Chapter 19: There’s always a bigger fish

“Nope”

I turned tail and bolted in the opposite direction. The beast let out another roar as it charged me down. This is not good, VERY NOT GOOD.

< Children! HELP Now!

Instantly a large swarm escaped my body.

<Try to poison him!>

Without hesitation, the vicious cloud of my children swarmed his entire body causing the beast to stop dead in its tracks. The beast growled and grunted and started swinging its arms around, trying to swat my children out of the air. Thankfully, they were too fast for him.

<MOTHER! His skin is too tough! We can't bite through.>

<FUCK! GO FOR HIS EYES! BLIND HIM!>

They immediately swarmed his eyes and covered them. At the same time, I turned around and charged towards him. My pincers sprang from my back with eagerness. If they can't bite through, Maybe my pincers will stand a better chance. The distance between us closed rapidly. The wolf was still flailing around blindly, none the wiser of my move j. When suddenly, the fur all around his body started glowing blue.

< SHIT! RETREAT RIGHT NOW>

They instantly pulled back just as The beast let out an almighty howl that froze the ground and the air around him.

-10 Royal Fly

<NO! ALL OF YOU! INSIDE NOW>

<MOTHER, WE CA->

<INSIDE NOW!>

They rushed over to me and flew inside as I charged the beast.

<YOU FILTHY MONGREL! HOW DARE YOU!>

I lunged like a wild animal towards the beast crossing the gap between us in a second In the same breath, I activated my [Enhanced reaction], making the world slow down around me. The beast covered its eyes as it tried to stop the bleeding. Good job, children. You didn’t blind him but you maneged to get me in close enough. My pincers straightened just as I dove straight into the beast, plunging them deep into his sides at lightning speed. Blood splattered all over us. The beast wailed as my pincers dove deeper into his body. The wolf wailed in pain.

<IM NOT DONE WITH YOU YET. YOU PIECE OF SHIT!>

Venom rushed down my pincers. Once this gets in, it's game over. Suddenly, the wolf buckled his legs as he dropped and rolled onto the ground, dislodging my pincers from his side. We fought like animals in the dirt as we tried to get on top of each other.

<GYAGHHHHHHH. GET OFF ME, YOU FILTHY MUTT!>

I swung my clawed hand toward its face, but the wolf dodged it and used the opportunity to roll on top of me. The beast howled into the sky. At the same time, I swung one of my exposed pincers towards his head. the wolf dodged the swing and wrapped its disgusting maw around my pincer

<LET GO OF ME, YOU FILTH-  AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH>

- 60 HEALTH

The wolf howled into the night as it held my pincer Like a trophy into the moonlit sky. I tried to move away, but the pain was immeasurable. The wound sent waves of unyielding pain through my body.

The beast tossed the pincer into the air and swallowed it in one gulp. Greedy bastard. Fighting through the pain, I pulled my hand out and, with one swing of my claws, tore through his stomach. His vile crimson blood squirted all over me.

Pain resistance upgraded to moderate.

The beast howled in pain from the wound. Its smug sense of victory quickly changing into pain. I instantly retracted all my pincers and braced myself. He wasn't going to take that lying down.  The beast Glared at me with rage as it started swinging at me like a feral animal. I tried to block the blows, but it easily blew through my attempts.  Swift, heavy swipes landed on my body, cracking and shattering some of the armoured plates on my chest. This is bad! I need to do something before he breaks through. I wiggled one of my arms free and swung for his face. In the last second, the beast caught on and instantly wrapped his maw around my arm.

*CRUNCH*

<ARGGGGHHHHHH>

-50 HEALTH

The wolf put all its force into crushing one of my arms, Breaking it like a twig. The broken arm sent Waves of burning pain all over my body. Suddenly it Wrapped its maw around my shoulder, crushing through multiple armoured plates like a hot knife through butter.

<ARGHHHH. YOU……BASTARD. I'LL FUCKING KIL->

Suddenly, the beast raised me into the air and started spinning in circles, getting faster and faster. My vision started to fade when he suddenly let go, sending me flying into the woods and smacking head-first into a tree trunk.

-30 Health

HEALTH BELOW 50% SEEK MEDICAL SIF SOON

The world around me blurred and was out of focus, Causing my stomach to turn and twist. A burning sensation rose from my stomach as bloody vomit flew out of me.

<This *cough* was a mistake. >

This guy is way out of my league. I need to get the hell out of here and fast! Using my unbroken shoulder, I tossed myself around and started dragging myself forward.

<Focus….we got to keep moving.>

FUCK! I said I wouldn’t let this happen again! Why does this always fucking happen to me! I swung my hand forward and grabbed another fistful of dirt as I pulled myself forward. I turned my head around, and my blood boiled as the wolf smugly walked over to me. Like it wasn’t injured. This asshole, Don’t act like those wounds I gave you don’t exist. I swear when I get out of here, Your kind is the first I’m going to purge. Mark my words.

I continued dragging myself away. The footsteps of the beast echoed behind me. This asshole, Stop wasting my time and finish me already instead of just casually walking over. I continued pulling myself away until, eventually, the wolf caught up to me. The wolf stood on my unbroken arm, stopping me from moving. I slowly raised my head towards the wolf. He glared back at me with a sense of victory. The anger inside of me boiled. If only I was able to get my poison in him, this fight would be over. Instead, I’m here glaring into the golden bleeding eyes of my killer. Wait Bleeding? I looked closer into his eyes, and yes, they were bleeding. That’s odd. An injury like that would have stopped bleeding by now. I looked down toward the jaw and saw blood coming from its mouth. And then it clicked the pincer. This fool ate my pincer! According to {Venomous constitution], every part of me is poison.

