The Beetle Partnership

Hearing the beetle's voice, Arthur's eyes widened; he was shocked again. He quickly looked in the direction of the voice, taking a defensive stance. The sound came from above, and as Arthur looked up, he was stunned again. The beetle was standing upside down on the ceiling, looking directly at him.

"Don't worry…! I'm not your enemy. I will not kill you," the beetle says, gazing down at Arthur with a serious expression.

Hearing this, Arthur thought for a moment, 'He could kill me, but he spared my life. Why?' Arthur knew he wasn't strong enough to fight the beetle, nor could he outrun it. After some thought, he lowered his hands and stood still, without any defenses, making himself an open target, as he knew he had no chance against the beetle.

Seeing that Arthur was finally ready to listen, the beetle released its grip and fell straight down toward Arthur. At the last moment, before hitting the ground, it twisted its body and landed on all four legs in front of him without making a sound.

It was the first time Arthur had seen the beetle this close. Their sizes were nearly the same, and their heights were equal.

Facing the beetle, Arthur's heartbeat quickened, but remembering the beetle's words, he calmed himself. Taking a deep breath, he says seriously, "Please don't kill me."

"I told you, I'm not your enemy. I'm not going to kill you," the beetle repeats, emphasizing its lack of hostile intent.

"Okay… so what do you want?" Arthur asks in a heavy voice. The fear of the beetle still haunted him, knowing it could kill him at any moment.

"Everything…" the beetle replies.

Hearing this, Arthur is confused and replies unconsciously, "What…?"

The beetle gazes blankly at Arthur. Thinking his response might have angered the beetle, Arthur shifted slightly.

"I mean… nothing," the beetle mutters.

Arthur became even more confused. He couldn't understand what the beetle wanted.

"I'm thinking we might help each other," the beetle finally says.

"Help? What kind of help?" Arthur asks.

"This is the Red Dungeon. If we want to survive here, we need to work together to increase our chances," the beetle replies, offering Arthur a partnership for survival.

Arthur was shocked again. The beetle was not only offering help but also asking for it.

"So… you mean like friends?" Arthur asks.

Hearing this, the beetle stares at him blankly without saying a word. Thinking he might have said something wrong, Arthur grew worried about how the beetle would react.

"Tell me, what is your most important goal right now?" the beetle asks firmly.

After thinking for a moment, Arthur replies, "I want to evolve into a human body."

"Human, huh? Disgusting. You should die," the beetle says, raising its hand toward Arthur.

Seeing this, Arthur knew the beetle was about to kill him.

"No, wait! I mean just the body! I didn't mean I want to become human, just the body!" Arthur quickly explains, raising his hands defensively.

Suddenly, Arthur saw black lightning forming into a ball in the beetle's hand, changing the environment around them. Arthur recognized it as magic. Knowing he couldn't run or fight, his body froze in fear.

But then, the black lightning ball began to shrink and vanished like a black hole.

"Sorry… I misjudged you," the beetle says, lowering its hand.

Seeing the beetle withdraw its attack, Arthur felt as though his heart had stopped for a moment. Experiencing death repeatedly was wearing on him. 'What is the problem with this beetle?' Arthur thought, noticing its unusual behavior.

"So, you just want to evolve into a greater being and become more powerful, huh?" the beetle asks, in a calmer tone.

"Yes…" Arthur replies, still worried.

"Okay, so do you want to work with me or not?" the beetle asks.

"Yes…" Arthur says after a moment of thought. He realized the beetle was much stronger than him, and working together would increase his chances of survival. It would also make finding food and water easier, and he might even learn something from the beetle.

"Oh, so you're okay with working with me?" the beetle asks again, slightly surprised by Arthur's agreement.

"Yes," Arthur confirms.

"I was just born and am still learning my skills. I haven't even left this upper area since then. As you can see, I'm weak. Are you okay with that?" Arthur asks, explaining his situation.

"Yeah, I know, but you can learn later, so it's fine," the beetle replies. Looking around the area, it starts walking toward the edge.

Seeing the beetle suddenly look in another direction and walk away, Arthur took a deep breath. The fear he had of the beetle had completely disappeared, but he still remained alert, knowing the beetle could kill him at any moment. Arthur also began thinking about how he could fight or escape if the beetle ever tried to kill him.

"So, what's your plan then? You haven't eaten anything, right?" the beetle asks, standing at the edge and looking down, where Arthur noticed a snake.

"Yeah, I haven't eaten anything since I was born. As for my plan, I was thinking of first learning my skills and then finding food," Arthur replies, looking at the beetle, who was still gazing downward.

'I should give him something so he doesn't attack me while I sleep,' the beetle thought, scanning the creatures below.

"How much time do you need to learn your skills and be ready to come down with me so we can grow stronger and escape this place?" the beetle asks, scanning the area for potential prey.

"Uh… seven days. If that's okay with you… I can shorten it if needed," Arthur replies nervously, worried the beetle might attack him again.

"Seven days, huh? How will you survive without food for that long?" the beetle asks, knowing most creatures couldn't survive seven days without food.

Suddenly, the beetle realized something. Shocked, it turned back to Arthur, who was staring at him.

Seeing the seriousness in the beetle's expression, Arthur was startled, thinking the beetle might try to kill him again.

'Don't tell me… he can survive without food for more than seven days. Wait, he said seven, and three days have already passed. That means he can survive ten days without food while still functioning like this. Is he insane… or is he truly a greater being?' the beetle thought.