Bang!

The sound of a gunshot echoed through the corridor. Blood splattered against the stone wall. The fly’s head had just turned around the corner when a bullet penetrated it. Without any resistance the large insect dropped to the ground, thoroughly dead.

Tepo didn’t dwell on his success. Immediately after shooting he turned around again. He sprinted, his tension still high. The buzzing sound from behind didn’t stop. Rather it was growing even louder.

Death was still breathing down the young man’s back.

Gritting his teeth he continued sprinting. But how could a human beat the flies’ speed? Tepo was already lucky that the big flies had to drag their heavy bodies along or they would have already caught up long ago.

But even like this those disgusting creatures lusting for blood gradually closed the distance. Only a few meters separated them form their prey.

Tepo gave it his all. The stairs were right before him. Suddenly his instincts screamed. The buzzing sound was right next to his ears. In a smooth motion he threw his body forward.

A dark, long mouth shot over the human’s head. The fly was annoyed. As Tepo performed a smooth dive roll he vanished from his attacker’s vision. Even as he stood up again, he was still blurry in the fly’s facetted eyes.

Tepo kept a calm head. Breathing evenly, he did a quick step forward, turning right and disappearing behind a corner.

Caution wasn’t in the fly’s vocabulary. It continued chasing its prey. Its brethren were right behind it, trying to steal its meal. But the fly wouldn’t have it. It was so close. Just around this corner…

And the fly’s world turned dark. Tepo drew back his knife. Ignoring the disgusting liquid covering his weapon and the dead insect falling to the ground, he sprinted up the stairs.

His calves burned as the odd stairs forced the young man to run on the tip of his toes.

Once more the buzzing behind Tepo turned clearer. The young man looked over his shoulder. His body trembled. Gradually the flies arrived in bigger groups. Now four more were closing in on his back.

Tepo drew a sharp breath. Was it worth it to empty his gun now? But looking at the insects’ unsettling eyes he came to a decision quickly.

Without turning back, Tepo held out his pistol.

Deafening shots immediately sounded through the staircase. Tepo’s wrist hurt form the recoil as two flies directly went to the ground. However, even though the staircase was narrow, how could Tepo hope to kill four enemies with four bullets?

The remaining flies were enraged. One of them was missing a leg while the other was entirely unhurt. Full of anger at their prey’s audacity to defend itself, they rapidly sped up.

Tepo stood on top of the stairs. He turned around, prepared to end those flies quickly.

At the lower end of the staircase a new black cloud was already appearing. Tepo realized that decisiveness was key.

The young man’s eyes narrowed. The insects were dashing forward. In a moment they were right before him. Two long mouths stabbed at the human.

Tepo kept his calm. He waited until the fly was just about to touch him. Suddenly he turned his body. He punched out with all his strength.

The flies lost their target. Abruptly one of them felt its nerves turning crazy. A fist hit its side. A deep depression formed in its carapace. It tumbled, pushed to the side by the sudden hit.

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Drawing his arm back, Tepo watched as his plan succeeded. One of the flies crashed into the other, pushing it into the darkness. Immediately it mysteriously vanished without a trace.

With no time to celebrate, Tepo focused on the disoriented fly staying low to the ground. Having received a strong punch, it tumbled around as if drunk. Tepo had no problem finishing it off.

In one smooth motion the young adult stabbed his knife into his enemy’s back and pulled it out. The fly’s nerves were severed immediately. It fell to the ground, struggling at death’s door.

Tepo didn’t waste a second. Another group of flies was already close. This time their numbers made the young man’s scalp tingle. He hastily turned around.

Bypassing the bathroom, Tepo sprinted, bent his legs, and fluently jumped out the window. Already prepared for the changing gravity he threw his upper body forward, landing on his ass.

Without delay he jumped up and ran away, hoping his plan would work.

A moment later with loud buzzing noises a black cloud impatiently pressed through the window. Dozens of flies had arrived.

Within the jungle the plant was indignant. It didn’t understand how its prey could escape. Since it was already affected by poison how was it still able to run? Now it wasted so much effort for nothing.

Suddenly though, vibrations reached her sensitive vines spread in the jungle. The plant couldn’t hear but it could feel the soundwaves. From their intensity the soundwaves resembled those of its earlier prey. Could it be… has it returned?

The plant excitedly waved its leaves. Such a big and tasty prey… it couldn’t let it escape again. Just as the plant prepared its vines to fill its prey with a big dose of toxin, strong vibrations suddenly reached it.

Tepo’s steps were drowned out by the flies moving their wings. The plant was shocked. Such a big meal had appeared. It didn’t even need to attack carefully. How could it miss something so huge?

Suddenly the flies’ noise changed. Tepo turned his head. His eyes lit up. Fast vines shot out of the jungle, scattering the cloud of insects.

Many flies were hit. Immediately their bodies turned weak, their wings slowed, and they dropped to the ground drunkenly.

Under the plants assault the big cloud gradually dissolved. The flies separated instinctively.

Tepo took a deep breath. Despite the plants best efforts it wasn’t easy to eliminate all the flies immediately. Many of them still had their eyes on the price.

Knowing that he wouldn’t be able to dodge this difficult fight, Tepo was prepared to take the initiative. Not far from him a single fly had separated from the rest.

Focusing, readying for combat, the young man dashed forward.

The fly felt insecure. Separated from its peers, the human’s ferocious assault unsettled the insect. It was indecisive.

Tepo noticed the fly’s behavior. His blood boiled. Some excitement came to his mind. Tepo couldn’t deny that he had always enjoyed the thrill of fighting. At least when he wasn’t hunted down. He definitely preferred being the hunter.

With such a mindset Tepo was swift on his feet. With some information about those big insects, he knew how to fight them.

Right before colliding with the fly, Tepo jumped towards the right. The fly’s vision was blurry. It registered the human’s move too late. A knife plunged into its side, taking it out.

Tepo grinned. A buzzing sound came from behind his head. He hastily ducked, one knee on the ground. Pain hit his shoulder. As two insects appeared in his vision, the young man realized how sharp their pointed legs could be.

With no time to care for his wound, Tepo quickly shot upwards. His knife slashed forward, cutting open a fly’s belly. The animal spread its disgusting blood on Tepo’s hand. It would bleed out in seconds.

Instead of pursuing his other assailant, Tepo turned around hastily. A fly was right before him. Tepo only had the time to avoid the sharp mouth and bring his elbow between them.

With a slimy squelching noise, the fly’s eye exploded. But Tepo didn’t come out unscathed either. The sharp mouth stabbed through his clothes, getting stuck in his right chest.

Disgusted by the sight of a fly sticking to his body, Tepo swiftly pushed it away. Right at this moment a vine shot over, taking the fly away.

It looked like Tepo cooperate with the plant, but he wasn’t naïve enough to believe so. In its eyes everyone else were prey. Tepmodus had to stay highly alert if he wanted to leave this battlefield alive.

The same was true for the flies, but unfortunately, they didn’t comprehend it. With reckless abandon they chased after the human while multiple vines threatened to take their lives as well.

Another wave of attacks came after Tepo. A black insect tried its luck from above. It shot at the human’s head.

Tepo had just hacked another beast to death, before hastily diving to the side. He hissed loudly as he landed on his injured shoulder.

Right at this moment another vine swept the manor’s wall. Tepo’s eyes widened. Fortunately, his mind reacted quickly. He grabbed the body of a dead fly nearby and threw it at the vine.

Satisfied, the toxic appendage wrapped around the fly and drew back into the jungle. But Tepo wasn’t granted any respite. Immediately after he jumped up, two more flies were coming to taste his blood.