Bang.

The clash of steel hitting steel reverberated throughout the cavern. Red’s blade connected with one of the creature’s legs and yet to her shock –

“Tch… That’s not rock at all! You’re made out of damned steel!”

The realization struck her like lightning as she drifted backwards to make some space in case of a counterattack. And as expected, a leg stabbed precisely where she was just a second ago.

The Still Hungry pressed forward. It clearly saw Hatchling Red as easy prey. An impending, bony arm was due to meet with her skull. But there was no fear in her eyes. Rather, Hatchling Red only grinned with vigor.

“Two can play that game then!”

Clang.

The protrusion was met with the rocky back of a Rock Bug which flipped itself onto its side to shield her from the attack. It temporarily stunned the Still Hungry, creating room for her to commence a counterattack of her own.

What she had performed was called a ‘Stagger’.

 

Stagger

< A temporary window where a target is open to a guaranteed Critical Strike >

 

[Huntress’ Slash] was not necessary in this brief instance. She leapt to the side of the Rock Bug and thrust her spear forward into the underbelly of the Still Hungry. Yet to her surprise, there was no mouth to be found beneath it, neither did it have eyes or similar openings.

“I don’t know how you five-legged creeps eat, but I hope you like skewers!”

The proboscis managed to penetrate deeply into it. A crack formed around its steel-like carapace as it swung again, striking the Rock Bug rather than her.

 

Still Hungry | HP: 210

 

“75 plus 80 –!?” Before she could finish doing the math in her head, her instincts kicked into overdrive.

Her body moved before she could react as she took cover behind the Rock Bug again. Red hot magma gushed from the cracked opening.

“Times 10… 1,550 – So your DEF stat has to be around 260 then!” She was able to tell precisely just how much DEF it had from that one attack alone.

This unfortunately meant that she could not even dream to damage it without the aid of [Huntress’ Slash]. But she did not need to. The lava quickly pooled beneath it as it flailed its arms at the Rock Bug but to no avail.

“Rock Bugs! Don’t let it attack the Still Unborn!” She commanded before backing off, abandoning her spear before taking another out from her back.

The Still Hungry immediately ceased its attacks on the Rock Bug the moment a Still Unborn threw itself towards the Still Unmoved. It crawled towards the unmoving woman, caring not of its gaping wound. The spear melted away as it strode shakily over a pool of its own blood.

It was as though it was fighting against the strings that puppeted it.

“… Is that what hunger is supposed to be?” Red hoisted the spear over her head before she threw herself over the back of the Rock Bugs. “Something you can’t dictate and let control you!?”

Her emotions were high, and the glow of her blade intensified further. She leapt over the magma pool with nowhere to land in sight. She was doomed to fall to a burning death.

But she had a plan despite this.

The pale spear in hand was used as a pole to further propel herself forward as she followed the bloody trail of [Huntress’ Slash]. With the twirl of her blade, and her eyes glowing brighter than the lava itself –

“DON’T GO TOUCHING OTHER PEOPLE’S PREY!”

– She severed the sinew strings holding it.

 

< Critical Section Broken! >

< You have broken a crucial part of the Still Hungry >

 

< Entities will be incapable of using certain attacks or abilities when a section is broken >

 

< Broken sections may be targeted to deal 2x damage if applicable >

 

Despite the news zero damage was done to the creature itself. This also meant that the Still Hungry consisted of two critical parts – the body and the strings. Destroying the sinew strings was a direct shortcut to eliminating them since it also seemed to have much lower DEF stats.

It only plopped down with a heavy, mangled thud. Lava ceased gushing from its wound, now becoming slow trickles as its limbs struggled to move without the influence of the strings. But that did not mean it was still incapable of fighting.

Limbs were thrown ravenously against the Still Unborn, only to be blocked by the protective Rock Bugs. However, its struggle was short lived.

Because it had yet to realize that Hatchling Red was standing on top of it.

“So this is your weakness!” She raised the spear high and thrust it downwards into a fleshy lump sticking out from where all limbs intersected. “The bloody trail knows everything, huh! Die – die! DIE!”

Though it was only supposed to take one last strike to kill it, she struck it multiple times as it curled into itself. She leapt and abandoned the proboscis just in time before its limbs slammed shut where she was like a bear trap. It twisted, rolled and finally collapsed into itself; the pale armor shattering like the shell of an egg.

What was left behind was a putrid lump of red, pulsating meat. But it was by far the most tastiest thing she had devoured since!

“Rockie! Use tackle! That’s our – my food burning up!” She commanded and at once, Rockie rushed in to headbutt the lump of meat out of the lava pool.

