Seiya appeared in the dungeon, a vast forest that seemed to be nothing more than an ordinary woodland.
He exhaled heavily, his irritation palpable as he scanned his desolate surroundings. The absence of any familiar presence aggravated him further. He wanted to curse his father for scattering them around the dungeon but he knew not to.
"Ibyu" he called, his tone sharp yet weary.
{Hmm?} Ibyu responded lazily.
Locate the others, please.
{Why should I?} Ibyu grumbled. {I don't give two fucks about those kids who are liabilities and only serve as a reason for your torment!} It declared.
"Ibyu..." Seiya's voice softened, carrying exhaustion.
His body bore the marks of his recent struggles. Injuries peppered his form, and the gentle breeze brushing against his skin sent sharp stings rippling through him.
{If you want so much to save them then locate them yourself!} Ibyu retorted smugly. {With how much you've grown stronger, surely, detecting the pulsation of their hearts within this sprawling dungeon is well within your capabilities, is it not?}
Seiya didn't respond immediately but Ibyu was right. After awakening his abilities or what he considers to be his Awakened Ability, it was beyond merely communicating with his heart and it being a separate entity. Seiya could sense the pulsating hearts of any living being within a specific radius. Even those who mask their presence or are invisible cannot evade his perception. The stronger he became, the wider his range extended.
I just want to focus on fighting while you locate them and tell me. It'll be faster that way.
Seiya sounded down, weary and tired like one who was seemingly fed up.
Ibyu paused before relenting. {Fine} It let out a long sigh. {To the east are six pulsating hearts which means, six children. They're safe for now; no monsters are nearby... YET}. Ibyu emphasized the last word ominously.
{Further beyond them are two. They're stationary, not even moving at all} Ibyu went on while Seiya listened intently.
{South of you are eight pulsating hearts approaching danger—the monsters are drawing closer to them}
{Four more are in the west, and six in the north. The most immediate threat lies to the south. As for the monsters... I can only sense their pulsating cores, not their exact nature so I can't tell} Ibyu concluded.
"Thanks" Seiya replied, his tone warm. "Let's head south first then."
He turned, but before he could take a step, shadows fell around him. Steel-black forms emerged, encircling him.
The giant black ants loomed, their sleek bodies reflecting faint light. Their matte-black heads were adorned with three pairs of bead-like eyes. Each varying in size and resting haphazardly, creating an unsettling appearance. Their sturdy legs burrowed shallowly under the ground beneath them and their exoskeletons resembled steel armor, radiating an intense ominous aura.
Everything about them screamed death and having encircled Seiya, the most normal reaction, especially for a mere ten years old, would be to feel threatened and scared. But for some reason, Seiya remained unmoved and nonchalant.
He stood motionless, his expression calm.
{…Sorry} Ibyu muttered. {I was too focused on locating the children that I didn't sense the monsters near us}
It's fine. I sensed them from the very beginning" Seiya revealed coolly. He observed the ants carefully. They don't seem like low grade ants. Huge with skin that seems hard as steel. And to think they'd been hiding away since the beginning, as if cautiously observing us before they ambush us. They're intelligent.
{True. Ants are known for their seamless coordination and adaptability. Call them masterminds if you like} Ibyu quipped.
Seiya sighed yet again, remaining still as the ants weren't foolishly rushing in to fight either.
{Now, how will you fight them? You weren't provided any weapon} Ibyu reminded him. {Ordinary weapons deal less to no damage against them. Only ones forged from monster materials, drops or cores work}
{With their steel hard skin, you can't possibly fight them barehanded} Ibyu worried for Seiya.
In perfect unison and practiced precision, the ants charged, closing in to crush Seiya beneath their numbers.
With a burst of explosive force, Seiya leapt high into the air, descending and slamming down an axe kick onto the back of one of the ants.
The moment his heel connected with the ant, the force of the impact was like a thunderclap. The ground seemed to tremble beneath as the power of the axe kick erupted outward.
A sharp, almost deafening crack echoed through the air, and the sheer force created a gust so strong it scattered the other ants gathered—creating space for Seiya to land on the ground.
Leaves fluttered into chaos, specks of wood clattered to the ground, and the dust kicked up in a swirling storm around him.
For a brief second, it was as though the world stood still, stunned by the raw, unrelenting power of the strike. Then, as the debris settled, all that remained was the shattered remnants of the targeted ant.
Thick green slimy substance poured from the shattered ant, splattered on Seiya and staining the ground around it.
The other ants recoiled, retreating further at the sight of one of them being crushed by nothing more than a single kick from Seiya.
Back at the facility, everyone watching was struck with disbelief. They were unable to believe what they saw through the ability-woven screen, monitoring Seiya and the kids.
Seiya's father, his eyes wide in shock, stared in utter disbelief. Subjecting Seiya to such brutal torments and training, he hadn't noticed the rate at which he grew.
Gradually, his expression shifted into a grin, his gaze fixated with growing intensity on the screen displaying Seiya amidst the numerous others above.
Seiya nonchalantly crouched by the fallen ant, inspecting the remains to determine which parts could be fashioned into a weapon. His attention fell upon the massive mandibles, and with raw strength, he effortlessly pried them apart, breaking them free from the rest of the ant's body.
The sight and display sent another wave of unease through the ant and left the people in the facility shaken. The ant's exoskeleton, which Seiya had shattered with ease, was as hard as steel—almost as though it were forged from armor itself.
Seiya clutched the mandibles to himself, unfazed by the green slimy liquid dripping onto him. Then he proceeded to break and separate the ant's legs.
With precision, he skillfully detached the tarsi from the leg segments, keeping the remaining parts intact.
{What's the plan?} Ibyu asked.
"To fight them with their own armor like skin" Seiya replied, arranging his newfound arsenal neatly by his feet.
The ants, seemingly regrouping, surged forward again, prompting a look of exasperation from Seiya.
{The ants are moving faster toward the children down south, Sei!} Ibyu warned.
Seiya's eyes narrowed. I see. They're smarter than I thought. In the short time it took me to take down one, they must've communicated, adapted and devised a new strategy. They're definitely trying to stall me after evaluating my strength while the others target the children.
As he observed their advance, Seiya carefully scanned the swarm, waiting for them to come within range.
"Eleven?" Seiya muttered, uncertain.
{Thirteen!} Ibyu retorted, referring to the number of ants closing in.
{Do your glasses not function in dungeons?!} Ibyu grumbled in frustration.
As the ants drew within range, Seiya leapt upward with the same fluid motion as before, aiming to thrust a mandible down onto the back of one of the ants. But two of the ants reared up, unleashing a thick purple liquid that Seiya instinctively recognized as dangerous. Reacting swiftly, he ducked and propelled himself backward with incredible speed and force, a bandage slipping from his arm and falling to the ground as he landed atop a tree behind him.
The purple liquid splashed onto the bloodied cloth that had fallen, immediately dissolving it with a hissing sound as smoke rose from the fabric.
"They can shoot poison too?" Seiya muttered, half to himself.
"I have some poison resistance, but not to that kind!" he added, while Ibyu chuckled softly.
"This is trouble" Seiya sighed heavily, starting to fear if he could actually save the children.