Chapter 15: All-Out War
"Any injuries? Are you hurt?"
As soon as we exited the dungeon, Zeke and Maria rushed over. Zeke called out to us, while Maria opened her arms and pulled both Clarice and me into a hug.
"We're fine. Right, Clarice?"
"Yes. Thank you for your concern."
Relieved by our words, Maria let out a sigh.
"What about the ants?"
"We defeated the Queen Ant. However, I suspect many more are still heading this way."
I watched as the guild staff, having confirmed everyone's evacuation, firmly shut the heavy dungeon doors. Those doors looked sturdy enough to hold for a significant amount of time. That alone was reassuring, but I was even more surprised by the number of adventurers surrounding the entrance. There were easily over a hundred. I noticed the adventurers from Ilgusia were here too. With this many people, we could put up a serious fight.
"Is that so! You took down the Queen Ant! You said it had a Threat Level? To defeat such a thing… well done!"
Zeke clapped his hands in joy, and I felt happy too, but we had to be cautious.
"Thank you. But we might not have even killed a third of them yet. May we rest a bit to prepare for what's coming?"
"Good work. We've secured an inn near the dungeon for those who were inside. It might not be a long rest, but go rest with Sir Zeke."
It wasn't Zeke who answered, but Margrave Carmel, walking toward us.
"Thank you. Well then, excuse us."
We accepted the Margrave's kindness and headed for the inn. It seemed Ike and the three beastman parties were already resting.
Still, I had grown a lot just today. I checked my status on the way.
【Name】 Mars Bryant
【Title】 Wind King / Goblin Slayer
【Status】 Human / Bryant Viscount Family Second Son
【Condition】 Good
【Age】 8
【Level】 23 (+2)
【HP】 140/140
【MP】 5890/8010
【Strength】 91 (+7)
【Agility】 98 (+8)
【Magic】 142 (+9)
【Dexterity】 124 (+9)
【Endurance】 88 (+7)
【Luck】 30
【Unique Ability】 Heavenly Gift (Lv MAX)
【Unique Ability】 Heavenly Eye (Lv 8)
【Unique Ability】 Lightning Magic S (Lv 2/20) (1→2)
【Special Ability】 Swordsmanship B (Lv 8/17) (7→8)
【Special Ability】 Fire Magic F (Lv 6/8)
【Special Ability】 Water Magic G (Lv 3/5)
【Special Ability】 Earth Magic G (Lv 4/5)
【Special Ability】 Wind Magic A (Lv 15/19) (14→15)
【Special Ability】 Holy Magic C (Lv 6/15)
Maybe because my talent for Lightning Magic is S, it's already Level 2 after only a few days. I'm happy my Swordsmanship went up too.
Next, Clarice. She was MVP with her Magic Arrows.
【Name】 Clarice Lampard
【Title】 —
【Status】 Human / Lampard Baron Family Eldest Daughter
【Condition】 Good
【Age】 8
【Level】 27 (+2)
【HP】 128/128
【MP】 108/634
【Strength】 55 (+4)
【Agility】 59 (+4)
【Magic】 81 (+6)
【Dexterity】 89 (+6)
【Endurance】 54 (+3)
【Luck】 20
【Unique Ability】 Barrier Magic G (Lv 1/5)
【Special Ability】 Swordsmanship C (Lv 4/15)
【Special Ability】 Archery B (Lv 8/17) (7→8)
【Special Ability】 Water Magic C (Lv 3/15)
【Special Ability】 Wind Magic G (Lv 1/5) (NEW)
【Special Ability】 Holy Magic A (Lv 8/19) (7→8)
Clarice had learned Wind Magic despite not using it directly. It was probably thanks to the Magic Arrows, which the description stated were enchanted with wind.
We arrived at the inn, drank Magic Potions, took a quick bath, and were just about to sleep when there was a violent banging on the door and a voice calling my name. It was Zeke, whom I had just parted with.
"Mars! Wake up! The ants broke through the dungeon doors and are pouring out!"
What? Those thick doors?!
"Understood! I'm coming!"
When I rushed out. Maria emerged from Clarice's room next door.
"You two go ahead! Once Clarice is out of the bath, we'll head there immediately!"
