I decided to go east into the jungle. It was slower using Blend and Savage Stalker, but I was sure I was still being hunted. Hunted might be a strong term, but I would be looked for. I think the active hunt has probably died down.

Kai spread out, and my fully bronze rank sense was amazing. My sight, smell, and hearing were enhanced, so they were practically silver rank. The bush was alive. Monkeys, birds, snakes, insects of all sorts. Going slow helped me sort out the different senses and as the day wore on, it gave me an overall feel for the bush.

I had to scare away a leopard from attacking a Kai, but it was just a normal leopard, so I gave it a fright and sent it packing. That night, I set up a camp. I opened the Garden to harvest some fresh food, but I didn’t sleep there. I was not risking damage to the garden in an unknown area, even if Ardisia and Kai were bronze now. I was not far enough away yet to truly feel safe.

I set up camp and slept under the stars and under the protection of Ardisia. I woke well before dawn. I got up and exercised, and we were well on our way before the sun rose.

On the third day, I was starting to feel more comfortable. Yesterday, I sniffed out new magic and found an essence cube. I got out my identification ritual and identified it as the Essence of the Monkey. I was really curious about what skills that would bring, but that would have to wait until I reached civilisation.

I set out again, and mid-afternoon, I sniffed something strange, both magically and normally. Normally, it smelled like something was burning. The bush was quite wet, and it was always humid. It would take a lot to start a bushfire here. Magically it also smelt like fire, but not a normal fire essence like Saskia had. It was more earthy, but that doesn’t make sense. I am pretty sure this will be my first monster encounter.

I crept forward because if it was not something I could handle, I wanted to make a quiet exit. I didn’t know what the level of magic was around here. Mana saturation was light, meaning there were not a lot of manifestations of magic. Mana Density was the level of those manifestations. If it was silver or greater, I would be in trouble. This monster and its level would be my first indication, although variations are expected. Iron-rank monsters manifest in a silver-rank zone. They just come in hordes rather than as individuals.

I crept up to a clearing and spied the large open area before me. I might be in trouble.

The area was large, and nothing grew. It was like it had been burned clear, but it wasn’t a normal fire. The smell was stronger, both magical and physical. There were several creatures crawling in the open area. They were about twice the size of Kai. They were ants, some variation of a fire ant, I am just not sure what yet. They were bronze rank, but from what I could tell from the strength of the smell of the magic and what my aura senses were picking up, calling the number of ants underground a horde was an understatement.

I spent some time just watching. I can just go around and ignore it. On the other hand, this is a training opportunity and possibly a Kai opportunity.

I need more information. On the plus side, it looks like I could outrun the ants if I had to. Or when I had to. On the negative side, fire is a weakness of Ardisia, and this looked particularly potent against plants. This means my wooden shields would only be of limited value, and it would probably burn through my webs.

This is a bad match-up, so why am I still thinking about it? I am thinking about it because I want to shore up my weakness to fire. A Kai having fire and building resistance for my fur would give me some defence and attack options.

It does sound painful for both me and Kai, although Kai only needs to eat the bodies.

So why am I still thinking about it? I am thinking about it because I don’t have to take on the whole horde. I should be able to draw out a few at a time.

I need a plan. I have a bronze-rank spade and a pick, but the ants dig for their nest, so a hole won’t even slow them down. Water is the usual method of squelching fire. I need to locate the nearest water source.

I didn’t move. I have the nearest water source in my Garden. My bronze rank garden. Is the water bronze rank?

I backed away from the Ant clearing and climbed a tall tree. I created my arch on the branch near the trunk and slipped inside. I grabbed a small barrel from my storage and filled it with water from my pond. I had a feeling it would take time and mana to replace, so I need to be careful, or I will reduce the effectiveness of the garden.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

I came back out onto the branch, closed the arch, and set up my alchemy set. I tasted the water. It tasted like water. I had tasted it before, having swum in it. I tried my improved aura senses. There was a small aura attached to the water, and it felt like me. That made sense. So, the water was more than just water. Would it degrade to normal water if it is left out of my garden? I dipped a cup out and put it on the branch. I grabbed another cup and put the small barrel back in my Pack.

Time to run some tests. Eventually, I need to run the tests on the soil as well, but that can come later.

