Six weeks and three days since Roach arrival- Lescar

Lescar ran, tears threatening to burst from her straining eyes, she ran and ran and ran.

The echoing roars of a huge monster urging her tiring legs into motion, the rhythmic and patient thumping of a large beast shaking the floor reminding Lescar of the terrible fate that awaited her should she falter.

Fists clenched and face set in a grimace Lescar raged, hysteria fraying at her dissolving sense of control 'how could they do this to her, she had followed her orders perfectly and they had done this to her'.

Lescar's hand throbbed and she scrubbed at the fresh yellow stain on it frustratedly, the yellow refusing to rub off or wash out, its stench being eye-wateringly powerful.

A mark of the betrayal that had befallen her.

Lescar grit her teeth and ran on not pausing to bandage her hand, any time spent, was time the troll drew closer.

It had only been half a day since things had turned for the worse and Lescar's mind still held the happenings as clear as a bell.

Earlier that day- The Narrator

The troll having spotted the party, bellowed gleefully, its face that had been scrunched up in anger, slackened, it had found more food and very juicy humans at that.

Yesterday the troll had killed a rat, a big fat one that was ripe for picking and thinking no one would dare take his food, he had turned to relieve himself on a sewer wall.

When he had turned back to have his meal the fat rat was gone, some filthy thief had stolen his food.

Utterly enraged, the troll had carefully sniffed about, hoping to find a scent trail, he found none that made sense, only the smell of bugs, weak bugs that were found everywhere and too numerous to distinguish.

But he was able to track the scent of the dead rat, that is until it was dragged through a waterway and he lost the trail.

Hungry and without dinner, the troll had stomped about the sewers angrily looking for a replacement.

And so when he spotted the full party of humans, he was overjoyed, humans were delicious.

The troll grinned, his huge lips splitting upon his apish face to reveal very large teeth, his eyes following the movements of two of the humans in front of him more closely than the others.

The two women shuddered visibly under the troll's lustful gaze.

"J-Joel it- it's looking at me," Tiaahn whispered, all pretense of bravery falling from her face as she drew behind him.

Joel did not respond immediately, watching the troll intensely, his eyes looking for any weakness or flaw in the trolls immense shaggy form, he could not find any, grimacing Joel finally spoke, his face returning to an impassive mask.

"We can't kill that thing and we won't be able to drive it off," Joel stated, "Trolls are known to be stubborn especially when they get angry or lay eyes upon women."

Tiaahn drew further behind Joel hearing that and Lescar's skin crawled, she had heard stories about what trolls did to women they captured, and none of them were pleasant.

"So..." Joel continued, his eyes still glued on the grinning and slowly advancing troll "We have to escape and the only way to do that is to confuse its sense of smell and split up."

Everyone blinked but no one rejected Joel's plan, even Sereth was wise enough to know that, that plan was the best one available to them.

The troll was only 25 meters away now, and was steadily and menacingly approaching, its hungry grin only widening, Joel quickly hurried to explain his proposition.

"Each of us will hit the troll in the face with one of these. "Joel gestured pulling a selection of brightly colored vials into view from his small pack. " These are powerful herbal concoctions that will deafen its sense of smell but only if you hit it in the snout, so don't miss."

Joel looked around seriously his voice low. " After that everyone will split up and flee back to the guild with luck the troll will be confused by the multiple stinks of the vials and lose track of us, letting us escape."

Everyone glanced at the vials in Joel's hands as he passed one to each member, Lescar got the red one, Tiaahn got the blue one, Joel took the green and Sereth was handed the yellow.

"Alright everyone spread out and stand ready to run" Joel forewarned gripping the green vial in one hand and his maul in the other.

Lescar turned away to distance herself from the others, spotting when she glanced back Joel clapping Sereth on the back as they moved apart, Joel muttering something she couldn't hear.

Sereth's strained face briefly relaxed after whatever Joel said, and an unseemly smile tweaked his lips.

This made Lescar feel uneasy for some reason.

The troll stepped forward confidently, believing its prey had nowhere to go, an easy meal indeed.

But it was soon stopped when Joel shouted out. "Now!" and two vials soared through the air.

Yes, only two.

One hit the original target the troll, square in the nose splashing red herbal mixture all over the troll's delicate nose.