I wanted to let her enjoy her bath, but this was an emergency.
I ran with Zeke back to the dungeon. The scene in front of the entrance was pure chaos.
"How were the doors destroyed so quickly?!" I asked Zeke as we ran.
"It was a Queen Ant! Reports say it melted the doors with a powerful acid spit and smashed through!"
He answered desperately, out of breath. Right… that acid would explain it. And despite a Queen Ant emerging onto the surface, the defensive line hadn't collapsed. That was proof Barnes was fighting.
Arriving at the scene, I didn't hesitate. I took up a position to the left of Barnes, who was tearing holes into the swarm right in front of the dungeon entrance. Nearby lay the corpse of a Queen Ant, its antennae torn off and head smashed open. But Barnes wasn't unscathed; burn marks littered his body.
"I'll support you!"
I drew my Mithril Sword and deployed 《Sylphid》. I avoided using 《Tornado》 because unleashing it in the city could cause collateral damage. Not just to buildings—if it flung live ants far away, it would be a disaster.
"Mars?! You… weren't you a mage?!"
Barnes, currently ripping apart and throwing ants, looked at me while tanking Killer Ant attacks as if they were mosquito bites.
"I am a mage, but I can handle a sword a little. Don't expect too much."
After watching my swordplay for a moment, Barnes suddenly laughed.
"You call that 'a little'?! Your blade work is better than anyone else here! If you sought instruction from someone at the Lister National School, you'd probably learn a Secret Sword technique or two."
That name again… Lister National School. Is it really that amazing?
With 《Sylphid》 active, I was able to fell Killer Ants with a single swing. I hoped I’d gained an Ant Slayer title, but checking revealed I hadn't. I had simply gotten stronger. Still, at this rate, the title wasn't just a dream.
Feeling confident, I surveyed the battlefield.
Ike was positioned on top of the dungeon entrance, knocking down climbing ants or skewering them from above.
Behind Barnes, the beastmen from Helic's slave company were cleaning up any ants Barnes missed.
On the right, the Almeria adventurers formed a large circle under Ralph's command, luring ants in and mobbing them.
[Blue Fang], [Red Wing], and the [Black Three-Wolf Stars], who had been on Barnes's left until I arrived, had spread out with the Ilgusia adventurers to ensure no ants escaped the encirclement.
Just then, Clarice ran up, hair still wet, holding an empty Magic Potion bottle.
"Sorry! I'm late!"
I needed someone to cover me if I missed anything, and Clarice was worth a hundred men. To save MP, she used Defender magic to slash at the Killer Ants.
Maria arrived with Clarice and joined Zeke. The cast was assembled.
Then, mixed among the Killer Ants, a mass of red ants—Guard Ants—surged from the dungeon. Behind them loomed the black shadow of a Queen Ant.
"Tch! The troublesome ones are here!"
Barnes grimaced. Even he didn't want to fight a Queen Ant.
"Mars! You handle the small fry! I'll take the big one!"
I intended to do that from the start. I slashed at them, using 《Sylphid》 to deflect the acid. While I could kill Killer Ants in one hit, Guard Ants took more. Their slightly higher stats made a difference.
When I failed to kill a Guard Ant instantly, it spat acid. Clarice, wielding Defender, couldn't get close and had to switch to Magic Arrows to finish it. Even with the potion, this wasn't ideal for her MP.
As if reading my mind, help arrived.
"Mars! Use this!"
Ike threw me the Salamander Sword.
"Thanks!"
I maintained 《Sylphid》 and enchanted the Salamander Sword with Fire Magic. The attack power soared, allowing me to cleave Guard Ants in a single blow. I did it naturally, but realized afterwards that simultaneously maintaining 《Sylphid》 and an elemental weapon enchant was a huge achievement.
Barnes defeated the Queen Ant, taking damage in the process. Watching him attack without bothering to dodge the acid was terrifying. Only someone with his durability could pull that off.
The struggle was real on the right flank with the Almeria adventurers. Ralph was coordinating them well, but they were unprepared for the acid attacks. They rotated effectively to kill the Guard Ants, but were taking heavy damage.
