Chimera Hunt
The smaller and more docile a monster is, the easier it is to survive. The larger and more ferocious ones struggle the most. Aggressive monsters don't shy away from fights that come their way. Lose, and you die. Even victory comes at a cost—wounds slow you down, turning you into easy prey for the next challenger.
Size and strength aren't always advantages either. Maintaining that bulk demands massive amounts of nutrients and demonic essence. Hunger strikes more often, forcing more battles. Small and sneaky creatures fare better. If we consider that the longest-surviving monsters are the strongest, then maybe some cockroach skulking under a rock is the real king.
Of course not. Aggressive monsters get more chances to absorb demonic essence, evolving and growing stronger as a result.
Wyverns are prime examples of large carnivorous monsters. In any other environment, an ordinary wyvern could dominate a region. But this is a demon realm gifted from the heavens. Hundreds, thousands of inherently powerful, savage wyverns crowd these mountains. The alphas here are the genuine article.
Seletta was one such wyvern. Ruler of Delphram's southern reaches, she even earned the epithet Black Queen. For someone of her stature, she wasn't that old. Monsters don't count years like humans, but we can guess. She barely knew Oboe-er, the ancient wyvern tongue.
Long ago, humans and wyverns lived in close harmony, sharing a special language for communication. That human civilization perished, but wise wyvern mothers passed the tongue to their young. Time eroded it—few wyverns remember it now—but elders often do.
Chugota was one. When Seletta hatched, Chugota already ruled her domain. She was wise and mighty. One might even say... young Seletta admired her.
Even after growing strong, Seletta never encroached on Chugota's territory. Back when Chugota had one head and soared on white wings, Seletta would perch obediently on a stone pillar.
Ancient history now. After Chugota laid her first egg—and failed to protect her hatchling—she returned with three heads, utterly mad. No longer the wise queen of the eastern mountains.
Seletta laid her own clutch. Among them, a runt—small, wingless. And mad Chugota mistook that runt for her own.
"Kugagagak!"
Seletta wouldn't tolerate it.
Chugota crawled up at ferocious speed. Seletta dove from the sky like a falling star. Light flashed from their maws—destruction beams lanced out.
But the beams struck not each other, but the golem between them. Seletta's hit the face; Chugota's the lower body.
Kwaaang! The impact sent the golem spinning wildly in midair.
Strike now. With that resolve, Seletta charged in a body slam.
Kuwoong! Dust erupted in a plume. It should've hurt the golem plenty.
But at the moment of impact, the golem shattered into three pieces. Seletta crushed only one. From the chunk in her talons, an arm-like appendage shot out, stabbing her leg.
Worse, the other two detached golems rushed her.
In that crisis, her savior was Chugota.
"Guuuu!"
"Kegek!"
"Guruk, gurluk!"
With bizarre triple harmonies, Chugota barreled in. Clung like glue. Wings spread wide, embracing the golems heedless of her own wounds. Even trusting her regeneration, it was madness. The golems' brute force tore wing membranes and punched holes in hide.
But Chugota's reckless assault bought Seletta space. The golems targeting her now turned on Chugota.
Thank goodness I hid the hatchlings nearby.
Chugota on two; Seletta on one. Then—
The golems' eyes flashed. Heads snapped toward the stone tower in unison.
Something happening inside? The golems withdrew as one—even the one wounding Seletta.
It flung her aside and bolted for the tower. Vile things.
Battered Seletta gasped ragged breaths. Freed at last, she launched skyward.
"Piiik!" Her eldest daughter peeped from behind a pillar—supposed to hide, but cheering instead. Spanking when we get home.
Vile things. Battered Seletta gasped ragged breaths.
For a split second, liberation washed over her. Freedom from the abhorrent golem, sweet relief.
But...
"Gurururur!"
Not for Chugota. The old, mad white queen clung ferociously to the fleeing golems. Wings broken again, unable to fly, yet blocking their path.
Seletta snapped alert. The runt. The runt entered the stone tower.
"Kkugak!" Chugota held two—Seletta seized the last. Destruction beam fired, but the golem rolled and rose.
Mana spent. So Seletta bit down raw. They tumbled.
Kugugung! Neck-snapping force surged. Whatever the golem was made of, it was insanely tough. Seletta's jaws could shatter rock—yet not this. It wrenched free.
