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Ilshar's reply confirmed Alice's concerns. An entire pack of ether-spawns had already noticed the etheric disturbance, however faint it was, and likely already knew of their presence. In the best case, they would only investigate... But Alice had learned to always assume the worst possible scenario whenever those types of creatures were involved.

[color=8882be]"We need to move. Assuming the worst case... If these ether-spawns come for us... It won't end with a single shot."[/color] Alice said in reply to Ilshar, definitely worried.

[color=8882be]"A lure might be possible... But we'll have to be very careful to disguise our etheric traces so they don't trace the lure back to us. These kind of tactics are not uncommon among the creatures that call the Abyssic Plane and the Oneiric Chasm their home."[/color] Alice said, confirming King's suggestion. 

The very second Alice finished saying that though, the door began opening with the noise of the old machinery flooding the mostly silent room, together with a teal-colored luminescent fog, seemingly emanating from whatever it was on the other side.

Unlike the other worm-like creatures, which didn't appear to be hostile, being mostly scavenger creatures from what she could recall from her expeditions and research, Alice had no idea of what the other one one was capable of, not she could sense it well enough to identify it. Judging by how the worm-like scavengers were reacting... There was a good possibility it was a predator.

[color=8882be]"Understood. Focus on the Lure, Salvator. I'll keep the shroud up and assist in any way I can in disguising the traces to your lure."[/color] Alice said, focusing as she helped maintain the shroud that Salvator had created. 

In order to better disguise themselves for ether-sensing creatures, instead of making the shroud more powerful, Alice instead focused on making it more... porous. More like camouflage than 'invisibility'. A perfect and powerful shroud, in many cases would have an almost completely opposite effect from the one it was intended. For predators or even most opportunistic ether creatures, a field where their senses felt only a complete emptiness was as strange and worthy of closer investigation than if they had detected etheric fluctuations characteristic of other creatures. Hopefully, when coupled with the lure Salvator had just put on the corpse, it would divert the attention from whatever it was on the other side of the door to the worms instead of them.

[color=8882be]"Move slowly, be careful. I will try make the shroud match the background ether profile. It should also help with disguising your lure, Salvator. Be mindful of any ether fluctuations any of you might cause from now on."[/color] Alice whispered.

[color=8882be]"The other creature outside the door doesn't seem to have noticed our presence, at least not visually. It seems to be reacting to something, most likely to the worms. The bad news is that there is a good possibility that it is a predator. The good news is that if it is one, it is likely hunting the worms. As long as we don't make ourselves look like a more appealing prey, it is unlikely it will notice us. Whatever you do, whatever it happens, do not open fire yet. Just stay calm and wait for an opportunity for us to leave."[/color] Alice whispered, still concentrating on the shroud and assisting Salvator with his lure, while being very vigilant to any movement from the other creature outside the door.


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