In conclusion, Sei’s prediction turned out to be accurate. It seemed that this was an area teeming with insect-type monsters. We encountered nothing but human-sized bugs, including the Large Killer Mantis and that giant longhorn beetle that was actually called the Large Forest Eater.
By the way, there were many words to describe the appearance of insects; most of them were unsettling to humans. Typical examples were “Nyoronyoro” and “Kasakasa”. So, what onomatopoeia would be appropriate to describe the creatures we were now facing?
(TN/ onomatopoeia is the formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named. like buzz or whoosh.)
“What in the world is this!?”
“Disgusting, disgusting, so disgusting!”
The answer was “warawara”. One type after another, an overwhelming number of insects were descending upon us, filling our field of view.
“It seems sheer numbers are quite strong after all.”
“Why are you calmly analyzing this!?”
A dark menace loomed before my eyes. Here is the status of these monsters.
――――――――――
Race: Lesser Worker Ant Lv12~16
Job: Laborer Lv2~6
Skills:
- [Acid Fang]
- [Exoskeleton]
- [Strength Enhancement]
- [Defense Enhancement]
- [Agility Enhancement]
- [Slashing Attack Resistance]
- [Earth Resistance]
- [Fire Weakness]
――――――――――
On the status screen, they seemed rather weak. While their defense was fairly high, their limited attack options made them no real threat. In fact, it appeared that Eiji and the others had hardly taken any damage from them. Despite the initial concern about their [Acid Fang] skill, the acid itself wasn’t particularly potent, so it didn’t seem to have any effect. Besides, I was gradually healing everyone through my [Soul Magic] so there was virtually no damage.
However, a significant problem remained: there were just too many of them. In all directions, and even climbing up the trees above, there were Lesser Worker Ants swarming around. Lately, it seemed like I was constantly facing numerous enemies.
“But there’s no end to this. I have to do something about it. Summon, flame ghosts.”
I summoned three flame ghosts. These creatures were fire-type monsters and, being ghostly in nature, were almost immune to physical attacks. They were like natural enemies to the Lesser Worker Ants, which relied solely on physical attacks.
“Go. Incinerate them!”
“””Aaaaah…!”””
Following my command, the flame ghosts charged into the swarm of Lesser Worker Ants. By simply colliding with them, these flame ghosts inflicted fire-elemental damage and they dealt with the horde of ants one after another.
Unlike fire magic attacks, these ghosts had the advantage of causing less forest fire. This meant that if a player couldn’t do something similar to what I could, they couldn’t attack with the fire element inside the forest. Forest fires would have catastrophic consequences for everyone inside them, after all.
“Magic is quite handy, isn’t it? I definitely need to acquire it.”
“I can really feel the difference in our skill levels.”
“As expected of a first batch player.”
As my minions continued to burn through the enemies one by one, the others couldn’t help but express their thoughts. The strength indicator of levels never lied. That was the essence of level-based games.
“By the way, it’s been ants all the way, hasn’t it? Is this their nest?”
“On the trees, there are different creatures.”
Sei sighed wearily as he warily watched the treetops. It was no wonder, as up there, in contrast to the ant-infested ground, a variety of insect-type monsters were swarming around.
Their numbers were fewer than the ants, which might make it seem easier for those walking on the ground. However, as I was fighting on the treetops alongside Sei, I understood that this had its own set of challenges.
The reason for this was that each type of insect had rapidly changing attack methods, and most of them possessed skills that could induce status ailments. Even minor wounds could turn into poison or paralysis, making the battle a nerve-wracking experience in a different way from the ground; it was stressful in a different way than the battle on the ground.
――――――――――
Race level increased. Gained 1 SP.
Job level increased. Gained 1 SP.
――――――――――
All right, extermination complete. It looks like my own level has finally gone up. After all, I don’t get much experience fighting with lower-level monsters.
“Alright! Let’s evolve!”
“Me too. I’m looking forward to it.”
After dispatching the ant swarms, it seemed that Seventh Armor and Moth-san had reached level 20 as well. Well, their progress was steady, and I wanted to maintain this momentum.
