As I pen these words, the lamp casts long, dancing shadows across my well-worn desk. It's a fitting backdrop, I suppose, for contemplating the elusive subject of Evolution—that profound act of one being fundamentally transforming into something new. Evolution truly is a fascinating phenomenon, yet one I find woefully underdocumented, at least in the texts readily available to the general public.
Of course, you can walk into any Guild house on this continent and learn the rudiments: monsters level up, max out, and evolve to become stronger and more terrifying. Even a child could parrot such entry-level information about the Dungeon. But when you yearn for something more substantial—insights into guiding a creature down a specific path, influencing its mutations, nurturing particular abilities—that's where the well runs dry.
In all my decades as a Magioscholar and amateur Tamer, I've stumbled upon but a single openly accessible fount of this knowledge: the Tor Alando Tamers Troupe, or simply the Tamers Troupe, as some of them prefer. Their libraries! What a marvel. They hold, by far, the most meticulously detailed scripts and tomes on monster classifications and evolutionary paths I've ever had the privilege to lay my eyes upon. I recall spending hours during my last visit, lost among the various tomes and archives, long enough that young Marta had to drag me away to rest! A truly fond memory.
Unfortunately, I've heard unsettling whispers as of late. The Legion and the Troupe have always been at odds, but now I hear they've actually come to blows! "The Battle of the Court," they're calling it. I have no doubt of the Troupe's strength, but I fear things will escalate further. I must contact Master Whitmire and discover the cause for such hostility. I do hope she's alright; it has been some time since I've seen her.
- A page from the private journal of Master Magioscholar, Sir Edmund Cotel.
It's been two days since my initial encounter with those worms, and life has been...difficult, to say the least. But I'm getting ahead of myself, so let's start at the beginning. After my unfortunate discovery by the worms—I still haven't figured out how they noticed my echolocation—I began a panicked dash through the forest, running for my life as the massive monster and its smaller cohorts gave chase.
Surprisingly fast, it took everything I had just to stay ahead of the beasties, especially the larger one. I can still vividly recall it smashing through fallen trees and tearing through tall bushes as it relentlessly hunted me down, its distended, horrible mouth gnashing wildly in the air. It gives me shivers just thinking about it. Thankfully, all that brute strength didn't come with much stamina, because it gave up after about five minutes of relentless pursuit.
The smaller worms, nipping at my heels like rabid dogs, lasted longer, around fifteen minutes before they finally gave up. It's a good thing they did, too, because they almost followed me all the way to my den. Had that happened, I would have had to pick up shop and find a new place to settle. For now, though, I'm still safe in that regard.
The real problem is that my new “friends" have decided to stay, claiming what I would consider the north end of the cavern for themselves, right where the creek meets the wider river. I haven't had a chance to explore there much, but I did my best. It wasn't easy, but with a bit of luck and a lot of brazen stupidity, I could get close enough to see their base of operations.
It wasn't a pretty sight: a large mound of dirt on the other side of the creek, covered in holes and absolutely crawling with worms. It baffles me, but their population has somehow exploded over the past two days, going from five small worms to twenty! Even worse, they've been sending out hunting parties constantly.
Moving in roving packs of three to five, they're surprisingly efficient pack hunters, capable of taking down most of the monsters that wander into the cavern. Their hunting strategy is pretty bizarre, too. Behaving more like leeches, they launch themselves like bullets at their prey, latching on and sucking the blood of their targets until they're full. Then, and only then, do they start biting. Mind you, all this happens while the monster is oblivious, likely due to a numbing venom of some sort. By the time they notice they have stowaways, it's already too late. Then, they scurry off, dragging the corpse back to the mound. Yesterday, I saw a larger pack take down a bear monster this way. It was horrifying.
“So, Aria,” you may ask, “why are you currently crawling in the dirt, stalking two of these deceptively terrifying monsters?” An excellent question, Puzzle; I'll tell you thus: Because I haven't been able to eat since these absolute tools moved in! They've intercepted practically every monster that wanders into the cavern; I'm starving over here! I would have gone out into the tunnels to hunt, but every time I've tried—Surprise!—the bastards are already there, waiting in ambush for unsuspecting prey. Honestly, It’s a miracle I'm still alive. Thank you, Level 4 Hearing.
But the point is, I'm hungry. Hungry enough that the local worm population is starting to look like the local noodle buffet. I'm pretty sure that's an Earth thing, and if it isn't, it totally should be. I catch myself drooling at the thought of a noodle buffet, but quickly wipe it away. Ehem. Hope nobody saw that. Anyway, stealth time.
Crouching low, I weave through the undergrowth, my eyes locked onto my unsuspecting targets. This is the smallest group I've been able to find since the patrols started, and I've been tracking them half the day. I'm tired, hungry, and a little angry that this took so long. But, thanks to supreme patience on my end, I've managed to wait until they'd isolated themselves from the other groups before my attack. I'm not going to get a better moment than this.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Creeping forward on all fours, I make my way towards the creekside and my awaiting meals. The two worms remain oblivious to my presence, loudly gorging themselves on the glowing water, their grotesque little bodies wiggling with delight as they drink. Disgusting. Pushing my way through a yellow bush, my tail raises high, poised and ready to strike. I already have a target. Just a little closer... Step. Step. Step. Step.
Suddenly, as if I've passed through an invisible barrier, the worms freeze and then round on me. Their little mouths gnaw at the air, and their bodies pulsate in rage, as if they're furious about my very existence. Right back at you, you little beasties! The worms coil, ready to launch themselves at me, but I'm faster. Like lightning, I lash out. My tail streaks down like a comet and impales the first worm, shish-kebabing it to the ground lengthwise. The monster squirms for a time before going limp, green blood and water leaking from its wounds.
