After cleaning up the battlefield with the ants, we didn't harvest much from their corpses besides a few eggs that were being moved. Besides that, the only thing we could take was some slime secreted from their hind abdomen. It was a rather foul-smelling slime, like the smell of stink bugs, but it had a taste so intensely sweet it was slightly bitter. Jikiki explained to me that this stuff is often used by tribes in the eastern region of the Demon Continent as food reserves; they even raise giant ants but on a controlled scale, and their size is also much smaller, only as big as a puppy at most.
"Since this is a labyrinth, monsters also become larger than usual. That's why ant eggs from this labyrinth often have very high value." Nelu explained.
It seems they use ant eggs to create medicine and ingredients for alchemy or something. And since they are from a labyrinth, the mana in the eggs is also higher, resulting in better products.
Honestly, that makes me feel a bit curious about alchemy. This world also has that subject, but back in Asura, I only had access to elementary groups, only making quite basic things like crafting explosives, healing potions (which isn't that magical), and skincare products. However, sometimes high-level alchemists can make things like concocting new alloys, longevity potions, or even researching magic.
In general, it is a subject combining chemistry and magic. And it truly hit my major, so I intended to research more about it. But then I met Isolde, became Master Reida's disciple, and then only knew to focus on swordsmanship, forgetting that intention completely.
According to my research, if I want to study this subject more thoroughly, I can study in Ranoa, but it seems that is too far away now. Sigh…
Temporarily putting aside a hobby I missed, I also talked more with The Digger team and learned a few more things about them. They are a B-rank adventurer party that has been together since they just started. Lately, they had some money problems due to overspending on gambling once; they incurred a not-small debt. That is why they have to risk their lives to do a difficult quest like this.
Although I have many bad habits, not being addicted to gambling was indeed the right decision. When I was young in my previous life, I bet on horse racing a few times, won quite a bit, only to lose exactly one round and end up empty-handed. So from then on, I decided not to participate in these games of chance unless it's purely for entertainment or betting a few small things like a lunch or something.
With the remaining members of the party deciding to finish the quest, pay off all debts, and share the money with the families of the lost members. You could say seeing them determined to rebuild their lives like that also made me want to help.
That's right, everyone makes mistakes. And as long as you try to change, you can always become a better person!
"Good luck! I believe you guys can bounce back!"
"Yeah!" Nelu was the strongest agreement. While the other two just nodded.
"Um uh… thank you." Nelu smiles awkwardly with a nod. Meanwhile the other two looked quite gloomy.
Looking at them like this makes me think of my Mythical Dancers party. Even though I said everything will be okay, thinking about the situation where my friends would get in danger and even worse, watching them die would definitely make me devastated. Especially when everyone else could be teleported into somewhere as strange and dangerous as I'm currently at.
But they would be fine.
My friends are strong after all.
And that god even said Eris is with a very strong person too.
…
After walking together for a while, the ants still appeared occasionally, but the number wasn't too large, so they were easily killed. We just moved another quite long distance, going deeper into a cave that Nelu said was the egg hatching place.
It was a large space, with a ceiling so high I couldn't even see clearly what was above. The ground was quite flat, with little soil and rocks, and clean. Unlike the rest of the labyrinth, this place was particularly dry, airtight, and had a quite warm temperature. That must also be the reason why there weren't any glowing mushrooms growing here, making the whole space look frighteningly dark.
"This is the place," Nelu said and stepped in.
He and his two teammates took the glowing mushrooms and threw them everywhere to see more clearly inside. From here, I could also see that this was exactly a giant hatchery with countless pupa-shaped objects lying everywhere, even piled up in heaps.
There were many eggs that were torn, empty inside; I guessed they were ants that had hatched successfully and were sorted aside. There were a few eggs where I could clearly see red ants gradually taking shape, floating inside the transparent liquid. Although I didn't smell anything from them, for some reason, I started to feel nauseous.
Or rather, everything here has a common point like that. Disgusting.
"This much is probably enough." After about five minutes of splitting up to work, Nelu filled his bag with ant eggs and then stood up with a stretch. "Let's head back."
The other two members of The Digger nodded; they seemed relieved too and started chatting with each other about what they would do when they got out.
Meanwhile, my guardian knight didn't seem to relax at all. Ken remained as usual, constantly observing the surroundings without caring much about this egg gathering. The old knight's eyes never rested; from the cave ceiling, the sides, and even the hatched cocoon bags, he scrutinized everything.
"What are you doing, Ken?"
"Observing." He replied without even looking at me.
"Do you see anything unusual?" I see the direction he's looking but only darkness.
"No." Ken shook his head. "But that is what I find unusual; this place is unreasonably quiet."
"Hmm." I also frowned. "Now you mentioned it."
The reason is easy to understand; this is an egg nest, right? It should be protected. I had prepared myself for a difficult battle, even more than earlier. Normally, places like hatcheries must be guarded carefully. Yet we just walked in like it was an abandoned place; there wasn't a shadow of anything blocking the way.
And it seems when we met The Digger party, that ant colony was also transporting eggs, right? They looked like they were migrating.
According to what I remember from my previous life through programs on the Discovery channel, ants have a habit of migrating if there is an impending natural disaster, food problems, or natural enemies. Since this is a labyrinth, perhaps the food problem doesn't exist. So is there a possibility of a natural disaster or natural enemy?
"Ah, Mr. Nelu, does the area around here usually have…" What is 'floods' or 'rain' in Demon God Tongue again? Ah fuck it. "...A lot of… water falling from the sky?"
"Huh? Water falling from the sky?" Nelu seems confused by my question. "You mean rain?"
"Yes! Rain! That's the word." Or maybe not, I don't know but it seems like it.
Jikiki was the one who spoke up to answer. "This Vasile region has rain occasionally but not too much except the Blood Swamp area. Why do you ask?"
"Ah, just to make sure."
So this land is called Vasile? I'm not very familiar with the geography of the Demon Continent, so I have to try to learn more about this place as much as possible before parting ways with The Digger. But now doesn't seem like a very appropriate time to ask about this.
In summary, natural disasters like floods aren't it? Could it be that an earthquake is coming? If that's true, it's big trouble. I'd rather encounter the natural enemy of those ants. Because being underground like this, if there really is an earthquake, we're dead meat.
But what is the natural enemy of ants-
"Huh?"
While thinking, suddenly a chill appeared running down my spine. I know this feeling. More precisely, I remember experiencing it before. The image of being in the sewer years ago during the rescue of Tristina suddenly flashed back.
My body trembled; it started moving on its own, rolling away, dodging something that just whizzed past me at a terrifying speed. I couldn't see it because it was too fast and dark, but I could feel my skin touching something like a layer of fur so soft it was horrifying.
"Hah..."
I landed back on my knees, immediately casting my eyes in the direction of the thing that just ran past. My vision at this moment suddenly became strangely clear. And I saw it, a black shadow, furry and with many legs, and it continued to rush forward, aiming at the nearest person on its path.
"What-" Gangton, the large warrior, only just uttered a sound before having his head bitten off, easily as if it's a piece of cheese.
His blood gushed out like a fountain, but it was all blocked by a giant thing clinging tightly to the rest of that large body.
It was a spider, gigantic with a size that must be as large as a bull.
Its eyes darted around constantly, as if identifying all of its targets.
...