Insect Ruler
3 - Escape

Ryuu decides to walk down a winding road in a mysterious forest, he does not want to go through the same path again.

Although the hills and rivers became clues, his move towards his original location seemed to present some sort of adventurer to him. Maybe finding food took longer than he expected.

While crawling among the trees, he tried to gather as much information as possible from around him.

Trying to remember what to eat, seeing the pattern of the seasons, and realizing that there was no coldness in his body, even though he was not wearing a single piece of clothing. Even so, she hated her new feminine body.

The feeling surged in ever deeper confusion. He wanted to cover his unwanted body parts with clothes, but his priority right now was to survive.

Searching for answers, avoiding the hunger pangs that wrapped around her, and finding her way back to the life she once had become her main focus, no matter how resentful her new body was.

Ryuu sighed, trying to estimate the cold temperature that enveloped his body. Despite trying to calculate about 15 degrees Celsius, he was aware that his estimates might be wrong, not knowing how his new body responds to temperature or how well his body stores heat.

Walking through the silent-looking forest, he searched for a source of food. There were no mushrooms or any type of nuts he was familiar with, but a few berry bushes caught his attention. Potential to be a food source, but also potentially toxic. Stopping his steps near the dark-colored berry bush, he tried to assess its safety.

"Hm... It's empty."

The branches of the berry bush appear to have been emptied, probably by the animals before.

Ryuu hopes that the action shows the safety of the blackberry-like purple berries. He took one, being careful not to take it from the ground area.

"Whether this will kill me or not, but one berry shouldn't be fatal, right?" he murmured in a mounting confusion.

Ryuu felt the need to be careful, perhaps the poison was mild and undetectable at this moment. However, he could not act rashly.

He put the berries in his mouth. It was sweet, pleasing to his tongue with a touch of a cross between a raspberry and a blackberry.

"It was very fresh." he muttered, finding a little happiness in his dark solitude as a female insect. He observed the berries closely, trying to recognize their characteristic features before continuing his journey.

Ryuu felt the temptation to eat more, yet he held back. His empty stomach gritted his feelings, but he knew he had to wait.

His slow pace and occasional stops slowed his journey, taking longer than before. However, eventually, he reappeared in a small field near the hills.

He stepped forward, but the surroundings were still the same. There was no significant change; the small animals continued to move rapidly around him, disappearing as soon as he approached.

Their existence is still a mystery to him. However, he was disturbed because the source of his knowledge suddenly felt limited in terms of recognizing the birds, in his mind.

Ryuu directed his steps towards the hillside he had been on, but suddenly came to a halt. He noticed that going into that dark tunnel, something had changed.

The darkness no longer filled the passageway, as if something was blocking its path.

"Huh?"

He approached, his heart pounding in the darkness. The entrance was covered by something dark and cold to the touch. Whether it was metal or stone, Ryuu was unsure.

He tried to push it away, initially hesitating, then getting louder, yet it remained motionless, as if it were an invincible wall.

Ryuu felt confused and a little desperate. His limitations in understanding his new environment left him feeling trapped, without the ability to understand and cope with the unexpected.

Not only that, Ryuu also felt a panic languishing within him when he found the door blocked. A sudden fear flashed through his mind, implying the presence of a person or a savage beast that might enter the tunnel after he left.

The sensation made her hair stand up straight in unspoken fear.

Although he was a little speechless by the thought, he chose to suppress the worries that had arisen. His focus again led to the problems that lay before him.

The question came to his mind. There might be a certain mechanism triggered when he left that place. Was he targeted by surveillance cameras?

But as he watched the entrance, there was no sign of such technology. Still, Ryuu realizes that the absence of technological evidence does not always guarantee safety. His worries resurfaced, though to date, he has not found any sign of the presence of the technology since his awakening in that place.

Taps.. Taps... Taps..

Ryuu stepped away from the clutter of the entrance, his mind split in search of another place. However, before his steps went any further, his cessation sounded.

In the air, there was a strange scent that he had never smelled before in that place.

"What is this?"

He felt regret because he did not bring a stick from the forest to be a potential weapon for now.

But the ever-reinforcing aroma made him even more alert. His concentration shifted to the scent, and slowly, he began to hear movements not far from him. A few seconds later, the creature passed by from behind the trees.

Ryuu could only squint his eyes, resisting the urge to rub him. In an instant, the question of the existence of monsters in this place was answered by itself.

His steps came to a halt, finding himself in the face of something new emerging from the lushness of the trees.

Ryuu looked at the monster that had just appeared, astonished at the peculiarity of the creature standing before him.

His mind floated, likening it to a giant rubber duck that was only available in the bathroom, yet the size of a large horse. Its body is bright yellow with black eyes and a striking orange beak.

But when the creature opened its beak, the sound it released turned into a sharp scream that made Ryuu gulp.

"QUAACK!!!"

The sharp teeth that were plastered made him sweat instantly. Anxiously, he tried to talk to the creature, hoping it was a friendly monster.

“You're a good Duck, right? You're not gonna attack me? Don't you? Kan?” said worried.

However, the creature's reaction showed only hatred or perhaps anger, making him retreat in shock.

The monster advanced, threatening with his attitude that was impossible for the duck to do, while a menacing cry rang out:

"QUAACK!" The shout became a threat to Ryuu, leaving him shocked and in a cold sweat.

Fear and anxiety began to fill his mind, realising he was not an ordinary being he could deal with easily.

"Batkk!"

Ryuu, cursing with disbelief, looked around looking for the best option.

However, he did not find any weapons or adequate loopholes. Quickly, he ducked down and picked up some rocks lying around, ready to defend in case of being attacked.

The huge duck monster also looked hesitant. They stared at each other in tension.