“Get into formation!” Shadewood’s voice echoed through the cavern. The ants obeyed instantly, forming a tight defensive perimeter around the hole. Shadewood’s right hand opened, and a large blue flask materialised. He uncorked it and downed the mana potion in one gulp. As the potion took effect, a surge of energy visibly revitalised him, bringing colour back to his pallid face.
Meanwhile, Daniel surveyed their surroundings, his mind racing. To his right, Xenonia, the ant general, was applying saliva to her previously broken arms, which showed signs of rapid healing. The sight brought Daniel a brief moment of respite. He then turned his attention to Shadewood, a question burning in his mind.
“Professor, why didn’t we set up any mines we used earlier around the hole? We could have thinned their numbers before they even reached us.”
Shadewood withdrew the flask into his storage ring and turned to face Daniel, his red eyes locking onto his student. “Same reason we don't use fire spells. The smoke from the traps would hinder us, and the terrain around us is unstable. Setting up explosive traps could have caused a collapse, burying us all alive.”
Daniel nodded, understanding the logic but still uneasy. “I see. And what about other types of traps? Like earth spikes?”
Shadewood’s gaze shifted to the hole with a slight smile. “With the sheer number of opponents, the traps would hinder us since the ants might trigger them too, and the spikes would get in the way of the ants. We needed something that could adapt and respond dynamically to their movements. But now, it’s time for something special.”
As the professor finished his sentence, he opened his coat, and numerous silver disks began flying out. They floated by themselves, making their way to the walls of the pit. They buried themselves hidden from sight when they made contact with the stone.
After the last disks had embedded themselves in the cavern walls, Shadewood turned to Daniel. “Drink this and prepare yourself.” He offered Daniel another mana potion, which Daniel accepted gratefully.
….
Berix stood on the opposing side of the hole, hunched down, ready to sprint at anything that poked its head out as the tremors and screeching began to intensify. Next to Daniel, Xenonia stood ready, her arms fully healed, blades at the ready. The ant turned its head toward Daniel, antennae twitching slightly, and looked him up and down with its large black eyes.
“Are you ready, Xenonia?” Daniel asked, noting the ant's gaze. In response, the ant general lifted his blade and began waving it, signalling for the enemies to come. Daniel chuckled at the sight.
“Here they come!” Shadewood's urgent shout echoed through the cavern. Black rats scuttled along the pit's walls toward the prepared area like those they had just battled. Shadewood's hidden traps sprang into action as they closed in—the silver disks shot out of the stone, the spikes impaling the rodents through their thick hides. Multiple disks pierced each rat as they ran past. After a few seconds, the disks began to glow, and chains shot out from each one, finding the chains of other traps that had found the same target and intertwined with each other. As the chains tightened, the movement of the rodents became increasingly restricted.
Most of the rats fell and met their end as they landed on the rough and jagged ground. The ones that managed to climb out of the pit charged towards the ants but quickly found themselves pinned down by the guard ants like before. The rodents screeched as the soldiers began to slice and stab their targets. One managed to break free from the mandibles of the guard ants and began running, tackling the soldier ants. Berix quickly dashed over and impaled its skull with his fist. As he withdrew his hand, he held the rodent's brain in his claw and brought it close to his mouth, taking a bite and screeching with vigour.
Meanwhile, Daniel targeted the rats that seemed on the verge of breaking free with Abyssal Bolts from the safety of Shadewood's dome. Next to him stood Gnarl, munching on a piece of rat they had killed earlier. Xenonia darted around the place, hopping from group to group, slashing his blade into the rodents as he ran past.
….
As the last of the black rats fell, Daniel felt a deep unease. Something was amiss.
Shadewood murmured, “This isn’t it. The boss is about to appear.”
As if it were on cue, the ground began to tremble violently, and a massive white rat emerged from the cavern's depths. It was as large as the school's gate, its eyes gleaming with malevolent intelligence.
