Insect Ruler
8 - River

For Ryuu, that night was really gripping. Although he was in a safe hiding among the tall trees, he felt a tension envelop his entire body.

Restless, he tried to sleep, but was kept awake due to the sound of monsters echoing in the dark forest. Those strange and sinister sounds made the fur on his back stand upright.

"YOOO!!"

Not only that, the echoing roars of a large pack of wolves also sounded in the distance. However, fortunately, they were all still a few kilometers away. Ryuu lay still, listening carefully, afraid that the pack of wolves would come closer.

However, fortunately, there were no signs of their existence around Ryuu's hideout.

After a few hours, Ryuu finally managed to get a short rest. As dawn began to color the eastern sky with warm colors, he moved cautiously down from the towering large tree, where he had taken refuge.

Ryuu who stumbled a few steps because initially his feet refused to cooperate. He wriggled a little and looked around, only to find that there were no monsters visible around, even normal animals were a little visible.

He was astonished, "Does this place have any large predators, or have the strange monsters in this forest driven them away?"

Ryuu felt worried and first checked the eggs quickly. She was relieved to see her eggs still sitting in her small hole without any sign of a monster or predator.

"Thank God... This egg is fine." he muttered with relief.

Then, without hesitation, Ryuu approached the egg carefully. He examined it attentively and tried to push the shell.

However, the egg did not budge easily. The shell still feels hard, even though it feels cold. Slowly, Ryuu realized that the egg looked a little bigger to him.

In the silence of the dark forest, Ryuu pondered near the egg with a glare.

"Maybe it's just my feelings" he murmured, trying to drive away the doubts from his dark mind.

The faint rays of the sun infiltrated among the lush foliage, creating a disgusting shadow around him.

With careful steps, he explored the surroundings, inspecting every corner of the place. The stones along his path became his concern, his hand selecting the most round and sharp, as a weapon or tool that might be needed.

Upon returning to the egg, he formed a pile of stones nearby, a sort of makeshift defense.

However, despair was rampant; no measuring device could help deal with this situation. That emptiness of knowledge haunted him.

Ryuu's eyes widened as he found more Climbing Vines. With his sharp claws, he cut it, his strength drained yet his determination did not waver.

The sharpest stone previously expected to be a tool, proved to be useless. Ryuu returned to the trees, cursing his unpreparedness and looking for a solution.

When his claws injured the vines, he tried to endure the pain.

Amidst the insistence of necessity, Ryuu finds a solution of the vines he has converted into useful ropes. Although the fingers hurt from his efforts, he did not stop.

Twisting the rope around his body, one at the waist, the other coiled around his left arm like a bracelet, readying himself for whatever was to come.

However, the need for water is a priority. In this harsh world, finding ways to store water is vital. Considering people usually use water sacs from animal bladders, Ryuu realizes it is difficult to obtain them from the remains of monster prey. A disgusting option for him.

While searching for a solution, the traces of the battle with the monster Duck had previously become a marker. The blood and the broken twig bear silent witness to the fierce fight that occurred earlier.

Ryuu was stunned to see the remains of the Duck monster corpse he had previously defeated, had now vanished without a trace.

Only bone fragments and perhaps intestines remained, leaving him dumbfounded. A fear crept within him, igniting insecurity in a place that should be deserted.

Larger monsters may have picked up or even eaten the remains. His heart was pounding, but the forest remained silent, there was no sign of threat around him.

Looking around, anxiety filled his mind, creating fears of an unknown monster lurking in the shadows of the trees.

"It seems I have to be careful," he muttered, a sharp gaze tracing every corner.

However, the stinging heat made him even more nervous. In the dryness that burned his throat, he felt cornered.

"Damn it, it's really hot!" sizzle with frustration. His steps felt heavy, thirst began to lurk. "I'll have to find a river or a spring soon, or I'll die silly here!"