Even Ralph, our reliable veteran, seemed weaker than when I appraised him three years ago—maybe due to age or lack of activity. Still, the way he rallied the faltering adventurers was praiseworthy.
Zeke must have noticed. [Blue Fang] and [Red Wing] moved to support Ralph's group.
The [Black Three-Wolf Stars] stayed by Zeke and Maria, guarding them and acting as messengers. The battle line had stretched too wide for Zeke’s voice to reach everyone.
"Oi! Can't you do something about these ant corpses?! They're in the way!" Barnes yelled. He’d been throwing the ants he killed behind him, but the pile was becoming a nuisance.
"Understood! I'll burn them! Clarice! Hold the line for a second!"
I finished off the Guard Ants and fired 《Fire》 at the pile of bodies.
"Mars… weren't you a wind mage?" Barnes asked, watching me incinerate the corpses.
"Yes. I'm a wind mage, but I can use a little fire magic too."
"Hoh. Can you use anything else?"
Barnes looked at me with assessing eyes.
"Ideally… I prefer not to discuss my abilities too much. Maybe some other time…"
As I endured Barnes's suspicious gaze, more Guard Ants appeared. This time, accompanied by Mother Ants. And naturally, another Queen Ant.
"Oi! Mars! Can you handle them too?!"
"Yes! Everything except the Queen Ant!"
《Sylphid》, Salamander Sword with Fire Enchant, Vision. I added rapid-fire 《Wind Cutter》 and close-quarters combat, using everything I had to slaughter everything but the Queen. In the heat of it, I lost track of what spells I was even casting.
Clarice covered any misses, so we cleared our side perfectly.
Barnes killed the Queen Ant again, taking hits in the process. But this Queen was higher level than the last, and his HP hit yellow.
The problem was Ralph's front.
They lacked the high firepower to kill Mother Ants. Without it, they were helpless. No one among the Almeria adventurers was stronger than a Mother Ant. Mobbing tactics failed because other ants interfered. Zeke and Maria desperately fired 《Stone Bullet》 and 《Ice Arrow》, but could barely take down a few.
Seeing this, Barnes ordered the beastmen behind him.
"Oi! You lot! Go support them!"
The beastmen obeyed and rushed to the struggling adventurers. I didn't expect Barnes to care about the Almeria group.
"Don't misunderstand! Ellie is behind them. If they die, Ellie is in danger. That's all!"
Reading my expression, Barnes added the correction. I see. He couldn't abandon them because they were Ellie's shield.
With the beastmen's help, Ralph's group held on. But half the Almeria adventurers were combat-ineffective. The survivors were battered. Zeke and Maria were running low on MP. If Barnes went down now, we would be wiped out.
"Father! Do I have permission?!"
To anyone else, the question would be nonsensical. But Zeke would understand. Fortunately, Zeke had moved closer to assess the situation now that Ralph's side had stabilized.
"…Alright! I'll steel myself too! Permission granted!"
"Thank you! Lord Barnes! Could you stay still for a moment?"
"Huh?"
The moment his storm-like offense paused, I whispered 《Heal》 as quietly as possible. Barnes's eyes widened in shock. I cast it six times, checking his status to confirm his HP was full.
"If possible, please keep this a secret. I will do my best regarding Ellie-san."
"…Mars. You… a Holy Magic user?"
Barnes resumed his assault, a grin playing on his lips.
"Yes. Just a little… Can you keep it confidential?"
Clarice, listening in while fighting, looked anxious.
"Of course! If word got out, the Kingdom or some A-Rank party would snatch you up before you could cure Ellie!"
Barnes tried to keep his voice down, but his excitement made it loud.
"…To think I'd find it here… finally… finally, Ellie can…"
He muttered with deep emotion. It was easy to see how much he worried about her.
After we buried the Guard Ants and Mother Ants, the adventurers grew excited as only Killer Ants appeared for a while. Some even shouted, "This is the end!"
But reality wasn't so sweet. From the depths of the dungeon, Guard Ants and Mother Ants emerged again. This time, there were no Killer Ants—only the elites.
And behind them appeared an ant of a color I had never seen. It had the shape of a Queen Ant, but it shone with a glossy black luster. It wasn't reflecting the sun; the ant itself seemed to be emitting light. Even more shocking was the appraisal result.
