Chapter 117: Ant Nest Extermination

Released:

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Race: Lesser Soldier Ant Lv10~19

Job: Soldier Lv0~9

Skills:

  • [Acid Fang]
  • [Poisonous Stinger]
  • [Exoskeleton]
  • [Strength Enhancement]
  • [Defense Enhancement]
  • [Agility Enhancement]
  • [Coordination]
  • [Slashing Attack Resistance]
  • [Earth Resistance]
  • [Fire Resistance]

Race: Lesser Knight Ant Lv20

Job: Knight Lv0

Skills:

  • [Acid Fang]
  • [Poisonous Stinger]
  • [Exoskeleton]
  • [Strength Enhancement]
  • [Defense Enhancement]
  • [Agility Enhancement]
  • [Loyalty]
  • [Command]
  • [Coordination]
  • [Flight]
  • [Slashing Attack Resistance]
  • [Earth Resistance]
  • [Fire Resistance]

――――――――――

These were the results of the [Appraisal] of the larger ants. They turned out to be soldiers and knights—basically, ants whose job was to fight. They likely showed up when regular worker ants couldn’t handle things anymore.

Soldier ants and knight ants had thick stingers at the tips of their abdomens, and from the [Appraisal] results, it seemed they also carried poison. Especially the knights, who were winged ants with the ability to fly. We needed to be careful about the sky, too.

“Watch out for the bigger ones with poisonous stingers! We can detoxify it, but it’s better to avoid having to focus on recovery!”

I shouted to those fighting in the vanguard. From their positions, they probably couldn’t see the newcomer ants, and it was crucial not to underestimate the situation and get caught off guard.

“Shishu! See if you can stop those winged ants for a moment!”

“I’ll give it a shot!”

Shishu flew towards Eiji, who was at the forefront of the battle. He wasn’t just defeating enemies; he was also using his skills as a tank to aggro them. In response, Shishu began scattering threads along her path.

It wasn’t a method she expected to hit pinpoint accuracy from the get-go. However, the winged ants would twist and dodge just before being hit. It was a remarkable display of flying skills, but it made their flight path less straightforward. I needed this brief moment.

“Sorry! I missed!”

“It’s alright. Thanks to that, you’ve bought me some time. Great Magic Circle Remote Activation, Fire Lance!”

I immediately tried out the latest spell I acquired from the [Magic Circle], the Great Magic Circle. This time, it was just a test, and I didn’t use spell adjustment as I deemed the power sufficient. So, the Fire Lance was activated in the shortest time possible.

“Giiii…!”

“Ohh, a single hit. It’s more powerful than I imagined.”

A huge fiery spear, with its power greatly amplified, struck a winged ant dead-on. The winged ant, wailing in its final moments, crumbled into a pitiful charred heap before crashing mercilessly.

I was genuinely astonished by the staggering power it displayed. I never expected it to be enhanced to such an extent! With the word of this spell’s formidable power spreading, it might become the norm to prioritize taking out the mage first when fighting in parties. I had to be cautious.

“Gichi Gichi Gichi!”

“Gachi! Gachi!”

The ants clacked their jaws and started calling for reinforcements. In response, a large number of soldier ants and nearly ten knight ants emerged… Huh? Wait a minute. What was that ant that appeared even smaller than the worker ants?

Furthermore, its head looked to be slightly larger in proportion to its body. This raised some suspicion. I decided to use [Appraisal] to get a closer look.

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Race: Lesser Mage Ant Lv22

Job: Water Mage Lv2

Skills:

  • [Acid Fang]
  • [Poison Stinger]
  • [Exoskeleton]
  • [Earth Magic]
  • [Water Magic]
  • [Intelligence Enhancement]
  • [Loyalty]
  • [Coordination]
  • [Slashing Attack Resistance]
  • [Earth Resistance]
  • [Fire Resistance]

――――――――――

Th-this is a mage?! But then again, it wouldn’t be too surprising for ants to have individuals capable of magic.

But hold on, this is bad!

“Charge at the smaller one! Hurry!”

I commanded the flame ghosts, who were fluttering just a bit behind Eiji. Following my orders, three flame ghosts rushed straight toward the Lesser Mage Ant.

“Giiii!”

As I expected, the Lesser Mage Ant unleashed [Water Magic] directly at the flame ghosts, aiming for their eyes.

For the flame ghosts, magic, especially [Water Magic], was their natural enemy. One of the flame ghosts caught in the water pillar created by [Water Magic] disappeared in an instant. It was a reminder that, despite their near invincibility in physical combat, magic attacks could easily take them down, even when faced with lower-tier opponents. It was the stark nature of ghost-type creatures.

“But that bought some time! Self-destruct!”

One of my minions was taken out, but the other two remained. So, I ordered them to self-destruct. The flame ghosts, who could be described as incarnations of fire, detonated right in the heart of the enemy ranks. As a result, flames spread out from where they stood.

“Gee…!”

“Gaga…!”

