Standing tall and ready, Murky raised his shield and aimed his spear towards the source of the sound, feeling his heart race in his chest. But his anticipation quickly turned to alarm as he recognized the familiar sound echoing through the air.
"BARK! BARK! BARK!"
The large insect-like hounds revealed themselves, three imposing figures standing before him.
Every hair on his back stood on end, and sweat coated his forehead, and all the instincts he had were screaming—To run.
However, where should he run to?
Did he have enough time to do that?
Escaping felt like useless, it would only waste his energy.
So a series of questions lingered in his mind—what should he do now?
Should he fight back?
How should he do it?
As Murky examined the hounds closely, doubt started to creep into his thoughts.
He realized that his previous advantage came from knowing their behavior, which he learned by studying fruits and grasses to avoid predators like wolves and mosquitoes.
After all, he was a soldier who plans to survive in the wild in the past.
In addition, his state of preparedness had played a significant role. But without those advantages, he could only rely on his Draugr warrior form. But what could the Draugr warrior form really achieve?
Besides making him stronger, Murky's Draugr warrior form provided only moderate resistance to things like toxins and flames, along with limited healing abilities.
In comparison, the Nematoceran hounds had a remarkable fifty percent defense boost.
Sniff! Sniff! Sniff!
As he watched them sniff the ground and slowly approach him, a bead of sweat trickled down Murky's temple, a sign of his growing anxiety.
Suddenly, he realized that he had no choice, an piercing crazy smile resurfaced on his face.
"Fuck it!"
Murky cursed, his body began to release a massive pressure.
Suddenly, a notification echoed in his mind, startling him.
Ding!
It chimed, capturing his attention and disrupting his plan to unleash his life saving secret techniuqe.
The message appeared before him, declaring,
[ The player StupidLove is the ultimate prey, but all ultimate prey are dangerous and possess unique abilities. As a result, the player StupidLove has been granted the power to control the blood of the Nematoceran hounds. ]
[ By infusing an elder Progenitor's blood into the player StupidLove's body, Murky is now recognized as the master of the Nematoceran hounds and can command them freely. ]
At first, Murky stood in stunned silence, his eyes fixed on the motionless hounds.
Then, as if awakening from a trance, he spoke aloud, "Are they waiting for my command?"
His voice trembled slightly as he locked eyes with the attentive hounds, their tongues hanging out.
"How can I communicate with these creatures?"
Murky cleared his throat, gathering his resolve.
"Can you understand me?"
He asked, a mix of hope and uncertainty in his words.
To his astonishment, the Nematoceran hounds nodded in acknowledgement, their sharp heads bobbing in unison.
Murky couldn't believe his eyes as he struggled to comprehend the hounds' response.
"Wow," he whispered, his surprise evident. But he quickly realized that closing his mouth in reaction was unnecessary in the current situation.
So, he let his jaw relax, giving up on hiding his astonishment.
"Seriously?"
He asked once again, seeking confirmation that what he was experiencing was real.
The three dogs nodded their heads together, confirming his question.
Murky's mind raced, trying to understand how they were able to understand him.
Maybe it had something to do with the mysterious powers of the device within him, creating a connection between them.
Suddenly, Murky's attention was drawn to the clocks, reminding him that time was running out.
He suppressed his curiosity, knowing that now was not the time for endless questions.
"Alright," he said with determination, "can you lead me to the corpses and creatures you've killed and left behind?"
He knew that these Nematoceran hounds were responsible for the drained corpses he had come across, and he saw an opportunity to take advantage of their abilities.
After all, a kill was a kill, and if he could present a multitude of corpses to the Elder Council, they would surely recognize his skill.
However, there was a huge problem to it, but Murky had no choice.
In a matter of seconds, Murky saw the hounds' tails wagging excitedly, their fur turning reddish.
It was clear that they were eager to fulfill his request.
With a quick movement, the hounds darted away, leaving Murky filled with anticipation.
They must have defeated numerous creatures.
After all, the creatures in this realm were slow compared to them.
However, as the hounds disappeared into the distance, a sudden realization hit Murky.
"Oh... I should have told them to bring back only predatory creatures," he muttered, a hint of regret in his voice. But the thought quickly faded from his mind as he focused on the clock above him.
The time before the arrival of the other players was no longer important.
He had the power to control the Nematoceran hounds, a power that would elevate him to the top among the younger generation once they returned with the creatures they had killed.
Plus, once the time to meet the player starts, even if he met the players, he would be able to defend against them.
Sitting on a random log, Murky positioned himself next to the body of an unknown creature.
He pondered how he would explain the existence of these amazing dogs to the Spartan and the group of older people.
"I wonder how they would react when they see the Nematoceran hounds," he said aloud, uncertain about the answer.
He scratched his head absentmindedly as he couldn't come up with a suitable response.
Frowning, Murky thought about the mortality of the Greeks and other human races.
"In the end, everyone on this planet will die," he said with a serious tone.
"The Spartans are the first ones to encounter these creatures and all of them died easily as they met strong Weremorphs, so I don't know much about their culture.
"Plus, I only watched the movie '300' for the action, so I have no idea what's happening with them now or whatever the Spartans' culture was. Is Leonidas still around, or is he even alive?"
Murky was still decidibg in his head to align himself with the Spartans, especially since he had become an ultimate target.
This new status allowed him to give blood nanomites, which came from the Blood Progenitors, to other humans.
These nanomites could enhance their defense, acting as shields and spears against the Weremorphs and other newly emerged Blood Progenitors that would surely attack them.
Murky didn't feel the need to test the abilities of these blood nanomites himself because he knew that being an ultimate target came with inherent capabilities.
The Blood Progenitors often gave similar powers to other humanoid species, including humans, either as prey or allies.
However, he had doubts about whether he should integrate himself into Spartan society or let them face the impending danger on their own.
"Hmm, wait… Nanomites? How do I use them again?"
Murky wondered, interrupted by a familiar mechanical sound.
Ding!
He immediately focused on the notification, eager to see what it contained.