After a little while longer, Alex had given the full details on how everything would work. While the group was in agreement with his system.
While Lyra watched as a bystander, now understanding what Alex's intentions were. To her he was just using everyone else as stepping stones.
Then it was the agreed time for the group to go hunting. As people slowly started leaving the plane.
Following Alex's demonstration people started to climb down the tree that supported the plane.
Once everyone climbed down to the moist soil the group began traveling.
Although they do not know where to go, instead relying on trails. While they encountered an abomination every once and awhile.
The group continued wandering, until Lyra started walking towards the head of the group. Exactly where Alex was.
Lyra's plan was to confront Alex on his devious intentions and scheming. Yet Alex was oblivious to it.
Alex had already thought his acting to be a success with a little mistake. Believing it to be almost impossible for Lyra to figure out he could steal ruins.
Let alone his entire plan, and yet she had. Lyra had figured out Alex's plan from his own words. If not for his speech Lyra, just like Alex expected, would be oblivious to Alex's scheme.
Yet now she stood in front of him, with a cold expression of indifference plastered on her silvery white face.
Alex was confused by this intense stare. While deep inside him he knew that she had figured something out.
Alex quickly prepared responses before Lyra even spoke. Yet at this moment a frog the size of a boulder appeared in front of the group.
At this point the only creatures the group had encountered were insects that were only the size of a soccer ball.
With them all being relatively easy to slay, and strip of food. Yet now they were faced against a huge frog.
As its eyes lazily stared at the group. Yet hidden within these lazy eyes was intense malice.
As Alex and Lyra both noticed this, they raised their weapons, preparing for the worst. As the frog spat of its tongue.
As it soared through the air, saliva was caught by the wind, and thrown to the ground. Except the saliva was a deep hue of purple, emanating a dangerous aura.
As when the saliva collided with the soft green grass of the forest floor it immediately evaporated, leaving a small hole in the ground. Yet this wasn't it, as the surrounding grass around the hole started dying out.
With the green hue of the blades of grass fading into a sorrowful shade of light brown. The frogs saliva was acidic while also poisonous!
Alex was too focused on the incoming attack and was not able to preserve the important fact. Except Lyra had noticed it.
Lyra observed the purple saliva and had a theory. As she watched it fall to the ground and that theory was exceeded.
She had already hypothesized the effects of the saliva. Yet she did not know how potent it'd be. She needed to warn the group fast.
"Everyone avoids its tongue at all cost, it is coated in acidic poisons!!"
As people heard Lyra their faces turned pale. From the start of crashing on the island their situation wasn't that bad.
They had never come across such a devastating creature. Not at all experienced or skilled enough to defeat the frog.
Then the tongue grew closer to the group, as people formed a circle avoiding its landing area.
Just like the saliva once the tongue hit the ground it dug a huge hole around it. The hole was huge, being able to fit a grown man.
While the after effects were just as bad, as in a twenty foot radius the grass started dying out. The survivors watching this all fled away from the wave of dying grass.
Except one man was too shocked in his fright and stood completely still as the grass overtook him.
As this happened the man's face became deathly pale, as a faint hue of purple seeped into his white face.
The man had been poisoned!
Unfortunately the man was just a bit behind where the dead grass circle had ended. If he had just been a foot further away he would've been unscathed.
Except this was also lucky as it allowed a nearby survivor to trap ahold of him and drag him out of the circle.
As this happened the frog brought back its tongue. Then it started to prepare the same attack.
Once again the frog shot out its tongue, aiming for the most mass of people. Except just like before everyone fled from the impact of the tongue.
Yet this time people kept fleeing, as they ran as far away from the tongue as they could. The group was weary of being stuck in the dead grass, avoiding it at all costs.
While everyone was shook in fear Alex had used this time to find the frogs weakness. As he summoned another weapon.
It was the monkey claws. As the wind swirled into Alex's hand, two gloves were formed.
Alex quickly equipped the monkey claws and ran towards the tongue.
Alex had noticed after the frog shoots out its tongue it would be stuck in the ground for a bit. Alex was going to use that short time to cut the frog's tongue clean off.
As he approached the tongue he raised one of his hands. Then Alex quickly slashed the claws down.
A sharp sound immediately emanated through their close surroundings. Except this sound was not of a crisp slice through flesh, but instead the sound of metal banging against metal.
Alex's monkey claw had deflected off of the hard tongue. While a painful tremor was sent through Alex's right arm.
He had used so much force, for it to just be stopped. This was akin to punching
a metal pole.
This had caused extreme pain to Alex as he knelt down in agony. While Lyra quickly removed him from the vicinity of the dead grass.
Alex had unknowingly walked onto the dead grass while aiming for the frog's tongue. Fortunately for Alex he was not affected by the circle of dead grass.
Observing this Lyra had also walked into the circle. While she grabbed Alex and dragged him off of the area.
