Chapter 231 - Desert Biome (Patreon)

########## Author's note ##############

Yeah... I would've failed here. I don't want to do that again. X.X

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After opening the door, the first thing Hera noticed was how strong the light was. She already was in a bright location, but this was much worse. It took her well over 30 seconds for her eyes to adjust and see the sand dunes reaching the horizon. Hera closed the door and turned back to the reception.

"Giving up already, kid?" Peaches asked.

"Nope, I want to see if there is a water bottle or something here. If I'm staying in the middle of the desert in this armor, I need water."

"Smart move. Check under the sink."

As peaches said, a small water bottle with a strap that she could wrap on her waist was under the sink. The bottle was empty, but there was a water purifier on the wall where she could fill it up.

"Peaches, do you have any idea if it's bad to drink cold water in the desert?"

"No clue, Kid. My kind doesn't have to drink anything. We do it just for fun."

"Really? What's your favorite drink?" Hera asked while waiting for her bottle to fill up.

"Humans made one thing called appletini. It's delicious."

Hera laughed, "No, but seriously. What's your favorite drink?"

"… That is my favorite drink. Why is that so funny?"

"C'mon, you have to see the irony in that."

"Meh, you changed. It was more fun to tease you last time. Anyway, it took me a long time to try that drink because of that irony," Peaches replied.

"I can pretend to be flustered," Hera walked towards the door, with the full bottle already on her waist.

"That takes the joy out of it," Peaches sighed.

"Sorry, but things change. Being stuck in a place with a strange civilization makes you see things differently."

"Can't say I relate. Now stop stalling and go do your test."

"Sir, yes, sir!" Hera marched towards the door and jumped into the desert.

The heat was scorching. She took five steps away from the door and already could feel the sweat forming in her forehead. Opening her map, Hera confirmed that the door she just used was marked. It was a relief knowing that she wouldn't get lost. Using a set of heavy armor wasn't a good idea in a place like this, and she was used to the cold of Boothudurn. Since there were no hints or signs of monsters around, she started walking in a random direction. The entire area was made only of sand dunes without any glaring landmarks. Even the door had the same color as the sand, making it blend with the environment.

"I think I should do this one in stages. I mean, Peaches said that if I left through the door, my progress wouldn't go away. Maybe I can do something else while I cool off."

Hera walked for half an hour, trying to find any tracks or anything that could hint at the existence of monsters. Yet, despite her best efforts and the constant use of her pulse spell, there was nothing. Frustrated, she started digging the sand with her weapons. Maybe the monsters were underground, and she had to find a cave. That seemed to be working for a while, but the dunes started to crumble, and the sand refilled the hole.

Angrily, Hera picked her chakram and tossed it at the top of the dune, from where the sand was collapsing, and pulled it back with the string from Yarnball. She pulled her weapon back when an idea dawned on her. It's been a long time since she had used the dowsing rod ability of her relic. Still, what if she had to use it later?

"No!" Hera shook her head, "Blue was right. I've been too precious with my skills. I have them, so let's use them."

She untied her chakram and held let the thread dangling from her hand. After taking a deep breath, she asked her question.

"Where is the nearest monster?"

She could feel some of her mana being drained, and the thread pointed towards her left. Hera quickly opened her map to mark the direction, but there was an arrow already in place, to her surprise. She walked around, but the arrow was still in the same spot where she used the skill. Apparently, the dowsing rod skill also made the mark on the map. That made things much easier.

Following that direction, she took another sip of her water. There was only about a third of water left, and she had yet to even see a monster inside this biome. Instead of just walking around, Hera also paid more attention to the sand, hoping to find any tracks.

Five minutes passed.

Then ten.

Then twenty.

She already had wasted a full hour inside the place without finding anything or getting a single notification. Just as she was about to give up and try another door, she noticed a small trail in the sand. It was so tiny that she could cover it with just the tip of her foot. The only reason she saw it was because of the shadow created inside the small holes. She followed the tracks with her eyes. One side came from the top of a dune, and the other headed back down. Just as Hera wondered where the monster was going, a notification appeared in front of her.

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Desert Biome – 1st task

You have found the tracks of the lonely creature of the desert. Follow the tracks and locate the beast.
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Hera looked in both directions one more time and decided to head to the top of the dune. Having a higher vantage point could help to find whatever the monster was. From the top, she could see an area where the tracks seemed to end near the top of the next dune. Rushing towards it, Hera's heart sank when she found the end of the trail. There was nothing there. This must have been the place where the creature spawned. Turning back, she followed the tracks, being careful not to step on them. At least there was no wind to blow the trial away.

Another ten minutes passed, and Hera finally saw movement. There was a small creature halfway through climbing the next dune. Whatever it was had almost the same color as the surrounding sand. Only one thing made it stand out against the orange background, the blacks spot that seemed to follow behind it. Hera activated her [Hide] and moved slowly towards the monster. As she got closer, the type of creature she was following became more apparent. It had 8 tiny legs and three large pincers, a long body for its size, and the black spot was actually a tail that split into three spikes that could move independently from each other. The entire creature was about the size of Hera's finger.

