Chapter 360: Night Breeze

The Crawler’s undead nature naturally attracted the attention of wizards.

Years ago, many wizard organizations captured Crawlers for dissection and behavioral study.

However, they couldn’t uncover the secret of their immortality.

The prevailing theory was that the Crawler’s undead trait stemmed from pollution, linked to certain Abyssal Plane entities.

Crawlers were humans whose corpses gained unknown traits through pollution, granting them undeath.

But this undeath wasn’t true immortality.

Researchers believed Crawlers’ power came from a distant Abyssal being.

As long as that being lived, Crawlers could remain undead.

After many inconclusive studies, interest in Crawlers waned.

Crawlers weren’t strong, only hard to kill.

But they weren’t invincible; a fire could destroy them.

A wizard once tried transferring a Crawler’s undead trait to himself, but the Dawn’s leaders executed him.

His failed experiment attracted Abyssal attention, nearly transforming him into an Abyssal creature.

Though not a cultist, his actions mirrored theirs.

The Dawn feared pollution’s spread.

If the wizard’s actions caused new pollution, it would be disastrous.

Thus, a new ban prohibited such experiments.

“So this is a Crawler…”

Helag observed the distant Crawler.

True to its name, the Crawler moved on all fours despite its humanoid shape.

It moved quickly, like a knight at full speed.

The Crawler crawled aimlessly, seemingly searching for food.

Finding food in the polluted zone was difficult; dissected Crawlers often had stomachs full of stones and dirt, not even insects.

This made them frenzied when encountering fresh human flesh.

Human scent was irresistible to them.

Once they detected humans, Crawlers charged to bite.

Their instinct drove them to hunt, even headless, they’d snap at humans.

A breeze blew, and the Crawler sniffed the air.

It turned toward the wind’s source, Helag’s palace.

The Crawler’s blackened form obscured its features, but Helag sensed its fervor.

“Not good, it caught my scent.”

Helag hadn’t expected the wind to carry his scent.

He wasn’t afraid of the Crawler, but feared attracting other entities.

Crawlers were fast, and detecting food made them faster.

The Crawler closed the distance in moments.

It crashed through buildings, charging straight at Helag.

The structures, long decayed, crumbled easily.

The Crawler’s strength and speed toppled buildings along its path.

“Damn!”

Helag cursed.

The Crawler’s commotion would bring trouble.

He drew the World Tree Bow, aiming at the charging Crawler.

An arrow flew, vanishing instantly.

The green arrow reappeared, piercing the Crawler’s chest, exploding.

With the Crawler’s noise, Helag abandoned stealth, using the bow to deal with it.

The bow’s power shattered the Crawler.

Helag didn’t aim to kill it, just disable it.

Initially, he considered using a sword for silence.

But the Crawler’s noisy approach made the bow a better choice.

The arrow’s explosion shattered the Crawler, limbs flying.

Despite its undead nature, the Crawler’s limbs twitched, hands grasping at air.

The scene was eerie, yet absurdly comical.

Helag almost laughed but couldn’t.

Deep Blue’s detection showed Crawlers converging from all directions.

Many had lain dormant for years, covered in dust and debris.

The commotion roused them, awakening slowly.

Helag realized the city was a Crawler nest, full of dormant creatures.

His scent, carried by the night breeze, was a beacon to them.

Howls…

Crawlers emitted raspy cries.

Their damaged vocal cords made them sound like broken horns.

Soon, over a dozen Crawlers surrounded the palace, charging at Helag.

Helag fired two arrows, shattering several, then used fire lizard bombs on others.

One reached him, and Helag kicked it, impaling it with his strength.

His foot lodged in the Crawler’s chest, black ooze flowing out.

Despite its chest being pierced, the Crawler clung to Helag’s leg, gnawing.