An angry symbol appeared over the golden ant's head. Intelligent insects... are there others apart from all mosquitoes? This is unsettling. Intelligent bugs that can coordinate a swarm efficiently? That's nothing short of a threat...
"Lena! Th-that spider! Something feels off; it's scary!"
"Yeah, what? A Dark Spider? Those two almost got their meal before. Come on, you should finish your prey properly; a missed catch can be a real nuisance!"
Phoebe trembled, her voice shaking as it echoed from her chest pocket. I considered escaping while I had the chance, but my MP was too low to use the teleportation circle. Even if I had the magic points, the golden ant's voice warned that it would likely be waiting for us. I doubted the situation would improve.
"Phoebe, if you're too scared to move, take a deep breath and steady yourself. I'll figure something out in the meantime," I said. But we were the two it had nearly caught earlier... could it be the spider from our first quest?
Suddenly, a booming voice rang out. "How very convenient! You there, human! I am the Golden Commander Ant, a high-ranking officer of the All Mosquito brain trust! And this is our chief officer of territory construction, Dark Spider! Last time, in my playful torment, I let you escape. This time, however, I have decided to devour you!"
"Your name is way too long, Golden Ant!" I shot back.
For now, I needed to move away from the magic circle. The golden ant claimed it couldn't be destroyed, but if it somehow broke during battle, everything would go horribly wrong. I couldn't afford to be trapped here!
Though I doubted the game mechanics would allow that, I didn't want to risk being stuck. And, judging by the giant spider's words, it really was the same one from the first quest! The memory of being hunted came flooding back, and I realized that Phoebe's fear stemmed from her lingering memories of that attack, whether consciously or subconsciously...
"Hey, hey, looks like you're thinking of running away again! Let's catch it!"
As the golden ant shouted, the massive spider started spitting out webs toward us! I dashed to evade, but the moment the webs hit the ground, they sizzled ominously, emitting a sound that suggested they were melting everything in their path.
"Watch out, is it acidic webs... Geimon!"
"It's coming from below, jump!"
I stabbed Archie into the ground, creating sharp outgrowths beneath the spider's legs, but the golden ant's words caused the giant spider to leap away, dodging as if it knew how Geimon worked from the start. Could it be that it anticipated my first move!?
"Hmph, a dragonfly with only airstrike capabilities, and a centipede that merely copied fairy techniques—it got taken down. But they're only overconfident in their strength, forgetting how to fight like true insects as they go solo…"
The golden ant muttered to itself. A centipede that mimicked fairy technology… could it be the one that Caleb's weapon pierced during the second quest? I have no clue about the dragonfly… could it have been defeated by other players?
"I'll show you the true power of insects! Insect army, Geimon!"
"Geimon!?"
With the golden ant's shout, a multitude of magic circles appeared, both large and small! From those magic circles sprang forth an overwhelming swarm of insects—ranging from butterflies and caterpillars to beetles, bees, and various other creatures.
To be honest, for anyone who hates bugs, it was a hellish and grotesque sight that made me want to scream. But with Phoebe trembling in fear beside me, I couldn't let out a scream… I couldn't!
No matter how determined I felt, the situation remained dire. The golden ant unleashed a magic similar to that of the fairy gate, summoning a horde of insects. My only area attack was the fairy fire gate, but if I used it carelessly, the golden ant would likely counter with a single command, dodging the attack and putting me in an even worse predicament—potentially leading to my death.
"Now, we insects will overwhelm you with sheer numbers! Charge, everyone!"
"Damn it, let's run!"
A massive swarm of bugs surged toward us, eager to devour. I sprinted at full speed! Glancing back, I saw the swarm closing in—it was an absolutely nightmarish scene that I wish I hadn't witnessed!
"I'm sorry, Lena! We have to speed up! Strike through them all! Chain Lightning!"
Phoebe, recovering from her terror, moved from my pocket to my left shoulder and began casting support magic. She unleashed a bolt of lightning at the approaching insects!
Crack! The sound echoed behind us.
"That won't work!"
"Futile, futile! As long as my voice reaches my minions, area attacks from spells or skills won't affect them! And if you aim for me, they will protect me! This is the mightiest formation of the All Mosquito Army! Normally, the dragonfly would have bombed ahead, but…"
The golden ant's laughter rang out as it revealed its strategy. It was clearly a reckless move, but it seemed confident that victory was assured, despite the risk.
In reality, when it comes to tactics, it's incredibly overwhelming—like a cheat code granting the military immunity to area attacks. On the surface, the golden ant seems vulnerable to area damage, but its minions act as a wall… making things extremely troublesome.
Thank goodness we didn't use the fairy fire gate… with their area attack immunity, it would have been thwarted anyway.
"Damn it, what do we do now?"
My mind is hazy as I run. Should I make a break for the fairy barrier? No, it feels like the enemies will catch up before I get there.
"Phoebe! Cast single-target spells targeting the golden ant's legs!"
"Got it! Holy Ball! Ice Spear!"
Phoebe chants her spells! For a moment, I glance back just as a sphere of light and a spear of ice fly toward the golden ant, but other bugs leap into their path, colliding with the spells! The insects burst with a red effect before crashing to the ground… then, they're consumed by other bugs, vanishing entirely. It almost looked like they were being devoured... a wave of goosebumps crawls up my arms.