It rolled and crashed into a nearby pillar, causing the world cavern to shake in tune with the distant explosions.

“Good riddance. Stupid allegories made manifest. Were those strings supposed to symbolize instinct? Help me out here Agate!” Hatchling Red sighed as Rockie came up to her with expectant eyes. “What do you want now? A praise? Heh.”

It nodded.

Rockie nodded as if understanding her as it pressed its head against her stomach, nudging her for a headpat.

“Alright – Stop – Don’t keep pushing me! I’m seriously going to fall over! Gaaaaaah! Here! Pat pat pat!”

Rather than a head pat, she drummed on its head with the palm of her hands. It was more than satisfactory for Rockie who shivered in delight. A long sigh left her lips as she turned back towards the meat, rubbing her hands in preparation for the grand feast.

“Huh – Imbeciles! Idiots! What kind of slave eats before their master!”

However, the Rock Bugs were already enjoying the meal way ahead of her. Others bumped their heads against her, knocking her around like a pinball as they begged for a headpat as well.

“Grrr! I’ll never forget the day you betrayed Hatchling Red, you idiots!”

 

* * *

 

< Stats From the Still Hungry Gained >

 

< Huntress’ Slash has gained a level >

 

< Friends! Has gained a level >

 

 

 

< ACTIVE SKILLS >

(O) Huntress’ Slash I [5/10]

(O) Punch [2/10]

(S) Friends! [8/10]

(E) Appraise Object [6/10]

 

* * *

 

Something approached them as they munched on the rancid meat. The sound of something being dragged along the ground piqued Hatchling Red’s immediate attention just as a black, opaque gemstone rolled out from the chunk of meat.

It was the Still Unmoved.

 

< Observation Level 3 >

< The Still Unmoved is inspired by your actions. It wishes that it too could break free from the strings that bind it >

 

“Then why did you walk into a spider’s nest in the first place?”

Hatchling Red’s question could not be answered by such a being. Its legs which had been severely atrophied was not able to hold the woman upright, so she had to drag herself along the ground with hands that could not grasp.

The woman only stared at her with eyes hidden behind pale strands of hair. She did not even react when she was offered a piece of meat.

“Good. I was gonna tear you off that pillar anyway.” Hatchling Red approached her and picked her up. “You’re… way lighter than I thought! Hey, you watch over her. She’s our ticket to good health!”

She plopped her on the back of a Rock Bug and prepared to depart. In her hand was a gemstone containing the blurbs of the Still Hungry’s Origins. It was a shame she could not see the Still Unmoved’s one. She’d have to kill her first but her usefulness did not warrant turning her into a gemstone.

“Hang on tight. We’re going to be moving full speed ahead to the light. By the way, got a name?”

Even though she was a monster, Hatchling Red spoke to it as though it was a person. It was the only thing that resembled a human. Perhaps she wanted to use her as practice for when she finally met with a real person.

She didn’t know the reason why either. It was a compulsion born from nowhere.

“No name? Me too. I call myself Hatchling Red or Red but I don’t even know if that’s a good name or not.” Red shrugged, hopping onto the Rock Bug’s back, and smacking its side with her last pale spear.

This was an order to move onwards. Although they did not move until every last piece of the flesh lump was gone.

“Still can’t talk? That’s fine too. Haaaah. Hey, wanna know what people used to call me? The Vengeful Red Hooded Assassin! Back when I hunted fairytales with a giant boomstick!” She bragged, and the Still Unmoved only stared at her with a blank expression. “Well, at least you aren’t called a line of numbers and letters. Thinking about it now, being called A-V-T-121-01 is pretty dehumanizing. Dumb researchers.”

Nothing she said triggered a response from her.

During this downtime she strategically allowed exactly nine Still Unborn to accompany the Still Unmoved and kept the last one strapped to the back of a Rock Bug in case of an emergency.

She knew that more dangers lurked ahead. Something sinister was going on deeper within.

And as her legion of Rock Bugs moved onwards towards the light of a blue star –

“Yeah… I knew it. This wasn’t going to be easy. When there’s one bug…”

– Several more of the Still Hungry descended from a pore along the ceiling.

“… there’s bound to be a thousand more. Alright. Rock Bugs! Raise your arms! I mean, raise your… Whatever! There’s food ahead! The feast has brought itself straight to us!”

Hatchling Red was not going to leave a single one of them uneaten.

Not only were they significantly less disgusting than regular bugs, but they also possessed something she desperately needed.

Strength. Stats. Power.

If she were to get out of this ordeal alive then she needed to devour everything in her path.

---