The colossal white rat snarled and raised its claws. It slammed its paw down and ripped chunks of rock from the ground, hurling them at the ants. The projectiles crashed into their ranks, scattering ants and causing chaos. Several guard ants were crushed under the onslaught, and the defensive line began to falter.
“Stay in the dome, Daniel!” Shadewood ordered.
Daniel nodded, feeling a mix of frustration and helplessness. He watched as Berix, the ant general, launched himself at the massive rat. Berix’s powerful legs propelled him through the air, claws extended for a deadly strike. However, the white rat's tail lashed out mid-air, striking Berix with a bone-crushing force and sending him spiraling down into the pit.
“Berix!” Daniel shouted, his voice filled with concern.
Undeterred, Xenonia leapt forward, his blades gleaming as he aimed for the white rat’s exposed flank. He moved with grace and precision, a blur of motion in the dim light. But as he closed in, the rat whipped around, its claws slashing through the air. Xenonia barely had time to react before he was struck, the force of the blow sending him flying across the cavern. She hit the wall with a sickening thud and fell to the ground, motionless.
Shadewood’s eyes blazed with determination. He extended his hands, channelling his mana as he prepared a powerful spell. Lightning crackled around his fingers, and he thrust his hands forward, sending two wyrms made out of pure lightning towards the massive rat. They struck the creature, but to Daniel's dismay, they fizzled out against a shimmering layer of mana that coated its fur.
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The rat roared, its eyes locking onto Shadewood. With another surge of magic, it ripped larger chunks of rock from the ground and hurled them towards the professor. as the rock impacted the protective dome it lightened up daniel could see small cracks forming on the hexagonal plants but they managed to hold.
Daniel began firing Abyssal Bolts in response but they dissipated harmlessly against the rat’s mana shield. Frustration and fear gnawed at him as he saw the battlefield descend into chaos.
“Let's end this, I want to be back before dinner” Shadewood reached into his coat and pulled out a crystal. The crystal glowed with an inner light, pulsing with contained power. He smashed it against the ground with a determined expression.
A wave of dark energy erupted from the shattered crystal. Shadewood began chanting in a language Daniel couldn’t understand. The bodies of the fallen rats floated into the air, their blood draining from their corpses to form an intricate, pulsating magic circle on the ground. The circle emitted an eerie red light, and a dark, almost black-red portal began to open in the air.
The white rat sensed the danger and roared, charging towards Shadewood with murderous intent. The ground shook with each step, debris flying as the rat tore through the cavern. Undeterred, Shadewood stood calmly, continuing his chant. With his right hand, he formed runes that materialized and struck the rat, slowing its charge. Other runes embedded in the ground and rock walls shot out where they landed, forcing the rat to halt its advance.
The portal widened, and two massive red claws, each tipped with long, sharp black nails, emerged. Time seemed to stop as the claws reached out. As they grasped the rat, it began screeching in fury and terror, thrashing violently as it tried to break free.
Shadewood's chant reached a crescendo, and the portal’s pull intensified. The claws tightened their hold, dragging the white rat towards the dark abyss. The creature's struggles grew more desperate, its screams echoing through the cavern. With a final, bone-chilling shriek, the white rat was yanked into the portal, and the red claws disappeared. The portal closed with a resounding snap, leaving an eerie silence in its wake.
Shadewood, exhausted and pale, stumbled slightly before regaining his composure. He made his way to the cavern opening where Daniel was standing, still cloaked in shadows.
Shadewood began, his voice calm yet tinged with admiration. “Daniel, you've done exceptionally well today.”
Daniel stepped forward, the shadows around him dissipating. “Thank you, Professor. This battle was tense, and at times, I felt like I had no impact on the battle.”
Shadewood nodded understandingly, his hand resting reassuringly on Daniel's shoulder. “I understand that feeling but your quick thinking and coordination with the team were crucial. When we return, please make a report and analysis of the battle. This should help you see that you were a great asset.”
