Chapter 85 Drowned Soldier Ants
In the towering forest near the outskirts of the medicine fields, five players were hacking a path through the dense undergrowth, gradually advancing toward their destination.
“Ah-choo!”
A burly man, built like a bear and dressed in leather armor with a sword at his waist, sneezed loudly. He looked as imposing as a basketball star. “It’s freezing! Why is it suddenly so cold today?”
“Big Guy, don’t you ever check the weather before heading out?” Another player, neatly cropped hair, just over thirty, and wearing gold-rimmed glasses that gave him an air of shrewd professionalism, retorted, “They said the temperature would drop today. Yet you show up in a short-sleeve shirt and leather armor—be glad you haven’t frozen to death!”
“Ha-ha…” Big Guy chuckled sheepishly, accepting the criticism. “Brother Long Yi, you’re right. I was born with a thick skull and only brute strength, so I often overlook the details.”
“Then pay more attention!” Long Yi replied coldly. “Do you think you’re still in Earth’s greenhouse?”
“In this cursed place, the slightest carelessness could kill you. Don’t think that knowing a bit of swordplay makes you a superhero.”
“Yes, yes.” Big Guy dared not argue. Long Yi was his boss, after all, and for the promise of a million upon their return, a few harsh words were a small price.
“Boss, we’ve reached the medicine field!” At that moment, a wiry young man, wearing incongruously blue boots and moving like a gust of wind, emerged from the brush. He was the team’s scout and one of Long Yi’s trusted men.
This time, Long Yi had assembled six players to hunt monsters and gather herbs at the medicine field. Besides Big Guy and another bodyguard in a suit, both under Long Yi’s command, the other four were players who had sought him out for a team.
Originally, Long Yi could have brought just his own men to the medicine field. But yesterday, he had discovered a stone cave and, needing materials to upgrade his courtyard, sent several subordinates to excavate stone instead. He recruited new players online, so he could simultaneously hunt for herbs and have his men collect stone—making the most of their time.
“Stop!” At the scout’s words, Long Yi raised his hand, halting the group. The medicine field lay in a sunken valley; they had reached its edge, overlooking the scene below.
Long Yi gazed down into the valley, puzzled. “Is this really the medicine field? I don’t see any herbs.”
“According to the map and my scouting, this should be the place,” the scout said, producing a map and compass. “Boss, see? The medicine field on the map matches this valley exactly, down to the shape and the ant nests at the edge.”
“I suspect the herbs are hidden in corners of the valley. We’ll probably need to descend to find them.”
“Alright, let’s head down,” Long Yi agreed after checking the map. The group quickly made their way into the valley. As they reached the bottom, a soldier ant appeared out of nowhere and launched an attack!
“Enemy attack! Warriors, prepare yourselves!”
“Earth mage, build a shield—protect everyone!”
Long Yi issued orders swiftly. The players responded, Big Guy drawing his sword and charging the ant.
As his blade struck the ant’s carapace, Big Guy’s expression changed. “What a tough shell!”
The soldier ant, enraged by the assault, spun around, intent on biting Big Guy. Fortunately, the scout beside him hurled a grappling hook, latching onto the ant’s jaws and holding its head in place.
But the ant’s strength surpassed expectations; the scout’s hand bulged with veins as he strained, his face flushed from exertion. “Hurry up—I can’t hold it much longer!”
“Yes, yes!”
“Attack!”
The team sprang into action, launching a barrage at the ant. The earth mage immobilized its legs, while the water mage conjured a sphere of water around its head, attempting to drown it.
Long Yi, meanwhile, opened his mouth and spat out a cloud of white spores. They resembled giant dandelions, fluffy at the top but with round, swollen bulbs below.
The spores drifted toward the ant’s leg joints, and upon contact—
Bang!
The spores exploded like miniature bombs, severing the ant’s joints.
Encased in the water sphere, the soldier ant issued a silent, agonized scream, its massive frame lurching to the side, deprived of support and close to death.
Just then, the ant lifted its rear and released a cloud of yellow gas.
The players, seeing their foe nearly vanquished, sighed in relief. “Does this dumb ant think a fart will save it?”
“Exactly. It’s neither smelly nor poisonous—what kind of attack is that? What a joke!”
Had Ye Da been present, he would have known this was no mere gas, but pheromones—an ant communication signal.
The instant other soldier ants detected the pheromone, they would swarm out of the nest and launch a frenzied assault on the intruders.
“Big Guy, what are you waiting for?” Long Yi sensed something was amiss, but didn’t say more. He simply ordered, “Finish it off!”
“Yes, Boss!” Big Guy replied, taking a deep breath and swinging his sword at the ant’s neck.
Clack!
But his blade penetrated less than a centimeter before being wedged by the ant’s thick carapace.
Such was the ant’s formidable defense! If not for their numbers, the restraints on the ant, and the water sphere suffocating it, the team might have been wiped out.
“No good—it’s too tough!” Big Guy shook his head. “Boss, let’s wait for the water mage to drown it. If I keep hacking, the ant might be fine but my hand certainly won’t be!”