Chapter 3 – Dungeon Break
Aenon
Aenon smiled as he received the message from Venge. Looks like things had kicked off just fine after he left. He wasn’t particularly afraid of Jenny or the pups’ safety, Venge could very easily steer them away from anything that they couldn’t handle. And the training would be good for everyone involved. For now, he needed to focus on his own growth. He was running out of time, before the powers came knocking on his door.
He ran full tilt across the forest canopy, blazing past startled creatures who rushed to get out of his way. He had stopped getting any XP from any of these creatures, just like the spiders. They just weren’t challenging enough. He needed to make it to the dungeon in the river delta and figure out if it was a viable option for him to level up. Bane and the other 7 wolves on the other hand were on their way north towards Silver Falls. He had commanded them to scout along the mountains and try to get a read on the red dragon he had seen on the map. He stopped to reorient himself and pulled up the map.
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He had marked the spider queen’s location on the map since that is where he had left Jenny and the pups. He just had to run about 100 kilometers (62 miles) due west to reach the coastline and then figure out a way to cross it. His path was also the southernmost line beyond which the treants increased in numbers and power. He had already warned Venge about it.
Crossing such a large distance on foot would have been a tedious task back on Earth. But with his enhanced stats, it was a breeze. He rapidly closed the distance to the water, only stopping once to eat some food and relieve himself. When he finally reached the spot, he bent down on one knee and felt the water with his fingers. He pondered whether he should just swim across. The wolves were not a big fan of the idea, but if he was by himself then maybe he could.
But before he did so, he wanted to try something. He checked his spells and saw that his water and air manipulation were at minor proficiency. Maybe he could use this opportunity to upgrade them since the surrounding was utterly saturated with water and air wisps. He had managed to make ice spears by combining the two last time. He pulled up the description of the spell he had created before taking down his first treant.
System Notification
Spell Learned: Ice Lance
Mana cost: 500
Spell
Mana Cost and Type
Description
Ice Lance
Instant Cast: 300 to 500
Wisp Type: Water + Air
Manipulate water to form the basic shape of a spear, before cooling it down and freezing it using air mana. The mana cost is dependent on the size (max size 1.5 meter or 5 feet) and temperature of the ice (Lowest temperature -40 degrees).
He had used these spears to great effect at the time, tossing them around the treant to make puddles of water that he later used to freeze it in place. But he needed something larger for what he was planning to do. And so, he started gathering mana in his palm that was underwater and attracting water wisps at the same time. He created a thin layer of water at the surface and started rapidly cooling it down using forced air currents. A small 2-meter (6.5-foot) platform of ice started forming in front of him.
He removed his hand to study his work. Taking a tentative step forward, he stood on the ice. It was slippery as expected but it did manage to hold his weight. It wobbled if he stood too close to the edge though, and was probably not suited to carry multiple people, but should be enough to get him across. It had cost him 1000 mana in total to create the raft, and now he needed a way to move it.
He could do this in the old school way and create paddles, but since he was planning to practice his spells, he sat down and dipped his hand in the water. Gathering more mana, he started creating a water current to push the raft. As long as he didn’t have to battle some sea creatures along the way his mana regen rate was sufficient to sustain the current indefinitely. He alternated between using air and water currents to push the raft. Thankfully, his cloak insulated him from the cold surface quite well.
He didn’t go too fast, just enjoying the breeze against his face. He did sense a couple of strong souls somewhere in the depths of the river, but they either didn’t detect him or were content in their deep underwater dwellings. And so Aenon took a casual hour-long boat ride to get to the other side. By which time his air and water proficiencies had ticked up to intermediate ranks. The only changes in the spell descriptions were the volume of matter he could control, and the strength of the currents.
Spell
Mana Cost and Type
Description
Water Manipulation (Intermediate)
Initial cost: 300
Channel cost: 200/min
Instant cast cost: 500
Wisp Type: Water
Manipulate water freely for both attack and defense. The shape will linger for 20 seconds before dissipating. Can be used to generate projectiles using instant cast. At intermediate proficiency, the volume of water that can be controlled is 5 cubic meter (176 cubic feet) and can be used to create strong underwater currents.
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Air Manipulation (Intermediate)
Initial cost: 300
Channel cost: 200/min
Instant cast cost: 500
Wisp Type: Air
Manipulate air and wind to trap gases and scents in small pockets. Can deflect small, lightweight projectiles. Can be used to generate projectiles using instant cast At intermediate proficiency, the volume of air that can be controlled is 5 cubic meter (176 cubic feet) and can be used to create strong air currents.
The only primary element that was lagging behind the others was fire. He was yet to find a place with enough fire wisps to practice his fire spells. He had considered trading with the fire mage, Elara, for her staff. But he didn’t know its value and didn’t know what he could trade it for. He pushed the thought away and continued running towards the dungeon. There was a much narrower river channel ahead which he just jumped across using a series of ice platforms he put down.
When he finally reached the familiar obelisk of the dungeon, the description brought a wide smile on his face. It was the perfect training spot for him, and not just because of the level difficulty. Something told him, the word fire in their names wasn’t just for describing how their bites felt like.
Dungeon Interface
Dungeon monster type: Fire Ants
Dungeon state: On the brink of overflowing
Recommended level: 25-30
Recommended party size: 4
The only issues he could possibly think of were their numbers and possible coordination. Ants were known to swarm together and take down much larger and stronger opponents. If these creatures used similar tactics, things could get ugly real fast. Not to mention, the current state said it was on the brink of overflowing. Did that mean the number of ants inside the dungeon was reaching a critical mass? And if so, should he wait till a few monsters escaped? That way he could study what he was dealing with rather than diving headfirst into the unknown. And so he decided to wait for some of the monsters to emerge. He needed to study his prey first and make contingencies in case things went south. He hadn’t survived this long by himself by being foolishly reckless.
