Chapter 148: Forty-Second Floor, Ant Nest (1)

[Exterminate the ant nest. Time remaining: 9 hours 56 minutes.]

[Demonic Worker Ant]

The creatures crawling through the passage caught me off guard; I had been expecting black ants. Bright crimson and monstrous, these creatures held little resemblance to any ant I had ever seen on Earth.

The tower probably categorized them as ants for convenience. However, what truly unsettled me wasn’t their appearance.

“Damn it, why are these ants so ridiculously tough?”

The carapace and flesh of a dead ant clung stubbornly to my axe, as though its muscles had contracted post-mortem to grip the weapon and prevent its retrieval.

Gritting my teeth, I yanked the axe free from the ant’s skull.

Although their toughness annoyed me, it wasn’t surprising that a monster this far up the tower exhibited such unique traits.

The real icing on the top of the cake was their ability to use magic.

“――――!”

“―――!”

I had anticipated a straightforward melee brawl, assuming they would charge mindlessly. Instead, they maintained their distance and chanted incantations. They had pestered me constantly, casting spell after spell in my direction. The latest wave featured a black fireball from the left and a shimmering blue spear from the right.

I rolled forward and easily evaded both the flames and the spear. Immediately, I unleashed chains of lightning upon the ants.

They were paralyzed in an instant. Seizing the opportunity, I instantly invoked Master of Shadows. Three shadow spears erupted from the ground, piercing through the heads of the immobilized ants.

Even so, the massive ants refused to die, and they thrashed wildly.

Frowning, I summoned another round of shadow spears and drove them deep into the ants’ abdomens. Intentionally leaving one alive, I gestured for Doppy to handle it.

Doppy sprang into action, precisely stabbing the remaining ant in the torso and head.

Well, whoever trained him did an excellent job.

Still, the fact that the ants knew magic unsettled me. During my preparations, I had envisioned an endless wave of melee fighters, not an onslaught of magical attacks.

This initial group of five ants had likely been a scouting party.

While they were manageable for now, if they began swarming in larger numbers, dodging spells in these confined tunnels would become nearly impossible.

Ryun’s measured voice broke through my thoughts. “This... makes... sense. Such... creatures... numbering... in... the... hundreds... perhaps... thousands. Quite... the... nuisance....”

I nodded in agreement. “You’re right. Something about this feels off.”

This wasn’t something Ha Hee-Jeong had mentioned, although I hadn’t pressed her for details, assuming my floor would differ from hers. Regardless, if the ants she had faced had such distinctive abilities, she would have warned me. These creatures far exceeded the simple-minded monsters we had both imagined.

Seriously, I hope the other climbers aren’t facing these ants.

From what I had observed, only a few climbers seemed capable of overcoming a group of these ants. Once again, just like the twenty-ninth floor with the two murderers, my floor matched other climbers’ at first glance, but with the difficulty ramped up.

Demonic ants...

Now that my mind had latched onto the idea, I wondered what the monsters the other climbers faced were called.

Hmm... “big ants”? No, “giant ants” makes more sense. Also, I just noticed that the last floor had me face a swordmaster, and now this one is pitting me against ant-mages.

Viewing it through the lens of the tower preparing climbers, the choice of enemies felt very deliberate. If this floor and the last focused on magic and swords, I wondered what the next would hold

The question lingered briefly before I shook my head. Speculating now was pointless. I could think about it in the next waiting room. For now, I needed to focus on eliminating these ants and figure out how best to handle their magical abilities.

The tunnels were five to six meters wide, not exactly cramped, but far from spacious. If the ants charged recklessly, it would work in my favor, as I wouldn’t have to worry about being surrounded. However, if they kept their distance and formed a firing line, that would be far more precarious.

What can I do if dozens of ants hurl spells from the other end of the tunnel?

In such a scenario, dodging would be nearly impossible. Plus, I wouldn’t necessarily only fight these worker ants. While I wasn’t an expert on ant biology, I knew queen ants and soldier ants were a thing.

It stood to reason that the deeper I ventured, the more challenging the trial would become.

Regardless, it was time to press forward.

***

[Exterminate the ant nest. Time remaining: 9 hours 32 minutes.]

The number of ants swarming toward me had increased noticeably. Magic missiles, fireballs, and icy spears bombarded me relentlessly, and even the ground beneath me occasionally crumbled and formed pit traps.

Doppy relied on its barrier for protection, while I darted around the narrow tunnels, doing my best to avoid attacks.

In this scenario, relying solely on my axe wasn’t practical. The ants’ sticky flesh clung to the blade, making retrieval frustrating, and methodically plucking the axe from them one by one wasn’t efficient.

Thankfully, I could depend on Lightning Essence and Master of Shadows to thin their ranks.

A single bolt of lightning, followed by two sets of shadow spears. It wasn’t particularly taxing, but it was tedious and time-consuming. Constantly dodging spells added to the annoyance.

Moments like these made me miss Ha Hee-Jeong.

She would incinerate them all in one massive blaze.

I recalled her fiery display on the thirteenth floor, reducing a swarm of insects to dust in an instant. The crackling of flames and the popping of carapaces had been oddly satisfying.

While Lightning Essence was effective, it wasn’t nearly as efficient as fire.

Ryun’s voice interrupted my thoughts, sounding mildly frustrated, “This... is... dull. Move... me closer... to an... ant...”

What?

I blinked, momentarily caught off guard. “You’d prefer to inhabit an ant’s body?”

“Perhaps... It’s... more... engaging... than... remaining... idle...”

“Seriously?”

I couldn’t understand him. Finding inactivity tedious was one thing, but wanting to possess an ant was downright bizarre.

Shaking my head, I cleared out the remaining ants and paused to strategize.

