The arrow unfortunately did not strike any key point, instead embedding itself in the head of the lure beast. The hollow thunk of the arrow indicated that most of the lure beast’s skull was made of the same material as its torso. This fight wasn’t going great and I was beginning to have second thoughts about staying any longer. I had already distracted the creature and it would follow me for a while, but I could probably give it the slip.
As I stood perched above, readying one last arrow to fire before I took flight, the lure beast shuffled forward, gazing up at me with its bright yellow eyes. It let out a strange kind of call that sounded like a dozen wind chimes going off at once. As the sound left the creature’s jagged mouth, the branch beneath me began to shift, moving in a circular manner, like an arm.
I tried to react, but I couldn’t quite understand what was happening before it was too late. The tree branch beneath me became animated and curled around me, tightening its grip around my waist and lifting me into the air. My arms were free and I tried my best to pull the branch off of me, but my strength was nothing compared to a sturdy tree like this.
The lure beast continued to shuffle in my direction, wobbling a little, chittering in anticipation as it drew closer. The branch swung me upside down, suspending me forty feet above the ground, waiting for its master to get beneath it. Once the lure beast was underneath, I would certainly be dropped into its large, eager jaws. I had to figure a way out of this. But as I tried to search for some kind of plan, fumbling for the knife that was strapped to the interior of my right wrist, the branch merely dropped me.
The ground came to me fast and I could do nothing other than go limp, to avoid falling headfirst. I struck the hard jungle dirt and felt a loud crunch run through my spine. There was pain, but surprisingly, I was able to climb to my feet immediately. The fall had not disabled me.
The lure beast continued to skitter at me, now calling me over in my own voice. “Come here, I’ll help you,” it said over and over again as I ran in the opposite direction. The beast was not terribly fast due to the size of its legs, and I was quickly able to outpace it. It continued to call after me as I fled, and I lost sight of it long before its voice faded in the darkness of the jungle. I had found my next target. I just needed to prepare for a real fight this time.
Chapter 20
“Thank goodness you’re back,” Dette said as I entered the workshop. A near noxious scent greeted me, the scent of burning chemicals, boiling cauldrons and the liquefaction of many different organs, all combined to assault my nose at the same time.
My new assistant was wearing a mask out of a scarf in a futile attempt to block the stench coming out of the various pots and beakers in the alchemy lab. She was busy stirring one of the brass cauldrons, attending to the dissolution of a rather large Kinru heart. “I’m running out of containers.”
I glanced over at the cabinet where finished products were to be placed and gasped at the sight of all the little bottles full of glowing red or blue liquid. “What a yield,” I murmured.
Distillation Complete! said the Hunter’s Sight as I continued to inspect the harvest.
2 Kinru Yield:
Firnin: 80 points
Estoan: 100 points
Lab Bonus:
Weakness Revealed:
Tail Counterweight: The Kinru use their tails as counterweights while moving about uneven terrain. Striking the weak spot of the tail will cause a temporary loss of balance and speed.
Fire Vulnerability: Kinru are extremely susceptible to fire damage. Any amount is enough to scare a Kinru and a large enough quantity can drive any number of packs away.
“Not bad, not bad,” I said, emptying out the bottles into the potion cauldron that was to the left of all the distillation equipment. 180 points was enough to make a few potions and an infusion. I could brew up something that would help me in killing that vile lure beast. I was quick to open up the Infusion Menu to see what was available for me. Level 1 Infusions cost 100 points of any combination of Firnin and Estoan. These infusions were outfitted into either weapons or armor. The effects lasted until I chose to remove the infusion from the item, at which point all changes would dissipate. This was a way for me to further customize my weapons and armor, giving them special abilities that went beyond damage.
Level One Infusions
Weapon Infusions:
Weak Elemental Affinity: Grants your weapon the qualities of Lightning, Fire, Water or Earth.
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Lightning : Weapon attacks faster, causes small jolts of electricity.
