I stopped, peering into the strange space of the first floor. My eyes adjusted to the dim light, and I could see the green and blue glow of the fluorescent mushrooms growing on the stone walls.
The air was thick and humid, and it had a metallic, pungent smell. I slowly lowered myself to one knee and squinted, trying to make out any movement in the distance. Suddenly, I saw a flash of black.
An ant crawled out from behind a boulder, but it wasn't an ordinary ant. Its body was covered with a dense chitinous shell, resembling a metal armor.
A bright green glow emanated from its abdomen, like a neon lamp, and each of its steps was accompanied by a soft, squelching sound.
—Neon streaks... a chemical type?
I noticed a stone lying next to the ant, and from its surface, a slow-moving smoke was emanating. It was literally melting, leaving behind tiny traces of liquid. The smell burned my nostrils like acid.
Fritte, sitting on my shoulder, flapped his wings sharply.
—Be careful! This isn't an ordinary ant. I can see its acidic aura... Even the air around it is trembling!
Aka-32, standing slightly behind, leaned on her shield and smirked:
—So the first floor has something interesting waiting for us. I like this approach.
I sighed and activated the interface, checking the creature's level.
[Acid Ant ]
[ Level: 17 ]
[ Status: Aggressive ]
—It's higher than us. But if we defeat it, the reward should be worth it.
Fritte looked at me with doubt.
—As long as you don't become part of the reward.
—Then we'll see who dissolves whom.
I looked over at a massive boulder lying nearby, and it occurred to me that I could just activate [Aura Separation], pick up the rock, and smack that acid ant with it. It would be simple, quick, and effective... and perhaps a little too much like cheating.
—Eh, it would be too easy, and boring.
Fritte tilted his head to the side, swaying on my shoulder:
—You could finish this in a second. Why don't you use it?
—Because I want to see how far I can go on my own, and if I turn every fight into a click, then what's the point of fighting at all?
Aka-32, who was standing nearby, waved her two-handed spear and said with a smile:
— I like your attitude, Commander! So I'm taking everyone on the right?
— Yes, clean everything nearby. Don't stray too far, and keep the connection open.
These ants can crawl out of the ground, while I inspect the inner tunnels.
Aka-32 enthusiastically slapped her chest:
— Accepted! I'm going to give them a fitness session!
She ran forward, leaving behind loud thumps, ringing metal, and the screams of dying monsters.
Fritte and I found ourselves in the midst of the vibrating light of the mushrooms. The silence returned to the corridors, with only the distant echoes of the Ak-32's impact. Fritte spoke softly.
—It's a strange place... Too quiet for an anthill.
—That's exactly what bothers me.
I ran my finger along the wall, where I could see claw-like marks. I gripped the handles of my daggers, [Crimson Budding] and [Mist Leaf].
Both weapons glowed with a soft yet cold light: one was crimson, as if drenched in blood, while the other was silver-green, as if covered in morning dew.
I took a step forward, and the sound of my footsteps echoed off the walls of the anthill. In front of me stood a monster [ Acid Ant lvl.17 ] almost as tall as a human.
Its chitinous armor shimmered with a wet light, and green liquid oozed from the crevices under its belly, leaving trails of smoke as it dripped onto the stone. The smell of acid made my throat tickle.
—You're a nasty little thing, but I think I know your weakness.
The ant let out a high-pitched, metallic sound and lunged forward. Its jaws snapped so close I barely managed to dodge.
I slid sideways, leaving behind a faint trail of aura, and responded with a series of quick punches. The blades flashed like flashes of light once, twice, three times, leaving thin, smoking scratches on the monster's carapace with each movement.
Fritte, who was sitting higher up on the ledge, shouted nervously:
— Be careful! He's getting ready to splash acid!
Indeed, the ant arched its back, and a stream of sizzling liquid shot out of its green belly. The rocks around it instantly began to melt, emitting a pungent vapor. I jumped back a few steps, almost sliding on the stone floor, and narrowly avoided hitting the wall.
—Great, now I know where your boundary is.
