Adorable atrocity an ali.., p.26
Adorable Atrocity: An Alien Evolution LITRPG, page 26
Retracing Steps (Erodicilee)
Erodicilee stayed low to the ground, creeping along as he stalked the lone hunter who smelled of his mother.
This wasn’t the first hunter he’d found. He’d worked diligently throughout the night, trying to find anyone who’d wandered off on their own. Most hadn’t. They stayed in a group, sitting around their fires as they cradled their weapons. Once or twice, they’d shot at him, and the injuries forced him to hunt whatever small creatures he could find to heal.
While he healed, he’d smelled his mommy again, and this time, the potent scent made him believe she was out here with him. His nose rose to sniff the air, and with his eyes closed, he was sure he could see her.
His entire body shook, and he turned and raced towards the scent, slowly only when he encountered an obstacle along his path—a lone hunter.
He stank of Erodicilee’s mother, too, the smell wafting from a small scrap of fabric wrapped around his arm. The same arm cradled one of those weapons. It made Erodicilee nervous as he considered the possibilities. What if the smell was more of these hunters all gathered together?
Erodicilee paused at the thought, his nose in the air as he sniffed. The scent of his mother was strong, but he didn’t get the hint of any other hunters in that direction. It was simply his prey and the smell.
His stomach rumbled again, but he didn’t attack. If this was a trap, he wanted to let the hunter move into it first. He continued to stalk the hunter, stopping every so often to sniff the air and confirm the scents. The man never turned; he simply continued to walk in a straight line with his unfurred head bowed.
Overhead, the sun beat down, and Erodicilee paused once again to sniff the air. Then he smelled it. His tail wagged as his ears perked up, and he let out an involuntary, excited bark. She was there. His mommy. Her smell was strong and full, and she was accompanied by her friend, who always followed her. He also caught the scent of two hunters and another two beings that didn’t smell quite right.
One reminded him of the mommy’s friend who came to the house. The other was faint and surrounded by a similar stink to the hunters’ beasts. An unnatural metallic smell.
Before he could work anymore, a yell caused him to snap his eyes open in time to see the human whirl toward him. Their eyes were wide, and fear radiated from them in a wave of stink. His stomach growled, and he dove forward as their weapon barked. Lines scored across his back and punched a hole in his ear as he landed on the hunter.
“No!” they barked. “No, get off! Die!”
“Die!” Erodicilee barked happily back as he sunk his teeth into the hunter’s neck.
It didn’t take long to consume them; his jaws easily snapped the bones as his fur tendrils gathered up the parts for him to eat. As he digested, the wounds along his back and ear slowly healed themselves until he was whole once more.
His tail wagged as he sat where his prey once lay, content with his meal. Then his newly healed ear twitched as he picked up the sound of approaching footsteps coming from his mother’s direction. These were heavy, and when he closed his eyes, he caught the scent of the metallic wrongness from before.
She wasn’t with it.
A growl escaped his throat, and he dug down. He burrowed into the earth, forming a small cave as he waited. The stomping above him stopped, and he moved slowly around his cavern as he tried to work out through the scent alone where it was.
His plan was simple. He’d burrow up behind it and then attempt to bite it.
Erodicilee scraped away the dirt quickly, leaping from his cavern to take a bite. A metallic foot met his face. His nose broke, and he howled as he smashed into the dirt. He rolled, bleeding and barking, until he stopped. Pain filled him, and his instincts screamed at him to feed.
He couldn’t smell anything that wasn’t blood, and the black metallic prey turned, a strange glowing cylinder in its hand. Erodicilee ran.
A green blob shot from the weapon, landing on the ground and sizzling with a hiss. Heat radiated from the ball, and he felt his fur twitch. Dirt sprayed behind him as he charged his mechanical foe, which simply stood still. He leaped, fur tendrils shooting out and wrapping around the weapon and pulling him to it.
As he landed, he scratched, claws digging, as a mechanical fist flew into his side. Once again, he rolled across the dirt, the sounds of something crackling filling his ears. The world spun, and when it finally stopped, he saw the weapon glowing in spots it hadn’t before.
