Chapter 14: Ant Subjugation Operation
On the day of the Ant Extermination Operation, I headed straight to Barnes.
Father, Mother, Ike, [Blue Fang], [Red Wing], and the [Black Three-Wolf Stars] had already gone ahead to the dungeon. Their plan was to clear the path down to the deepest part of the first floor, leaving just one enemy alive to keep the floor active so we could engage immediately once I joined them. Clarice, however, was waiting with the Carmel Margrave in front of the slave merchant’s establishment, as she would be diving into the dungeon with me.
Incidentally, the Margrave refrained from joining the dive since we didn’t have the manpower to guarantee his safety. As for Ralph, the Guild Master, he was stationed outside the dungeon along with the city’s other adventurers. His role was twofold: prevent any locals from entering the dungeon during the operation and serve as a reserve force in case the battle spilled out into the streets.
This was a precaution Zeke came up with to ensure he retained full authority over the decision to retreat. If the Margrave or Ralph were present inside, the chain of command for a retreat would become muddled. Without them, the call was entirely Zeke’s to make.
"Oi. Appraise this child for me."
The moment I appeared, Barnes barked out an order. "This child" referred to a young lion beastkin wearing a red ribbon. If I recall, her name was Ellie. I did as told and activated my Appraisal.
【Name】 Ellie Leo
【Title】 —
【Social Status】 Beastkin / Slave
【Condition】 Cursed
【Age】 8
【Level】 1
【HP】 20/20
【MP】 6/6
【Strength】 13
【Agility】 13
【Magic】 2
【Dexterity】 10
【Endurance】 10
【Luck】 10
【Unique Ability】 Sound Magic G (Lv 0/5)
【Special Ability】 Dagger Arts C (Lv 0/15)
【Special Ability】 Taijutsu A (Lv 1/19)
【Special Ability】 Wind Magic F (Lv 0/8)
W-What the hell is this…?
Do non-reincarnated people possess Unique Abilities too? Or is she a reincarnator like us? And as expected, her condition is listed as 'Cursed'… Her eyes look in bad shape, too. Is this really her maximum HP?
"I have completed the appraisal."
"Well? How is she? Do you know anything?"
"I can confirm that she is cursed, but aside from that, nothing specific…"
I decided to hide the fact that she had a talent for Sound Magic. There was no telling how Barnes would react if he knew.
"I see. Understood. Also, regarding the dungeon dive… I won't be going in after all."
"Is… that so?"
"However, I will actively participate in the city's defense. On the condition that Ellie is placed somewhere safe, within my line of sight. Got it?"
"I don't have the authority to decide that myself. Margrave Carmel is nearby; let me ask him."
I called the Margrave over and conveyed Barnes's terms. Naturally, the Margrave accepted the demands without hesitation.
If Barnes was going to be guarding the outside, our chances of success just skyrocketed. Satisfied, I took Clarice and headed into the dungeon to meet up with Zeke’s group.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
When we arrived, they were already in combat formation.
"How did it go?"
"Lord Barnes won't be entering the dungeon, but he has agreed to actively participate in the city defense if needed."
"Is that so? Then we’ll make sure to call for a retreat early if things go south. We’re starting the Ant Extermination Operation immediately. Everyone ready?"
Everyone gripped their weapons and nodded.
For the record, the "everyone" here consisted only of myself, Clarice, Ike, Zeke, Maria, [Blue Fang], [Red Wing], and the [Black Three-Wolf Stars]. One might think we should have called upon the adventurers of Almeria, but we needed to keep mine and Clarice’s Holy Magic a secret. We had already informed these three trusted parties that Clarice was a Holy Magic user. Their reaction was mostly, "Yeah, we kinda figured."
"Alright, Ike, Mars, you're up. Everyone else, drink your Potions and Magic Potions in advance!"
We downed our potions and descended to the second floor. Immediately, the sound of chittering and wriggling filled our ears.
"Mars! Is someone fighting the ants?"
"Yes! They're surrounded, though!"
"We're going to save them!"
"Wait a moment. I don't think it's a person fighting them."
I looked closer. It was a Grizzly Bear fighting the ants.
"Monsters fighting each other…? What does this mean?"
