Metamorphosis: Seven Sins III - Spooky Swamp

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Chapter 3 – Spooky Swamp

Present Day

For a long time, the end of the Human-Monster War meant peace. But in places such as the Swamp, peace could simply not be found. It was a dark, damp, foul-smelling, chillingly cold, and absolutely repulsive place to be for a human.

The Swamp was, simply put, the most awful of the Frontier’s many biomes – or “sub-regions”, which was the term used by the Hunter’s Guild to describe any former hunting ground that lay within the boundaries of a region. And this sub-region was one that no hunter loved visiting in the days during the war. Even after the war, people still tried to stay away.

For, of course, only the most unpleasant of monsters could be found there. The creatures that lurked in the Swamp were monsters that didn’t care about the end of the long, costly, and torturous war. They were monsters that would gladly kill a wandering person for the sheer sport of it.

Thus, it was only natural that no human eyes were present to witness the terrible sights to see in the deepest part of the Swamp’s cave networks. Out of the entire disgusting quagmire, the caves were perhaps the most disgusting place of all. Bitterly cold, slimy with mold and dampness, and constantly echoing with the slithering of unknown things deep within their twisting tunnels… no, the Swamp’s caves were no place for any person to be.

Currently, it was nighttime, and the moon was high in the sky, piercing easily through the clouds that perpetually darkened the sub-region. Inside the caverns, the only noises were the steady dripping of moisture from the ceiling and the whispering of the distant wind outside of their icy confines.

Until, that is, a hideous howl burst through the tunnels. Monsters of all kinds woke up and heard the sound, and all of them tucked themselves deeper and more securely in their dens, terror clutching their hearts with an iron grip.

From one particular cave was the howling emanating. The chamber was wide, darker than most, and wreathed in mist. From the ceiling, tree roots extended, reaching out like claws at imaginary prey. On the ground, black mud oozed, a substance that offered almost nothing for the few plants that managed to grow there. The mist coiled around those that fought in the cavern, gripping their bones with icy fingers. But neither monster noticed the cold – one was focused on the defense of its territory, and the other was focused only on the thrill of the hunt.

The Iodrome hissed, wagging its head in order to better display its intimidating purple crest. The bird wyvern’s slimy red skin was perfectly adapted for life in the Swamp, its long tail was used for balance, and its curved jaws opened to reveal fangs slick with sticky venom. A trio of smaller Ioprey backed the leader up – they lacked the strength and distinguishing crest of their boss, but made up for it in numbers and bravery. Together, the raptors had sufficient combined strength to defend themselves against a monster as formidable as a Gypceros.

But three Ioprey and an Iodrome still weren’t enough to drive away the pale white leviathan that half-stepped and half-slid onto a patch of muddy earth, illuminated by the bright moonlight that streamed through a crevasse in the ceiling. The light washed over its filthy, pale skin, making it shine and shimmer in a repulsive way. Its serpentine tail waved idly behind it, and it reared its long, S-shaped neck in order to stare down at the Iodrome with its burning orange eyes.

A monster such as this had never been seen in the Swamp – not even in the Frontier region, or even the entire Great Continent. For reasons unknown, the beast had migrated here from a distant place. In its native land, the people there had given it a special name, a name that was only ever spoken in fearful whispers… Baruragaru.

The Baruragaru’s throat vibrated, and a low, guttural gurgle came out from it. The sound would have made even the most fearless living thing shudder. As it got more agitated, its bright red fins stuck straight up. It opened its mouth, showing off its dripping black teeth, and flicked out a muscular, serpent-like tongue. The tongue was crammed with sensors that allowed the leviathan to taste the air around it, and it ended with a razor-sharp point. Together, the Baruragaru’s gurgling, colorful fins, and long tongue combined into a threat display that should have sent any smaller monster running in terror.

Foolishly, the Iodrome was unfazed by the Baruragaru’s threats. The monster screeched, and its throat bulged as it forced up a glob of poison. The ball of venom flew out of its maw and struck the Baruragaru right on the side of its neck.

With a horrible roar, the Baruragaru reared up onto its hind legs, head and tail writhing with pain. In fact, the pain was so awful that its mind couldn’t focus on anything but. The viscous fluid from the Red Poison-Spitter (which was what it called the Iodrome) stuck to its scales and sizzled loudly as it corroded its skin, causing an agonizing burning sensation upon its scales. While the leviathan had been sprayed with venom from the smaller Poison-Spitters before, it didn’t hurt nearly as much as that of the big one with the purple crest.

However, whereas the venom would have ordinarily diffused through the skin of its victim, it simply slid off of the Baruragaru’s hide, washed away by the thick slime the monster naturally produced. Now free of the awful pain, it crashed back down onto all fours. It advanced on the Red Poison-Spitter and its posse, eyes burning an even brighter orange, such was its anger and hate.

Only now did the bird wyvern hesitate. Never before had a creature simply shrugged off its deadly poison. And come to think of it, it had never seen this particular sort of monster before. Just what was it, and where had it come from?

The Iodrome came out of its thoughts just in time to see the Baruragaru pounce. With a surprisingly powerful leap, it crashed into the bird wyvern pack and sent the little ones scattering. Triumph made its eyes gleam dangerously while its stocky front limb came down and pinned its prey to the damp earth.

Panicking, the Iodrome thrashed and squawked as it desperately tried to free itself from the slimy leviathan’s grip. Surely, its frog-like skin should have allowed it to slip away unharmed?

Then its thoughts were put to an abrupt end. The Baruragaru’s leg came down again, this time on the smaller monster’s head. With a solid whack, its blunt claws collided with the Iodrome’s fragile skull and instantly killed it.

Emitting a gurgling growl of satisfaction, the Baruragaru raised its head up high to scan the area. Just in time, it caught sight of the trio of Poison-Spitters, creeping up from behind. A ghostly howl tore from its throat as it lashed out with its tongue, sending the raptors running with their tails between their legs.

“Sssss…” the leviathan hissed, as its long tongue flicked out like a snake’s. Those puny creatures wouldn’t be coming back to bother it.

Turning back to its dead prey, it allowed itself a moment of praise. It wasn’t often that it managed to take down a creature as large as this, especially an unfamiliar one, as this one was. So far, it liked its new home in the Swamp – dark, cold, smelling of death and decay, and chock-full of surprisingly tasty treats. It was a much better place than its old home, across the unimaginably vast sea it had previously traversed to reach this spot.

“Sssss…” the Baruragaru hissed again, allowing its sensitive tongue to take in the welcome scents of the freezing-cold cavern.

Sometimes, it wondered why it had ever left its old home. It had been content there, before it had swum across the Big Water and into this glorious dark paradise. A dim memory surfaced… all-consuming hunger and an uncomfortable brightness being cast upon its sensitive skin. Maybe there wasn’t enough food left in its old territory, or maybe a change in the climate had scared it away. As a denizen of the dark, the Baruragaru hated the sun. But, ultimately, the reason why it had journeyed across the Big Water in the first place was a mystery.

MORE COMING SOON