As the last rays of sunlight painted the sky, Asumi paused to gaze at the horizon, the sinking sun casting long shadows across the forest.
A sense of satisfaction washed over him as he beheld the fading light. "Ugh, another day, another victory," he muttered to himself. "I wish Gooper was here to see this."
Turning his attention back to the fallen grasshopper, Asumi stared at the extraction skill in the system window. "Ugh, still not full, huh? Well, I better start eating this thing."
He closed the system window with a quick flick of his antennae. Then he set to work, his mandibles slicing through the tough exoskeleton. Each bite brought a burst of flavor, fueling his appetite for more.
After his meal, the System prompted, "[System: Host The skill Trait Extraction has gained ten percent]."
Then Asumi got some HP back. She turned around and saw that the sun had already dipped below the horizon. Its warm glow was replaced by the cool night.
With a resigned sigh, he knew it was time to return to the safety of his lair before the true monsters came after him.
But as he passed under a nearby tree, a blur of motion ran past his eyes. Before he could react, it struck him with stunning speed.
With a startled chirp, Asumi tumbled and fell deep into a dark hole, his body crashing against the unforgiving ground with a sickening thud.
Stunned and disoriented, Asumi lay there for a moment, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he struggled to make sense of what had just happened.
The system prompted, "[System: Host HP has dropped to 75%]."
But even as the pain radiated through his body, he knew that he could not afford to stay down for long. With a grunt, he pushed himself upright.
With a sigh, Asumi took a look around his surroundings, the darkness pressing in around him like a suffocating blanket. The only source of light was the dim ray reflected directly from the moon into the hole.
Suddenly, his eyes widened in shock as he caught sight of two ominous red eyes glowing in the darkness.
His heart pounding with fear, Asumi's instincts screamed at him to flee as he watched the eyes draw closer, their malevolent glow sending shivers down his spine. Asumi mused, "At that moment, my instincts told me if I don't move, I am going to die."
With a sharp intake of breath, he sprang into action, launching himself to the side with all the speed he could muster.
In the blink of an eye, the creature dashed forward, its massive form hurtling towards Asumi with terrifying speed. With a sickening thud, it collided with the wall of the hole, its sheer momentum causing the ground to shake beneath Asumi's feet.
As he steadied himself, Asumi turned his gaze towards the creature, his breath stuck in his throat as he beheld its monstrous form. It was a centipede, its sleek scales glistening black under the moonlight, its mandibles snapping ominously in the darkness as it chewed Asumi's leg.
Asumi stared at the centipede with shock and disbelief. "Is that... my leg?" He looked back at his left back leg and saw it was gone, blood gushing out of the wound.
The system window prompted a warning message, the display panel colored red.
[System Warning: Host has encountered The Field Boss: Poison Centimon]
[Estimated body length: 88 cm]
[Host current length: 10 cm]
[System: Difference in power level is too high. Host must escape in the next 20 seconds or... face a fatal end.]
Asumi looked at the system window with a mixture of fear and confusion; his legs wouldn't stop shaking.
He mused "This shouldn't be possible how am I suppose to survive against that," snapping his mandibles, muttering, "Why is this happening to me now?"
The centipede turned its gaze towards Asumi, then a loud roar erupted from its mouth, reverberating all over the dark hole. With a series of rapid clicks, the centipede's legs moved in a hypnotic rhythm, propelling it forward with incredible speed, coming after Asumi.
Asumi's heart raced in his chest, every nerve on edge, steeling his mind for the upcoming attack. With properly timed moves, he dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the razor-sharp jaws that snapped shut with deadly intent.
The centipede missed Asumi, only to collide headfirst with the wall of the hole. With a loud thud, its face struck the solid surface, leaving it momentarily stunned and vulnerable.
Seizing the opportunity, Asumi sprinted away, his remaining back leg pumping furiously as he put as much distance between himself and the monstrous centipede as possible.
As he reached a safe distance, Asumi made a split-second decision, his mind racing with strategies for survival. He muttered, "Got no time to think it through; gotta strike while the iron is hot."
With a serious nod, he summoned his remaining strength and unleashed his Rhino Charge, hurtling towards the centipede with all the force he could muster.
But as the centipede shook off its daze and turned to face him, Asumi realized that victory would not come easily. With a guttural roar, the centipede surged forward, its massive form driving towards him with terrifying speed.
The collision was unavoidable; they clashed, and Asumi felt himself overwhelmed by the sheer force of the centipede's assault.
With a sickening thud on his head, he was knocked backwards, his body tumbling through the air until his back slammed against the unbreakable wall, the impact sending cracks spider-webbing across his tough exoskeleton.
Gasping for breath, Asumi coughed up white blood, his vision a blurry form pain that lanced through his battered body.
The centipede drew closer to Asumi, poison dripping from its gaping maw. Asumi thought, "Crap, it's getting closer but I can't move."
With each step the centipede took, Asumi's limbs grew heavy, as if weighed down by invisible chains. He knew he was no match for the creature's venomous onslaught, his only hope lying in a miracle or a stroke of luck.
As the centipede loomed over him, its mandibles clicking ominously, Asumi muttered, "Come on, move, damn it." But before he could make a move, the creature bit him with its powerful jaws, throwing him effortlessly into the air.
Asumi's heart pounded in his chest as he soared through the air under the moonlight. He mused, "So this is how I'm going to die." The centipede opened its mouth wide, swallowing him whole in a single gulp.