Blood drips from my mouth as I take pained, ragged breaths. Angry hisses and growls slip past my lips as I stare down the mutt that's caused this crisis I find myself in. And it is indeed a crisis. Broken ribs and a crushed lung are one thing. But a horde of what is most likely Wolf Dragons charging my den to protect their injured comrade? This is probably the worst-case scenario. And I'm terrified. Already, the monsters are getting closer. My ears are alight with the sounds of battle, both near and distant. It seems the monsters on the way here stopped to fight some of the ones in the tunnel, but I don't have much time before they burst into my home and kill Eminence and me. I need to break past this wolf and get out of here.
Looking over my foe, I'm flabbergasted about how it's still standing. Blood is flowing from wounds across its body, and every time it breathes, there's a pained whine to accompany it. The characteristic pustules that form as a byproduct of my venom now sprout in multiple places across its body, looking ready to burst. And yet, it's still standing, looming over me like a school bully. I'll give it credit; the bastard is much bigger than me. Whereas I sit at a comfortable two or so feet tall, my body shape lending itself more to length than height, this guy is almost twice my size, about what we would have imagined a dire wolf to be like on Earth. Long story short, I still can't take this damned dirty dog lightly.
Suddenly, something catches my eye behind the mutt. Like drunk toddlers, the centipedes are finally starting to get out of their stunned state and are beginning to creep toward the Wolf Dragon. They're a bit shaky, especially the injured one, but their intentions are clear in their actions. While I'm distracting it, they're going to try to get in a cheeky sneak attack! What Cunning little shits. Sneak attacks are my thing, you bugs! Oh well, I can brood about it later. For now, escape.
'Eminence, are you able to move? Are you still stunned?' I ask my pet quickly.
'I-I can move, Mistress, but barely.' She says weakly. Even talking telepathically as we are, I can tell she's pretty shaken. That howl must have done a lot more to her than I thought. Might've even lost some health.
'That'll have to do. I need you to climb down and get on me. We'll have even worse company than this bastard in a few minutes, and I don't want to be around when they get here. Get to me as fast as you can.' I say. With silent acknowledgment, Emi begins to crawl toward me, trickling down to coat dust across my scales. Irritating, but I have to deal with it later. I can clean then. Pushing my ears to the limit, I try to get a beat on the horde that's rushing me.
[Hearing has reached Level 3!]
Awesome. That doesn't help my situation much, but it's better than nothing. With the mild boost gained from leveling up, I can pick up a bit more information on why I'm so fucked right now.
Although there is fighting deeper in the tunnels, it's quieter than a minute ago. I secretly hope that means the wolves are dying out, but I won't bank on that being the case. I'll give myself ten minutes to escape before the pack gets here.
I hear a deep rumble of a growl from the Wolf Dragon that pulls me from my thoughts. Guess the big guy got tired of waiting. My suspicion is proven correct as he starts to circle me, gnashing his teeth and snarling. Before it can move very far, however, the centipedes take action, mine included. The two opposing centipedes snap their mandibles closed across the back left leg of the Wolf Dragon, tearing open a deep gash and causing the monster to fall to the ground in pain. In pained desperation, it flips and flails its tail wildly, catching the injured centipede in the head and launching it into a wall, killing it instantly. As this happens, Eminence scuttles as fast as she can down the den wall and up my leg, latching on to my body as secure as she can make herself...Creepy! That feels so creepy! Eminence's dozens of sharp, almost needle-like feet dig into my scales as she holds on for dear life. What is she, a living allergy test?!
'Mistress, are you okay?' she asks innocently, noticing me tense up when she crawled across my back.
'Y-Yeeahhyess! Just thinking about how to kill the big one.' Gah, she's so cute about it; I can't say she feels like someone is stepping on me with gothic spike boots.
My attention is ripped to the Wolf Dragon as a cacophony of barks and snarls erupt from the battle. Once again on the offensive, the wolf dodges the centipede's tail in the last second, counter-attacking and slicing a large wound in the centipede's side, cutting straight through the hard chitin. The centipede reels up in pain, and like lightning, it's in the jaws of the Wolf Dragon, who bites down hard on the bug. I get a perfect view of the last remaining centipede exploding between the wolf's jaws, its insides becoming visible in the blue light with an audible "Pop!" Gross. Promptly dropping the centipede to the floor with a meaty smack, the monster stares me down as I become the target again. Well, at least they bought enough time for Eminence to get here and inflicted some damage. Guess it's my turn, huh?
'Emi, you better hold on tight. It's going to get a bit crazy.' I say.
'I am secure, Mistress.' She assures.
'Good.' I acknowledge. Now, time to do something somewhat stupid.
Gritting my teeth and letting out a pained huff, I charge the Wolf Dragon. Normally, I wouldn't rush an attacker twice my size head-on, but I'm desperate. The pack is getting closer, and I'm running out of time.
Surprised by my sudden charge, the monster doesn't have time to defend itself before I bite down on its front left leg, cutting into the unprotected limb. Pulling hard, I force the Wolf Dragon onto its side, taking advantage of its already injured back leg. In retaliation, the wolf tries to snap down on my torso, but I dodge, its razor-sharp teeth catching my tail instead and tearing into the soft flesh beneath my scales. That hurts, damnit! Without thinking, I smash down with my tail, clubbing the wolf over the head as hard as possible. Pain roars from my tail, but I can't stop. I need to get this bastard to let go! Only after five whacks does the Wolf Dragon stop biting me, and I can retreat.
[Tail Attack has reached Level 4!]
Sweet, almost maxed out. Hopefully, I can improve the skill once it hits level five.