[You have defeated a Level 1 Mana Hirudinea. You have gained experience!]
Before I can even register my small victory, the other worm reacts. It springs into action, quite literally. Coiled taut like a viper, it launches itself from the ground, a living projectile aimed directly at my face. The impact is jarring, a sickening smack against my cheek that sends a jolt of stunning pain through me. Yeouch! I stumble back, disoriented, feeling a sharp pinch as the creature latches on. An immediate, horrible sucking sensation erupts from my face, draining my strength. I instinctively try to pry the parasite off, my hands wrapping around its segmented body and pulling with all my might. But it's no use. Its repulsive body is slick with some kind of viscous mucus, preventing any solid grip.
Clawing at it isn't working either, the sharp weapons sliding harmlessly off its pudgy bulk. The worm is starting to swell off of my blood now, and a wave of dizziness washes over me. My vision swims as I desperately snap at the offending monster, but I catch nothing but air, the worm easily dodging out of the way of my jaws. The beast wiggles with delight as it continues to suck my blood, the vital substance disappearing down its gullet at an alarming speed, mixing with blue glow of the water it already drank and tingeing it's stomach a sickly purple. Gah, it's taking too much blood. If I don't get this thing off soon, I might pass out!
Frantically, I rack my brain for a solution. Grinding my face into the dirt is a no-go; I doubt it would even loosen its grip. What else? I could try to pin it down and bite it, but no, it's too slippery. Think, damnit! Panic swells in my chest before an idea, a truly reckless, almost stupid idea, hits me like a hammer blow. But it'll work. And right now, that's all that matters.
Reaching up to where the monster is latched—man, this is such a bad idea—I poke around my cheek, testing how numb it is. Thankfully, due to the worms saliva, it's very numb; I can barely feel my claws. Good, that'll make the next part easier. After taking a second to psych myself up, I take a deep breath and then plunge my claws into my cheek. Immediately, blood gushes from my face, coating my claws and the worm in the sticky red fluid. Working quickly, I dig deeper into my cheek, isolating the chunk of flesh the parasite is latched to.
I'm deep enough that pain is starting to flare now, but it's too late to stop. I have to follow through. In one swift motion, I pull hard, yanking a sizeable hunk out of my face, but more importantly, the monster attached to me. With a wet thunk, the worm falls to the floor, stunned by being unceremoniously ripped from my face. Quick as a flash, I snatch the bloated bastard up into my jaws and bite down hard. Bite, bite, bite! Three snaps of my jaws is all it takes for the monster to meet its end, popping like a balloon and splattering purple fluid everywhere.
[You have defeated a Level 3 Mana Hirudinea. You have gained experience!]
[Bite; Rank 1, has reached Level 2.]
I let the exploded remains of the worm fall to the ground as I sit, panting. Blood pools in my mouth, and I spit. You know, somehow it's not as satisfying when it's your own blood. I'm forced to spit a few more times before my regeneration kicks in, clotting the hole in my cheek. Once that happens, I finally let myself breathe.
That. Was. Rough. I knew those things were tough, but I genuinely figured I'd had the upper hand with my initial sneak attack. Speaking of sneak attacks... I turn to look at my tail and the still spit-roasted monster, a frown creasing my brow. How did they notice me so quickly? Was it some skill, a heightened sense of their environment, or even a mutation? That last one would make some sense. I gingerly pull the worm from my tail, exposing the bright blue stinger before stowing it away in its sheath. Creepy. That's still something I'm going to have to get used to.
At least my first attack went off without a hitch. If I'd had to deal with both of them simultaneously, in that desperate, blood-draining struggle, I honestly don't think I'd be alive right now. But since I am alive, battered but victorious, I get to eat!
Woozy but eager, I pick up one of the worms and brush it off before popping it in my mouth. Hmm... how to describe the taste? Not great. Far from the pleasant taste of the beetle, the worm is spongy and tart, thick with the taste of iron and other minerals. Not to mention all the mucus. Still, it's food, and I won't turn down some more Biomass.
[You have consumed a new source of Biomass: Mana Hirudinea. You are awarded one Biomass. Basic Profile of the Mana Hirudinea unlocked!]
[Profile: Mana Hirudinea; Mana Leech.]
The Mana Leech is a surprisingly voracious swarm hunter, exhibiting no qualms about the source of its namesake energy, only that it acquires it. These creatures will happily gorge themselves on any available magical source, from residual environmental energies to the life force of unsuspecting prey. The absorbed mana is then condensed within their bodies, temporarily augmenting their strength and abilities. Mana Leeches are rarely encountered alone; they typically form cooperative swarms around a much larger Monarch. Within these groups, they display remarkable coordination, fiercely defending their shared territory and working in unison to overwhelm threats and secure their sustenance.
A Mana Leech, huh? Well, that's a far better name than just calling them worms. Man, there's a lot of info here, more than I expected from these squirming little nightmares. They eat Mana? That explains why they've been chugging so much of that shining water; it must be brimming with the stuff. Well, I guess that also explains the strange, almost electric taste of the water. And what's this now about a Monarch? Does it mean that colossal leech I saw before, the one that made my scales crawl? You mean to tell me that monstrous thing wasn't just a mutant or some random aberration? It's part of a whole lineage?
A shiver runs down my spine as a terrifying thought crosses my mind: What if the other worms can grow into that... thing? The idea of dozens of creatures the size of that Monarch chasing me down is utterly terrifying. Is something like that even possible? If I was capable of sweating, there'd be another creek forming in this cavern right now. If it is possible, I absolutely can't let it happen. I’d lose not only my newly claimed home, but my life itself. Steeling myself against the unsettling possibilities, I come to the only reasonable conclusion as I bite the head off the second leech. For my safety and future prosperity, all of them must die.