His prey tossed it away, and the weapon flew through the air, where it exploded in a ball of light and heat. Erodicilee barked, claws digging into the dirt to keep him steady as his opponent stumbled backward. It didn’t fall, however; instead, it turned to face him with arms outstretched.
“Halt!” it barked. “You have destroyed the property of the Overseer Kulthurack. You are considered a threat. Do not resist.”
“Die!” Erodicilee barked, and his mental map of the area updated.
To his confusion, his prey updated as well, and he saw something coiled up inside the mechanical head. It floated there, wiggling occasionally as the suit moved. He knew it was biological and, therefore, prey. A chance to heal.
The question was, how did he get to it?
As the metallic-covered creature stomped towards him, he growled and let his fur shift into spikes. He’d need to figure it out while they fought.
~~~
Dirt sprayed into the air as his opponent stamped down with a metal foot.
Erodicilee rolled out of the way, his spikes shifting to help shift him along the ground. When he was upright again, he ran forward, tendrils shooting out and wrapping around the creature’s leg. He used the grip to drag himself forward, curling up and letting his spiked form crash into his prey.
His spikes penetrated, but only in the small gaps in the seams. That would have to be enough. Happy to have done some damage, he let himself drop, hearing the crashing sound as the creature punched itself in the leg. A groan sounded out, and Erodicilee raced away to give himself some breathing room.
The battle had gone on like this for a while. He’d attack and find himself unable to penetrate the metal aside from a few small cracks, and then his prey forced him to flee with wild swings. Pain radiated from his face, though blood had thankfully stopped gushing from his nose.
“Desist!” the creature barked again.
Erodicilee ignored it and geared himself up for another attack. He needed to get to the head. To pull out his enemy's one piece of biological matter and snap it up like a snack. However, anytime he tried to climb the creature, it tossed him aside.
He needed to figure out how to force it to stay still.
The metal beast charged at him, and he ran, going in circles. He could easily outrun the beast, but he couldn’t let it escape. What if it went back to mommy and hurt her? That was unacceptable. As they ran, he moved back to where the fight had first begun, and as he did, his prey stumbled. He turned, watching it pull its foot out of the hole he’d created earlier.
An idea came to him, and he ran to give himself some distance.
His claws scraped at the dirt as he dug himself a small tunnel down, and then, when he felt he was far enough, he moved towards where the creature had stood when he was on the surface. Fur tendrils swirled about him, pushing away dirt as he tunneled. At points, he simply dug straight down, creating shafts that ended further into the earth. He connected these to the surface, breaking out into the light before diving as the creature charged at him.
Erodicilee littered the battlefield with his traps, making sure each was wide enough for one of the metal feet to fall inside.
That done, he popped out and barked at the creature to get its attention.
“Die!”
It turned and charged at him. The first time its foot sank into one of his holes, Erodicilee watched it tilt wildly to the side. He moved in, fur tendrils whipping through the air as he raced up the creature’s side. It flailed at him, one hand on the ground to keep itself steady as the other punched itself. He reached its head and bit at the faceless metal.
His jaws couldn’t find purchase, and he growled as he moved and tried again. A metal fist crashed into its own face, and he heard something groan even as the force of the blow shoved him aside. He growled and rolled to his feet, running again as the creature pulled itself from the hole, its metal fingers leaving grooves in the dirt.
This time, it didn’t run as it chased him. Instead, it picked its way across, focusing on the ground as it dodged his traps. He growled again and dashed in and out, trying to get it to take risks.
It did, and any time it got stuck, Erodicilee tried to attack it once again. His jaws bit at the seams, and his tendrils probed. He even tried to scratch at the metal covering its back. That he left deep grooves in, and so he tried it on the creature’s neck. One of his claws caught a seam, and this time, when an attack forced him to flee, that bit of metal came with him.
Erodicilee howled in triumph, even as he ran.
