Chapter 190: Infiltrating Lamia Cave
The Lamia put up a struggle, but it was futile as Alros immediately used subdue. The skill improved tremendously due to his current strength, which should be at the top B-ranks, or pseudo A-ranks.
The Lamia was soon subdued, becoming nothing more than an obedient monster that will follow his every order.
"Tell me, how many of you are there?" this is one of the more important question, as it would allow him to determine if fighting against them would be possible or not.
The Lamia hissed. All humanoid monsters, despite looking the most human out of all monsters, usually unable to form human words despite their looks. Which make communicating with them more difficult.
However, they tend to be one of the more intelligent monsters. If one party is able to use telepathy, and use it communicate with the monsters, they will get full thought, like they can spoke to the monsters, while the more bestial monsters would only convey their base instinct, unable to form complicated thinking.
'There are 70 of us, Master,' the Lamia said. Alros' eyes narrowed at the large numbers. Though after taking a closer look at the Lamia, he realize her strength should be at most C-ranks.
"Who is the strongest out of all of you, and then the second strongest, and so on?" he continue to interrogate the monsters.
'The Matriarch, she is the strongest, followed by the Greater Lamia, and then by us, Lesser Lamia. Underneath us there are Snake-kin, serpentine monsters that is under our rule,' she answered.
"How many Snake-kin are there, and how strong are there?"
'There are about 300, Master, and their strength varied, but the strongest is slightly weaker than the Matriarch,' Alros took in all the new information.
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'Unlike the Arachne, who possess B-rank strength, the Lamia is more diverse. The Arachne also formed broods of spiders while the relationship between Lamia and snake-type monsters are more like an upper-class lower-class relationship.
At least the number is not that many, though I should try to avoid killing the snake monsters. They might be of some use,' he turned towards the Lamia and asked,
"Show me your nest,"
-x-
Thanks to his learning Darkness Magic, he was able to blend in, allowing him to follow the monster towards her nest. He set to memorize the layout, or at least the direction, less he get lost.
At first, there is nothing around, just tunnels and caves. However, it soon change as Alros could detect more monsters. The first monsters he met is a snake monster. Though they are hidden, likely an alarm to warn the entire nest of intruders.
Then, there is some snake monsters that patrolled the vicinity. Despite them slithering with their belly, they moved fast, able to move at the same pace as a human patrol.
It is where the incubus could see the hierarchy of the entire Lamia clan. When the snakes spotted the Lamia, they stopped, letting her pass through. Even as they passed some monsters that is equal or even stronger than the Lamia, they stopped and let her pass through.
Soon, they reach one of larger cave, where the Lamia stopped. Alros could see the reason, as three Lamia guard the entrance.
The Lamia under his control hiss, talking to her fellow before throwing in 2 corpses. To ensure that she would have a smooth journey, Alros had picked up two male slave clones and let the Lamia kill them, using them as a way to gain smoother entrance. After all, she is likely part of the hunting party.
The Lamia looked at the corpses before letting his Lamia pass. The Lamia slither before heading towards one of smaller cave. There, he could see several other Lamia are resting. His Lamia did the same, taking one of the spot and coiled around herself, before lying her head on her body, the monster quickly fallen asleep.
Alros let her, as he want to see the nest first. He quickly let his body bathed in the darkness, allowing him to become one with the Darkness. Melding into the shadow, Alros head towards each of the cave connected to the larger cavern.
He only go through those at the south, as it likely where the other Lamia sleep at while those at the north should be the tunnel connecting the Lamia nest to the other part of Hexun Cavern.
He mostly take a peek inside, counting the number of Lamia in each cave and collecting anything relevant. As for the cave that had eggs inside, followed by a number of snakes, he assumed they are either treated like lifestock or like mules, except they can guard places instead of transporting items.
Those two rooms are the most common one, though the Lamia Cave has the highest number. As he take a look at another cave, he recoiled, almost losing grip of his magic and would have outed himself in enemies' territory.
He take another peak and realize he did not see wrong. Number of male prisoners are lying on the ground, looking like corpses though they are still breathing. As for some, they are currently 'entertaining' some of the Lamia. Immediately, Alros could tell the difference between the 5 Lamia.
Four of the Lamia is the same size as the Lamia he subdued, though slightly larger with relatively simple patterns on their scales.
As for the last one, while her girth is the same as the other Lamia, she is a lot longer, at least double the length of the other Lamia in the cave. The pattern that decorate her scales is also more intricate, likely to show she was different from the other Lamia.
If he had to hazard a guess, the large Lamia is the Greater Lamia the Lamia spoke off. Not wanting to learn by experience if Greater Lamia have better sense than Lesser Lamia, Alros retreated, distancing himself from the cave.
-x-
After the experience, Alros played it safe, using his Mana Sense to detect the presence of any monsters and if there are any, what they could be.
And so, he was left with only one cave left he did not explore just yet, the one cave he decide to play it safe and visit the last. As he could feel a powerful presence from the cave.
No doubt, it is the cave of the Lamia Matriarch. The incubus contemplate whether he should test his luck and enter the cave, but reason appear, telling him that it would be a horrible idea.
And so, the incubus left the cavern, as the new intel help him form a plan to win against the Lamia Clan.