Chapter 38: The Ant Swarm
Akira was sitting on a broken rock, breathing steadily while watching his mana slowly recover. Alice was speaking to him, but his focus suddenly shifted downward, as if he sensed something deep below.
With a serious expression, she said:
"Akira, get ready… a fight is coming."
He immediately lifted his head, his features tense, expanding his awareness around him—but he didn't detect any movement.
"I don't see anything."
"Because it's underground. Focus below."
Before he could respond, the ground beneath him trembled slowly… then began to crack.
A section of soil collapsed in front of him, revealing a deep tunnel. Its opening widened gradually, and a heavy, accelerating crawling sound emerged from it.
Akira's face paled as he whispered:
"Something big is coming… no, many things."
The first to emerge was a massive, dark-red ant, about a meter long, with two sharp mandibles snapping in the air.
Without hesitation, Akira raised his hand:
"Rock Bullet!"
The soil in front of him gathered into a sharp pillar, launched forward, piercing the ant's head. It fell, lifeless, trembling.
But only moments passed before another followed… then a third… then a fourth.
Alice pursed her lips anxiously:
"Contact HQ immediately."
---
Akira pulled out his communication device and pressed the button.
A familiar voice from a field support officer came through:
"I didn't call you. What's the matter?"
"I've detected a huge tunnel, and creatures resembling ants are emerging—red, massive, with lethal mandibles. I'm dealing with them, but their numbers are rapidly increasing. I need immediate support."
A brief silence followed.
"Are you sure? If this is a joke… the punishment won't be light."
"It's no joke."
"Stay at your position… I'll transfer you now."
The connection cut off, then returned in less than ten seconds. This time, a different voice, sharp and official, spoke:
"Number 27? This is headquarters. Report your situation accurately."
"As I said… massive insect-like creatures resembling ants are coming out of an open tunnel in the ground. I killed the first one, but their numbers are increasing. If it grows further, I will retreat immediately."
The reply was fast and firm:
"Just hold your position… reinforcements are on the way."
Then the connection cut off.
Akira didn't smile or comment. He only turned his gaze toward the tunnel opening, where the red shadows began crawling like a ravenous flood.
"Alice… how many of these will I need to kill?"
"Since you've started, maybe a hundred? Who knows?"
"Great… a hundred? That's a lot."
"There's no solution, just resist them."
He smirked, then dodged a charging ant with its mandibles screeching, firing a rock bullet that tore through its chest, dropping it silently. But the swarm didn't stop; it intensified as if the earth itself was spewing them forth.
Akira moved smartly, never staying in one place. He lightly traversed the passage edges, unleashing skill after skill as they became available, using rock walls to block narrow paths and delay the swarm. When he needed to slow an entire group, he blasted the ground beneath them, creating a temporary barrier.
But there were too many. Too many indeed.
In a fleeting moment, an ant slipped from the side, sneaking through a gap not covered by debris, lunging at him with shocking speed. There was no time for a skill. He breathed sharply, then drew his long sword from its sheath on his back in a single motion. He spun halfway, striking the ant from beneath its mandibles to the top of its neck. The blade sliced through it and rebounded off the bone. He didn't stop, pulling the sword violently, sending a spray of green blood into the air and staining his armor.
"Damn… this is too much."
"Don't get distracted, just focus."
He continued fighting, one hand resisting the tremor, eyes tracking every movement. He mixed ranged attacks and close combat, casting mana when available, and slashing with his sword when the distance closed. One ant tried to jump at him, so he leaned away to dodge and stabbed it from bottom to top. Another crawled from behind; he cut its hind legs before it could reach him, then stomped on its chest and pierced its head.
Every movement was a battle, every strike draining him.
His mana and endurance were nearly depleted; he pulled his last potion.
"My last potion, Alice."
"Very well. But use it wisely, reinforcements may be delayed, and you're only halfway through the swarm."
He laughed despite his labored breathing, then drank the potion in one gulp.
Only a little remained, but he wasn't weaker.
He continued using skills precisely: bullet, dodge, sword. A few more minutes, and the ants began to retreat—not because they were scared, but because there were no more.
When the last ant fell, Akira stood amid a battlefield of chopped corpses. His feet sank into thick green blood, his armor scratched and muddy. His long sword barely remained in his grip, and his hands trembled under exhaustion.
But he was standing. And that was enough.
When the support unit arrived, everyone was shocked at the scene before them.
Akira sat on a stone platform he had built near the tunnel, surrounded by ant corpses scattered in every direction, green blood covering the ground, forming random patterns on the dirt.
Some froze in place, their faces tight with silent astonishment.
The officer in charge approached, staring at Akira warily:
"Number 27, are you okay? Where's everyone else?"
Akira lifted his head slowly, calm but weary:
"I'm fine… but you're late. I had to handle them alone."
The officer blinked, as if he couldn't believe what he just heard:
"…Really?"
Then he looked again at the stacked corpses:
"Really… you killed all of this alone?"
"Yes."
A heavy silence followed. The officer tried hard to comprehend what had happened.
"Please, recount what occurred. Headquarters sent additional reinforcements."
Akira took a deep breath and began explaining everything: how the tunnel suddenly appeared, how the ants emerged one by one, how he fought alone using all his energy and skills, and how he resorted to his sword when his mana ran out.
The officer nodded with slight respect:
"Thank you. You may rest now."
Less than half an hour later, the main force from headquarters arrived. Hunters spread throughout the area, assessing the situation and documenting the remains.
One officer approached the group around Akira and announced loudly:
"Attention everyone! The mission request has been completed. Rewards will be transferred upon your return, including clearing and reconnaissance bonuses."
Then he looked directly at Akira:
"Number 27, in addition to your previous rewards, you will receive an extra bonus. Check the report later. As for the monsters, any items dropped, and monster cores, ownership goes to the Hunters' Office. Their value will be included in your rewards."
Finally, he concluded:
"That's all. We'll depart in ten minutes."
---