Chugota's pair escaped too. The golems fused in seconds, vents flaring like wings. Superacceleration primed.
"Kuaak!"
The queens' delay wasn't wasted. Holes in the tower sealed shut. Then the golem's burst activated.
Kwaang! In a blink, it reached mid-tower. But even that sturdy golem couldn't force the sealed entrance.
Piiiuuung! It slumped like a puppet with cut strings, rigid as a dead cicada.
"Gugugu..." Chugota's frenzy ended; her head thudded down.
Up close, her state was dire. Deep wounds exposing bone—two, no, three or more. Ragged breaths bubbled bloody froth from her maw.
Fearsome tenacity. Born of maternal fury. Even if the child wasn't hers—but Seletta's.
Seletta felt no enmity now. Only long-buried respect. For the ancient queen. For a mother who'd raised and lost her own.
Respect...!
I glanced back.
"Saaak!"
Nothing there!
Maybe some ghost that turns invisible? I scanned, but nothing.
Kwaaang! Instead, a meteor-crash rumble echoed from afar. The whole tower shook.
> The golem seems to be trying to return to the dungeon. Attempting to force the door.
Can't let that happen.
> No, we can't. Force shutdown!
> If it opens the door, everything inside escapes—disaster.
I did as Pellelian commanded, forcing the golem offline.
> Damn, just a bit faster and we could've controlled it like a minion. Perfect fit.
> But no choice with it ripping the door. Guess I have to hunt the chimera myself. All that demonic essence is mine.
Look—life signal right nearby. The crystal panel map blinked a white dot pulsing close.
But no chimera in sight. Frustrating.
I checked again. Nothing—except that mad old man's corpse, the one who'd shot me with a crossbow.
Poor guy, gutted by the chimera. Probably saw it and yelled "Chimera pup!" before firing. Unlike my mercy, the chimera punished harshly.
The corpse was pale. Chest rising faintly.
...Huh? Dead guys don't breathe.
Scales bristled instinctively. Danger! I jerked my head back.
The chest bulged.
Puhwak! A forearm-thick monstrosity burst out.
Eek! Chestburster!
Was that "arm" the chimera's reproductive organ? Better not bite next time.
Despite shock, I reacted on reflex. Transparent Hand seized Sunset, slashing.
Severed the leech-like thing. Blood sprayed—not acidic, but foul-smelling. The stump writhed.
Traits: [Parasite], [Reinfection], [Division]
Ugh. If it'd bitten me? I have poison resistance, but this felt... unsettling. Low demonic essence yield too. Chimera hunting won't be easy. Fire magic for potbellies next time.
> Why the hell did you make such a gross chimera!
Pellelian raged. Pointless—echoing into void, aimed at himself.
Burn it. I readied fire breath. Then Isil plopped before me.
Rare for Isil—I halted the spell. Vines crept out.
Stop, stop! But Isil extended anyway.
Fine. Fire wash if trouble. Flame immune.
Curious, I touched her with my tail.
She got it instantly.
Devil Hunter's Vine Plant Isil lv2 uses Empathy lv2.
Vine tip to the twitching leech.
Absorbing essence via 'Chimera' trait.
Demonic essence acquired.
Essence accumulated.
Isil, you had a plan. Absorbing something. The leech shriveled dry.
I relayed to Pellelian. He chuckled hollowly.
> Full of surprises.
What's essence?
> Chimeras synthesize traits from multiple monsters, right? Essence triggers those traits. Like a primitive core?
> A finished monster absorbing from another chimera... Isil's talented. World tree lineage. Self-evolving by absorbing essences.
Good news. Next evolution, she might use stockpiled essences. Chimeras give XP and essence. Motivated, back to the crystal map.
Verified accurate.
Nearest chimera... They moved variably—some zipping dungeon halls, others sluggish. No packs, luckily.
> There—one close.
Stuck, I figured why.
Can't climb stairs?
> The one from tank four.
Aha! Explains the stair jam.
Easy pickings.
> Don't underestimate.
Yes, sir.
Pellelian warned. Old him would've boasted, "Underestimating my creation?" But tension? Hard. No. 4 looked pathetic—name to appearance.
"Saaak!"
Let's go! We headed for the mark.