over to my pile of refuse and start smashing anything that I thing could return. I feel our body shudder in terror, but I am glad to see that it appears turning them to husks would weaken them greatly. It halved the creatures levels, and even the description changed to imply it was significantly weaker.
I watch as Olme finishes smashing it, and stashing any surviving food. We emptied this web earlier, so it isn't much... the most important thing is what we learned of the [Unending] In fact, knowing what I do of the [Construct] what does the quests say, maybe I will be fortunate.
[Q: The Horde] [Knowledge] [Un-ending] [Threat] [High Danger] [Mind-Control] You have discovered a [Lesser] [Un-ending] [Monster] and it's [Horde] or minions.
-What is it: The former body of a creature, that has been un-ended.
-What is it's purpose or objective: Destroy all creatures
-What is [Hordes]: The former bodies of creatures, that has been un-ended.
-What is the [Hordes]'s purpose or objective: Destroy all creatures
-Can you gain any benefits from it's presence: Uncertain
Unfortunate... perhaps... I cannot benefit from them? No, I was hoping that saying the last would finish this quest as it did with the [Construct]. I do note that the entries have increased, it was just two when I first saw, so perhaps the number of objectives can also change with the knowledge I gain.
Well, we do need to do something about it, and the non-husk version of this would count towards the [Homesteading] quest. If it can't get through my web, my walls should stop it.
Speaking of wall, Olme didn't wait while I studied the [Unended] and smashed it to bits. Then Olme went down to the log to remove bark. I am a little alarmed to see the pile of [Husks] left in the log, but they are not [Unended] yet, so we are fine for now.
Olme looks a little confused for a moment as we study the log, but after reaching out and manipulating the bark for a few moments Olme seems to grow in confidence. Olme pushes our pedipalps against the bark, and used them to carefully pull it away. It isn't easy, the bark appears to still be at least partially attached, but gently sliding one pedipalp between the wood and the bark seems to work. It feels a little like cutting thread, but much much thicker. Olme takes care to make sure the pieces are fairly large, and as thick as possible. Mostly running our pedipalps through existing cracks in the wood, or where the bark is thin. It works, surprisingly well, Olme discards the softer rotting bark and pulls off a significant amount of bark.
It isn't fast work, slower than weaving, and even than building the wall. Each time Olme pulls a large piece or bark from the tree I am pleased. It is slow progress but it is progress, and soon the log is looking much smoother. Eventually as we get to the bark touching the ground it all starts getting squishy so Olme stops. We did gather a bunch, though I am dissipointed that it is much less than the total cave entrance. We will have to prioritize parts... maybe we can find more bark, but all the other local sources are rather small. Except for the Willow, which is guarded by that huge [Unending].
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
It will have to do, and Olme loads up the sled and starts on our way back.
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The wall is shaping up nicely, as we approach I am proud of... well mostly Olme's work.
Speaking of, Olme just got straight to work, taking a big piece and placing it over one of the more vulnerable sticks. All of the webs are wrapped around that, so it be bad if that took a big hit. I observe as Olme gathers a little of our stick web from our [Greater Spinneret 5] and carefully goes around the edge fastening it down. It is good to see that as we do the web is sturdy but flexes beneath us. It should hold, at least well enough to keep us from being ended. Even the strands holding the bark can flex just enough that an impact shouldn't dislodge our hard work.
I note that with so much web used in the construction, I can see basically the whole wall through our sense of web tremors. I do really want the upgraded version, but for now we will have to lay down some sensory threads to expand what we can sense from inside the [Purple Hat]. I think the gaps in the web might be large enough for us to see the heat of creatures as well, so that should be useful.
OIme grabs a larger piece of bark and carefully places it over the largest bundle of web. I agree, but was expecting a visit from Olme first to at least discuss... Olme doesn't know of course, so I feel a little annoyed as Olme starts placing bits of the bark in the wrong places. Well, not wrong, I think [Basic Physics] might be assisting Olme. Still, I would do it differently, but it does seem that our new knowledge skill is helping. The Bark will act as armour against the more brute force attacks, so we carefully place it over the critical parts of the web. Where the twigs and sticks meet, wrapped up tightly by web, where the web gathers and spreads from, and where the sticks are heavily webbed to the ground.
