As soon as Lux arrived near one of the entrances leading to the colony, he could see several Ants and Mosquitoes already fighting against each other.
Dozens of Mosquitoes led by an Iron Scaled Torment Mosquito (Rank 2 Monsters), and four Obsidian Spite Mosquitoes (Rank 1 Monsters) started to clash against the defenders.
Fortunately, the Ants weren't pushovers. Although they were pacifists, when push came to shove, they were willing to fight back against any invaders.
The Guards of the Ant Nest, which were the Horned Army Ant (Rank 1) spat formic acid at the mosquitoes that attempted to enter their domain.
The Red-Striped Predator Mosquitoes shrieked in pain after their bodies were drenched in acid.
The Obsidian Spite Mosquitoes, on the other hand, received minor injuries, but they were still capable of battling.
Only the Iron Scaled Torment Mosquito was unaffected by the acid sprays that fell on its body.
It boldly impaled one of the defender Ants with its spear-like bloosuckers and started to suck its blood.
The Ants screeched in anger as they called for backup within their colony. Soon, more Horned Army Ants emerged and started to bombard their foes with formic acid.
Due to the overwhelming difference in numbers, the numbers of Mosquitoes decreased drastically. Even the Obsidian Spite Mosquitoes couldn't escape the army's advance. The only problem was the Iron Scaled Torment Mosquito, whose body was resilient to the acid sprays that the Ants were shooting at it.
After seeing that all of its bodyguards had died, the Iron Scaled Torment Mosquito planned to make its escape, but the Ants were adamant to prevent it from getting away. They had blocked the entrance leading outside of their nest, effectively trapping the last invading monster within.
The Ants had climbed the walls and the ceiling of their nest, and lunged at the invader who was trying its best to remain in the air. However, after several ants had taken hold of its body, it lost its ability to fly, and fell to the ground.
It was at that moment when the Ants showed their superiority as they mobbed the Scaled Torment Mosquito like a bunch of gangsters out for blood.
Shrieks and screeches emerged from the cavern as the ants bit, pulled, and tore the mosquito apart. When the helpless mosquito had lost its ability to fly, three ants that were two-meter tall emerged from the depths of the Ant Nest.
Lux knew the name of this Ant Species because he had seen them while traversing the countless passages of the underground maze that had been built by the Ants.
"Armored Jaws," Lux muttered as he saw the Rank 2 defenders of the Ant Colony.
The bodies of these ants were as hard as steel. Using their powerful mandibles, they grabbed hold of the Iron Scaled Torment Mosquito's body and tore it apart.
Lux watched this scene unfold with a calm expression on his face. The reason why he was confident in having the Ants become his business partners was due to the fact that they were the true Overlords of the Figaro Garden.
The Mosquitoes were scary because they numbered in the tens of thousands, but it didn't mean that they could beat the Ants which numbered in the hundreds of thousands. When talking about superiority between the two races, the ants were clearly the winner.
If not for their pacifist attitude, they would have long become the true rulers of the Figaro Garden.
After the battle, the Ants carried the bodies of the Mosquitoes back to their Queen so she could feast upon them. They also carried off the bodies of their fallen comrades, which they would bury at a specialized location called the graveyard of the ants.
Earlier, Lux wanted to help, but when he saw that the Ants didn't need it, he held his hand and simply watched the battle unfold.
Glenn and Megan looked at the dead Mosquitoes with lingering fear because they knew that if it weren't for Lux's help, they would have died a very painful and horrific death.
Lux approached one of the Guard Ants and took out his Elysium Compendium to communicate.
After getting the information he needed, he bid the Ant goodbye and signaled for Glenn and Megan to follow him.
"This tunnel will lead us to the surface. It is also the entrance that the Mosquitoes used to infiltrate the Ant Nest," Lux explained. "But you don't have to worry, the Mosquitoes in this area have all been killed, so it is safe to use this passage to return to Leaf Village."
The two Dwarves nodded in understanding.
"Diablo, come forth!" Lux ordered. "Skeleton Warrior, you come here as well!"
