The Cycle of Fate

Chapter 46: Deception

Lumián was dancing to lure out strange creatures, intending to use his "Invisibility" to get closer and observe the flaming monster's habits and behaviors, gathering enough information for the upcoming hunt.

After just thirty or forty seconds, he invoked the ancient Hermes language, causing the mouthpart monster to possess him once again.

The intense hunger hit him instantly, and Lumián involuntarily opened his mouth as if he had grown a vortex of teeth himself.

He hurriedly suppressed the bloodthirsty, maddening urges filling his body, pulling out a small biscuit and a square piece of sliced cheese, which he quickly chewed and swallowed.

At the same time, he amplified the mouthpart monster's instinct to become invisible, disappearing from sight.

With the hunger somewhat subdued, Lumián struggled to keep his mouth closed, preventing the scent of the biscuit and cheese from escaping.

Then, he cautiously followed the road's edge, tracking the flaming monster.

Soon, Lumián saw the creature, its entire charred body aflame.

It was setting up new traps in the same clearing as before.

"Still so diligent, even after turning into a monster?" Lumián silently mocked.

Of course, he knew this was actually the monster acting on instinct.

Lumián didn't dare get too close, stopping at the edge of the clearing beside a broken wall.

He observed the flaming monster for a few seconds, then looked back at the path he had taken. Though his footprints were shallow, barely noticeable, and hidden in difficult-to-see spots, they were unmistakably there.

Glancing down at his current position, Lumián had an idea.

He closely monitored the monster's movements. When it picked up a large stone and threw it aside, he immediately placed his right hand on the broken wall and leaped up, landing quietly on top of it.

The sound of his landing was perfectly masked by the crash of the stone hitting the ground.

Feeling more secure after changing his observation point, Lumián carefully watched the flaming monster, all while keeping track of his spiritual energy consumption.

He noticed that the traps the monster was setting this time weren't particularly concealed or difficult to detect. They weren't designed to exploit logical flaws or behavioral tendencies; they were straightforward, not hiding their presence at all.

One simple example: on the other side of the clearing, between two collapsed buildings, the flaming monster had strung a rope just above ankle height.

Any human or creature with normal vision could spot this trap.

At first, Lumián didn't understand its purpose, but after putting himself in the monster's shoes, he gradually realized the possible intent: these traps weren't meant to directly harm or ensnare the target but to create an environment more advantageous for the hunter.

In an intense battle, the target—already not adept at observing the environment or staying aware of their surroundings—would have to constantly worry about these restrictions, sometimes even slowing down or changing posture to avoid the traps. Meanwhile, a "Hunter" is always aware of their surroundings, making full use of the environment.

This would gradually tip the balance of power.

As Aurore would say, an open strategy... Lumián nodded in understanding.