[You have consumed a new source of Biomass. One Biomass is awarded. The basic profile of the Caedes Cervus unlocked.]

[Profile:] Caedes Cervus | Slaughter Deer

A monster focused solely on blood and gore, the Slaughter Deer is easy to underestimate at first glance. By using its sharp tusks and razor fangs, the monster can inflict deep, savage wounds that bleed profusely. If ingested, blood or ichor is stored in a special organ that gradually converts it to energy for the monster, making the beast nigh indefatigable and stronger than most in drawn-out fights.

-~

Having worked up an appetite from the long walk from the den, the fight, and Emii having literally almost starved to death, the carcass doesn't stand a chance between the two of us. Teeth, claws, and mandibles move with ruthless efficiency as we scissor and rip off chunks of flesh and tear meat from the bone and shovel it down, quickly devouring everything we can get in our mouths. Despite being three times my size, we were able to polish off around half of the Slaughter Deer before I decided we need to cut our losses and leave, which earned me a solid three Biomass, on top of the bonus.

Emii, whether fueled by pure hunger or the urge to not waste food, decided to keep eating as much as she could while I figured out our next move, which I thought was fine. I suspect she needs to intake a large amount of Biomass to grow, and the faster she does that, the faster we can fight together.

Initially, the plan after we ate was to head back to the den to rest and then go out to do some scouting. Frankly, I severely jumped the gun coming here. I was so worried about giant monsters finding me and hurting me or even killing me that I thought it would be better to have "strength in numbers" and that, if I was attacked by a huge monster, I would have that chance to drag them into other monsters if need be. While I still think I had the right idea, I let my fear cloud my judgment and draw me away from my home without even trying to scout around for food first! If I had just searched for something nearby, I wouldn't be in the mess I'm in.

What mess, you may ask? Oh, just the fact this damned forest is getting harder to hide in with every passing second!

Since winning the battle and claiming my reward of Biomass, the number of monsters that are roaming through the forest, either heading to fight in the amassing horde of monsters or trying to escape it, has effectively doubled from what I encountered on my way here. There were several times while we were eating that we had to retreat up a tree or behind a rock because a monster had gotten too close for comfort. They haven't directly entered our clearing yet, thankfully, but there were a few close calls I wouldn't want to repeat.

Honesty, just where are all these bastards coming from? I understand that the blue veins are part of the process, that much is easy to notice once your home is invaded. But the sheer number of monsters crawling all over doesn't make sense. If they were only popping out of the walls, there would have to be a never-ending stream just to fill up a quarter of this place. Even if we factor in the likelihood of them coming up from the ground as well, it still doesn't add up as it should.

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There has to be another system in place, especially when you think about all the different species and their individual quirks.

Bah, too many questions and not enough time to answer them makes Aria angry! I seriously need to sit down and do some research about this place if I ever get to a stable position, I've no doubt it'll be essential moving forward.

For now, I shake myself of my burning questions and focus on the task at hand: finding shelter.

Moving through the forest back to the den would be too dangerous right now. With so many monsters on patrol, we would no doubt be squished as soon as we step into the deeper woods that lead back home. Even if we aren't spotted immediately, there's no guarantee that we could hide the entire time, considering the distance.

So, what is a little drake and her centipede to do when they're barred from their home by ravenous monsters? Why, make another one of course! Specifically, we'll make an outpost on top of the hill I stumbled on before. Not only does it offer a height advantage, giving us a perfect view of the surrounding forest and the horde, but I didn't see any monsters on my way up, making it a lot safer than being down here. I doubt it'll stay "safe" forever, but I can always collapse the entrance if I have to. If that doesn't work...well, let's come back to that bridge when we cross it.

[Emii, you almost done? It's time for us to head out.] I call out across the link, stretching out my sore legs. That damn deer gave me a few lashes before it died, but thankfully, the Biomass fully closed the gashes over; There are just a couple of scabs and bruises now.

It takes me a few seconds to realize my companion hasn't answered me yet. She usually answers right away, so why...

Looking back to see what's happened, my heart immediately melts. Like a baby with a bottle in its mouth, Emii is currently deep in a food coma, a chunk of biomass hanging from her mandibles as she snoozes. It seems she got a little carried away after not eating for so long and eventually passed out.

I chuckle to myself as I trot over to the centipede, gently scooping her up with my tail and placing her on my back. I'll let the little thing sleep while we travel, she needs her rest after all.

Absentmindedly, as we begin our trek up the mountain, I begin to wonder why I've grown so attached to the little bug in such a short time. Is it because I craved companionship the moment I got here? Did the fear of death drive me insane? Or...was it something else? Honestly, I'm not sure. But at this point, I'm content to let that question fall into the background of my mind. Not everything has to be answered all at once, and I have more important things to focus on right now.

With my charge in tow, It takes me half an hour to hike back to the peak, our pace slowed by the dense thicket of trees and bushes the further up we went. Luckily, just like last time, we didn't run into any monsters and the hike was relatively peaceful, if a bit tougher than I remember.

I didn't notice how rough the terrain was on my way up last time, but looking back at it, I think I understand why there are no monsters up here now. The woods, and most of the foliage in general, are too thick. Unless you take the time to struggle through the sharp thorns and maze of plant life, it's almost impossible to get through the thicket unscathed. It wasn't too hard for me since my body isn't as wide as most monsters, so I'm fairly nimble, but I think a monster like Emii would have some difficulties because of her spines.

There were a few times I had to calm myself down and backtrack because I trapped myself in a dead end or accidentally got tangled in vines and branches. Had I panicked, like I assume an ordinary monster would, I would have been skewered by the needle-sharp, inch-long thorns all along the bushes. Just being grazed by them shot tiny sparks off my scales, so I assume being stabbed would be less than fun.

After emerging from the tangled wood, I take a moment to check myself and Emii for any injuries. I did my best to keep her safe from scrapes and scratches, but there were times it wasn't fully possible and I had to block her with my body. Luckily, besides a couple of new cuts I feel on my ears, it looks like we made it through with only some minor blemishes. Although those scratches on my scales do irk me somewhat, oh well. I have more important things to worry about.

After taking a few minutes to stretch and clean myself, partly to put off digging for as long as possible, I decide I've procrastinated enough and begin my search for a suitable spot to break ground. You would think it would be an easy to thing do, finding suitable ground. "Just look down and there ya go," kinda deal. But, no. Nothing in this place is ever as easy as I want it to be.

Being so close to the edge of a cliff I somewhat expected there to be a lot of stone; there would have to be to hold up such a large amount of material, after all. However, I think I vastly underestimated how much stone "a lot" would be.