Scorpion clan

The locals weren't kidding – the number of scorpions in this place is overwhelming. Pakura had to use some of her spheres to deter/eliminate those getting too close to us, and it was interesting to note that they seemed to learn the lesson after a few hundred of them died along the way, clearing a path for us.

That got me thinking about a possibility.

"Do you think this place could host a scorpion clan?" I asked Pakura. "You know, the kind used for summonings and all that."

"That... could be plausible," Pakura pondered on the number, size, and behavior of the scorpions we encountered. "But I don't see what the point would be in occupying the mines, and we haven't found any that seem to have enough spirituality to speak."

"Well, maybe they also came for the gold?" I commented as we followed the map.

It's an option that occurred to me, but I'm not really sure. From what I understand, ninja-type creatures usually seek places rich in natural energy to stimulate their evolution, prolong life, and other benefits for themselves.

Pakura can't sense natural energy (and I don't think she even knows what it is), and I don't even have chakra, so I really have no idea how to identify its presence or how dense it is in this place.

So, I thought the scorpions might be coming to the mines for the gold.

Maybe they need it to practice some special technique?

Or perhaps they eat it to strengthen their bodies, alter their venom, etc.

There's a whole list of strange things in that regard.

It's all speculation, and if they're really here for the gold, we'll have a problem with them. If not, well, we might try to get a real summoning scroll for the village.

"Which way do we take?" Pakura asked once we reached an intersection with five different passages.

If I doubted the presence of a scorpion clan before, the possibilities have now skyrocketed. This seems like some kind of trial, similar to the one used in Ryuichi Cave, and choosing wrong could end very badly... for them.

Or maybe it's just the mine layout for optimizing excavation, and it's all in my head. I examined the five entrances and really didn't see any difference, so I decided to use the Mantra to capture more details.

The left entrance leads to a dead-end, with only a few small cracks.

The second left entrance has a false floor the thickness of a finger, so it will likely break when someone steps on it, revealing a bunch of gnawed bones underneath.

The central entrance is free of scorpions, but there are several vibrant-colored flowers and fluorescent moss, making me suspect it's a hallway with some kind of poison. The bodies of the two young ones we saw earlier, who seem to be asleep but whose hearts no longer beat, are another subtle clue.

Did they use some kind of insecticide to get here?

The second right entrance has the most scorpions blocking the way, and some are even hidden on the ceiling to fall on victims.

And the right hallway was a perfectly normal path, without scorpions, traps, poison, or anything of the sort. It was well-maintained, and the torches led to a clear path.

I think the choice was pretty clear.

(Before proceeding, which path would you choose and why?)

"Let's go this way," I indicated to Pakura the left entrance.

"Alright."

We walked a few minutes, and Pakura noticed that the scorpions had disappeared, or rather, it would be more accurate to say that they were waiting in the room while we advanced through this corridor.

"There's no way out," Pakura commented, looking up as she used her spheres for illumination in the dark area.

I raised a finger to ask her to wait and approached the wall. Yes, as I expected, there are many marks around the small cracks. I hit the wall in several places and confirmed my suspicions.

"Step back," I asked Pakura, who seemed to understand the reason for my actions.

Once she distanced herself enough, I clenched my fist and delivered a strong blow to the dead-end alley, which was shattered at the same time, revealing a much larger space behind it.

"Well, that was easier than I expected," I admitted as I looked at my fist.

The false wall was much thinner than I thought, so the force I used in the blow was excessive. Rock fragments flew like shrapnel and turned into dust upon impacting the walls and floor.

"For the Sage..." I heard Pakura say in a surprised tone, entering the new area while thinking, "So much gold..."

My interest perked up at that, and I entered as well, only to be almost dazzled because every damn inch of the place was covered in gold veins that protruded as if competing for attention.

Seriously, it looked like Ruel Stroud's wet dream.

Pakura wanted to get closer and check if it was real, but I held her arm and pointed to one of the largest gold veins, earning me a (charming, I must add) expression of confusion.

"A perception worthy of praise, young one."

Pakura widened her eyes and went on guard.

The gold spoke?!

The vein shook, and several legs of the same golden tone unfolded, while three extensions behind it rose from the ground to curve. In just a few seconds, we had a ten-meter-high golden scorpion in front of us with three stingers behind it.

"It's been a long time since someone stood before me," the voice was quite old and androgynous, so I didn't know whether to address the creature as sir or ma'am, something that actually bothered me a lot. "What brings you to the domain of our scorpion clan?" it asked.

"First of all, I think introductions should take place: I am Enel, and she is Pakura," I introduced us. "How should I address you?"

"I am Sasorigane, the matriarch of the scorpion clan," the huge golden creature responded. "Did you come to this place to take our gold?"

"Wait, so you actually took these mines for the gold and not for, I don't know, being a place with natural energy?" I know responding to a question with another question is not polite, but I still don't understand why they would want a place full of gold.

Sure, their matriarch looks bathed in gold, but it could very well be just a camouflage for the environment, and I haven't seen any other golden scorpion. So, it's not confirmed how much they need this metal.

"So you know about natural energy, strange considering you don't even have a hint of chakra in your body," Sasorigane commented with an interested look. "And answering your question, while it's true that this place doesn't have as much natural energy as our old home, gold now holds greater importance for us. So, if you intend to take even a nugget, I'll have to take measures about it," it said while starting to release a hint of killing intent.

"That doesn't make sense to me," I told it fearlessly. "Why would gold be more important to you than natural energy? It's not logical."

"That's my clan's affair and no one else's."

"Mmm, from your response, I guess gold must be used to solve some important problem that must have arisen for some reason," I deduced aloud, and from Sasorigane's faint shake, it seems I hit the mark. "If we could solve that problem of yours, would you be willing to let us take gold and give us your clan's summoning scroll?"

Sasorigane remained silent while slightly wagging its stingers, which I suppose means it's considering my offer.

Worried it might attack us?

Not really. This place to me is like a huge conductor chamber; I can fry this matriarch with minimal effort. Especially if the gold in its body is real.

I'm just being patient because it wasn't hostile from the start, and because I want the summoning scroll from its clan. I haven't even been able to estimate how much gold is left in this place, but since they need it for some reason, there must still be something.

"How much do you know about poison?" the matriarch asked me.

Wait, do the scorpions have a problem related to poison?