With the broader coverage of the dungeon's map from Sayako's familiars' efforts and the continuous expansion of the dungeon's territory, Isao was able to find where the city's survivors had taken refuge.
It was on the Liberty College campus, located on the Isla-Diezmo road in front of Labada Warehouse in Brgy. Isla.
Isao believed that it was his duty to ensure the safety of these survivors, and he joined his troops there to rescue them.
But they just got outside of First Tree Village when a screech, louder than the loudspeakers currently blaring in the background, echoed through the air.
A horde of smaller, 3-meter-tall ants followed a three-story-tall, enormous crimson ant as it emerged from the car factory next to the village of First Tree. Isao's group was encircled as more of these ants poured out of the recycling facility in front of the previously stated facility.
These are Hantik Ants, a highly aggressive and territorial insect monster classified as having an upper-tier Rank I to lower-tier Rank H ranking or level somewhere from 8 to 13. As for the massive ant leading them, it is the Hantik Queen, a Wild Boss with a middle-tier Rank H ranking, or Level 14 to 16, with the ability to produce an army of smaller ants to do her bidding.
A Wild Boss
In areas where human presence is scarce, mana concentrates and gives birth to monsters. As their numbers increase, a battle for supremacy among these monsters becomes inevitable. This gives birth to a Wild Boss, a powerful and formidable creature that reigns over the lesser monsters.
The Wild Boss possesses immense strength and unique abilities, making it a force to be reckoned with.
However, with the D-Maps feature in Isao's interface, they were already aware there were monsters lurking in the area. And this is where another intended purpose for loudspeakers comes into play.
The noise from the loudspeakers wasn't just for harassing the opposing armies or masking their own movements. It also served to scare away any lesser monsters or Wild Boss on the route to their destination.
But some insect monsters, like ordinary insects, have a poor sense of hearing or none at all. And the same applies to these ant monsters. So Isao and his troops have no choice but to engage these ant monsters in direct combat.
In his perch up in the sky, with the mobility given to him by his blood wings, Isao used his skill Blood Manipulation to buy time for the troops below to prepare their line of defense.
A hail of poisoned needles of blood then flew, turning the ants into pincushion. While others survived the attacks, with the poison laced in the needles, it's only a matter of time before they perished.
"Slime team!" On the ground, Ava, the one commanding the troops, telepathically called out. "It is up to your team to build walls and trenches to create barriers and obstacles for the ant monsters. We need to limit their movement and prevent them from overwhelming us with their sheer numbers. Meanwhile, the rest of us will provide cover fire and engage the ant monsters head-on."
The Slime team, made up of Armored Slimes, quickly sprung into action, using their Earth Magic and their slime bodies to get the job done.
In unison, the slimes cast the Earth Magic, Earth Wall, to create temporary fortifications for the soldiers. This is just flimsy, waist-high walls made of dirt, though, which would crumble in a matter of minutes.
So the Armored Slimes' rocky exterior crumbled and reformed as their slimy limbs changed shape, morphing into shovels and picks to efficiently dig trenches. They used their bodies in tandem with their Earth Magic to dig the trenches to create a tougher defense against the approaching ant monsters.
Meanwhile, the other troops provided cover with volleys of fire, bullets whizzing through the air as they bought time for the Armored Slimes to complete their defensive preparations.
The firearm the troops were using was an improved model of the Mana Rifle. It had the appearance of a futuristic cyberpunk M-16 assault rifle, with the magazine being a mana battery that could be easily replaced during battle.
However, this new version also has the firing and reloading mechanism of a bolt-action rifle to shoot enchanted bullets.
Unlike the previous version of their Mana Rifle, this new model has been modified to shoot physical bullets as well instead of just bullets made of mana.
Isao and the others found out that mana bullets prove insufficient for Rank H or higher monsters, making them less effective against stronger opponents.
Due to this discovery, Isao had the ones responsible for weapon modifications create bullets capable of piercing a higher rank monster’s defenses and prioritize the addition of the new feature to their Mana Rifle.
Although this development came with one downside—the rate of fire.
The earlier version of Mana Rifles could fire mana bullets with automatic and semi-auto so long as the mana batteries were topped up or the individual had mana. The newer version of Mana Rifles, on the other hand, is still capable of firing mana bullets, but its rate of fire with physical rounds is significantly slower.
