Chapter 853 Chapter 852: Terracotta Grottos (14)
Keeping low to the ground, I crept through the grass and scouted the area around me, the overhang above shrouding this portion of the grotto in darkness as it blocked the light from the gigantic crystals that sprouted out of the walls.
Tall grasses concealed my figure as I slowly made my way forwards, our target residing beneath this overhang and inside the den that was nestled under the rock, just out of sight for most other monsters even though it was located in such a monster rich area.
That's what made it perfect for the Wurm we were hunting though; this inconspicuous den was located in the midst of what could only be described as a buffet for a carnivorous monster like itself, especially one that was as adept at hiding and so lethal in its hunting habits.
My ears were strained and my nose constantly twitched as I scanned over the grassy area around myself, searching for anything that might give away the location of this distantly related Draconic monster, only to frown as I found nothing.
Slinking forwards in a crouch, I kept my movements to a minimum as I swiveled my head side to side small amounts at a time, whilst my feet floated just over the gravel thanks to the thin layer of Wind Mana covering the soles of my boots.
I took in the underside of the overhang, the rocky walls, the grass around me... and I f course peered into the entrance of the den from where I was, but I still couldn't find this Wurm, which meant it was either deeper into the den, or out hunting...
If it was hunting, then the others were the ones in danger since they had created a ring around the overhang, waiting for me to lure the monster out into their waiting spells and weapons; meanwhile, if it was in the den, then I would need to get much closer.
Much, much closer...
Holding back a sigh, I continued forwards and approached the rocky entrance into the earth, keeping my senses strained as I prepared to peek into the den, hoping to find the Wurm somewhere inside.
The trickling of water from the river above, the slight breeze that filled the grottos from the many openings as well as the various changes in air pressure within the grottos, creating a special sort of wind that- never mind.
All of that was to say that this entire area was filled with scents, sights and sounds that tried their hardest to distract me from what I was searching for, and that made it difficult to approach that den without my body releasing a large amount of adrenaline, my recent run in with the Goblin reminding me that I was, in fact, mortal and able to die if I wasn't careful enough.
Thankfully I relearned that lesson with the monster that was attacking with a blunted club instead of a razor sharp claw, but still... I needed to remember that even these monsters that were weaker than a Fiend could bring me to death's door with express delivery.
So, I really needed to focus myself on this scouting adventure, tuning out the background noise of each sense and searching for shifts or abnormalities within them to locate my prey - or lack thereof in this case.
Creeping forwards steadily, I reached the edge of the den and took another silent, slow and steady look around before peering into the den, my nose twitching as the stench of death and blood slammed into my nostrils like a truck.
My ears fluttered as I listened to the sounds within the den, and my eyes widened as I heard the muffled, distant snarls of a monster devouring its meal, the wet, sloppy sounds of a carnivore tearing into the body of another monster carrying up towards the entrance of the den on a relatively silent cloud; without my heightened hearing and mild ability to filter out sounds on a whim, I wouldn't have ever heard the Wurm deep inside the den, though...
Running my hand over the edge of the entrance, the packed gravel that the Wurm had burrowed into began to loosen, and small rocks and pebbles were sent 'crashing' down into the den, causing the Wurm to go silent.
Rubbing out some more of the gravel, I began to sneak back into the grass, waiting and watching as I kept my attention honed on the entrance, before another idea flitted into my head, one that might make it far easier to lure this monster out.
I took my Khopesh and caressed the outer crescent, before clenching my palm over the sharpened blade, drawing blood; the smell of the beautiful crimson liquid filled my nose swiftly, and I squeezed my hand and allowed the liquid to drip to the ground, creating a tiny pool atop the relatively impervious surface.
Continuing backwards, I created a trail of the strong smell, and a smile rose to my lips as I saw a large, smooth head slowly emerge from the shadows of the den, its forest green scaled skin almost blending in with the shadows as it looked around, a long, forked tongue flicking out from between its lips.
Tasting the air, the Wurm grabbed the edge of its den with its short, clawed arms and pulled itself out, revealing the serpentine body and beautiful leather and scaled flesh that we were hunting it for.
Along its spine, the bones protruded from the skin and split, caressing the outside of the Wurm's body like a second pair of ribs, giving it further protection from threats whilst its only set of limbs - its upper arms - were adorned with three frontal talons and a smaller, backwards facing claw, almost looking like hands as it dragged itself outside of its den.
Hissing almost silently, the Wurm tasted the air some more and slithered into the grass, its green skin shifting to match the tall grass and making me quicken up somewhat as I continued to backtrack, not wanting to test its ability to hunt me within its preferred domain.
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