Chapter 327 Broken Trap

[1 Exp] x 102

Every dead eel only gave one exp, but their numbers were almost endless. The skeletons did not advance further than waist-deep, and after another 200 slain eels, they began their retreat, needing to heal and fix their mortal frames.

To retreat, Heavy would lift its shield from the ground while Lamp and Handy would help to push it back through the water, and would slam it down again as they culled more eels.

Jay wasn't sure why they would retreat so quickly as they had only been out there for a few minutes, but the skeletons were not the only things being eaten.

All the dead bone-eating eels had attracted the flesh-eating fiends of the swamp, and compared to the bone-eaters, there were many, many more the flesh-eating varieties.

Oh shit, Jay thought.

The skeletons marched back out of the water as the swamp became turbulent, and a feeding frenzy began. A new feeding frenzy - of flesh.

The dark waters of the swamp made vision useless. Everything lurking here relied on scent, taste, warmth or movement, and even a drop of blood would be like a shining beacon, calling in all who were hungry.

The blood from hundreds of dead eels created their own distinct velvet-purple patch in the black water.

Jay had set things in motion which could not, and would not be stopped. He had set the stage for a perfect bloodbath.

Suddenly the water went perfectly calm.

Even the skeletons knew what was about to happen. A primal fear had gripped all its hidden dwellers, all those hiding in the rocks and filth as the waters went still.

*Fwoosh!*

Bubbles erupted. The waters burst into a rabid mess of death and tearing.

Giant fins, beaks and jagged teeth. Tentacles, shells and pincer claws, all flashed above the surface in waves of carnage.

It was every vile and hungry maw for itself. All as hungry as the next.

Splashing blood and bubbles only served to draw out more predators lurking in the swamp, who then added their own blood to the cesspool.

Jay scratched the back of his head. Ah… Oops, shit… well I guess this will fix the bone-eater problem. Jay shrugged, watching from his throne which had a front-row seat to the chaos.

It was hard to see exactly how many things were dying and perishing, and it became so violent that small waves began to lap against the shore.

Hmm some giants are fighting? Jay thought, seeing two large waves coming from either side and meeting.

*Fwoosh!*

A giant tentacle shot from the water, sending dark rain over the swamp.

The black tentacle had crimson barbed claws lining its side, and another one emerged. It held up in the bladed jaws of something which resembled a scaly wolf head, somewhat similar to a dragon.

Hmm, maybe I should move back… Jay thought.

In front of Jay's bone pile, just under the water, hidden leeches raised their heads from the decay, tempted enough to leave their holes and swim into the blood-filled abyss.

They added their hungry maws to the frenzy. The loss of life was uncountable.

Well… I can't help but feel partly responsible for this, Jay scratched his head, nodding slightly.

"Gah!" a shrieking voice called.

Hegatha came out of her shack, hearing all the crunching and splashing.

Three skeletons chased after her as she ran to her rope and pulled it from the dark waters. Yet unlike last time, there was no trap at the end, nothing but a snapped stick tied to the rope.

She glared at Jay, "How am I going to get food now?!" she yelled, pointing to the water.

"Uh… I'll make you a new trap? It shouldn't be too hard."

Hegatha grunted, "Two new traps! Two!" she held out three fingers.

Jay sighed, "Fine." and shook his head.

"Hmph." Hegatha sneered, marching back inside while Jay watched her and the three skeletons leave.

Just focus on healing Asra you crazy old crone.

Making a trap shouldn't be too hard anyway… I suppose I can't use bone though because there's things here that eat it.

While the waters continued to rage, Jay left his throne to inspect the end of the rope. He took his sword and scraped it along the rope, getting off some of the black muck.

Huh? Jay raised a brow.

The rope was mostly blackened, forever stained by the insipid swamp, but a few golden glints of light sparkled back.

A golden rope? Seems a bit too… luxurious? Hmm, maybe she stole it and fled for her life? Jay glanced across her rotting shack, seeing her cursed and miserable existence. If that's the case, the theft was definitely not worth it…

At the end of the rope was one snapped stick, still barely attached to it.

Hmm, normally it would be easy to find some sticks, but the trees out there don't have any branches. Jay scratched his chin.

So where did she get the sticks? If she got them before the lights burned all the trees, then she was here before them. Maybe she's the reason the lights are here? I suppose it would explain why she knows how to heal Asra.

Curious as he was, Jay went back to his throne, which was still perched on a pile of bones, overlooking the pool of death.

He closed his eyes, picturing Red, and he felt weightless as the world went black and white. He used the host skill.

Red was inside the rotting shack at Asra's side, watching Hegatha closely. Unfortunately, its shade vision revealed every disgusting, darkened corner of this shack, all the trash and toenails piling up over the years, and many other things were better left unseen.

A few bundles of dried mushrooms hung around the house. Some water-filled jars were randomly placed on shelves, which hosted a number of different wriggling and swimming creatures, some looked humanoid, like tiny stick-insect goblins, while others looked like disemboweled organs, still pumping and squeezing.

Asra was lying on an old stained table, and Hegatha stepped closer, ignoring the skeletons as she held her left hand out over Asra's leg. Some leaves from the walls floated down into Hegatha's right hand, and she slowly began to crush them in her palm before bringing it to her mouth.

Shes… eating them? Jay thought.

Each time Hegatha ate a leaf, her hand above Asra's leg would glow, and the burn marks would begin to catch fire, though it gave off no light.

A black flame? Jay thought. He was watching through the skeleton's shade vision, so everything was black and white - yet the flame made nothing shaded lighter.

Even as it burnt, the flame seemed to be feeding on the wounds. It seemed so backwards as the charred flesh started to disappear, little by little.

After a few minutes, Hegatha grunted. "That's enough." She wiped a bead of sweat from her brow and sat by Asra's side.

With nothing else to see, Jay ended the host skill.

A black flame that eats burns, but why eat the leaves? Jay sat in his chair, trying to make sense of it as he watched the chaotic waters in front of him continue to tremble.

I better get her some more sticks for another trap. Or something like them. It will be good practice for the skeletons craftsmanship, too.

After eating some bones, the group of skeletons in front of Jay had assembled again were ready to go into the water, but they were waiting for the feeding frenzy to stop. In the meantime, Jay gave them some other tasks.

(I need rocks. Stones. About the size of a fist. I want a pile of them here.) Jay pointed on the ground next to his throne.

(Also, Red, leave Asra for a moment and join us outside.)