And the second flew past the advancing troll to instead hit...

Lescar...

Lescar hissed as a scalding yellow liquid splattered on her right hand marking it yellow, in pain, Lescar turned her head, shocked, to stare wide-eyed at the thrower.

Sereth stood grinning to one side, Joel and Tiaahn standing next to him, not spread out as they had planned but clumped together apart from her, watching Lescar, waiting for it.

Waiting for the troll to fly into a rage.

With a roar that shook the very walls of the sewers, the troll flailed wildly rubbing at its nose, which only served to worsen his pain until slowly he turned toward one individual.

The troll, his precious and voluptuous nose covered in burning stinking liquids, looked hatefully upon the only creature it now saw as important, the one who had hurt his lovely nose, forgetting entirely about the three other humans quietly sneaking past him, their backs turned to Lescar save for Sereth, who shot her a shit-eating grin and waved.

Mind frozen, Lescar couldn't process this turn of events for a few precious seconds until the troll roared again and charged forward, its huge ham-like hands reaching for Lescar.

Instincts kicking in, Lescar jumped to the side, rolled and came up standing, avoiding the trolls primitive charge, the troll stumbling to halt just before her as it overextended.

Staring disbelievingly at her team, her comrades as they casually left her to die, Lescar cursed herself and her shitty teammates before sprinting to the left, jumping over a low swipe from the rising troll and sprinting deeper into the sewers.

Alone and running for dear life Lescar whimpered, a troll right on her tail.

"you were so right brother.."

Present time- Lescar

Lescar kept running but her strength was waning, soon she would have to stop and when she did that the troll would catch her.

Trolls weren't known for their speed, but for their endurance and raw vitality meaning that the troll could likely chase Lescar all day and not tire at all, something Lescar couldn't keep up herself.

She had tried to lose the troll by hiding, even rolling in the fetid sewer waterways, but the troll always found her, almost catching her a dozen times already.

The troll was still able to smell her despite the red fluid smeared on its nose making hiding useless and Lescar was sure she knew why, its sense of smell was weakened not gone and the yellow fluid staining her right hand was as smelly as the red vial, if not more.

No, she wouldn't be able to evade this troll forever but she had managed to put some significant distance between it and herself.

She could only hope it gave up, or she found an exit before then.

But Lescar was in the deep western sewers a relatively untravelled portion of the sewers and she had already long since become lost trying to avoid the troll, she had no idea how to get out of the sewers.

So she just kept moving, entrusting her life to fate's fickle whims.

Lescar kept tiredly running, her head down as she focused on moving, barely noticing the gradual change in the sewers until she almost stumbled over a large vine.

Lescar staggered forward avoiding face-planting but dropping her flaming torch which hit the floor with a wet sizzle before going out.

"Shit!" Lescar swore, "Where is that light!"

Lescar scrounged about in the dark, feeling around at the ground but finding only strange things that shouldn't be in a sewer.

"Is this grass?! and is this a vine? what the heck is this doing down here?!"

It was then Lescar realized she didn't need a torch, from the ceiling a gentle glow emitted, previously unnotable due to her torch being so bright.

The light was dim and eerie but Lescar could see if poorly, unlike the other sewer ceilings this one gave off light, and revealed a world of half-light growth and life.

Plants were everywhere, from vines to small shrubs and even what looked like upside-down trees hanging from the ceiling often covered in more glowing stuff, Lescar could also sense many animals around her, she couldn't see or hear them but her gut insisted they were watching her, the whole place felt tranquil and alien at the same time.

'What is this place' Lescar thought cautiously, she had never heard of a hidden forest in the sewers, had she discovered something new?

A new discovery could net her an impressive payout if she managed to make it back to the guild, though if she did manage to get back, she was going to get those noble brats back somehow.

Lescar ground her teeth together, just thinking about it made her furious but she was quickly snapped out of her fury when an echoing roar reverberated in the distance.

Revenge later, for now, she had to survive.

Lescar tossed aside her torch she had managed to find and stood, she wasn't dead yet and a little thing like a weird glowing forest wasn't going to stop her clawing her way to freedom.

Gritting her teeth, determined Lescar staggered forward her hand clutching her sword as she advanced into the unknown.

She entirely failing to notice a much stealthier predator following patiently behind her.

