This Clueless Hero

Next to my feet were fifty stalks of grass. My stomach seemed to be complaining, by churning painfully when it realized my intentions.

Nonetheless, the stalks of grass were consumed slowly but surely. Like before, there was an uncomfortable squirming in my muscles as a strong heat was released.

After a few deep breaths, my body returned to normal again.

Now that I think about it, isn't it kinda weird that these lizards eat so little of the grass?

If they ate more of the grass they would surely get stronger right?

Unless there was some repercussion or something.

While my mind was absorbed in its own thoughts, my eyes picked up on two lizards that were quietly approaching me.

Different from lizards I've fought before, these ones stood on two feet, with two small arms in front of them, and a large jaw.

There appeared to be black feathers that made a line across its body.

My figure slowly retreated from the hill as they approached.

The two bipedal lizards stopped once they were on the hill. They began to examine it, and peck at the ground a few times.

Eventually, one of them pecked at a lizard carcass. Once it did so, the jaw opened wide and lunged into the carcass, ripping a huge piece of it out.

After that, the two lizards began to leave.

It seemed there would be a limited time for me to collect the stalks of grass if these things are going to show up.

My next target was a singular lizard the size of a crocodile.

Since they didn't come for a single lizard before they wouldn't do it this time right?

My stake plunged into the lizard's head. My strike left a large bloody hole that had enough force to send scales flying.

The lizard did not roar but whimpered.

After plunging my stake into its body, it stopped moving altogether.

My hands went to work soon after, to collect all the stalks of grass. After collecting ten stalks, my eyes caught another bipedal lizard walking in my direction.

...It seems their response gets faster over time.

My figure retreated and left the lizard carcass close to the edge of the hill, where the bipedal lizard was approaching.

The bipedal lizard found the lizard carcass quickly and tore it apart.

Unfortunately, the lizard continued up the hill and began inspecting it.

It appears I've angered the wardens of this place.

While the lizard searched every inch of the hill, my focus was on eating the stalks of grass that were retrieved.

The lizard eventually gave up and left.

Out of curiosity, my figure stalked from a few meters behind it.

The lizard would walk in the valleys of the terrain, taking a few turns to stay on that path.

The other lizards seemed to mind their own business and did not get close to the bipedal lizard.

It did not take long for the lizard to climb up a small hill. The difference with this hill was that the stalks of grass were much longer and there was a clear line of small bulbs on the side.

When the bipedal lizard was in the middle of laying down, a bloody hole appeared on its head.

My figure had reappeared next to the bipedal lizard, but my eyes narrowed.

It survived.

The bipedal lizard turned its head around a few times before it locked on to me.

My initial intention was to fight it, but it ran like it had been catapulted towards me.

My stake pointed at the bipedal lizard, while my eyes widened and my pupil constricted.

My figure disappeared once again, and a large hole appeared on the lizard's chest.

This time the lizard immediately turned in my direction and charged me.

Though I wanted to teleport once again, there seemed to be some sort of cooldown. The lizard opened its maw, revealing countless little sharp teeth.

My stake was raised as it approached me, but to my surprise, it did not lunge when it got close.

The lizard's tiny arm clutched onto my stake with a surprising amount of power. The jaws of the lizard proceeded to snap at my face.

In the nick of time, my hand clutched the lizard's neck, just barely keeping the set of teeth from reaching me.

The lizard kept lunging, trying to push its jaws closer, while my hand was trying to push the stake forward.

The hand holding onto the lizard's neck was trembling but held on strong.

At first, it seemed both sides were at a stalemate, but the lizard used its free arm to swipe at me.

The claw was small but still tore into me easily.

My teeth grit.

A few more slashes would spell doom for me.

My body suddenly leaned towards the left, while my hands no longer pushed against the lizard.

The lizard's jaw passed by dangerously close to my face.

The lizard tripped on my legs, which would've also made me trip if I wasn't prepared.

After quickly regaining my footing, my stake plunged into the back of the lizard's neck as it fell over.

The lizard let out an uncomfortably high screech that would cut out intermittently.

The unrest it brought was clear, my eyes could already make out a few bipedal lizards in the distance closing in.

The wardens were pissed off.

There were only seven stalks of grass on this hill, so after deftly plucking out all the stalks, my figure retreated back to where the grass was sparse.

When there were no bipedal lizards in sight, a batch of grass was thrown in my mouth.

These bulbs were soft and melted when they touched my tongue. The overall experience was a blast of sweetness with a salty aftertaste.

The discomfort from my muscles was not surprising, but my eyes widened.

My mind suddenly felt clear. After a few moments, this sensation diminished, but a part of it lingered.

My brain seemed to be stronger. My thoughts processed a little faster while my mind used less effort.

I could detect a faint pulsing, but as for what it meant, nothing came to mind.

As for the wounds that came from the bipedal lizard swiping my chest, they scabbed over already.

A deep breath entered and exited my lungs.

In the corner of my vision, there was a lizard that was slowly walking away from me. It seemed the lizards could sense me somehow.

Perhaps this grass was changing me in a strange way, but it was probably too late now.

My figure slinked deeper into the cave. My sights were no longer set on the lizards the size of a crocodile, but the bipedal lizards.

Unfortunately, most of the bipedal lizards resided on hills with another bipedal lizard either next to it, or on a nearby hill.

My brows furrowed, it seemed this was going to be tough.

Wait...

What if I didn't have to fight them?

My finger rubbed lightly on my chin.

...

A lizard the size of a crocodile was grazing on a hill, minding its own business.

Suddenly, a stake pierced its head. After a whimper, its movements stopped.

Stalks of grass were pulled from the hill and some bipedal lizards were alerted.

A lizard the size of a crocodile residing in a nearby hill slowly backed away from the whimpers. However, what it did not know was that its steps were approaching the very thing it wanted to avoid.

A stake pierced the lizard. As life left the lizard more stalks of grass were pulled out. By now, there were two bipedal lizards inspecting the previous hill.

More bipedal lizards rushed over to the new crime scene, while the perpetrator had left.

There were a few hills that were left unattended. The grass stalks with bulbs on them were ripped out one by one.

A bright smile was on my face as my eyes were laid on the stalks of grass in hand.

The bipedal lizards act as wardens. If black grass disappears in large batches, they will notice it and inspect the situation. That means that their respective hills will be empty.

My figure disappeared as the stalks of grass were thrown in my mouth.

There was a burning feeling in my muscles and the stimulation in my mind made it hard to focus.

Still, my steps continued silently away.

The pulsing became stronger.

I realized that the pulsing let me feel the location of the black grass... and the other lizards.

Two bipedal lizards were heading in my direction, so I quickly made my way away from the path they seemed to be taking.

But... they changed directions towards me.

I began running in a full sprint, and the bipedal lizards were hot on my tail.

My eyes peered over my shoulder to see there were now three bipedal lizards behind me and another two in the distance.

Suddenly, a bipedal lizard appeared in front of me.

A frown appeared on my face and as the lizard's jaws lunged at me.

Right when the rows of sharp teeth were right in front of my face, I disappeared.

After teleporting forward, my eyes found three more bipedal lizards charging me from my front.

It seems this time, I messed up.