At first, he had considered making the Krell specialize in long-range combat, focusing on archery, but he quickly dismissed the idea. Without new body parts to enhance their precision and dexterity, they wouldn't be able to use bows effectively.
He clicked his tongue. 'Tch. I should've tried to consume the Ravagers back in the fight. I was too focused on looking for the alpha.' The thought nagged at him. His last experience fighting the knight in the dungeon was still burned into his mind, leaving a lingering impression. That fight had forced him to prioritize winning as fast as possible, avoiding unnecessary risks. It had worked, but now he was starting to realize the cost—missed opportunities.
He exhaled sharply, shaking off the thought. No point dwelling on it now. He'd make up for it next time. Ben then walked toward the command space, glancing at the empty stockpile. He checked his inventory space, then frowned. No food left. "I put the last hundred stalks back at the base... Should've kept some out," he muttered. His eyes drifted to the pile where all the trash and remains had gathered. His lips curled into a grin. "Well, at least those corpses will be useful."
Krell weren't picky eaters. Meat, vegetables—anything worked as long as it wasn't a rock. As his gaze swept around, he noticed the bulb-like flower, somehow still alive, standing right in front of the fortress entrance. "That looks nice. I'll keep it as some kind of marker for the fortress." With that, he shook off the distraction. "Now, time to get back to work."
Next on his to-do list: making a bow.
Ben moved outside the fortress toward the dump area. He picked up the purple mushroom fiber, rolling it between his fingers, feeling its texture. It was pliable but lacked the strength needed for a proper bowstring. Stretching it, he found it frayed too easily. No good. 'A single strand won't hold, but... '
Using his experience, he started twisting multiple strands together, weaving them tightly to distribute tension evenly. He applied a counter-twist technique—twisting the individual fibers in one direction while winding them together in the opposite. This method, used in natural fiber ropes, increased tensile strength by ensuring that when the fibers stretched, the whole structure compacted rather than unraveled.
After testing the tension, he pulled hard. It held. Not perfect, but far better than a single strand. "Elastic enough to take strain, strong enough to hold... This'll work." He registered the recipe into the creation system. A notification flashed. 500 mana deducted.
Ben scowled.' This system's as stingy as ever. Why the hell does it need mana just to register something?'
Every time something happened, it reminded him of the system's failures—the way it barely functioned, unable to transmit proper information before shutting down and leaving him with only surface-level details.
His thoughts wandered. 'People from many worlds were summoned here by some force to achieve a goal… 'He had no doubt that whatever brought them here was behind the system's creation. 'And then there's the other faction, the ones hunting us.' He frowned, recalling what Elvira had told him. 'Are they the so-called Magus?' His expression darkened. If that was true, then they had far more control over this world than he initially thought. The higher he climbed, the closer he got to enemies lurking in the layers above.
"Forget it," he muttered. "Not like I can do anything now except get stronger. Raise my forces. Set up multiple hideouts in case the worst happens."
Closing his menu, he consumed biomass. A sharp sensation ran through his back as a pair of wings sprouted—this time better than the last one. The last attempt had been a failure, too loud and unstable. But now, they were better. Not as fast, but at least they didn't roar like a damn turbine. He lifted off, hovering just below the cavern ceiling. From up here, he could take in the entire biome more clearly.
Massive mushrooms dominated the landscape, their caps forming a dense, uneven canopy. Some were as tall as trees, their thick, pillar-like stalks stretching high, while others grew in clusters. Most had deep purple caps, but a few stood out—ones with glowing tops, their bioluminescent surfaces casting eerie blue-green hues across the underground terrain.
But it wasn't just mushrooms. Ben's eyes narrowed as he spotted something stranger—a cluster of alien-looking plants nestled together. The first thing he noticed was their size. Each one stood nearly as tall as himself, their stalks thick and pulsing faintly, as if something inside was moving.
They weren't mushrooms. Their segmented, plated stems looked almost insect-like, shifting between deep purple and dark crimson as if reacting to the light. At the top, bulbous sacs swayed gently, filled with an unknown liquid that shimmered under the faint glow. Some of the sacs were cracked open, revealing long, thread-like tendrils that extended outward, writhing slightly before curling back in.
Then, he noticed a water source. It wasn't a pool on the ground. The liquid was inside the sacs, sloshing gently as if the plant itself was producing it. 'It's making water?'
Ben tried to get a better look at his surroundings, but the massive mushroom caps blocked most of his view. 'Tch. I need to check that place out… and make sure that water's actually safe to drink.'
Based on the plant's appearance, he had a bad feeling about it. It looked too much like a trap—like it produced water to lure in prey. But right now, he didn't have any alternatives.
With a sigh, he descended, landing back on the ground. He opened the creature creation system screen, his mind already made up. "Alright… time to go all out." His fingers moved quickly. "Ten Krell scouts to guard the base. Another four Krell soldiers inside." That should be enough to keep things locked down.
Next, he set up an exploration squad. "Four Krell scouts, two Krell soldiers." Small, but balanced. Enough to check out the area without drawing too much attention.