The sound of rapid scraping against the ground echoed above me, produced by two sharp claws. Their pointed ends came dangerously close to me. I dug deeper into the earth, using my hind legs to excavate as much as I could.
The Apex predator was relentless in its pursuit. Then, the scraping sound ceased, replaced by frustrated growls. I smiled, sensing that the Apex had given up and would let me escape.
THUMP THUMP
The Apex slammed its front legs onto the ground above me. DANGER! I could be buried alive! The soil collapsed and covered a significant portion of my body, trapping me beneath its weight.
The spiracles, the small breathing holes on my abdomen, were now obstructed by the earth. I couldn't breathe! If I relied solely on my one weapon, the enlargement potion, I wouldn't stand a chance. The Apex's size still surpassed the 15-fold enlargement capability.
But my nightmare didn't end there. Suddenly, the sound of trickling water mixed with a hissing noise reached my ears. The Apex was urinating into my burrow! This cunning and agile creature not only intended to bury me alive but also wanted to see me suffer. The soil, now saturated with water, became denser. My wings stuck to my body, and my spiracles were increasingly covered. I was running out of oxygen!
[Ding! There are 2 quests available in the Talc 7 game level.]
A vision appeared before me. I noticed three eggs in a weaver bird's nest. A female cuckoo brought her own eggs and placed them in the nest, pushing one weaver egg out and replacing it with her own. Afterward, she left, passing the responsibility to the foster parent.
[First mission: Locate and remove the parasitic egg. You have 1 second before the weaver bird returns from its hunting. Reward for the first mission: Amplifying 100 times]
Next, an image appeared of a Desert Gecko with its tail trapped between rocks.
[Second mission: Assist the Desert Gecko in escaping from its predicament. Reward for the second mission: a second chance]
Meanwhile, Ian was trapped, contemplating the quests that lay before him, a choice between life and death. In the real world, Bartwin's screen was flooded with notifications from the conversations of the bettors. Once again, Ian managed to bring the atmosphere back to life.
Bartwin didn't care whether he lived or died in this game. Winning or losing, he would still benefit. He could swiftly take Ian's position with another player.
On the other side, his two friends watched the game unfold, their narrow eyes reflecting bruised faces, grimacing in pain throughout their bodies. They were also in a state of panic when they saw Ian's difficult situation.
They didn't want their friend to die!
'Ian!! Save the Desert Gecko! Besides being an easier mission, the rewards are more useful!' Roe shouted inwardly.
'I know you'll choose the second mission, Ian. Because if I were you, I would definitely choose it,' Josh thought, praying for Ian's escape.
Josh cursed himself for being unable to help his friend. After all, it was Ian who lifted him from his lowest point. When he was desperate and wanted to end his life, Ian would come with his mischievous face, extending his hand to help him rise again.
Although he couldn't completely break free from his dependence on illicit drugs, at least he no longer had the same desire to leave life behind as before. He was trying, even though the path ahead was extremely challenging.
Bartwin's screen flickered with activity. Most people speculated that Ian would choose quest number 2, while others believed he would use his enlargement potion once again to escape the confines of the earth.
Elsewhere, Magenta observed the screen attentively. His three subordinates, who were tasked to intimidating Ian, seemed to be facing difficulties. Darwin, in particular, was deeply disappointed.
However, he hadn't seen any announcements about Darwin's death, which meant he was still alive. Considering the clash between Darwin and Ian earlier, he became more convinced that Ian possessed some extraordinary abilities.
And on his screen, he selected the quest that was predicted to be chosen by Ian. If Ian could escape, it meant he had to ensure something crucial between himself and Ian...
Back to the game.
Ian looked at the two quest options presented by the system and chose quest number 1!
His choice created a stir among the spectators. How could Ian possibly find the cuckoo parasite's egg within 1 second? After all, the three eggs were almost identical in size, color, and pattern! Wouldn't it be better to save the Desert Gecko by moving the rocks slightly so it could escape?
Roe and Josh were trembling, unable to bear witness to the increasingly tense game! They cursed Ian, who might have made a wrong choice in his panicked state.
