The cavern shuddered as swamp beasts spilled from every shadow. Dozens of them—hulking, half-mud, half-flesh horrors, their eyes glowing like sick lanterns in the dark. Their claws scraped against the stone, their guttural growls reverberating like thunder in Ahmed's trembling chest.
And at the very center of the chaos: Ahmed. Glowing. Beautiful. Absolutely, utterly useless.
His radiant skin gleamed in the torchlight, his silky hair fluttering with every frightened breath. And the beasts noticed.
They stopped. They stared. Their roars quieted, replaced by a low rumble of something else—confusion, hunger, and… desire?
Ahmed blinked. "Wait… why are they—why are they looking at me like that?!"
From within his skull, Whorina's voice purred, dripping with sadistic glee.
🔊 [Observation: Subject has accidentally triggered a mating frenzy. This is both hilarious and horrifying.]
The male beasts snarled, their muscles bulging as they squared off, snapping jaws at one another, each desperate to establish dominance. The females, however, began swaying side to side, their reptilian tongues flicking out as though mesmerized by Ahmed's "divine" glow.
Whorina chuckled. "Oh my, darling. It appears your beauty has… complicated things. The males are posturing for dominance, and the females… oh, honey, they're swooning. You've turned into the swamp's most eligible bachelor."
Ahmed screamed. "I DON'T WANT TO BE THE SWAMP'S ELIGIBLE ANYTHING!"
The Disaster Escalates
Nana, perched on his shoulders, clapped her tiny hands. Her mismatched eyes gleamed with excitement.
"Game! Big stinky frogs play game!"
Ahmed flinched. "Nana, no—this isn't a game, this is—"
But she had already leapt off his shoulders with terrifying cheer, charging straight toward the largest swamp beast. The beast, a mountain of scales and sludge, was snarling at its rival. Nana bit down hard on its leg with childlike joy.
"CHOMP!"
The beast bellowed, thrashing violently. The cavern shook as it swung its massive claws—and in its rage, its glowing eyes locked onto Ahmed.
Nana let go, skipping back innocently. "Mama's turn!"
Ahmed's blood turned to ice. "YOU LITTLE TRAITOR!"
The entire pack roared as if in agreement, their focus snapping back to him, unified by shared fury.
The Scholar's Advice
Liuyue, standing a safe distance away with brush and parchment, scribbled furiously, her face glowing with the thrill of documentation.
"Observation: Subject's appearance has triggered primal competition among swamp beasts. According to ancient texts on beastly hierarchy, the only way to end such contests is to project dominance."
Ahmed stumbled backward. "Project what now?!"
Liuyue adjusted her glasses with scholarly seriousness. "Puff out your chest. Widen your stance. Assert yourself as the alpha. It is the most logical method to quell the rivalry."
Ahmed's jaw dropped. "You want me to flex at a pack of murder-lizards?!"
"Yes," she replied simply, writing down his reaction. "Failure to comply will likely result in death."
Whorina's laugh rippled through the chamber. "Oh, I must see this."
Ahmed, sweating profusely, trembled like a leaf. With desperate hesitation, he awkwardly puffed out his chest, sticking it forward like a badly inflated balloon. He spread his arms wide, attempting to appear larger, though the result looked more like a chicken with constipation.
He roared—or at least, he tried. What came out was a strangled, high-pitched squeak.
The beasts froze. Then the males all roared back, ten times louder, their posturing intensifying.
Liuyue nodded, writing briskly. "Hypothesis confirmed. Subject lacks both lung capacity and dignity."
The Strategist's Praise
While Ahmed panicked, Tsu Nan stood with his arms folded, observing as though this entire scene were a staged performance. His voice, calm and reverent, carried through the chamber.
"Magnificent."
Ahmed's head whipped toward him. "WHAT PART OF THIS IS MAGNIFICENT?!"
Tsu Nan's eyes gleamed. "You have done what no warrior has achieved before—you've turned your enemies against each other without lifting a finger. With nothing but your face, you have ignited chaos. A true strategist of passive warfare."
Ahmed sputtered. "IT'S NOT STRATEGY, IT'S CURSED PLASTIC SURGERY!"
But Tsu Nan only bowed low, his expression solemn. "Master Ahmed, your genius humbles me."
The Beasts Collide
The swamp beasts lunged—at each other.
The males snapped and clawed, tearing into their rivals for the right to approach Ahmed. Blood splattered, scales cracked, and guttural bellows shook the cavern. The females shrieked, shoving each other aside, their glowing eyes locked on Ahmed's radiant form as if he were some kind of divine prize.
Ahmed backed away, screaming. "WHY ARE THEY FIGHTING FOR ME?! I'M NOT EVEN THAT GOOD LOOKING! WHORINA, FIX THIS!"
Whorina's laughter was cruel and unending. "Oh no, honey. You're stunning. And now you get to enjoy the consequences of being the swamp's heartthrob."
The "Alpha" Duel
The largest male, the one Nana had bitten, roared louder than the rest, slamming its claws into the stone. The others fell back, cowed by its dominance. It turned its full, terrifying attention on Ahmed.
Ahmed whimpered. "Oh no. Oh no no no."
Whorina purred. "Congratulations, darling. You've attracted the alpha. He wants to court you."
"HE WHAT?!"
The beast stomped closer, its breath rancid, its slime dripping in hungry anticipation. Ahmed scrambled backward, tripping over treasure and landing flat on his shiny rear.
Liuyue shouted, "Now is the time to double your chest puff! Challenge him for supremacy!"
Ahmed screamed at her, "DO I LOOK LIKE I HAVE A CHEST LEFT TO PUFF?!"
Tsu Nan clapped once. "Magnificent. Even in retreat, you draw the alpha closer, baiting him into overextending. Such subtlety!"
"IT'S NOT SUBTLETY, IT'S PANIC!" Ahmed shrieked.
Nana Escalates
Before the alpha could strike, Nana leapt onto its face. She clung to its slimy snout, biting its nose with a gleeful squeal.
"Got you, froggy! Mama, look! I caught him!"
The alpha roared, thrashing violently, slamming its head against the cavern wall to dislodge her. But Nana clung on with terrifying persistence.
Ahmed shrieked. "NANA, STOP MAKING THIS WORSE!"
Whorina laughed so hard she nearly choked. "Oh, honey, she's your daughter through and through. Chaos runs in the family."
The Collapse
The alpha finally flung Nana off, sending her flying—straight into Ahmed's arms. He caught her, stumbled backward, and slammed into a stone pillar. The crack echoed ominously.
The cavern shook. Treasure cascaded like rain. The beasts froze for a heartbeat, their eyes glowing brighter in the dust-filled dark.
Ahmed's voice cracked with despair. "Oh no. What did I break this time?"
From deep within the tomb, something rumbled awake. A sound far older, far darker than the beasts themselves.
Whorina's voice dropped to a whisper, dripping with anticipation. "Oh, honey. You've done it now."
Epilogue Cliffhanger :
The swamp beasts turned toward the rumbling, suddenly wary. Even the alpha backed away, snarling nervously.
Ahmed, clutching Nana and shaking like a leaf, whispered, "Please tell me that's not another monster."
The rumbling grew louder. Dust fell from the ceiling. The pillar cracked wider, glowing faintly with ancient symbols.
Whorina licked her lips. "Darling… I think you've found something worse."
And as the stone finally split apart, light erupted from the fissure—revealing a shape stirring within the darkness below.
Ahmed screamed. Again.
[TO BE CONTINUED....]