Back and forth they went, his prey dodging his traps as he attempted to bait them into them. He even made new ones to cover the entire battlefield in traps. It worked. Anytime his prey fell, he was on it, clawing at the creature’s neck.
He found things beneath the armor that tasted foul, but he bit into them anyway. As he did, the creature slowed. Its movements became jerky, and he heard faint whirring and beeps.
“Desist!” the creature barked, but Erodicilee didn’t.
Dents covered his prey’s faceless head, and one of its arms had stopped working by the time it fell. Metal legs spasmed as it lay on the dirt, and he ran around his prey as he searched for an opening. The neck appeared to be his best bet, and so he went after that. Fur tendrils tugged as he gnawed and bit at whatever he could reach.
Then its head popped off.
A long, fat, pink beast slithered its way out. It had neither a head nor eyes, and it burrowed into the ground as soon as it touched the soft dirt. Erodicilee barked and ran, catching the last remaining inch in his mouth and tugging.
It fought him, but he refused to let it go. Any time he got more of it out of the dirt, he wrapped it in tendrils. Spikes dug into the soft pink flesh, and eventually, he cocooned the entire wiggling prey up nice and tight.
With an excited yelp, he ate it, sucking it up and feeling it wiggling inside of his mouth. His instincts exploded, and heat filled his entire body. He felt his skin shift and itch as new pores opened up—tiny holes that would secrete a new pheromone. It didn’t smell like anything to him, but he knew other creatures would find it enticing.
Erodicilee barked and got to his feet.
Now that the fight was over, Erodicilee had a mission. He knew where his mommy was, and he’d waited long enough.
With excitement coursing through him, he started charging towards the scent, and nothing would stop him again.
Progression: Evolutions
360 Vision (Flies)
Sticky Feet (Flies)
Limb Regeneration (Lizard)
Gills (Fish)
Scaled Fur (Fish)
Digging (Wombat)
Enhance Speed (Dingo)
Enhanced Smell - Distance Increase (Cow)
Enhanced Stomach Capacity (Cow)
Word Mimicry (Cockatoo)
Echolocation (Bat)
Enhanced Endurance (Human)
Enhanced Sight Distance (Owl)
Spine Defense (Echidna)
Enhanced Jump (Kangaroo)
Dark Vision (Cat)
Pheromone Control (Blitzworm)
Chapter 37
Reunited! (Lecorondia)
As the ball of green energy filled the sky, and the sounds of the explosion filled the air, Lecorondia flinched.
She knew what an exploding blaster looked like, and it unnerved her to see it here. Did someone take a shot at the Blitzworm? Or worse, had the parasite decided it was the only way to kill her boy? Fear ran through her, and she turned toward Lucy to distract herself. Her babysitter had her gun in one hand and tapped at her phone with the other. She wore a blank expression, but Lecorondia didn’t miss the way she shook.
Jerry had closed in on her, standing slightly in front as though he’d blocked the explosion with his body. She appreciated the sight, even though it was useless. Once the humans were checked on, her attention shifted to Julep. Her bodyguard stood tall, arms crossed, as he watched the distance as though searching for threats.
“Do you think—” she started before Julep cut her off.
“No. He’d run, not fight.”
Relief flooded through her at the words, and she nodded. He was right. Erodicilee wouldn’t fight the blitzworm. There was too much risk and little to gain. Her baby would be smart enough to run, perhaps circle around to find her.
The sounds of footsteps behind her made her turn. Kulthurack moved forward, a hand up to shield his eyes from the sun. He shivered, and he peered as though trying to see what happened. When that failed, he held up a hand and spoke into a device attached to his wrist.
“Status report?”
Lecorondia couldn’t hear the answer, and his blank face made it impossible to read. He lowered his wrist without saying more.
“So?” she snapped, unable to control the nervousness that flooded through her.
“They’re fighting.”
His monotone felt like a mockery, and she turned away rather than give him the satisfaction of witnessing her irritation. Her tail flicked, and she continued to stare off into the distance.
“Kill it,” she whispered, and beside her, Julep grunted in agreement.
Lucy put her phone away then and moved over to where Lecorondia stood. She didn’t smile, nor did she put the gun away.
