//Time 21:57

Three minutes until the doors close for the night. Bug turns away and starts walking back into the Dungeon, her goals made clear.

I will get stronger. I will have my revenge against the Dungeon. I will have my freedom. And I will have cookies!

Nearing the corner, Bug’s ears twitch as she hears something coming from further in, she stops and waits as the noise get closer. Eventually, rounding the corner is a pair of humans that are running desperately and breathing heavily.

“Come on! We got to hurry, or we are going to be locked in here all night! Hurry up, Simmon!” Yells the girl.

“Stop yelling and just run, I’m right behind you!” Simmon responds.

They finally notice Bug standing in the hall ahead of them as they make some distance in, slamming their feet to a stop as the sight of her takes them both by surprise.

“Wow! Holy crap, one is still alive. I thought they all got wiped out again today…”

“That’s not important! We need to move. Forget about the Gremlin and just run past it!”

“Wait, but why is it wearing clothes?”

“I don’t fucking know? Why does it matter? Just hurry up and –“

Bug interrupts them with a smile and a wave. A little over one minute left on the clock. “Hello humans. You seem to be in a rush. Something wrong?” She asks with her sweetest voice.

They stop just as they looked like they were about to start running again. Shock clearly written on their faces.

“Did that thing just talk?”

“Yeah… It did. They, they aren’t supposed to talk. What the hell…?”

Bug tuts at them, arms crossed over her chest as she gives them a both look. “Rude… I’m not a thing, nor an it. I’m a she. Or do humans just have a hard time telling my people apart?”

“I don’t care if you have tits, you little monster. A monster is a monster!” The girl calls back.

This pisses Bug off a little and she ends up saying a comeback before she can even think to stop herself. “Ah, apologies. I just figured that humans suffered from the same problem that I do. You see, I’m finding it quite hard to tell if you are a male or a female. Those are ‘tits’ on your chest, right? I was having a hard time figuring you out because they are so much smaller than mine. You are a girl, right?” Bug asks, head tilted to the side and a little smile on her face.

The yet to be named girl is shocked as Bug berates her figure with a smug face. Shock quickly turns to anger as Bug finishes and the boy next to her starts snickering.

“They’re not that small you little shit!”

The boy starts laughing. Losing control of his composure as it becomes too much for him. “Hahahahahaaaaa, a Gremlin has bigger tits than you! Zowey, I know that you were always flat as a washboard, but this is just too much! Hahahahaha!”

Zowey punches him as she blushes, “Shut up! Don’t…. Don’t call me a washboard! You jerk!”

“Ouch, ouch… hahaha, I’m sorry, ok? Stop hitting me, hahaha, I’m sorry. It was just funny. Not every day something like this happens.”

Zowey turns back to Bug, anger in her eyes as she fights down her embarrassment. “I’m going to kill you, you little monster! Don’t think you are going to get away with making fun of me!”

Geeze, she is easy to mess with if that is all it takes. Are all humans like this?

Bug gives them a smile, trying to look as innocent and sweet as possible. “I’m not a monster. I’m a Demi-Human. Also, weren’t you humans in the middle of something?” She asks, tilting her head to the other side inquisitively, a cute little smile on her face.

Simmon looks to the doors. “Oh shit! We gotta go. Zowey, forget about the Gremlin, we got to get out of here.”

“Mmmhhh, right, fine… You better be waiting you little monster. Tomorrow I’m going to come back and hunt you down!”

They both move to run, keeping their eyes on the strange little Gremlin as they move, but they are soon drawn to stop as Bug speaks again. Both of her hands up, her cute little smile growing cold on her face as she steps to block them. “Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six-”

“Hey, what are you counting down for?”

“Five. Four-”

“Hey! I asked you a question!” Zowey yells.

A look of shock comes over Simmon as he looks from Bug and then to the doors. “Oh no, Zowey! Forget about her; the doors!”

“Three.”

Zowey rips her eyes off of Bug and looks to the doors in a hurry, realization spreading in her eyes with horror. “Oh crap!”

“Two.”

“Run!!!!”

They make a break for the doors as Bug lowers her final finger. “One.”

Behind her, the doors loudly move as they start to close. The sound of stone moving over stone filling the hall as the two humans scream for it to stop. They run for the doors and Bug steps to the side, letting them pass by as they desperately run. They reach the doors just as they seal shut, slamming into them and smacking their hands against the unmoving and uncaring stone. They scream for it to open, for someone on the other side to help them, but the doors will not budge.

//Time 22:00

//Ending Day

//All system users, please prepare for Dungeon restock.

Hmm… Interesting…

As bug is looking over the notice, the two humans are still loudly knocking on the doors. With how thick they are, Bug seriously doubts that anyone will hear them from the other side. She lets them continue to be dumb as she watches.

‘Lvl 3 Human.’

‘Lvl 3 Human.’

Yeah, these ones don’t seem all that dangerous either. Their stuff is nicer than those three guys, but they are definitely weaker. And both of them have swords… I want them.

