Mutant awakening: My evolution knows no bounds

Isaac bolted forward, determined to chase the mutant running away, but a hand clamped down on his arm, halting him mid-stride. Startled, he twisted around, ready to shake off whoever dared stop him.

"Emily?" he blurted, a mix of surprise and irritation crossing his face as he stared into her intense eyes.

"We can't chase that ant. What if it's leading us into a trap?" Emily's voice was tense, her grip firm.

"A trap?" Isaac scoffed, brushing off her hand. "What the hell are you talking about?" His eyes narrowed.

"Think about it, Isaac," she pressed, her voice steady but edged with fear. "That ant hasn't made a single move to attack us since it appeared. We've thrown everything at it, and it didn't retaliate. A regular mutant would've rushed us the second it laid eyes on us."

Isaac frowned, considering her words, but his restlessness showed. "So, what are you suggesting?" he asked.

"I'm saying this ant might be intelligent. It's possible the queen sent it out as bait to lure us somewhere dangerous," she explained, her face pale as cold sweat dotted her brow. "We attacked it, and instead of fighting back, it just turned and bolted. That's not normal behavior."

Isaac paused, his jaw clenched in thought before he finally spoke, dismissively. "Look, Emily, I've been in this line of work for years. I know what an intelligent mutant looks like. Most of them have humanoid characteristics... that ant is definitely not one of them."

"And how can you be so certain?" Emily challenged, her voice raised slightly. "This isn't a regular realm, Isaac! This is the Crimson Coffin! Nothing here follows the usual rules, and mutants here are unlike anything in the standard realms!"

Isaac's gaze hardened. "That ant's been wounded. Derrick got it good with his flame, and one solid slash from my Grade 5 sword will finish it. You want out of this forsaken place as much as I do, don't you?" His voice was sharp, directed not just at her but at the whole team who stood, watching the exchange in tense silence.

He gestured back in the direction the creature had fled. "This is our golden opportunity to kill it and claim the resources we came for. If we let this chance slip away, we might never get another one like it. Stop making baseless assumptions and let's catch this thing before it's too late." Without another word, he turned, charging into the depths of the forest.

Emily and the others exchanged wary glances before reluctantly following him, their boots crunching over the eerie crimson leaves scattered across the forest floor, dried skulls littering their path like grim reminders of the realm's danger.

Isaac suddenly dropped to his knees, his keen gaze tracking the faint indentations of prints and scattered droplets of blood on the ground. Stay tuned with empire

"It went this way. Come on!" he called over his shoulder, springing up and resuming the chase with the others hot on his heels.

They dashed through the dense forest for several minutes until they finally came to a halt, breathing heavily as a dark, jagged cave came into view a short distance away.

"Is... is that a cave?" Derrick asked, his voice tinged with unease as he stared at the yawning entrance.

Isaac moved cautiously toward the cave, kneeling once more to examine the ground. His eyes narrowed as he observed the distinct prints and drops of dark purple blood leading inside.

"It's in there!" he called, his voice echoing slightly in the silence.

"Fantastic," Emily muttered, a mixture of dread and resignation in her voice. "Now let's just head back."

Isaac rose, turning back to face the group, his expression resolute. "The ant's trapped in there. There's only one way out, meaning it's trapped," he declared, his voice hard. "We'll go in, take it down, collect whatever we need, and leave."

Emily shook her head, her face pale. "There's no way I'm stepping foot in there!" she exclaimed. "Are you all blind? This could be a nest! Ants live in colonies. There could be hundreds waiting for us."

Kate rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Oh, give it a rest, Emily. I don't know why the Guild Master thinks you're the strongest female here when you're acting like a coward," she sneered.

Isaac took a step toward Emily, his eyes narrowing as he leaned in close. "Listen, Emily. We're all going in there. If you're not up to it, you can stay out here alone." His voice dropped to a chilling whisper. "But when we're back, I'll be sure the Guild Master knows exactly what went down. You know what he'll think when he hears you stayed behind while the rest of us risked our lives."

Emily's face hardened, her fists clenched. "You son of a..." she muttered under her breath, but she stepped forward, falling in line with the group.

The group stood in uneasy silence before finally stepping into the shadowed mouth of the cave. Inside, it was nearly pitch-black, with barely a hint of light to guide them.

"Derrick?" Isaac murmured.

Derrick nodded, holding his hand out as he conjured a small flame that floated above his palm, casting a wavering, orange glow over the rocky walls. Shadows danced along the cavern's interior, making the place feel even more ominous.

"This place gives me the creeps," Kate whispered, her eyes darting around the narrow passage.

"Let's find the mutant and finish this quickly," Isaac said, his voice barely above a murmur as they advanced further inside, the silence thickening around them.

RUMBLE!

RUMBLE!n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

RUMBLE!

The entire group stopped in their tracks as the sound of heavy rocks shifting echoed through the cave. They spun around, horror filling their faces as they watched the entrance collapse behind them, massive stones sealing off their only escape route.

"Shit! How are we supposed to get out now?" Anthony cried, his face pale as he stared at the blocked exit, panic creeping into his voice.

"Uh… guys?" Derrick's voice was barely a whisper, his eyes wide with terror as he pointed deeper into the cave.

They turned to see a line of enormous black ants emerging from the darkness, their beady eyes glinting menacingly in the dim firelight. These ants were even larger than the one they had pursued, and their jet-black exoskeletons shone with an almost metallic sheen. Each one was the size of a huge truck, far more massive than the crimson-colored ant they'd followed.

Isaac's heart pounded in his chest, the realization sinking in. Cold sweat dripped down his brow as he stared at the advancing horde, the immensity of their mistake dawning on him.

"Those... those ants..." His voice trembled as he whispered, "They're all Grade 5s." His words hung heavily in the air, and a suffocating silence fell over the group as fear gripped them.

"""

A/N: 20 Golden Tickets= 3 extra chapters.

A Magic Castle= 20 extra chapters.

50 power stones= 1 extra chapter.