The group of survivors were not stupid, as they had packed first aid kits from the plane. As Lyra dragged Alex to the person carrying the supplies.
While Lyra then walked to a nearby tree and ripped a small branch off of it and returned to Alex.
She took the first aid kit from the women's bag and found bandages inside. She quickly bandaged Alex's arm to the stick, preventing it from moving.
During the impact Alex had most likely fractured a part of his arm. So Lyra wanted to prevent that fracture from growing so she prohibited the movement of Alex's arm with the stick.
Then she quickly ran back into the battle grasping her double edged sword.
The frog had already brought its tongue back and prepared to strike again. While this time it aimed directly for Lyra.
It appeared to have no reason to do so yet the tongue was still sent hurdling towards Lyra. As she then dodged around it and continued running towards the frog.
Although the frog had a large distance in between them, Lyra had lots of time to advance towards the frog.
Then she arrived in front of the giant frog, as its brownish green skin glistened in the bright sun. Lyra then quickly ran behind the frog.
Lyra then switched her grip, holding the sword downwards as she raised it above her head and stabbed down on the frogs behind.
Except this stab was slow, ensuring Lyra's protection if it was the same as the tongue. While once again a loud clang rang across the clearing.
Its back was just as tough as the densest of metals. The group had no chance of defeating the giant deadly frog.
The only option the group had was to retreat and hunt somewhere else. Lyra's decision had been made, they were going to retreat.
"Everyone retreating, this frog is too dangerous, head back to the plane."
The people grabbed their weapons and corpses and ran. Although their fleeing seemed random they all stayed in a group.
While luckily for the survivors the frog had not decided it worthy to follow them. The group had escaped the giant frog.
The groups were now walking, on their way they had encountered many other beasts that they were able to slay.
While Alex seemed to be completely fine and had already removed his makeshift cast. With Lyra seemingly annoyed by his lack of the cast.
Then Lyra walked back towards Alex, planning on confronting him again. Once she had made it toward Alex his facial expressions suddenly became serious.
"Thanks for grabbing me back there."
"Don't mention it. Except I do have something to ask you about."
Alex's fear had come true. He was now fretting what she might ask. Yet Alex had no way of getting out of his situation, he could only listen to her question.
While Lyra intended on being as direct as possible. She did not care about how to sugar coat her question.
"How are you able to steal ruins Alex?"
Alex was shocked, and even though he was prepared for her question he was still surprised. As before he had thought he had hid his ability, yet she knew.
F*ck!
Alex wasn't necessarily caught, as he could still lie, and try to mislead Lyra. Except if Lyra had already figured it out with few hints, she would probably see through any disguises he put on.
Instead Alex's best chance was to tell her the truth, while also misleading Lyra. This would not only boost their trust but also increase the chances of his plans not being ruined.
Although Alex had to answer quickly, and had little time to think. Then he had his answer, to perfectly mislead Lyra, while also giving her the complete and utter truth.
"I just summoned it but from within them."
This was only the first part of Alex's plan to mislead Lyra. While it also didn't give her usable knowledge.
This blunt answer had also surprised Lyra, yet her expression was as calm as ever. Yet she knew he was trying to mislead her, so she came up with a follow up question.
"Why were you trying to steal that man's ruin then?"
Alex had an immediate answer.
"To test out my theory."
Lyra was getting nowhere. As she decided to ask another question.
"Then why have you introduced currency to our now primitive life."
This was it, Alex had struck gold, this was the question he had been waiting to answer, as this was what would mislead Lyra.
"To control these people and start jobs. If you haven't noticed everyone goes crazy around here, while this should act as a suppressant on those frantic people. While it will also start creating new jobs, and broaden the range of our expertises."
Alex's answer had not only misled Lyra while giving the truth. But it had also put pressure on Lyra, pointing out their crazed attitudes in the face of danger.
While Lyra still had the feeling that he was abusing the people this was overshadowed. It was now replaced with the thought of Alex's stupidity.
How can he think so shallow, uggh never mind.
Lyra had dismissed thinking highly of Alex, as now she wanted to get back to the plane and eat. She was over thinking about Alex's plan, although deep down she was still weary of him.
Lyra then walked away from Alex, without giving him a single gesture of leave. Although Alex felt hurt, this is exactly what he wished to see.
This had confirmed that Alex had mostly misled Lyra. Except there was one more thing he needed to do to fully mislead Lyra.
This was to act stupid for the next week or so. As of right now Alex knew that Lyra must think him to be stupid.
So all Alex had to do was just confirm this fact. He was going to make sure that Lyra thought him to be incapable of such a plan.
While Alex thought that he suddenly realized they had finally reached the plane. As people started funneling back up the tree and into the damaged plane.
Once Alex reached the top, and climbed into the plane he found the nearest seat and sat down. His mind began to race as he recalled everything that happened.
While his mind then wandered to one thought.
I guess right now I'm supposed to be meeting up with my friends from the orphanage.