The Swarm Descends

"You have entered The Burrows"

Jae-sung stood at the entrance of the burrow, his senses heightened by a mixture of curiosity and unease. The musty, damp air that greeted him was thick with the scent of earth and decay. He took a step forward, the ground beneath him soft and yielding, like the first fall of snow on a winter's morning.

As he descended deeper into the burrow, Jae-sung was aware of the coolness on his skin, a contrast to the warm, stuffy air that surrounded him. He reached out a hand to steady himself, feeling the rough walls of the burrow brush against his fingertips. The stillness was almost oppressive, and Jae-sung felt a growing sense of unease as he made his way further into the depths of the earth.

He could hear the soft rustling of leaves, and the distant trickle of water, like a stream flowing through the heart of the earth. The ground became more uneven, and Jae-sung stumbled, his foot sinking into the soft earth.

It was then that he became aware of a sound, a low humming that filled the air. The sound grew louder and more insistent.

Jae-sung was suddenly under attack from a horde of giant centipedes, each one over ten feet long, with chitinous bodies that glinted in the dim light of the chamber. The creatures reared up on their hind legs, baring their razor-sharp mandibles as they prepared to strike.

Just as the first centipede lunged forward, Jae-sung summoned a shield of metal. The centipede's acidic spit hit the shield, sizzling as it corroded the metal.

Jae-sung summoned his puppet, with a smooth, fluid motion, the puppet began to cut down the centipedes, its swords slicing through their chitinous armor with ease.

But even its metal form was not immune to the centipedes' corrosive acid, and soon it began to take damage, its metal body melting and warping under the relentless assault.

His mana was channeled into the puppet and restoring its form. But the cost was high - his mana was draining quickly, consumed by the effort of sustaining the puppet's form.

The sound of chirping growing louder with each passing moment, as a horde of giant crickets approached.

He summoned a network of steel wire, its surface gleaming like silver in the dim light. With a flick of his wrist, he connected the wire to the walls and roof of the chamber, creating a deadly web that would ensnare his foes.

The crickets emerged from the shadows, their massive legs carrying them forward with lightning speed. They were formidable creatures, with long, spindly legs that could carry them across great distances in a single bound.

The crickets leapt forward, their legs carrying them through the air in massive jumps. They were relentless in their attack, their mandibles snapping as they descended upon Jae-sung.

But they never reached him.

The instant they came into contact with the wire, they were cut in half, their bodies falling to the ground in a rain of chitin and gore. Their momentum was too great, and they could not stop their forward progress, even as their bodies were sliced apart by the wire.

Jae-sung watched as the crickets fell, his eyes following their descent. He could hear the sounds of their bodies impacting against the ground, the crunch of their exoskeletons and the sickening squelch of their insides. He could smell the scent of their death, a bitter tang that filled his nostrils.

He watched as the last of the crickets fell, its body slamming against the ground with a wet thud.

"You leveled up."

"Metal Manipulation has reached level 2."