It's not awful, but I could have done better. At least Olme doesn't put the bark in the middle of the unsupported webs. These are bouncy and unarmored with good reason. A hit here will just flex the web, and [Basic Physics] suggests that it be very very difficult to break the web with anything but fire. The whole web is flexible and should absorb most hits, the Bark is as well, even where we place the thickest pieces. Olme starts filling the flexible gaps between the bark with some long grass from the area. [Arachnid Knowledge] suggested it be hard to notice the web and make it look more like debris.
I am happy to confirm that to be true, and as we are finishing the wall it seems to be little different than some of the other piles of debris I have seen. Come to think of it, I have seen several, but I never gave them a serious thought. It's possible some of them are disguises. Something to consider.
Now the only thing left is the big hole left on one side of the web. Olme is already planning to set up a door like I suggested. We find a few more twigs and recreates my frame from before, only a fair bit larger. It does have twigs across and a bunch of supporting web holding them all in place. Once it is complete we start wrapping the whole thing with a very durable [Stabilimentum] pattern. I am pleased as it comes together, and looks as durable as most of the wall... yet maybe a bit lighter, it is mostly web after all.
For the next part, Olme moves to the pile of our salvage and searches until the Canvas we took from the Swatters is found. To our surprise it is tightly folded, and Olme unfolds it several times to get a nice large piece. It might not fully cover the hole, but it should do for most of it. Olme presses into the canvas quite hard with our bite and it is quite a tough material. We can bite through on the edge of it, but when trying to tear through the middle we can't get a good position. It certainly should do well enough.
We drag the canvas out, and place strong web threads on one side. We clamber up the wall and stick these around the stick at the top of the opening. Like we hoisted the food we drop down, slowly hoisting the canvas up and into place. It takes a little while, and six different hoists to get it up, but I manage eventually. Olme goes along and webs it to the stick quite tightly, but only on the top edge.
It does touch, a little a small gap on each side, but we can adjust that with a few extra bits. Backing up we can lift up the canvas enough that we or our sled can slide through. It looks like it might be difficult if we didn't put stick in place to hold the new door in place, and Olme does it. A little simple, just a stick to prop it up, but I would probably have done something too complicated.
It is quite heavy already, but we still stick the previously made frame to the inside side. Thick web holds it to both the canvas, and the supporting stick. With this in place it can probably take a hit more than the rest of the wall. Olme lowers the nearly finished door once we are done, and gathers up a pule of dirt. We start rubbing it into the canvas. At first it just makes the canvas a little dirty, until we find some still wet dirt that had been pulled up when Olme had been gathering long grass. This works much better, smearing onto the canvas thickly, and making it look almost like ground. For some extra fun we pull up a bit of grass and some sticks and put it on the canvas dirt as well. It almost looks just like the nearby cliff once we are done. I think that will work well.
This door is constructed of willow wicker and a durable spidersilk weave,
-It is durable and highly resistant to physical damage, especially blunt force.
-It is undamaged
-It is unenchanted
-This [Spidersilk Wicker Door] is moderate value.
Structure (Door) [Hidden Canvas Spidersilk Door] Craft: Amateur [Mini] [Durable] [Silk] [Wicker] [Canvas] This door is constructed of willow wicker and a durable spidersilk weave,
-It is very well hidden by a dirt and grass covered canvas.
-It is durable and highly resistant to physical damage, especially blunt force and slashing.
-It is undamaged
-It opens outwards
-It is unenchanted
-This [Spidersilk Wicker Door] is moderate value.
Good job Olme, now with luck we will be safe in our [Purple Hat], maybe even complete that quest if we get attacked.
More importantly, this has shows me the quality of your work when I am unavailable. I think we can see about something new. The [Unending] are expanding, and we need to as well. We certainly can't eat them, so at the very least we need to stop them from replacing the food in the area with them. I can't think of anything worst that a web filled with [Unending]. So we'll eat up, rest up, and then.
Then we'll see if we can use social skills on the [Serpent]