Chapter 41: Down the rabbit hole.

WHAT IN HELL IS THIS THING?!?

“[Analisys]!”(Aby)

Creature. Analysis completed.

Known as “Wendigo”, but also as “Cursed Cannibal” or “Owl”, this type of creature was introduced to those lands by the first ships that returned from the lands now known as “The Lost Continent”. Wendigowak were once humans, but were corrupted through cannibalism or by immeasurable greed into wretched beasts. It is also said that some could propagate their corruption through their bites. Now creatures of the night, they are associated with [Greed], [Envy] and also cannibalism. They may appear as creatures with humanoid features, or as scrawny humans with blood-red eyes and torn-up lips to trick their victims, but their true form is that of a wretched beast with the skull of a deer as a face, huge antlers, long and deformed furry limbs and dangerously sharp claws and teeth. Their ability to easily crush bones with their maw and stone with their powerful arms, as well as their unsuspected speed and agility makes them truly formidable predators. They are not well versed in magic and only have access to polymorphism, but some are able to chill the air around them. The only way to truly kill them is by burning down their salted body, but normal means can momentarily put them down. Their frozen heart is their weak point, as it will freeze them up for some time.

Quickly reading through the description while slowing down my perception of time with [Thought Processing], I tried to look for any flaws it could have, but this thing was quite a formidable foe as it looked.

I don’t have salt on me, but I can find that back at the camp, so it’s not a problem.

The creature, just realizing that it didn’t get me with that strike, was looking at me with it’s blood-red eyes, sizing me up.

I have to put it down.
This cavern is big enough, so I won’t have any problem fighting it here.

I’d prefer fighting it outside, but if the Analysis is accurate, and it should, my chance of simply outrunning it are small.

Taking out both my daggers, I started to circulate Mana through my whole body.

I did not put up my shields, as I learned with time that they were not as invincible as I thought them to be at all, and that it’d be a waste in this situation.

Probably aware of what I was doing, the “Wendigo”, as it was called, started to tense up.

As both of us ere waiting for the other one to move, I chose to take the initiative.

Surprised, the creature didn’t really think I’d lunge at it as it jumped forward as if to chase after me.
Sorry, but I’m not giving you the pleasure to chase me.

Taking the most out of the situation, I aimed at its feet passing over me and slashed at the tendon as the foul odour of decay invaded my nose.

Using momentum to help, my dagger cut deep into the skin of the beast, making it emit a loud and painful roar as it landed.
Blood sprayed as the “Wendigo” continued is course and landed with a pained roar

Yucky…

The creature did not gave me any time to rest as it attacked back nearly instantly, but I was able to act on time thanks to [Thought Processing] and jumped back to avoid the massive clawed fist that came to me.

It struck on the ground and the whole cavern shook from the impact.

Hmm.
Let’s not get hit by that.
I prepared myself for its next attack, so when it lunged at me, I was ready and avoided it, not without leaving a gash on its arm, spurting even more blood.

[…]

The combat continued on like that for a bit.

Even though I was not quicker than it, I could easily evade its attacks since I could see them coming in slow motion.
As I’m using daggers to fight, my main tactics rely on two things: inflicting small cuts to the enemy to numb it down through pain and blood-loss, or by attacking its vitals when the situation arise.

The creature was panting heavily, its fur soaked in its own blood all over its body.
Cuts and gashes could be seen everywhere and were heavily slowing it down, giving me a lot more leeway in avoiding its attacks.

Incapable of touching me since the start of the fight, it started to hammer its fist up and down in blatant anger, on the ground and the ceiling, adding to the cracks that were created through the fight.

But it was useless.
It just made its blood flow out of its body quicker.
The creature couldn’t move around anymore.
And as it was getting weaker and weaker, its punches did so too.
Visibly at its end, the Wendigo slowly stopped to punch the cave walls, and as its legs gave in under its own weight, it fell on the ground, lifeless, its eyes closed.

Never trying to escape, the creature’s life had ended…
Is what I’d like to say, but fro the look of what I read with Analysis, it will be able to rise again if I don’t burn down its salted body.

Looking around, I could see a short but pointy stalagmite laying on the ground near one of the cave’s walls, broken by our fight.