Immediately, a black knight , and a skeleton warrior appeared in front of them.
"Check the entrance and the surrounding area for any Mosquitoes." Lux commanded. "Make sure to extend your search, to ensure that the path towards Leaf Village doesn't have any danger."
Diablo and the Skeleton Warrior nodded their heads as they ran towards the surface. Several Horned Army Ants walked past Lux and the two Dwarves to resume their duties in guarding their nest.
The three followed behind the Ants because it would be safer that way.
After a quarter of an hour of scouting, Diablo informed the Half-Elf that the coast was clear, and no threats were in sight.
Hearing his trusted subordinate's report, Lux led the two Dwarves back to Leaf Village without encountering any monsters along their path.
"Thank you for saving me again," Glenn bowed. "I promise to repay this favor in the future."
"Me, too," Megan said firmly. "I will return this favor."
Lux nodded. "Please, take care of the bodies of your comrades and return them to their families."
Glenn and Megan sadly nodded their heads because this was the least that they could do for their party members that had fallen in battle.
"Glenn! Megan! Thank goodness you are alive!" a Dwarf shouted as he ran in their direction.
Glenn and Megan looked at their party leader, Oman, with sad expressions on their faces. When the latter had told all of them to separate, they knew that it was the only way to increase the number of survivors in their party.
They simply couldn't fight against hundreds of Mosquitoes at the same time. Doing so would only lead to a pointless death.
As the Dwarf neared their location, Lux unloaded the bodies of the three Dwarves that he had placed inside sacks to be brought back home in Solais.
"Oman, this is Lux," Glenn said after the three had their reunion. "He is the one who saved us, and brought the bodies of our friends back to us."
Oman's face paled after seeing the three sacks on the ground. After having escaped the Mosquitos' pursuit, the Dwarf had kept on blaming himself for what happened to his party members.
He really thought that he was the only one that survived and was ridden with guilt.
Before seeing Glenn and Megan, Oman had already resolved to go back to the Figaro Garden to find the bodies of his party members and give them a proper burial.
"Thank you, Sir Lux," Oman bowed his head. "If there comes a time that you will need my help, just say a word. Even at the cost of my life, I will help you to the best of my ability."
Oman tapped his chest three times with his closed fist. This was a gesture that Dwarves did when they made an absolute pledge to someone with their life on the line.
Lux looked at the Dwarf who had blonde hair and brown eyes who was looking at him with a serious expression on his face.
"Understood," Lux replied. "If there will really come a time when I will need your help, I will not hesitate to call you."
After spending time with the Dwarves, the Half-Elf already understood how serious they were when it came to pledges. Because of this, he accepted Oman's promise because it was the right thing to do.
"Just return the bodies of your friends to their loved ones, and do not step into the Figaro Gardens again for the time being," Lux stated. "The environment there is too dangerous for you kids. Also, do not throw your lives away because of greed. We only have one life. Treasure it and live it to the fullest."
Lux bid the Dwarves goodbye and returned to the inn. He had stayed in the Figaro Gardens for a week, and he hadn't had a good sleep for the past few days. Also, he needed to take a bath badly, so he decided to take the rest of the day off.
As he walked towards his inn, he thought about his own party mates that had accepted an Escort Mission. He kinda missed the rowdy bunch of Dwarves, especially Colette who was always brimming with positivity.
"If I'm not mistaken, they will be back in another two weeks," Lux muttered as he made his way towards his room. "When they return, I think I'll ask them to help me hunt the Carbuncle in the Aspiration Plains."
The Carbuncle was the Alpha Beast of the Aspiration Plains. Although it was a Rank 3 Monster, it didn't specialize in attacks. Instead it was a support type monster that had the power to heal and buff the minions that fought for it.
It was the weakest among the three Alpha Beasts in the Beginner's Village. Lux was confident that if they all worked together, they would be able to hunt it down without any problems.
"All of you, please be safe," Lux said softly as he looked to the East where Lindow Village was located. "I can't wait to go adventuring with you guys again."