This is the innermost part of the red ant’s nest. The passage ahead spreads out into a whole room with it being the only place with a suspiciously high ceiling.
Six red ants appear. Then, a red ant with a body much larger than the rest comes into view, standing in the middle amongst them. There’s no mistaking it. That’s the queen.
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Race: Queen Red Ogre Ant
Status: Normal
Level: 43/70
HP: 496/496
MP: 184/184
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Her status checks out as well. She still has all her MP
The queen red ant has an area-of-effect type of recovery magic, but there are only six of her ants left in the nest, so that’s not going to be too much of a threat.
She’s not going to be moving well with her abdomen being bloated like that. Queens probably aren’t battle types to begin with, though. Her area-of-effect recovery magic will likely play a role in healing her returning troops as well.
“Kucha!” “Kuchaa!” “Kucha!”
The enemy red ants peek over toward us intimidatingly. However, none of them spring at us.
They should know that they have no chance of winning with the twenty ants waiting behind me.
While waiting isn’t helping anyone, the other side isn’t moving either, making any sort of actions difficult. I turn my head back and see the commander red ant scowling at me. He’s probably telling me to hurry it up. I turn and face forward again.
((I see. It is HER nest. I was going to go forward with my plan soon, but it fell behind schedule. It is unfortunate that I’d postpone such a sizable victory. I thought she was going to migrate quietly, but I’m certainly impressed that she’s managed to figure out how to bring a dragon onto her side.))
The queen ant says that with [[Telepathy]] and then shakes her head.
…No, I think that might just be a coincidence. Though it is also possible that she really was planning to migrate.
((Tell her that victory… is her’s.))
The queen ant has declared her defeat. The red ants that stood around the queen, protecting her, now bow their heads down limply.
“Kucha.”
Something pokes my back, so I look behind me to see the commander red ant. Something seems wrong. All of the other red ants have already retreated near the entrance.
Just what is this? True, I could probably handle this alone… But there’s no need to retreat so far back…
“Kucha!” “Kuchaa!” “Kuchaa!”
Almost everyone calls out to me , including the commander ant. Why are all you guys in such a hurry?
“Kucha!”
The six red ants surrounding the queen all cry out at once. The large room began to shake violently.
The commander red ant starts quickly running off toward the entrance with the rest.
Huh? Wait, what’s going on!?
“Pefu pefu!”
Ball Rabbit beats my head like a drum. I finally realized that the queen ant was going to commit suicide and bring down the whole room with her.
The red portions of earth that were made with [[Clay]] that were supporting the huge room seemingly erode. If I try to go for any experience with the situation as it is now, I’ll be buried alive.
While it’s unfortunate that I’ll miss out on the queen ant’s experience and all, I’ve gotta book it. I turn around and run after the commander red ant.
Partner suddenly turns her head back around. Hey! Stop that! You’re getting in the way of my running!
“Gaa!”
When partner barked, a black light suddenly appeared and headed toward the ant queen. The black light wraps around the queen ant’s head and immediately disperses.
[688 experience points obtained.]
[Title Skill [[Walking Egg: Lv –]] activated, 688 bonus experience points obtained.]
[[[Ouroboros]] level has increased from 55 to 57.]
Ooh! Was that [[Death]] just now? That was quick thinking! Because the queen was fully prepared to die, the skill easily succeeded!
[Level of Title Skill [[Mean King]] has increased from 6 to 7.]
Well, sure. Whatever. Honestly, I’m starting to think that it’s useless to be bothered about these title skills.
I kick the ground and take off flying low across the huge room. Loose earth covers the ground of the room as it collapses in on itself. I thought the collapse would affect the passageway, but for now, everything seems fine.
After that, I simply went back the same way I came. Tomorrow, I’ll be fighting against the hero with my level as it is now.
Honestly though, I still have a few concerns. While my status is fine, there are still a lot of people in Haranae. Will it really be okay to fight in a place like that? It only makes sense that there will also be people there who’ll back the hero up. Plus, I have no idea what’ll happen when it comes to Adofu. Perhaps it would be better to have him run away…
“Kucha!” “Ku-cha!”
“Kuchaa!”
Hearing the red ants’ lively cries, I raise my head. The red ants looked to be carrying elongated red ovoids on their backs.
Huh? What are you guys doing? That isn’t food. Are those cocoons?
I go right to where the commander red ant is. Hold on a minute. What are all you guys doing?
“Pefu?”
((What that?))
“Kucha.”
Calmy, the commander red ant responds.
((Bring home, raise them.))
Ah, I see. That must be tough. They’ll just die if they’re left alone. So, yeah. It’s better this way. While I could come up with various ideas and what have you, I’m not going to interfere with this. I’ll just let the red ants do their red ant things.
((If possible, please assist.))
U-ugh. Thanks to the queen ant, I did collect some experience points at the beginning, so it wouldn’t be too bad to lend a hand, however… I can’t help but feel like I’m a kidnapper’s accomplice.