The Northeast Crater opened wide in the middle of the forest clearing.
Low gray clouds hung overhead, blocking out most of the sunlight and leaving the area dim.
Near the rim, the ground was damp and uneven. Patches of grass lay pressed flat where the surface had already collapsed.
The crater dropped steeply inward, leading into a single main tunnel at its center.
A sharp, high-pitched screech cut through the air for a few seconds.
"Shink!"
A dull impact followed shortly after, echoing from deep below the crater.
Lily flashed the edge of her mandibles clean, the residue smearing into the dirt.
She examined them for a brief moment before sliding the twin blades into their sheath at her side.
She inhaled, scanning the area in silence.
"Looks like that was the last of them to bite the dust," she said with a grin as she turned toward the soldiers.
"You three, mark the carcasses beyond here," she continued. "The ground's hollowed out in that area. It could collapse at any time, so leave them."
"Yes, Corporal Lily," the three lance corporals responded in unison.
They each picked up sharpened wooden sticks and moved toward the earthworm carcasses.
The sound of wood striking flesh followed as they drove sharpened sticks into the dead worms, each impact landing with a dull thud.
Lily stretched her arms above her head.
"Hah…" she exhaled, easing the tension from her shoulders.
She lowered her arms.
"Well… that's that."
Lancelot stood a short distance away, watching her.
"This ant… Corporal Lily."
I always thought she was careless. Always smiling, causing mischief, overly irritating.
But today… she was the opposite of that.
Is the gap between a Corporal and a Lance Corporal really that far?
Lancelot clenched his mandibles tightly in his hands.
A memory surfaced in his mind.
Lily moving swiftly, cutting down multiple termites at once.
Isla lifted her hand, looking down at the slime coating her forearm and hair.
She tried wiping it off, but it only smeared further.
A sharp, bitter odor rose up, heavy and lingering.
Her antennae drooped as she exhaled through her nose.
"This scent is going to take weeks to get out of my hair."
"Oh, come on. It's not that bad," Lily said.
Her finger flicked one of Isla's antennae lightly.
"You're only saying that because you're not covered in it," Isla responded.
"Besides, it's proof you've improved."
Lily raised a finger, twirling it lightly in the air.
"You didn't freeze this time. And you even helped slay the earthworms. If you carry the smell, then carry it proudly. It means you've fought."
"Really?" Isla's mouth widened slightly.
Lily's hand lifted to her nose, pressing against it.
"…No. You really do reek."
Isla's cheek turned slightly red.
"Hey… you're mocking me, aren't you?!"
Lily let out a short breath of laughter.
She turned toward the tunnel entrance.
"…Hope things are going fine on your end, Beatrice," she said under her breath.
The wind shifted again through the crater.
Small grains of soil slid down from the higher edge, landing with soft taps.
The small thudding of their feet echoed through the cavern.
So earthworms and centipedes look like this in this world.
The insects I've met so far still have faces like ours. Or at least something similar. And they can talk.
Ari suddenly felt the soil sink slightly beneath his feet. He shifted into a different tunnel.
Nova followed behind.
Valeria's voice came back to him. The day she captured him.
The termite queen in the hollow stomp.
Zippy's sudden ambush.
Ari's breath caught in his throat.
His grip tightened around his mandibles, but the blades still trembled in his hands.
That creature is massive. I barely scratched it even when I put all my strength into each slash.
When I was still human, I really hated how creepy they looked.
Great... as if spiders weren't enough.
Now giant centipedes are joining the nightmare list.
A shiver ran down his spine.
Still… it isn't invincible. I can hold my ground against it.
However… Ari turned slightly and looked over his shoulder at Nova.
She pressed a hand against the tunnel wall, moving slowly behind him.
She paused every few steps, catching herself against the wall before forcing her legs forward again.
With her hurt like this… I can't fight that creature at full strength. I can't protect her and attack at the same time.
Every step sent a dull ache through his body.
Even keeping his mandibles raised made his arms feel heavier.
I need to find an exit before that centipede rises again.
A faint vibration ran through the soil beneath their feet, then suddenly stopped.
Slightly behind him, Nova's vision blurred.
She clutched the side of her head. Her hearing rang out, and she stumbled forward.
Ari moved in just in time, catching her under the arms and steadying her.
"Do you want me to carry you?" he asked.
"Your wounds don't look serious, but they're clearly affecting you."
"I can go on by myself just fine…" her voice rose slightly, then softened.
"But… I'm grateful that you asked."