Same day same time- The Roach

Well, I found something very interesting as I was searching for food and a way out of the sewers. crawling on the ceiling but sticking to the dark patches free of glow worms, I spotted it.

A human.

The first human I have seen since my life as a bug began, apparently, my calculations were off.

It isn't a very big human either, it is skinny and underfed looking, wearing worn looking leathers and shoes, more rags wrapped around their feet though then shoes, and completing the patchy look, a stitched leather hood prevented me from spotting its facial features.

Very interested in my human visitor, I pushed back the urge to leap from the ceiling and bite them on the head, it wouldn't do to eat the first human I saw, at least... not until I interrogated it.

I hung from the ceiling observing the human, the human wielding a plain-looking sword or perhaps large dagger, the human didn't look very intimidating they looked kinda weak even.

But it wouldn't do to be careless so I used my favorite skill, analysis.

Human (Homo sapiens)

A powerful and adaptable species that dominate this world, being the most numerous sapient to ever live.

Humankind once groveled and quivered at the mercy of powerful adversaries, but now those enemies are long dead or weakened and yet humanity still stands.

Humans are culturally diverse and prolific, often engaging in bloody wars over numerous things cutting down their own numbers only for them to quickly replenish said numbers in excess.

Many humans believe themselves to be children of the lunar lord Salaar but whether this is the case or not, is unconfirmed.

'An interesting description, very 'pro-human'.' I remarked to myself.

Lescar Gestalt

level- N/A human (Homo sapiens)

age- 13 and 11 months

MIND 0045 accurate

BODY 0050 accurate

SOUL 0307 estimated

"Hmm this 'Lescar's' stats are none too impressive," I clicked subtly.

I observed the Lescar staring around wide-eyed after dropping its torch, making me cock my head.

'What? had this person never seen a glowing underground forest before?' I shook my head as I weighed up my options.

Lescar the human, had yet to spot me as I hid in the darkness of the ceiling shadows, leaving me to decide what I should do with my bipedal friend.

I looked at the human again, the human is gangly and skinny looking, malnourished being an adequate description as well, its leather-clad form isn't entirely covered either, Looking at the exposed spindly legs of the cautiously advancing human I decided that even once I finished getting what I could from this human they were just too skinny for consumption, I had standards now for what I ate, skinnies just never tasted as good.

I was decided, while it looked like I could take them in a fight and win handily, I hadn’t roamed the sewers for weeks searching for intelligent life just to eat it, no I want information, and… perhaps just a tad of friendly discussion because as it is, it is rather lonely in the sewers, funnily enough rats and roaches make for poor conversationalists.

The human is almost directly underneath me and is watching their immediate surroundings with wary eyes, time is short, who knows when I will see another human down here, I need a plan.

Looking curiously at the human called Lescar I wondered how I should approach them, they are young, a child, it is unlikely they will pose any real threat to me and my armored carapace.

Perhaps I should approach them simply, or maybe knock the child over and establish dominance?

Uncertain I followed quietly after the child, 'perhaps a scenario might occur in which I can positively introduce myself with the kid or… maybe I could make one…'

An hour later- Lescar

Heart beating wildly, Lescar in a state close to panic, eyed her surroundings, she was lost in a strange underground forest, being chased by a hungry troll and more importantly at a real risk of immediate death.

Her determination had soon given way too exhausted monogamy as she continued to jog on and as she passed a corner she met something she didn't want to see right now.

Four unusually large and agitated dire rats had just dashed around that corner, very suddenly on her.

Lescar was now in a real bind, After meeting that monstrous troll, and finding this forest the last thing she wanted to do, was fight monsters, especially with that troll still after her.

"SHIT!" Lescar cursed aloud again, she had long realized something was wrong with this strange glowing forest it was too quiet and disturbingly still, a sort of sixth sense had told Lescar earlier that something was watching her.

At the time goosebumps had formed on the back of her neck and Lescar had turned rapidly, trying to find whatever might be observing her, she had looked high trying to get a glimpse of what might be prowling, but only darkness and the flickering shadows of the glowing ceiling had been apparent.

A growing sense of dread weighing down her words, Lescar had spoken uncertainly “Who’s there! reveal yourself!” bleating like a lost lamb Lescar persevered in her anxious search even looking to the tall sewer ceiling.