“Do we know if that was Erodicilee or a hunter?” Her words were soft, but Lecorondia didn’t miss the worry there.
“My baby is fighting,” Lecorondia said. “All alone. We should help.”
Kulthurack twitched. “You shall not interfere.”
“And what would you do to stop me?” Lecorondia snapped, taking a step forward.
To her delight, the overseer took a step back. Then he nodded to Jerry. “I would have the human liaisons restrain you.”
“Jerry wouldn’t shoot me,” she snorted.
“I might if you bring more danger down on our heads.” Jerry’s tone was flat. “Let’s see what happens.”
Julep snorted. “You touch my employer, and you die.”
“I don’t doubt it. So, let’s all calm down, shall we?” Jerry asked as he nodded towards Lucy.
She didn’t move; instead, she turned to Lecorondia. There was no humor in her eyes, though she was still respectful. Whatever was about to happen, Lecorondia mused, it wouldn’t be an attack.
“I have some questions.” Lucy’s tone was firm.
“Of course. How can I help?”
She nodded and gestured with her gun in the direction of the explosion. “If your pet wins, what then?"
“I leave. We’ve talked about this.” Lecorondia rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry. I have no wish to stay here.”
“And him?” Lucy shot a look at Kulthurack, whose attention was now fully on her.
“I will escort Lecorondia off-world,” Kulthurack said. “Preferably to a prison cell.”
Lecorondia rolled her eyes. “Oh, please.”
“You are a criminal!” Kulthurack pointed a finger, and Julep twitched beside her.
“I’ve met plenty of criminals,” Jerry remarked with a cheerful tone in his voice. “You get plenty of opportunities in this business. Lots of crazy folks. Some of them are useful, though. They'll give you all kinds of details for the right price. Is that the deal the Galactic Government had with you?”
She knew he’d directed those last words at her, and she nodded to Jerry’s back. “Yes. I do some light sightseeing when I shouldn’t. Nothing awful.”
“You’ve eaten people,” Kulthurack snapped. “Cannibal.”
“I am not a cannibal!” Her tail thrashed, and she bared her teeth. “That is slander. Be careful what you say, overseer. You know as well as I do that the Galactic Government backs me more than you.”
Kulthurack didn’t respond; instead, he turned his back to her. She let out a low hiss, and Julep placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Is there anything legal I can do for you, ma’am?”
His deep voice snapped her out of her anger, and she shook her head. Lecorondia didn’t trust herself to speak. Lucy backed away, drawing closer to Jerry. Not that Lecorondia blamed her. That display was barbaric, and shame hit her hard.
“I’m sorry.”
“You don’t need to apologize to me,” Kulthurack said.
“I wasn’t,” Lecorondia snapped back. “Lucy, my display was shameful. Forgive me.”
“We’re all under a lot of stress. It’s understandable.” Lucy smiled, but she didn’t stop her obvious retreat.
It took effort not to comment on it, and so Lecorondia focused on herself. She was losing control of her character, the calm and in-control movie star and ambassador. Her breath slowed as she focused on herself and tried to stay calm. With an effort, she swept her thoughts about Erodicilee’s fight out of her mind.
The worry remained, but it was distant now. He’d either beat the Blitzworm, or he’d escape it. To her, there could be no other options. Twice more, Kulthurack checked on the battle status, but he refused to allow any details to slip. She hated him for that. Her thoughts twisted, imagining the chance to kill him and end the pain in her neck.
Perhaps she’d allow Erodicilee to do it? There would be a certain poetry to that. A smile crossed her face, and she forced her tail to stay still as the image calmed her. Yes. This would be fine.
“What is that?” Jerry asked, drawing her attention away from the thought of Kulthurack’s corpse.
Lecorondia looked up to see the dust cloud billowing up. Whatever was coming was coming fast. Her heartbeat, and she stepped forward unconsciously. It didn’t appear to be a Blitzworm. With another step and another, she soon was running forward, too. She had to know. I had to be the first to see it.
