BXBX NOVEL Chapter 543 542: In Depth Scouting (3)
Anput and I walked on either side of her, plugging the branching paths with Earth and Ice as we journeyed deeper into the Monster Den, hoping to find something that might stymie the production of these monsters even just a little bit, so that when we began our siege on the mountain we could do so without as large of a horde following behind us.
Leone was in the center of us all, with Nirinia following behind as we delved deeper and deeper, the air becoming stale and hot as we moved further and further away from the surface.
Jahi\'s golden light illuminated the tunnel in front of us, though her hulking frame was just a tad too tall for the tunnel as it tapered inwards, forcing her to tilt her head and letting her ram horns scrape the dirt above us.
Thankfully, the tunnel only began to grow larger as we reached a new layer of the Monster Den, made clear by the darker dirt and addition of larger stones comprising the tunnel, as well as the amount of Ants that scampered out of their paths to stop us.
Before they could move or truly acknowledge us, golden daggers flew through the air and stabbed deep into their heads, killing them quickly and silently.
We moved forwards quickly after that, not wasting any time as the sounds of more and more Ants scurrying towards the main path became loud enough for the others to hear it as well.
Golden daggers flew down the paths that Jahi passed, slowing the flow as she bought Anput and I time to seal the tunnels, while Nirinia turned to more efficiently cover the path leading back to the surface.
The air grew hot as we reached a large cavern, the heat visible as we stepped foot into the heart of the Monster Den, which, to no ones surprise, was host to a large gathering of monsters.
Situated in the middle was a large pool or viscous reddish brown sludge, which was being fueled by large \'pipes\' of organic matter that connected the pool with the ceiling, and you could see... something moving inside the pipes, which was shot out into the pool.
After a few moments, Goblins rose in abundance from the sludge, their bodies covered in the reddish brown liquid as they clawed their way towards the edge, where they shook the sludge off and revealed their muscular flesh and horn studded skulls.
Staggering around the edge of the pool, the Goblins eventually opened their beady red eyes and snarled at one another, before making their way towards one of the many Ants that were situated around the room.
Dozens upon dozens of Goblins rose from the pool every few moments, with the occasional Serpent, feline, or avian making their way out as well, shaking the sludge free from their bodies before venturing off to one of the other pathways leading out.
Situated in the back was a gigantic Ant with a much larger abdomen than the others, and its head was crowned by a band of deep crimson horns.
Eggs rested around its body, and occasionally one would burst open, revealing an Ant covered in that same sludge.
Of course... we were seen right away, all of the monsters in the room turning to stare at us in silence for a moment before shrieking and growling as they lurched towards us, prompting Jahi to turn around and begin a tactical retreat, all while Anput and I plugged the entrance swiftly with as much Earth and Ice as we could.
"Those organic tubes might just be the key to slowing down the... \'production\' of the monsters! There were things inside those tubes being deposited inside the pool; likely the energy or mana that the island gathered from the dead monsters! Since everything gets recycled here and all... Maybe destroying those tubes would buy some time? The problem is getting here again without wasting a large amount of mana..."
We all nodded at her words, rushing through the tunnel and killing any of the Ants that managed to break through the blockades as we made our way towards the surface.
"Besides, there was that giant Ant as well, which looked like a Queen? Something like that has to have a large amount of time between it being killed and coming back to life? Surely?"
"Maybe even permanently for this \'version\' of the island? Perhaps - like the heart - it\'s a one and done type of monster? Either that, or it does have a long period of time before it comes back to the land of the living..."
I flicked my hand to the side, sending a shard of ice hurtling down the hall and into the skull of a charging Goblin, exploding its cranium and slowing down the other Goblins beside it before continuing to speak.
"That also begs the question of what big bad is waiting for us over at the Bone Fortress? There is now way that the Monster Den houses something as large and important as that while the Undead are left with something weaker."
The others all let out grunts and hums of agreement, and we continued running even as we reached the surface, disappearing into the forest and leaving behind the Monster Den as we made our way towards the Bone Fortress next, wanting to get a better idea on what the Undead were working with as well.
We needed a more solid, tuned plan for when we decide to end everything here, and from the looks of it that plan will be a multi step, in depth sequence of affairs as we do everything we can to bring this island under control.