Using the [Running] skill, she made a sudden lunge and disappeared. The ant turned sharply, but before it could react, the [Scarlet Budding Flower] blade entered just below its abdomen, where a faint green light was flickering. There was a crack, and the acid sac burst.
Anticipating the explosion, she instantly pushed herself back, leaping exactly two meters away, just far enough to avoid the hissing wave of acid. The ground beneath the ant began to smoke, its shell cracked, and the monster began to shake, crumbling into dust.
When everything was quiet, a tiny, pulsating core remained where the fallen monster had been. It shimmered with a soft, emerald light and emitted a quiet, vibrant hum.
—That's it. Even acid can be turned into an experience.
Fritte glided down, hovering over the shiny green rock left behind by the acid ant's death.
His transparent wings rustled softly, reflecting the light of the luminescent mushrooms. He leaned in, his eyes widening, and he exclaimed in awe:
—This is a... precious mineral! It must be worth a fortune!
I walked closer, squinting. The stone really did look unusually emerald green, shimmering with an inner light, as if it contained a living fire.
I carefully picked up the find, twirled it in my fingers, and couldn't help but chuckle.
—Precious, you say? Have you ever heard of a stone that smells like shit, Fritte?
—Well... maybe it's a rare feature?
I tapped my fingernail on the surface of the find. The stone crumbled into grains, leaving a slight salty residue.
— No, my friend. It's a salt stone. The residue of this freak's digested food. Essentially, his stomach residue.
—You mean to say… I was admiring the digested food?
—In this world, anything can be useful, even what looked like trash.
[ Acid Ant Salt Stone ]
Rarity: Common
Effect: Used to craft potions that relieve poisoning or neutralize poisons.
—So, this… 'residue' is also useful?
—Only if someone decides to poison you.
I replied, putting the stone in my inventory.
—But fortunately, I don't need it yet. After defeating the [Bloody Blooming Guardian], I have a passive ability.
I opened the stats tab, where a new line was flashing brightly:
[ Poison effect: -10% damage.
[Resistance is permanent. ]
—So you're practically immune to poison now?
—Practically, but I don't want to test it. Especially here.
The fairy nodded solemnly, still stealing glances at the saltstone crumbs.
—It's a shame, though. I thought I'd found the treasure of the century...
— Treasures rarely shine. But they always smell of danger.
After a few minutes of intense fighting and loud skill flashes, a resounding stomp echoed from the nearby tunnel. On the sound of footsteps, one might think that another boss was approaching us, but instead, a beaming Aka-32 burst out of the darkness.
Her armor was splattered with acid and covered in dust, but she clutched a handful of glowing green crystals in her hands, like the prize of the century.
—Look what I've collected!
She exclaimed happily, reaching out to me, but I immediately pulled away, knowing that it was processed food.
—These things are all over the place after the ants! They glow, and they smell like... lemons?
Fritte fluttered cautiously closer, squinted at the crystals, and chuckled.
—They smell? Well, dear, that's because they're the same "salt stones" we've already found. They're the remains of their acidic stomachs.
Aka-32 froze, raised an eyebrow, and for a minute just silently looked at a handful of shiny green stones, after which she snorted with a grimace of disgust:
— So I've been collecting all this time ... shit ?!
— Not waste, but ingredients! From this they make potions against poisons. So you are literally the savior of future lives.
I said, slapping my friend on the shoulder, hiding a smile behind my hand.
—Well, if you look at it like that, I'm a hero alchemist. Just a little more, and I'll be making medicine for everything!
—Just don't confuse it with the recovery potions.
—Ha! Then I'll definitely become a legend.
I had already opened the interface, checking the resources tab. The green crystals were indeed listed as low-rank ingredients, but they had the ability to neutralize weak poisons.
—I think we should visit the alchemist's shop after clearing this level. They can make us a few vials of antidote. Who knows what awaits us above.
—I agree! If these ants were just "sentinels" I don't even want to know who their queen is.
Fritte shivered quietly, looking at the tunnels stretching into the distance, from which came a cold and strange crackling.
—Sometimes it's better not to know.
I checked the daggers, tossed them a little in my hands, and, nodding to my friend, I replied:
— That's right. But we'll find out anyway.