She got closer and used her [Observe]

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Three Needle Scorpion – Level ???
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You have completed the Desert Biome 1st task

Desert Biome - 2nd task.

The Three Needle Scorpion can spend days without food and water. However, it uses something to acquire the necessary sustenance. Discover what that is.
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"So… I have to chase it until it feeds or something?" Hera sighed.

Considering she had only a day to complete all the biomes, waiting around for an animal to do something made her worry. Still, the tests were all supposed to be beatable. Then again, having to complete through a near-perfect execution could be considered beatable. While she was distracted by the possibilities, the scorpion kept moving and went over the sand dune. Hera followed and saw the creature changing directions. Instead of heading back down, it was now following along the dune, moving towards the higher part of the sand.

Since it seemed to be moving with intention and not just roaming around, Hera decided to follow it for a while. According to her map, she wasn't that far away from the door. The only problem was that the creature moved very slowly. Just walking behind it was boring, and to make sure she was ready for the plaque, Hera kept analyzing everything she could about the creature. Although the scorpion's progress was slow, it was only due to its size and not the speed of its movement. Its legs moved frantically and had a minimal effect in the sand. It was also able to balance itself without any issues. Even at points where it was practically walking sideways, the creature moved around as if nothing had changed.

Hera slipped in the dunes a couple of times as she followed it, making her fall all the way back to the bottom. Even with her struggle, the scorpion didn't seem to notice anything. It kept walking to its destination, whatever it might be. After another twenty minutes, the scorpion reached the tallest rune around. Hera only saw a couple of other places that could be this high up. The scorpion rose its three pincers and three tails and started to spin them around, almost like spinning a lasso.

Hera tried to focus on what it was doing, but the small creature was too far away. Not wanting to miss whatever the monster was doing, she activated her Pulse spell, hoping it would at least show her something. However, after casting it for the first time, she felt something odd. When the mana from her spell got close to the scorpion, it fizzled out. It wasn't hitting a wall or a barrier. Since her mana would spread in a ring, she was having trouble understanding what was going on. She cast the spell a few more times. There wasn't a way to move around the dunes without tumbling over, and Hera couldn't risk missing whatever it was doing. After a few casts, she realized that it was more as if the mana was being sucked into a whirlpool instead of hitting a barrier. Thinking that was odd, she created a dancing light on her side and sent it towards the scorpion. As the orb of light got closer, the mana was devoured by the scorpion.

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You have completed the Desert Biome 2nd task

Desert Biome - 3rd task

The Three Needle Scorpion is a hermit creature. It uses any holes big enough to take cover from the sun as its nest. If there is none around, they dig a small tunnel every time they need to rest. They tend to look for a place to sleep after they had a meal.

Create a nest the scorpion can use and capture it alive.

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As the notification appeared, a long plastic case emerged from the sand by Hera's foot.

"So I have to catch it now?" Hera sighed, "Ok, first things first, where is it going?"

Looking up to the monster, it kept doing its swirls, with its head up. Hera looked around, and right in front of the creature, a small dune seemed to be sturdy enough to support a small nest. She walked over there while the monster still absorbed the mana in the air. She dug a small hole and placed the container inside it, leaving the lid on her hand.

"I hope this is enough. It said nothing about how to lure the monster here, but maybe I can help it a bit."

She used another dancing light and left it above the tunnel, revealing the shadow it cast. Hera walked away, trying not to get in the line of sight of the scorpion. A few more minutes passed, with the creature having its mana meal until its pincers and tail stopped spinning. Trying to hide behind the dunes, Hera laid on the ground, watching the monster.

The scorpion looked around, and it seemed to notice the hole. It started coming down the top of the dune and head towards what it thought was an empty nest. Hera celebrated in her mind while waiting for it to reach her trap. It took quite a while for the tiny monster to make its way towards the container. While it moved, Hera kept watching the beast, trying to learn more about it.

It seemed to use its pincers to balance itself as it moved, and the two frontal legs were more to hold itself up than to actually move around. She couldn't see much more aside from it being that far away, but maybe when it entered the trap, she could get a better look at it. The scorpion arrived in the hole and spent a few moments looking around, testing the waters before entering.

When it went inside the container, Hera got up quickly but waited for a few moments before closing her trap. She got closer and took a deep breath before putting on the lid and twisting it, closing the container. She pulled it from the sand and looked inside. The scorpion was still there, but now it was slamming against the lid, trying to escape. Suddenly, the top of the container turned dark, and she could see the scorpion's exoskeleton. It was almost like looking at a live X-ray, but it only had a few green lights instead of showing organs, one inside the tail, by the black needles on top, and another in each of the pincers.

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You have completed the Desert Biome 3rd task

Desert Biome – 4th task

The Three Needle Scorpion has a potent poison capable of paralyzing large creatures for days. The poison is created on its tail, and poison sacks on the pincers can deliver a less concentrated dose to its enemies. To make the scorpion safe for consumption, it is necessary to remove the poison sacks and drain any remaining poison from its body.

Eat the scorpion after removing all its poison.

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"WHAT?! No, no, no, no, no," Hera kept staring at the scorpion in horror.