48 hours later.
The cave wasn't just a dark and narrow shelter, as I had first imagined. No, it was an entire world, a unique biome, surpassing the canyon in terms of diversity and beauty. Gigantic stalactites hung down from the ceiling like menacing fangs. Some, covered in phosphorescent moss, diffused a pale light, casting spectral shadows on the walls.
The ground was a labyrinth of mounds, crevices, fields of stalagmites, and underground pools where sometimes crystalline water stagnated, shimmering due to the luminescent crystals at the bottom. Every short distance traveled had to be analyzed: a fall into a crevasse or a misstep on a slippery surface could mean either my death or the discovery of my exact position in the cave.
Despite my continued exploration, the cave's topography stretched as far as the eye could see. There was a series of cavities connected by tunnels, which I lost count of after a while. Some cavities were so large that their ceilings disappeared into the darkness, while others were so tiny that I barely fit inside.
Throughout the area, warm air currents circulated, carrying a mineral scent and a slight humidity. Coupled with the multitude of creatures constantly moving, emitting substances everywhere, my senses were constantly on high alert.
Indeed, the animals that lived in the cave were just as large as I was, unlike in the canyon where, after my evolution, I had become a scourge.
Why was this so? Was the cave a self-sufficient ecosystem? Was it due to the stable climate? Was it due to evolutionary adaptation? Or was it something mystical or magical, considering the luminescent stones? So many questions, with no answers. But I intend to find out the reason sooner or later; I plan to make my base here after all. It's an ideal place for farming and research.
Even though it will be both easy and difficult, why? There are many living beings here, and most of them are of decent size. However, the weakest are level 2, and the most dramatic thing is that they are in colonies. Ants, scorpions, spiders, bats, and I don't know what other creatures. I know! Just my luck.
However, thanks to my new skills, I can manage. Snakes have never been frontal and dominant attackers. The essence of their attacks relied on stealth and subterfuge. I had no intention of deviating from this rule in the slightest. I wasn't a show-off anyway.
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Lying in the shadow of a rock formation and perfectly camouflaged, my eyes were fixed on a cohort of giant worker ants.
They went back and forth in a methodical procession, carrying phosphorescent mushrooms to their nest.
They were fast, efficient, and, unfortunately, always on the lookout.
I saw them stop their work several times at the slightest sign of danger.
Although annoying in the long run, I was able to understand their rhythm after a few hours of observation. Finally, after this long wait, an opportunity presented itself. One of the workers was lagging behind, her load being quite large.
Without delay, I slipped away at full speed, my scales gliding over the rock without the slightest noise. When I was close enough, I lunged with my jaws wide open.
My fangs pierced her chitinous skin before she even realized she was being attacked. A dose of poison, a dose of paralyzing venom, her body stopped moving immediately, except for her mandibles, which weakly tried to grab me.
My mission accomplished, I took off without looking back.
Barely a hundred meters traveled, I suddenly stopped; something was itching me.
"What's this lousy taste? It tastes like vinegar mixed with burnt plastic," I said, clearing my throat.
Quickly examining my surroundings, my eyes suddenly stopped on the ant, realizing where the smell was coming from.
"You little bastard, you were sending a message," I said, half impressed, half frustrated.
By the time I resumed my run, the ground was vibrating beneath me, an incessant buzzing rising in the air. The ant soldiers were after me, their legs clattering on the stone with terrifying fervor. I slid at full speed, my rings coiling and uncoiling in a frantic race.
The green glow of the fluorescent plants and the shimmering of the shiny stones lit my way, revealing obstacles that appeared without warning. A pointed stalagmite passed so close that I felt it brush my scales.
I turned sharply to the left, trying to shake off my pursuers in a maze of rock formations. But they followed me, relentless, their antennae quivering to capture my position. Each turn only slowed my escape. The fact that I refused to drop my dinner didn't help either.
A dislodged stone rolled under my weight, and I briefly lost my balance. Behind me, a sharp snap rang out: one of the ants had jumped, its mandibles snapping empty just where my tail had been a second earlier.
"Eat this!" I yelled, sending my tail slamming against its face. Under the force of the blow, it crashed into its other companions.
Without wasting time, I propelled myself again, diving under a rock arch. The ants did not give up, their massive bodies sliding with almost supernatural ease through the narrow passages. Their organization was terrifying, a perfect unity that left no room for error.
Out of breath, I spotted a narrow crack in the wall to my right. Without thinking, I rushed into it, my scales rubbing against the stone. But they were still there, their advance punctuated by the relentless hammering of their legs.
I knew there would be no respite. Not here. They won't abandon their comrades, and I won't abandon my first meal of them, or the following ones for that matter.
"I should have chosen the scorpion; at least it wouldn't have had reinforcements." As they began digging into the wall at an insane speed.