【Name】 Arlin
【Title】 —
【Species】 Queen Ant
【Threat Level】
【Condition】 Good
【Age】 3
【Level】 1
【HP】 520/520
【MP】 250/250
【Strength】 268
【Agility】 221
【Magic】 52
【Dexterity】 101
【Endurance】 325
【Luck】 1
【Special Ability】 HP Recovery Boost E (Lv 4/11)
【Special Ability】 Earth Magic C (Lv 6/15)
The first Named Monster I’d seen. A Threat Level I couldn't see. And overwhelming stats.
Yet, despite these stats, having Barnes here made me think we could manage. Honestly, without him, I would have already been calculating how to escape.
"Mars! Fire a 《Tornado》! I don't care about the buildings! Ralph's group doesn't have the strength to withstand Guard and Mother Ants anymore! Ike! Mars is casting 《Tornado》! Watch out for friendly fire!"
"Understood! We'll definitely miss some Mother Ants, so handle those individually!"
Following Zeke's desperate orders, I unleashed a 《Tornado》 infused with 《Wind Cutter》 right in front of the dungeon. As expected, it successfully shredded the Guard Ants, but only took about half the HP off the Mother Ants. As for Arlin, the Queen Ant… it dealt maybe 10 damage. And thanks to HP Recovery Boost, she was already healing.
But the plan was always to leave Arlin to Barnes. Clarice seemed to think the same.
"Mars! I'll join Ike-nii and snipe the scattered Mother Ants from above!"
She skirted the 《Tornado》 to join Ike.
I continued taking down Mother Ants with the Salamander Sword, but as feared, Ralph's line on the right collapsed. The beastmen fought bravely to the end, some losing their lives, but they couldn't hold.
Ike and Clarice noticed and tried to provide cover fire, but my 《Tornado》 blocked their line of sight. Ike could barely land 《Fireballs》, and Clarice was stuck picking off the leakers from my side.
Zeke and the others poured every ounce of MP they had into covering Ralph's group, but the ants closed in. [Blue Fang], [Red Wing], and the [Black Three-Wolf Stars] became human shields for Zeke and Maria.
At this rate… But if I leave this spot, Barnes might get overwhelmed… As I hesitated, Barnes roared.
"Oi! Mars! Go help the adventurers!"
"But! Will you be okay?!"
"I don't give a damn about this city or the adventurers, but if that line breaks, Ellie is right behind them! Secure her safety and come back!"
There were still plenty of Guard Ants and Mother Ants around Arlin. Even Barnes would fall if I didn't return.
Praying for Barnes's safety as he faced Arlin, I headed right toward Ralph's position. Clad in 《Sylphid》, I arrived quickly, but many beastmen and adventurers had already fallen. I could count on one hand the number of people with double-digit HP.
Maintaining 《Tornado》, I cut down ants with the Salamander Sword. I wanted to use 《Heal》 on the fallen, but I couldn't use Holy Magic while maintaining a wind spell.
Besides, my MP was flashing yellow. I was about to drop below 1500. Between 《Tornado》 and the drain of Vision, the cost was brutal. Thinking of the fight with Arlin, I had to save every drop of mana… I decided to forego healing the fallen.
By the time I finished clearing the ants on the right, the only ones standing were Zeke, Maria, [Blue Fang], [Red Wing], and the [Black Three-Wolf Stars]. And Zeke's group was completely spent.
But at least I cleared the ants here. I looked around and saw Margrave Carmel running, clutching Ellie's chain, pursued by a Guard Ant.
What?! I thought I killed all the Guard Ants with 《Tornado》! Was this one from before I cast it?
The Guard Ant spat acid at the fleeing pair. Margrave Carmel shielded Ellie with his own body, taking the hit. He was thinking of what would happen to him if Ellie got hurt.
But Ellie was already badly injured. And the cause was undoubtedly my 《Tornado》.
Debris from the buildings destroyed by my spell had flown everywhere, slashing Ellie's legs as she ran.
Still, she ran, practically dragging the Margrave. Alone, the Margrave would have been caught instantly.
