[Status - Level 4 - Species: Alate Ant (Camponotus)

Skills:

Digging level 2; Acid Spray level 2; Cushing Bite level 2; Grip level 5; Grappling level 2; Scent Tracking level 3;

Mutations:

Antennae +2; Crop +3; Legs +1; Mandibles +2; Exoskeleton +2; Acid Gland +2

Skill Points: 1

Biomass: 7]

Descending from the tree was uneventful for three seconds.

WHOOSH! BOOM!

It obliterated the trunk near the base in a shower of splinters. The shock wave rocketed through the tree, blowing the base backward as the top stayed mostly in place. It slammed me off the tree with the initial shock wave, falling the last 4 meters as the tree fell after me.

In my mind, I could hear all the sirens that should blare as I fell. There is not much I can do but try to hit the ground rolling. With that, I twist as hard as I can and aim my legs to kick off in the same direction.

I have barely been alive and I may die again. Unacceptable.

The slow motion fall ends as I impact the ground. My legs bowed painfully, but I kick to the side as the tree scrapes the top layer of chitin off my legs. Metal is far superior armor.

The thundering crash of the tree and a few branches slam me down repeatedly with painful slaps. Still, I pulled myself forward, refusing to allow a death state.

I made for the tunnel I just left, clawing at the dirt to gain speed. The impacts of massive footfalls sent vibrations up my legs. I ran into the tunnel as fast as my legs would motor me forward. The change in footfalls spiking my threat assessment.

After a couple meters, a massive tremor knocked me off balance. Looking back, the tunnel was caving in and a large blue and dark blue monster was getting up from missing me narrowly. It could not fully stand upright in this tunnel, but it could still move while crouching.

I redoubled my efforts at running away and searching for the closest side tunnel. Snarls of rage and frustration chase me down the tunnel.

The best I can tell with this poor vision is that it looks to be a larger version of shadow tiger. What I really needed was to find a side tunnel. The chemical signatures smell close and there’s increasing perturbations in the air.

I could hear the mammoth tiger struggling harder, almost lunge crawling to catch up. Its breath was icy cold, and the fur seemed to chill the air around it as well. These elemental properties are fascinating. I must investigate these if I survive.

Finally! The side tunnel approaches and I pull deeply on my reserves to run as hard as I can. I refuse to die again. To fail so early in this game would be a discredit to Ameros superiority. I won’t fail again.

Seeing me speed up and veer towards a small side tunnel enrages the tiger, and it bellows out a roar that twists into a snarl. Less than a meter behind me, its claws dig into the floor as I turn to flee down the side tunnel.

I only make it a half meter before the massive paw reaches in and digs a claw through the top part of my gaster and into the wall to my left. The searing agony stabbing into my unprepared processor. It hurts, repair drones!

I use [Acid Spray] as much as I can as I curl up to bring my mandibles to bear. The tiger seemed to be in an awkward position as it struggled to pull me out. However, the pain of resisting is making me lose functionality.

I let go of the ground and use [Crushing Bite] on the chilling fur of its toes. Again and again I bite, trying to ignore the painful cold soaking into my face and fogging processor results. Just as it appeared I was going to be dragged back out, a high-pitched screech of pain rang out and the claw instantly vanished from gaster’s insides, leaving a gaping hole of pain firing into me.

[Crushing Bite has reached level 3.]

Still, I got on my feet again and ran with all I had. I will not fail again.

Another roar chases me down, and a chill comes over me, causing a slight shudder. What was that? Looking back, I can see a ball of ice growing at the entrance of the tunnel. Threat assessment is ringing in alarm in response.

I climbed up the wall and onto the ceiling before the ball stopped growing. A moment later, the ice ball roared down the tunnel. Tucked as tightly to the ceiling as I could, the ball flew close to the floor, right where I would have been running.

It hit the floor further down and sent up a cloud of dirt as it dug a trench, exploding in sharp icicles. Dangerous.

Another snarl of rage from the tiger as it began digging to get into the side tunnel. A.I. hunting zealots are the only match for this tiger in persistence. After gaining some distance, I ran out of stamina. The claws of my legs hold more weakly with each step until they cannot hold my weight.

With a painful thud, I lay on the floor for a moment. The snarls and fierce digging still echoing down to me.

This game is beyond any experience I have ever had.

I want to experience more.

I will not fail.

In order to get up, I focus on breathing, then heave myself onto my side, and painfully on my legs. I calculate that the size of space allows a scaling level of power and size. I walk carefully down the tunnel at a steady pace. The tunnel curves to the right and inclines, reducing visibility and making it much more tiring.

The vibrations of an angry tiger fade below detection thresholds, warranting a lowering of the threat level. With no sign of any other monsters yet, I decided to use [Scent Tracking] to see if there was recent traffic.

No matter how thoroughly I scanned the floor, there were no other scents in this tunnel. I clack my mandibles together, trying to create alternate processes than just pain input monitoring.

I hear the sharp clack of what must be a four-legged animal trotting this way. Stopping long enough to turn for the wall and I make for the ceiling. I stick to the inner side of the curving tunnel, hoping to avoid being seen too quickly.

