My (Monster?) Hero Life

Chapter 230: Nobody's Home?

Kace stood silently while observing the thorny forest. Grugda was putting the final touches on the traps they decided to use, and the Tu' Thrag tribe were ready in the Shadow world. There was nothing else to do while he waited except watch for any signs of the Hydra possibly emerging from its den. The Hydra's scent was so thick in this area that it rendered the Tracking skill useless.

All he would see was a massive cloud of yellow, which would hinder his sight if he were to keep it active. Once they stepped foot inside the forested area, they would have to rely on their other senses and any clues the beast left behind to find the exact location of its home. 'Hopefully, it's not too far in. Otherwise, we might have to lure it out to a separate area to the one we've prepared.'

This was a risk that they had to take. They simply did not have the time to cover the small island in traps. Kace still had to purge an old DNA and successfully absorb the Hydra's. Then he had to find a suitable class advancement and what its requirements would be. All of that had to be done before he was deployed to the Northern battlefront to aid Sophia. 

Their luck seemed to hold out as there was no sight of the Hydra as Grugda finished up his work. He was satisfied with the few preparations he had time to make. They were not exceptional, but they could save their lives if they had to beat a hasty retreat. At the same time, they held enough lethality that as long as the beast was weakened, their chances of success would increase significantly. 

Kace watched the eljein express confidence in his gait that reassured him. It seemed like they could finally make their move. They moved silently towards the edge of the forest, being careful to not let the thorns on the branches even scratch their skin. Grugda had theorised that the Hydra may have potentially soaked the natural defences with its poison. Since it would originate from a creature and not a plant, Kace had no skill to defend against it. 

It did not take Kace long to realise the peculiarities that the thorny branches exhibited. There were no clear signs of the Hydra passing through. Which meant that the branches had to be reasonably flexible to bend without breaking when coming into contact with its large body. However, when he tested the theory by grabbing ahold of the branch after removing the thorns, it felt solid and unyielding. 

'Hm, as solid as steel yet extremely flexible if enough force is applied. What a strange thing. Maybe we should cut out a path of retreat as we advance. Otherwise, the Hydra will be likely to corner us easily.' Kace expressed his doubts in a whisper to Grugda after he considered its merits.

"No need. Once we get. Its attention. I'll command the. Branches to. Create a path."

"Why didn't you do that before then?"

"The Hydra. May have. Detected the magic. It would not. Be an ambush. If it were. Expecting us."

Kace could only agree with Grugda's assessment despite the fact it exasperated him. Kace still had a lot to learn about magic and how others perceived it. So he knew he was in no position to argue with Grugda. Especially since the latter had spent his entire life learning how magic worked. 

With those doubts cleared up, could finally emerge himself in the role of a hunter stalking his prey. Making any progress through the forest was slow and tedious. With his mind constantly on edge for a potential attack, the pressure applied to them mentally was quite formidable. However, the pair persevered and pushed on. 

It would be quicker to find the den if they separated, but they would be unlikely to survive if they encountered the target if it were awake. Hours passed as the moon reached the apex point in the sky before descending to the far horizon. Kace refused to feel rushed, even with the onset of sunrise fast approaching. 

If he let the time constraints get to him, he would be more likely to make a critical mistake. He kept his calm as he scanned the sparse lines of sight that the forest's natural cover allowed. He was determined not to miss the clue that would lead them to the Hydra's lair. The pressure continued to mount as an orange glow appeared on the horizon. 

Kace quickly estimated that they roughly had an hour until the first rays of the sun crept across the sleeping swamp. They had no idea what the Hydra's daily cycle was like, but every wild beast was a creature of habit. If this specific specimen had a routine that involved the new day's arrival, then the pair could forget about taking it by surprise. 

The pair stepped into a suspicious area that was completely void of any tree growing in the clearing. The soil looked like it had been overturned recently. After carefully comparing the clearing's size to the image in his mind of the Hydra, he knew that it was large enough for this to be its home. Kace was slightly stumped. He had expected for the creature to find a sort of natural cave or something for protection.

However, when he thought about it, he realised that made little sense. The Hydra was at the top of the food chain in this backwater swamp. It had nothing to fear when it came to the possibility of becoming a meal for something else. There was another problem that they were faced with. The clearing was empty, which meant the beast had already left the area! There was no telling when it would return.

Kace could only silently lament his luck. However, it was more worrying that the Hydra was stealthy enough to escape the island despite them being vigilant. They had wasted a lot of time in this endeavour, and Kace was unsure whether or not they could afford to spend any more time here. He turned to Grugda to ask his opinion only to see a shocked look frozen on his face. 

Kace quickly became confused until something in his mind clicked. There was a warning running through his mind like an alarm bell. There was something off about the environment that he had failed to notice before. After a few moments of figuring out the reason behind the sudden apprehension, he realised what it was. The earth beneath his feet was rising and falling rhythmically! Like something beneath him was breathing!