Hissing fiercely, the milipede lashed out at him.

Rowan slashed at the millipede. The millipede darted its head back and dodged the blow. The rake bit into the leaves, and they flew up around him. Before the millipede pulled itself back upright, he leaped the bug and chased after Kaidu, flipflops slapping over the leaves and roots. He hefted the rake over his shoulder to keep the tines from catching on the forest and sped up. "Kaidu! Behind!"

Kaidu glanced back. "Hurry up!"

The millipede surged after him, thousands of tiny legs churning the leaves. It lunged for his ankles. Rowan sidestepped out of its reach and shoved the rake off his shoulder, slamming it down on the millipede's head. The tines glanced off its thick shell, but the millipede still halted a moment. It squealed and twisted, throwing its whole body at him.

The rake is no good. Something else...!

Blindly, Rowan grabbed a tool from his bag. He came up with the hand trowel. Better than nothing! “Prune!”

Time slowed. The millipede slowed, suddenly moving at a more reasonable pace. He slashed the trowel at its antennae. Blue lights lit up at the antennae's joints. He aimed at the lowest one. The trowel met resistance, and then his hand twisted subtly, and the joint popped. The antennae fell free.

Yes! I can use this for more than making plants pretty, as long as I focus right!

The legs, the legs! He drew his eyes downward. The skill drew glowing lights through the joints in the millipede’s legs. Rowan followed the System’s prompt and slashed downward. His hand trowel met resistance again. The leg resisted its semi-sharp edge, even as it dug into the weak point in the joint.

As before, a force guided his hand. He turned his grip, and the spade sliced through the millipede’s joint, then another, then another. Green ichor spewed from the severed limbs, flying in slow motion. Ten, twenty, thirty limbs went flying. Prune guided his strike, nudging his hand into corrections as he swung. He obeyed, twisting his hand as it suggested.

The light flickered. Rowan’s strength fled, his knees weak, arms heavy. Time leaped back into motion. MP low, the System warned him.

He pumped his fist. Yes! I did it! Only half, but still--

“Rowan!” Kaidu shouted.

He snapped his head up. Behind the millipedes, the fire ants rushed at him, already almost on top of them. Rowan cancelled the skill and retreated, chasing after Kaidu.

The millipede began to run after him, only to topple to the side toward its missing limbs. It screeched, waving the stumps of its severed limbs, and started to climb back up.

The fire ants reached it. One reared its head back and bit into the millipede. The millipede thrashed and toppled a fire ant. Unharmed, the ant rolled over and jumped back up, chasing at the millipede again. The larger fire ant clamped down on the millipede’s midriff, and the littler fire ants scurried to chew at its severed limbs. Screeching and fighting, the millipede went down in a pile of red ants.

“Holy shit,” Rowan muttered as he caught up with Kaidu.

Kaidu glanced back. Fire spurted from behind them. “Fire ants are nasty pieces of work.”

“Can we jump in water to get away from them?” Rowan suggested.

“That’s bees. And it doesn't work for them, either,” Kaidu replied.

Rowan's breath came short. He wiped his mouth. “Are we going to keep running until we find the exit?”

Kaidu twisted his lips, then nodded. “It might be our only option.”

He glanced at Kaidu. The man looked serious, lips pressed together, ponytail streaming after him. Internally, he rolled his eyes. No way. We'll have to throw the ants somehow.

Still running, Rowan pulled up the map. Their green dots had moved half an inch toward the boss dot. Damn, the boss is further than I thought.

“You’re a Gardener. Don’t you have pesticide?” Kaidu asked, nodding at him.

“I’m only level nine. Pesticide hasn't even shown up on my skill list,” Rowan replied.

Kaidu clicked his tongue.

Overhead, a loud hum caught his ears. Giant wings whirred on the wind, and a shadow fell over them. Rowan glanced up. A dragonfly twice as long as his height swooped low over them, giant compoud eyes glittering in the sunlight. It darted low. The downdraft from the constantly whirring wings nearly flattened Rowan against the ground. He staggered back and bent his knees, and managed to hold himself upright.

“Why is everything so big?” he shouted against the blasting wind.

“The first floor is also known as Megafauna Forest. All the animals are larger than their normal size. Especially the bugs,” Kaidu said.

Rowan rounded on him. “What else do you know? Anything useful that you’re holding back over there?”

“I’m not holding anything back deliberately. You're the one who doesn't know anything," Kaidu snapped, frustrated.

“Stupid rich kids,” Rowan muttered under his breath.

“What was that?”

“Nothing, nothing.”