[This doesn't look good. Overheat has a few seconds remaining. Can you try to hold on for a little bit longer; maybe a chance will appear to take advantage of.]

[At least the ant has become weak enough not to break the gauntlets in one hit. Thankfully, the upgrade has made your gauntlets thicker along with a stat boost.]

Vincent slowly pulled himself up. He noticed the cracks on his gauntlets and then saw Koss blocking the assault of three scythes.

'I have to help Koss. I can't let Tula lose another family member.' Passed through Vincent's mind.

Koss held his ground. He could feel the Royal Guard Ant gradually slowing down with each swing. The built-up damage was starting to provide results.

Not only that, but because Ester couldn't channel a lot of mana, the freezing power waned. As such, blood started seeping from certain wounds and fresh ones as well.

The Royal Guard Ant started feeling pain from the numbness produced by the terrifying cold blade. The ant became more and more enraged at Koss, causing it to keep its relentless attacks. The more reckless the ant acted, the more tired it became.

Vincent limped towards Koss and the monstrous ant attacking him. He wanted to help, but the time of Overheat was up before he could assist.

The blood gauntlets on his arms crumbled away into ash. Vincent's chance to fight was over. He became as strong as the average human. Only Koss could save them now.

Kazumi wanted to say something positive, but after watching Vincent staring at his gauntlets with worry, she didn't know what to say. Instead, Kazumi observed the Royal Guard Ant to estimate their survival rate.

[Name] Royal Guard Ant (Male)

[Condition] Critical Condition, Winded, Moderate Frost Bite, Minor Blood Loss, Missing Limbs(One leg, one arm), Frenzy

Vincent stood still and raised his gaze. Then he used Inspection to check the state of the Royal Guard Ant.

As his eyes saw the information, mixed feelings erupted. He felt happy yet afraid at the same time. He didn't know if they have what it takes to kill the monstrous ant.

[It's great news! Let's distract it and let Koss do the rest.]

Vincent nodded. He glared at the Royal Guard Ant and tried his best to send as much killing intent at the ant as possible to catch its attention.

"It's almost dead! But I can't fight anymore. I will try to steal its attention for a moment." Vincent shouted to notify Koss. Then Vincent lowered his brows into a deep, angered frown and forced all the murderous intent he could squeeze at the ant.

A quick glance was all he wanted for Koss to take action. Hearing this, Koss grinned. He could sense the ant was at death's door.

The Royal Guard Ant felt bloodlust rising from the side. As it turned its head, the relentless assault paused for a moment. Koss was ready to retaliate.

Koss let go of his sword and thought, 'I know this ant is almost dead, but overkill should do the trick.'

Koss clenched his fist, and a destructive force started enveloping his fist. Veins bulged on his hand to their limits, and the forcefully contained mana was about to explode.

"Force. BLAST!" Shouted Koss before a loud bang rang. Bits of carapace and flesh flew, and blood of both the ant and Koss splattered everywhere.

The Royal Guard Ant felt indescribable pain. As it lowered its gaze, it noticed two arms missing and a part of its upper torso blown away. Death was around the corner.

[Did Koss just win? Why didn't he do this earlier?]

"But his hand... " Vincent responded.

Vincent noticed Koss most likely broke all the bones in his hand after throwing the strongest attack since they traveled together. Koss only showed Vincent Force Shock a few times to brag.

Blood dripped from each of his fingers as if some of his veins exploded. Each finger and his hand swayed lifelessly as if they were made from rubber. His hand seemed ruined by the devastating attack.

The Royal Guard Ant took a few steps back while giving a murderous glare. Suddenly, fumes started escaping from its injuries. The ant's body slowly began to bloat, and its acid sack was glowing like lava. This only meant one thing.

"It-it's going to blow!" Vincent urgently warned. He ignored all the pain and quickened his pace to Ester, Lupa, and Tula.

Koss swiftly turned and was about to run to his daughter when he noticed the monstrous ant was targeting him. Every step he took, the ant took one as well. It meant his daughter would be in danger if he ran to her.

"Vincent!... I will leave my daughter in your care..." Koss shouted his last words.

These few words were enough to tell Vincent, Ester, Lupa, and Tula what his intentions were. To hold the ant at bay until they ran away from the blast range.

The Royal Guard Ant swung the last scythe appendage remaining. Koss didn't try to dodge; instead, he raised his broken, bleeding arm and blocked the attack.

*Thud*

An arm fell on the ground, and blood soon followed. Koss raised a smirk on his pained contorted face and uttered, "Check. Mate. Force. Blast!"

