The Ant Sworm [pt 3]

Asumi and Gooper were in serious danger as they ran through a path under the dense foliage. Asumi mused, turning his head back, "Crap, they are hot on our tail."

Asumi and Gooper sprinted with their small legs but encountered a problem as small stones and pebbles kicked Asumi's leg, slowing him down. He mused, "Crap, these stones are being a pain. Those guys are getting closer."

Asumi then managed to gain back speed before things turned for the worse. Gooper slowed down a bit to meet him, and the two of them continued, the ants behind them moving through the stones unfazed, though it slowed some of them down.

Asumi and Gooper continued, seeing a tree branch, a small brown stick fallen from a tree, now on their path. Asumi mused, "Hmm, easy." The two reached close and climbed over it with ease, passing through.

The ants came across it, and they all passed through, climbed over, crossing the obstacle without any friction.

Asumi, looking back, mused as he ran, "Damn those coordinated bastards. It was like the stick wasn't even there."

Asumi continued running on the straight path, musing, "Crap, this is bad. If things continue like this, they'll catch us for sure. We need to lose them somehow."

Then an idea struck in his mind. "Gooper!" he shouted, snapping his mandibles. Gooper turned and looked at him, seeing his signal, and replied, "Right!"

They both turned to the right, improvising with a new path, only to see a big ash-colored boulder with a rough surface in front of them, blocking their path.

Asumi mused, "Crap, now what?" The ants, seeing they changed paths, followed, turning right.

Asumi and Gooper turned around, seeing the ants sprinting very close. Gooper looked at Asumi, giving him a signal by bending his neck to the side.

Then Asumi realized what he was talking about and nodded. Then the two split, passing through the different sides of the boulder, then reuniting at the other side.

The ants, coming across the boulder, the General decided they climbed over it, moving onto the rough rocky surface as they made their way to the top.

Asumi and Gooper at the other side continued running while they talked. Asumi snapping his mandibles, saying, "Wow, Gooper, you are quite smart."

Gooper replied, "Gooper is Goober." Asumi said, "Yeah, I know that." Then Asumi, hearing little snapping sounds, turned back and saw the ant army poured down the boulder with speed, starting to catch up with them.

Asumi and Gooper sprinted, increasing their speed. Asumi mused, "I'm not going to die by a bunch of ants, not now, not ever."

Moving through the new path, Asumi and Gooper came into an opening with no grass in the rounded circular area. It was in the middle of the night, the ground was scorched and hot as if it were burnt with fire.

And right in front of them was a huge snake, red in color, with a small red gem in the center of its forehead between its eyes. It curled up into a circle, stacked up and fast asleep.

Asumi, looking at the snake with his Danger Detection skill, saw the name tag glowing the color blue, name glitching unknown, level unknown.

Asumi, his head looking upwards to the snake, said, snapping his mandibles, "My god, what the hell is this monster?" Surprised and in utter dread.

Then suddenly, the ground started vibrating with tension. He turned his head slightly and saw a glimpse of the ant army coming with speed and with a vicious look in their eyes.

Asumi turned and saw Gooper already starting to move around the snake. Gooper turned and looked at Asumi, signaling him to go through the other side.

Asumi nodded in response and quickly followed through the other side before the ants could arrive.

The ants, low-mana creatures, standing in the face of something unexpected, were unfazed and decided to go through the snake.

On climbing the snake, she woke up from the feeling of millions of mini legs stepping on her continuously.

She stretched her head, wiggling off all the ants. She then opened her eyes, her pupils crimson like blood. She looked down on all the insects who would dare step on her.

The ants, falling back again, saw her like an obstacle, getting ready to climb over her again. When she opened her mouth and a huge burst of red flames came out, burning all the ants who came nearby.

Asumi, watching from the distance, was shocked yet impressed by the monster's display of power and control. Asumi mused, "Wow, what a beast. If I had my drawing book, I would sketch this moment."

Gooper then used his mandibles to push him on his face, signaling him they should be going, but Asumi didn't respond.

The General, leading her troops, saw the significant amount of members of her squad she had lost and realized it wasn't a fight they could handle in their current numbers.

She used her horn, sending out pheromones, telling the troops to "troops move through the side of this monster, don't let the hot stuff hit you or you're toast."

The snake readied her mouth for the burst of flame, seeing they were still coming close. She opened it, releasing fire from her mouth like a flamethrower.

But the ants spread out in the nick of time. They then moved through the side and passed and left.

Coming after Asumi and Gooper with seriousness etched on their faces, Gooper knocked Asumi on the head, snapping his mandibles, saying, "Run now!"

Asumi then realized, mused, "Crap, stay focused." He turned and looked ahead and continued on the run.

Asumi and Gooper were still running inside the grass when the system prompted:

[System: Host has completed all the daily tasks.]

[Walk 10m. 10/10]

[Take 100 Bites from a Food source 100/100]

[Pebble push 10/10].

[Reward processing...]

Asumi, looking at the system, screamed as he was running when his stomach grumbled, weakening him.

He mused, feeling fatigued, "All this running is starting to make me seriously hungry." Asumi opened the system window, looking at his hunger stats:

[Hunger level: 19/100]. Asumi, starting to feel dizzy, his vision getting blurry, mused, "I don't know if I can keep going like this for much longer."

Asumi looked behind, seeing the ants still moving with speed, unfazed by their losses.

Asumi and Gooper continued as the grass kept getting thicker, covering their vision as the leaves slapped past their faces.

As well as the reflection of light coming from the moon, covered by the leaves, making it darker, and the wind started blowing with intensity.

Then suddenly, they came out from the thick vegetation, reaching an edge, only to see a huge body of water sitting in front of them - it was a river flowing with dangers and mysteries.

Asumi and Gooper paused, only for Asumi to slip near the edge, musing, "Crap, I'm going to fall." Asumi in the process of falling into the river when Gooper gripped his back with his mandibles, pulling him back to safety.

Now with nowhere to go, Asumi mused, "Shit!" Then turned and looked back, using the detection skill, and noticed the ants were very close.

Now torn between two options, frustrated and upset, Asumi muttered, snapping his mandibles, "Shit, now we are completely screwed."