Must catch up with them..... fast

Meanwhile on the other side

I still haven't found the right path or the enemy for now and I think the path I'm taking continues to lead me deeper. My interface wasn't helpful enough in the dark so I used my flame sword skill to become a torch. Let's hope my mana is enough until I find a way out.

I don't know how long I've been walking in the tunnel, maybe about half an hour or so at the same time my mana is decreasing very slowly by half a bar.

The hell I’m suppose to do now?

Then I heard a lot of crawling sounds in front of me. I turned off my skill and hid in between the tunnel walls and now it's completely dark, now I just rely on the night vision from my instinct to see what's in front of me. Not clearly, but would do.

It looks like it's the same giant worker ants that attacked us earlier and they're carrying.........a dead ants?, and there are too many lined up and heading towards the path that I go.

After they got far enough I followed them from behind without being noticed…… I hope. I can fight all of them but I need them to lead the way so I can get out of this tunnel. This place just like maze.

Those ants keep taking me through many tunnels and still many more of them came out of other tunnels and brought not only dead ants but bees too?. The bees had almost human-like bodies, a female body.

The hell?. They are more like a mix between humans and insects.

It wasn't long before I saw a light at the end of the tunnel and the ants climbed off the wall and scattered.

I’m still hiding behind the rock and wait until all of them get out from the tunnel and as they all gone from my sight I walk slowly and arrived at the end of the tunnel. There’s another room like before but this one is quite big and something make me shocked when I saw a large shiny creature like a caterpillar in a giant hole eating dead ants and bees that were thrown by the living ants.

Just look the way that thing eat is really make me sick. Then I saw some bees coming in from the hole in the ceiling and they seemed to be carrying something and after that they dropped it in front of the caterpillar.

I used my instinct again to take a close look and it looks like the ones they dropped earlier it was…… a humans.

The place also gave off a strong stench and almost made me throw up just breath a little.

"Ughh..... It smells like shit"

I looked at the giant monster's info with my interface and it said "Queen of insects" and she was at level forty. That thing might be the boss around here.

I jumped into the hole in front of me and slid myself down to the bottom. There are a lot of dead ants or something under my feet and it's even gross if you look closely and now I’m regret myself for jumping in to this hell hole.

I walked up to the creature and it was much bigger than I thought. If you look closely, I can see what it is eating through its transparent body. I think I've said enough about this disgusting creature for now.

"Hey you!" I shouted. It looked around then went back to eating like it didn't think I was there. Did that thing just ignore me?, then I yell even more "Don’t ignore me, you dump beast!!!"

That thing suddenly stopped when I yell then it turned around and spoke in an incoherent tone "Wh-hw-who..... dr dar-dare...." she turned it’s weird large body towards me as she spoke while chewing those corpse. I don't know what she said because her mouth is full but is cleary I just made her angry now.

Her face is like a female human with long hair hanging down except that her entire face is her mouth

“Ughhhhhh!. Disgusting!”

I swear if I see something like that again I'm really going to throw up.

The Queen roared and at the same time the things on its mouth was thrown towards me. I immediately stay my shield and holding the attack.

Then I circled it and attacked the queen’s side body but it didn't show the slightest damage, it glowing skin probably as hard as crystal. When I backed away from it, the queen let out a large egg from its side and it didn't take long, the egg hatched as the queen roared and large ant came out of the egg and its shape was really terrible, like many ants with one body, maybe it was a mutant.

Many of them also have strange shapes like mixes with the bees but can't fly. I really can't explain it.

The mutants rushed towards me wildly and the queen seemed to be laughing. I use my flame sword and fight against them. The info on my interface says they're at level 20. I fought one that had a scythe in its hand like a praying mantis.

I don't feel scared when I fight them, in fact I enjoy it.

My flame sword is really helpful when it comes to slashing things and thanks to that I managed to cut both the thing’s sickle hands and then its head.

There are many more coming and I say they are not a worthy opponent for me.

“BRING IT ON!” I shout as i grin then I rush towards them and jump kick one of them in the front then i slashed at anything in front of me.

I was enjoying this so much I couldn't help but laugh maniacally. Is been so long since I fight with a lot of monster like this, since the two of them weren't around me now, I finally able to fight without getting distracted and focusing only on myself.

It's a bit time consuming due to their numbers and levels but I managed to beat them all and now I'm covered in their blood. After finishing defeating them all I looked at the queen. I heard her speaking incoherently again because her mouth still full and it seemed she was about to get even more angry now.