The Royal Guard Ant had its only arm stuck into Koss's side. It tried to pull it out, but the scythe got stuck between the bones and armor.

*Boom*

An arm soon fell on the ground, but it was the ant's final arm this time. Koss didn't have it easy either. His remaining arm lifelessly swung after getting destroying by the recoil of the powerful attack. More blood dripped; it seemed he was about to die from blood loss soon.

Ester tried to close Tula's eyes, but she couldn't move from the hurt and exhausted body. She could see Tula with a pair of red eyes and a never-ending waterfall of tears.

Tula appeared too traumatized to cry normally. The little Tula didn't look too good.

[This isn't good! By my calculations... this entire area will be covered by acid. Only by hiding behind a long tree stump might we live.]

Vincent arrived near the girls. He told them to hide, but it was too late...

*POP!*

The Royal Guard Ant exploded like a bomb embedded inside a bucket of paint. Acid flew everywhere.

Vincent mustered the last of his strength to push Lupa onto Tula and the crouching Ester. The three girls piled on each other. Then their sights became covered by green light.

[1x Wood wheel cart of water (Common Quality) summoned. x0 remaining.]

Vincent summoned the cart full of water on top of them. When he was about to summon the mudcrab shell to cover the front of the cart and hide behind it, his back started to burn. It was too late to do anything else.

[Ohh, nooo...]

"I will protect my girls with my body no matter the cost. " Vincent grunted before his body became drenched from acid from shoulder down.

The acid splattered on the ground covering a radius of twenty meters, and Koss received the full force of the acid blast. The acid seeped thru the seams of his armor. Koss later died in mere seconds.

However, even in his death, Koss protected Vincent. Before Koss attacked for the last time, he threw the mudcrab shield high in the sky to land near his daughter's location.

'They needed the shield if anything goes wrong.' Koss thought.

Vincent was facing backward when the Royal Guard Ant exploded. The falling mudcrab shield landed on his head and protected Vincent from his head to his neck. This was like a miracle.

However, the painful agony of his flesh melting almost made Vincent lose consciousness immediately. In front of him were Ester, Lupa, and Tula under the water cart mixed with acid floating above.

"Argghhhh!" Vincent screamed in utter agony. He was about to fall forward, but that meant the acid on him would fall on the girls he wanted to protect.

Vincent slammed his foot and took one step back before he blacked out from the pain.

'At least I didn't die on the first day. ' He thought before he saw, felt, and heard nothing else.

[Vincent!]

Ester "Vincent!"

Lupa "Vincent!"

Tula "Fathe... Big brot..."

The Ester and Lupa shouted with worry and fear after hearing Vincent scream in pain while Tula mumbled a few words. Then they tried to check what happened to Vincent.

Ester and Lupa contorted their faces from the horrible sight. On the other hand, Tula fainted as she couldn't take this anymore.

Ester couldn't control her magic anymore, and the Frost Sigil spell stopped. Lupa lost her will to fight, and her arms returned to that of a human. Both their strong wills took a devastating blow.

Vincent and the cart protected them from the acid explosion. Their body was safe, but their hearts were ready to rip apart from emotional shock.

[V... ]

[Vin... ]

[Vincent... Vincent... Vincent!]

Kazumi called until Vincent opened his eyes. She decided to pull Vincent into his Soul Domain before losing his balance and falling on the ground.

It was hard to concentrate when intense pain was taking most of his thoughts. This is what was currently happening to Vincent. The pain made it harder to think, harder to act, and harder to decide on what to do next.

The pair of emerald eyes slowly squinted until they opened. They looked at the floating wisp worryingly calling for him. Then his eyes inspected his body. However, the body wasn't injured in the slightest.

[What are you checking your body for? Gosh, have you forgotten your form is the representation of your soul? Only if your soul is injured will it show on the image of your soul body.]

[There isn't time much time left. You need to heal your body ASAP! The shell shield Koss threw protected your head from the acid. He saved you from instant death.]

Vincent opened and closed his hands. He couldn't feel the pain of his skin burning anymore. The sensation of melting alive was one he didn't want to experience again. However, when his senses return to the living world, the pain will return at full force.

"How many heals do I have?" Vincent asked as he forgot the exact count.

[You have two hundred Soul Power points. So twenty heals is the max you can do.]

"How many times can you use Soul Visit on me?" Vincent wanted to know if he could count on Kazumi. If he was about to faint, she is the only one to wake him up and continue with the healing process.

[Don't say that... I have enough, and that's that.]