Silver Bde looked at the faces of her party members, stopping .

  The tter slowly shook his head.

  “I’m good. Let Fend do the honor.”

  Final Fend’s eyes lit up. He quickly stepped towards the treasure chest as if afraid someone might snatch it from him.

  “Thanks, Braag.”

  Throwing out a quick thanks the young man’s hand was already toug the chest.

  The others discussed while waiting for the chest to open:

  “What quality is this chest?”

  “Looks to be bronze. Not too bad.”

  “I wonder tinum chests might tain.”

  “Ptinum is the highest grade, isn’t it? It ’t be ahan legendary or even unique equipment.”

  “Unique…”

  Balm whispered, looking forward to the time when she would be entirely unique equipment. Bleary Mirage only told them about its existe nothing about its properties, leaving everyone guessing and fantasizing.

  “Hey, not bad!”

  Final Fend’s joyous excmatiht everyone’s attention ba.

  “What did you get?”

  “A spell scroll with a revive spell!”

  Final Fend watched his new friends, fused by their mixed reas.

  “What’s going on guys?”

  Bloody Edge answered with a grim expression:

  “I fear this is a bad omen.”

  “Yes, I don’t have a good feeling as well…”, agreed Fortune.

  “Don’t be so pessimistic. Those ants won’t kill anyone as long as I’m here!”, stated Balm with vi.

  “My dolence for you, Balm.”

  “Right, how you wave such a death fg for yourself?”

  “Stop… stop joking. I won’t die, ok?”

  At the end Balm’s voice sounded uain, prompting the others to ugh loudly.

  Silver Bde wore an amused smile, leading the party ba the right track. During the walk everyone did their best to reassure Balm. After all, no one really wao lose their healer.

  After the short side quest the party tinued following the drag marks. The path slowly led them deeper into the earth. The tunnel opened up while crystals in different ixed in. The atmosphere would be great if it weren’t for the groups of ants attag all the time.

  Evees were mixed in from time-to-time, making the fights increasingly more difficult.

  After two hours of this everyone had a hint of exhaustion on their faces.

  But at this moment, they finally arrived in a rger cave. Silver Bde sed the surroundings suspiciously.

  “No enemies?”

  “Strange…”

  “Finally, this game shows some sce!”, excimed Fortune.

  But at this moment the mage’s eyes fell on another opening not far away. Geous crystals were arranged around it in a beautiful formation.

  However, the area behind it was hidden in darkness, emitting a dangerous feeling.

  “Seems like we are reag the end…”

  “This looks very much like a boss room.”, agreed Silver Bde. “Let’s take a rest here before tinuing.”

  “Sounds like a pn.”

  Subsequently the party leaheir backs against the walls, rexing their exhausted minds. They versed in low voices, some even directly closing their eyes.

  After about fifteen mihey gathered before the exit with renewed spirits.

  “Let’s go.”

  “Yes! Let’s kill a boss!”

  Final Fend was the most eager, looking forward to fighting side by side with his new friends.

  “Ok guys, you know the drill by now. Always keep your eyes open fns of skills. We o be qui our feet!”

  “Got it!”

  Silver Bde nodded solemnly at the others before stepping through the entrance.

  A momehe party found themselves in a dark room. A faint rustling sound could be heard.

  The party steeled themselves, taking out their ons and staring at the other end of the cave.

  Slowly, a rge purple crystal attached to the ceiling lit up. Light gradually spread through the room.

  A mysterious silhouette got revealed gradually. At first only a rge figure could be made out. But step by step more details could be seen.

  Six long legs ending in incredibly sharp tips. Large, thin wings adhered to a red carapace permeated with threatening red lines. And a huge round head with an eerily rge mouth shielded behind two horrifying mandibles.

  Its eyes were still closed, opening slowly when light fell on them, revealing eyes pure as gss, round, airely blood-red.

  The indifferent gaze sent a chill down everyone’s spine.

  But this was not all. Everyone’s eyes quickly wandered down the elevated ptform the tall aed on, falling on a rge filled with barrels and crates.

  Some of the wares were broken open and all kinds of items were scattered on the floor.