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Fire : Weapon deals extra fire damage, will ignite on command.
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Water : Weapon has a higher stun chance, can douse fires.
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Earth : Weapon deals greater knockback, reduces chance of being knocked down.
Wounding: Wounds caused by weapon have increased damage over time.
Foe: Designate one monster type as your Foe. This weapon deals double damage against that type of monster and half damage to any other kind.
Lightweight: Reduces weapon weight to 1 pound.
Attention Grabber: Weapon becomes distracting to monsters, directing them to attack you.
Night Ward: Weapon glows at night with a magical light only the Hunter can see.
Armor Infusions:
Weak Elemental Affinity: Grants your armor the qualities of Lightning, Fire, Water or Earth.
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Lightning : Armor shocks those who grab it, granting a chance of stun.
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Fire : Armor stays warm no matter what, renders wearer immune to natural fire.
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Water : Armor becomes significantly lighter, reducing penalties down by one step.
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Earth : Armor thickens, offering more protection without weight or speed penalty.
Swift: Armor increases your base speed by 20%.
Regenerative: Armor doubles your natural healing speed.
Ironbite: Armor automatically hardens to resist a bite of any size or strength. However, armor breaks after this infusion activates a third time.
Extra Pockets: Armor has double carrying capacity.
Self-Repairing: Armor slowly repairs itself over time, requiring no maintenance on your end.
The options were overwhelming, but exciting. This monster that I’d be fighting against had a lot of natural armor in its body, as well as the ability to manipulate both my mind and the physical world around me. I’d have to account for both strength and cunning from the creature. I had already checked the library while the potions were combining, to see if there was any mention of a lure beast, but there was no such luck. Nothing in the collection had a profile of the monster that I was facing. This meant I’d have to come up with a strategy from scratch.
The first step to this strategy was to get some firepower. My arrows had a laughable effect on the monster’s trunk-like body. I wondered if perhaps it was made of wood after all, for I had heard the beast’s body creaking as it moved around, as if lumber were bending left to right. If that were the case, fire arrows would be incredible to have at my disposal.
All I needed to do was make the infusion. Infusions were little pearls of energy, created from a very complicated refining process. But once the pearl was created, all I had to do was slide it into a special slot on the side of my Bone Bow. The pearl would seal to the slot and the infusion would then carry over all the magic to my weapon, making it a fire bow until I decided to remove the pearl.
I spent 100 points on the Weak Elemental Affinity: Fire infusion, taking 50 points from both my Firnin and Estoan pool. Then, I set about following all the steps in the manuals I had read, pouring the liquid points through a special chamber that would slowly craft the infusion over a few hours.
Once those points were spent, I turned my attention to the potions tab, to determine what my approach would be in fighting this terrible beast. I needed something that could help defend me from its char
m abilities. Currently, I had 50 Firnin and 30 Estoan Points, enough to brew two Level One Potions. A few new options were open, since I had the ability to purchase pure Firnin or Estoan potions.
Level One Potions
Iron Grip:
Cost: 30 Firnin
Duration: 1 hour
Effects: Imbiber is able to hold onto anything for as long as they wish without losing their grip.
Toughness:
Cost: 30 Firnin
Duration: 30 minutes
Effects: Imbiber’s body is toughened, reducing damage taken.
Chameleon:
Cost: 30 Estoan
Duration: 6 hours
Effects: Body and armor change color to match surroundings. Grants extreme stealth bonuses.
Targeting Senses:
Cost: 30 Estoan
Duration: 1 hour
Effects: Can pinpoint enemies using hearing or scent, allowing for precise attacks without sight.
Swift Feet:
Cost: 20 Firnin, 10 Estoan
Duration: 6 hours
Effects: Increases the imbiber’s running speed 100%.
Nighthawk:
Cost: 20 Firnin, 10 Estoan
Duration: 2 weeks
Effects: Grants imbiber night vision.