The ants engulfed by the explosive flames were all incinerated without exception, including the Mage Ant. The explosion took out more than half of the Knight Ants and Soldier Ants, dealing a significant blow to the enemy ranks.

“Now, the real challenge begins.”

While it was necessary to get through the present situation, the balance had been maintained so far because of the flame ghosts. One might think that I should just summon them again, but the magic power required was not insignificant. I wanted to keep some reserve magic power for emergencies, so I decided against summoning them again.

“Here they come, reinforcements. Eight Soldier Ants, four Knight Ants, and two Mage Ants… Have they run out of worker ants already?”

The creatures emerging from the nest were all monsters with levels exceeding 15. While each one might have grown stronger individually, their numbers had undeniably decreased. It was safe to assume that the opposition was also feeling the strain.

“This is the critical moment! I’ll bestow enhancements on all Vanguards! Rearguard, keep up the support!”

As long as the Mage Ants were around, summoning the flame ghosts would be a bad move. So, it was better to bestow enhancements on the vanguards who were holding the frontline. First on the list was Eiji, followed by Usaji… and I shouldn’t forget to keep an eye on their health too. It was a lot to handle, but we had no choice but to press on.

◆◇◆◇◆◇

“Bugaaaaaah! This is the last one!”

With a loud crunch, Eiji’s axe split the head of the last Knight Ant. Thanks to the enhancements from [Enchantement] skill, which bolstered his strength and imbued his weapon with a fire element, he could deal significant damage even to stronger opponents.

Of course, Eiji alone wasn’t killing the ants to die instantly. Rather, it was a coordinated effort by the vanguards, including him, who were executing a strategy we had devised mid-battle.

The strategy was simple. First, I used [Lava Magic] to create a magma pool with lava shots at the exit of the nest, infusing it with a fire element. As the ants emerged from there, the rear guards launched their magic spells on them, adding to the damage they had already suffered. Finally, the vanguards delivered the finishing blows to the battered ants.

The plan had come to my mind right after I made the Flame Ghosts self-destruct, and it had slotted perfectly into place. Naturally, not everyone came out unscathed. The vanguards were burning through their health rapidly, and the rearguards were nearly out of magic power. In all honesty, we probably only had one or two more battles left in us.

“Is this the end, I wonder? I’m exhausted.”

“Who knows? The real hell might start from here.”

“Cut it out, Moth-san! Don’t jinx it!”

Despite having just gone through a fierce battle, it seemed like they still had room for some banter. The fact that we had sufficient numbers on our side played a significant role. While characters like Jigoro and Genjuro would have reveled in battling on their own and been nonchalant about it, in reality, these many numbers were usually necessary.

“Oh, reinforcements, huh?”

“Doesn’t that one seem… a bit bigger?”

Shiitake and Shishu, stationed on top of the stone wall, were the first to notice the appearance of new enemies. The reinforcements they spotted seemed larger than the ones we’d encountered thus far. This raised the possibility that they might be higher-ranking monsters. Had I underestimated the enemy’s strength at this point?

“Huh? Doesn’t seem like many.”

“Four Knight Ants and three others that look like new races?”

As Moth-san pointed out, there were only three ants that seemed different than the ones we fought so far. One of them was noticeably larger than the Knight Ants, while another had a significantly larger head than the Mage Ants. In all likelihood, they were the superior race of the Knight and Mage Ants.

However, the last one stood out as extraordinarily big. It was almost double the size of the superior race of the Knight Ant. Notably, its abdomen was incredibly swollen, making up about seventy percent of its total body length.

――――――――――

Race: Lesser General Ant Lv33

Job: General Lv3

Skills:

  • [Great Acid Fang]
  • [Poisonous Stinger]
  • [Exoskeleton]
  • [Strength Enhancement]
  • [Defense Enhancement]
  • [Agility Enhancement]
  • [Spirit Enhancement]
  • [Loyalty]
  • [Command]
  • [Cooperation]
  • [Flight]
  • [Slashing Attack Resistance]
  • [Earth Resistance]

Race: Lesser Sage Ant Lv32

Job: Sage Lv2

Skills:

  • [Acid Fang]
  • [Poisonous Stinger]
  • [Exoskeleton]
  • [Earthen Magic]
  • [Water and Ice Magic]
  • [Intelligence Enhancement]
  • [Spirit Enhancement]
  • [Loyalty]
  • [Cooperation]
  • [Slashing Attack Resistance]
  • [Earth Resistance]

Race: Lesser Queen Ant Lv38

Job: Queen Lv8

Skills:

  • [Acid Fang]
  • [Poisonous Stinger]
  • [Exoskeleton]
  • [Earth Magic]
  • [Water Magic]
  • [Strength Enhancement]
  • [Defense Enhancement]
  • [Intelligence Enhancement]
  • [Spirit Enhancement]
  • [Rallying]
  • [Fertility]
  • [Slashing Attack Resistance]
  • [Earth Resistance]

――――――――――

So, there was a general, a sage, and a queen ant?! This was bad. We were already quite exhausted, and now, in the final moments, three powerful foes had emerged. If we were to engage in a direct fight, it was likely that at least half of us would be defeated.

