Eventually we headed outside, Typhon and Ophelia showing me that the traps with bottom feeders had been reset and covered up with foliage to prepare for any new attacks.
With the new trees of the Nymph's forest spreading far and wide, the forest was now glaringly bright – its pinkish red leaves somewhat strange and unfamiliar.
Scorpion corpses littered everywhere, but they had become part of the soil and were overgrown with plants, removing all traces of the previous battle.
I also noted that unlike before, the forest was incredibly quiet, giving me the impression that we were the only creatures around for miles.
I should have been happy, but because it was due to the Nymph's interference, I felt somewhat trapped seeing her traces everywhere. Didn't this mean she could now walk freely from her part of the forest into mine?
«You've been marked by her. It will be very difficult to get away.» Sensei said, reading my thoughts.
And I sighed – why did he make it sound so sinister?
It wasn't like she was closing in on prey.
Still, It wasn't a good thing that her forest was spreading.
If this continued, to escape her presence the shadow creature's lair in the valley would be the only place I could hide.
I was confident the Nymph wouldn't be able to reach there even in a few years - but I hoped things wouldn't get so dire.
Regardless, that was a problem for the future. For now, there were other matters at hand.
When I looked down, a few of the Abyssal monsters were resting outside the cave, fully fed and brimming with mana. Cygnus was even taunting an Abyssal serpent which surprised me.
He didn't seem put off by the creature's almost skeletal appearance and even seemed intent on communicating with it. My nestlings used to be scared of them and I was surprised they had gotten used to them so soon.
As for the Abyssal serpent, it didn't even react to him, as if he wasn't there at all. Instead, it turned its head with a bored look, its eyes fixed on me.
I was glad to see my orders were still in effect, but once again I felt strange - like it wasn't my place to give them orders.
[Cygnus wants to know who is faster.] Typhon spoke up when he saw me looking. [He has raced every creature here, all except them and he is curious. I can tell him to stop.]
|[It's fine.]| I replied.
It was just a bit of fun and I didn't think too much of it, so I gave new orders to the antisocial Abyssal creatures.
After a while, the serpent, alongside a few of the other monsters, sped off after Cygnus. They even seemed to be keeping pace with him, some even outdoing him as they all disappeared into the dense forest.
I laughed.
The creatures were unusual but they were still part of my [Pit], so I thought it was a good idea to foster a sort of relationship on some level, like Sylrin was doing with the alpha - although I wasn't sure how much these Abyssal monsters understood.
Maybe in time they would come to see them in the same way they saw me. Either way, I was sure Cygnus would find a good challenge in them.
Speaking of Sylrin, I realized he wasn't back yet.
When I asked Typhon, he only confirmed my earlier suspicions.
[Most creatures around the cave have fled away.] He answered flatly. [To find more prey, we have been hunting further away, so it takes longer. But he should be back soon.]
Hmm.
It seemed Abyssal monsters had hunted down most of the creatures around.
I knew it would happen sooner or later, but it was worse than I thought.
To sustain my [Pit] we needed more creatures to hunt and fast.
I looked up at Ophelia who was perched high up on a thick branch, in order to oversee her surroundings.
|[Apart from the scorpions, have there been any sign of the apes?]| I asked her.
[Not since you returned.] She grinned in reply. [We used to have a group of them watching us, but I haven't seen any since.]
Watching, but not attacking?
It seemed they figured out we were involved somehow.
Still, it wasn't all bad.
We might have delayed their retaliation by getting them involved with the scorpions, but it sounded like an attack was inevitable.
[They didn't suffer too many losses from the scorpions.] Typhon added. [The colossal ape decimated their forces and made them retreat. I believe the scorpions attacked us because they believed we would be easier targets to feed on, to replenish their numbers.]
Typical.
Damn them for preying on a smaller [Pit] like mine. Too bad they suffered an even worse defeat!
|[Keep watching.]| I said to Ophelia. |[Let me know if you spot any of them lurking around.]|
Ophelia enthusiastically nodded.
[What do you have in mind?] Typhon questioned.
|[We will attack the scorpions first since they are weakened.]| I replied. |[We have the advantage as long as the apes don't attack us at the same time.]|
Plus, there were plenty of them, so they could feed the Abyssal monsters for a while.
[And what if they do?] Typhon asked, his keen eyes probing me for a sign of weakness.