"I’m not too familiar with dungeon ecology myself. I’ll ask Father."
Ike brought Zeke over.
"First time I’ve seen this… Monsters within a dungeon usually don't fight one another…"
The Grizzly Bear was strong, but there was no overcoming those numbers. In the blink of an eye, the ants devoured it.
"No use thinking about it now. Let's take them out while they're distracted. Ike, Mars, I'm counting on you."
Zeke was right. I exchanged a look with Ike and we began charging our mana.
"Let's do this! 《Fireball》!"
The moment the fireball impacted the swarm, we followed up with 《Firestorm》 to spread the flames further. Once we confirmed the blaze was raging, we immediately retreated back to the first floor.
Since anything on the second floor had to use the stairs to get to the first, our plan was essentially a game of Whac-A-Mole. We’d just hammer anything that came up. Unlike the arcade game, however, the "moles" only had one hole to pop out of, so we just had to focus our fire there.
The ants, realizing they were under attack, charged toward us, their bodies wreathed in the flames of our 《Fireball》 and 《Firestorm》.
Most of the burning ants died halfway up the stairs. Because they thrashed around in their death throes, they spread the fire even further. The ants that had been clustering near the staircase on the second floor had already been reduced to ash.
Still, more ants charged fearlessly over the corpses of their kin. I unleashed 《Tornado》 to shred them.
The pressure from the swarm behind pushed the front ranks forward, causing ants to spill out of the stairwell despite the wind. Ike and the vanguard team were there to skewer them the moment they emerged.
Clarice used her Magic Arrow to snipe any ants trying to crawl along the walls. It was going incredibly well.
I took a moment to appraise a Killer Ant.
【Name】 —
【Title】 —
【Species】 Killer Ant
【Threat Level】 D
【Condition】 Good
【Age】 1
【Level】 1
【HP】 10/66
【MP】 1/1
【Strength】 30
【Agility】 35
【Magic】 1
【Dexterity】 1
【Endurance】 33
【Luck】 1
Stats roughly equivalent to a Goblin General. Right now, I was using a standard 《Tornado》 to conserve MP, but if I mixed in 《Wind Cutter》, I could probably kill them instantly.
"Alright! This is going better than expected!" Zeke shouted, encouraging everyone.
Wait, isn't that a death flag?
Almost on cue, something massive got caught in my 《Tornado》. It had more than double the mass of the others and was clearly stronger than a Killer Ant.
"A big one is coming!"
An ant far larger than the others surged up the stairs. It was taking damage from the 《Tornado》, but it was tough. We couldn't let our guard down.
【Name】 —
【Title】 —
【Species】 Mother Ant
【Threat Level】 C
【Condition】 Good
【Age】 1
【Level】 2
【HP】 82/125
【MP】 4/4
【Strength】 68
【Agility】 70
【Magic】 1
【Dexterity】 1
【Endurance】 65
"That's a Mother Ant! Threat Level C! Be careful!"
Clarice fired her Magic Arrows, but the Mother Ant’s high endurance meant the damage wasn't getting through easily.
I tried adding 《Wind Cutter》 to my 《Tornado》, but I couldn't quite finish it off. In that brief window, the Mother Ant lunged at the vanguard, attacking the [Black Three-Wolf Stars]. Guy was stabbed by the stinger on its abdomen.
"Clarice! Guy's been poisoned!"
Ike, unable to watch, abandoned his post and drove his spear into the Mother Ant’s head, finishing it off. Clarice rushed to Guy immediately, enveloping him in a gentle light. We had brought antidotes, but those were generic ones for dungeon traps. Poison came in many varieties; there was no guarantee a general antidote would work. Thank god Zeke had briefed everyone on Clarice’s Holy Magic beforehand.
However, this disruption caused our battle line to falter. A significant number of ants poured into the room on the first floor.
I fully infused my 《Tornado》 with 《Wind Cutter》, turning the stairwell into a blender to prevent any more from entering. Meanwhile, Ike and the others cleaned up the ants that had breached the room.
Piles of ant corpses littered the floor. Zeke, Maria, and the other mages moved them to the corner, and Ike incinerated them with Fire Magic. We had brought oil for this purpose, turning that corner of the room into a makeshift incinerator.