“Ha haha haha hahahaha HAHAHAHAHAHAAHA”

The wolf's face twisted in anger. He raised his paw and, in one fell swoop, put his full force into my chest, smashing what remained of the armoured plates in two.

-50 health

SEEK IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION

Green blood spewed from the gashes across my chest. Pain racked through my body, but I kept cackling like a mad person. More blood started pouring from his eyes and some from his mouth.

“HAHAHAHHAHAHA YOU FOOL. Your mother ever tell you you should be careful what you eat. HAHAHAHAH. Let's play a game. Can you kill me before my venom causes your inside to boil. Hahahahahah”

The wolf let out a vicious roar and swung at me again. But the swing sailed clean over my head.

“WHAT? HARD TO SEE WITH ALL THAT BLOOD IN YOUR EYES HAHAHAHAHAHA”

The wolf could sense something was wrong. Its brutal expression slowly changed into fear.

“HAHAHA to think the big bad Alpha would kill himself by being too greedy. HAHAHA.”

The wolf glared at me in anger again and started viciously attacking me. Blowing through all the remaining armour plates I had on my chest. Even still. I kept laughing like a madman.

-30 health

SEEK IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION

“HAHAHAHA KEEP GOING. SPREAD THAT POISON AROUND YOUR BODY. HAHAHAHAH”

*THUD*

-20 health

SEEK IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION

“HAHAHAHAHA”

*THUD*

-20 health

SEEK IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION

“HAHAHAHAHA *cough* HAHAHAHAHA”

*THUD*

-20 health

SEEK IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION

“HAHA*cough* HAHAHA *cough* HAH*cough* AHAH*cough* AHA”

*THUD*

-20 health

HEALTH CRITICAL. SEEK HELP NOW!

I watched as the wolf stood on its hind legs, ready to deliver the final blow, but just as he stood up, one of his legs buckled, causing him to keel over and land on my body. The beast tried to stand up again, but it couldn’t. More and more blood was streaming out of his eyes and mouth. His skin started to swell and puff like the others before him. It didn't take long for The wolf to start coughing up lumps of coagulated blood onto me. The wolf lifted its paw to swing at me, but he got it halfway into the air before it flopped back onto the ground. Its body twitched and convulsed for a while

[Alpha ManaBeast slain]

+1000 xp

+500 (bonus XP)

Congratulations! On reaching level 17:   6 points are awarded.

<Children……. Help…..>

In an instant, they all rushed out of my body.

<MOTHER! >

<MOTHER IS DYING!>

<WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING!>

<I HAVE AN IDEA!>

Suddenly, one of my children dove into the beast's mouth; the rest followed him in. I don't know what they are doing in there, but I trust them.

New ability added:  Feasting.

Tired of eating? Well, send your delightful children to do the job for you.

(You can now send your royal flies to eat on your behalf. Anything they’ve eaten will be transferred to you as resources as soon as they return to the hive.)

Suddenly the beast's corpse started to get lighter and lighter. Eventually, The corpse began to lose any structure it had and started to sag and flop around. I waited as the corps started to shrink more and more until, eventually, I could push it off my chest.

<Very good… how smart of you all>

Suddenly a large torrent of flies flew from the wolf's mouth and started flying around me.

<MOTHER?!>

<Im fine…. Let just go home. I trust you all know the way.>

They all gave me a salute.

Using all my strength, I rolled myself onto my front and then, using my one working arm, pushed myself off the ground, creating enough space to move my legs up so I could stand.

*HNYAHHHHHHH!!!*

Waves of pain rocked through my body, But I pushed through. I had to get home. 2 of my pincers shot out of my back, and I immediately stabbed them into the ground, using them for stability. Thankfully the bastard only took one of them. I still had 3 I could use. Finally, after several excruciatingly painful moments, I stood on my feet.

<That’s….step…one.>

Using my bottom two pincers as makeshift crutches, I started following one of my children back home.  The rest flew to my open wounds, acting as makeshift armour whilst also slowing the bleeding.

<Thank you>

I slowly started limping back home. Shit, something as simple as this is too exhausting. I Need to get home and recover before something else thinks of taking a piece of me.

<Mother? Can I ask you a question?> One of my children flew up from the cluster and landed on my nose.

<Sorry, ……..But…. can….it….wait?>

<……..Okay mother>

He flew off and joined the rest of his siblings. I'm sorry little one. But I can't right now, and besides, I already know what you're going to ask me, and if I'm being honest, I don’t know how I will answer that.

I continued limping through the forest; none of my other children came up after him leaving me and this dank forest.

*AWOOOOOOO*

Just ignore it and keep going. FUCK! How far did I go from the hive? I'm really going to need to scout this Forrest at some point. I started limping faster. Time became a blur as I limped my way through the forest.

< How…..far…is- SHIT>

<MOTHER!!!?

I stumbled and fell head-first into the ground.  My mind twisted and turned. The urge to vomit rose again, but I managed to hold it in.

<Keep going.>

Using my pincers, I raised myself again and started walking.

< How far?>

<Not too far now> The one I was following said.

<mother. I think you should rest.> another one chimed in.

<no. I will rest when I reach the hive, where it is safe. Keep going.>

I continued limping forward. My pincers ached, legs and armed ache with having to take the strain of my body, But I still continued. More howling could be heard, but I ignored it. Soon familiar trees started to come into view.

<Were almost there; throuh those bushes!>

I pushed My broken, beaten, hanging together by a thread body harder until finally, I burst through the bush-line into the camp.

<Finally home>  My vision blurred one last time before everything went black.