Chương 6: Drop & Swing

Ants were among the most tenacious creatures I knew of. Once ants decided something threatened their colony or could benefit their hive, they pursued that objective with relentless determination. The worst part was that despite my recent evolution, they were still faster than I was. Even if I turned and fled immediately, I doubted I could create enough distance to escape.

Their numbers stretched beyond what I could see, and the vibrations beneath the ground suggested the swarm extended far beyond the ants currently visible before me. Which left me with only one thing left to do to boost my chances at survival. I activated Defense Curl. I drew my body inward as tightly as possible, curling into myself until the softer portions of my body were protected. A strange sensation spread through my exoskeleton as the Skill took effect.

My outer exoskeleton felt denser somehow, tougher, as though something had reinforced every inch of it. The improvement was not dramatic enough to make me feel invincible, but it was enough that I noticed. Whether that difference would matter against an army of ants was another question entirely. As the ants continued to close in around me, I found myself hoping desperately that the System had not exaggerated the effectiveness of my newest Skill.

And despite myself, I actually prayed that these creatures would leave me alone sooner rather than later. The ants soon reached me. Tiny impacts struck my curled body from every direction as hundreds of ant bodies swarmed over me, their legs producing an unnerving sensation as they crawled across every inch of my exoskeleton. Then the biting began. Hundreds upon hundreds of tiny jaws clamped onto my body almost all at once.

The reinforced shell granted by Defense Curl prevented them from immediately piercing my defenses, but that offered little comfort. I felt every scrape and every probing mandible searching relentlessly for a weakness in my armor. As minutes passed, the ants showed no sign of slowing. More and more of them piled atop their comrades, pressing against me from every direction. Despite my urge to try and fight back somehow, I knew that there was nothing else I could do.

All that remained for me was to endure and pray that my poison would break their resolve before they broke mine. Gradually, however, I began to notice a change. The crushing pressure surrounding me was no longer increasing. If anything, it seemed to be fading. The constant biting became less frequent, and the vibrations that I once felt all over began to diminish. Had enough of the ants succumbed to my poison that the swarm was finally beginning to reconsider whether I was worth the effort? I certainly hoped so.

While I had every confidence in the potency of my toxins, confidence was considerably easier to maintain when one was not being buried beneath a living mountain of insects. I remained curled for several moments longer, unwilling to trust my optimism too quickly. But as more time passed, slowly, I began to relax and uncurl. Once I had fully emerged, the sight that greeted me was nothing short of astonishing. Hundreds of ant corpses littered the forest floor around me.

Beyond the carpet of dead ants, I could see the survivors retreating, the once unstoppable tide of red finally breaking apart as the remaining ants withdrew. It seemed the swarm had ultimately reached the sensible conclusion that attempting to turn me into their next meal was simply not worth the cost. [You have killed: Red Ant Swarm (Level 4)] [Experience Awarded] My relief at surviving quickly gave way to curiosity as I examined the message.

So, for the purposes of awarding experience, the System apparently considered the entire swarm a single creature rather than many different individual ants. The arrangement seemed efficient enough, though I could not help noticing one disappointing detail, the experience reward was underwhelming. In hindsight, perhaps it should not have surprised me.

The ants had posed a threat through sheer numbers rather than individual strength, and despite the considerable distress they had caused me, they ultimately inflicted very little actual damage against me. The fact that the swarm had chosen to retreat suggested that many of them had survived. No matter, the encounter had still provided valuable experience, both literally and figuratively. Besides, there was still plenty of daylight remaining.

The forest undoubtedly contained greater opportunities for me to gain more experience.

My pitiful speed as a caterpillar ensured that any journey deeper into the forest unfolded at a glacial pace. Every fallen twig became an obstacle worthy of careful navigation, while exposed stretches of soil left me feeling rather more vulnerable than I cared to admit. Eventually, I climbed the nearest tree to spend the night above the forest floor, for safety's sake. Perched upon one of the tree's many branches, I occupied myself by nibbling at the surrounding leaves while allowing my thoughts to wander.

My elevated position afforded an excellent vantage point from which to observe the forest below without constantly fearing that something considerably larger would harm me. It was during this leisurely meal that opportunity presented itself. Or, to be more precise, it wandered directly beneath me. The undergrowth rustled softly as a tapir emerged into the clearing below. Roughly the size of a smaller deer, the creature possessed a muscular frame covered in black and white hide.

Its most curious feature was the short, flexible snout extending from its face, which swept across the forest floor as it searched for food. Every so often, it paused to sniff at something before continuing onward, blissfully unaware that I was right above it. It was time to put my plan into motion. With some luck, I needed only to fall onto the tapir with enough force to drive those spines into its hide, and after that, my venom would do the rest. Did you know this story is from Royal Road?

Read the official version for free and support the author. A creature of this size would almost certainly provide a considerable amount of experience, perhaps even enough to bring me significantly closer to my next evolution. Naturally, I was not blind to the risks. Should my landing prove less than ideal, the tapir would almost certainly panic. It might throw me aside before enough venom entered its bloodstream, leaving me battered, or worse.

There were undoubtedly countless ways this scheme could end badly, yet my curiosity, my ambition, and my desire for greater power had long since overwhelmed the timid instinct that urged caution. With my decision made, I began positioning myself. I crawled along the branch until I was directly above the tapir, testing each section of bark before shifting my weight to ensure I did not accidentally dislodge myself prematurely.

