“Why did it have to be a mosquito?” Chase asked himself as he stared at the giant bug. It was easily the largest beast he’d seen ever since he’d been to the zoo as a kid and got to see elephants.

The mosquito was a monster. Not figuratively, not even metaphorically, but literally. Its wings were large and translucent, allowing the sunlight to filter through and cast a faint red glow. Its body was a dull black, the color of old iron, and covered in spindly hairs. But what was most striking was its proboscis, a long, needle-like appendage that dripped with some kind of viscous fluid.

As Chase watched, the mosquito plunged its proboscis into the side of a weasel the size of a polar bear, the sharp tip sinking deep into the animal’s flesh with horrifying ease. The weasel let out a pained squeal, a sound that made Chase's blood run cold, but it was surprisingly subdued given its size and apparent strength. It struggled briefly against the grasp of the mosquito's needle, then went limp, its eyes glazing over as its life was visibly drained away.

Chase felt a shiver run down his spine. He knew he should run, hide, do anything but stand there. Yet, his feet felt rooted to the spot, a morbid fascination holding him in place. This was no ordinary mosquito; this was something out of a nightmare, a creature of immense power and terror.

The mosquito's wings buzzed softly as it finished feeding, the sound eerily harmonic. It lifted off from the now motionless weasel with an effortless grace, its belly swollen and glistening under the sun. Chase watched as it hovered for a moment, seemingly surveying the area for more prey.

A twig snapped under his foot. When had he taken a step back?

Chase's heart stopped, the noise echoing loudly in the still air. The mosquito's head swiveled, its eyes fixing on him with a look of sudden hunger. He knew in an instant that there was no escaping its attention. It was too late to turn and run, too late to hide.

With a blood-curdling shriek, the mosquito surged forward, its wings a blur as it closed the distance between them in an instant. Chase barely had the time to bring his left arm up, the turtle shell shield letting out a loud THWUNK as the mosquito's proboscis slammed into it.

The force of the impact reverberated through Chase's arm, sending sharp tingles up to his shoulder. He stumbled backwards, nearly losing his footing on the dense underbrush. His heart pounded furiously in his chest as he scrambled for any advantage he could find in this unexpected battlefield.

The mosquito pulled back, hovering in the air for a moment before swooping in for another attack. Chase ducked behind his shield, the proboscis scraping off the hardened surface with a shrill screech. He had no idea how long he could hold out against this creature, but he was determined to fight to the bitter end.

With a grunt, Chase lashed out with his pickax, the blunt end connecting solidly with the mosquito's bulbous abdomen. It reeled backwards, emitting a deafening buzzing sound, its eyes filled with a sizzling, burning hatred.

Chase took advantage of the momentary reprieve, stepping back and adjusting his grip on the turtle shell shield. Glancing down at the surface, his eyebrows shot up in surprise. Based on the amount of shocks that the blows had sent up his arm, he’d been expecting to see a number of holes and gouges in its surface. Instead, there were a few tiny scratches, so small that he wasn’t convinced that they weren’t his imagination.

“Okay, so keep the shield in use,” Chase muttered as he turned his attention back to the elephant-sized mosquito. Cracking his neck, he raised his shield and readied his pickax, before shouting, “Come and get me you bloated piece of shit!”

The mosquito, clearly enraged by the impact and now provoked by Chase's taunts, buzzed louder, its wings vibrating with a menacing intensity. It dove towards him again, faster than before, a black blur against the sunlight. Chase braced himself, tightening his grip on the shield.

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At the last second, he sidestepped, swinging the pickax with all his might. The blade sliced through one of the mosquito's hairy legs, severing it cleanly. The leg fell to the ground with a thud, twitching slightly as the mosquito reeled back in pain and surprise.

The creature let out an unearthly screech that echoed through the trees, a sound so terrifying that birds took flight en masse from the canopy above. But Chase didn't let the fear take over this time. He had seen that he could hurt it, and that was enough to inject a surge of confidence through his veins.

As the mosquito circled back for another attack, Chase readied himself, his eyes locked on the creature's movements. This time, when the insect darted towards him, he was ready.