As he continued his journey in search of a spring, the increasingly scorching sunlight made him even more desperate.

The stinging heat further added to the tension within him. Sweat splashed on his body, creating a sense of discomfort.

On a hot and stinging journey, the sun reflects its light in the distance, showing a hint of an undeniable blue color: the sun:

riverbank. Ryuu could not hide his excitement. "Yes! Finally, river!" he exclaimed excitedly, then jumped up instantly.

However, his excitement did not blind his vigilance. Carefully, he stepped over while inspecting the surroundings. There were no monsters in sight, making him feel relieved for a moment.

Ahead of the river, his eyes continued to be on high alert, hoping that no threat would lurk behind the shadow of the trees.

Arriving at the river, around its downstream, there is a group of small tapirs clustered there. Ryuu did not see any monsters or predators among the animals. The four tapirs stared at him calmly as he emerged from within the forest.

Despite being seen evaluating it, the tapirs simply continued their activities without being distracted by his presence.

"Aah!" he exclaimed happily, then without hesitation, he ran towards the river and jumped into it, causing a burst of water that doused the tapir flock.

The splash!!

"It's so fresh!!!" he exclaimed, feeling the freshness of the river water flowing around his body.

The herd of splashed tapirs only stared cynically at Ryuu, but his concern was gone. In her unbearable thirst, she refreshed herself by drinking river water while enjoying a short swim.

Once satisfied, he stopped his action, taking the time to clean up his new insect humanoid body with the female gender.

As her eyes stared at her new, feminine body, Ryuu was still swept away in mixed feelings. In his previous life as a human, his posture was indeed gallant with an above average height, perhaps around 192cm.

the previous large human body can not be separated from the genetics of his father who comes from America, who has a high posture.

However, at this moment, his body changed drastically. Ryuu had expected the change from the start, but the reality was that it was depressing. Now, he was no longer a human male figure, but rather a humanoid insect monster with a female gender.

Her body turned into a tiny, slender, fairly large hips, and a chest that stood out like a woman in general.

His height now in this strange body was probably only about 150cm or a little higher but it was still an approximation, a fact that shook his identity. Ryuu is caught up in an indescribable inner conflict, facing the shock of the change he is experiencing.

While wiping her new body, Ryuu could not help but overflow in frustration.

"Aargg. Why do I have to be such a strange and short creature?" his sizzle, his voice was filled with unstoppable disappointment. The depression that shackled his heart deepened.

With a desperate step, he pressed his head into the river, a loud gust of air diving with him, creating a faint sounding bubble.

The water surrounded his entire head until his long hair was drenched as he finally raised his head to the surface.

"Either... By the way, I have wings, right? but why can't you fly?" he muttered, noticing the wings that were still wet and looked difficult to move.

In the mounting despair, he pondered for a moment.

"Come on. But I think it's enough, '" he said in a passive voice. With a limped step, he stepped back to the mainland, carrying the burden of his increasingly unbearable confusion.

His new body size makes it difficult to estimate his height without a clear point of comparison. Ryuu felt his height was comparable to that of a short woman.

However, amidst his confusion, his mind knit the possibility that he might not have fully matured yet. It could be that, despite having wings, he has not been able to use them fully.

In order to test his Theory, Ryuu decided to do something. He headed towards one of the trees and carefully used his claws to cut a line on the bark as high as his head.

This action, allowing him to monitor his growth periodically, looks for signs of development that may appear over time.

In her steps, she kept thinking about the things she needed to do. As he walked, various ideas and priorities began to form in his mind.

Ryuu stepped among the trees, choosing the best dry branch he could find, throwing it a few meters away from his egg. In addition, it also collects dried leaves and pieces of bark that can be used as firewood.

However, the skill of making fire had not been embedded in him. Although he had basic principles, he was perplexed without adequate flint.

Searching for the surrounding flint was not an option, and the faint knowledge of making a fire by generating heat from the friction of other woods became the only option left.