Accelerated Healing:
Cost: 20 Firnin, 10 Estoan
Duration: 1 hour
Effects: Grants two months of physical recovery within an hour.
Side Effects: Cannot walk while potion is working.
Minor Stat Enhancement:
Cost: 30 points from any combination of Firnin and Estoan
Duration: 8 hours
Effects: Grants +2 to a stat of your choice for 8 hours. Will not stack with multiple uses.
Immunity Cocktail:
Cost: 20 Firnin, 10 Estoan
Duration: 8 Hours
Effects: Prevents Nausea, Blindness, Paralysis, and Madness effects from affecting you.
Fury of the Beast:
Cost: 20 Firnin, 10 Estoan
Duration: 5 minutes
Effects: Doubles Strength and Dexterity and increases weapon strength.
Side Effects: Become disoriented for 5 minutes after potion wears off.
Targeting Senses looked to be one of the best choices I could make. Looking at the beast had some kind of mystic effect on my mind. I’m not sure that would be classified as Madness, either, so I didn’t think the Immunity Cocktail would prevent me from walking over to it and being devoured without resistance. Rather, I could aim at the creature using my enhanced sense of hearing to pinpoint its location.
I spent the 30 Estoan on the Targeting Senses potion, leaving me only with 50 Firnin left. Toughness looked to be a good purchase just in case the beast had some more abilities I didn’t know about. I didn’t want to take a hit, but it might be inevitable, so I should prepare for it.
Two potions and an infusion were completed within the hour, while Dette continued to distill the Alpha Kinru, who had the highest amount of alchemical ingredients to supply us with. I pondered sitting around, waiting for that yield to finish so I could make more potions, but there were still five or six hours to go. It was still daylight outside and I knew exactly where the lure beast was. With my potions and new fire bow, it might be better to strike now than to just sit around waiting.
After all, I wasn’t sure if the fire damage would affect the lure beast at all. For all I knew, the creature could be immune to fire, or even able to absorb it. Going out now, testing my weapon on it while Dette finished up the distillations would be my best option. If the weapon worked, I could imbibe the potions and start the fight right there. If the weapon didn’t hurt the beast, I’d return home and be able to buy new infusions to test out.
I grabbed my bow off the weapon rack and threw the quiver over my back.
“Going out so soon?” Dette asked.
“I’m still on the hunt,” I replied. “And I won’t stop until my target is dead.”
Chapter 21
Returning to the hunt was fairly easy, for the lure beast had not wandered far from where I had first found it. Losing interest in the scent of the village, the large creature was now walking along the jungle, through the wider clearings created by Mulrand stomping around. It occasionally called out in a different voice, in the hopes of luring someone to their death—a feature that made it easy for me to locate the beast without my sight.
While the creature had been exuding energy that caused fear when I had first laid eyes on it, the beast was now actively trying to lure a meal to it. The moment I spotted the hulking black rubbery creature in the distance, I felt a deep urge to rush up to it. I hated to waste the potion in my employ so early on, but if I were going to be able to test my new bow on the monster, I’d have to use it. And if I was going to drink the first one, I might as well take the second one too.
And so I drank the potion, one that tasted of dandelions and the other of soap, swallowing them down with a shudder. In the distance, I could hear the beast call out for its mother in my own voice. As I heard the sound, it was as if I could sense the outline of the creature. I knew its direction and position, even though I was standing with my back to the monster.
“Here goes nothing,” I said, closing my eyes and turning back to face where I last heard the beast. The sounds of its long legs shuffling against the dirt created a kind of picture in my head, where I knew the space and distance of the lure beast as if I were watching with my eyes. Raising my bow, feeling the heat begin to emanate from the arrow resting against the grip, I aimed and waited.