"M-m.... M... My ca..... child!" then she roared louder until she pushed me from where I was standing and soon its body grew bigger, a really bigger like is about to pop up and then released an egg and this time it got bigger.

"Whoa...." the queen has the ability to lay eggs very quickly.

Soon the eggs began to hatch and a human-like hand with blade along the hand punched out of the eggshell. I backed away casually after seeing that and let it hatch completely.

The creature came out completely after breaking its shell.

That thing has an upper body like a human just like a bees was but this time is a male body (A buff male body) with wings like a bee but the lower body is long like a centipede, his face is also like an ant and his body is much bigger than the queen. That thing was at level Level thirty five. Under his mother.

Finally, the strongest one.

I smirked and said "Let's see how strong you are with that big body, hehe!" Then I readied my sword.

The thing saw me and rushed towards me quickly. I thought with that big body he's really slow but he's really fast with that many spiked legs. I ran as fast as I could when I knew he was really brutal just to chase after me, he even hit a dead mutant on his leg and some of them are stuck on it spike leg.

I heard the queen laugh at me and then she continued eating the dead creatures underneath like eating popcorn in a movie theater. It really pisses me off.

Then suddenly the creature landed in front of me with a bang as I was distracted by the queen.

I immediately stop in shock "What the hell?!" did that thing just jump?

I used break down to trap him but he realized it and jumped and landed slowly behind me. He just cross his arm and giggled with a crawling sound.

That thing was just toying with me from the start. Damn it, he's got a brain and know how to use it.

"Don’t fuck with me!!" I use break down again.

He jumped again and this time he was hanging above the ceiling. I kept using my breakdown over and over again and I don't think about the place around me because all of my anger take over me, all I think is how to cut off their head.

I almost ran out of mana from using break down too often and my flame sword which was active from the start make drain little faster.

It's really annoying when fighting enemies from a distance like this. I didn't expect to be humiliated like this by them.

I should be the strongest of them but why am I this weak?, it's the same as when I was easily caught in that cheap spider's trap.

“DAMN IT!”

All of my breakdown attacks didn't touch him in the slightest and he had incredible agility and speed for such a size. I'm really exhausted from using too much mana.

The creature jumped and landed behind me then slammed its tail at me really fast and strong and I didn't have time to turn around and use my shield "Damn!. He's fast!" I bounced many time on the ground until throw off to the wall and got stuck.

They both laughed and most annoyingly the queen really seemed to enjoy it while I was tormented. But........

"hmhmhm.... hahaha!!!" I giggle and then turn to laughed out loud and made them stop laughing in confuse then I said "Laugh while you can because it will be the last thing you will remember after I take your head off from your body!"

Then a cracking sound was heard throughout the room and started to shake and not long after that the ground beneath them fell and made the queen fall into it but not for her ugly son who had time to fly in the air but all of that was useless because the roof above them also collapse and fell on it.

Actually….. I didn't think about any of this, I was really angry and keep using my breakdown without thinking but when that thing landed really hard earlier I heard a cracking sound then something stung my head, and it attacked me so hard that I was thrown and stuck now, and thanks to that I not caught in a my own big trap that I make. A lucky devil huh?

But seriously, that attack really hurt and I almost lost half my health just because of it. I'm starting to think that levels are meaningless.

It seems that under this room there are also many tunnels as before and they must not know that either, from the start I did want to trap them but I didn't expect to bury them alive. When it comes to plans, this is the most stupidest and most dangerous plan I've ever do, with large rocks falling like this, even I could even be killed if I didn't get stuck in this wall and I definitely wouldn't be like this if Lamina was there.

When all was done I couldn't see them from behind the dust. Seriously, this place is getting bright because the roof is falling and light is getting in. I can see several floors that have fallen from my attack earlier and I hope one of them isn't where Lamina is. When I looked at their health bar I was surprised to see that Tempest's health bar was decreasing slowly and it wasn't caused by me, it was something else. Damn, I was so distracted that I forgot about those two. I need to go to their place fast.

I tried to free myself from the wall, looks like I got stuck pretty deep. Then I heard a roar below me and the dust around there had started to fade away.

The centipede-like creature still survived and was trapped all over its back but I didn't find the queen, maybe she was buried and didn't survive.