He sidestepped again, bringing the pickax around in a powerful arc. The blade connected with the mosquito's left wing, cleaving it clean off in a single blow. The insect lost control, tumbling to the ground with a sickening crunch.

Chase wasted no time, launching himself at the fallen monster with a savage cry. His pickax swung, but the mosquito reacted faster than he'd expected. Its abdomen bulged, before a jet of viscous liquid shot out and covered the haft of his pickax just below the head.

The liquid smoked and burned like fire, rapidly eating through the old wooden haft, and Chase's hands recoiled from the sudden heat. Dropping the now useless pickax, he stumbled backward, his eyes darting around for something—anything—that could be used as a weapon.

The mosquito was struggling to right itself, its remaining wing flapping frantically in an attempt to regain balance. Chase glanced around and noticed a large branch on the ground not far from him. He lunged for it, grabbing it just as the mosquito managed to stabilize itself in the air.

Clutching the branch like a baseball bat, Chase faced the hovering creature. Its one good eye glared at him with malice, and it charged once more, seemingly undeterred by its injuries.

This time, Chase waited until the last possible moment. As the mosquito bore down on him, he swung the branch with all his strength. The makeshift weapon connected with a satisfying crack against the mosquito's head, sending it reeling sideways. The impact of the blow caused the branch to splinter, but to Chase’s horror, it seemed to have almost no effect on his target.

“Crap,” Chase swore, as the mosquito turned his baleful gaze back to him.

Its abdomen tucked underneath itself, the end pointing directly at him as it bulged once again. Frantically, Chase brought his shield up as another jet of the viscous, almost boiling blood shot straight at his face.

He felt the liquid splash against the surface of the shield, sizzling and smoking like acid. But the shield held strong, protecting him from the worst of the attack. The mosquito continued to spew the toxic fluid, a never-ending torrent of the burning liquid. Chase struggled to stay standing as the weight of the shield and the pressure of the fluid threatened to send him tumbling to the ground.

"Just...die!" Chase yelled as the mosquito seemed to run out of steam, the torrent of liquid slowing and then ceasing entirely.

Peeking over the edge of the shield, he let out a yelp and ducked back down, the mosquito’s proboscis darting through his hair as he just barely avoided having his face impaled. The creature was relentless, but its movements were becoming sluggish, its attacks more predictable. Chase gritted his teeth and prepared for another round. He knew he couldn’t withstand much longer at this rate; he needed to find a way to end this battle quickly.

As the mosquito gathered itself for another strike, Chase took a deep breath and sprinted towards it, shield raised. The insect lunged, its proboscis aiming directly for his face once more. This time, Chase was ready. At the last moment, he pivoted on his heel, swinging the shield with all his might like a giant hammer.

The edge of the shield struck the mosquito squarely in the neck, a loud crack sounding through the air as carapace met makeshift armor. The force of the blow knocked the mosquito back, sending it careening into a nearby tree trunk with a sickening crunch.

Chase didn’t pause to see if it was still moving. He jumped forward, hold his shield with both hands and slamming the edge into its neck again, and again, and again. Finally, with one last forceful swing, a definitive crack echoed through the forest as the mosquito's head separated from its neck, falling to the mossy ground with a wet thump. Silence fell over the clearing, broken only by Chase's heavy breathing and the distant call of birds returning to their disturbed perches.

He stood there for what seemed like hours, watching warily as the mosquito's body twitched its last. Satisfied that it was indeed dead, he let his shield drop with a clatter onto the leaf-littered ground and collapsed beside it, his body shaking from adrenaline and exhaustion. His clothes were soaked with perspiration and whatever that corrosive liquid was that the mosquito had expelled.

After a few moments of catching his breath, Chase staggered to his feet. He surveyed his surroundings cautiously, half-expecting another monstrous insect to come buzzing out of the depths of the forest. When none appeared, he began to relax slightly, his mind slowly processing what had just occurred.

Enemy Defeated: Giant Dessication Mosquito (Common Mosquito Rank L, 19)

Level Gained 5x

Available Characteristics: 25

“Right,” Chase muttered under his breath. “Drag this back to the cabin, see if I can make a new weapon out of it, then sleep for a fucking month.”