Chapter 11: Be Careful Inside
After carefully reviewing the available Gates for his current level, Cyrus made his decision to enter the 'Ant's Nest'. Despite the fact that his ability would burn the ants to ashes, he felt confident in his ability to take them down quickly and efficiently. As a level one hunter, Cyrus knew that gaining experience points was crucial to his growth and felt that the Ant's Nest was the safest option for him to do so. Additionally, the vastness of the nest made it less likely for him to encounter other hunters and risk harming them in the crossfire.
Despite Cyrus losing his clothing when he used his awakened ability, he made sure to leave his home fully covered, hiding his appearance from others. The memory of the looks of disgust and terror in people's eyes had deeply affected him, making it difficult for him to expose himself.
A few hours had passed when Cyrus finally arrived at his destination. As he approached the station, he presented his hunter's license to the guard on duty and stood patiently as the guard scrutinized his face, comparing it to the picture on the license. After a brief moment of hesitation, the gatekeeper finally nodded and allowed Cyrus to enter.
"Be careful inside. Some hunters went in yesterday and most of them haven't made it out yet. Even though it's just an F-rank gate, some fledglings think it's a walk in the park and end up getting swarmed by ants and killed."
"Half of them? That's not normal, is it?"
"I don't know. I'm just the gatekeeper."
"Well, if you notice anything out of the ordinary in there, please let me know, and I'll inform the higher-ups."
"Got it."
"Alright, stay safe out there."
'Half of the hunter's did not make it back yet? There's something amiss... I have a bad feeling about this.' Cyrus though as he walked towards the Gate's entrance. Not wanting to waste his time to change location, he still proceeded as planned. A feeling was just as it's name implied, a vague and irrational state of mind which was not enough for him to back peddle his plans.
'Half of the hunters haven't returned yet? Something's not right... I have a bad feeling about this.' Cyrus thought to himself as he approached the entrance to the Gate. Despite his concerns, he didn't want to waste any time changing his plans. After all, a feeling was just that - a vague and irrational state of mind - and not enough to make him turn back.
***
'I've been walking for over ten minutes and still haven't encountered any other creatures.' he muttered to himself, feeling uneasy and apprehensive as he continued forward. Despite being aware of the potential danger, he couldn't shake the feeling of dread that weighed heavy on his mind. The words of the guard echoed in his head, 'Be careful inside. A few hunters went in yesterday and most of them didn't make it out.'
As he marched on, his fear only intensified. He began to wonder why he hadn't run into any other hunters yet, but the lack of other inhabitants in the gate only added to his worries. Eventually, he couldn't take it anymore and turned to head back to the guard post to report his concerns.
But as he turned, he was met with a shocking sight - two ants hanging upside down from the top wall of the corridor just a few meters away from him.
[Lv.1 - Ant's Worker x2]
From the looks of it, the creatures seemed to have no intention of charging or attacking him. Instead, they were mindlessly munching on the walls, gradually removing bits of rock as they continued to do so.
Cyrus couldn't help but wonder, 'What are they doing? W-wait! A-are they trying to...?'
Before Cyrus could finish his train of thought, he felt a sudden vibration beneath his feet. He wondered why the ants did not attack him, which he quickly deduced meant they were planning something worse. The rocks they were eating at eventually caused the rest of the nest's roof to crumble, completely blocking his exit path.
Cyrus couldn't believe what he was seeing. The ants' behavior was completely out of character. It was almost as if they were deliberately trying to trap him in order to push him towards a specific direction. He couldn't shake off the feeling that someone was orchestrating this, ordering the ants to behave in such a way.
But what could it mean? Ants making use of strategy could only mean one thing, and Cyrus didn't want to believe it. The gate had already been cleared, or so he thought. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks, and he felt a cold sweat forming on his forehead.
After reading the chapter about the Ant's nest gate in the hunter's manual, Cyrus was surprised to learn that the gate had previously been evaluated as a D-rank when it first appeared, thanks to the presence of one powerful entity within it - the Ant Queen. Despite the gate now being classified as F-rank, the danger presented by the Ant Queen remained a real threat to any hunter who dared to enter the gate when it was first introduced.
The Ant's Queen, the boss monster of the gate, may not seem like much on her own, but her egg-laying abilities make her a formidable opponent. Her primary function is to produce an enormous number of ants, leading to frequent encounters with Elite Ants and a D-Rank difficulty rating for the gate. The ants' strong attachment to their queen makes them fiercely protective, causing a significant increase in their fighting and strategic abilities. As a result, the ants' behavior becomes more rational and calculated, allowing them to mount a formidable defense against any who dare to threaten their queen.
"I can't believe it, she's back again. But that can't be possible, can it? I mean, once a boss has been defeated, they can never reappear, right?" Cyrus questioned in disbelief.
In most cases, that statement would hold true. However, ants have a unique characteristic. Like many species, ants are divided into male and female genders. But in the case of female ants, their destiny is not determined by genetics, but rather by their diet. Female ants that receive sufficient protein can transform themselves from worker ants into queen ants. But how exactly can they find and consume enough protein to meet this particular requirement? This is where the hunters who enter the gate come in. Despite the fact that the boss monster has already been killed, and based on the unbroken rules, it can never return to life, there exists an entity that deviates from such norms, and Cyrus will quickly learn of its existence.
As Cyrus emerged from the passage into the open alleyway, his eyes widened in shock and disbelief. The cavernous space before him resembled a football stadium, teeming with thousands of ants gathered around a monstrous queen with a bloated abdomen, visibly full of eggs. Above her head, a golden name badge indicated her status as a ruler. Cyrus stammered in shock, unable to process the scene before him.
"What in the world is going on here?" he muttered under his breath, his mind racing with questions and confusion.
[Lv.10 - Ant's Queen]
"I-Irregular Monster!"
Weekly Power Status
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