“All right! Evolution complete! I’ve become a Crow Summoner!”
“Here, I’m a Big Blood Bat. My body has gotten quite a bit larger.”
Seventh Armor’s Crow Summoner race specialized even further in the [Summoning Magic] skill. While his strength and defense remained roughly the same, his efficiency and the amount of magic power consumed when using [summoning Magic] had become better.
Seventh Armor was impressed by my self-destruct-based [Summoning Magic], and he seemed intent on acquiring several new elemental skills. In addition, he also planned to obtain [Enchantement] to enhance the abilities of his summoned creatures. The image of countless crows, now strengthened, flocking together and launching attacks on the enemy…it was like something out of a nightmare.
Moth-san’s Big Blood Bat had undergone even more physical enhancements. It was only natural that his physique had grown, but his fangs and claws had increased in both hardness and sharpness, giving him a more menacing appearance.
What surprised me the most was the sensation when I touched his body a little. It used to be fluffy, but now it was rock-solid. It’s not like the fur has disappeared, but the muscles beneath it have developed remarkably. He was now like a buffed-up bat.
While he couldn’t rival Eiji in terms of strength and defense, he had the advantage of being able to fly and he also had higher agility. As a vanguard, he could certainly hold his own. Considering he could also recover through bloodsucking, he might be able to play the vanguard role more tenaciously than Eiji.
“As for skinning… well, the ones burned by the flame ghosts are a lost cause. Let’s skin the ones in good condition first,” I remarked.
The ants slaughtered by the flame ghosts were emitting black smoke and appeared almost charred. It was common for materials from monsters in this state to deteriorate when skinned. I knew they’d only clutter my inventory anyway.
“Ahh~, what a waste. I’ll still try to skin them though.”
Shiitake said reluctantly and began to prioritize skinning the charred ants. It seemed like she managed to get a few items, but there was a brief pause before she sighed. Those items must have deteriorated after all.
“There don’t seem to be any more monster sightings nearby, but if we head a bit further west, there’s a peculiar clearing,” Sei said.
“Oh? Could it be a boss area?”
When there’s a clearing in the midst of a forest, it often gives off the vibe of a boss area. I couldn’t say for sure, but considering how deep we were into the forest, a boss battle wouldn’t be out of the question.
“What should we do? You might already know, but a field boss here is a step up in terms of strength compared to the surrounding monsters. In return, there are a lot of experience points, SP, and rewards for conquering it. The rewards are substantial, but so are the risks,” I explained.
As far as I was concerned, the enemies here weren’t all that strong. However, for everyone else, they were reasonably tough opponents. If it’s a step up from that, it could lead to a real struggle. So, if they were reluctant, it might be wise to consider bypassing it.
“I want to go. The enemies here don’t really satisfy me after evolving.”
“I feel the same way.”
Eiji and Usaji, who had already evolved, were brimming with enthusiasm. Since evolving, they have found regular enemies to be somewhat lacking, which made this a perfect opportunity to test their strength. It seemed that Seventh Armor and Moth-san felt the same way. Both of them were nodding in agreement.
“I haven’t had a boss battle yet, so count me in,” Sei said.
“Hmm, if I can just throw things from the back, I’ll go. I want the items.” Shiitake added.
Sei seemed eager to take on his first boss battle as well, while Shiitake reluctantly agreed. There was a difference between a combat-oriented tamer and an alchemist specializing in production.
“W-what should we do? Will you give it a shot?”
“It’s fine, right? We have everyone here, so it should be okay.”
Shishu seemed a little anxious, while Wool maintained his laid-back demeanor and seemed unfazed. I felt like I could kind of see the relationship between the two of them.
“I’ll just mention this, but there’s no guarantee it’s a real boss battle. It could just be an open clearing we stumbled upon,” I added.
◆◇◆◇◆◇
We continued to head west and reached the clearing Sei had discovered. It was indeed a clearing, but there were a few peculiar aspects to it.
First, the ground was trampled. Not just in the form of a single path, but the entire area of the clearing appeared to have soil like that, resembling a well-traveled route. This suggested that something frequently passed through this area.