Should I use Shadow Veil to sneak in and take out the queen?

It seemed like a viable plan. From the little knowledge I had, Queen ants usually had their own chambers, so if I eliminated the queen, I could fortify the chamber’s entrance and deal with the worker ants as they converged there.

Also, since the tunnel entrance had been sealed by some kind of barrier, the ants couldn’t escape.

If I invaded the queen’s chamber, the ants would undoubtedly swarm there. A defensive position would be far more manageable—and far less tedious—than endlessly searching through countless tunnels. I could even set up shadow spears at the entrance.

Of course, part of me wanted to collapse the entire tunnel system from the outside, but that wasn’t an option.

“Doppy, we’ll be moving stealthily from here on out.”

“What are you planning?”

“I’m going to sneak into the queen’s room and eliminate her first.”

“Taking... the... easy... route. That’s... not... something... I... would... do...”

“Ryun, please. These aren’t enemies you can simply chop down with an axe.”

“That... may be true... but still..."

“Then just stay quiet."

I couldn’t stop annoyance from creeping into my tone. Not long ago, I had been engaged in a duel with a swordmaster, honing my skills under his expert guidance.

Now, here I was, flinging lightning bolts and shadow spears at ants. The shift was annoyingly laughable.

I am feeling a bit out of my comfort zone.

At this point, all I wanted was to finish this floor as quickly as possible.

Pulling the Shadow Veil tightly around me, I sprinted in search of the queen ant's chamber.

***

[Exterminate the ant nest. Time remaining: 8 hours 8 minutes.]

An hour and a half had already slipped by.

Though Shadow Veil allowed me to bypass any workers or soldiers, locating the queen’s chamber proved far more complicated than anticipated. The labyrinthine tunnels of the nest, coupled with the occasional blockade made from clusters of ants, turned progress into an exercise in frustration.

Like now.

A flamethrower would really come in handy.

Hundreds of ants sat motionless and tightly packed, clogging the passage.

Navigating forks in the path had been manageable thanks to Doppy’s guidance, but dealing with these blockages without alerting the ants had worn my patience thin.

Earlier, I had contemplated using Lightning Essence, only for the ants to disperse of their own accord, granting me passage.

This time, they showed no signs of moving. Fifteen minutes ticked by, and I considered what I should do.

Shall I just fry them with lightning?

The idea tempted me, but it would render my stealthy efforts meaningless. The commotion would undoubtedly draw ants from both ahead and behind, creating an unwanted mess.

Maybe I should wait five more minutes.

Just then, a faint magical ripple emanated from somewhere beyond the blockade. The source wasn’t far, perhaps one hundred fifty meters ahead.

Is that the queen’s chamber?

That could explain why the ants had formed an impassable barrier. Factoring in the ripple of energy, maybe the queen was doing something significant.

Is it related to a hidden mission?

Having avoided direct combat, I had reached this point extraordinarily quickly. Perhaps a hidden mission existed that involved reaching the queen’s chamber within a specific time limit.

There are about 8 hours left now.

Supposing the hidden condition was to arrive within two hours, that would mean I didn’t have much time to waste. With one hundred fifty meters and six minutes remaining, forcing my way through the ants seemed like the best option.

Having made up my mind, I summoned a surge of mana and activated Lightning Essence, causing sparks to dance across my armor.

“Doppy, climb on."

“Okay!"

Doppy handed me the axe and quickly clambered onto my back. With his larger size and armor, he felt noticeably heavier than before. Thankfully, I could still easily carry him.

Lightning crackled and surged through the horde of ants, carving a jagged path down the tunnel.

“Kiiek!"

“Skreek!"

The ants stiffened, paralyzed by the electric charge. Some may have perished, but most simply convulsed where they stood. My goal hadn’t been to kill them all—reaching the queen’s chamber took priority.

Launching myself forward, I leaped onto the lead ant’s head. Another jump followed, then another, and another.

“

Kiiiiik! ――!"

Some more resistant ants retained their mobility. Spells flew toward me—fireballs, icy shards, and more—but I ducked, avoiding a few, before leaping sideways to evade the rest.

Using the tunnel wall as leverage, I kicked off and landed on another ant’s carapace. Lightning crackled as I surged forward again, bounding over the swarm.

I had strained my muscles to their limit, squeezing out every ounce of power I could manage. Within ten seconds, I had cleared one hundred meters.

Ahead, the queen ant’s chamber came into view.

Huh?

Unlike any of the other rooms I had encountered, an iron door framed the entrance to the queen’s chamber. Sensing something amiss, winged ants emerged and frantically attempted to shut the door.

Not a chance.

Activating Flash Strike, I unleashed another bolt of lightning. Time slowed, granting me more than enough time to close the distance.

The winged ants spasmed as I barreled over their heads. The door hadn’t even shut halfway when I slipped through.

Large compound eyes filled the room, all turning to focus on me. The winged ants spun around in alarm.

At the center of the room stood a single ant, noticeably smaller than the others, yet exuding an aura of authority. She was unmistakably the queen.

Hmm?

Something odd behind her caught my eye. A partially sealed hole contained an object descending into the earth and already halfway buried. I couldn’t make out the details, but it appeared to be a cocoon.

Before I could inspect it further, I deactivated Flash Strike.

Almost instantly, the cocoon vanished into the ground, the earth sealing seamlessly behind it. That had to be related to a hidden mission. Had I arrived later, I wouldn’t have seen it in time.

Unlike the other ant monsters, the queen shrieked in a high-pitched, frantic voice, “Weren’t there barriers in place? The guards didn’t even raise an alarm. YOU! How did you get in here?!"

The surrounding ants began closing in, forming a tight circle.

First, I would deal with the queen and her minions. Then, I would figure out how to recover the entombed cocoon.