“Excuse me! Humans!” Bug yells to draw their attention. “The doors aren’t going to open even if you bang on them!”

They turn back, seemingly remembering that Bug exists and scowl at her. Zowey walks forward, finger pointing at Bug acquisitively. “You! If you didn’t distract us, we would have gotten out!”

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“If you humans weren’t so easy to distract, you would have made it out. Yes.”

“You little bitch!”

“Heh!” Bug lets out a single laugh as she looks at the furious girl.

“You drop that smug smile you little monster! I’ll skin you alive and sell your furs on the market for a single copper!”

She goes to take a step towards Bug, but is stopped as Simmon grabs her shoulder. “Zowey, forget the Gremlin! We need to run, now! We need to get to the stairs before the Mana Wave comes. We aren’t strong enough to take it yet!”

Zowey looks back to him, torn between fighting and running, and clicks her tongue.

“Fuck! Fine, let’s go. Don’t think I am going to forget about this you little creatin!”

They move to return down the hall but are forced to stop as Bug steps away from the wall and blocks their path.

Simmon speaks up at this as he keeps Zowey from screaming at Bug again. “Hey little Gremlin. What do you think you’re doing? We’re giving you a chance to live here. Take it and move out of our way.”

“Mmmmm, no. I don’t think I will.”

“And why not? Do you think you can stop us? I don’t care if you can talk and wear clothes, we’ve killed five of you just today.”

“Wow! You killed five of those things? Good job human.” Bug says with a contentious smile.

“Those things? What, do you think you’re not one of them? Ah! It doesn’t matter! You’re just trying to stall us again! If you won’t move, then we will just go through you. Come on Zowey!”

“Yes! Finally! Stay right there you little shit, and don’t even think of running!”

They charge, drawing their swords as they run towards Bug. But she remains standing there as they draw near. Once they get almost a few steps to within striking range, Bug points a finger up a Zowey and says, “Inflict Pain.”

She screams and trips over herself as her body locks up on her. Every nerve in her body sending pain signals in a panic, as if her body had just been dipped in acid and lit on fire.

Simmon, still running forward turns his head in surprise as his companion screams and falls. His priorities clearly being more on her than on the unarmed enemy right in front of him. After all, not once since they had entered this hallway had they considered Bug to be an actual threat.

His body comes to a stop as he collides with something. The air catching in his throat as the breath is stolen from his lips.

He turns his eyes away from his screaming companion and looks down at the Gremlin before him. In her hands is a spear, taller that her body by almost three times. She holds it braced against the floor. The shaft of the spear runs up, leading from her hands, and is buried in his chest. His leather armor had barely done anything to stop the blade from piecing him as he had run himself onto its blade.

“Where…? Where did…? Ehhhh….”

Bug pushes forward, forcing the blade deeper and making him cough up a mouthful of blood as something import inside of him gets broken. As the strength to stand fades from his knees, Bug pulls hard on the shaft and forces him to fall to his side.

Zowey screams. Not because of the pain that is ripping her senses apart, but because of the sight of the boy falling before her, a spear rammed through his chest. She writhes on the ground with tears in her eyes as she watches the Gremlin approach.

Placing her foot on his body, she moves the spear back and forth as he gasps in pain, eventually she works the spear free and yanks it out. He gasps on the ground, sword dropped and forgotten as the little monster raises the spear up above her head.

Zowey screams, only one word managing to make its way out through the pain. “NO!!!!”

Bug brings it down, planting the end of the spear into his neck like one might plant a flag on freshly claimed soil, one foot placed on his body like it is the incline of a freshly conquered hill.

His hands weakly raise to the shaft of the spear and then fall away. One finger only managing to graze the shaft before his strength fails him. He stops moving.

“Well, that’s one. Not much experience for a level 3, but I’m not going to say no to free stuff…” The little Gremlin says to herself with a casual shrug.

Zowey stares at the corpse laying before her. Of the boy that she had spent so much of her life with. The boy that grew up next door and despite always making fun of her, was always, always there for her.

The boy that she could never come to admit that she liked. Always stubbornly pushing it off till later. Always denying her feelings. Never wanting to take that next step in fear of how it might change things between them. What if he rejected her? Would they still be able to be friends? What if… what if he accepted her? What kind of life could they have lived together…?

And now, he is dead…

…

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!”

Screaming, she pushes through the pain and forces herself up. She had dropped her sword when she fell, but she still pushes herself forward and charges.

Surprise fills the eyes of the little monster as she moves forward, her every step accompanied with the screaming of her nerves and muscles.

The monster flinches and tries to backpedal, tripping over the corpse at her feet as her foot gets caught on a strap.

Zowey throws herself forward, arms grabbing at the little monster as she pushes her small body down beneath her. Hands wrapped around her neck, she tries to strangle the life out of the monster as her rage and grief pushes her through the pain.

Something sharp pierces her stomach as she strangles the monster, but her body is already in so much pain that she hardly notices.

She fights through it all as the thing gasps for air with one arm waving in the air.