But since this is a bolt-action rifle and not a breechloader or muzzleloader, its reload time and rate of fire are still relatively quick. And the enchanted bullets were easy to produce as well since they were just armor-piercing rounds with increased damage and durability enchantments.
And to make up for the slower rate of fire with physical rounds, they employed volley-fire tactics, where lines of soldiers would take turns firing in rapid succession to maintain a continuous barrage of bullets, although it still took several bullets to bring down even lower-tier Rank H monsters.
Once the soldiers noticed that the trenches were completely dug, they promptly took their positions behind the defenses, ready to engage in battle with the approaching ant monsters in a more strategic and fortified position.
A cacophony of gunfire erupted once again as the soldiers resumed unleashing a barrage of bullets towards the advancing horde. The enchanted bullets tore through the ant monsters, causing them to screech in agony and crumble to the ground.
But the sheer number of ants became overwhelming, and they continued to pour over the defenses, undeterred by the casualties. "Mage Team, artillery support!" telepathically shouted Ava, signaling for the mages to provide artillery support.
Humanoid monsters in cyberpunk-esque armor brought out seemingly outdated cannons from the 19th century, setting them up strategically along the defensive lines.
The Mage Team comprises mage variants of their respective species, possessing different magic affinities. Due to time constraints, they were relegated to artillery since their current offensive capabilities left much to be desired.
"HQ, provide artillery observation!" Ava urgently requested headquarters inside the dungeon to provide artillery observation as soon as the Mage Team finished setting up the cannons.
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"Roger that, Princess 01," responded the communications officer.
In the minds of the Mage Team, a telephatic communication from the operator was received.
"This is Observer 01 to Mage Team. Standby for calibration shot. Fire in three...two...one, fire!" the operator's voice echoed in their minds.
The mage monsters acknowledged the telepathic communication from Observer 01 and fired their cannons in unison, and the ground shook as the explosive round was fired at the specified locations.
BOOM! The explosions caused massive damage to the ant monsters, scattering their insectile bodies across the battlefield. "Observer 01 to Mage Team: Impact confirmed. Over."
The other troops on the battlefield cheered as they witnessed the devastating effects of the calibration shot.
"All hail the god of war!" The soldiers chanted in unison, their voices filled with adrenaline and triumph. They knew that this successful attack would give them a significant advantage in the ongoing battle against the ant monsters.
Carrying this sentiment in their hearts, the soldiers resumed their positions and prepared for the next wave of enemy attacks.
***
On the other side of the battlefield, a Hantik Worker nervously conveyed to the Wild Boss Hantik Queen that their Hantik Soldiers were being decimated by the humanoid forces. The Hantik Queen, enraged by the news, let out a piercing screech that echoed through the air.
Among the wild monsters in this area, their species was among the most powerful and feared. The only ones who could rival their strength were the lupine monsters that made their home in the nearby buildings.
When a powerful soundwave rippled through the area, causing lupine monsters and other wild creatures to flee, at first the Hantik Queen and her colony were in joy. But when a warning signal transmitted by pheromones from their sentries reached the Hantik Queen, her joy turned into hostility.
A new threat arrived, and these are humanoid creatures riding iron cocoons that have trespassed their territory. The Hantik Queen arrogantly believed that her colony could easily overpower and defeat these intruders with just her Hantik Soldiers.
Initially, the Hantik Queen ordered her soldiers to attack the humanoid creatures, confident in their strength and numbers. However, as the battle ensued, it became clear that these intruders were not easily defeated.
Despite their initial conviction in their sheer numbers, when explosions occurred out of nowhere and tremendous casualties began to mount on the Hantik side, fear and rage gripped the Hantik Queen.
Calling for its Hantik Knights, the strongest variant of Hantik Ants, the Queen set off to join the battle herself, determined to turn the tide in their favor.
***
"Attention to all units!" Abruptly, the communications officer's frantic voice crackled through the telepathic link. "The Hantik Queen and a platoon of Hantik Knights, winged variants of Hantik Ants, danger rating Rank H, are on their way to you!"
Without anti-air defenses in place, Ava and her team knew they were vulnerable to the aerial assault of the Hantik Queen and her Knights. She bit her lips, calculating their options. They needed to come up with a strategy quickly to neutralize the threat and protect their forces on the ground.
Isao's telepathic voice then cut her off. "We're running out of time."
