The little jelly was currently reflecting on its actions. Its first mistake was thinking that despite the black furred beasts being intelligent, they would chase down easy prey. Its second mistake, at least it believes so, is perhaps it didn’t act convincingly enough as prey. The beasts may have been staring at it earlier in confusion since it didn’t properly act like one of the horned beasts.

Now for its arguably last mistake, was thinking it could easily run away.

In the entire time the little jelly was contemplating where things went wrong, it had almost been caught close to six or seven times as it continued to run.

Apparently, when the black beasts hunted, they always kept some of their energy in reserve. They also didn’t completely give it their all when hunting prey since they all worked together to cover each other. Now, however, they are in a violently maddened state with all their restraints released.

It was absurd. The little jelly felt the pulsations of energy it felt from the slimes coming off the black beasts. At first, it wondered why this was the case since these beasts didn’t emit the energy throughout the time it was observing them, but unlike the slimes where they needed it to function, it realized that like itself with its abilities, the black beasts used it enhance themselves and their bodies when needed.

This was completely outrageous. It completely went against its knowledge on how biological entities worked. The little jelly thought the slimes were a biological anomaly and was convinced that they were simply an inferior species with a unique method of functioning. Never would it have imagined that the energies could be used in such a way. After all, the slimes didn’t have a true brain and they simply used the energy to function subconsciously, so the little jelly would never have found the means to utilize said energy through them.

It was completely at a loss. While its enhanced limbs carried it fast and far, the black beasts were never far behind with some even managing to run above the trees and getting ahead of it. It was through this absurd hunting method that the little jelly almost fell for their traps and came close to being caught. The only upside to this situation was that they were still heading towards the basin and making much better time.

If things fall into place, even with their enhanced states, it should still be able to turn the situation around.

***

The alpha was furious, seething furious. It was convinced that the creature before them was no moose, but a mimic of some sort. This was probably what the moose herd was running from the other day.

The alpha hated mimics the most. Creatures of such type always pretended to be something else to completely catch them off guard. It lost a few good packmates throughout the years due to such abominable creatures.

What made this one so unique was that it could even alter its scent. No mimic it has ever encountered had been capable of such a feat, and the ones that have anything remotely similar gave off the scent of mana. This only served to fuel the alpha’s determination to kill it. Of course, the real reason was because this damnable creature killed its eldest young, but it was also too dangerous to leave such a thorough and near-perfect mimic alone in their territory. It believed it was young and probably the reason why it made so many strange actions. This showed that the alpha isn’t thoughtlessly chasing down the dangerous beast.

While leading the pack, it noticed that the creature was heading towards the misty basin. Seeing this, the alpha understood the creature's intentions to lure their pack into a trap. The alpha sneered at its foolish plans since this was the region where they previously used as their territory. The reason they had to move out was due to the arrival of the Great Old Monster.

The Old Monster came around once every few seasons and stayed for one. They didn’t know why it did so, but they never disturbed it out of fear. Only whenever it left did they reclaim the territory since the mark of its presence always drove away the lesser intelligent beasts.

The current season wasn’t over, so the Old Monster may still be there, but as long as they don’t venture too deep, they should be able to remain unnoticed. Knowing this, the alpha was sure it would be able to sink its fangs onto that cursed mimic.

***

It was quiet. Too quiet. The little jelly arrived in the misty basin for some time, but in its panic, it failed to notice that it was no longer being chased.

Did the black beasts give up? It didn’t believe so since after seeing the maddened state of their leader, it somehow felt that beast would never let it go. It was strange, however, that its current form’s natural instincts kicked in and is warning it that it’s still currently in danger.

Was there something that overrode their anger that it made them fear this place? If there was indeed something dangerous here, then it should have sensed it when it scouted the area in the last two days it was preparing.

Confused at the current situation, the jelly almost received an attack to its front while it was distracted. Not needing its eyes to see beyond the mist, it sensed something landing on the ground directly in front of it that suddenly lunged at its face.

Leaping backwards, it sensed more attacks towards both its hind legs. Twisting them upwards in an unnatural faction, it narrowly avoided a couple more attacks. However, this wasn’t the end.

More attacks came just as its balance was disturbed when it raised both of its legs. It seems they were choosing to attack from above, avoiding its expected range of detection. The little jelly didn’t think the beasts would use the boulders all over as platforms to attack it, so it only raised its awareness all around its sides.

Its original plan was to attack the beasts by coming from on top of the rocks as well since it thought they’d never expect a hoofed beast to be able to climb on top of these boulders. Never did it imagine the same tactic would be used against it.