Soon! Soon it will be dead! I’ll avenge you Simmon!

A green and black ball of liquid splashes into Zowey’s face as the little monster waves her arm again.

“Ahhhhhhhh!”

Her vision goes dark as her eyes burn. Some of the liquid had gotten into her mouth and almost instantly the feeling of death assails her body. Her hands fly up to her face as the pain tearing through her increases tenfold, her body shaking like a leaf as a deathly chill fills her.

No more sense of direction. No more up and down. Slowly all of her senses start to fail her as she screams on the floor, the cold hand of death already on her shoulder.

From somewhere beside her, someone is coughing and cursing.

I’m sorry Simmon. I should have listened when you said we should leave the Dungeon. I’m sorry that I made us take so long. I just wanted to spend more time with you. I’m sorry that I never told you that I love yo-

“Die human!”

A dagger plunges into her temple and her last thoughts are cut painfully short. Death takes her toll, two lives carried in her hands as she smiles upon her new favorite Bug.

----------------------------------------

//Killed lvl 3 Human – 15 exp gained!

//Killed lvl 3 Human – 15 exp gained!

…

“Ahch! Ahh, ache! Ahhh, damn bitch! Why the hell did you strangle me for!”

Bug kicks her corpse as she coughs and massages her sore throat.

The corpse naturally doesn’t respond, her now blind eyes lifelessly staring up at the ceiling with a dagger sticking out of her temple. The green liquid covers her face and blood vessels are clearly showing through her skin as the poison ravages her corpse from the inside out. Watching for a few moments, Bug sees the girls face turn black and rot away.

“Uhh, that doesn’t look pleasant… But why was she able to move even while she was under Inflict Pain? Did seeing the boy die make her that angry? Ache, ahh, it hurts to talk…”

Bug continues to massage her throat as she yanks the knife out of the girl. It comes out covered in blood and grey matter. Bug grimaces as she wipes the blade clean on the girl’s pants.

Doesn’t matter. Let’s just take their stuff. It’s mine now and that is all that matters. And besides, thanks to them, I am just 2 exp. away from leveling up again.

Collecting their packs, retrieving their swords, and searching their bodies, Bug takes everything that she can and sorts through what she wants to keep and sells what she doesn’t.

Oh, what’s this thing?

‘Hairbrush. A simple brush intended for people to straighten out and clean up their hair/fur with.’

Ohhhh, nice!

Bug gives it a try and runs it through her fur, a pleasant feeling filling her as the bristles run over her arm and leaves behind smoothed out fur. Pulling a bit with it in some places, she manages to work out some tangles and areas that are stuck together.

Once she is done, her arm feels much fluffier than it used to and is pleasant to the touch.

Oh, I am keeping this! Lucky, lucky!

Deciding to give herself a full brushing later, Bug gets back to it and strips the leather chest armor off of the girl. It is thankfully undamaged, and if it had covered the girl’s stomach, she might still have been alive right now.

Bug works it up and over herself as she tries to put it on. Though she quickly comes to some trouble.

Despite the fact that the girl’s chest was indeed smaller than Bug’s, it doesn’t change the fact that she was still a human and was thus bigger than Bug in many other ways. The armor doesn’t fit. Even as she messes with the straps, she can’t get it to work for her at all.

“Haaaa…. Damn it. Wait! What about, ahchh, ache! Ouch…”

No talking for now, no talking…

Going with her idea, Bug deposits the leather chest guard into her inventory and then tries to equip it from there. A message pops up as she confirms.

‘Warning!

This piece is the wrong size and shape for you. Would you like to fix that?

Cost – 2 points [Note: Discount of 30% applied due to reducing size of item.]’

Oh, discount, nice! Yes please.

A quick loading bar pops up and then disappears in less than a second before the freshly modified armor appears on Bug’s body, covering her chest in a layer of protective hardened leather.

Weirdly, Bug notices that the armor seems to conform a bit too much to her figure.

Oi! System, what the hell!? It wasn’t like this on her!

Bug looks down at the corpse in question and frowns.

Although… I guess she really didn’t have much of anything to work with there… Maybe the armor was supposed to be like this, but was flat because she was wearing it?

Huh… I’m starting to feel bad now for making fun of her…

Bug coughs and rubs at her throat.

On second thought, screw her. Bitch almost killed me...

Bug turns her attention and watches as her health bar steadily refills from being transparent. She had only taken temporary damage from the strangulation, same as if she were drowning. She still would have died if it had hit zero, but unlike real damage, temporary damage will quickly heal once the source of the damage is taken care of.

Once her health has finally finished refilling, Bug is left with her HP at 64/66 and it doesn’t heal any higher.

The girl probably hurt something in my throat from squeezing it so hard… Hopefully it won’t take too long to heal.

Leaving the corpses with their clothes on, Bug stores them both in her Inventory and sorts them into page 3 with the others.

Now I have five of them. Good.

Massaging her neck some more and working out a kink in her back, Bug leaves the hallway and returns to her mission of mapping out the first floor.