Cloaked in the shadow of collapsed buildings, Zed gradually slithered through the cement cracks into the ruins.
Above him, a pair of squeaking windmills teetered precariously, appearing just like they would crumble at the slightest touch of additional sunlight.
For Zed, this was a mirror image of his own situation. Too much sunlight and he would crash, losing his abilities and becoming just an ordinary man.
like what the voice said. Yup, he still have to be sunless.
That's why he was moving such caution. Definitely not because the vicinity was crammed with brutes, blood-soaked creatures dragging their mutilated bodies all over.
Absolutely not.
"I hope this works..." Zed murmured, trying to console himself.
He had gone over the plan a thousand times in his head - it was just a matter of capturing a brute. He had done it many times before. It should be as simple as pouring oil into a pan. But despite this, his nerves were frayed and his heart pounded erratically in his chest. He flexed his palms, shaking his head as he remembered what just happened in city.
If only he had been more composed when dealing with those bandits, he wouldn't have had to use his hidden spore to escape. That could make things easier.
But such thoughts were useless. There was no IF, and the instinct is the hardest thing to control. He knew people were still afraid because of a single gun, but that fear would fade over time. The gun's deterrent effect, and later, the moment he unveiled an oddly-abled spore or summoned a weird beast, they would be even more wary.
This wasn't some Wild West high noon standoff, where two cowboys squared off to see who ran the game faster. It was a treacherous jungle filled with traps, survival was the only victory here.
*Clomp*
A fly-infested foot stepped over, it just in front of Zed, who squinted and raised a reflective metallic piece to take a look. Through the mirror-like piece, he could safely peek the color of the insects on the brute's back.
"No, it's not you."
Zed steadied himself, continuing to wait patiently.
*Clomp Clomp Clomp*
The footsteps gradually faded into the distance.
He pulled out a device, readjusted the frequency, and once again waited patiently. Every tribe's brute was attracted to a specific sound frequency, and within that specific frequency, he could keep trying to identify the one he was looking for. This method would be widely used by brute hunters in a year's time, mainly to help companies find the base variety of the nutrient supplement sopre with different flavors.
Zed looked up once again at the countless rotting feet in front of him.
Okay, this nest was quite larger than he'd expected.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity of adjusting frequencies, a strand of golden color appeared in his world - so shine, so astonishing.
His heart thrummed with excitement, yet his hands remained steady. With swift precision, he drove a tiny needle-like device into the shiny brute, then slowly retraced his steps back out.
The brute only stiffened momentarily and didn't make any unusual sounds, which give Zed more confidence.
'These creatures always look slow when it comes to pain,' he thought inwardly.
But old hunters wouldn't use a tracker on brutes, those are meant for high-value beasts. Given the legends on this one, 30-pound tracking device isn't too expensive.
What else could he suppose for?
A vehicle tracking device also needed 29.99 on Mzone before. This one was even cheaper after big fall.
Zed crawled back the entrance, once more checking his preparations. A strong yet slackened chain lay on the ground, and a simple rope, its frailety evident in its taut straightness. This was a basic leg snare trap, but one under his control.
His heart pounded fast while he uncapped a fresh can of bull's blood. Suppressing a gnawing hunger that the tantalizing aroma incited, he climbed to the second floor. He sprinkled the potent lure in a meatcrumb trail along the monster's path, cross-referencing its location on a digital screen.
"Just a bit closer... the entrance's here... good girl... yes!"
Zed's voice was a whisper to himself, even like a hiss, as he returned to the trap's side.
He watched the creature approach, its broken yet voluptuously curvy body making its way toward him. The fabric tied around her waist dug deeply into the divide of her buttocks with every shifting step when turned around. Each unnatural, forced movement sent her bountiful figure into an amazing ripple.
Zed kept such thoughts for himself. After all, in a wasteland as ruthless as this, taking pleasure in any form could be seen as a luxury. But he knew slave traders in the dark market would disagree. Humans are adaptable creatures, especially in their darkest depths, the morals knew no lower bounds.
A scene such as this made Zed more cautious, but it also kindled a part within him. He grinned as he lavished an entire can of fresh blood over the trap, the metallic scent permeating the air around him.
Then, it was a game of patience.
The creature, a brute by common sense, wasn't quick but it was definitely drawing nearer. The hand Zed had hooked onto the trap rope tensed slightly, his anticipation tangible.