  Following the trail of items Braag couldn’t help but gulp. He found hundreds of sticky, white eggs glued to the side of the cave. A few straones were pced among them, seemingly delivering some kind of energy to the eggs.

  Braag shuddered slightly, speaking carefully:

  “Guys, why don’t we… just grab those wares and leave? There is o fight, right?”

  Just as Braag finished, a low sound came from behind them. Gng over his shoulders the dwarf saw rays of colorful ser-like rays eg the crystals, blog the exit.

  “Dear viewers, our escape has been cut off. Our party has no ce but to face the queen of all ants directly. Will we stand a ce? Or will this be the time for us to return to the graveyard?”

  “Ok guys, stop joking around! The fight is about to begin!”, warned Silver Bde sternly while iing the enemy.

  [Ferocious Ant QueenRank: Boss

  Level: 22

  HP: 5200/5200]

  The ant queen slowly stood up, revealing its full height, which rivaled a one-floor building.

  While the party felt pressured by its indifferent gaze, a strange sound suddenly reached their ears. They go the side, watg as fs cracked open.

  A couple of ants crawled out of the eggs. At first the appeared small, almost like normal ants. But when they dropped to the floor, a mysterious magic seemed to drive into their bodies.

  The ants suddenly increased i. Their back legs grew strahick. With stiff movements the raised their bodies, walking on two feet, their eyes at the level of an average human’s.

  “What in the…”

  Final Fend cursed slightly as he sed the enemies, which came in two pairs.

  [Ferocious Ant Queen GuardRank: Lord

  Level: 21

  HP: 4500/4500]

  [Ferocious Ant Queen AttendantRank: Lord

  Level: 21

  HP: 4000/4000]

  The ant queen opened her mouth wide. With a jerk of her head, she spat out two shields covered in slimy salvia, which were immediately kept by the two queen guards with great reverence.

  A momehe ant queeed the move, gifting two staffs to its attendants.

  “I don’t like this. we destroy those eggs first?”

  “I feel like it’s risky. Let’s first probe the situation.”, decided Silver Bde.

  “Ok. You’re the boss, sis.”

  Suddenly the party members felt that their stiff bodies could move again. They realized that the fight had officially begun.

  “Fend, you take those guards, I go for the attendants and the queen!”

  “Uood!”

  The siblings unicated quickly, directly approag the enemy sihe cave was rather spacious.

  After a short distahey both stopped. Final Fend swung his on at one of the guards, instantly drawing its attention.

  Knowing that its queen was in dahe guard didn’t hesitate for long, immediately blog Final Fend’s path.

  [-166!]

  At the same time Silver Bde instantly activated a skill, stabbing her sword deeply into the floor.

  Suddenly a br of holy light erupted from the floor some distance around her. It didn’t hit the queen guards, reag only the two attendants.

  The skill’s damage was negligible, but its effect of drawing aggro was signifit. However, the skill wasn’t over yet. Another ring of holy light erupted further away than the first one.

  This time it was the queen ant who got affected. The rge creature turs heavy body, staring angrily at the intruders.

  However, the party was looking at something else in surprise. A small amount of damage was dealt to the ant guards. It took them a sed to figure out why.

  “The damage to the queen as shared by the guards!”

  “Damn, we o kill them first!”

  “Careful, sis!”

  Final Fend suddenly shouted anxiously. He watched one of the ant guards turn around and approach Silver Bde.

  The young man didn’t dare to hesitate, instantly using [ Lock].

  His on raced through the air, tightly ing around the guard.

  “Thanks, Fend!

  Guys, stop staring! It’s time to attack! Let’s focus on those attendants!”

  “Got it!”

  The party plied with Silver Bde. Instantly, attacks and skills rained down on the oppos.

  Braag directly used his [Big Berta] while Fortune prepared another [Magical Sphere], followed by casting [Are Bolt].

  Bloody Edge went invisible, approag the attendants together with Watchful Eye.

  The attendants dropped to half HP after being bombarded by the ratackers. Suddenly a red light fshed in their eyes. They raised their staffs high, a rge amount of mana gathering at the tips.

  Twe circles pulsing in dangerous red light appeared within the cave.