“Help me please!” the lure beast cried out, giving me a perfect image of the back of the beast’s head. I aimed the bow and fired the shot, feeling the searing heat zip through my fingers. Smoke filled my nostrils and I opened my eyes to see that the arrow had stabbed the back of the lure beast’s flat, smooth head. The arrow was on fire and the flames were spreading across the entire monster’s body.
The lure beast let out a high-pitched scream as the fire engulfed it. At once, the beast spun around to face me. I shut my eyes and listened, tracking the creature’s exact position, all the while readying my weapon for another attack. The steady sounds of the fire crackling made it easy to keep track of the lure beast and I fired another few shots at it, each blow prompting more screams.
The monster scuttled towards me and I heard strange noises, eliciting images of wisps of energy to my mind. Perhaps that was more magic attempting to control my thoughts. But my refusal to open my eyes had shielded me from such attempts. My hearing was working as a perfect substitute for sight, giving me the ability to navigate with only the sound of my footsteps to give me guidance.
I ran a bit, back towards the area that I had dug the pit traps in. They were still clustered in the center of a clearing, where there was mostly just sand on the ground. Three thin sheets of tarp were beneath the sand, hiding the 15 foot pit I had dug out. With the beast on fire and now chasing me, I could lure it to this pit with no problem.
As I ran to the pit trap, the lure beast let out another loud cry, this one different from its normal, pained shrieks. This was similar to the noise it had made to control the tree branch that I had been standing on. I opened my eyes and looked around to see if anything was happening, but the lure beast’s magic had not affected the world, at least not from where I was standing.
My eyes swept left to right and I realized that the lure beast had vanished from my sight. The song had distracted me enough to lose track of it. Drawing my bow, I was careful to sweep the area in a circle, trying to track any signs of movement. But I heard nothing, saw nothing.
“Where are you?” I whispered, scanning the ground for footprints. The lure beast had been running behind me and I could see a trail of footprints leading up to this area. Yet, the footprints vanished right in the middle of the sand, stopping short ten feet from me. Had it teleported? Turned invisible?
I took a few steps forward, to investigate the dis
appearance of the beast, to make some sense of what had happened. And as I walked forward, my foot struck something hard and long, yet invisible to the eye. Its leg!
I tried to leap out of the way, but I was too slow. The lure beast had tricked me by somehow rendering itself invisible and I fell for the trap. Two invisible hooks stabbed into both of my arms, piercing through the flesh with ease. I cried out in agony as I was lifted into the air, the beast slowly flickering back into reality.
The lure beast was holding me high above its mouth and I wriggled, fighting to get free from its barbed hooks. Fortunately, the potion had prevented the stabbing attack from outright crippling me, but I was still in a lot of trouble if I didn’t get out of this grapple right now.
I kicked the beast in the snout as it tried to lower me into its mouth, causing the creature to drop me at once. The lure beast reared backwards, gurgling loudly and thrashing about, bending its body every which way.
“I knew it!” I said, grabbing my bow off the ground and nocking an arrow. The nose was the weak spot. It was really the only organic thing about the creature’s face. Even the beast’s yellow eyes were more like lights than actual eyeballs.
Once the beast recovered, it readied to charge at me with another attack, but I fired off an expert shot at the beast, hitting it right in the nose again. The lure beast did not scream at this attack; it merely fell over to the side of the ground, its legs attempting to walk forward, spinning it in a circle a few times before it stopped moving. A few flames were smoldering atop the beast’s head, but I had no way of knowing if it were dead. A monster like this certainly would pretend to be dead.
I shot a few more arrows into the corpse, watching as its body began to burn more steadily. The fire consumed it and I waited eagerly to see if the creature was moving at all. No motion. I took a half step forward, but paused. Blood was dripping down the sides of my arms, reminding me of what happened when I underestimated the beast’s abilities. If it could render itself perfectly invisible, hiding both sight, smell and sound from me, could it create images too?
Monster Hunting 101: A LitRPG Fantasy Adventure (Titan Termination) Page 13