He scoped the area around the dungeon pillar. It was a barren beach for the most part, with some aquatic shrubs spread out evenly across the sand. He set up camp right at the water’s edge in the direction he came from. He needed an out in case the monsters were something he couldn't handle easily. And so, he waited, and waited, and waited some more. Nothing happened for almost a week, during which he practiced his spells and did some fishing to pass his time. It was a relaxing break from his tedious routine of murder and mayhem.
But at last, on the ninth day, the pillar finally started glowing before a portal opened next to it. And he was glad he set his camp so far from the place. Because what emerged wasn’t what he expected at all. At first, there was a steady stream of slightly larger ants, about the size of a dog. But the numbers were staggering. Within minutes, hundreds of them filed out and started exploring the area with their antennae. Thankfully, Aenon had made sure not to leave any lingering scent or traces of his presence earlier. And thus, they didn’t detect him, allowing him to retreat far away from their location, while keeping them within his soul sense range.
But just when he thought the number of ants coming out was dwindling, a new version of the creature appeared. These were much bigger and stronger, and numbered in the dozens. Each was the size of a pickup truck, and his soul sense gave him a warning not to take these lightly. They too spread out and scanned their area thoroughly. They must have been satisfied with something, since they started emitting some high-pitched chittering sound towards the portal.
Which summoned the last two variants of the Fire Ants. Four colossal ants which dwarfed even the treants he had faced earlier in terms of size and raw power. Standing amidst them was a smaller ant which was pure white instead of the standard reddish brown.
“So, looks like hundred of workers, about 40 guards, and 4 queen’s guards. Not to mention the queen herself. This could get hairy,” Aenon spoke internally while also being glad he didn’t enter the dungeon when he first arrived. There was no way he could take on an army of this size without preparations.
Unfortunately, there weren’t any large shadows on the beach for him to meld into for a closer look, but what he was witnessing from afar was nothing short of concerning. Within minutes, the workers started tunneling at a ridiculous speed, making 6 feet large mounds on the side of the burrow entrances. The queen’s guard maintained their position around the queen, while the workers worked hastily. Within an hour, Aenon saw the white Fire Ant being escorted into the new home they had constructed.
It was only after the queen was securely hidden from view did Aenon witness the workers use any sort of magical ability. And like he expected, they did have fire-based spells. Some of the workers had formed a moving chain between the river and their mound entrance. They were carrying large mounds of clay and reinforcing the entrance the queen had gone down in. And once an approximate structure was made, the soldier ants sat close to the wet clay walls and started emitting heat from their carapaces. The heat must have been significant, since the clay dried into an almost ceramic like surface.
Aenon observed with utter fascination as the ants proceeded to create smooth ceramic surfaces all over the place, including one that completely encased the dungeon obelisk. They even made a solid mound at the location that the portal had appeared at, possibly sealing off the dungeon from sending out more monsters. He wasn’t sure if it would work, but the ants seemed to be doing it with a purpose in mind. Maybe they didn’t want any more queens coming out. He couldn’t be sure without more observations.
But the most concerning part was what the ants did next. They started making a dam to curb the flow of water boxing them in from both sides. It allowed them a safe passage across while also diverting the flow away from their new dwelling. The water was not completely cut off, and so didn’t cause a reservoir from pooling up, but it created a much larger playing field for the ants for their construction.
“Just how smart are these things,” Aenon thought while keeping his distance. The queen had left his soul sensing range about ten minutes ago. The burrow being dug beneath his feet was growing ridiculously fast, and far deeper than he anticipated. He now realized the best time to take her down was probably when they emerged. Unfortunately, without knowing what they were capable of, there was no way for him to attack.
He continued observing the swarm from afar till nightfall when finally, all the fire ants retreated into their home. Only a few smaller groups that had splintered off into the distance to scavenge for food had not returned. The ones that did return, carried with them large carcasses much bigger than their own size. For all intents and purposes, this colony operated much like the ants from his planet. And if that was the case, their numbers would keep multiplying till the ant queen was taken down.
And so, Aenon decided to follow the tracks of one of the hunting parties that had yet to return. He needed to study them more closely in action, and if possible, fight them himself. The possibility of this swarm growing to unmanageable levels was high, and he needed to start whittling them down ASAP. He managed to catch up with the raiding party about 10 kilometers (6 miles) due northeast of their base. They were still in the river delta and were engaged in a fight with what appeared to be a large crustacean. It looked like a crab, but didn’t have eyes and its shell was textured like the sand around them.
The crab was unable to attack the fast-moving ants, and neither was it able to escape since it was surrounded by seven ants from all sides. The ants too were failing at dealing any significant damage through the creature’s shell. The impasse continued for a while before the crab managed to grab one of the ants in its massive claws and raised it high above itself before easily bifurcating its enemy into two pieces. But this began the downfall for the creature, since the reddish blood that fell onto the crab started sizzling the moment it contacted the impervious shell.
The crab shrieked in pain as the reddish liquid slowly corroded through its thick carapace, exposing the soft flesh underneath. The surviving ants didn’t miss their chance and pounced onto the crab. Two of them climbed onto the shell, while the others locked down its claws from the sides. The ones that were on top then began spewing the same hot liquid down the hole in the crab’s armor.
And just like that, the crab collapsed in exhaustion and soon it was torn apart limb from limb. Aenon observed high concentrations of fire wisps in the liquid the ants were spewing, probably their blood, or some other bodily fluid. He came up empty when thinking about how to deal with this new menace plaguing his land.
Even so, he was not deterred. He would somehow find a chink in their armor and would rout them from his domain, just like any other interloper. He just needed time, something he knew was in short supply these days.