Banished from the herd, I was actually a member of a very rare species. ~With the unique skills that only I can use, I can grow and evolve quickly. I will become an unrivaled monster~ - Episode 77: Invading the Ant Nest

Episode 77: Invading the Ant Nest

I continued through the Steel Ant nest on eight legs, collecting high-quality minerals from supply depots that I occasionally came across. Since then, I had encountered sporadic attacks, but I hadn’t been assaulted by large swarms again. The call-for-reinforcements [Skill] was used a few more times, but no more than ten ants appeared at once. Most likely, the majority of the nearby steel ants had already gathered during the initial attack.

“(Oh, it’s getting wider again.)”

The tunnels merged, expanding both in width and height. As I ventured further, the path seemed to grow larger, allowing me to walk more freely.

“(But how far does this go…?)”

I had already descended quite a bit. Judging by how it felt, I was likely below the base of the mountain, meaning I was now underground. It made sense for an ant nest, but I was hoping for an end soon when,

—Clank!

“(Whoa!?)”

Lost in thought, a vibration shot through my body. When I quickly checked, I saw a pitch-black ant biting into one of my forest chains.

“(You little…!)”

I swung the forest chain and crushed the Black Ant. It appeared to be a Grand Beast, but I hadn’t sensed any |Mana| from it until it revealed itself

—Clank, clank!

“(What!?)”

Before I knew it, other Black Ants had also latched onto my forest chains. Their overly developed jaws, a trait unique to ant monsters, were clamping down with a crunch.

“(What’s with these things!?)”

There hadn’t been any warning! No footsteps, no |Mana|, and even my slime’s 360-degree vision should’ve detected them.

While I had no clue what was happening, I quickly wiped them out with my forest chains. Despite their menacing appearance, they weren’t particularly durable or evasive, and I was able to dispatch them more easily than typical [Grand Beasts]. After neutralizing them, I dissolved and remade my forest chains to reset any damage.

“(I wonder if more of them will show up… Oh, there!)”

Staying cautious, I spotted another Ant creeping nearby. Its body was camouflaged against the wall, and it was stealthily moving toward me. Without hesitation, I impaled it with a forest chain.

“(Doesn’t seem like there are more.)”

After checking my surroundings, I used [Intensified Warfare] to analyze the corpse. The ant’s shell, which had blended in perfectly with the stone earlier, turned black like the others after its death.

“(I see. So this shell is what made the camouflage.)”

The analysis revealed that the Black Ants’ shells had a chameleon-like ability to change color. These Black Ants were a rare variant of the Steel Ant. While normal Steel Ants had tough shells, the black variant’s shell could blend with the environment.

This reminded me of a chameleon-like beast I once fought in the forests of my homeland.

“(Might as well use this as a shield.)”

The Black Ants were too large to fit into my spatial expansion bag, but I processed them into shields with [Weapon Creation] and stored them using [Weapon Storage].

I continued my exploration and soon encountered another downhill path.

“(From here on out it feels like a Sovereign Beast Region…)”

The |Mana| concentration was even denser, reminiscent of the overgrown territory where I’d encountered the Forest Turtle. It seemed like I was nearing the end of this nest.

“(No sign of anything…)”

I descended the slope and walked for a while, but no Steel Ants appeared. Instead, I reached a crossroads and chose the path with the highest |Mana| concentration. By now, I had grown accustomed to this routine, and I didn’t even need |Mana| sensing to decide since the thinner |Mana| paths always led uphill.

Well, there was another reason too.

“(…Yep, I’m being led around in circles.)”

After walking for another ten minutes or so, I stopped. Beside me was a mark I had made earlier. Thanks to my [Sense of Direction], I had noticed something was off, and my suspicions were confirmed.

“(Could it really be a dead end? Seems unlikely. And that Black Ant wasn’t strong enough to be the boss.)”

It was probably a rare variant, but it was far too weak to be the leader of a nest this large. Additionally, its assassin-like nature didn’t fit the image of a nest boss.

It also felt suspicious that an entire section equivalent to the Sovereign Beast Region was empty. If the Ants had fled upon my arrival, it was far too orderly. I hadn’t taken that long to get here, and there were no traces of food or eggs, which was highly unnatural.

“(Hmm… There’s one thing I can check. Let’s give it a try.)”

Hoping that the Ants hadn’t completely evacuated, I mimicked two halberds I’d acquired from the Forest Turtle. I stabbed them into the walls on either side of me, positioning the blades horizontally.

“([Frenzied Charge]!)”

With a thundering sound, I charged forward at full speed. The screech of stone being sliced by the halberds echoed as the walls were cleaved apart. Thanks to the strength boost from [Frenzied Charge] and the halberds’ sharpness, I was able to progress surprisingly smoothly.

After passing through three more branching paths, I suddenly felt one of the halberds in my hands become lighter. I stopped and twisted the now-lighter halberd halfway, as if I were turning a key. That was all it took.

Cracks quickly began forming in the rock wall, and it started to collapse with a rumble. When I raised the halberd, positioning the blade vertically, the collapse sped up, and soon the path behind the wall became visible. It seemed the wall had been a cover made by some kind of [Skill].

With the barrier gone, I could feel an overwhelming surge of |Mana| from beyond.

“(Looks like this is the boss’ room.)”

As I advanced through the newly revealed passage, there were no further interruptions. Not a single regular Steel Ant or even a Black Ant was sent to stop me.

Eventually, I arrived in a vast space. It was a massive cavity, roughly the size of a baseball field. In the center stood what I presumed to be the boss of the Steel Ants, surrounded by a multitude of underlings.

It was a two-headed queen ant, its presence bristling with tension. Its |Mana| was sharp, clearly alert and ready for battle.