Chapter 9: Escaping The Cave
Chapter 9: Escaping The Cave
The new form of Yuno included tiny, underdeveloped limbs, still weak, but present.
The tiny arms lacked the strength to handle weighty objects, and his feet, while solidified, were still far from full creature leg development. But it didn't matter.
He had legs.
He had arms.
They were his only hope.
Using his short feet, he struggled to climb into a standing position, trying to balance on his newly formed appendages. He managed to stand, but only with the smallest of margins. The unsteady movements of his steps brought him a sense of achievement, even though each one felt like a challenge. His arms swung at his sides in an uncoordinated fashion, but he could still perform minimal gestures. The legs were much more difficult to control than the rest of his body.
His tiny feet dragged across the ground with each clumsy shuffle.
He wasn't fast. Not even close to fast.
The pig continued to advance, undeterred by its earlier setback. The creature ignored any attempt at stealth as it pounded its hooves against the stone floor, making the entire cave shake with each step. It was getting closer.
Yuno was in a panic as he struggled to move ahead. His tiny limbs failed him with each step, and his heart raced in his chest. His eyes remained forward as he ran without looking back. The effort caused his small limbs to ache with intense pain.
The pig's heavy footsteps grew louder and closer as it pursued him.
The pig tracked Yuno with its large, expressive eyes as he moved.
The beast made its final, massive leap, charging directly at him.
The pig made a final frantic jump that sent her into Yuno while her strong little hooves secured him before their bodies slid across the rough terrain. The two bodies intertwined with each other while dirt and loose pebbles spread out in all directions during their chaotic roll. The moment passed before Yuno could comprehend what had occurred because he landed on his back with his new limbs extended to the sides. The spinning in his head combined with the painful touch of the ground underneath him caused him to quietly express discomfort.
Silence enveloped the entire scene for a brief instant. The chase was over.
The pig hovered over him after she successfully caught him while he lay defenseless on the ground. The pig's warm breath caressed his cap while she performed an action he never expected before he could move.
She licked him.
A powerful shiver traveled from Yuno's body when the wetness touched his cap and moved toward his stalk. His body remained motionless because fatigue had drained all his strength away. His body went rigid while he kept his eyes tightly shut. Was this it? Was she preparing to eat him?
Another lick. Then another.
Fear paralyzed Yuno, who remained motionless in that position. He prayed the devouring process would happen fast if she planned to eat him.
The pig demonstrated different intentions than Yuno expected. The small eager tongue of the pig coated his body with a thin layer of warm saliva as she licked him. Yuno experienced the sensation of being licked as if the predator felt affection toward him.
No. That couldn't be right. Could it?
Yuno carefully activated his appraisal ability while slowly opening his eye as his body continued to tremble from shock.
The blue light in his field of vision examined the pig while he received an influx of data into his consciousness.
[Ribbon Piglet – Level 10]
[HP: 135/135]
[MP: 10/10]
[SP: 100/100]
[Attack Power: 50]
[Speed: 25]
[Special Trait: Frenzy (Activates when excessively hungry)]
His breathing stopped momentarily.
Level 10. The pig possessed superior strength in every aspect compared to him.
Yuno's recent evolution had not changed his Level 6 status. An enormous difference separated their abilities. The difference between them extended beyond strength because he became completely insignificant. His fighting abilities would not produce any positive outcome because she was too powerful.
At that same instant, the pig seemed to notice and then halted her movement. A slight movement of her ears signaled that her entire body became stiff. The pig's gaze focused on the cave opening as her eyes narrowed to observe something that no one else seemed to notice.
Yuno noticed it, too.
A strange shift in the air.
The earth beneath them started to shake while the shaking intensity increased with each passing moment. The dim moonlight passing through the cavern ceiling revealed tiny pebbles while dust swirled around the ground.
Then, a distant rumble.
The entire cave started shaking with such intensity that Yuno barely managed to respond.
A combination of groans and cracking noises spread across the walls, followed by the formation of numerous fractures across the rocky ceiling, which resembled shattered glass webbing. The falling debris hit the ground with explosive force while additional dust spread throughout the air.
"An earthquake?!" Yuno thought in a panic. No, it wasn't natural. Something else was causing this.
The unseen creatures moved rapidly in a huge crater outside the cave, creating movements that were too quick for anyone to track. Each step from these unseen creatures produced powerful shockwaves that shook the cave structure while speeding up its impending destruction.
Yuno's eyes darted back to the pig. She had already positioned herself defensively, her small body crouched low to the ground as she sniffed the air, her entire posture alert and ready.
Was she trying to tell him something?
Yuno wasn't sure, but his mind was racing. If the pig wasn't going to eat him, then this was his chance. He needed to escape now.
Just as he made up his mind to move, the ceiling cracked apart.
A massive stalactite, dislodged by the violent tremors, broke free and plummeted toward the ground. It shattered upon impact, splitting into jagged shards that ricocheted dangerously across the floor.
Yuno flinched, knowing that if even one of those had struck him, he would have been obliterated instantly.
The pig reacted without hesitation.
She bolted for the exit, her small but agile body weaving through the falling debris with a level of dexterity that Yuno could hardly believe. She was fast, far too fast for him to keep up with.
"Wait!" Yuno called out instinctively, his voice barely audible over the chaos.
The pig stopped.
For a brief moment, she hesitated, her ears twitching as if considering his plea.
Then, against all odds, she turned back.
Her hooves kicked up dust as she dashed toward him, dodging another falling stalactite with remarkable grace. Yuno barely had time to register what was happening before she reached him and, with a single nudge of her snout, flipped him onto her back.
His small limbs scrambled to hold on, wrapping tightly around her short bristles. It wasn't perfect, his grip was weak, and his balance was unstable, but it was enough.
Then, with a powerful burst of speed, the piglet ran.