章 77: Dangerous beasts
"Impressive..." murmured Benki, astonished. "This queen truly is special."
Despite being surprised by Florida's reaction, the dwarf craftsman warned little Joe:
"We need to capture as many of these animals alive as possible to properly extract their spines and ensure 100% efficiency."
"And how do you plan to do that, Mr. Benki?" Joe asked, curious.
"Well, as you may have noticed, the strength of these dream thorns lies in their spines and their impressive speed for such small creatures. However, they can't climb trees, and if you can restrict their mobility, it becomes much easier to catch them."
Reaching into his satchel, the dwarf pulled out a small ball. He waited for the next thorny critter to come into view, and when the moment seemed right, he tossed the ball in front of the creature with surprising results.
The ball was a packet of sticky resin from a particular plant. When it hit the ground, it burst, releasing its viscous contents. The liquid clung to the creature's legs, slowing it down until it was completely immobilized on the ground.
With the animal unable to move, the dwarf used a long-handled scoop and a sturdy bag to capture it. Then, he threw an even smaller ball into the bag, causing the creature to fall asleep instantly.
"It seems like an effective way to hunt these thorny critters," Joe remarked.
"Yes, Mr. Joe. However, if too many attack at once, things get complicated—they're fast and relentless. That's why I usually bring two or three people with me on these trips."
"Could you give me some of those glue balls to help? And maybe one of the sleep-inducing ones?" Joe asked, eager to test the effects for himself.
"Take one sedative ball and five glue balls. Be careful not to squeeze them too hard, or they might burst on you. That would be quite inconvenient—the sedative ball would put you to sleep instantly, and the glue is extremely sticky and hard to remove."
"What do you do when you get home to remove the glue from the animals caught with it?"
"Ah, Mr. Joe, I have some special liquids at home that dissolve it easily. The more of these critters I can immobilize, the better for me."
Little Joe eagerly moved forward with his characteristic agility, heading into a more dangerous area. He soon saw four small thorny creatures approaching, ready to attack.
But Joe was quicker. He threw the white glue balls one after another, perfectly targeting the creatures' front legs. The viscous liquid immobilized them, causing the critters to lose balance and roll on the ground with their legs stuck, making them easy prey.
However, the biggest surprise was yet to come—a much larger creature, resembling the smaller ones but significantly bigger, charged at Joe. He dodged, startled by its size and speed, which set it apart from the others he had hunted. From a distance, he heard the dwarf craftsman shout:
"Run, Mr. Joe, run!"
Running wasn't an option for Joe. Holding a white glue ball in his hand, he made a quick mental calculation and threw it forcefully. To his dismay, the ball exploded against the creature's spiny armor without causing any damage or immobilizing it. He was surprised—he rarely missed his target and was sure he had aimed for the creature's feet.
What Joe didn't know was that the creature's spines moved at its command. When the ball was thrown, the long spines intercepted it mid-air. Despite this, Joe felt safe in a tree, but then he heard the dwarf's warning: "That creature climbs trees."
Though slower than on the ground, the animal climbed fast enough to threaten anyone. For Joe, navigating the higher branches was second nature. Meanwhile, Florida, the ant queen accompanying him, sensed the danger and advanced to protect her master.
Joe tried to stop her, but Florida's determination was unshakable. The spiny creature climbed quickly and soon confronted her. Despite the evident difference in strength, Florida fiercely attempted to block its advance.
The large creature used its spines like a broom, sweeping Florida away and continuing toward Joe. Feeling cornered, Joe climbed higher, reaching branches too thin to hold his weight. A fall would leave him vulnerable to the relentless creature below.
Florida, though flung far from the tree, quickly recovered and began climbing back up. As an enhanced ant, recovering from such falls was trivial for her. She attempted to bite one of the creature's legs, but it noticed her and once again swept her away. This time, Joe used the distraction to pull a large branch, aiming to strike the creature as it neared. Unfortunately, the branch snapped. The dwarf, watching the scene, feared the inevitable.
Joe fell to the ground. Before he could rise, the spiny creature was almost upon him. Then he heard the dwarf's voice: "Dodge, sir!" Joe rolled aside just as the dwarf ran to help, throwing a glue ball at the creature.
The 50 ants following Florida appeared and began surrounding the animal. Sensing danger, the creature scraped its spines against the ground, flinging ants away. Although formidable, its spines couldn't handle the sheer number of foes.
As the creature defended itself as best it could, Florida noticed an opening in its movements. She leapt onto one of its spines, gripping it tightly with her powerful jaws. The creature thrashed violently but couldn't shake her off. Florida gradually moved closer until she ripped out the spine, creating an opening for a direct attack.
"She stung the creature several times. After five minutes of intense struggle, the animal began to move slowly, with slight spasms. The other ants, seizing the opportunity, attacked ferociously. The craftsman dwarf, noticing the end of the battle, intervened:
'Stop! We need this Noctiguara alive.'
Joe, surprised, asked, 'Why do we need it alive, Mr. Craftsman?'
'If we manage to bring it back alive, its spines can be incredibly useful. They're hard and flexible, perfect for crafting small bows or high-precision arrows.'
'Have you ever made something like that before?' Joe asked, curious.
'Actually, this would be the first time capturing one of these beasts alive. Usually, their armor repels everything, even the sticky bombs. Now that it's anesthetized, we can take it with us.'
Before they could celebrate, the dwarf warned, 'Don't take another step. One of the most dangerous beasts in this part of the forest is nearby, watching us. If we don't act quickly, I don't think we'll survive.'
Little Joe suddenly thought the dwarf's concern was overly exaggerated and, incredulous, asked, 'Mr. Dwarf, we just defeated this spiny creature with some difficulty. How dangerous can this other beast really be?'"
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