The sprint back to safety

Asumi felt fear weighing heavily in his heart as he was shocked at the scene he just witnessed. He questioned the system, "How, how am I supposed to beat that?"

He scuttled through the forest floor, the bushes seemed to close in around him, twigs snapping and leaves rustling as he passed. "Oh no," Asumi muttered to himself, his voice barely audible amidst his frantic thoughts. "This is bad. I hope they didn't see me..."

Then suddenly, he faced a significant barrier: a fallen log, its rough surface blocking his way. Asumi halted abruptly, his tiny legs quivering with uncertainty as he sized up the obstacle.

Staring at the towering log, Asumi furrowed his brows. Gaining back his resolve, he muttered to himself, "There is no time to hesitate. I need to get away from here, now!"

He stretched his hand, placing it on the rough tree bark, pulling himself upwards. He started climbing, eventually reaching the top and glanced back, scanning the area for any sign of pursuit. He sighed in relief, then turned back and continued on his way.

Asumi jumped down from the wooden log, his legs absorbing the shock from the ground. Then he continued, sprinting until he came across an opening. The ground was lighter than usual and had no grass covering.

Asumi didn't think much of it except for the fact that he can't die from those menacing ants. He darted on the soil, his legs sprinting through the light surface with ease.

But suddenly, he began to slow down, his legs stuck in the ground as he tried to struggle his way through the thick soil.

Asumi looked, noticing his speed had slowed down. He looked at his feet and realized the predicament he was in. "No, this is... quicksand," Asumi yelled to himself.

But how? When did I get here? His feet slowly sank into the unforgiving ground, Asumi struggled, pulling his feet forward as hard as he could, but it only made it worse.

Asumi started breathing heavily, gasping for air as his feet slowly sank. "Geesh, what now?" He looked around for anything that could help pull himself out.

He turned his head and noticed a leaf. Asumi mused, "Great, that could help." He slowly pulled himself towards it, trying to get close, but he sank faster, the ground wanting to swallow him whole.

Getting closer to the leaf, he opened his mandibles, but it was too late. He had already sunk too deep, his mandibles couldn't reach. "I can't reach," Asumi muttered, just a little bit more. He missed grabbing the leaf.

And completely submerged into the quicksand. Then suddenly, his leg stretched out of the soil and touched the grass leaf, pulling him upwards. His second leg came out, and his third.

Together, he used all three to pull himself out of the sticky situation. Now on normal sand, Asumi shook his body, and slowly dirt started falling from all over his body.

After he was done, he sighed and muttered, "Ah geez, that was close. If I didn't click the system window on time to boost my strength, I would have been a goner. Oh well, glad I didn't die."

Then he got back up and continued his journey. Asumi continued sprinting, his legs a blur of shadow passing his previous route until he got back home.

Asumi arrived back home, a hole next to a tree at the edge of the forest close to a serene lake. The evening sun cast its warm glow as it slowly disappeared from the sky, giving way to nighttime.

Asumi, panting from all the running he had been doing, muttered, "I'm back, finally." Gooper came out of his hole in the tree opposite Asumi's.

Gooper muttered, his brows frowned, "Asumi, where have you been?" Asumi, tired, looked at Gooper, saying, "Gooper, boy, am I glad to see you."

Asumi yawned, then said dismissively, "It was just a stupid trip. It won't happen again," nodding reassuringly.

Asumi's mind was at its breaking point from what he had experienced and needed time to relax and cool down.

"Goodnight, Gooper," Asumi said as he turned, walking towards his hole. Gooper smiled, seeing his friend was alright, knowing his pupation process was close.

He went back into his hole, hopefully, he could surprise Asumi with his results. Asumi, now in his hole, the system quest popped up in front of him.

[System: Quest Name: The Level UP. 2/3 Completed, claimed]

[Yes] [No]

Asumi stared at the system window, looking at his reward button, he muttered, "Ugh, I'm so tired. I'll do that later." The quest window disappeared.

Asumi moved to the center of the maze, his movement slow and weak, dragging his back legs across the maze. He reached the center where he collapsed and fell asleep.

Hoping that tomorrow would be different but not realizing the worst was to come.

Asumi slept in the center of the maze, his body relaxed and motionless. Suddenly, a system warning prompted.

[System: Warning host is in danger. The second Ant Attack will start in 3, 2, 1,].