Chapter 46 – Wildlands of Hunger (2): Centipedes Everywhere

As they stepped into the Wildlands, dense air slammed into them, hot and humid, carrying a heavy stench of damp earth and rotting moss. It was a visceral heat that clung to their fur and scales like a wet shroud, making every breath feel like swallowing steam.

It was as if they had stepped into another world altogether, and as they did, alongside the suffocating heat, the hungering curse wrapped around them like translucent tentacles, probing and forcing its way into their bestial bodies.

“Fight it! Focus on our connection; focus on me!” Maximus shouted as he noticed Silex and Vesper struggle and growl, slamming their bodies into the earth in agony.

“Boss, I cannot go back to how it was, please, boss… save me.” Vesper howled, his crimson fur soaked and matted from the oppressive heat.

“Max, you smelly bastard, where did you lead me to?! I knew I should have stayed in my damn swamp!” Silex roared, his pristine white scales smeared with dirt as he lashed his reptilian tail into the ground, sending clouds of soil into the air.

It’s even trying to take me while I’m in this form… What is this place even? Maximus fought the ever-twisting tendrils clawing at his mind before he roared, “Follow me! Don’t give in; I will be your guide; I will be your protector in your time of need!” His trait Call of the Wild, alongside his One of Us skill, activated as he poured as much spirit energy into them as he could, strengthening their link and pushing back against the invasive curse.

“Boss, I’m with you!” Vesper snarled through gritted fangs. “Damnit all, Max, let’s destroy this whole damn place… Level it to the ground!” Silex roared as he forced himself forward.

As they fought the curse, their connection to Maximus strengthened, the bond between them pulsing like a lifeline, and the curse slowly began to fade, the writhing tentacles crumbling into drifting motes of mana as if burned away by their unity.

Maximus sighed in relief as he collapsed onto the ground, his Cat Form drenched and breathing heavily. “We did it… Men.”

Skill Leveled Up: [One of Us (E) Level 18]

Class Trait Leveled Up: [ Call of the Wild (C ) Level 6]

“It’s suddenly easier to breathe. I’ve never felt like this within the Wildlands; you truly are something else, boss!” Vesper wagged his tail, his eyes wide with amazement.

“This place is actually pretty cozy when it’s not trying to drive you mad,” Silex muttered as he began to enjoy the thick humidity.

First hurdle passed; now it’s time actually to start this test. Also, it seems that Sprout is enjoying himself quite a lot. This place is rich with spirit energy; two of us could benefit greatly from it. Maximus noted as he consciously began pulling in spirit energy, slowly storing it within his seed.

Warning: The beasts within the region have not been cleared for two decades and have grown exponentially stronger. It is advised to find a different route.

No turning back now, the bigger the threat, the more we will grow! He decided.

“Let’s go; we don’t know which beast’s territory this is, so stay sharp and be extra careful,” Maximus warned as he took the lead, with the other two rising and following cautiously behind him.

***

They moved like predators through the thick tropical forest for about twenty minutes until they encountered the first beast within.

It was a centipede of nightmarish proportions, nearly ten meters of segmented, pitch-black armor, its body thick as a tree trunk. Hundreds of sharp, hooked legs twitched in a frantic rhythm, digging into the bark of an ancient tree that loomed like a five-story skyscraper. As it coiled upward, the two arm-sized pincers beneath its head clicked rhythmically, sounding like skeletons grinding their teeth in the dark.

“Max, that thing is disgusting; let’s kill it!” Silex whispered through their connection.

“Silex, I swear, if you do anything to provoke that monstrosity, you will be without dinner for a week,” Maximus muttered.

Silex opened his maw in shock, saying nothing.

“Boss, that is a Skittering Shadow Centipede. The good thing is that there are not many of them in the area, but they are one of the most dangerous beasts within the Wildlands. Their venom is extremely potent,” Vesper explained.

“I appreciate the information, Vesper. Thank you. Let’s lay low for a while until the coast is clear,” Maximus whispered as they lowered their bodies to the forest floor.

***

They waited a while until Maximus was certain there was no longer any immediate threat, and they finally continued through the territory of the centipede. The whole region was scarred with paths the beasts had bulldozed through, and the trees were covered with deep scratch marks from their countless sharpened legs.

“This whole place feels like a nightmare,” Maximus muttered. It reminds me of the cursed lands of Fargaz; that Broodmother was a nightmare to deal with. Maximus sighed and forced the memory away.

Just as he returned to the present, Sprout suddenly jumped off his shoulder, transforming into his beast-like form and bounding forward on all four legs with excitement.

“Really, here? Fate sure likes to play tricks, huh…” Maximus sighed.

“Boss, what is going on?” Vesper asked, astonished; he had yet to see Sprout change forms like that.

“Sprout has caught the scent of something rare, a natural treasure if you will. Let us go and observe what it is.” Maximus followed after Sprout without hesitation.

“Did you see how he changed the moment treasure was mentioned?” Silex said, amused.

“He did fail to seduce the human woman; give him this at least,” Vesper added seriously.

“Hey, you two, I can hear your nonsense. I’ll leave you behind! Just test me!” Maximus growled as the two chuckled and hurried after him.

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***

Sprout moved fast on its four legs, leaping over fallen logs and weaving through dense shrubbery until a wide nest suddenly appeared before its eyes.

The nest was filled with old, dried bones and lay beneath a massive tree that had split apart at the base by a two-meter-wide and four-meter-tall black stone. Within the pitch-black stone, a vein of gentle azure light pulsed, flowing from the bottom toward the center, ending in a head-sized azure core that shone like a beacon in the dead of night.

“By the stars! That’s Obsidium ore, and it actually contains a vein of Mithril. This amount of Mithril would be worth a fortune anywhere you go!” Maximus stared, astonished, as he arrived shortly after Sprout.

“Amazing job, Sprout, like always!” Maximus smiled gently and petted the small sprout in its doe-like shape.