"So Miss Aria, you said that Lord Gabriel has sent you here to brief me about what I need to do. Is that right?" Gon who was eating a big steak heard Mars say to the angel beside him.
Gon stopped his chewing for a while, waiting for the four-winged angel to answer.
"Yes, Lord Mars. We will make a city on the perimeter of Misty Forest. I just invented a special city core orb that not only can become the core of a city of a race. It can make the city for many races," Aria explained with a proud expression.
Everyone in the room looked at her with odd looks. Looking at their unusual looks Aria smiled more proudly.
The other then looked at each other. Mars then asked with a disappointed tone, "So, we won't attack their base or something like that? Slowly reduce their numbers with guerrilla tactics?"
Aria froze, "What the hell are you thinking? There is no such thing. You misunderstand Lord Mars."
Gon nodded. He could understand what King Dragna and Lord Gabriel thought. By making a city in the middle of the Misty forest, they hoped could restrict undead movement to only in the North Prairie.
However, he thought the tactic wouldn't be effective, as the forest area was not the best place for dragons and angels to fight. Dragons, because of their large physiques, needed more space for battling. The angels had more problems. As winged creatures, they preferred long-range battle and aerial battle. The forest, besides hindered their view, also took their advantage as flying creatures.
The pouted Aria then saw Gon was nodding. It returned her mood a little, she then said to Gon, "Hey… you! Yes, you. You can see and agree to our plan, right?"
Gon was surprised, for being called. As he wanted to express his opinion, someone said in advance.
"Snort! Of course, he will understand. What can he do besides hiding behind a city wall?" A blue-winged dragon scoffed.
"Excuse me, have I somewhat offended you, Erica?" Gon, who was still annoyed, fought back.
"Looking at you in this place is torture for me. Why don't you come back to your cell? You coward shouldn't be here, sitting with us," Erica said.
The other blue dragon frowned, he then said, "Hey sister, You shouldn't talk like that. As a wingless dragon with a mediocre ability, he can not do much besides hiding, right? So, you shouldn't talk to him like that," He then smiled at Gon with a sincere smile, "Forgive my sister, that's just how she expresses herself. She doesn't mean bad."
Gon at first was very angry. However, what Erica's brother had said made him dumbfounded. After having been sentenced to jail for 10 years, he found many cold gazes that directed at him as he was dragged to prison. He also got many ridicules from other dragons, even dragonlings on the way.
However, it was the first time he saw reactions like this. A direct condemnation from a woman and then a clear belittlement but then followed by a sincere apology from the one that had committed that. It made him confused about how to respond.
'Is it a new way to bully? Strange…,' Gon said in his heart. The anger in his heart was somewhat subsided. He couldn't explain how he felt. It was like when you felt your foot was kicked by someone from behind. It made you angry. However, after knowing that the culprit was just a small kid, you couldn't help but be amused instead of angry.
'Yeah, they are just spoiled kids. How old are they? It should around 20 to 30 years old. Sigh... What a day...,' Gon sighed.
As he thought about it, he heard Mars's voice, "Could you be silent for a moment. We have a guest here. I'm sorry Miss Aria for seeing the unsightly of us, dragons."
Erica and Eric seemed to want to say something. However, after saw Mars's glare, they were silent.
'Truly kids,' Gon smirked. However, a second later he came back to be poker-faced.
Mars continued, "If that is what King Dragna and Lord Gabriel have decided, so be it. We do it. Please tell me, how will we do it?"
"O-okay… So like this…," At first, Aria looked nervous, maybe because of culture shock. However, in the end, she could explain the plan well.
At first, she explained that the core orb was the main requirement to build a village. It would make the area around the village to be covered by a strong mana barrier that would protect it from enemies' attacks to a certain degree.
Except for certain actions like infiltration or sabotage that was done from the inside, that was done to turn off the barrier, an encirclement tactic was an almost impossible option. As the damage that was done to the barrier would be repaired in real-time.
However, to build the village with this core needed a special place. It needed to be built on a place with a rich mana vein, to supply the village with mana continually. Because its barrier and other basic facilities needed abundant mana to operate.
"Besides that, we need at least 8 different races to do a ceremony so many races could live in it," Aria said.
"Wait! Why does it need so many races?" Erica asked.
"Because I want it to be like that!" Aria said with a nonchalant expression.
"What!? Why did you want to?" Erica asked with wonder.
"To prove that my invention is working," Aria said.
"Wait! You said before that you made a city orb. Is it normally artificially Made?" Mars asked with interest. He seemed to catch something interesting.
Aria grinned, "Of course it is artificially made. However, what I have invented is different from the usual blueprint. I dream of creating a multiracial city. A city where many races worked together for their survival and prosperity."
"That is such a noble dream, really. I don't have an opinion about it. However, what is my role in this plan?" Mars asked the angel.
"Oh. Not much really. You just have to become the head of the city. After all, a lord is also needed to create a city," Aria said in a relaxed tone.
"I... what!?" Mars stood up and shouted.
***
It had been a week after Blue and Red had joined the party. After having more members, their leveling speed didn't decrease, in the opposite increasing.
Blue and Red were the bane of the ants. They were usually hovering on top of a group of ants and then showered the ants with a barrage of lightning attacks. The ants didn't have the means to harm them.
-157
-163
-156
A level 8 major ant was finished. After Red and Blue were level 5, they thought level 3 minor ants weren't challenging anymore. With two air supports and Jumpy became an elite monster, they were leveling up without being hindered.
However, they still didn't dare to enter the ant nest. The small passages of it made them give up entering. With holes only 1,5 m in diameter, most of them had to crouch to enter. It was impossible for them to fight with such restrictions.
Derek, Mia, and Nara were also becoming better at fighting. Derek's movements became more agile and effective. At the moment he could tank 3 ants at the same time just like his father. However, instead of like his father that sometimes still could finish an ant despite tanking 3 ants, Derek still couldn't do that. However, for Ace, that was enough.
Mia wasn't like before that needed to be told by Cloud to heal someone. She improved at a rapid time. Her healing was spot on and rightly timed.
As for Nara, she tried to copy how Ace dealt with ants. Although she was not as fast as him, as an archer, she basically learned from him how to use the range to fight.
Once again an ant was defeated, Blue and Red leveled up to level 11.
'Fuhh… finally everyone leveled up to level 11,' Ace said in his heart.
"Full force! Let's finish this battle fast!" Sampson shouted.
All party members then did their best to finish the last 4 ants.
'Finally, we can leave this place. I am sick of looking at ants,' Ace said while threw a card to finish the last ant.
- 304
***