Marcus ground a large rock into sand to use as a bed. As he laid down on it, he couldn't stop thinking about the terrifying moments he'd experienced. Images of monstrous creatures with rows of razor-sharp teeth and glowing golden eyes filled his mind. It was as if they had emerged from the depths of hell itself. Despite feeling goosebumps at the thought, Marcus couldn't help but feel excited and thrilled. It was as if the fear had been replaced by a sense of success and accomplishment.
He controlled the coating of cement spread around the basilisk's body and moved them as if they were like. Marcus felt like a puppeteer controlling his puppets. These fearsome creatures were now his cherished trophies. Marcus felt like his meal for a month was secured. There were at least more than fourteen of them and taking them down was not at all easy. He had to take a long rest killing these creatures. He was completely defenseless and vulnerable at this moment. Luckily for the even though there were shadows of an eerie creature looking at him from a distance, no one dared to make a move on him.
Indeed, the simple creatures who saw the several basilisks surrounding Marcus knew well that encroaching on the food of the tiger's den was akin to a death sentence. If they had known that these basilisks were just standing carcasses, they wouldn't have hesitated to tear Marcus apart and make a meal out of him.
After recovering for a bit Marcus decides to take all of them with him. His den might not be able to fit but placing some near his local vicinity would surely deter predators from approaching.
After arriving, the fatigue of the day hit him hard. He could not help but fall into slumber.
The next few weeks were eventful, but they couldn't compare to the time Marcus had first entered this place. He had become more familiar with the tunnel system and had even gotten used to the vile taste of the meat here. Marcus himself was surprised at how quickly he had adapted to the caveman life in this place.
With continuous exploration, Marcus gained a continuous inlet of knowledge about this place. Aside from the basilisks, he discovered several other creatures, all with insect-like appearances. However, they were mainly giant versions of themselves and didn't look appealing at all. Therefore, Marcus strictly restricted his meals to the basilisks, preferring their taste and safety over the unknown creatures lurking in the tunnels.
Even if he had gotten used to this place it was not like he was happy staying here with dangerous creatures. He was gradually getting sick of this place.
In the last few days, Marcus stumbled upon a basilisk nest. Unlike last time, when he was surrounded by a group of them, this encounter didn't end in catastrophe since he was prepared. Being more careful this time, Marcus was able to calmly observe them. He had gained a lot of knowledge about these creatures, such as their weak eyesight and extraordinary senses to vibrations. Marcus knew that even if he walked lightly on the ground, he would be discovered. Walking was simply not an option for him.
Instead, Marcus made a small stone platform for himself that floated in the air, functioning like a hoverboard. He observed the creatures with anxiety gnawing at his heart, knowing that any wrong move could lead to danger.
Even though it was referred to as a nest, it was more akin to a colony. The place resembled a chamber, with tunnels serving as both entrances and exits. The chamber was surprisingly spacious and adorned with a multitude of shimmering light blue crystals. Several basilisks kept guard at both the entrance and exit, adding to the sense of security and fortification of the colony.
Even though Marcus passed right in front of the basilisks, he went undetected by the creatures.
It still creeped him out nonetheless. Despite the basilisks' poor eyesight, their other senses worked properly. It was like not being able to see or sense anything, but having a feeling that something was off.
Marcus understood that he wasn't bold enough to stride freely through the place without being discovered. So, he came up with a simple plan to distract the enemy and sneak in. He threw a stone to distract the guarding basilisk and quickly snuck in while it was distracted.
The place was filled with a huge amount of crystals, with the light blue crystals being the most prevalent among them. Marcus noticed that while there were crystals of all kinds, it seemed like there were only these light blue crystals from the outside. After weeks of observation, Marcus learned that the basilisks ate both meat and the crystals, but they seemed to prefer the crystals more.
At first, Marcus was curious about the crystals. After all, if the basilisks could eat them, he thought he might be able to make a meal out of them too. However, his jaws weren't strong enough to break the crystals apart, so the most he could do was grind them into a fine powder resembling salt. Taking a tiny bit for tasting, he discovered that it had a blend of different flavors, but mostly tasted like salt. This discovery was small yet much appreciated by Marcus, as it added some flavor to his otherwise unsavory meals.
Marcus found himself with only explosives and frost crystals on his person. He had been using the frost crystals primarily to preserve food, but he was also eager to explore their offensive potential. So far, however, he had found none. While the frost crystals could become very cold, they didn't seem to do anything other than give a person frostbite. Essentially, they were like dry ice, converting directly into gas. As a result, Marcus only had a few with himself.
The lightning crystal possessed very high offensive potential, but it was also extremely dangerous for Marcus to use. It acted like a charged object, electrifying anything that got close to it. Unlike the explosive crystal, whose latent power could be suppressed, and the frost crystal, whose temperature could be increased, the lightning crystal was an exception. Marcus couldn't suppress its power; he could only amplify it, making it much more dangerous for both himself and his foes.
For now, Marcus decided to observe the situation in the nest and try to come up with a plan to destroy it. Over the past few weeks, he had felt his powers getting stronger, but he still chose not to be reckless with his actions. From his initial observations, he could see that there were a lot of basilisks residing in this place, their appearance much bigger than those he had seen lurking outside. It was like comparing a saltwater crocodile to a freshwater crocodile.
However, the most eye-catching of them all was a big, terrifying beast that looked completely different from its counterparts. Its scales were much more ferocious, and the huge golden crystals on its back lay in stark contrast with those of its companions. It appeared roughly five times larger than the basilisks Marcus had killed before.
At a glance, Marcus knew he wasn't strong enough to take on this opponent head-on. In the eerie darkness, the large sharp scales on its body gave it a horrifying look. This time, Marcus decided to act right away after what happened. The giant basilisk let out an energy blast from its mouth, akin to that of a dragon. Even though it hit away from Marcus, the general direction was right. It had sensed something was wrong and probed to see if anyone was hiding in its lair.
This action had alerted all the basilisks in the cave, and now all of them were in a fighting stance. Marcus, too, understood that if he didn't take action, he was doomed. With a flick of his hand, a rock spike jolted out of the ground, impaling a basilisk in the opposite direction. His quick actions had distracted all the basilisks in the area. Except for the one that looked like the alpha, all of them rushed towards the impaled basilisk.
The stone pike had completely penetrated its lower abdomen, causing it to bleed profusely. Marcus had developed his skills and powers a lot in these few weeks. He was no longer an ordinary civilian trying to survive but a cunning and rational hunter.
He had discovered that the underbelly of these creatures did not have hard scales, making it optimal for him to target it. With the growth of his power, it was like a hot knife slicing through butter. Soon, the rest of the basilisks were going to succumb to this fate..
Manifesting his power he quickly turned the ground beneath the basilisks viscous making the basilisks to lose their footing making them falter.
Soon swift tendrils of mud would come to life tieing around their necks and twisting them until they snapped. The alpha stood there helplessly, witnessing its subordinates die one after another, a testament to Marcus' strength. It could not help but rush in its fallen comrades direction completely oblivious to the fact that Marcus was in its opposite direction.
Marcus felt relieved that the greater basilisk had completely turned its gaze away from his direction. Despite having completely suppressed and defeated all the other basilisks in the area in a moment, he couldn't help but look at this larger basilisk with conflicted eyes. None of his attacks from earlier had put a scratch on this monster's shell. As the monster rampaged, sending tremors through the cave, Marcus couldn't help but contemplate whether he should leave or devise a plan to bring down this monster.