"Phew… managed to hold them off… If a big one comes, Ike handles it. Vanguard, focus on the small ones! Clarice, if a big one appears, focus fire on it with Ike!"
I stopped infusing 《Wind Cutter》 into the 《Tornado》 and reverted to the previous strategy. Knowing I could kill them instantly was nice, but the MP cost was 100—double the usual amount. I had to be conservative.
Since we had a moment of respite, I asked Zeke about the dungeon.
"Is the second floor bigger than the first?"
"Apparently, the size doesn't change much until the third floor."
If the ants were packed tightly on the second floor, we still had a long way to go.
But it wasn't all bad news. As we fought, I found I could control 《Tornado》 with my left hand while wielding my Mithril Sword in my right to join the vanguard. I’d done similar things with other wind spells, but never with 《Tornado》. I could even cast it chantless now.
Furthermore, with the sheer number of ants we were slaughtering, everyone’s level was skyrocketing. Even the mages like Zeke were getting experience by finishing off the burning ants. If this kept up, the combat would get easier as we got stronger. We might be able to push through.
"How is everyone holding up? Getting tired?" Zeke asked after a while.
Several Mother Ants had come up in the interim, but Ike, Clarice, and I had handled them as a trio.
"We're good!"
"Still got plenty of energy!"
"I could do this for two or three days!"
Everyone shouted encouraging words. I wanted to say the same, but I had to be realistic about my status.
"Father, my MP is down to about one-third. Should we keep going?"
At my current level, a single 《Tornado》 lasted about fifteen seconds. That was better than when I first learned it, but still. It consumed 200 MP per minute. Fighting for over thirty minutes meant running dry was inevitable.
"Alright! Next time a Mother Ant comes up, kill it and then we block the stairs! We’ll reopen it once Mars recovers his MP. Everyone, prepare yourselves!"
By 'blocking the stairs,' he meant sealing them with Earth Magic. It wasn't an exaggeration to say Zeke had been saving his MP specifically for this moment.
Soon enough, two Mother Ants ascended with a swarm of Killer Ants.
"Father! I'm using 《Firestorm》! Everyone step back! I'm going to keep casting until my MP runs dry, so I'm leaving the rest to you and Mother!"
I raised both hands, manifesting a storm of fire in the stairwell. The ants ignited instantly. I pushed the firestorm down toward the second floor. The floor below was likely a hellscape by now. I kept casting until my MP dropped below triple digits, then signaled Zeke and Maria.
They alternated casting 《Stone Wall》 and 《Ice Wall》 to seal the passage.
"《Stone Wall》!"
"《Ice Wall》!"
"《Stone Wall》!"
"《Ice Wall》!"
"《Stone Wall》!"
The resulting barrier, layered like a mille-feuille pastry, was a masterpiece.
"Okay! Three-hour break, everyone! But keep ready to evacuate at a moment's notice just in case. [Black Three-Wolf Stars], if something happens, your priority is carrying Mars, so make sure you rest up! [Blue Fang], sorry, but go tell Ralph outside that we're taking a break and will resume in three hours."
While Zeke gave orders, I headed over to Clarice. She must have known I was coming; she was sitting by the wall, waiting for me.
"Good work. We've still got a long way to go, so let's rest."
"Yeah. Goodnight."
I took Clarice's left hand, we leaned our shoulders together, and fell asleep.
When I woke up, I felt several gazes on me. I tentatively opened my eyelids to see Zeke and Maria right in front of my face.
"Good morning. Is something wrong?"
"Good morning. You move fast, Mars. A good girl like Clarice… Mom is relieved."
"To think my son would show off like this so soon."
Sure, sleeping like this might look intimate, but you two have quite the hobby, staring at us. Thanks to them, Clarice—who was definitely awake before me—was pretending to still be asleep, unable to open her eyes.
"Is the staircase okay?" I asked, trying to change the subject.
Zeke’s face instantly turned serious.
"The last 《Ice Wall》 was just breached. The final 《Stone Wall》 will likely break in twenty or thirty minutes. I came to wake you, but then I saw such a heartwarming scene… Sorry, didn't mean to tease."
Zeke might be sorry, but the person next to him certainly wasn't.