The classes in Poison spent a lot of time teaching how to break down and analyse poisons in order to make an antidote. I had many of the ingredients and ran the tests. What I discovered was that the water was… water. Water with a faint aura. I wish Saskia or Akemi were here so I could compare the water from their water essence to this, but they weren’t, and I couldn’t. I stored that away for later. Akemi would be fascinated.

I decided to spend the night in the tree. I ate a cold meal and lay on the branch, which was slightly narrower than my shoulders. I created a shield so I was not on the rough bark, and Ardisia’s thorny vines snaked out from me to anchor me into place. She is awesome.

In the morning, the cup of water had lost its aura. I am going to assume it is like the water produced from a water essence, but it is just harder to make.

I headed back to the burned ant nest and circled around so I was on the side with the shortest distance to the nearest river. That was where I would run if I needed to.

I figured I would start with one of the ones on the surface and see if I could pull it away without attracting any others. I started with one of my iron-ranked javelins, and my ranged Pierce. The javelin looked like it cracked a carapace, but not badly, and the ant spun around toward me. The second javelin just deflected away.

The ants moved faster than I expected, and a second joined it. That wasn’t ideal, but it was not a running offence… yet.

I backed up. I had my spear, and I poked at them. Then I backed up fast as they dashed toward me, and the lead one spat a green-tinged flame. I poked it again to see what the flame was, and it duly spat again. It was like a flaming liquid, splashing on things and continuing to burn. I think it is the liquid that is important. I kept backing up and poking with the spear, and they obliged by spitting the flaming liquid.

When some landed on the spear shaft, I jumped back and cast Hunter Tether to slow them down while I investigated. I tried to put it out with a leather rag. The liquid spread to the rag and set it alight. This was nasty stuff. I splashed a wet rag on it, but it still didn’t put it out. I think I might have to submerge it, but I don’t have time to experiment now.

The spear shaft was half-burned through, so that was not good. The ants were burning through the Hunters' Tethers, but it did slow them down. I grabbed my axe and a Resin coated Shield. It was time to try and do some damage without getting burned. I didn’t want to get close enough to use my knives or claws, so I chose the axe and shield, even though the axe was only iron and sharpened to bronze.

I recast Hunter Tether and started work on the nearest ant. A Kai came out of my claws and sat on my arm behind the shield. I gathered my aura and slammed my spike into the ant’s aura, and then I did the same to the other ant. The made loud noises in protest, but we were far enough away from the nest to not be heard. Then I did it again. The next spray of fire was noticeably weaker as the Kai on my arm and the one behind the ants started draining mana as fast as they could.

Fire liquid dripped off my shield, and the rapidly melting Resin as my axe finally went through a leg. And I went for another. The ants were individually bronze, so they were tough, but I had bronze rank strength and speed now as well, and it made a huge difference.

I got some splash fire on my fur, and it was not pleasant. OK, it hurt like a hot poker had been shoved in my arm, and it went on and on and rubbing it against something to put it out only spread it.

Whose idiot idea was this?

I continually recast Hunter's tether to slow them down and chipped away at the first one. When it finally collapsed, Kai had been chipping away at the second by staying behind it and chewing through the legs. The tethers hampered its movement, and it appeared to only be able to spit the liquid fire from its mouth area.

When my one had gone down, I stepped up and tipped a barrel of water over the second one to see what it would do. Apparently, a barrel of water does nothing. The liquid fire floats and continues to burn, and the wet only stops the surrounding area from burning. I must soak Kai and myself before the next fight. It might help a little.

Chop chop.

By the end of the fight, my shield was a ruin, my greaves had melted sections, and I was exhausted. It wasn’t even mid-morning.

I sat down and looked at the like of burned vegetation that tracked the path of our fight. Seven Kais were feasting on the carcasses. I started fixing my greaves.

When Kai had finished, the ants turned into rainbow smoke, and I looked at my choices. Fire ant meat, Fire ant Carapace, Liquid fire. I need some of that to test. Oh, then the good stuff. Fire ant Carapace greaves and bracers. I only had enough for two greaves, probably one from each ant.

That will help a lot as the carapace will be resistant to their fire. The ants being only half a meter tall meant my legs were the most vulnerable. Maybe we will do this again. I need a bronze-rank weapon that is longer than knives and preferably non-flammable. I guess dreams are free.

Maybe we will do this again but in a little while. While I eat, I will see what I can do about the burned patch of fur.