The Antventure Begins

43. Blood is Thicker than Ichor

Noooo!

Desperate to save my allies I turn on the spot and pray I have something left in the tank.

POW!

Once again, the sizzling acid streaks through the air. By some miracle my hastily aimed shot is right on the money, splashing the croc’s face where it immediately shows its restrictive properties, turning sticky as it solidifies in an instant.

The croc bellows in rage, swinging out with its prepared claw. Thanks to its vision being impeded the swing goes slightly wide.

One ant is still caught directly in its midsection and is instantly killed, torn to pieces by those terrible blades. The survivors close in and start chomping at the croc’s legs, some of them even climbing up the monster’s body to attack other places.

Why did I never think of that?

The massive monsters are still fit for fighting and I can’t be everywhere at once. I’ve done everything I can for the ants taking on the croc. Let’s hope they can survive on their own for a while. Time to take this ape out of the fight.

My Bite seems to have had some effect, its hideous bat features are twisted in rage and pain. Its dark fur, now almost completely matted with burning acid, is slowly being stripped away and the creature is carrying its right wrist, not willing to place its full weight on the limb.

This is my chance!

I run at the ape, posturing and snapping my mandibles, aggressively posing in an attempt to focus its attention on me.

The creature screams, different from before, this high-pitched shriek wobbles my insides and penetrates my mind, dizzying me and everyone else in range. This is like some crazy echolocation attack! The soundwaves are so strong that my whole body vibrates. After releasing this insane stunning effect, the monster leaps high, looking to squash me flat while I suffer from the effect of the scream.

But. It’s. Not enough!

Before he can land, I leap once more, this time in a direction he couldn’t expect, directly onto his body! Grip skill can also be used like this, monkey brain. As the Ape comes down with a shattering crash, I clutch onto his upper leg with all of the strength my tiny claws can muster.

With my newly improved Might stat it’s just enough to hold when the monster crashes to the ground.

Thankfully I didn’t neglect to toughen up my mental resistance when I raised my Willpower, otherwise I might not have been able to resist the effect as well as I did. If I hadn’t shaken off that stun, I’d be ant paste right now. Hopefully the other ants were able to manage ok, I don’t have time to check on them.

Don’t waste any time, Bite!

Energy mounts in my mandibles as they glow brighter and brighter before I close them with tremendous force!

Crushing Bite!

[Crushing Bite (II) has reached Level 3.]

The ape roars and starts slapping at itself to try and squash me or knock me off, much like a human swatting a mosquito, but I’m already gone, crawling around on the creature’s other leg preparing to deal another Bite.

Chomp!

How do you like that?

Not very much apparently. The monster intensifies its efforts to shake me off, but I won’t let go, I’m holding on with everything I can muster!

[Grip has reached Level 5. Upgrade available.]

Perfect!

[Grip (I) [?] Enhanced Grip (II): Cost 1 SP. Your feet become more resistant to effects that will limit their ability to grip, such as water, momentum.]

I’ll take it!

My claws grasp into the ape’s furry skin even tighter as I skitter around on his body trying to avoid the deadly slaps of his meaty hands.

Clambering up to his neck, and before he can react, I dig in for a massive Bite!

[Chomp has reached Level 4.]

So many Levels! This is probably the effect of battling such a powerful monster.

The massive beast shrieks in pain and hunches its shoulders against my mandibles. Something strange builds up within the ape. My feet are almost tingling.

Wait a sec…

JUMP!

ZZZZAP!

The tremendous electrical discharge flashes all over the creature’s body, crackling loudly and briefly blinding me.

Holy hell!

He turned himself into an electric bug zapper!

Arrghh. He fried two of my legs.! That seriously hurts… I won’t stop though. This bat-gorilla is going to get it.

Thanks to my amazing peripheral vision I can sort of make out what is happening with the croc. I think he’s been pulled to the ground, reinforcements might have come judging by the number of moving shapes.

Don’t get distracted. If these guys were to join forces we’d all be toasted insects.

By this point the bat-faced monster is seriously suffering. Drenched in burning acid, the visible burns must be excruciating. Without a hard carapace or even a leathery hide to protect it, the acid has eaten straight through his fur and has gone to work on his soft tissues. With no real resistance to punch through, my bites have been dealing significant damage as well.

He must be teetering on the edge by now. He has to be!

The ants here are my relatives, born from the same queen as me, my brothers and sisters! I never had much of a family on Earth, rarely saw my parents, and I had no siblings to speak of. Perhaps that’s the reason why I want to protect these monsters.

Maybe I’m just a fool, but I don’t want my idiot ant siblings to die.

Which means it’s you and me ape… Only one of us is walking out of here alive!

Red foam drips from the gaping maw of the wounded beast, mad fury burning in its eyes. You’ve got no chill, ape, that’s your problem!

My legs are still a bit shaky, that electricity zapped me fairly well. I don’t think my Regenerative Gland has anything left in the tank. If I survive this fight, I’m going to upgrade the heck out of that thing! Still no acid either. Going to have to finish it with the mandibles.

Steadying my feet, I begin to move towards the ape, circling around to the side of its injured hand. The next move will decide the battle. I watch the monster like a hawk as it glares back, almost mad with pain and anger.

Come on you big, dumb bat-faced chunk of Biomass. You’ve got a face not even your mother could love, come over here and let me Bite you!

My injured legs give way beneath me and I stumble, my poor face crashing in the dirt.

The ape howls in glee and dashes forward maniacally!

You really are stupid…

Just as it reaches me, looming over with its massive frame, both arms raised for the final strike, I propel myself and roll under it, dodging the deadly blow by inches.

Now!

I spring up next to the creature’s legs and charge up my mandibles for a massive strike.

CHOMP!

Just beneath the creature’s knee, ripping into his leg, the Crushing Bite audibly crunches muscle and bone as the Chomp passive helps my jaws puncture through any resistance.

The ape howls in pain and awkwardly swats at me, landing a glancing blow on my abdomen, but I’m not letting go.

Bite! Bite! Bite!

Slowly at first, my jaws close farther and farther until…

SNAP!

I’ve bitten clean through the leg!

My foe totters before completely losing its balance and falling to the ground with a crash. It lashes out with its injured hand, crashing a fist directly on top of my midsection.

My vision instantly blurs as the impact rattles through my entire body. Even off balance and with an injured hand this monster is still so damn strong! My carapace cracks in places as it absorbs the impact.

I hold onto consciousness desperately. I refuse to die now!

I can’t see clearly but I throw myself forward, hopefully at the monster’s head. All you have to do is Bite, Anthony! Don’t think of anything else, just Bite!

Chomp! Chomp!

Heavy blows rock my body and my eyes get darker and darker, but still I hold on.

Chomp! Chomp!

I’m not even sure where I am anymore. Not even sure what I’m doing. For some reason though I know I just have to keep biting.

Chomp!

[You have defeated a Level 13…]

Blackness.