Master Of None

Chapter 1859: 1859. Mud mantis

”The rocks are all smooth Brother.” Onyx had taken to slithering a little ahead on the riverbed. While it had been many years since anything walked through here, everyone found that the silt had settled and become fairly hard.

The rocks that Onyx found had been revealed as the river bed dried out. They showed themselves as the silt and clay bottom of the river was able to recede. now the smoothed rocks that had been buffeted by the water for too many years to count showed themselves clearly.

The many patterns on each rock showed how the earth had once compounded through natureʼs wrath. It revealed when the river had not been a river and only been a stream. It showed when the stream had been a mountain splitting in two and allowing water to flow. This was just the amazing nature of, nature.

Besides the amazing patterns of water smoothed rockets, Walker was able to notice that the silt left behind very defined footprints as they moved. This would be good for when they had to return or if anyone had to follow them. But it was also a bad thing. The potential that any monster down here could also track them with little to not effort was there. Very much so.

”Do you really think we will find much just sitting here?” Remey was unsure what they would find. From what she was looking at, they had just found pretty looking rocks. They werenʼt even valuable. Someone might want them as art, but that wasnʼt work digging and cutting them from wherever they were.

”I think we should focus on what we can. This was a river when the race escaped. But if it was during a cursed era, there might have been more room for them to stop. We should look at walls and everything we can to look for signs. What if the rover splits?” Gil made a good point. Current nodded with him.

He could sense the water and knew how rivers flowed, but he didnʼt know every single specific of how this river flowed. That would only come with exploring.

ʼQuest- the lost race

The beginning discoveries of a lost history have been found. The dragon related lost race that fled their home for generations are finally being discovered. What evidence and proof of their current or past existence will be found?

Requirement: discover as much about the ancient race as possible.

Reward: 50000 exp., 100 heroic points, unique title.ʼ

The regards that came with the requirement were astounding. The entire party had not expected this. Even Mordant and Current were too amazed by what they are seeing. This quest was what their goal was originally. However, it came with a very large reward.

Titles were amazing, they gave abilities, skills, and whatever else that was needed depending on what they were related to. A unique title would be one that could not be gained any other way than pursuing this current quest.

The large amount of experience was also much more than usual. Most quests were smaller in experience value. But for the party, this experience would be multiplied which put them in a  different amazing situation.

The additional heroic points would be enough to make them all level up multiple times as well. This meant that there was a large relation to their heroic nature and the fact that this race might be in some form of trouble or just generally need attention from the world. It also meant that this race might be more than just still alive.

If they were isolated somewhere, then the party would be responsible for bringing them back to the focus of the world and other races.

”This is better than what I thought we would find. We need to work a little harder. Everyone spread out more and began looking.” Current immediately pushed ahead a little. He was now even more focused on the river bed. He was already an expert in water and wanted to fall in to what he was comfortable in after the desert. However, he was changing his mindset now.

”I am going to use my all around appraisal skill on anything that stands out. If anyone sees anything that they are unsure of-”

”Walker, look at the walls here.” Su had barely even looked at the wall that she had not been interested by before. Now that she had a goal and focus, she acted with extreme focus.

Since Su had gained the dragon eyes when she grew closer with Midnight through their bonds and ritual, she was able to see more. The things that she saw right now were cuts in the sandstone cave walls that had held the river to its flow. She could notice the lines as the water level had changed forever being engraved in to the sandstone. About one thing was standing out as off in her opinion.

”There Are deeper cuts in the sandstone here than where the river naturally caused lines to appear as it lost its water flow over time. I donʼt think that these cuts would be natural, but because the water never rose again to was them away, they stayed.” This theory was easy to follow and the others let Walker go take the lead while they remained searching.

Mordant kept a careful ear focused on what he would say. Walker always made sure they knew what he found. Communication was key.

ʼMud mantis slashes

The mud mantis slash leaves a very distinct design that proves what caused it. Somewhat like the way a certain swordstyles can leave defined cuts on training equipment. The reason this is a mud mantis slash is due to the unique shallow then deep cut as its triangle sickle like arm blades cut in to the sandstone.ʼ

Walker was a little unhappy seeing that the all around appraisal hadnʼt told home what a mud mantis was. He had not encountered such a monster before. Yet, he felt that if they did encounter it, that the group would be fighting something stronger than them for sure. Mordant and Current would need to help if they faced more than one for sure since the cuts were easily proof of the danger.

”Do you know what a mud mantis is Current?” Walker left it up to Current since this was the best way for them to be able to get more information.

”I do, they are rare though. They rarely bother to leave the muddy spots where the river lowers in the hot seasons. They even try to dig themselves mud burrows so they can stay alive and hunt more. When they dry out they lose their basic instincts to hide and go mad. From there, they only care about attacking anything around them for food and any water elemental mana they can get to create mud again.”

Current had eaten a few but mostly ignored them. The only times he found them annoying was during the dry season when those in cut off pools of water lost their minds and began to attack anything around them. ”I rarely see them lately, but they would have been here as the water level had begun to drop because of the cursed sands.

This was the best place for them to go until they realiZed there was less and less water to make mud.”

Current also began to explain the traits they had. The brown colored exoskeletons paired with the long sharp brown blades made of earth and bone. They were dangerous to many beasts. But what everyone understood more was that all of the mud mantis would have been forced to populate in this river during the cursed sands time period.

That alone would make the mud mantis unable to survive on the food. Pushing them to battle one another and go mad faster. From there, it would make sense that they would have fought and potentially starved to death.

”Donʼt think that they would have all starved to death. Their madness would allow them to be solely focused on food. They would become undead mud mantis if they did not burrow and go dormant before they perished of hunger.” This stopped everyone. Another undead monster to worry about. One that was much more dangerous.

This brought the danger level much higher. ”We will have to watch out for more undead that were not at all under the control of the mummified pharaoh. I assume they will be more monstrous as well. Only focused on food.” mordant sounded very unhappy. This kind of undead was more natural in a way. But it was more troublesome since they would attack constantly without worry for their body.

It was all due to their entirely food focused mentality that had brought them back as undead in the first place. The entire party had to prepare for this.

….

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