The next day Paul made it back to the upper layer of the colony. After his run in with the queen, he intended to bolt out of there, but he didn't want to give the ants a reason to run after him.
He didn't know to much about them, however considering that he is currently inside their colony, they wouldn't ignore him forever. Right now they thought of him as just another young ant, but if he started behaving suspiciously, that would change.
So far it seemed to him, that they would leave him alone, so long he pretended to keep himself busy by imitating the others around him. Thus he followed the first group he found, until he reached the prior hub space. Once he got there he joined a different group and just like that he started making his way back up without getting unnecessary attention.
It took him an entire day nonetheless, as he didn't know the where certain tunnels lead and picked the wrong groups to follow several times. The whole colony looked the same to him, which meant he didn't know what tunnels to choose in order to get outside. Because of that he had to try his luck and pick the way at random.
Even now, the group in front of him, simply looked promising. That was the whole reason. Paul had done this so many times already, he felt like a man trying to get rich by reading horoscopes.
It all seemed so hopeless at some point, until he saw the literal light at the end of the tunnel.
(Finally! I knew this group was the one)
After much trial and error, he had found it, the way out.
With renewed vigor, he hastened his steps, towards his freedom. His escape would finally be a success.
When he first arrived in this world he had to run for his life, only to then be stuck in his nest and once he got out of his cavern, he got lost in the labyrinth that was the ant colony. But that was going to change now, as they approached the tunnels exit.
The only thing left to do, was to find the right moment to split off from the group and finally go his own way. It was time for his adventure to start and Paul was determined to make it happen.
(I've had enough of this stupid mountain. No more fighting for my life)
The ants reached the exit, while Paul was busy planning his future outside the mountain.
(All I've done so far is run around underground like some kinda dwarf. To hell with that. I'm gonna get out of here and find some sexy elves or something. I'll just use my [Polymorph] to hide among the humans and chill in some random place until I reach maturity)
As he stepped out of the tunnel, he was assaulted by a heat wave, pulling him back to the present.
In front of him was a burning molten hellscape. A vast area covered in patches of ground separated by several intersecting lava streams. The air was blurry, wavy and shimmering from the heat.
(Even if they can survive here, why would they dig a tunnel here?)
The group continued on without spreading out, contrary to Pauls expectation.
(Aren't they here to gather food?)
He observed them with curiosity, this was a chance after all. So long they are focused on something else, it would give him the opportunity he needs to escape without drawing attention.
Standing in front of a lava stream, the group paused, looking around for a way to cross to the other side. With no options left they walked along the stream.
In the meantime Paul took in every detail from the environment that he could, as he had already experienced how important knowing his surroundings could become for his survival.
This was the largest open space he had seen yet, which made him wonder just how big is the mountain he found himself in.
(I really hope this leads somewhere better … I'd like to see more of this world than just this mountain already)
Plop!Plop!
The sound of bubbles fizzing came from the lava stream and when these reached Pauls ears, he reflexively jumped aside in an exasperated manner.
While seemingly exaggerated, his quick reaction ended up saving him.
A speedy and slender creature emerged from the lava with swift movement, passed by where Paul stood and pinned down the ant in front of him. It's maw closed around the ants neck and in one powerful bite separated its head from the body.
The group stopped on the spot, as the creature stood there, lava still dripping from its body and the head of the ant held in its maw like a trophy.
Paul immediately recognized the beast. It was a Salamander, but this one was about twice or even thrice as large as the last he had seen.
(Shit! That's gotta be an adult Salamander)
The other ants jumped into action upon realizing the threat and attacked. Their heat attacks would be meaningless against a beast that swims through lava, thus they relied on numerical superiority to overwhelm their foe.
It was a common occurrence for Emberants to end up becoming a snack for the Salamanders. They would typically emerge from the lava stream, snatched one or two ants and retreated back into the lava to escape retaliation.
But for some it didn't do this. Instead it stood its ground despite facing a dozen ants on its own.
The Salamander put up a brave fight, killing two more but in the end the entire group was too much for it. By the time the second ant fell victim to the lizards powerful jaw, the rest of the them had surrounded it and pinned it to the ground, continuously striking with their front legs until it died.
(O-oh, thank god, they managed to deal with it)
Paul was surprised by the strength the Salamander displayed, but also happy to see his side win.
However he celebrated to early.
Plop!Plop!Plop!
Three more Salamanders emerged, instantly killing three ants.
The group unaware of the danger, had wondered into a den of Salamanders. And now they reaped the consequences of that mistake.
(Shit! Shit! Shit! This is bad. This is really bad)
Paul immediately considered how to best run away. Death was a foregone conclusion if he stuck with the Emberant group. Their numbers had been whittled down from a dozen to half a dozen and he just witnessed how a single Salamander killed several ants.
This posed a new problem for him. Although the ants were a problem for him, he could still fool them with his [Polymorph] skill. That option didn't exist when facing the Salamanders. They would see him as food in his ant form and even tastier in his Phoenix form. He couldn't try the same method with them, since he would have to level up his skill first before he could add a new form. The best thing to do, would be to run while the Salamanders are preoccupied with the remaining members of the group.
His hopes were crushed within a moment though, as a massacre ensued in front of his eyes. The Salamanders were entirely focused on him, the insectoid corpses on the ground were definitive proof of the horrific death he would suffer next.
This was it. He was out of ideas, out of time. His demise was set in stone, looming over him like the shadow that suddenly appeared.
Splash!
A strange liquid splashed on the Salamanders, making a sizzling sound upon contact with the lizards scales. Moments later they twitched and spasmed, having lost control of their muscles, leaving them immobile and defenseless.
In one swift motion something swooped down from above, stabbing its tail through the Salamanders eye and piercing its head, killing it in a single strike. Two more flew down from above, killing the other Salamanders in the same manner.
These creatures pulled out their tails from the lizards skulls, watching them flop to the ground.
(What the hell are those? Where did they come from?)
Paul didn't recognize them. At best he could make out specific parts, like their reddened leather like skin or their scorpion like tails. They stood on their hind legs, while using their arms to support their weight, giving them the appearance of hairless monkeys.
Noticing that their attention was on the corpses of their prey, Paul decided to back away slowly.
Having to face off against three unknown monsters was the last thing he wanted right now.
Taking a step back he stumbled on a pebble, alerting the three beast.
They turned around and spread their arms menacingly. A membrane extended between their arms and legs, as they inhaled deeply and inflated a sack on their chests.
Looking like a mixture of a flying squirrel and a frog, they floated upwards into the air. Once their feet left the ground, they positioned their tails to attack.
The Heatgliders were ready to kill him.