After killing the soldier cavern mantis, Donny found a narrow crevice and slipped inside to rest.
Ten minutes passed.
Then, scratching.
A cavern mantis clicked its way in, antennae twitching.
Donny's eyes widened. "Already?"
He extended his arm and fired a burst of energy blasts, flushing the mantis back as smoke filled the cramped space.
"That should do it... Shit, I can't breathe in here."
Coughing, he crawled out fast, only to see more cavern mantis closing in, surrounding him. They scattered, positioning themselves at different angles before charging.
He backed into a wall, caught off guard.
Are they getting smarter?
Panic creeping in, Donny bolted left, launching bursts of flame down the tunnel as he ran. The swarm followed, relentless. The tunnel narrowed until it opened into a dark drop below.
Donny paused only a second, then jumped.
Damn it why would I jump? I may as well have tried fighting them than jump to my dea!
He landed with a thud.
But it wasn't stone.
It was... soft.
Donny blinked. Beneath him was a large, springy nest. Around him, glowing eggs the size of his body pulsed faint light across a chamber covered in jagged, luminous crystals.
Then he heard it, a screech that rattled his spine and made his heart skip.
Donny scrambled backward, eyes wide.
A towering figure emerged from the shadows: a massive mantis, far larger than any he'd faced. Four jagged arms. Serrated claws. Glistening mandibles. Its eyes locked onto him, unblinking and primal, like it was staring into the marrow of his soul.
Donny instinctively looked up at the hole he had fallen, and the swarm was still there, motionless. Watching.
They weren't following.
They were guarding.
He looked back at the creature and reached into his pocket, pulling out the eye he'd taken from the earlier mantis.
He held it up, gaze cold.
"So... you're the cavern mantis queen, huh?"
Overwhelming fear and excitement surged through Donny.
He reached into his pocket, touched the slug, and extended his arm
Nothing.
His heart dropped. He looked at his palm.
The coin was gone.
"No!"
The Mantis Queen lunged. One massive claw came crashing down. Donny dove to the side, barely avoiding it just in time for the second claw to slash at him.
He tried to roll, but it caught his leg mid-motion, flipping him violently through the air.
"AHHH!"
Blood sprayed mid-spin. He hit the ground hard, a wet thud, a strained squeal ripping from his throat.
Donny groaned, dragging himself up against the wall.
"Shit shit shit shit SHIT SHIT SHIIT!"
His breathing was ragged. His hands shook.
I can't die like this. What can I do? I don't even have my abilities, and that thing's too strong. This sword's useless.
A bitter chuckle escaped him.
Who am I kidding? Even at full strength... I wouldn't stand a chance.
His hand clenched into a trembling fist.
I can't die now... but I don't see a way to win either.
Donny gritted his teeth, blood now seeping from the corners of his mouth.
"If I'm gonna die anyway... THEN I'LL TAKE YOU DOWN WITH ME!"
With a guttural cry, he launched himself forward. The Queen struck Donny's injured leg buckled, but he pushed through, leaping up her leg with a scream of agony.
It hurts hurts it HURTS
The Queen thrashed, trying to shake him off. Donny drove his sword into her arm and held on.
The creature slammed toward a wall.
Shit!
Donny pulled the sword free and launched himself onto her chest, stabbing downward. The blade bit deep he hung from it as she reared back in agony.
She screamed.
One of her arms whipped inward too late. Donny let go.
SLAM
Her own claw drove the sword the rest of the way through her body.
The Queen shrieked and then collapsed.
The sword clattered to the stone.
Silence.
Donny lay there, everything spinning. Vision fading to black.
His eyes flickered open.
Blurry. He blinked.
A shadow loomed above him.
His body tensed; it was a cavern mantis.
He jolted up, heart thudding, then immediately tripped, falling backward against something cold and hard.
He looked down at the Queen's claw.
He glanced around.
Her corpse lay broken. Blood pooled around the wound in her chest.
"What the hell...?"
Ahead, the swarm of cavern mantis stood motionless.
Dozens.
Maybe hundreds.
Watching him.
"This is bad. I can't fight this many. I don't even have my.."
One of the mantis suddenly darted forward, grabbed Donny's sword with its mandibles, and dropped it beside him.
He blinked.
"Wh... is it patronizing me?"
He looked up, eyes narrowed.
"BASTARDS!"
At his outburst, the entire swarm stepped back in unison.
His expression twisted part confusion, part fury, part awe.
Wait... could it be?
Since I killed the Queen...
I'm... the queen? No THE KING?!
He rose to his feet slowly, dragging his sword upward.
"Yes... YES. I am your new KING. Bow before YOUR KING!"
The swarm bent low, every last mantis lowering its head to the ground.
Donny froze.
Face blank.
Jaw slightly slack.
Eyes wide.
Wait... they actually think I'm their king?
Donny sat back down, the pain in his leg steadily worsening.
"Uh, go get me food," he muttered.
The swarm scattered in an instant, leaving him alone. In the stillness of the cavern, red eyes gleamed in the darkness. A moment later, a figure stepped forward a soldier Cavern Mantis. It stood silently beside Donny.
Is it guarding me? he wondered.
Donny looked up at the creature.
"I'm guessing you're the only soldier Cavern Mantis here, so I'll call you Eques."
The swarm returned shortly after, each mantis carrying strange fruits Donny had never seen before. They surrounded him, dropping the food at his feet. Two of them stepped forward and placed down two bags, one containing his soul, and the other the bag Catonin had given him, both of which he had thought lost.
The mantises then began tearing strips from parts of their nest. Using the soft material, they carefully wrapped his injured leg.
Well, I guess they're more useful than I thought.
Donny rested there for a few days.
After what felt like several days, though he couldn't be sure, Donny finally stood.
"It's time I leave," he said to himself.
He limped toward the hole and looked up.
How the hell am I going to
Before he could finish the thought, Eques gently grasped his arm with its mandibles, hoisted him onto its back, and began climbing the cavern wall.
"That's it, Eques. Now get me out of this damn ravine."
Eques bolted through the tunnels, moving swiftly. The swarm of Cavern Mantises followed in formation. Once they reached the ravine's edge, they began scaling the rocky wall together.
At the top, Donny stood tall on Eques's back, grinning widely.
Not even two minutes after reaching the surface, monsters began appearing and charging toward them.
"CAVERN MANTIS, DEFEND ME AND EQUES AT ALL COSTS!" Donny shouted, swiping his hand with command.
The swarm instantly formed a defensive perimeter around Donny and Eques while still on the move. Whenever monsters attacked, groups from the swarm would break off to engage and return, ensuring a constant protective layer around their leader.
Donny pulled out his map and scanned it.
"Hmmm... There's an abandoned town nearby. Huh. Let's make a pit stop."
He pointed in the direction he wanted to go, and the swarm adjusted course accordingly.