I managed to pierce the pursuing Guard Ant's head. The Margrave let go of the chain and collapsed, drenched in sweat. He had run to his limit. I wanted to head back to Barnes immediately, but I noticed a fresh wound on Ellie's face. Since the ants inside the 《Tornado》 were gone, I dispelled it, cast 《Heal》 on Ellie's face, and then sprinted back to Barnes.
When I reached Arlin, Barnes wasn't there.
Instead, there was a massive, long-haired man, a stumbling Ike, and a collapsed Clarice.
The long-haired man was covered in blood, barely standing.
But Clarice was my priority! I checked her status: HP full, MP 4. Ike had 8 HP and 12 MP. Thank god. Clarice had just fainted.
I immediately healed Ike and asked for a sitrep.
"That Queen Ant is insane… I don't feel like we're doing any damage. Fire magic seems to hurt it a little, but it heals almost instantly."
"What happened to Clarice?"
"She tried desperately to fill the gap you left, firing Magic Arrows non-stop. She used the last of her energy to heal me before running out of MP and collapsing."
She must have hit 0 MP and passed out from Mana Exhaustion. But thanks to the Magic Potion, she was starting to recover.
"Is that long-haired man Lord Barnes?"
"Yeah. He was fighting the Queen Ant. He had the upper hand at first, but since she kept healing, I think he traded defense for attack power."
"I don't see any other ants… are they all dead?"
"Probably. Your 《Tornado》 damaged them heavily. Clarice and I finished them off with Fire Magic and Magic Arrows. I tried to attack the Queen after the Mother Ants were down, but I couldn't even scratch her."
"Understood. Ike-nii, take Clarice and evacuate to Father!"
Leaving Clarice to Ike, I headed to Barnes, who was locked in combat with Arlin.
"Lord Barnes, what is that form?!"
"This is Beast King Transformation! With this Strength and Agility go up, but Endurance drops drastically! Heal me!"
I appraised him. HP was under 100. Amidst this clash of monsters, I found an opening and cast 《Heal》.
"Mars! How much HP does this Queen Ant have?! I feel like I'm hitting her, but she won't go down!"
"She has HP Recovery Boost! If we don't finish this in a short-term battle, she'll just keep recovering!"
"So it's up to the two of us to make something happen…"
Barnes had fully acknowledged me. Fighting together was now the natural assumption.
"Yes! But my MP is about to drop below 1000!"
"1000?! First time I've seen a mage panic over 1000! Even royal court mages are brimming with confidence if they have that much!"
Being praised by Barnes boosted my confidence, but now wasn't the time to celebrate. Also, there might be other ants alive. I didn't have the spare MP for 《Search》, so I stayed alert to cover Barnes's blind spots.
That's when I saw Ellie staring at us.
Freed when the Margrave collapsed, she must have come to check on Barnes out of worry.
Barnes saw her too.
"Mars, let me ask you one thing. Ellie's left eye… is it healed, or am I imagining things?"
Looking closely, the left eye that had been crushed when I first saw her was indeed healed.
"When you told me to help Ralph-san, I saw Ellie-san was injured and cast 《Heal》… It might have cured her eye then."
"…I see. Well, that figures. Guess I don't need to wait for Flora anymore."
The hairy Beast King showed a father's face for a moment, then roared and swung his massive arm at Arlin. Arlin blocked it with 《Stone Wall》.
Barnes's fist shattered the wall and reached Arlin, but the impact was dampened. It didn't do the damage he wanted.
In return, Arlin countered with a scythe-like arm.
Arlin was careful not to take a clean hit from the transformed Barnes. She knew that even with her high endurance, a direct hit would be catastrophic.
I circled behind to distract her, slashing with all my might, but I only dealt about 10 damage.
Naturally, one hit from Arlin would be game over for me, so 《Sylphid》 and Vision were mandatory. Honestly, I should just focus on healing Barnes.
Arlin's MP wasn't infinite. If Barnes kept pounding her, she would run dry first. I tried to pull back to focus on healing, but Barnes stopped me.
"Mars! Don't pull back! My transformation won't last another five minutes! Once it ends, my attack power drops! We settle this here!"