And I glared at him in disbelief – was this brat testing me?
|[If they do, then I would have to take out their leader first!]| I answered in a smug tone. |[His strength is their biggest weakness. Once he is down, the others will lose their confidence and disappear.]|
That, or they would get even angrier and more motivated to kill us, which was also good – but I didn't say this out loud.
[Fine.] Typhon replied after a pause, his stare rather cryptic. [But I will go with you. Two heads are better than one.]
And I glanced at him, immediately feeling annoyed.
He seemed satisfied by what I said, so why was he coming as well?
Wasn't this saying he didn't believe me?
|[There's no need.]| I replied, but Typhon remained silent, neither agreeing or disagreeing, forcing Ophelia to swoop down between us to dispel the awkwardness in the air.
[I will come too!] She declared. [We can't let you face a dangerous monster alone. We want to protect you, please let us be useful.]
I felt slightly less irritated with her reasoning, but I still had to refuse them.
I admired their courage and while I agreed they had gotten stronger – they still weren't on the level to take on such a dangerous opponent. And I was hesitant to put them at risk.
|[I will think about it.]| I replied, making Ophelia very thrilled, whereas Typhon remained the same – still as stubborn as before.
|[But don't take things too lightly.] I warned them. |[And don't ever think your opponent is stupid.]|
It was an easy mistake, and one that had gotten me into quite a few blunders in the past. I liked to think I was no longer that same snake…
[We won't!] Ophelia grinned in reply, and I sighed.
There wasn't much else to say to the eager captains, so I left them to keep watch and returned inside.
The cave was bustling with activity, and I avoided all the noisy areas, eager to find somewhere quiet to rest.
«Isn't it time you named your growing [Pit]?» Sensei asked.
"Huh, I can?" I was exhausted from moving around nonstop, but this sounded interesting!
«Of course.» Sensei replied. «You have enough members and enough resources to be your own clan. So why not name it and make it official?»
I was suspicious. Why bring this up all of a sudden?
Besides, wouldn't declaring ourselves as a separate entity put us in direct conflict with the serpent clan?
Sensing my hesitation, Sensei chuckled. «You're already in conflict. So you might as well take the initiative and declare war.»
"What?! No way!" I frowned. What was this maniac thinking?!
I spotted a Veladrys coming out from an empty room, a curtain of leaves falling behind her, and I rushed in immediately, making myself comfortable on the leafy bed.
Sensei was crazy if he thought I would actively declare war!
Didn't he see I was just a happy, peaceful snake?
«Wouldn't you rather take the advantage by attacking first, than being at their mercy when they attack?» Sensei asked and I scoffed – the only one I was at a mercy of was my maniac of a system.
"Nope. I'd rather sleep without being disturbed." I replied.
However, before I could settle in properly, the dark fae burst into the room, wriggling into my fluffy cocoon until she was right next to me.
|[Why are you here?]| I glared at the tiny intrusion.
[You look different.] The dark fae remarked. [Why are you bigger and why are you glowing?]
|[I tried a new lotion.]| I rolled my eyes and went back to sleep.
But the dark fae hovered suspiciously around my head, her buzzing figure appearing much larger.
[Why do you have so many sets of teeth?]
|[So I can eat you.]| I replied, my eyes fully closed, yet I still saw her vividly.
The dark fae huffed and crossed her arms as she hovered in front of me.
[Why do you have so many eyes?] she asked again and I was tempted to reach forward and swallow her whole.
|[Because I need…to see all my enemies?]| I eventually replied, and the dark fae seemed to think it over, before shrugging. I guess she found my explanation okay.
But then she stuck her hand out. [I know you have sweets. Share.]
And I scoffed. So that was her true aim.
|[I don't have any.]| I lied.
But the dark fae did not go away, she simply frowned, waiting impatiently with her hand out.
With great reluctance, I retrieved some honeycomb from [Dimensional Box], which she gobbled up in mere seconds , before curling up next to me to sleep. I felt myself burn with rage when I realized this freeloader was just treating me as her food provider.
«You still want to be a peaceful creature?» Sensei mocked.
"Yes." I replied with gritted teeth.
It seemed Sensei was intent on annoying me, so I decided to ignore him and focus on something else.
Something exciting.
I retrieved a plain wooden box from [Dimensional Box], as well as the storage ring.
The mine explosion has triggered my interest in the ring once more, and I wanted to try and see if I could crack it open.
However, Sensei lost his cool at the sight of the two objects.
«Have you lost your mind?!»
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