The overcast sky above roiled with thick clouds, a symphony of darkness and it impending storm. A droplet of rain finally fell, swaying erratically in the crazy wind, before finally landing with a faint plop on Zed's nose.
Lying prone on the ground, Zed frowned and silently cursed his luck.
The prey was yet to arrive, and now rain was about to wash away the scent of the bait. If it did, all his efforts would be in vain. He had no wish to go back to the city to purchase more stuffs and lure. Furthermore, the 'stray' wild diver from the story was also drawing close. The risk was too great and his window of opportunity was shrinking.
Yet, Zed remained still, unmoving. Regardless of the outcome, he needed to manage what he could control.
Suddenly, a low growl echoed through the silence. The brute, as if overcoming some threshold, quickened its pace toward him. Zed's eyes widened, but he keeping breath remained steady, his practiced calm intact.
"Yes, yes, you little beast... move faster, you must be starving... Look at you...How thin you are..."
As Zed said, looking the creature towards the trap, it almost trotted, spurred on by hunger and the tantalizing scent. Yet, just as it neared the trap, it stopped, as if on the brink of a precipice.
The brute eyed the blood-laced trap warily, its milky eyes glistening with sharp alertness. Only now did Zed realize that this particular brute didn'tshow the same level of decay as the others of its kind. It merely seemed grimy, a result of long-term exposure to the elements without bathing.
A thrill raced through Zed's veins, igniting a spark of excitement again. That happened in hunting sometime. His many years as a hunter had taught him that anything out of the ordinary held a higher value.
The brute scratched at its thick hair, as if wrestling with somthing, while Zed maintained his alert wait. Seconds ticked by, as if time itself held its breath. Finally, the creature seemed to cast off its suspicion. It began to inch toward the blood, its movements stealthy, like a thief.
Much to Zed's surprise, a strange utterance slipped from its mouth, or, her mouth. A near-human syllable that sent a chill down his spine.
"I am Hungry..."
Ignoring the well-prepared chains of the trap, it threwherself onto the spilled blood, burying the entire head into the ground to lap up the scarlet lure. Satisfied sounds rumbled from her throat, the satisfaction palpable even amidst its unintelligible murmurs.
"What the hell...Did...did the brute just speak?"
Zed stood frozen for a moment, not believing his ears. So shocked that he was about to forgot the trap in his hand.
Then, a surge of exultation swelled within him, the thrill of the hunt instinct his senses. A grin creased his face as he yanked the rope in his hand with all his might.
"This, my friend, this is what we call... special!"
With a bloodcurdling scream that echoed out loud, the brute was hoisted, inverted, up against a tree.
Zed sprang into action. With a swift, determined motion, he plunged a gleaming dagger into the beast's gaping mouth, stirring it violently.
Next, he scattered the prepared salt on the beast's back. The creature writhed in agony, dropped on the ground and desperate to escape next. But Zed was quick, pulling out his knife and nimbly severing its legs. It twitched a few more times before falling still.
Dead?
Zed released a shaky breath, he could literally feel that adrenaline slowly subsiding. He had waited an entire day for this particular brute, and as night fell, he worried whether he'd overdone it.
Had he killed it too swiftly?
Even the lowest level of these creatures were still kind of magic beasts, something the old Wild Diver had once told him in hushed tones. The pain of being parasitized by these creatures was unimaginable. Moreover, this was a unique specimen, a mutation rumored to evolve into an A-level Awakener. It undoubtedly possessed to carry some unique power on it. So, Zed nudged it tentatively with his blade, from a safe distance.
That nudge, it seemed, was enough to awaken the creature's strength again.
The insect shrieked in agony. It was not from its mouthpiece but rather, shockingly, from its tail. The womanly wail was filled with a mixture of terror and anguish, accompanied by the faint semblance of words. The cry was so heart-wrenching that it threatened to rob sleep from any who heard it.
"Help! Ahhhhh! Save me! It hurts! Help! "
Jolted by the scream, Zed acted instinctively, slashing at the shrieking tail with his blade. The harsh scrape of metal against the creature's hard exoskeleton echoed through the silence.
But it was too late.
From a nearby structure, the roars of more brutes cascaded out, one after the other. Zed could hear the sound of their furious approach footstep. They were coming straight for him.