As the large blast door opened up to the cave you breathed out a long sigh. Hunting monsters was never easy, and the tension before each hunt was always the same, however it was your job. Stepping into the cave you turned on your head-mounted flashlight as the door closed behind you, officially signaling it was go-time. The assault rifle in your hands felt heavy but also solid and secure.

You had gotten a rough briefing on the creature beforehand. Large, insectoid, able to spawn smaller clones of itself, and had through some means drained the mineworkers here previously. A low but powerful rumble echoed through the mineshaft, signaling that the hunt was on.

As you approach the mineshaft leading to the cave system, you put on your juggernaut suit and take one final look at your equipment. With a quick nod of satisfaction, you enter the mine, the powerful plated legs of your suit easily moving over rocky terrain that would cripple unarmored pursuers. The assault rifle in your hand hums softly as it stands ready for combat.

The deeper you go, the stronger the stench of rotting flesh becomes. Whatever horrors have taken place here, they left their mark on this place. You push those thoughts aside; there'll be time enough for reflection after the mission is complete.

Rounding a corner, you nearly run headlong into the largest creature you've ever seen: The Broodmother. Her massive bulk towers over even your own heightened stature in the juggernaut suit. Chitinous plates cover her body like layers of armor, each segmented limb terminating in a razor-sharp claw. You can feel her presence like a physical weight bearing down upon you as she regards you with unreadable insectoid eyes.

You tense your trigger finger, preparing to open fire...

The large insectoid creature tenses its entire body as it prepares to attack. Its massive limbs twitch and flex, revealing a terrifying combination of raw power and precise control. The head lowers slightly, the mandibles clacking together ominously as dark saliva drips from them.

The honeydew in your suit begins to heat up, the sweet scent filling your nostrils. The suit's warning light flickers on, indicating that if it gets too hot it may shut down or even explode.

With a terrifying shriek, the massive insect-like creature charges forward, legs pistoning as it races toward you at incredible speed. Its foremost limbs reach out like deadly talons, intent on impaling you upon its razor-sharp claws and dragging your helpless body back to its lair. The suit's warning light begins to flash more urgently, as the honeydew within heats up dangerously fast.

As the flames engulf her in their searing heat, The Broodmother shrieks and bucks violently, attempting to escape the inferno. Her movements grow jerky and erratic as she struggles against the force of the fire, her powerful legs scrabbling uselessly at the rocky floor. Smoke billows from her chitinous carapace, obscuring your view for a moment before dissipating slowly.

The suit's warning light flickers out, indicating that the heat has been expelled and it is once again operational. The large insect collapses to the ground with a thud, her limbs twitching feebly as she tries in vain to right herself. Her exoskeleton looks charred and battered from the intense heat of your attack, but it is still remarkably resilient...

The insect-like creature grinds its abdomen back and forth against the rocky ground, gasping in ragged breaths of air that wheeze through its smoking exoskeleton. With a final spasm, it goes limp, eyes slowly closing as its chitinous shell turns gray and brittle from the intense heat. Finally still, the remains of The Broodmother lie motionless before you... until a sickening crunch echoes through the mineshaft. Several smaller versions of the creature begin to crawl from within her body, emerging one by one as they seek their freedom and new prey. You stand your ground, your assault rifle trained on them, ready for whatever horrors may come next.

There are four smaller versions of the Broodmother that have emerged from her corpse. They look identical to the adult specimen but are much smaller and more agile. Their behavior is similar, with them moving toward you in a menacing fashion, chitinous plates rattling as they threaten to attack if you do not retreat.

The remaining three smaller versions of the Broodmother take this as a sign of aggression and charge forward even faster. Their claws scrape against the rocky ground, kicking up clouds of dust as they close in on your position. You can feel their warm, wet exoskeleton beneath your gloved hands, the insectile breath hot against your suit as they continue their relentless advance.

As you strike out against two of the smaller broodmothers with your fists and fire upon another, their exoskeletons shatter under your assault. The remaining insect is too quick for you, dodging your gunfire as it leaps onto your back. It bites down hard on your suit's neck guard, its powerful jaws sinking through the armor plating like butter. You cry out in pain as its poison spreads through your system, weakening you significantly.

The smaller broodmother tumbles several meters before landing in a crumpled heap on the ground. It twitches feebly for a moment before finally lying still. The antivenom takes effect, slowly flushing the paralytic toxin from your system and restoring you to full health. Looking around cautiously, you spot several more of the smaller creatures making their way toward you from deeper within the cave. It seems that there are at least a dozen of them, all hungry for blood and genetic material.

"You'd better hurry," one of the surviving broodmothers croaks, its voice raspy and thick with phlegm. "They ain't gonna wait for you forever."

The insect-like creature hisses irritably at your rough handling but makes no move to escape. Its chitinous exoskeleton feels surprisingly light and delicate under your gloved hand. "Fine," it says reluctantly, its voice full of venom despite the lack of actual poison. "I'll help you."

The surviving broodmother coughs up a string of dark fluid before continuing. "Use this," it says, spitting out what looks like a sticky green gel onto your chest. "It'll slow 'em down and give us some time to sort this out..." With that, the insect turns its attention back to you, regarding you warily.

"Go on," the surviving broodmother urges impatiently. "Use it. It'll give us some time." You can see the fear and desperation in its insectile eyes, as if it knows what will happen if you don't act fast enough. Reluctantly, you dip a finger into the slimy green gel and smear it onto your assault rifle.

"Now," the broodmother continues, "use that to hold them back while I make sure they don't bother us for awhile." Its body shudders, as if fighting against some inner compulsion. "I'll... I'll try and keep them off you..."