Miscalculated One Part

The twins and the familiars started watching the Catoblepas slowly turn its body. The moment it did, its beady eyes landed on the meat, its long neck already bending down for its head's reach.

"Do you think it will eat it?" Leonel whispered, "With that pungent smell, I wonder if it will," he added, Zann not talking as his eyes focused on watching the Catoblepas sniffing the meat.

"I didn't think this through," he mumbled, enough for the three to hear with the earphones on them. "If he sniffed them and didn't like it, he may not eat the meat."

"What!?" Aranea exclaimed rather loudly. "Then, what are we to do?!"

"Quiet!" Her twin sister scolded her, "We have yet to see what this big one is about to do before we start to worry!"

"Nngh…"

With them silencing as they felt nervous at the same time, they started holding their breaths as well with how uneasy they were feeling.

If the Catoblepas won't take the bait, then it would mean that they would have to make another plan on the spot.

It was then at this moment that the four realized at the last minute that they haven't thought this through—confident that the Catoblepas will eat the meat.

Zann was practically crossing his fingers behind his back. It was a plan that he planned from the start. If this wouldn't work, then it would mean that his plan is not effective!

The Catoblepas continued sniffing the meat for a few more seconds. When the head suddenly stopped moving, the four of them waited expectantly of what could possibly happen next.

What happened the following moment was not something that they predicted.

Without eating the meat, the Catoblepas suddenly started to stagger, seemingly having the difficulty to keep its balance due to its large body.

"Wh-what's happening?" Leonel asked, the four of them still eyeing the Catoblepas suspiciously.

"He did not eat the meat… so why?" Zann asked as well, their eyes widening to what they saw.

The Catoblepas sat on the ground abruptly, its long neck now falling towards the ground in full speed.

"Aaaah!"

The familiars started running away as they saw its falling head. The tree where they were hiding moments ago was suddenly down due to the impact of the Catoblepas' head.

The ground started shaking, the tremors felt even from where the twins are. Both of them held the sturdy trunk of the tree from where they were sitting on, the ground still shaking underneath them.

"It's just like a mini earthquake!" Aranea reacted, Elenea more scared than her sister as she clung on to the trunk of the tree for dear life!

"Please stop shaking, please stop shaking, please stop shaking!"

They waited for half a minute for the shaking to stop. Once it ceased, the twins slowly let go of the trunk, their eyes squinting to where the familiars are.

"Guys? Are you there? Are you alright?" Aranea asked, their figures coming from behind another tree cautiously.

The familiars then walked slowly towards the Catoblepas that seemed to pass out, assessing what had happened.

The meat remained untouched. However, without the Catoblepas eating it, it was fast asleep, its breathing steady as its breath blew the hairs of the two familiars.

"Well..." Zann trailed off, scratching the back of his head with what just happened. "We miscalculated one part. Even without eating the meat, the pungent smell of the sleeping potion knocked the beast out," he added, Elenea, sighing in relief when they heard his update.

"Then still, it's good that this happened," she commented, Aranea, nodding in agreement.

"Then when you guys were pouring it, it was good that you did it quickly or else the two of you would've passed out."

Leonel and Zann let out a scoff of disbelief, agreeing with what Aranea had said.

"I knew it. I felt like I was about to the longer it was wafting under our noses," Leonel said, but when Aranea and the twins shouted, the two of them were shocked to their wits!

"Guys! Incoming!"

The second Catoblepas coming to the familiars was not even seen from where the twins are! Only when its neck started to swing did they notice that something was off!

"Shit!" Zann reacted, running away with Leonel with him. "The tremors must have alerted the second Catoblepas!"

"Change of plans!" Leonel alerted, the twins listening to him. "The Catoblepas saw us—I would have to run with Zann towards the area! You guys are to follow!"

With the instruction said, Aranea did not hesitate to jump off from the tree. However, Elenea still clung on to the branch, looking down at her twin sister with panic in her eyes.

"A-Aranea… don't forget that your twin sister is afraid of heights!"

"Oh, Elenea!"

Aranea groaned, running her hand through her hair.

"We will lose time! Come on, if you easily climbed up, you can easily climb down!"

"Jeez!"

Elenea felt pressure. She slowly stood up, looking down at her twin sister as if to gather courage. She then took a deep breath, released it, then without hesitating, jumped off from the branch from where they were moments ago.

Aranea's eyes widened, not expecting what her twin sister did.

"W-Woah!"

Elenea landed on the ground indeed! But with the difference of her landing on her twin sister first.

Aranea winced, Elenea slowly standing up as she fixed her clothes, Aranea groaning in slight pain as she felt her sister's full weight the moment she fell on her.

"So your way of having a softer landing was falling on your sister!?"

Elenea helped her sister up, laughing guiltily as she fixed her bow and arrow.

"Sorry," she apologized, Aranea checking to see if she's hurt.

"What if the bow and arrow suddenly came through my body? What are you going to—"

"Guys! Save it for later! Come here! Now!"

With Zann reminding them to follow, they saw the group of trees falling left and right, already indicating what path the twins should follow in order for them to take down the Catoblepas the two familiars were distracting.

"This is it," Aranea mumbled to herself, "Time to take on the big dinosaur!"