The steps become clearer as it approaches. With a wet snort announces its entrance. A dark hairy mass that is short but bulky. There’s a stripe of lighter colored hair along the spine.

Finally, biomass.

I time my steps with its steps, hoping to land on its side by edging closer in. Just as it’s about to reach me, I let go with my front legs. As it takes the step before it reaches the target mark, I let go with mid legs and hold [Grip] like no other. It lowers its head to prepare for head-butting me, but I pull myself up out of the way.

With the click of its toes on the stone floor after it misses, I let go completely. Fortunately, it was not far to drop. I fell across its back partially, but my head did smack onto the floor still.

Surprised by the impact of my fall, the creature stumbled heavily and cried out. I grabbed its fur, trying to work a solid [Grip] on the target. After tearing a few chunks of fur out, I got a solid hold as it landed on its side. My head lay by its neck, with my gaster having slid down towards its rear flank.

No matter how the biomass fought me, it could not wrest free of [Crushing Bite]. Slamming me into the wall and thrashing more weakly as the damage piled on, it was no use. It finally collapsed.

[You have defeated a level 3 Dente Porcus.

You have gained experience.]

Without hesitation, I started eating. Delicious.

The biomass is only one for the carcass and one for a new profile, leaving me enough to get the Crop to +5. That frost tiger is quite fearsome, I do not calculate these biomass points alone will be enough. I see no reason not to increase potential consumption rates so far.

[Would you like to upgrade your Crop +3 to Crop +5? This will cost 9 biomass.]

Yes.

[At this level you may choose a mutation advancement, select from the menu.]

A list of options appears in my mind and all the idle processing power I have spun up to full overclock mode. The options were quite peculiar, beyond any option in human made games.

One option allows you to set biomass on fire and then you can spit it back up as a weapon. There are other options that seem to fit the most probable magic disciplines. Being able to eat more biomass will mean more for my colony later.

More storage options seems the most likely, but there are many interesting options such as one that reduces the penalties on eating monsters a lower tier than myself. This makes it even more necessary to eat as much as I can now, but then I delay becoming more powerful.

The exhaustion of the events caught up to me and I calculate that proceeding further is dangerous. I dug into the wall as I contemplated this list of options.

If these options are more or less applicable to my other parts, mutations themselves should be a powerful means of improving my combat power. I need nothing more than storage for now.

[Would you like to upgrade your Crop +3 to Deep Crop +5? This will cost 9 biomass.

Be aware, at your current stage of evolution you can longer advance your Crop.]

Yes. The sparking showered my insides as the crop rearranged itself to its new form, leaving me occasionally to twitch until it completed. Finishing up my small chamber, I seal up the up entrance and settle in to let my gaster finish healing and rest.

[Digging has reached level 3.]

A skill up is a nice way to end the cycle.

Slowly my senses made sense and became cohesive, as if my processors were still booting up fully. I did not feel as well rested, but the chamber felt cooler than before.

I tried my best to focus through the sluggish processing, but I detected the vibrations of what had to be digging. Alarmed by this development, I immediately began digging back out into the tunnel.

As I broke out into the tunnel, the sounds of snorts and heavy breathing of a large animal clawing at dirt. Looking back, all calculations ceased.

The freezing tiger was digging out this small tunnel into a medium-sized tunnel to come after me! This monster is bent on my demise, I must flee further.

Once out of my hole, I took off at full speed up the curving tunnel. A loud snort and series of obvious sniffing sounds chased me up the tunnel. Out of sight of the tiger now, a roar boomed up the tunnel after me, spurring my legs to move just that much faster.

The air in the tunnel shifted suddenly, being drawn back down the tunnel towards a large sucking force before settling again. Threat potential continues to rise despite the growing distance. Even a dozen meters away, it does not improve.

The surrounding air dropped rapidly in temperature as a low pressure wave rolled over with carapace, freezing wind hurtling behind it, sending me rolling down the tunnel. My processing abilities suffered under this assault of cold, but I struggled to upright myself as the temperature continued to drop.

By the time my feet were under me, the cold made them imprecise. I stumbled several times before I could manage any amount of haste.

Checking my status, I confirmed my dwindling HP that I had restored. After another 18 meters, I got clear of the freezing range and my HP stopped dropping. Just 1 less HP than before I fought that boar monster. It would have been better to ignore it and run ahead. Perhaps catching it if it fled.

I calculate these weaker creatures lack the intelligence of higher-level ones or myself. I calculate it is likely that my species is normally much less intelligent. Perhaps moving higher up will provide more monsters on my level. At least stalking these small tunnels will eventually get me there.

I take to the ceiling again, favoring the ambush. The tunnel curves more sharply to the right as I make my way, which is quite unfavorable. Focusing on breathing more evenly, my footing, and the tunnel ceiling’s landscape before me as much as I could with compound unfocused eyes.

My calculation is that this tunnel is spiralling upward in a tightening circle. The pattern holds as the tunnel steepens while still curving. Wherever this is going, it is my only option besides trying to dig back towards another tunnel. However, I would rather go further down the path of least resistance while being chased for my life.

It will not always be like this.