"Yes, yes. But you know, if Clarice won't wake up, there's only one solution. To wake a princess, you need a prince's kiss, right?"
At Maria's words, my right hand suddenly heated up. The source of the heat was Clarice's left hand, which I was holding. I glanced at her; her face was bright red. She was definitely awake, and Maria—no, everyone—knew it.
"Well, that's that. Come join us when Clarice 'wakes up.' Let's go, Maria."
Zeke forcibly took Maria's hand and led her away.
"Clarice. It's safe now," I whispered to the girl feigning sleep.
"…If I opened my eyes, someone would have been watching… and then it turned out to be Maria-san… I lost my chance to wake up…"
Her embarrassed murmurs drifted from my right. Well, seeing Zeke and Maria act so relaxed probably helped everyone else relax, too. That was likely part of their intention.
Plus, I got to see Clarice’s blushing face. Sorry, Clarice, but I’ll count this as a win.
"We're back!"
Holding Clarice's hand, I returned to the group. Everyone was staring at the final 《Stone Wall》 with grim determination.
Over the last three hours, everyone's MP had recovered. We were in almost perfect condition. The only ones low on MP three hours ago were me, Clarice, and Ike anyway; Zeke and Maria had only used magic at the end to seal the stairs.
"Here they come!"
The final 《Stone Wall》 shattered. The first ant to emerge was a different color than before. Killer Ants were black, but the one in front of us was red.
【Name】 —
【Title】 —
【Species】 Guard Ant
【Threat Level】 D
【Condition】 Good
【Age】 1
【Level】 1
【HP】 75/75
【MP】 1/1
【Strength】 35
【Agility】 38
【Magic】 1
【Dexterity】 1
【Endurance】 40
【Luck】 1
Just a slightly stronger version of a Killer Ant. Not an opponent we couldn't handle.
"Name is Guard Ant! Threat Level D!"
Just like before, I swallowed the swarm with 《Tornado》.
As everyone engaged the ants, Clarice fired her bow and voiced a deduction.
"Guard means shield… shield implies protection… so Guard Ants are like a Royal Guard…? Mars, doesn't the presence of Guard Ants imply there's something nearby they need to protect? We should probably be extra careful."
"You're right. If anything weird gets caught in the 《Tornado》, I'll call it out."
I had underestimated the Guard Ant slightly. I thought it was just a buffed Killer Ant, but it had an additional attack pattern.
Killer Ants slashed with sharp, scythe-like arms or bit with large mandibles. Mother Ants added a stinger attack. But Guard Ants… they spat acid from their mouths.
I instantly deployed 《Sylphid》 to blow the acid away, but Ban, the leader of [Blue Fang], took a direct hit. Part of his body was badly burned.
"Mars and Ike, prioritize the Guard Ants! Everyone else, handle the Killer Ants. Clarice, support whichever side is struggling!"
Only Ike, Clarice, and I were able to follow Zeke's orders. If a Killer Ant appeared in front of me or Ike, we could kill it quickly and then move to the Guard Ant.
But for [Blue Fang], [Red Wing], and the [Black Three-Wolf Stars], dealing with whatever was directly in front of them took everything they had. They couldn't afford to pick targets.
Consequently, Clarice's Magic Arrows were constantly flying toward the three beastman parties, and the frequency of her 《Heal》 spells increased.
Even a dying Guard Ant was trouble. Usually, a dying ant was harmless, but Guard Ants would spray acid in their death throes. Unlike before, everyone was hesitant to deliver the finishing blow.
Furthermore, when Ike tried to burn the corpses, the acid would often extinguish the flames. This was draining his MP faster than necessary.
I infused 《Wind Cutter》 into the 《Tornado》 to try and stabilize the situation, but then two Mother Ants and another distinct ant got caught in the vortex.
It seemed the Guard Ants were swarming up from the second floor specifically to protect this new ant.
"Something like a boss is coming up! Two Mother Ants and a massive number of Guard Ants are with it!"
The new ant was larger than a Mother Ant and redder than a Guard Ant. The red was deep and ominous, like the color of a dungeon boss room.