Lescar had peered hard into the inky blackness. it had been far too dark to make out anything in the high arch of the ceiling, it being entirely shrouded in pitch black where the patches of glow stuff didn't reach.

Lescar's eyes and ears had told her that there was nothing here, but the niggling sensation hadn't alleviated, actually, it intensified making Lescar wonder whether some sort of spell had been cast on her.

Eventually, after a peak in the ominous feeling, the sense of being watched dissipated as if whatever had been watching her, had lost interest.

Still, Lescar had not relaxed, feeling that perhaps whatever it was might come back, it was as she began to finally believe that the thing had truly left, that her ears picked up faint sounds.

The sounds of scurrying claws on hard stone pierced by the occasional squeak.

Lescar knew these sounds, the telltale noise of an aggravated dire rat, the question was how many and how big.

Knowing that the quadrupedal beasts would easily catch up to her if she tried to run, Lescar was left with only two options, stand and fight or die.

Lescar chose the first option, turning to the approaching rats Lescar steeled herself for battle, drawing her brother's sword.

The Roach

‘Yeash! this kid puts up a stiff resistance’, I clicked to myself watching the ensuing violence below.

After chasing some dire rats towards the kid's location I sat watching the events unfold in front of me while clinging to the sewer ceiling.

The kid Lescar killed one of the rats and was continuing to stave off the other three if desperately, while the child had succeeded in injuring two of the rats it was becoming apparent that they were running out of stamina and would likely fall soon.

While I had chased the dire rats towards it in the first place, I had no intention of letting the kid die and so I kept my eyes glued on the human.

It would maximize my impact if I intervened at just the right moment.

Lescar slashed wildly at one of the rats forcing it back,

‘No, not yet.’

Lescar hacked at a second rat stumbling in the process, leaving themselves open to further attack from the other side,

’Almost…’

A rat circling to the left lept at this open weakness and bowled the small swordsman over pinning them in the process.

‘Now!’

Pushing off the roof like a coiled spring, I landed heavily on the back ranking rat, crushing it under my weight with a pained squeak,

Without pausing I lept forward ignoring the second rat in favor of gripping the nape of the rat pinning the kid, the rat struggling to bite at the child underneath them failed to notice my mandibles closing around its neck before it was too late.

With a wrenching motion, I pulled the squirming rat off the bruised and bloodied kid. The rat desperately squirmed and writhed in my jaws trying to claw its way free but I wasn’t going to have any of that.

With a sickening crunch, my jaws came down hard on the struggling rats head, ending its life in an instant.

Dropping the corpse, I turned with gore strewn jaws to look at the second rat.

It was long gone, it had wisely decided to flee.

{double kill dire rats 90 exp}

The notification converted into exp filling up my exp bar {level up} a familiar fanfare of trumpets played out while the number 7 pulsed on my visuals.

Swelling in size already, I experience the unpleasant and painful existence that comes with leveling up, my outer shell warps and stretches before hardening again, my legs snap, lengthen and form again and my mandibles feel as if they are about to fall off as they increase in size and thickness.

The whole time this was happening I felt like screaming, even though I am mostly used to it at this point,

Yep leveling up hurts a lot.

The pain passed and while I felt as if it had taken minutes, the reality was that the process had taken seconds.

Stretching my aching limbs I remarked to myself, ’another level huh’. Now it appeared that I was roughly the size of a large donkey or maybe even horse rather than a big dog, a body this large would require more food in return for its improved performance so hunting more frequently would be necessary.

Leaving such thoughts for later I turned to the kid, the kid was struggling to their feet their breathing harsh and erratic, their arms shaking like twigs in the wind, eyes wide and staring, practically boggling.

Clearly the kid had never seen a cockroach as handsome and well-kempt as me.

As I stepped toward the kid I realized two things, one the child was a girl, it had been hard to tell as she was very skinny and lacked curves but up close I could tell, and two she was holding her small sword out in front of her, drawn and pointing at me.

Surprised, I inclined my head, a clump of rat visceral falling off my trembling jaws, ‘was she intending to fight me even after seeing what I just did?” Lescar raised her sword into some sort of fighting stance before letting out a battle cry filled with all her might.

Yep, she is going to fight me.

Well, that's just dandy.