Chapter 174 - Exploration - VI (1/2)
”I spread the bait as much as I can so that all of them will get a chance to eat it,” said Balthazar returning to the place where Robert was hiding. ”But there is a good chance that few will not be down. Leave them to me you need locate and kill the others in the meantime. Once, we kill a large number, even if a few are missed they wouldn't be too inclined to pursue us.”
”What? Didn't you say that you would kill all the ones which are down?” asked Robert.
”You will keep the ones which are not down at bay?”
”OK. I like your idea,” relented Robert and the pair of them waited there observing the pack from a distance. As Robert had told, the first beasts of the packs started to move in a wobbly fashion in ten minutes and began to fall to their side.
”It is time,” said Balthazar as he pulled out both blade in two hands. ”Take out one gun. I will be on the lookout for the active ones, but if any escape me, you best shoot them down.”
Balthazar quickly made way to the alpha with the collar while making kill strikes against any beast he came across. They were slow due to the poison and provided easy targets. Subduing the alpha of a pack was always a deterrent to the rest of the forces. So, his main target was the alpha. Being the alpha, it had taken the largest bites from the bait they had used and it was one of the first ones to be down.
”Don't kill it. It might trigger an alarm,” said Balthazar as he reached for the collar. He actually had no idea what to do but hoped to tie up its limbs and jaws shut. Robert had also followed Balthazar as he killed any
”You mean the collar. Cousin, you must know that even the slightest change in it like reduction in the usual heart rate due to poisoning could be transmitted by those collars. If any alarm was there, it would have already been triggered. But most of such alarms usually have someone monitoring as the beasts might sometimes eat something and get notified to check it manually. So, no need to worry about any automated defences being triggered,” explained Robert as he put his blade through the eye of the collared beast.
”You know an awful lot about the security protocols,” said Balthazar. It was his turn to be surprised. He had gathered his knowledge from working as an assassin and armed forces, but Robert had no such background.
”I don't know about security protocols, but I do know the limitations and drawbacks of devices which monitor vitals. Any protocol would be based on the information provided by these things,” replied Robert pointing to the collar. ”If I know one thing about people who use beasts, it is that they are compensating for the lack of men and tech. Anyways, I can say one thing for sure, if there are any personnel who would be observing the information from the collar, they already were informed when the beast got poisoned. Moreover, based on the ones I have killed till now, they look a bit malnourished. It looks like their caretakers haven't been here for quite some time.”
Robert went ahead and started to kill the rest of the beasts which were down. He had to use his gun a couple of times, but most of the few Boredrevers which were not down saw him kill the alpha and were approached Balthazar instead.
Balthazar was not even the slightest bit nervous of the Boredrevers. The only reason, he was concerned was the collar and the large numbers. With the poisoning successful, there were only about 15 of them capable of moving and were not at their best either. They were actually easy prey for Balthazar now and they were also afraid of him as most of their brethren had fallen down.
In about ten minutes, the pair of them managed to kill enough with their blades and bullets, that the remaining fled away. The first obstacle along their entrance was clear and they could move into the valley. Balthazar took lead as he had the sensory devices on his suit unlocked. There was a slightly barren land with sparse vegetation and the greenery on increased as they looked further.
”There are some mines present along the way,” said Balthazar as his suit displayed the defences of the place ahead of him. There was a mine field with a number of pressure sensitive mines covered by the grass and other vegetation. Balthazar was surprised that these hadn't blown up due to the vegetation. He was even more amazed that the suit was able to determine such things as sonic vibration might set off the mines and most of the mines were equipped to be not detected by sensory technologies. His suit also managed to identify the type and their effective radius suggesting him possible paths through.
”I have a marked a path through them, but wait a moment,” said Balthazar. ”These mines are always being upgraded to counter the latest sensory tech. It is best if we check it by some other method too. It is common to put mines with better concealment tech in possible paths through the field or other traps in the way.”
”What? You want to throw rocks at it?”
”We need to find really big rocks and we don't know the explosion radius of these things. Too much trouble. You can throw rocks throughout the path. We need something that could be moved in a controlled fashion in the direction we specify. Usually, military uses bots for this purpose. We put on meat on them as a few traps might be based on light refraction and check for carbon-based signatures.”
”I am pretty sure that we don't have any such methods at our disposal now. Stop bragging off about your knowledge,” said Robert.
”Ya. I am suggesting something different, cousin. I am suggesting that I will do the job of the bot.”
”Gross. You want to tie up those Boredrever bodies around you?”
”No. I am suggesting we pile them up. Tie them with their guts and to a log which we can use as a handle to move around the area.”
”Oh! Sorry, your words were kind of misleading.”
”Misleading, my ass. What do you think I am a barbarian?” asked Balthazar. Doing the thing which his cousin thought was not something that actually disgusted him. In his past life, he had spent some time as an assassin during which he saw stuff far more gruesome and a part of him got used to it. But he had no intention of letting anyone know about the callous man that he used to be. He hid that even when he got the job playing in vita-nova for five years.
”Come on. It was just a tiny doubt. Consider it a joke.”
”Bad joke and a bit far-fetched.”
”Not really. You are using the intestines of these beasts as a rope. I doubt even hunters and surgeon are would be as used to it as you.”
”Ok. I had a few experiences that you won't find in the reports,” said Balthazar and didn't elaborate further.
”Now help me with the beasts and you are the one in charge of making it. It will be a useful experience. Trust me,” continued Balthazar as he smiled at the expense of his cousin's nausea.