"It's futile! The wall of bugs is too thick!"
"Keep attacking! We need to find a breakthrough!"
My weapon is Archie… the ground beneath me is predictable, and I'd have to stop moving to stab the earth, leaving me vulnerable to being overwhelmed by the swarm. That can't happen.
The fairy fire gate won't work here, and while the flame blade could take down a few, all I see ahead is being swallowed by the horde.
My belongings were snacks and sweet bread. They might attract a few bugs, but this is food meant for the fairies! Totally useless! I didn't have time to drink the healing potions or MP restoratives, and throwing them wouldn't yield any results. The last item was an insect-collecting potion gifted by Lily. This might lure plenty of bugs, but would it even work on the insects controlled by the golden ants? There was no time to ponder; the enemy was closing in.
I accessed the system menu, took out the potion, and opened it while praying. Suddenly, a sweet fragrance began to waft through the air.
"What is that incredible, delicious smell?!" I heard a confused voice from the golden ants. Could it actually be working?
"Lick this instead!" I shouted as I turned and hurled the potion at the swarm of bugs with all my might! The potion soared over the heads of the insect army until it disappeared from view.
"Hey! Don't let the scent draw you in! Follow my orders!" the golden ant yelled furiously. Now's my chance to escape!
As I started to run again, Phoebe's voice rang out. "Fairy Ice Gate! Lena, keep running!"
Phoebe!? She's using the trump card here!? No, I have to trust her judgment! I heard a loud noise behind me, but I didn't look back; I sprinted with everything I had toward the barrier where the fairies lived.
"Hah… Hah… Hoo… Hoo…" I was running toward the barrier, but as the adrenaline faded, my stamina hit its limit, and my legs suddenly stopped.
There was still a distance to the barrier where the fairies lived... Phoebe, who had returned to my shoulder, spoke up with concern.
"It seems we've shaken them off... Perhaps we can take a short break?"
"No way... that doesn't mean we've won. Besides, it could get dangerous if they start flying after us..."
With Phoebe's fairy ice gate slowing them down, we might have a chance to take down the insect whose voice was silenced by the potion, but I didn't feel confident about defeating the golden ants or dark spiders. I continued to walk, trying to get closer to the barrier.
"Ugh, this is embarrassing... Just like when I fled from the All Mosquitoes."
"That doesn't mean you should engage in battle against overwhelming odds..."
"Yeah, you're right… Besides, it seemed like they had area attacks. If I had fought them head-on, I would have just had Phoebe cast single-target spells while I kept running..."
I sighed; there didn't seem to be a winning strategy, and I didn't want to fight.
"Anyway, let's hurry to the barrier... I really need a break..."
After a bit of walking, my stamina had slightly restored, and as I attempted to run again, a sudden pain and shock shot through my back. My HP bar dropped dramatically, about 40% gone, with a poison icon appearing. I nearly collapsed but somehow managed to hold on.
"Ugh... are they still on our tail!? Phoebe, heal me!"
"Regenerate!"
When I looked back, there were eight flying bees behind us... well, technically seven, since one had lost its stinger and fell to the ground. Wait, could they really be firing their stingers in exchange for their lives!?
"Wait, are we dealing with suicide bombers!?"
Damn, my regeneration isn't working because it's being countered by the poison...
"If you're going to shoot your stinger, come at me anytime. Phoebe, if you have the chance, attack."
"Got it! If it looks dangerous, I'll protect us with Aqua Shield! For now, Holy Ball!"
With the bees launching long-range attacks, I can't turn my back and run for the barrier...
I can only afford to take one more sting; maybe two if I use Aqua Shield...
No more getting hit than that!
But the bees aren't making a move...
Phoebe launches a sphere of light, but it misses due to the distance.
The bees, not approaching or attacking, just keep their eyes on us... could it be...?
"Crud, are they a delaying force?!"
"A delaying force?"
"They're probably trying to hold us back until that golden ant shows up... If we try to escape, they'll shoot their stingers to keep us at bay... Phoebe, can you ride on my shoulder and keep an eye behind us? If any stingers come our way, defend with Aqua Shield; I'll try to dodge zigzag!"
"Understood! Chain Lightning!"
Phoebe quickly moves to my shoulder and unleashes a bolt of lightning, striking one of the bees and sending it crashing to the ground.
Since the golden ant's voice can't reach them, area attacks seem effective.
Using that as a signal, I turn my back to the bees and sprint toward the barrier!
"Aqua Shield!" Phoebe quickly cast a spell, and I jumped to the side just in time to avoid a barrage of needles that shot through the spot where I had been standing.
"Fly!" she called again, and I dodged to the side only to feel a sharp pain in my arm. I hadn't quite managed to evade, and took some damage. Thankfully, thanks to the Aqua Shield, it only reduced my HP loss by ten percent. Still, with that initial hit, my health bar was already down to half.
"Three shots coming in! Chain Lightning!" Phoebe unleashed another spell, but I couldn't tell what happened next. A fresh sting in my leg signaled more trouble as my HP dropped to thirty percent… This is bad! Should I stop to drink a healing potion, even if it means standing still in danger?