The Antventure Begins

7. Cohabitation?

These are absolutely stairs, right?

Tiny eyes boggling, I approach the cave entrance to get a closer examination.

It appears as if these stairs have been carved directly into the rock. Now who exactly would be responsible for carving into solid rock, Anthony?

Why, humans of course! This is the first tangible evidence I’ve come across that any sort of humanoid creature exists in this new world. Fantastic! I can’t help but be excited, and a little nervous. I wonder what sort of fantasy-like people live here. Will I see dwarves? Or elves!

The idea of voluptuous elf ladies is almost enough to make me giddy.

This is getting more and more interesting. Why would they bother to carve stairs into this tunnel and not the others? The answer is almost self-explanatory. This must be a frequently used tunnel, therefore they’ve made it more convenient to travel down here. Which means it’s likely for there to be more stairs nearby.

Perhaps even a path to the surface.

I crawl down the wall to the stairs leading downwards. Wow! This is actually the first chance I’ve had to compare my size to an object I can relate to in my previous life. If we can assume people in this world are roughly the same size as those in my old one, then by comparing my size to the stairs I’ll be able to make a rough estimate of how large I am. All I have to do is hop onto them.

Hmmm.

I think I’m a little smaller than perhaps I first thought. Judging by the height and length of each step, I’m probably only tall enough to come up to a full-grown adult’s knee, and I’d be roughly as long as a full stride, so perhaps a metre?

But wait! That means all those monsters who looked so terrifying and massive to me, from a human perspective, would actually be fairly small. The wolf creature would be almost waist height, the thorny lizard is even smaller than I am, about the size of a badger, and the terrifying, enormous croca-beast would be less than shoulder height!

Are all the monsters in this area super weak?

Thinking logically, it would be a great thing if they were, since I probably would not have been able to survive this long if they were strong. This does raise the possibility of there being much stronger, larger and more powerful monsters elsewhere in the Dungeon.

I’ll be doing my best to avoid those then. May our paths never cross.

Okay, since the more powerful creatures probably live deeper in the Dungeon, since that’s how it usually works in games, and this world is so strangely game-like, I’ll operate on the assumption that the safer places are closer to the surface.

I resolutely turn away from the descending tunnel and move farther into the cavern. Yes! I can see more signs of modification here and there. Every now and again there is a step carved into the floor to make passage on foot easier and carved areas at about human head height on the walls at fairly regular intervals. Are these perhaps for holding torches and illuminating this space?

In fact, the farther I travel the more signs of civilisation I see. The ground is starting to slope upwards more and more as well. Perhaps the surface is actually very close?

There are very few tunnels branching off the main cavern at this point, not even small ones. Also, the pulsing veins of light along the walls are farther apart and thinner, making the space a little darker.

Perfect for a stealthy existence like me. I’ll keep exploring!

My heart is pounding in my chest now. I might get to see a person from another world! I have so many questions. What do they look like? What race are they? Do they know magic? Is there some sort of adventuring guild that goes Dungeon exploring? Maybe I’ll be able to communicate with them somehow, perhaps sign language or some form of interpretive dance will work?

This could be a breakthrough in human and ant monster relations!

How often would they have seen a human mind trapped in a monster body? Possibly, I’m the first of my kind!

The cavern is becoming narrower, the steps more frequent, and the slope steeper. Actually… is that? I think it is!

Sunlight!

My antennae wave excitedly as they get their first taste of dim, reflected sunlight. The surface must be extremely close now.

Scuttling forward, giddy to relish the surface air on this new world, I’m gradually able to see a source of light ahead. It’s reflecting off the stone and diffusing into the cavern.

Oooo.

More human construction! It looks almost like a wall of some kind. I shift to try and get a better view, my eyes working even worse than usual under the effect of natural sunlight. I may need to get closer.

Yes, it seems like some sort of wall constructed against the side of the passage. There are small window slits carved into the stone, presumably so someone behind the wall can see and attack out.

This is perhaps a guard room? It’d make sense if you think about it. They’d put a guard room here so they can monitor the entrance to the Dungeon and fend off any monsters that approach the surface. There’s probably a guard in there right now.

Even as that thought floats through my mind, a bright red light shines through the windows. Rapid movements erupt from inside, as if someone is scrambling up from a chair.

Suddenly two people emerge from behind the wall, standing on a raised stone platform perhaps a metre off the tunnel floor. Humans! Real humans. I’m slightly sad they aren’t elves, but hey, people! They appear to be wearing some kind of metal armour with black leather underneath. They both have swords at their waist and tight black boots laced up their shins. Judging from their figures it appears as if one is male and the other is female.

The female guard is holding a crystal of some sort that’s emitting a bright red light. Is that how they detect monsters approaching? It looks as if they’re searching the tunnel, trying to identify the threat. Must be hard to find whatever they’re looking for.

The male raises both hands and incredibly, they begin to glow with a bright, burning light. He appears to close his eyes to concentrate as the light forms into strange shapes or runes that slowly revolve around his hands.

I’m stunned senseless. This is magic. Real magic. Holy smokes, Gandalf, magic is possible in the world after all! Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy. I wonder if these people could teach me?

After a few seconds the guard thrust both palms forward and the cavern erupted in light. Great flames burst out from the strange sconces in the walls, bathing the tunnel with heat and chasing the shadows away.

The second guard holds the red crystal forward and the light begins to focus and illuminate the threat.

Which is… uh… me.

What the hell am I doing!

The female guard rapidly slips the crystal into a pouch attached to her belt and rips a bow off her back while the male locks eyes with me and once again raises his hands.

He does not look friendly!

RUN. RUN. RUN. RUN. RUN!

Anthony, you stupid idiot! What the hell are you doing waltzing up to human guards when you’re a freaking monster.

My six legs start pumping into overdrive, running like crazy, weaving through the rocks farther into the tunnel. The harsh light from the flaming torches burns my eyes making it hard to see, but I can’t slow down, causing me to stumble and miss my footing.

There’s shouting and footsteps pounding on the stone behind me but I don’t turn to look. A blast of heat explodes on my right and another on a rock just in front of me in rapid succession. These are fireballs, right? Fire magic! Have mercy on me. I’m just a tiny ant!

I can only continue to run at max speed, weaving behind rocks and pillars to seek shelter.

Go, go, go, Anthony, you moron! If I survive this, I’ll bathe myself in my own acid as punishment for this idiocy. I’ll even drink from that damned pool.

A crossbow bolt slams into the stone directly between two of my legs, spraying stone shards into my carapace. Holy moly, that lady can shoot! I need some help, a distraction or something.

Maybe?

At this speed I’ve quickly made my way back to the wider cavern, and smaller tunnel entrances are appearing here and there. I try to pass close by and frantically wave my antennae to detect any scent coming from them.

Nothing from the first. Nothing from the second. Come on you stupid… YES! From the third I detect the disgusting smell I’m looking for. Screeching to a halt and turning my back-zone to point deep into the tunnel, I fire off three quick bursts of acid and take the chance to glance at my pursuers.

DUCK!

Shooting out my legs, I flatten myself to the stone as another bolt zips overhead, smashing the stone behind me.

This isn’t looking good!