Daniel nodded and withdrew his notebook from his bag, which had fallen near the cavern entrance during the battle. He noted his assignment on his to-do list. When he looked up from his notebook after hearing a whistling sound through the cavern, he saw a stream of silver disks flying towards his teacher and disappearing in a small black portal.
After finishing his notes, he looked up “Professor what was that spell you used at the end?”
Shadewood looked at his student and said, in a calm voice, “It was an artefact I found in a ruin a while back. Look, the crystal reformed.” He showed the crystal he was holding in his hand. “Now, let's regroup and assess our situation. We must explore the cavern further and investigate why these rodents migrated.”
The cavern bore the aftermath of the intense battle. Fallen ants and rats lay scattered amidst the lingering scent of blood and magic. Berix, though injured, emerged from the pit. He appeared largely unharmed despite a few cracks and scratches on his armour.
Xenonia, battered but determined, slowly rose to his feet, stretching his arms and legs with a heavy sigh. His antennae drooped slightly, reflecting his disappointment in not preventing more casualties among their ranks. Berix patted him reassuringly on the shoulder, noticing his comrade's mood.
Shadewood, observing the exchange, stepped forward. “Now is not the time to feel sorry. Let's explore the pit where they came from.” He pointed towards the pit. “Xenonia, could you grab my student and fly him down after we have secured the perimeter?”
Before Daniel could object, Shadewood leapt into the pit, followed by Berix, who had just clambered out of it. Berix paused at the edge, exhaling a weary sigh. With a nod to Daniel, Berix disappeared into the darkness below. A few detachments of soldier ants followed their leader's movements, each also sighing and nodding to Daniel, which Daniel found amusing and began to chuckle.
While the guard ants began the scale the pit with their legs.
Meanwhile, the rest of the soldiers began to secure the area, and the guard ants began to pile the corpses near the entrance.
After a few seconds, a screech came out of the pit, and Xenonia hugged Daniel in a tight embrace with his four arms, and he began to beat his wings.
….
The descent seemed like it would never end. After a few moments, they approached a small white light on the bottom. Once they got closer, Daniel could see his teacher standing in the middle with Berix while the guard and soldier ants formed groups. Once they landed, Daniel approached Shadewood.
“We’ll wait here while the ants explore the tunnels,” his teacher said, turning to Daniel and pointing towards the numerous tunnels surrounding them. I don't detect any life forms coming from them, but we must stay alert.”
Daniel nodded and looked around. The floor was covered in blood from the rats that had fallen down earlier and met their demise. The ants had piled the corpses near the walls.
“Berix can you give your soldiers these? They will alert us if they get attacked” Shadewood said while he handed the ant general multiple small silver plates.
Berix began handing these out to the groups, after he had finished the ants set out to explore.
….
Daniel broke the silence after minutes of waiting for any news. "So why didn't we use the traps earlier?" he asked.
Shadewood turned to his student. “I didn't want to waste them on the weaker rats, as they need to be recharged. Luckily, they still had enough power to fly back to me so that saves us to recollect them.”
Just as he finished speaking, a soldier ant rushed towards them, screeching happily. As it approached, it knelt before Berix and Xenonia, extending its arms to reveal a large, polished blue gem.
Berix picked up the gem and gave it a quick examination before handing it over to Shadewood. The professor took the gem, his brows furrowing as he studied the intricate markings etched into its surface. After a moment of silent scrutiny, Shadewood murmured, “Strange... I hope it isn't what I think it is.”
Sensing the gravity in his teacher's voice, Daniel stepped closer to get a better look at the gem. “Do you know what it is Professor?” he asked, his curiosity piqued by Shadewood's concerned expression.
Shadewood sighed softly, his gaze still fixed on the gem. “These markings... they resemble ancient runes used in rituals of the storm folk,” he explained quietly. “If this gem is indeed what I fear, it could be part of a ritual to summon a devastating storm.” He put the gem away into his storage ring before he spoke up, “We won't be certain until I have studied it further; for now, let’s return to the colony; I have to speak with the queen.”