As the clock's hand mercilessly ticked, the safety of the evacuees they had to rescue hung in the balance. Ava's mind raced, considering the consequences of failure.
"I'll deal with the Hantik Queen and her knights in the skies," Isao declared confidently. "Buy time for me until I can take them out and have a separate team break through the enemy lines and secure a safe passage for the evacuees. We cannot afford any missteps." Ava nodded, her determination fueling her actions as she prepared to lead their ground forces into battle. The weight of their mission pressed heavily on her shoulders, but she knew they had no choice but to succeed.
'I'm hungry—no, famished.' Isao said, his stomach growling audibly. Ever since an eerie and indistinguishable voice resonated through his mind, he had been plagued by constant hunger.
Along with the boiling rage that consumed him, Isao's hunger grew stronger with each passing second. It was as if the voice had unleashed a primal need within him, driving him to satiate his insatiable appetite.
He made do with energy bars and using Devour on fallen ant monsters, as they were in the middle of a mission and had no time to stop for a proper meal. However, the energy bars and the skill only provided temporary relief, leaving Isao craving something more substantial to satisfy his growling stomach.
A buzzing of wings interrupted Isao's thoughts, dragging his attention back to the present. 'They're here.'
The winged ant monsters, Hantik Knights, had arrived, their menacing presence sending a shiver down Isao's spine. With a deep breath, he readied himself for the impending battle, knowing that defeating these creatures would not only bring him closer to completing his mission but also offer a chance to finally satisfy his ravenous hunger.
Flapping his wings made of blood, Isao took flight, ascending higher and higher into the darkened sky. He intends to strike from above, using his aerial advantage to outmaneuver the Hantik Knights.
On the way up, however, the seven moons' pale glow transfixed him as he soared through the night, illuminating the vast battlefield below.
"ᜀᜀᜃᜓᜈᜏ, ᜃᜀᜈ᜔ ᜐ ᜊᜓᜎᜈ᜔" THUMP! Isao's heart pounded in his chest once again, yet more powerfully than before. Strings of letters formed in his mind from an alphabet—Baybayin—familiar to him, compelling him to do something.
Their meaning, however, was unclear to him. The Filipino people's traditional script, Baybayin, was a writing system never taught in the country's schools, and Isao had only seen it in passing.
Worse, the hunger within him grew stronger with each beat of his heart, consuming his thoughts and clouding his judgment. Isao's vision began to grow red around the edges as he struggled to resist the insatiable urge.
Desperate to regain control, he bit into a chocolate bar in his pocket. Isao remembered that chocolate has neuro-something-something properties that can help calm the mind and suppress cravings.
Activating his Blood Magic and Blood Manipulation skills, Isao willed his magic to multiply those neuro-something-something properties that chocolate possessed. As he focused his mana, Isao felt a surge of power coursing through his veins, amplifying the effects of the chocolate.
The shade of red in his vision gradually subsided, replaced by a sense of calm and clarity. With his mind now clear, Isao could once again make rational decisions and resist the insatiable urge that had clouded his judgment.
It's fortunate that all of this happened while Isao was at a high enough altitude that the enemy ant monsters were unable to reach him. Isao took a moment to catch his breath and assess the situation, realizing that now was the perfect opportunity to strike at the Hantik Knights.
Diving at full speed towards the Hantik Knights, Isao folded his wings tightly against his body, creating a sleek and aerodynamic form. Letting gravity take hold, he plummeted towards the enemy, his eyes locked on their formation.
As he neared the Hantik Knights, Isao could hear the sound of their wings flapping and their cries growing louder. Shortly before reaching them, Isao used his Blood Manipulation skill to send blades of blood whirling through the air towards the unsuspecting knights.
Like annoying flies, the Hantik Knights easily dodged the blades of blood, their insectile wings carrying them effortlessly through the air. The knights might have a lower maximum altitude compared to Isao, but their agility and maneuverability more than make up for it.
'This will be a challenging battle,' Isao thought to himself as he charged towards the insect knights while sending an Astral Projection of himself at a higher altitude. This is so he could maintain a strategic advantage and survey the battlefield from above.
As he closed in on the Hantik Knights, Isao noticed their front limbs shaped like a gun barrel and the other a blade, indicating their deadly arsenal of ranged and close combat attacks.
Projectiles from their same limbs then launched towards Isao, forcing him to swiftly dodge and weave through the air. They maintained a disciplined formation, moving with precision and coordination, chasing after Isao relentlessly.