I adjusted the angle of my body several times, carefully rotating until the countless venomous spines covering my back faced downward. My grip tightened against the bark as I leaned forward ever so slightly, judging both the distance below and the creature's position. As though conspiring in my favor, the tapir suddenly ceased moving for a few seconds. It let out a breath before lowering its head, remaining perfectly still as if pausing to rest. I couldn't have asked for a more accommodating target.

I loosened my grip upon the branch, allowing my body to inch forward until I finally let go. The descent proved considerably more dramatic than I had anticipated. When I had conceived this strategy, I had neglected to appreciate just how tall the tree actually was. The rushing air swept over my body with alarming speed as the forest floor surged upward to meet me, and an entirely unhelpful voice in the back of my mind began listing every conceivable reason why this had been an appallingly reckless idea.

There was a fleeting moment in which I came close to regretting my choices. In a few seconds, I made direct contact with the tapir. My venomous spines drove into the creature's thick hide, and I felt dozens of sharp points pierce flesh almost simultaneously. The sensation traveled through my entire body as the spines embedded themselves deep enough to deliver their venom, and despite the jarring collision, I was satisfied by my success.

Crude though my strategy had been, it had accomplished exactly what I had intended. My venom was now coursing into the unfortunate beast, and all it had cost me was a terrifying plunge that I fully intended to pretend had never frightened me in the slightest. The tapir seemed to have its own ideas though. With a panicked cry, the creature bucked violently, twisting its body from side to side as it desperately attempted to rid itself of me.

Every frantic leap sent me lurching in another direction, while each violent shake threatened to tear my grip away entirely. The world dissolved into an incomprehensible blur so rapidly that I quickly lost all sense of direction. The relentless thrashing proved too much for even my determination. My hold finally broke, and I was hurled through the air. I struck the ground, bounced across some leaves, ricocheted off an exposed root, and continued tumbling until I was stopped by a small rock.

Though my vision continued to sway unpleasantly, I could still hear the tapir thrashing about. My venom was already injected, and now all that remained was patience. It was rather satisfying to know that despite all of its size and desperate resistance, the outcome had already been decided the very moment my spines pierced its hide. [You have killed: Black and White Tapir (Level 14)] [Experience Awarded] [You have Leveled Up! 10 >> 12] [Strength +1, Agility +1, Mana +2] [New Skill Acquired: String Shot] By the time the dizziness finally subsided, I lifted my gaze toward the tapir's motionless corpse with no small measure of satisfaction. The beast lay sprawled across the forest floor exactly where it had collapsed, defeated by a creature it had never even noticed until it was far too late. I could scarcely blame the System for rewarding such brilliance. If anything, I considered the new Skill that I received long overdue.

[String Shot] The user fires a strand of adhesive silk comparable to spider silk. The strand can adhere to most surfaces and is easily capable of supporting the user's body weight. The description was regrettably brief, which left one rather important question unanswered. From where exactly was I expected to fire this string? Depending upon the answer, I might have been forced to reevaluate my opinion of the Skill entirely. If it emerged from around my mandibles, then all was well.

If, however, it originated from... my other opening, then I foresaw several deeply embarrassing logistical complications that I would prefer not to think about too much. I focused intently upon the Skill and attempted to force the mysterious string through my mandibles. A faint pressure built within me before a thin strand shot forward, sailing through the air and attaching itself to the stem of a nearby plant. With the confirmation of where this silk came out of, my dignity remained blissfully intact.

My attention turned toward the strand itself. I tugged cautiously, expecting it to snap almost immediately, yet it held firm. Curious, I pulled harder, shifting my body from side to side as I tested its limits. The string remained taut, flexing only slightly beneath the strain without showing the slightest indication of breaking. Seeing how the string was durable, there was one application of this skill that I was very eager to test. I released the strand before selecting a considerably more ambitious target.

Climbing the nearest tree, I searched for a branch positioned high enough to provide a suitable angle. Once I had found one, I carefully adjusted my position until I was facing the underside of another branch that was higher up. My first attempt failed rather spectacularly. The strand shot forward, fell frustratingly short, and dangled uselessly in midair before falling down. Evidently, I had greatly overestimated its maximum range.

Several additional attempts followed, each allowing me to refine my understanding of the Skill's limitations. Eventually, I estimated that the maximum length of my String Shot measured roughly ten times my own body length. The figure was only a rough estimate, but it was good enough for me. I climbed higher before selecting another branch. This time, I judged the distance far more carefully. The strand launched from my mandibles, stretched through the air, and attached itself beneath the branch.

Slowly, I loosened my grip upon the bark until the string alone supported my weight. For a moment, I hung there, suspended high above the ground, confirming that it was more than capable of supporting my admittedly modest mass. Then I began to swing. At first, the motion was little more than a gentle pendulum, but I quickly learned to manipulate my body's movement. By curling and extending myself in rhythm with each arc, I steadily increased my momentum.

Every successive swing carried me farther than the last, and before long, my swings became wider and wider. Crawling had always been painfully slow, but with this new Skill, I no longer had to rely solely upon my tiny legs to get around. With sufficient planning, favorable terrain, and some bravery, I could traverse the forest far more quickly while simultaneously honing String Shot through constant use.

All I had to do was release the strand at precisely the right moment and let momentum carry me toward my next destination.