【Name】 —
【Title】 —
【Species】 Queen Ant
【Threat Level】 B
【Condition】 Good
【Age】 3
【Level】 1
【HP】 204/287
【MP】 5/5
【Strength】 102
【Agility】 72
【Magic】 1
【Dexterity】 1
【Endurance】 120
Threat Level B! Even my 《Tornado》 infused with 《Wind Cutter》 hadn't shaved off a third of its health.
"Father! This is bad! Make the call to retreat!"
Fighting this thing here was a bad match-up. I could blast it with Lightning Magic, or fight alongside Clarice like we did with the Hell Snake, but doing either while dealing with the swarm was too dangerous.
"We are retreating! [Blue Fang], [Red Wing], [Black Three-Wolf Stars]—finish the enemy in front of you and pull back immediately! Ike, support Mars and Clarice while we retreat!"
Everyone moved at once on Zeke's command. I kept the 《Tornado》 active while taking out the ants surrounding the three parties to cover their escape. Clarice continued firing Magic Arrows while slowly backing away.
The mages from each party had already reached the corridor. The others formed a defensive perimeter around Zeke and Maria as they headed for the exit.
Clarice, Ike, and I started to pull back, but the Queen Ant charged, spraying something everywhere. Any Guard Ant touched by the substance dissolved with a hissing sound.
If that thing gets close, we’re dead!
(《Wind Impulse》!)
I dispelled the 《Tornado》 near the stairs and slammed a 《Wind Impulse》 into the Queen Ant. It didn't blow it away, but it knocked it back enough to buy time.
We sprinted for the corridor.
"Good! Everyone's here! Three parties in the front! Ike, take the rear! Mars! Clarice! I'm counting on you!"
"Father! Please retreat ahead of us! There's something I want to try!"
Zeke, who had been waiting for us, looked at me.
"…Understood! But don't be reckless!"
He seemed to sense what I was planning.
"Father-in-law! I will stay with Mars too!"
"I appreciate it! Clarice! Look after Mars! Let's go!"
We ran with the group until the middle of the corridor, where Clarice and I stopped and turned around. The sight of a massive swarm of ants filling the tunnel sent goosebumps down my skin.
I used 《Wind》 to stall the front line, waiting for the Queen Ant. Eventually, she pushed aside her minions and took the lead, still spewing that dissolving fluid indiscriminately.
"Clarice, even if this fails, we can use 《Wind Impulse》 to hold them back while we escape. Don't worry."
"I know. But if it's you, Mars, you can do it."
Encouraged by Clarice, I prepared my magic. Naturally, it was Lightning Magic.
"《Tenrai》 !"
Golden mana enveloped me. But this time, I wasn't just coating myself. I was going to release it. I gathered the mana, visualizing 《Tenrai》 converging into my right hand—using the same principle Sasha taught me for 《Wind Impulse》. The golden aura around my hand grew denser as the power built up.
Alright! That’s enough charge. Now I just have to unleash it!
"Gooooo!!! 《Lightning》!"
I thrust my right hand forward, supporting it with my left, and released the mana. A blinding golden flash, brilliant as the sun, illuminated the corridor. An instant later, a thunderous roar shook the ground.
The impact flipped the massive Queen Ant onto her back. Her status now read 【Condition】 Electrocuted (Severe). She couldn't move a muscle.
The surrounding ants were dead. Some had been blown away by the shockwave, smashing into walls and crushing others in the process.
"A-Amazing…"
Clarice was dumbfounded. It was amazing. If there were only a few ants left, I could just spam this spell to win, but the MP cost was astronomical. A whopping 1000 MP! I couldn't use it recklessly.
By the way, I named it 《Lightning》 because it sounds cool.
"Alright, it worked! Let's finish off the Queen Ant and head back!"
I used 《Fire》 to ignite the paralyzed Queen Ant, watching the flames spread to the surrounding corpses before we turned to retreat.
"Queen Ant means she's the queen, right? Does that mean we've won?" Clarice asked as we ran.
"Probably not yet. Ants are still coming up the stairs. And normally, a Queen Ant is a protected existence. I don't think she would come to the front lines like that…"
"True… It's possible there are many queens, like with Argentine Ants."
"Yeah. Anyway, let's get back."
With the sound of wriggling ants behind us, we raced out of the dungeon.
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