Goril's last stand

A similar set of FoxO genes appear to be overexpressed in slither stem cells and allows them to regenerate faster. This is also passed onto their hosts. The parasites alter the host body and cause overexpression of those genes allowing the host to have higher healing capabilities and also a much longer lifespan though not infinite.

This royal slither has lived for over a thousand years, although it was not unusual among the bloodline. It was even young compared to 10,000 years.

The goril walked up to the edge of the swamp and using one hand like a cup, it drank some water. It cringed at the taste but the hand movement repeated. The swamp water was one of the clearer ones but it was not a hygienic source of water. Every animal knows that but the goril seems to be desperate.

"Here's your chance."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"I'm not leaving you unless there's two of them."

"Don't be silly. I'm better off than you."

The mutant slither didn't want to risk it. The first time it found a host, it was eaten alive on the first introduction to its new family members. That trauma made it doubt its survivability. Ejecting from the host caused a soul-wrenching pain as if its cells were being uprooted. There was a possibility that if it failed, it would not get a second chance.

It now had found someone worthy to follow. The swamp suddenly felt much safer. Life was already short but if life was being with its soulmate then it felt shorter than it should be.

"I can't risk it... I don't want to risk losing you."

"You idiot. You're not going to lose me."

The crowned worm knew it must have been traumatised by the dickroaches and understood its fear of dying... permanently. It was dead weight and it knew better than to protect a useless someone. It was time to get rid of nuisances.

'You might actually die...' The royal thought.

"Then I'll go first since I'm stronger and then we'll wait for another host or I'll find one to bring to you." The noble worm suggested.

"But it's too dangerous for you to go out there."

"But that's who we are... If we don't live out our lives, we won't be alive at all. Besides... our death is certain if this continues."

"You won't leave?"

'What am I doing?' A voice spoke from within the royal slither.

"I am the night. I am always here..."

'What am I saying?'

"The question is whether you will come back to me."

"I am the moon. I will always come back to you." The mutant worm replied passionately.

The goril turned around at the sound that no other creature heard. The silent beatings of numerous legs, which sounded like quiet tap-taps of air.

The goril stood up and then beat its chest while doing a battle roar which caught the attention of the slithers. It stood upright proudly with its chest pressed out. Soon the sound of countless footsteps drowned everything out.

*gwuf, gwuf, gwuf*

*Snap*

The goril looked to where the twig was snapped and saw the frontier of dickroaches standing still and wiggling their antennas wildly. Their black ravenous eyes stared at him hungrily. Saliva hastily dripped from their mouths.

*Glurgh*

The head of one of the dickroaches was smashed in by a thrown rock.

The swarm charged in and quickly pitted him in a tight circle. Sporadically, the dickroaches would randomly enter the circle and try biting and slashing at the goril, but some withdrew before they connected with the goril's swings. Some got smashed in one hit when they entered his attack range.

The goril had incredible strength but it was outnumbered and slow. When the goril didn't turn around fast enough after swinging his fists, a dickroach would snap off his flesh with their mandibles or pierced it with their barbed legs. Some even flew at him with their wings but were blown to bits in the air by his punch.

First come, first served. The dickroach who successfully took him down would get a front-row seat to eating him but the risk of dying was also high.

Many in the front and mid-line waited for others to take him down so they can eat him safely but there was a risk of not being able to bite him if the others took all the vacant space around him.

The ones at the back had practically zero chance of getting even a finger so they pushed the crowd in the front, pressuring the frontline into the heat.

As some were hesitant and fickle with their decisions, they were moving back and forth allowing others to swap positions. This created a sea of roaches that were constantly fluctuating like waves.

The goril didn't notice this pattern as it was defending itself against the onslaught. They came at him at an increasing frequency as they built confidence. The sight of the goril taking damage updated the roaches of the situation. More and more roaches wanted to attack as the next hit might take him down.

The goril was getting tired and it wasn't getting any rest. As roaches kept attacking, it kept having to turn around every chance it got even during mid-swing. The goril wasn't slow at all. Just wasn't fast compared to the speedy dickroaches.

The goril took another slash to the arm and a bite to the legs. The blood got the savages excited. As he was nearing his end, he gave a final battle roar and all his fatigue and injuries seem to not affect him. He was determined to not give up despite the hopelessness of the situation and he moved even faster than he was before.

The goril had entered berserker mode. It wanted to go out with a bang and without disgrace.

After 15 roaches had died, one of them grabbed his leg and he had slipped. He was pulled across the ground to the crowd where they started ripping into his flesh.