Telos clearly couldn't make multiple traps; he didn't have enough time or materials. So he dedicated himself to creating a single trap that could kill the vast majority of creatures.
And so he must have made that creature who was playing with his mind believe that he had set several traps.
Among these deceptive traps was a pile of dry leaves over a small hollow in the ground, in which were some badly placed sharp branches. There was also a log wedged between the two walls, which prevented the creatures from passing. Now it was split in half.
In addition to others, such as a stone that was supposed to fall on the creatures, multiple stalactites that barely hung from the ceiling, or branches on the ground that were supposed to bother them as they made their way through.
These traps couldn't have taken out that many creatures; they could barely have harmed a few, let alone killed them.
Therefore, Telos focused on the forest's biggest trap: the killer bats.
He had to make many sacrifices for it. It might turn out well, but if it did, he'd die. If not from bats, then from starvation.
Since the first thing he did was to bring the bats, for this he used the corpses of the creatures that were supposed to be his food.
Although, of course, since time had passed since the colonel hunted them, their blood had coagulated, and therefore, they didn't smell as bloody. So the bats wouldn't come.
To prevent that, Telos had to use his blood. After making a small cut on his forearm and pouring blood over it, the bats would now approach to satisfy their hunger. Although he did that after finding the ideal place...
So the second thing he did was ensure they would come. For some reason, the creatures weren't keen on approaching the cave, likely because it was Azaroth's domain, so leaving the corpses inside would have been a stupid decision.
To do this, he looked for a weak spot from inside the cave, where the roof was thinnest and weakest. After a long search, he found the perfect spot and carved a deep hole with his sword.
He then left the cave and climbed to its top, where a wide plateau of coppery grass stretched out, shrouded in fog that made finding the right spot difficult. But he eventually found it.
Dragging the bodies, he placed them there and poured his blood over them.
Now there was the inner trap.
Returning to the interior of the cave, he focused again on the previously marked spot and dug, this time downwards.
One thing Telos realized after spending some time here was that the ground isn't very dense, since there is a city underneath after all.
A city that was made before the cave.
Telos realized the cave was artificial—created by someone, or something. He understood this after observing the strange citizens mining... and the reason behind it.
The blue light emitted by the high minerals was what kept the cave alive. Without that mineral, the cave would simply cease to exist, leaving the city open to the world.
So why did they mine the minerals if they kept them safe?
Telos didn't know the reason behind it, but he knew that the minerals that they mined were somehow different.
But that wasn't what mattered to him now, but rather the fact that thanks to it, he would be able to continue his plan.
Using the double-edged blade of his sword, he dug as deep as he could, sometimes switching to digging with his hands. At this point, he deeply regretted having trained so intensely, thinking there was nothing he could do.
Telos dug and dug, and without realizing it, he reached the end of the thin soil that covered them. Only to realize there was another cave beneath him.
He had to adjust his plans slightly.
The young man picked up a small log that he had previously intended to use as a fake trap and a stone of a similar size to the hole he had made, although he had to reduce it with his sword, leaving it almost broken and with a worn edge.
He fitted the log into the cave floor beneath him and placed the stone on top. However, he positioned it slightly to the right, so that stepping on the left side would cause him to fall.
There were several factors, such as one of the creatures accidentally stepping on something and falling, or perhaps they already knew about this trap. Either way, he had to risk everything with this plan.
There wasn't any other option.
The last part of the plan remained, and the most complicated due to the time left before midnight.
Telos didn't know how they would attack him. According to the colonel, the creatures attacked them mindlessly for hours until dawn. But how could that be possible?
For Telos, that event couldn't have been real, mainly because he had been observing those creatures for hours. And there was one thing he was sure of: the creatures possessed some kind of intelligence.
Whether it was because they had stolen it from the human bodies the creatures had taken over, or because Azaroth had given them that ability, it was impossible for those creatures to attack in that way... or so he thought.
The fact that they were intelligent already opened the possibility that they had pretended to be brainless. For what purpose? No one knew.
So Telos had to think, what would be the best way to open the roof that would connect the cave to the bats?
To do this, he considered the ability of creatures to detect thoughts. Was that their only skill, or was there something else?
Telos managed to draw a simple but most appropriate conclusion.
These creatures could wander in their thoughts and thus find a way to terrify the enemy.
If that were true, it would explain why they attacked mindlessly, they were trying to simulate bats.
That was going to be annoying, because if Telos thought about the real trap for even a moment, it would derail the whole plan.
That's why I'm trying to think of something... Something that would not only prevent the creatures from knowing the plan, but could also complete it.
So he thought of the perfect idea. One that would save him from having to find a solution to the roof opening.
So, quickly leaving the place, he headed towards the interior of the cave, where he had taken refuge with the three Anchors.
The mental battle was about to begin.
So from the very beginning, He tried to appear nervous and fearful, shaking and sweating like crazy.
His thoughts focused on three: the multiple traps he set to avoid thinking about the only important one, his claustrophobia due to the fear of being observed by others, supported by his difficult past, and finally, his fear of death.
By making those thoughts known, the creatures prepared themselves and used his fears as best they could, guiding him toward his end.
Since the creatures could not simply kill him, as that would go against Azaroth.
After all, Azaroth wanted to create as many creatures as possible under his command, and to do so, he needed human bodies.
Telos continued their game throughout the cave.
Although for a moment he felt genuine fear, thinking that the geography of the cave had changed. For a moment, he almost thought in the trap.
Luckily, he managed to hold on and finally found the dry leaves, which were near the trap.
The dried leaf trap was near the real trap. That way, Telos could know its location without having to think about it.
However, as they were scattered, he had to try to remember the strength of the ground through his footsteps; the closer he got to the trap, the weaker it became.
And so, the time came to doubt his mind and therefore confront the creatures.
To do so, he waited a few moments, concentrating on the sounds, not from inside, but from outside. Since all the creatures are active after midnight, the bats should be close to finishing devouring the corpses. Telos reassured himself once more.
And then his plan finally began.
As he fell through the hole he'd dug, the creatures tried to follow him. This meant that the creatures on the roof jumped off and headed in his direction.
All that movement caused the roof to collapse and bats to invade the cave.
'Damn it…'
Telos fell for a few seconds before hitting the surface with a slam.
Getting to his feet painfully, he tried to run to his right, the opposite direction from which some of the creatures were falling.
The bats were doing their job, killing several of the blind creatures that were barely defending themselves.
Still, it would surely end in the defeat of the bats, and at that point, Telos would have to fight for his life.
And as the cacophony of battle filled Telos's mind, it wasn't long before the young man received an attack from behind, nearly destabilizing him.
The battle had come sooner than he thought.