I manage let myself off the wall and immediately jumped down. I still can't believe from the many rocks that fell on him, he only got hit in the back of his body and didn't die. How strong is this thing, even I might be death even if my level is high enough.

That thing saw me and screamed in pain, I burned my sword back while approaching him and said "Look who's laughing now, Hah!"

But unexpectedly, the creature forced it to escape from the rocks that hit its entire lower body. He screamed very loudly and finally separated his lower body from his upper body.

He's really out of his mind.

I closed my eyes as I looked up at the sky and sighed then I stared hard as I activated my flame sword.

The blood from my injured head flowing into my mouth and I licked a bit of the drip and then smirked. I readied myself into a fighting stance.

This time will be the last fight.

"Let's see who’s the strongest one here, heh!"

We both rushed to each other and the creature crawled on its hands then we both jumped and hit my shield with the sword in its hand very strong and I bounced not far enough, I ran towards it again and we were fighting each other there.

This time he wouldn't be going anywhere with a body like that, in the end.

When I managed to throw his hand in the air I punched him in the stomach with the shield that had my breakdown skill charged and threw him backwards.

"Come on!, that's all you can do? Did the cat get your guts?"

He was trying to stand up again with such a wound and it seemed he was getting weaker from losing a lot of blood. I admit his toughness to kill me even though he's just a monster.

Then he rushed towards me who was just standing on the spot holding my sword with both of my hands. I increased more mana on my flame sword and made it boil, and when he attacked me with the sword in his right hand I just ducked and then cut off his hand.

He passed me and rolled not far from me, I walked as usual towards him and when he tried to attack me with his left hand I cut along with his sword and made him scream. As he screaming in pain I slashed his neck and made him stop in second then fell down with his head thrown not far from his body.

I turned off my skill as I exhaled, my sword was still red from the heat earlier and slowly started to return to the way it was. I haven't fought like this in a long time and I'm satisfied that I can be like that.

Something on the sky caught my attention and I saw some kind of big ring circle with runes coming out from the mountain wall and it seemed that was the direction where Lamina and the others were. Whatever it is, it must be a bad sign, Damn, I'm running out of time.

I drink a little of the potion I took earlier and my mana recovered half along with my strength.

Then I saw the tunnel above and the rocks that had fallen were a good path to the top. I rushed over there and not long after I heard crackle sound not far from me. The queen finally came out of the rocks.

Aghhh…… come on!, why don't you just die already?

Her hard skin must have protected her from the impact of the rock. Then she looked her dead child. The queen screamed and seemed to cry then she look at me and screaming like crazy then her body is started to grow like before. She’s about to hatch another egg again.

"Oh.... You can't!. You think i want to fight a whole herd of these things again?"

I rush towards her fast and jumped then punched her in the face with a shield that was charge with magic break down and managed to destroy her hard ugly face. She was pushed back a little because I used a little more mana than usual on this one.

Then I use a flame sword with more mana like before and it makes my sword smolder even more again. The more mana I use the stronger skill I get but it will also take a long time to fill it up.

After all finished I prepared my position to launch myselft when the queen head hit the ground again "Here's goes!" then I lunch into her mouth and slashing all the inside of it. And it just what I thought, her inside body is the soft one. After that I came out from behind her body and finally killed it.

“Finally…. Is finish"

I put my sword back into the scabbard and brushed away the bits of flesh stuck to my body. Then I rush to the tunnel.

Now about catching up with the three of them, I hope they are okay.

I kept running up until I saw light in from of me then. The tunnel managed to get me back upstairs and now I have to find the three of them. I stopped because I heard a noise outside and i saw a lot of bees are fighting each other and a lot of ants are dead, I hope they're not in that crowd.

Before I want to leave I heard the sound of horses in the crowd and caught my attention. I saw the three of them running from that battlefield, I use my instinct to look closely from a distance and it looks like Tempest's hind legs are injured, maybe that's what caused his health bar drain.

I saw some bees with spears chasing them, shit, they won't be able to survive.

I hate to do this again but it's really precarious. I'm sorry Lamina, just hold the pain for a while.

I took a deep breath and then shouted "LAMINA!, THIS IS AN ORDER. SHOT THE BEES DOWN!!!!"

It's not clear how but I saw the bees fall and their manage to get away from the crowd, Lamina must have managed to do it. Then it looks like they entered the cave there. I have to catch up with them quickly.

Before i go there’s two bees landed in front of me and point the lance at me.