Her eyes shifted away. A faint red crept across her cheeks.
I don't want to burden him any further, not after what he did for me…
The tunnel stretched on without end.
They lost count of how many tunnels they'd taken. They moved forward, sometimes crouching low, sometimes crawling when the passage tightened around them.
Hunger settled into their stomachs.
They ran into dead ends more than once.
When that happened, they turned back without hesitation and searched for another route.
Small collapses occurred along the way, soil breaking loose from the walls or ceiling and forcing them to change direction again.
They crawled through tight passages where their shoulders brushed against rough stone and compact soil. At other points, they climbed over uneven rocks that forced them to slow down and steady their footing before continuing.
Nova planted both hands against the rocks and hauled herself upward.
Halfway up, she stopped, drawing a shaky breath before forcing herself onward.
Ari climbed ahead, then stopped when he noticed her below.
He looked down and extended his hand toward her.
Nova hesitated for a brief moment.
Then she reached up and took it.
Ari tightened his grip and pulled her upward, steadying her until she found her footing beside him.
They continued climbing over the rocks, carefully testing each foothold before putting their weight down.
Loose pebbles shifted beneath their feet, bouncing down the slope with soft clicks.
Nova's breathing remained uneven as she climbed behind him.
"Ari..." she said weakly.
Ari slowed and glanced back.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"...You're not from our colony, are you?"
Ari paused.
"Um... no," he said.
A faint, awkward smile crossed his face.
"Guess not everyone knows that about me."
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"Long story short, your Queen had me locked up. Then the colony got attacked. I used what I knew to help come up with a strategy, and we managed to stop the invasion. After that... the Queen made me an official member of the colony."
"I see..." Nova said quietly. "I'd heard the story... I just never realized that person was you."
Her gaze drifted to the rocks beneath her feet.
"So... even before the termites... you were already protecting the colony."
She looked back up, her hair rustling softly as she climbed.
"Then... where were you before you were imprisoned?"
A bead of sweat rolled down Ari's forehead.
"Uh..."
What do I even say?
There's no way I can tell her I was a human, got hit by a truck, and woke up here.
She'd think I'd completely lost it.
After a few seconds, Nova let out a slow breath.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."
Ari blinked.
"...Right."
They reached the top and stopped for a moment to catch their breath.
Nova stole another glance at him before looking away.
Then the two of them continued down the narrow path.
After a long silence, Nova's antennae twitched.
A faint shift in the air brushed against them.
She leaned forward slightly, her voice dropping to a whisper.
"Ari... there's wind."
Ari stopped.
He slowly raised his hand, feeling the faint current pass over his fingers.
"...Yeah. It's weak, but it's there," he said. "This could lead back to the crater."
They picked up their pace.
The tunnel gradually sloped upward beneath their feet.
With each step, the loose soil gave way to firmer ground.
Before long, the narrow passage opened into a wide cavern.
Both of them slowed.
Near the top, where the slanted ceiling met the jagged rock, a thin shaft of pale light filtered through a narrow crack.
Nova stared at the shaft of light.
Her lips parted.
She lifted a hand to her face before the moisture gathering beneath her eyes could spill over.
"We... we can finally get out..."
She took a step forward.
Ari raised a hand in front of her.
Suddenly, the ground beneath them trembled violently.
The centipede burst through the soil.
Chunks of loose dirt and small stones scattered into the air, clattering across the cavern floor.
Its chitinous segments flexed one after another as it surged upward, sending heavy vibrations through the cavern.
Dust billowed around them.
Ari and Nova threw an arm over their eyes as fine grit struck their faces.
"No way..." Nova whispered.
Her foot slid back on its own.
Ari drew his mandibles with a sharp pull and lowered his body.
"Nova... get to the surface through that opening," he said. "I'll hold it off."
Nova drew a slow breath.
Her shoulders rose, then settled.
She pulled both mandibles free and stepped forward until she was beside him.
The tips of her blades quivered in her hands.
"I won't run and leave you behind," she said.
She tightened her grip until her fingers stopped shaking.
"I'm done being afraid. We either take this creature down together... or we die trying."
You're the only one planning to die down here.
Ari kept his eyes on the centipede.
"Follow my lead," he said. "We'll bring this thing down."
Nova planted one foot behind the other.
Her mandibles rose.
"...Right."
The centipede's red eyes remained fixed on them.
The centipede curled into itself.
Segment after segment compressed with a dry clicking sound.
Its countless legs dug into the soil.