Ian's body shifted from his previous trapped position in the ground to the Weaver Bird's nest. From where he stood inside the nest, perched on the top branch, he could see the mother bird returning from her hunt. He had just a split second!
With his hind legs, he kicked all three eggs out of the nest, causing them to shatter on the ground! 1... 2... 3... Done!
Everyone watching gasped in disbelief at what Ian had done. Was he insane and oblivious to the rules of the game?!
However, it was precisely because Ian carefully observed the rules of the game that he chose that approach. Didn't the system specify the need to save the other eggs?
Meanwhile, he knew that if he chose to save the Desert Gecko, which could easily detach its own tail (autotomy), it would be a death sentence for him! The Gecko would instead see him as its next meal.
[Ding! Congratulations! You have successfully completed the first quest!]
[Reward: Amplifying Ability]
Unbelievable cheers and a wave of admiration for Ian's decision echoed through the Bartwin basecamp's interface.
Bartwin became even more delighted, as did his friends who had been watching the game. Earlier, they had already felt like they were about to lose their friend.
So, what would Ian do with the reward he received? What purpose would it serve in conquering the Apex?
***
Night had descended upon the barren wasteland, and the system brought me back to my critical position underground in the muddy soil.
My body enlarged 15 times its size, allowing me to penetrate the layers of soil above me and escape from my confinement. The Apex's claws flew through the air and caught me off guard! I was thrown and tumbled on the open ground, far away from where I was earlier. The difference in power between us was immense, despite my significant growth.
In an open battle, I would never be able to defeat him. Look at the countless casualties lying around. The Apex may appear weaker compared to the predators I faced in the previous game, but his advanced thinking abilities make him a formidable opponent.
As a result of the Apex's claw strike, my right hind leg detached, so does with both of my front legs, leaving me unable to stand. Furthermore, my wings were not designed for flight. In front of me, the Apex approached with gleaming eyes.
The night grew darker, and this was the moment I had been waiting for. The warm air tickled my front wings, urging them to rub against each other. The friction produced by my front wings created a loud, distinctive sound reminiscent of a cricket in the night. This was due to a special organ called the stridulatory organ—a row of teeth on the cubital vein of one wing rubbing against a plectrum on the costal margin of the other.
The sound I produced caused the Apex's tail to twitch restlessly, emitting sounds from its sturdy, hollowed segments. The sound coming from its tail was a response to me, as I modified it to resemble the howling wind of a storm.
Confused by the behavior of its own tail, the Apex hissed loudly in my direction, commanding me to stop. Its natural instincts also listened to the sound I generated with its sensitive ears.
It was a well-known secret that animals were creatures capable of reading the signs of nature, warning them of impending disasters. And that was precisely what I was doing, manipulating sound.
The Apex leaped and spun in place, barking and growling in confusion at the natural signs. Its brain recognized it as my doing, but its body responded differently. It lost control over its own body.
Now was the time to unleash my new weapon!
The sound produced by my front wings grew louder, amplified a hundredfold from before. Overwhelmed by the immense stress, the Apex now spun in circles, spinning so forcefully that it bit its own tail!
"Yes! I did it!" I shouted in joy as my strategy succeeded.
The Apex thrashed about for a few moments before becoming paralyzed and convulsing on the ground, succumbing to its own venom.
"Wow! What a show!" murmured someone from behind me, startling me. I turned around!
It was Darwin!
He was still alive! It just dawned on me that there had been no announcement of his death on the dashboard all this time. I had been careless, but it seemed he managed to save himself.
I noticed a shimmering shield enveloping his body, smooth to the eye. It turned out to be what protected him from my earlier traps, and the sound I created now, even amplified a hundredfold, had no effect on him.
[Ding Dong] The victory jingle chimed.
[The game has ended!]
[Congratulations! The winners are]
[Ian Worth]
[Darwin]
[Finn and Camden]
[Congratulations! A reward of £100,000 has been sent to the players' accounts]
"Until we meet in the real world, Ian Worth. I look forward to our encounter." Darwin's final words before we both vanished from that world.