As Asumi pursued the insect through the dense foliage, he marveled at its agility and speed. "I'm the one flying, and yet it's still taking everything out of me just to keep up," he muttered, his breath coming in short gasps. "Who the hell is this guy?"
Finally, after what felt like an eternity of chase, Asumi emerged into a small clearing, his eyes widening in surprise as the insect suddenly came to a halt. "Why did it stop all of a sudden?" he wondered aloud, his wings retracting smoothly into his back as he landed on the forest floor.
With cautious steps, Asumi approached the motionless insect, hoping not to startle it. Pushing aside the grass and leaves, he caught sight of the creature feasting voraciously on a grasshopper, its face marked from a powerful impact.
A sense of awe washed over Asumi as he realized the truth. "It wasn't just speed," he realized, his voice barely above a whisper. "Its body must be refined to be able to perform something like this."
As Asumi turned his gaze upon the insect, his appraisal discerned its identity.
[Appraisal: Tiger beetle.
| Level: 12
| Speed:??
| Current body length 9cm]
Brief Description: The tiger beetle was green with a streamlined body and long legs adapted for swift running. Its head was slightly downturned with large, protruding eyes, and it had distinctive tiger-like stripes on its wing covers.
The Tiger beetle turned its glance toward Asumi's figure, saying, "So, you're the one who's been following me, huh?" the beetle remarked, its voice tinged with curiosity. "What do you want?"
Asumi stepped forward, extending a greeting. "Hi, my name is Asumi," he began, his tone friendly yet determined. "I was wondering if you'd like to join me in starting a village."
The tiger beetle, still busy devouring the grasshopper, paused to consider Asumi's proposal. "Hmm, let me think... No," it replied bluntly, its refusal sending a pang of disappointment through Asumi's heart. "What, Why not?" he pressed, taken aback by the beetle's abrupt rejection.
"Because I don't wanna," the tiger beetle retorted. Then it turned to look at Asumi properly, seeing his abnormal features. With a smirk, it muttered, "Hmm, unless."
Asumi's curiosity piqued. "Unless?" he questioned, his brow furrowing in confusion.
The tiger beetle's smirk widened as it revealed its challenge. "Unless you defeat me in a duel," it declared, its eyes gleaming with anticipation as he stared at Asumi.
Asumi's resolve hardened. He stared at the tiger beetle with seriousness. "Fine, what are the rules?" he inquired, ready to get this over with.
With a casual shrug, the tiger beetle outlined the terms of their duel. "Nothing much," it replied nonchalantly. "Just that the winner gets to tell the loser to do whatever he wants."
Asumi nodded in agreement, sealing the deal with a firm declaration. "Deal," he affirmed, his gaze locked with the tiger beetle. "So, when do we begin?"
With a sudden burst of movement, the tiger beetle lunged forward, uttering "Now!", hurtling towards Asumi with high velocity.
Reacting quickly, Asumi braced himself, getting jammed on the head, pushing back against the force of the tiger beetle's attack. "Is that all you've got?" he muttered defiantly, his stance unshaken despite the impact.
The tiger beetle's smirk widened as he taunted Asumi, his voice dripping with confidence. "Oh, I'm just getting started," he declared, his words punctuated by the blur of his movements as he dashed, circling around Asumi with dizzying speed.
Asumi's mind raced as he tried to anticipate the beetle's next move. "I've dealt with fast attacks before, but there's something different about this. It's like he..." he mused, his senses on high alert.
Before he could react, the tiger beetle, his form becoming a blur of motion as he launched a barrage of strikes from all angles.
Asumi swung one of his horns to try to hit the tiger beetle when it attempted to attack him from the front, only to be left with an afterimage. Asumi mused, completing his statement, "Vanish."
The tiger beetle appeared at the side, jamming Asumi continuously from the left side.
With quick reflexes, Asumi planted his legs firmly on the ground, his muscles tensed as he gripped the earth tightly, fighting to maintain his balance. The force of the tiger beetle's continuous assault threatened to topple him.
As the tiger beetle pushed with all his might, expecting Asumi to fall on his back, he was met with unexpected resistance. Asumi held his ground, his stance strong against the constant attacks. "But how? Why won't you fall?" the tiger beetle muttered in disbelief.
Asumi's voice cut through the tension, firm. "I'm not a pushover," he declared. With a swift motion, he pushed back against the tiger beetle, catching him off guard.
The sudden jerk caused the tiger beetle to lose his balance entirely, tumbling to the forest floor. Standing over the fallen beetle, Asumi fixed his serious gaze on the tiger beetle below. "You will join my village," he stated firmly, his words carrying the weight of all he had gone through.
Once again, a speed type, the hardest grade of insects for Asumi to beat. Their speed bypassed his natural strength, but not this guy. His body weight didn't do him justice, which gave Asumi a small upper hand.
Confusion clouded the beetle's expression as he struggled to comprehend what had just happened. "This never happened before," he mused, shocked, his mind reeling with disbelief. "How did he stop my fake out attack?"
Suddenly, an image flashed before the tiger beetle's eyes – the imposing figure of the giant centipede that Asumi had defeated. A shiver ran down his exoskeleton as he mused, "This guy, he is definitely not weak."