Once at a safe-ish distance, I check my health, and I'm grateful to see that I only lost four health from that last attack. While that does leave me at 16 HP, I'm not weak enough to be unable to move yet. I'll take that as a win. Especially since now, the Wolf Dragon is taken out of the fight completely! With wounds in both its front and back left legs, the beast can't even stand. My venom has also seeped almost entirely into its bloodstream, so I think it'll die soon without my intervention. Just in time, too, since the pack is almost here.
'Mistress, are you okay?' Eminence asks worriedly.
'I'm okay, Emi. That fight just took a lot out of me. Let's get out of here.' I assure her. Still, even if I say that, I need to heal. I don't have time to deliver a killing blow to the Wolf Dragon and eat it, so I guess I'll just take advantage of its hard work.
Taking care not to get close to the huffing and puffing wolf, I waddle over to an eviscerated leech worm beside it and swallow the corpse whole. As it slides down my gullet, I feel a little strength return to my body. Simba might have been on to something.
[You have consumed a new source of Biomass! One Biomass awarded. Basic Profile of the Lutum Sanguisor unlocked!]
[Profile:]
Lutum Sanguisor / Clay Bloodsucker: Efficient pack hunters, Clay Bloodsuckers ambush their prey from the soil, pinpointing food via vibrations and latching on to their foes before sending out a pheromone signal to the rest of the pack. They are not dangerous alone, but if they aren't removed, they will eventually suck all the blood out of their prey, turning them into a dried-out husk before burrowing into the ground to digest.
A Clay Bloodsucker, huh? I prefer Leech Worm. Oh well, not important.
As I begin to digest the small morsel, I turn to the dirt and stone slab blocking my den from the rest of the tunnel. I glance back at the dying Wolf Dragon, and I wish I could finish the big guy off. That would be a lot of biomass for myself and Eminence. Oh well, survival is paramount. Turning back to the task at hand, I'm surprised I could last this long with such a flimsy "door." A misplaced attack could have knocked it in, and I would have been defenseless. Internally, I resolve myself to improve my construction in terms of my future dens. Flexing my ears, I can't hear much outside the den. I'm not really comfortable leaving without any prior information, but I'm going to have to go.
Sliding the slab away, the scent of blood and biomass blasts my nose. Immediately, I start to salivate. So. Much. Food! There's biomass everywhere! And I'm so hungry! Maybe I can stop for a bite or two? Damnit, Aria, this is no time to get lost in your lust for food. No one would freely leave corpses around. They must have been drawn to the sounds of fighting from the pack. Stepping softly out of the den, I brace myself for an attack that doesn't come. Sighing with relief, I move completely out of my home and start to run as fast as I can toward the large cavern I was born in, snapping up the odd body part for myself and Eminence on the way. With how massive that cavern was, even if it's infested with monsters, it's my best bet for my new home. If I stick to the walls, I should be able to get in undetected and find a place for my next den.
I ran down the small tunnel, keeping a close ear on any vibrations in front and behind me, and thirty minutes passed by fairly uneventfully. I was still being chased, but I could stay ahead of them a little bit. I was able to heal by six points by scavenging while I ran and even got two more Biomass for my efforts, helping to close over my wounds and ease my rib pain. Otherwise, besides a centipede posturing aggressively next to a fresh kill, an unlucky squirrel monster, nothing else was in the tunnel except carcasses. It's almost like all the monsters were drawn away from what they were doing, but I wonder why? As I started to wonder if I was even going the right way, even though I knew I was, thanks to Tunnel Sense, I began to hear fighting in front of me. Alert, I sink low to the ground and creep toward the sounds of battle, and I'm baffled by the scene before me.
The tunnel opens to the familiar cave offshoot I had escaped into to escape the mammoth monster and those horrible devil ferns. Much like I remember, there's something new in the middle of the cavern: dozens of monsters ranging from spiky-shelledled lizards and centipedes to towering brown bears, all fighting to the death. Body parts go flying, and blood sprays as the monsters devour one another. Was this what the monsters were drawn to? A mosh pit of murder?! Why?
My question is answered as a cacophony of barks and howls erupts behind me, causing me to rush inside the large tunnel and behind a stone pillar. Sticking to the little shadow these pillars provide, I watch the pack of Wolf Dragons that had been chasing me rush into the tunnel and...run straight to the mosh pit and start to battle. The hell? Why did they go and do that? I mean, I'm not complaining. I want to live. But...surely they saw me? Is it the sound of battle and the smell of Biomass they're after? They did stop to fight in the tunnels, so maybe. Well, at least I can sneak by reasonably easily.
As I follow the tunnel walls and make my way to the cavern, the system's voice rings in my head.
[You have slain Level 1 Luvenis Lupus Draco! You have gained experience!]
[Tunnel Sense is now Level 2!]
Gains for days, baby! It seems the venom finally snuffed the mutt. I hope it was painful. I'm a little disappointed I didn't level up from killing it, but it was only a Level 1, so I guess that's okay. Tunnel Sense is a hard thing to level up, so I'm pleased with that improvement too. All in all, I'm happy, even if I did lose my home.
I've made it to the cavern's entrance undetected by now, and I'm finally able to take in just how massive the area is. This is going to be perfect for hiding out in. Looking about, I don't see any monsters, but I won't try my luck. Until I find a nice place, I'll need to keep my guard up.
As I take my first few steps into the expanse, I make a silent vow to myself. I will stop at nothing to ensure the survival of myself and the ones I care about. If anyone threatens my peace, it will be the worst mistake of their lives.