Sheathing my daggers, I picked it up, judged its sharpness, and deemed it suitable for what was to come.

Since I didn’t want any surprise, as I’ll have to go back to the camp to look for some salt, I’ll have to jam this in its heart.
Analysis said it was its weak-point, so it should be enough, right?

Approaching the corpse with precaution, I was not surprised when the Wendigo “went back” from the dead and tried to hit me in a last and futile effort to win, so I casually side-stepped to avoid the blow.

What I was surprised with, however, was the fact that [Sense Danger] kicked in.
Jumping backward in a hurry, I was surprised to see a whole chunk of the cave’s ceiling falling down, crashing on the ground.

[Sense Danger] ringing in my head nonstop, I turned back to flee from that hellhole, only to feel a dull pain as something hit the back of my head.
My vision blury, I could see Lisa-sensei hurriedly running towards me.
But suddenly, the ground began to feel shaky, and as I was loosing consciousness, I fell down in the dark.

[…]

*Plick*

*Plick*

*Plick*

Hmm?
*Plick*

Hnnn?

*Plick*

A water drop came crashing into my face.

*Plick*

Where am I?
Who am I?

Naaa, that was a joke.

But I wonder what happened.

Looking around, I was surprised to see that I was in small and closed space.
I fell from the Wendigo’s cavern right?
Why isn’t there, like, a huge hole above me?
Was I rescued by Lisa-sensei?

Mmm…

No.
Lisa-sensei wouldn’t tie me up like this.
Let’s have another discreet look around.

…

Oh, a spider just came in.
…

WHY IS IT SPIDERS AGAIN?!?

But there’s only one this time, and it is quite small.
The size of a cat maybe?

Of course, what I am tied up with is spider silk.

I’d like to say I’ll just tore it out through sheer force, but I’m not stupid.
Spider silk is far more resistant than steel, even back on Earth α.
Struggling like that would be useless, looking at how thick this silk was…

Instead, I chanted a spell to invoke a small flame and burned it down.
I tried to move, but I was painful all over my body.
One of my ribs, especially, seemed to be broken…

…

Well, I’m no doctor, but it’s painful as hell.

Standing up, I could see a bit better.

The spider, looking utterly revolted that its dinner had escaped so easily, retreated to a corner of the “room”, presenting no danger whatsoever to me.

Looking at me more closely, I could see that I still had my daggers.
Good luck I sheathed them just before the floor fell apart.

Heading out, I waved goodbye to the spider that would have to find another dinner today.

I passed through a shallow corridor, and was shocked to see where I ended up.

Passing though a large fissure at the end of the path, I ended up in a corridor with a paved floor and smooth walls.

Eeeh, did I end up in a secret cult’s secret lair or what?

The place was devoid of light or decoration and was cut out from the rock.

Strange.

Why would they cut out the floor to make it looks like it was paved, but not putting any decoration at the same time?

Anyway, I’m the middle of a corridor now.
Where should I go?
Right?
…
Right it is!
Always go right!

Taking the right path, I walked for some time, but, before long, I could feel the faint smell of blood, and then I arrived in a large room.
It had stone rubble all over it, like the ceiling had recently collapsed.

Jackpot!
Isn’t it just the place I fell to?!

But looking at the ceiling, I was surprised.
No such thing as a cave in could be seen…
In fact, the perfectly smooth ceiling was quite insulting to me.
Was I wrong?
Is it not the place?

But as I was questioning myself, the faint scent of blood made itself stronger, and at the same time a low howl could be heard.

Looking around more precisely, I finely found out the origin of the sound.

Buried under rubble, the large clawed hand of the Wendigo was emerging.
And from the look of the giant stalactite planted inside that pile of rock, the creature under it must have been impaled.

Nice.
I won’t have to worry about it now.
But still, that thing is still alive?
Is there really no way of killing it except by burning it down and throwing some salt at it?
It’s not an episode of Supernatural, right?

As I was thinking about useless things, the Wendigo, as if feeling my presence, became a bit more active and the rubble above it moved a bit.
But still, it was useless and the creature remained trapped.

So, that’s one thing settled.

Now.
The real question.

If the Wendigo is here, and the rubble here is actually from its cave: where the Hell is the huge hole by which we’re supposed to have fell down from?

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