"What?! But at this rate…"
Barnes ordered the flustered me.
"Use the magic you used to paralyze me when we first met. If she can't counter, I can whittle her HP down!"
"…I can't control that magic well! And the MP consumption is insanely high. One shot might give me Mana Exhaustion and leave me immobile! Are you okay with that?!"
"We're dead anyway if we don't! If you couldn't use Holy Magic, I would have taken Ellie and fled the city! Just do it!"
True. If we didn't end it here, we were wiped. No time to hesitate.
"When I make my move, get away, Lord Barnes! You might get caught in the blast!"
I shouted as I poured mana into my right hand. Barnes nodded and launched a reckless assault, ignoring defense to draw Arlin's attention.
Arlin's HP dropped, but Barnes's HP fell faster.
Barnes's HP dipped below 50. He staggered. Arlin wound up for a massive swing with her scythe-arm, looking to end it right there.
She was focused entirely on Barnes. She didn't see me at all!
I jumped onto Arlin's back. At the same time, Barnes managed to regain his balance and backstep away. Now! I unleashed the golden mana in my right hand!
"《Lightning》!"
Golden thunder pierced Arlin. A deafening roar mixed with her screech—"KISHAAAAAAA!!!"—echoed through the air. The shockwave blew me off her back high into the sky, but I quickly deployed 《Sylphid》 to manage a landing.
Arlin's remaining HP was 204. Her condition was Electrocuted (Severe). Her mouth twitched; she could barely scream.
Barnes didn't miss this chance! Releasing all his pent-up frustration, he pummeled Arlin. Blows heavy as cannonballs pulverized her carapace.
I thought about joining in, but realized getting close might break the paralysis chain, so I held back. Remaining MP: 4. I couldn't even cast 《Wind》.
Arlin's HP dropped below 100. It kept falling.
We’re going to win! Her HP is under 10! Both Barnes and I were convinced of victory.
Then, Arlin's status changed to Electrocuted (Minor).
"Lord Barnes! The paralysis is fading!"
My warning was in vain. Arlin bit off the entire left side of Barnes's body.
I appraised him. HP: 0. Arlin's HP: 2.
I raised the Salamander Sword and charged the dying Queen. But Arlin, desperate to survive, raised her tattered scythe.
She was still suffering from Electrocuted (Minor), so her movements were sluggish, but she was still a monster with an immeasurable Threat Level. She was far faster than me! If I backed off now, her HP Recovery Boost would kick in and I'd lose! I had to finish it!
"UOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"
As I closed the distance, the despairing gap in our power became clear. Arlin would strike first. Blocking with the Salamander Sword wouldn't work—I didn't need Vision to know that.
I had to commit to the swing! Even if I died, I had to make this blade reach!
As predicted, Arlin's scythe swung down. But in that instant, a voice saved me again.
"《Barrier》!"
With the sound of shattering glass, Arlin's scythe was deflected wide.
Immediately, Arlin tried to flee.
Damn it! I can't catch her! She's going to get away…
"You're… coming to hell… with me!"
Barnes, missing half his body and with 0 HP, grabbed the fleeing Arlin's leg with his remaining right hand.
Pinned by Barnes's final act of defiance, Arlin tried to open her massive jaws, but I thrust the Salamander Sword into her mouth.
Without even a death cry, Arlin's body vanished instantly, despite not being in a dungeon spawn room.
I looked toward the voice that protected me. There was Clarice, smiling while being supported by Ike. Ike must have sensed my danger, woken her up, and the Magic Potion had recovered just enough MP.
But that could wait! I rushed to Barnes, who had saved me with his last ounce of strength. I tried to cast 《Heal》, which I shouldn't have been able to cast due to lack of MP, but nothing happened no matter how many times I tried.
Ellie rushed over, throwing herself over the fallen Barnes. His eyes barely opened.
"Ma… rs. Take care… of… Ellie."
Those were the Beast King's final words.
"Leave her to me!" I shouted.
Satisfied by my answer, Barnes placed his right hand on Ellie's cheek, looked at her face one last time, and breathed his last.
Ellie's roar of sorrow echoed through the city of Almeria. The Ant Extermination Operation had come to an end.
Post a Comment