The jelly suspected that these beasts must have long figured out its disguise. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been so thorough and well-timed in their attacks. After avoiding them, more calculated attacks came from blind angles at the right timing.

Forced to jump high into the air with seemingly no way to escape, the beasts believed it was cornered and leapt at it to finally end it.

The jelly was cornered, but it still had a means of attack. Just as it was falling from the gravity into the waiting jaws of the black beasts, the jelly unleashed its hidden weapons.

Numerous sharp bone spikes made of the hoofed beast’s horn erupted from all over its body. Waiting until it was close to the black beasts’ jaws and the force of gravity carrying it, it unleashed the enhanced horns when it would deal the most damage.

All the beasts that attacked in that moment were brutally skewered with the ones directly below it receiving the most damage, outright killing some.

As it fell, it retracted the horns just before it landed on the ground. It shakily stood up and saw the carnage before it while bathed in some of the beasts’ blood. It absorbed the blood to replenish what little bio-energy it could since that earlier attack was costly. Perhaps it could only use that type of attack one more time, but knowing these beasts, it knew it wouldn’t work again.

A majority of the pack was lost in that one attack. Seeing what it did, the rest of the beasts were now hesitant to strike again out of fear.

Noticing this, the little jelly felt slightly relieved. If the pack would continue with its attacks, there’s a good chance it would be taken down since that run from earlier and the recent attack took its toll in its energy reserves. The number of bodies here were enough, so it really didn’t want to kill any more of them.

Unfortunately, the leader had other ideas as it finally showed itself before it. The great grey beast showed its anger and terrifying will as it chose to still stand before the jelly despite the risk of the earlier attack.

Seeing as the beast wasn’t afraid, the jelly attempted to strike first this time in order to get the upper hand. With it knowing its earlier attack, there’s no way it would carelessly attack, so this time it needed to force an attack from it then counter it from there.

Four sharp bone horns appeared once more with its enhanced charged, but contrary to its expectations, the beast leader didn’t avoid the attack. In fact, it charged head on.

An immense amount of that unknown energy from before circulated into its front claws. The source of this energy came from a spiraling blue horn that appeared from beneath its forehead.

As the bone horn and the claws clashed, the horns were completely splintered and the jelly’s face as the hoofed beast got smashed inward sending it flying and crashing into a boulder, and pulverizing its surface.

Extreme pain flooded its nervous system so it forced itself to change back into its jelly form to cut off the pain. Being able to think clearly again, it was shocked to know that such a creature could exhibit such raw physical force. It knew it had something to do with that mysterious energy it keeps witnessing, so as long as it can consume an entity that could wield it, it would come to know it as well.

That is, if it survives.

With its true form exposed, the black beasts all came to attack it together.

Lacking the speed and maneuverability of its earlier form, the jelly could only avoid so many attacks. Slowly, the beasts tore at it with their fangs as it continued to grow smaller. This was bad since the damage it took in this state was greater, forcing it to lose more biomass. If it lost too much, then it wouldn’t even have enough energy to regenerate.

The worst was when the leader itself chose to attack. The bites it took out of it were large and caused the most damage. Two more bites, and there would be nothing left of it.

In a desperate move, the jelly formed two large hoofed legs as it backed onto a boulder. If it could take out the leader, then it would be easy to deal with the rest. A large spiraling bone horn formed at its front.

Knowing its ploy, the beast leader tried to move, but found its back legs were stuck on the ground by something sticky. When it caved in the jelly's face, the jelly took its chance to lay the trap by converting the remainder of its splintered horns into adhesive as it fell off.

Seeing its chance, the little jelly enhanced and amplified every muscle in its formed legs and launched itself forward with enough momentum to crush the boulder it used as a base.

The remaining beasts’ bit at its sides to try and catch it, but it was moving too fast that it slipped from their jaws.

Closer and closer, it almost arrived before the leader, aiming for its chest while it was immobile and distracted by the adhesive it left in place. It was so close it could sense its beating heart.

However, just as it was about to pierce the leader, one of the wolves leapt in front of it to take the attack instead.

With its momentum completely slowed, it tried to discard the horn and leap upwards in order to escape.

Only to meet the awaiting jaws of the great grey beast.

*SNAP*

All that remained was a spiral horn that fell on the ground.

***

serapheid

This is taking longer than I thought. There's still too much of this story in my head that I can't even begin writing the next chapter of Dragon Road. Hopefully, I can slow down soon and find balance between the two.