It's not fun...dealing with Insect-type Demons.
They're gross and yucky even for a battle-hardened Ashton. Their piercing screeches hurts his ears and every time he shoots them, their bodies always make that skin-crawling, gross, squelching sound which is just...no.
The tunnel network was bigger and airy than what he initially expected. It's smelly too, so much that Ashton had to wear a respirator since he just didn't want to deal with that.
A few things in his initial plan didn't work.
For starters, insect-type demons are uncannily perceptive, they practically sensed him the moment he stepped foot in the tunnels.
He didn't get 'mobbed' per se, since there weren't a lot of insects roaming around this particular area anyway. However, there are enough of them to make him sweat a bit.
And although he was extremely tempted to just burn everything that's lurking within these tunnels, dousing them in flames that will never die out until they're dead, he didn't do so.
Ashton isn't illusioned that this method will work every damn time. Sometimes, somehow at some point, his flames will prove ineffective. He just knows. That is why he wanted to gather as much experience as he could to be prepared for that.
On another note...
Navigating this underground tunnel network is going to be a nightmare, he's sure of it.
While he could spread his senses to peer underground, he can only stretch it so far, he can't cover this entire landmass at all. That automatically makes it more difficult for him to locate where he's supposed to go.
Arguably, he could just keep digging straight down. That's an option, yes, but also a bad idea at the same time. He only has a weird estimate of how big this place exactly is. Digging straight down might be counter-productive you see, for he might either not dig deep enough or dig too deep.
Either way, he's going to have to follow the tunnel network to check his progress anyway so he might as well do that in the first place.
Another thing that sucks about dealing with insect-type demons, and this is personal to him, is that they don't give loot.
Yes, it is rather petty but hey! Loot is loot! His Inventory space doesn't have any limits so the more the merrier. Of course, he's going to be bummed about not having more.
It's not like he's not receiving anything...there's Cleptomancy so at least that helps, but yeah, these troublesome pests are already a pain to deal with, top that with the fact that they don't give out actual loot. Well, it makes dealing with them rather lackluster and just not worth the effort.
But oh well, he's going to have to anyway. If he doesn't do it, they'll just come back and bite him in the ass and he just didn't want to deal with that either. So more shooting he goes it seems.
"Ooh damn, another dead-end." Ashton clicked his tongue in annoyance.
Like what was mentioned earlier, navigating this tunnel network is going to massive pain. He's been at it for a few days now and he only managed to go so far from his starting point.
He had already met at least 5 dead-ends at this point, four of them leading right to the very edge of the landmass, where there's only a deadly fall waiting for him.
Ashton didn't even try to get close to that. He's afraid that some flying-type demons might just swoop down and pick him up from where he is, that will kill him so no thank you.
He made it a point to keep his progress jotted down though. He made a map of the tunnels he's been at so far to avoid looping around the same area, he also left some tracks that only he could interpret just to make sure.
As he did that, he continue his way down here. Meeting some more insects as he goes. As usual, he shot them dead. The unnerving thing about this though is that, as he continues going down, the stronger the demons he's encountering.
Infant insect-type demons are already a pain in the ass to deal with, but older ones? Oh boy, they tend to get scarier.
They're physically stronger, faster, more durable, and wiser compared to their younger counterparts, plus they have access to more bags of tricks that Ashton had to pay close attention to.
The locusts could shoot freaking lasers from their eyes, the centipedes have more durable shells and could spew a toxic acid that could melt a human within seconds, worms had a million rows of sharp, jagged teeth, and beetles could detach their shells to use them as projectiles, it also makes them a heck of a lot faster.
Thank freaking god for sending him the Cloak of Apparitions though. Ashton had way too many close calls and Apparate saved him from those.
Still, all of these real-life encounters are tempering him. He's getting better at anticipating where an attack will come from and judging the correct course of action to get out of it scot-free.
His firearm mastery is also doing work here. Overall, he's getting better at fighting for his life and the more he does this, the stronger he gets.
For someone who had been living a sheltered lifestyle not too long ago, Ashton certainly did change a lot.
He did consume the Elven Blood Vials and the Wish Stone. His bloodline is at 25% potency at this point. Nothing much changed in him physically but the effects of his Providence were boosted. The Wish Stone increased is Fortune but he really can't tell. There's no 'concrete' proof that it did, not even a feeling. Though the system did confirm that it was indeed boosted. He guessed that he'll just have to pay close attention then.
Still, he always makes sure that he's getting enough rest in between. Aria constantly reminds him that there's no need to rush. Haste makes waste after all.
Aria is the anchor to his sanity. Without her, Ashton wouldn't even think of trying to make it back home. She makes this challenge more bearable just by existing. Jerry's a close one too of course.
[Quest Updated!]
Survive for 3 months: Cleared.
Reward: Mobile Safehouse.
"Oh..." Ashton woke up to this notification. "Three months passed already? That's rad."
Yes indeed. It has been 3 months since he was plunged into this horrible situation. He's getting by pretty well, considering where he is. It'd be better if he's home though but, well...
'Anyways, Mobile Safehouse. Get!'
[Mobile Safehouse]
It's not much but it serves well as a temporary home in the middle of nowhere. Plus, it can move so that's a bonus!
Functions: Mobility, Heating, Cooling, Security, Cloaking, and Size-Alteration.
Can be summoned at will.
Durability: 10,000/10,000
"Cool, cool, cool!" Ashton was satisfied with this.
The Mobile Safehouse doesn't do much for him to be completely honest. It's arguably useless except for one thing and that is the Security Function and its mobility.
See, he already made the Grand Library his home. Aria can't get out of there so why would he even think about leaving her behind?
The only benefit that the Mobile Safehouse gives him is the fact that he could enter it in the middle of a battle. Inside the safe house, he's technical 'out of battle' meaning that he can go straight into the Grand Library to be completely safe, and as soon as he enters, the safehouse goes away with him.
In short, the Mobile Safehouse is a loophole for him at best.
Another thing is that his senses can bleed outside of the library, this works for the safe house too. And since the safehouse has mobility, this allows him to practically pick his spot, which makes it even safer for him out there.
Again, it's not much but Ashton will take it. Anything to make his life a little easier is welcomed to be completely honest.
And with the weird combination of the two, navigating this hell hole becomes much easier all of a sudden.
Ashton can now pick his fights which is nice, he won't get ambushed a lot anymore which means less stress for him to deal with. And if he encounters something above his paygrade, well, he just 'nope' the hell out of there nigh-instantly.
...which is something that he did just now because he felt a foul presence not too far away from him.
That presence gave him war flashbacks. The same thing that he felt when he encountered the Tormentor for the first time. Admittedly, he's far stronger now compared to him in the past. More experienced too.
But the fact that whatever that demon is, still made him feel this, made it pretty freaking clear that he probably shouldn't fuck with it anytime soon.
And by the gods...he hates how he's so right sometimes.
Because when that demon appeared in his vision, Ashton felt like his soul was being ripped away from his body even though he wasn't even physically there.
"What in the ever-loving-fuck is that!!?"
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