Chapter 39

Chapter 39 An Adventure with Kagura-san - Extermination Arc

After having a simple meal and short rest, I begin to ponder.

At any rate, we've got to find a way out of here. I look above and can't see the ceiling at all. The walls around here crumble easily, climbing them is practically impossible.

Then how about; I look at the tunnels around us. Dunno where they will lead us to, but no choice but to go into one.

However, the fact that they look to be freshly dug, unlike the cave we were in earlier, bugs me.

We should act with the assumption that something lurks there.

I change my Classes back to Fighter and Otherworlder, ready to rumble. Alchemist and such aren't combat-oriented classes, no point in leveling them here. I personally think Otherworlder isn't one either, but for some reason, the strength of my magic increases ever so slightly with it active. No reason not to use it.

"Kagura-san. For the time being, we have no choice but to go into that tunnel over there. Please follow after me from behind."

"I'm sorry. I am powerless in this form. I cannot even wield my spear."

She's crammed her clothes and weapons into her magic rucksack and carries it on her back. Even just that already takes everything out of her.

"Please don't worry about it. Tama-chan, please protect Kagura-san, okay."

Tama-chan bounced around, poyon poyon, like saying, Leave it ta' me. Master too, do ya best.

Wait a minute, why do Tama-chan's dialect sounded like Kyoto dialect? I approach the passages, since this isn't time to worry about this ever-deepening mystery.

We chose one of the passages and went inside. After reaching many dead ends resulting in us backtracking many times, the one we're in right now seems to go deeper inside. This passage feels like it was dug in a hurry by something. It doesn't seem like it'd collapse on us anytime soon, but I probably should still come up with a way to cope with it.

Kagura-san is following me from behind in silent. As her steps had gotten smaller, I walked slowly without rushing.

After we've walked for a while. I heard something echoing at passage ahead.

I stealthily tip-toe forward and take a peek at the open space ahead. What unfolds below me is a gym-sized mortar-shaped cavity. And over there is ant ant ant ant ant ant ant ant ant ant ant ant ant ant..... there's more than 50 ants. They don't look that big from afar, but honestly, this crawling swarm really creeps you out.

Iron Ant Lv6 x 53

HP:18/18 - MP: 1/1

An iron shelled ant monster. The so-called worker ant, with the lowest rank in the hierarchy. It has various means of attack, such as brute forcing with its jaws and acid, or using weapons it holds in its multiple hands. By the way, the weapons Iron Ants carry are made from the carcass of dead Iron Ant.

Iron Ant Queen Lv16

HP: 27/47 - MP: 28/48

Iron shelled queen ant. It gets stronger and bigger as it ages. Does parthenogenesis by consuming mana.

These guys are the culprits who dug these tunnels huh.

Each one of them isn't that strong. Queen's health has decreased for some reason. Is it giving birth or something? The only worrying factor is their number. I'm not confident I can guarantee Kagura-san's safety if all of that swoop in at once. Which means, I've got to deal with them all at once the moment the battle starts.

Hm? One of the tunnels across looks different than the rest. Maybe we can get outside from there. The problem is we've got to push through all these ants in the middle to get there.

"Mugugugu, this is quite an unpleasant sight."

Seeing me lost

in thought while peeking down seemed to have piqued Kagura-san's interest, she also bent forward to look below.

Crumble

As Kagura-san tried to move forward a bit more to get a better view, her foothold crumbled. I caught her staggering hand and pulled her in.

The soil fell down toward the ants below.