Next were the surrounding trees. Many freshly cut tree stumps were left around the clearing’s perimeter. The cut surfaces were new and vibrant, indicating that it hadn’t been long since they were felled. Additionally, they seemed to have been chopped down with a tool like an axe, as evidenced by the messy cuts.
Lastly, and perhaps the most peculiar of all, was the hole dug into the ground. The width of that hole seemed large enough that even someone as big as Eiji could easily slip through.
“…There was no announcement. Could it be that this isn’t a boss area?”
I said so, slightly disappointed. Typically, when one enters a boss area, there should be an announcement. However, the lack of any such thing made it highly unlikely that this place was a boss area.
“Guess I was wrong. That’s a shame.”
“But it’s such a weird place, isn’t it? What if something comes out of that hole?”
“Hey, hold on! That’s a flag, you know…!?”
Shiitake, perhaps feeling relieved, made an ominous joke. Seventh Armor tried to stop her, but it was already too late. Because her joke had become a reality.
“KichiKichi.”
“Gachigachi.”
“W-wait… isn’t that…”
What emerged from the hole were the Lesser Worker Ants, which we had been battling relentlessly until now. I see, this hole wasn’t just any hole; it was an ant nest.
“It’s an ant’s nest!”
“””Gachi Gachi Gachi!”””
The Lesser Worker Ants responded to Eiji’s shout by bursting out of the nest like an avalanche. Whoa! There were far more of them than before! I could feel their resolve to eliminate any intruders approaching their nest.
“Tch! No escape! Let’s do this, everyone! Charge!”
“””Aaaaaaah…”””
I continued to command the flame ghosts, just as I had done before. My minions, which were effective against the Lesser Worker Ants, effortlessly swept through the horde, burning the ants one by one.
“Hmph! Bwoooooh!”
“Right there!”
With my minions providing some breathing room, everyone regained their usual composure. Eiji skillfully blocked attacks with his shield and then used his axe to crack the ants’ heads open. Usaji, on the other hand, swiftly cut off the heads of the ants Eiji had stopped. It was a well-coordinated combination of moves.
“Whoa! There’s strength in numbers!”
Seventh Armor used his [Summoning Magic] to spawn crows that swooped down on the ants from above. It seemed like his race evolution and his skill level had enabled him to summon more powerful creatures. He single-handedly kept more than a dozen ants at bay.
“Hahaha! Let me show you the power of my evolution!”
While Seventh Armor was buying time, Moth-san was beating up the ants. His talons sliced through their exoskeletons like paper, and his wing strikes shattered their exoskeletons in a single blow. The muscular bat was putting up a more formidable fight than expected.
“Stone Wall, Shishu-chan! I’m counting on you!”
“Leave it to me! Eiiy!”
Shiitake created a wall using [Earth Magic], and she and Shishu climbed onto it. From their vantage point, they launched their attacks. Shishu shot sticky threads to ensnare the ants, and Shiitake hurled items she had gathered. Although they lacked explosive power, their tactics successfully lured in the most enemies.
“Hahaha! This is a piece of cake!”
Sei, riding on the back of his wolf familiar, Phil, darted through the gaps in the ant swarm. These gaps weren’t natural openings, but pathways cleared through the wolf’s fangs, body slams, Sei’s staff strikes, and the added aid of his pixie’s magic attacks.
“Meeeh~, sleep, meeeh~.”
In a slightly removed section of the battlefield, Wool’s voice echoed. It was a monotone cry, but with each bleat, several ants fell into a deep slumber, rendering them vulnerable and easily dispatched by someone else. While not directly engaging the enemy, Wool was making a significant contribution to the battle.
“Roaaar!”
“Hey, there are some with different colors mixed in! Be on guard!”
After defeating a substantial number of ants, a surge of ants poured out from their nest, accompanied by angry and agitated cries. Among them were ants a size larger than the average Lesser Worker Ant, and they had a more aggressive form.
They had to be a higher-ranking race, for sure. This was where the real battle began!
Leave a Reply