Laios had always been known for trying to eat whatever he could find in dungeons—whether it was walking mushrooms or mermaids. If he could name it, he could find a way to cook it, and he usually did within hours—minutes, if he was really focused. You were never fond of the habit, and neither were most others. Still, there was something else—something vaguely unnerving—behind his obsession with consuming these creatures. A different kind of intent, though no one could quite put their tongue on it.

“Hey, look what I found!” Laios called out with childlike excitement, holding up what looked suspiciously like a giant scorpion. While everyone else was preparing to settle in for the night, Laios was already hard at work. The rhythmic tapping of his knife echoed softly as it struck the chopping board. With practiced ease, he carved the creature into pieces—stinger discarded without a second thought.

“Oh man, I can’t wait to dig into this.” You could almost see the drool slip from his mouth and hit the floor. His stomach growled audibly, a primal, hungry sound. His fingers twitched as he worked, the veins in his hands straining with how forcefully he cut into the meat. For Laios, it was just another meal. But for everyone else? It was anything but normal.