Rolling through the desert where more than 300 pillbugs, running for their lives from a giant black mountain-sized creature...

On the front were the fastest ones, [Nature Isopoda]'s and [Nature Armadill]'s, together with their [Lord],

a red pillbug with red earth spikes growing on his shell.

Behind them were [Fire Isopoda]'s, [Flame Isopoda]'s, [Fire Armadill]'s and [Water Isopoda]'s.

Even though they were right behind the first group, they were slowly being hunted by the black mountain behind them...

[Earth Isopoda]'s and [Earth Armadill]'s were the slowest in the group,

so even though they were right behind the second group, half of them were already eaten or squashed by the black mountain.

Anyone larger or slower than them was already dead

or still fighting a losing battle at the [Colony] against two more black mountains...

[Wind Isopoda]'s and [Wind Armadill]'s were gliding through the sky around the gigantic black mountain,

attacking it with [Wind Magic], using wind slashes to buy time for their escaping brethren.

Most of them have already given up on life, simply attacking the creature out of instinct to protect the others.

Their [Lord], the most intelligent and self-aware pillbug in the [Colony]

was the first and only one that decided to flee from the [Colony], after realizing that they have no chance of winning.

He sends a message using a rare skill [Telepathy] to all pillbugs under his command to flee with him,

hoping that they could survive and later rebuild the [Colony]...

The luck was unfortunately not on his side...

..........

More than 100 years ago, a bunch of newborn pillbugs formed a [Party] and made the big mountain in the desert their nest.

Over time, the nest slowly expanded when more and more pillbugs started joining their [Party].

And like that, the [Colony of pillbugs] was formed.

And now, more than 100 years later, only one pillbug from the original [Party] stayed alive,

the one pillbug that rules over the entire [Colony], the [World Armadill Queen].

While not the strongest pillbug in the [Colony], [World Armadill Queen] was a very rare race that could breed and lay eggs,

something that even [Armadill]'s were unable to.

This made her the most valuable pillbug in the [Colony], something that even their neighbor [Colony] didn't have.

No longer would they need to look for eggs in the desert, that appeared all over the place from who knows where,

fighting other colonies over them and then protect them from wild pillbugs on their way back to the [Colony]...

Now that they could increase their number from within their [Colony],

they could dedicate their time to reinforce their defense and expand the colony further, while other gathered food.

This made their colony grow in size and power, their hunting ground also expanded...

However, this didn't sit well with their neighbor colony that was a lot older and larger than theirs.

Not only were they becoming a threat, but the neighbor colony also lost a large chunk of their hunting grounds.

That was the last straw for a war between colonies to break out.

Skirmishes were happening for years, with each colony trying to reduce their opponents number,

and those that died in those skirmishes were then scavenged as food.

Amid that chaos, one peculiar pillbug was born. He looked just like any other newborn pillbug, just another [World Isopoda].

However, he was a lot smarter than the rest. Well, not that it mattered at that time...

He was living in the deepest part of the mountain with his brethren, right next to the [Queen].

While those born in the desert could feel such a strong bond and unity with only those they formed a [Party],

those that were born from the egg, laid by the [Queen] all were like family.

They all shared a bond with each other, so there never was a fight in the [Colony] between pillbugs.

This resulted in them never gaining any useful skills or experience, staying forever as [World Isopoda].

Usually, after spending about a year in the deepest part of the mountain,

young pillbugs would be brought to the surface and be assigned a job like digging, guarding (patrol) or dismantling food.

Only those that showed themselves to be worthy would be allowed to go hunting together with an older pillbug.

However, they were at war and it just become a full-blown assault on each other's colony.

What was previously a rule become nothing, and any pillbug that was about one year old was sent to the front lines.

They were expendable... And that smart pillbug too, was expendable...

With his whole life turned completely upside down, together with his brethren, he fought for his life.

In the battlefield full of pillbugs, even one mistake could cost him his life or at least cripple him completely...

And so he adapted to his new environment, he killed and he evolved...

While his brethren fell one after the other, he continued to fight and evolve again.

He slaughtered his enemies, he devoured them and even achieved his third evolution.

After a long and a drawn-out war, they finally managed to enter the deepest part of their enemy colony.

There, they killed all enemy [Commanders] and their leader, that just evolved into [World Armadill Queen].

The battle was long and hard, many of their warriors lost their lives, but in the end, they won...

That was around 20 years ago. Since then, their colony was rebuilt and expanded even further.

They have become the rulers of the desert. No other colony has even dared to approach them,

and with enough hunting grounds, they had enough food to feed their growing population.

However, without a formidable enemy, less and less of their population even managed to get their first evolution.

Barely any managed to reach their second one...

While their colony has become big and strong, their population have become weak...

And he, the one who survived through hell, hated that.

He, who was once born as an expendable [World Isopoda] has become the pillar of their [Colony].

He was now a rare race [ManaKnight Armadill Lord], the strongest pillbug in the colony, just as important as the [Queen].

With the important and rare skill [Telepathy] that allowed him to send orders and messages to others through thought,

he and the [Queen] were irreplaceable.

And now, he was just another pillbug running for his life from one of the monstrosity's

that destroyed their [Colony] like a sand castle.

..........

As the giant cloud of sand rise toward the sky,

the sound of hundreds of pillbugs rolling was disrupting the peace and quiet of the desert.

Behind them, the giant menacing silhouette slowly revealed its ugly appearance...

A giant bug, black as the night sky that looks completely out of place in this desert during the day.

On its shell, thousand gigantic black rocks were growing toward the sky,

making the creature look more like a moving mountain then a living creature...

It has six legs, each ending with drill-like objects.

On its head, comically long black mandibles were reflecting the sunlight...

From the perspective of the running pillbugs, it really looked like a moving mountain...

Despite those pillbugs rolling at full speed, making the creature look slow in comparison,

it still managed to catch and eat them one by one, while using its six long legs to squash the rest.

There were still a lot of pillbugs that we're following after their leader,

but more and more we're separating from the group, running in the opposite direction...

..........

As I look at the creature in the distance that was coming in our direction, only two thought comes to my mind.

One was [Is that... a beetle? Yep, that's a weird-ass looking gigantic beetle...]

and the other was [OH SHIT, RUN!!!!!].

With adrenaline hitting me like a truck,

I look toward Leafy that was also looking in the direction from where that gigantic beetle was coming.

When our eyes met, both of us already understood what we had to do.

Quickly crossing the canal that we made to be tricky to cross while rolling,

we started rolling toward the direction from where our yesterday's guests came from,

out of the path where other pillbugs and that beetle are heading...

Shit, I got all of this wrong. My perception of size was based on the thought that we are the average size,

but that was just a baseless assumption!

We aren't the average size, we are TINY !!!