But the appearance of the queen at this moment also carried a glimmer of hope. That’s because, logically speaking, the queen ant was likely the ruler of this nest, and if we could defeat her, it should spell victory for us.

“Gichigichichiii!!!”

“”Gachi! Gachi Gachi Gachi!””

As the queen ant clicked her mandibles, the other ants echoed the same behavior. Somehow, they seemed to be in an excited state. It was probably the effect of the skill called [Rallying].

It might temporarily boost the stats of her subordinates. If that were the case, it would be a terrible situation, given our already unfavorable position. Those who couldn’t escape by flying would almost certainly be defeated.

“I-Isam-san! This is bad!”

“What should we do? There’s no way to escape…”

I racked my brain, thinking of a way to break the situation. However, except for one method, nothing else came to mind.

“Well, I guess there’s no other choice. It’s time to give it my all.”

It was the final resort for all of us to survive. I would have to fight with all my might. When I said I would go all out, it didn’t mean I had been holding back until now. It was simply that I had hidden the abyssal magic I didn’t want to reveal to anyone except my close friends. I had been fighting with the maximum power I could muster while keeping those skills hidden.

“Everyone, please don’t mention what you see from here on.”

I revealed my hidden third and fourth arms from my sleeves and gripped my scythe. As my extra arms emerged from my clothing, I could hear everyone gasp. Nevertheless, I activated my magic. There was no holding back now.

“I’m going full throttle from here on. Diamond Magic Circle, Activation. Instant Death!”

“…Huh?”

With my instant death spell of [Witchcraft], the four surviving normal knight ants guarding the queen ant were instantly killed. It seemed impossible for them to resist when there was such a substantial level difference between us. Someone let out a deflated sound, but I deliberately ignored it.

“Strength Overboost. Magic Circle activate and standby. Now, Great Slash!”

I temporarily raised my strength with the new “overboost” spell of the [Enchantment] skill. This allowed me to keep my strength at an elevated level and activate any magic spells that were on “standby” while in that state. With my scythe held high, I prepared to unleash the most powerful move in the [Scythe Mastery] skill, the Great Slash.

I hardly moved from my initial position. So, why did I decide to use the [Scythe Mastery] and the strength overboost? The answer to that question would become clear soon enough.

“Here it is! Short Teleport!”

“Gee?!”

Just before the scythe was swung down following the system assistance, I used the Short Teleport spell I had kept on standby. Through this spell, I instantly relocated to a place within my line of sight, leaping behind the sage ant, where I struck it with the Great Slash martial technique.

This completely unexpected strike carried the bonus of [Assassination] and it dealt extra physical damage to the sage ant. I deliberately aimed for the junction between its head and chest, but my strength wasn’t sufficient to decapitate it.

“Let’s finish this off with another blow!”

So, I extended the tip of my tail from my robe and pierced it into the abdomen of the sage ant. Although it was a far cry from the knight ants or general ants in terms of size, the tip of my tail buried itself deep.

“Gyugyii…!”

If your enemy is adept at magic, it’s best to defeat them before they can even use their magic. Thanks to my surprise attack, the sage ant met its demise without being able to make any move.

“Gachichii!”

“Whoa, that was close. Short Teleport.”

The general ant charged at me in a fit of rage. It seemed like it had finally grasped the situation. It was evidently infuriated by the underhanded tactic of ambushing its comrade during battle. However, I didn’t need to bear the brunt of that anger. I promptly retreated using Short Teleport.

“And there’s no need to let those who can fly do so. Star Magic Circle, Holy Ring!”

I restrained the general ant from flying with a shining ring of light. The five rings constricted the general ant tightly, and despite its desperate struggles to break free, it proved futile. It was almost like it had reverted to a helpless larva.

“Eiji and Sei, finish off this woodenhead. The rest of you, gang up on that recklessly huge one.”

“Y-yes!”

“Got…it!”

“O-ooh! Let’s go!”

“Nyahaha. It seems we’ve allied with quite an extraordinary character, huh?”

Though I had just demonstrated a type of magic that exuded a holy radiance which was quite unlike the image of a typical undead, they still followed my orders. Yep, going for the element of surprise and stopping your opponent from showcasing their true abilities is quite convenient.

In this manner, we successfully eliminated one nest of the Lesser Ants. I should note that while the queen ant was as tough as her huge size implied, her lack of effective means of retaliation led to her being overwhelmed by one-sided violence from the others.

One response to “Chapter 117: Ant Nest Extermination”

  1. Rena Avatar
    Rena

    I don’t think he needed to show his arms and scythe. Just saying but wouldn’t great magic just do the job? Or if you can kill a majority with instadeath spells then shouldn’t that make up enough of a difference that you can take it all on with your level difference???

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