Suspending droplets of blood with his Blood Manipulation skill, Isao pulled himself out of the way of the incoming projectiles, using the suspended blood as a makeshift anchor to change his trajectory mid-air.
One Hantik Knight managed to get within striking distance of Isao, swinging its razor-sharp blade limbs with deadly accuracy. Isao deftly parried the attack via the hardened blood that surrounded his body, creating an armor of crimson.
By way of his Blood Manipulation skill, Isao retaliated with a swift counterattack, channeling the Devour skill through the Hantik Knight's exoskeleton with a serpent made of his own blood.
The ruby serpent opened its jaws wide, sinking its fangs into the Hantik Knight's exoskeleton. In one huge bite, the serpent shattered the exoskeleton and absorbed the Hantik Knight's life force, leaving nothing but a lifeless husk behind.
A small victory, yet more of its comrades came buzzing towards Isao, their sharp mandibles clicking in anticipation. Undeterred, Isao sent a wave of more serpents made of blood to attack the approaching Hantik Knights.
Wings fluttering in a frenzy, the Hantik Knights valiantly endeavored to evade the onslaught of blood serpents. Soaring, diving, and weaving through the air, they skillfully maneuvered to avoid the deadly fangs of the serpents.
However, while they were dodging the blood serpents, Isao seized the opportunity to engage an unsuspecting Hantik Knight, who was separated from the group from behind.
Isao swiftly closed in on the isolated Hantik Knight and used his Devour skill to replenish his spent mana. Closing his eyes in concentration, he watched through the eyes of his Astral Projection, in search of another opponent to engage.
This is Isao's counter to their swift and agile aerial maneuvers. Isao had observed the Hantik Knights' tactics and identified their weakness—their reliance on group cohesion.
By isolating one knight, he aimed to pick off those isolated from the group and disrupt their coordinated attacks. Isao's plan was to create chaos and confusion among the Hantik Knights, forcing them to abandon their strategic formations and react individually.
Like a ninja, he runs through the bodies of blood serpents he created with Blood Manipulation, swiftly darting in this serpentine maze of his own making.
'Found another.' Isao spotted a second Hantik Knight, whose wings were slightly injured from the previous skirmish. Isao silently closed in on his target, the hardened blood beneath him shifting and morphing to minimize the sound of his footsteps.
As he approached, the ant monster's instincts kicked in, sensing the presence of danger. The Hantik Knight turned its head just in time to see Isao launching a surprise attack, his blood-armored arm unleashing a flurry of razor-sharp claws.
This Hantik Knight was much more formidable than the previous one Isao had encountered. Using its blade-like limb to parry Isao's assault, it then retaliated with its gun-shaped limb, firing a barrage of lethal projectiles.
Isao swiftly dodged the projectiles, ensuring that the Hantik Knight's focus was on himself. Unbeknownst to this Hantik Knight, Isao was surreptitiously controlling the footing made of blood, manipulating it to rise up and ensnare the knight's legs.
In one mighty tug, Isao yanked the Hantik Knight off balance, causing it to stumble. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Isao swiftly closed in for a decisive strike.
Manipulating more blood from the ground, Isao restrained the Hantik Knight's arms, rendering it unable to defend itself. Mouth opened wide, and Isao used his Devour skill to finish off the Hantik Knight, draining its life force and leaving it motionless on the ground.
More and more of the Hantik Knights fell victim to Isao's tactics, becoming isolated and disoriented in the chaos. The battle in the skies had turned into a one-sided massacre as Isao made a prison out of his blood in midair, trapping the Hantik Knights and preventing them from attacking the troops on the ground.
His advantage, however, was coming to an end. The Hantik Knights, through their sharp olfactory senses, detected their allies' scent on Isao's blood prison and managed to group up and form a defensive formation in different areas of this suspended blood prison.
Isao's tactics had initially caught them off guard, but now they were adapting and regaining control of the situation. Opening his D-Maps interface, Isao saw that he only managed to reduce the number of Hantik Knights by half.
As he assessed the situation, Isao realized that his advantage was slipping away. The Hantik Knights were not only adapting to his tactics but also regaining control of the situation.
Despite managing to reduce their numbers by half, Isao knew he needed a new strategy to overcome their sharp olfactory senses and defensive formation within his blood prison.