The simple layout of the first, and only, floor made tracking easy. There were no complicated twists or turns that got in the way. Prey could only run, due to the lack of good hiding spots. Even less hiding spots were available when one was a giant.

Acid didn't like this. He almost missed being small, when every crack or hole in the walls was a valid place to hide. Now, though, a straight up fight was practically unavoidable. Which mostly explained why the spiders he used to consider giants died so often.

A fate he had no desire to share.

So, when the silent alarm was sounded and all the dungeon's defenders rushed to the first room, Acid lagged behind. He knew what the alarm meant: Intruders, here to bring the core harm. As a denizen of the dungeon it was his duty, as well as all the other monsters, to defend the core with his life.

A life he was very hesitant to lose.

The others though, they rushed forward eagerly, both in defense of their home and for the chance to bring glory to their faction. Acid wasn't nearly as brave, even if he was part of a faction he doubted it'd change his unwillingness to throw himself at the enemy. It was why he watched the battle from above, like he always had.

The first thing he noticed, was that the intruders weren't normal beasts of the forest. They were monsters. Not the same kind as those that called the dungeon home. They were different and far stranger than any of the other creatures Acid had ever seen walk the dungeon's halls before.

A name came to mind as soon as he saw them. Ants. They were Giant ants.

In a way that seemed almost like mockery to him, the ants were multi-limbed insects with a huge pair of mandibles. Tough armor covered their entire body save for their two bulbous eyes and antenna. It was a sight Acid found disturbing to look at. So much so that he almost refused To look at it. Almost.

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The things, of which there were four of, crawled on six legs and were utterly fearless. With zero hesitation they threw themselves into the massive array of monsters. Mandibles and legs struck out with a cool discipline, hitting anything and everything around them except for each other. It was as if they were one monster rather than four.

In a way it was inspiring. It was also an utter nightmare to behold, one that made Acid even more glad he hadn't ran to the Frontline. For the other monsters, though, it was absolutely brutal.

Within moments several of them had died. The ants cut a spider in half, they immobilized a wolf and killed it. The ants success, however, was fleeting. As soon as the dungeon monsters realized that the ants were an actual threat they all attacked. There was no more playing with prey. No more jokingly defending the dungeon in honor of their factions.

Now they were serious.

In a tidal wave of bodies, claws, and fangs the ants were torn apart. It happened in an instant, and then the dungeon monsters returned to their usual. They left the ant corpses where they lay and left. Except for Acid.

Shortly after the battle, he crawled down from his hiding spot and inspected the corpses. They were undeniably dead, as they should be. Yet, he discovered that there was so much more to know about them. Their antenna still twitched, even in death. More importantly they had the oddest smell about them, one so strong that Acid almost reconsidered getting any closer.

For all he knew the smell could be some form of toxin. In spite of that, however, he crept forward. Close enough to see his own reflection in the bulging compound eyes.

Close enough to realize more would be coming. He wasn't sure how he knew, he just knew. It was a sudden realization that hit him with a primal chill that traveled down his very being. A clarity that couldn't be denied.

On reflex he spit at the corpse, and a green glob of acid came out instead of spit. It melted the corpse into a far more disturbing to look at sight within seconds. And seconds later, Acid fled the area, ready to put a plan into action.

A rash and very stupid plan.