The Antventure Begins

3. Monstrous Associates

Growls, hisses and the click-clack of claws echoed off the cavern walls. Waves of vibrations batter my antennae, dizzying me. This cavern swarms with beasts, fighting and moving through what appeared to be a thoroughfare in this part of the cave network.

Quickly as I can, I dart into the cavern, moving towards the dark shelter of a stalactite hanging like a spear tip from the roof. Flattening myself against the rock, I remain still, and cast my eyes around.

The strange blue lines pulsing in the walls are here as well, twisting and branching throughout every surface. They even wind around the pillars of pointed rock that burst from the ceiling and floor, illuminating the entire space with the same soft blue light.

Nearby, in the centre of the clearing, a basin of water perhaps twenty metres across had formed in the floor. It’s fed by a steady drip of water from cracks in the ceiling, possibly from a river or aquifer above. The water seems to be suffused with the blue glow, illuminated from beneath by veins of light in the basin floor.

The thing that makes my poor ant heart leap to my mandibles however, is the menagerie of monsters congregating around the pool. What sort of nightmare parade is this! The details are hard to make out thanks to my still crappy vision, but with the creatures being so stylishly lit from below as they drink, I can see enough.

First, let’s address the two closest to me. They appear to be a kind of dog, or wolf, each with a reptilian tail extending behind them. Their head features a prominent elongated snout filled with what I imagine to be razor-sharp teeth. The creatures take turns drinking, watching over each other and rumbling warning growls at anything nearby, tails constantly swishing.

Next to them is another croca-beast, its weight on its front legs as it leans forward to scoop water with its elongated jaws. The other monsters are definitely giving the beast a bit of space. I would too! It seems the creatures here understand to let sleeping dragons lie.

Now that I think about it, there’s not really any conflict around the water pool at all. Perhaps the denizens of this place have established an unspoken truce here at their water source? Well, that’s surprising. I wouldn’t have expected these terrifying creatures to be willing to share space, especially if they can grow stronger by eating Biomass like I can.

Since this is the case, I’ll skitter a little closer and try to see better!

Approaching the pool, one leg moving at a time, keeping as flat to the roof as possible, progress is slow. If I could sweat then water would be running off me so fast there would be a second drinking pool in this cavern! I test every foothold and sweep my antennae oh so cautiously through the air.

[Stealth has reached Level 2.]

Oh yisss!

Skill Level up! So juicy!

This confirms my suspicion of skills being trained by use. In this case, my Stealth skill has been raised by moving without being noticed by the monsters below me. This gives me a huge opportunity! Hiding here and continuously observing these monsters, moving very slightly the whole time, will allow me to gain precious information while training my Stealth.

Okay, settle down. The worst thing to do would be losing my cool.

After a few, slow deep breaths to calm myself, I continue my approach. One mistake will mean death in this place, I have to be careful in everything I do. Combat means instant destruction. Never forget, even for a moment, that being found means being killed.

Steady the ship, Anthony!

Making my way closer to the pool, the creatures on the other side are getting a little clearer. What looked like a shifting mound of a creature is revealed to be a mass of centipede-like organisms, twisting and falling over each other as they drink and rear up their bodies to hiss and clack their pointed mandibles.

I can barely make it out, but each centipede seems to have two small arms with pincers, like a crab or scorpion, and their long bodies, covered in legs, end in a sharp point.

Disgusting!

These things are massively disgusting, Gandalf. There must be ten of them piled on top of each other over there. And the way they’re writhing about makes me slightly nauseous. Must look away.

The last beast is a small, squat creature with four legs, like a lizard, but with long, stone-like spikes rising from its back. Of all the creatures here, it appears to be the least threatening, but since the other creatures are giving it a wide space there must be something about those spikes that are making them avoid it.

As I watch, there is one thought that greatly excites me, each of these terrible creatures is a possible harvest of Biomass, the red envelope of XP, waiting for me to reap!

First, preparations need to be made. Over the next few hours, diligently staying over the pool and gradually shifting my position so as to stay hidden, I observe the way the creatures move, taking special care to note where the creatures go after they leave.

The centipedes slither away to the opposite end of the cavern, and curiously the croca-beast does as well. The dogs move into a small tunnel opening in the south end, close to the tunnel I emerged from. The spiky lizard wanders off towards a wall and starts to climb up before I lose sight of it in the shadows.

Another wall dweller, eh? I’d call you brother if I didn’t have to eat you! Hehehe…

As the creatures leave, they are replaced by more slinking out of the shadows and from behind rocks.

And finally, I am rewarded.

[Stealth has reached Level 3.]

At last! My poor ant claws need a break!

It might seem effortless to hang upside down, but I’m expending energy and not eating anything. Exhaustion and hunger have steadily claimed me. Food will have to wait for now though. I’m still not ready.

Creeping back to my tunnel, I make my way back into my hidey-hole. Phew! Only when I’m enclosed in this space do I feel safe. Maybe that’s the ant coming out in me?

Never mind that! Time to work some more.

After widening the space, I use the excavated dirt to start blocking the tunnel off on the side leading away from the cavern. With my mandibles, shifting the dirt is a breeze and pressing with my body helps to compact it to form a denser barrier. It’s strangely soothing, doing this.

Usually, when a colony is excavating a nest, they would pile loose soil around the top to create a mound in order to help keep water from flowing into their tunnels. I don’t want this for a couple reasons: I’m not worried about rain down here, and I do not want to advertise my presence in such a typical ant-like way.

My plan is to try and restrict the tunnel on both sides, leaving only a small gap big enough for me to pass through on the roof. This way the larger creatures will be dissuaded from chasing me here to my hiding place. They could get through if they really wanted to of course, it’s only dirt after all, but I’m hoping they wouldn’t be bothered and find another way around.

After some time:

[Digging has reached Level 2.]

Ha! Now I can dig faster.

After a few hours of shifting dirt, one side of the tunnel is completely blocked off, leaving only a small gap at the roof.

I’m exhausted, time for a nap.

Covering up the entrance to my now much more spacious hiding hole, I loosen my six legs and sink onto the soft earth.

Only my stomach is cramping… I’m so hungry!

I know this feeling from when my family didn’t send money or neglected to put food in the fridge. I’m no stranger to going hungry.

I just have to wait. When I wake up, I’ll go to hunt my first prey.

I already have a target.