Chapter 122: Smart Choice
Leo watched as the giant crumbled to his power and was lying dead in the jungle, which made him smile. Seconds later, he waved his hand and dumped the corpse in the Monster Domain.
Following that, he noticed several monsters fleeing from the area, but one caught his attention. Leo started chasing the creature, only to see it was a mantis monster with a black exoskeleton and four long scythes.
’These would be obedient soldiers and good to fight the demon armies with before turning south,’ he pondered with an excited glint in his eyes before using mana to hide himself.
Leo quickly noticed the jungle was alive with the hum of insects and the rustle of unseen creatures. He silently followed through the thick underbrush, his eyes fixed on the Mantis monsters ahead.
Their long, spindly limbs moved with unnatural grace as they navigated the primal jungles treetops. He kept his distance, careful not to make a sound, the thick scent of earth and damp leaves masking his presence.
The creatures, oblivious to his pursuit, continued deeper into the jungle. Leo’s breath was steady as the trail led him through twisting vines, sharp thorns, and the humid heat of the jungle.
’’Damn weather is getting annoying,’’ he muttered.
As the sun dipped lower, casting long shadows across the jungle floor, they reached the base of a towering mountain. The landscape shifted, dense trees giving way to jagged rocks and steep inclines.
Leo crouched behind a boulder, watching as the Mantis monsters approached the mountain’s side. The creatures paused for a moment, as if sensing something, but then they turned toward a narrow cave entrance hidden beneath the overhang of rocks.
He could see them entering one by one, their eerie, insectoid forms vanishing into the darkness. Leo hesitated at the mouth of the cave, his breath shallow as the cool, damp air brushed against his skin.
Shadows flickered from the dim light that seeped in behind him, but it wasn’t enough to mask the scene inside. His boots crunched softly against the uneven ground as he stepped forward.