Since it was dark and they had fallen into a trap connected to an ant nest made by ants, Ackster had expected their fall to end with them surrounded by, well, ants. And it hadn't gone that differently, per se.
However, it wasn't the mindless, simple, smooth, brown worker ants that had attacked Ackster and Karandiel in the millions up on the surface. There were some that had accompanied them in the eight-second-long fall. But those that survived the fall quickly vacated the hall-like cavern and left Ackster and Karandiel alone with what appeared to be a superior version of the common ants.
They had the same brown chitin that formed a sturdy exoskeleton around their bodies. It might have been a little glossier than their smaller siblings, but there was no noticeable difference there. The largest difference between the ants surrounding them in an orderly manner while leaving a single two-meter-tall tunnel open was the shape of their bodies.
The common worker ants had been like any other ant, just a lot bigger than any other Ackster had seen, which was freaky but not so bad.
The soldier ants, as Ackster decided to call them, had the two lower or hind parts of their bodies, the thorax and abdomen, parallel to the ground, along with four of their legs. On the other ants, the head came after that. However, the soldier ants first had an upright, almost humanoid torso supporting their head and the two remaining legs, which had evolved into arms. They looked like centaurs, except with ants and ants instead of humans and horses.
'C-antaurs, heh.'
The only reason Ackster had the free time to make bad puns, despite being surrounded by dozens of higher-ranking ants, was the fact that they weren't attacking. They didn't even look like they were going to do anything other than stand still and act like sentinel statues.
Ackster gave the cavern another glance around, a little more thoroughly this time now that his eyes had adjusted to the darkness. The uneven walls of the almost round hole they had fallen into were littered with tunnel entrances that the ants had probably used to dig out and destabilize the ground beneath where he had been fighting.
'I can use those.'
Ackster had just enough time to think the thought and start planning how to get out by jumping from tunnel entrance to tunnel entrance when he noticed they were rapidly closing. Ants were filling up the entrances with dirt and blocking them off.
If he ran and jumped at once, he might be able to make it. But that entailed leaving Karandiel behind since he didn't feel like he could do it while carrying her and her golden egg. He was left looking at the ants rapidly sealing the tunnel entrances while still keeping an eye on the soldier ants. They were still doing nothing. But they were doing it a little more intensely. Ackster almost thought he could feel impatience from them.
Karandiel noticed that something strange was happening. She was a little worried since she didn't know whether it would be safe to do so, but her golden egg wasn't doing anything, so she dispelled it. It was just draining her energy anyways. If she weren't being attacked, she would be better off canceling it and saving up for when she needed protection again so that Ackster could go wild without worrying about her safety. She had a feeling that might happen again before long.
"Any ideas, miss angel?"
Karandiel was more experienced, both from his perspective as Ackster, transmigrator, and Brian, adventurer self-assigned to help a certain angel during her stay on Millmeria. So, it only made sense to ask her.
"Oh, and congratulations on successfully regaining some of your strength."
"I'll happily receive your congratulations in the shape of a delicious meal once we get out of here, so save that until then."
"Okay. How do we do that, then?"
"No idea. What about you? All brawn and no brain?"
"Definitely more brawn than brain, at least."
"So…?"
"So, we'll do as we're told, I guess."
Karandiel followed Ackster's gaze to the one tunnel they were allowed to walk through by the soldier ants. They could both tell that they had gone from being under a siege attack to being invited inside, albeit a little forcefully. It also confirmed Ackster's feeling that there was an intelligent being controlling the ants. And that being wanted something with Ackster and Karandiel.
Based on how the ants had focused on Ackster, and Karandiel appeared no different from any other ordinary human, Ackster had a sneaking suspicion it had to do with him. But he couldn't rule out the ants sensing Karandiel's previously divine origin, so he didn't draw any hasty conclusions.
While remaining vigilant and while walking next to each other, close enough for Ackster to react and protect Karandiel should anything happen, the two entered the dark tunnel.
The hole where they had fallen had at least been open up top, so there was enough light to see, even during the hour before dawn. However, that trickle of light faded quickly as they entered the tunnel.
Karandiel hadn't seen much even in the reception hole, and she relied on Ackster in the tunnel. But even Ackster was having trouble seeing much. He could vaguely see the walls around them. However, sight wasn't his only sense. And Keen Senses, despite having run on overtime for what felt like too long, helped him navigate the tunnel using his hearing and sense of touch.
Their footsteps bounced and echoed off the walls as their bare feet pushed against the cold, slightly damp, and hard-packed soil. Ackster intentionally walked with a little more force, both to make his footsteps louder and to leave footprints behind in case they needed a way back to the only entrance and exit they knew of.
Occasionally, the tunnel also got smaller or turned, which let Ackster feel the walls up close.
However, after several tense minutes where his senses were on full alert, Ackster gradually felt the walls on all sides grow distant. The tunnel was widening. It wasn't much at first, but as he could hear click-clacking sounds of mandibles snapping shut and chitin exoskeletons rubbing against each other, Ackster could confirm that they were about to reach the end of the tunnel.