“Tch….. Out of my way!” I slash both of them as I rushed and entered another tunnel.

There were a lot of ants dying for some reason along the tunnel and no one tried to stop me so I left them all alone. There are plenty of tunnels here and I just took the middle way, meaning is breaking through all the tunnel walls with my breakdown skill which led me to them.

Tempest's health bar is getting less due to the bleeding I saw earlier, this is bad.

I slipped down when I hit a wall while running and I think I was already at the bottom.

I followed them from the cave and after running for a while I heard a voice behind the wall, it's not clear what, but I'm sure it was Lamina's voice. It would be too long if I circled them so I decided to break the wall with my breakdown again. My mana isn't much but it's probably enough.

"Hold on, Lamina...... Ngghhh!" I kept hitting the wall with my shield and I could hear the voice behind the wall more and more clearly. Looks like they're in danger beside this cave.

And not long after that I managed to break through the wall and get past it.

"Kyah!!" I heard Lamina scream next to me, probably because of this wall explosion.

I couldn't see anything behind the dust so I used the Flame sword to illuminate it and it seems I made it out, Thank god.

"Finally...... I can catch up with you all"

"M-master?"

I looked to my left and I could finally see Lamina in a fighting stance with the two daggers I gave her.

“You guys missed me?. Hah!” I grin.

Lamina burst into tears and sat on her knees then she said "What took you so long?" Lamina smiled in relief.

I saw the witch and Tempest lying helpless then I heard quite a lot of crawling sounds at my right and I saw a bunch of giant spiders are retreating. In front of me, I saw a dead spider. Meaning I just killed a few and scared the spiders.

I put my sword back in then I took the water bag filled with potion and walk toward Lamina then l gave it to her.

"Drink this, Lamina. This will restore your strength-" “Master…. I knew it.... I knew you would come and save us, just like back then. I have never lost faith in you, Master"

Lamina suddenly jumped and hugged me very tightly and started crying. I hugged Lamina too so I could calm her down. It's not her fault why is she crying. It's still too difficult for her to deal with things like this and it's also my fault for bringing Lamina to this place just for my selfishness.

I gently move her away then I stroked her head as I stood as tall as her "Sorry for keeping you all waiting. You did it well, Lamina"

Lamina regained her calm and I helped her drink the potion. I see Lamina's health bar is recovering.

"What is this, master?" she asked in surprise "I feel…….well again"

"This is potion that I got while we separate. Try to put weight on your feet"

She tried to stand up with her injure leg, she still hesitating but she did it anyway and as I expected the wound on her leg was completely healed.

"Master!" her eyes sparkled. I just smile then nod.

“Now, give it the rest to both of them, quick”

Lamina immediately brought the water bag to Tempest and immediately helped him drink it. I keep an eye on their health bar.

"Hey Little Lady" Tempest called out weakly. “He’s really came back to us, huh?

"Stop talking and drink this, hurry. Master brought medicine for us"

Lamina help that horses drink that potion and when Tempest drank it, a light appeared on his leg wound and slowly disappeared as the wound healed after that he rushed to his feet and move it. Lamina immediately hugged Tempest's neck to show her happiness.

"Thank you little lady........."

Lamina shook her head "Not me.... But master. He the one who saved us"

“You’re right…. I’m sorry for what I’m saying was. I just-“

“Is okay, I know you just want to protect me and I grateful with that. Thank you. Is hard to believe something like that, but I never lost my faith on master and will always do”

I prop the witch who was unconscious and Lamina immediately helped her drink the last potion and soon she gasped and woke up.

"W-what happened?" she looked around and then me "Naruk?"

"Miss Phersi, are you okay?" Lamina asked.

The woman seems started to regain her consciousness.

"Y-yeah...." she tried to get back on her feet "I…. I feel…..better"

"Master gave us water that can heal anything. That's why we all recovered" Lamina explained.

"Is it true?" woman looked at me in surprise "Bu-but why?”

"You still got something to settle before you die, remember that” I stand up then avoided my gaze from her then cross my arm as I speak.

“Yeah………. I know” The witch look down for a moment and then look at me again “But you don’t need to heal me, it just a small wound”

“Don’t get a wrong idea. I don't do anything, I don't want to either, Lamina the one who gave it to you"

"But still, I’m really grateful for that……….Thank you"

“Hmp” I just walk away from them and sit at the rock. I need a rest for a while before we continue.