Seeker 251

Test

Chapter 251. Social Disparity

In the tunnel underground, the members of the Dawn Warriors encountered a swarm of Killer Ants. 

As seasoned adventurers, they immediately sprung into action. 

Two vanguards, armed with axes and swords, rushed towards the horde of giant ants. 

The two rearguards, one with a bow and the other with a staff prepared for the confrontation. 

The Killer Ants, three of the regular type, approached the adventurers.

The rearguard Killer Ant Mage raised its staff, emitting a brown phosphorescent light. 

Take this, [Windstorm]!" 

The adventurers retaliated with a preemptive attack. 

A storm of wind blades exploded, enveloping the three regular Killer Ants. 

Simultaneously, arrows shot by the archer pierced the Killer Ant Mage. 

None of these attacks proved fatal.

The three Killer Ants and the Mage emerged from the storm seemingly unaffected. 

The Magician, struck by arrows, showed no concern and cast a spell. Above the heads of the rearguard adventurers, numerous stone fragments appeared. 

In the next moment, these stones rained down fiercely upon the two adventurers. 

"Gwah!" 

The archer and wind mage were hit by the stone barrage, sustaining significant but not fatal damage.

Meanwhile, a clash had begun among the vanguards. 

"Take this, [Assault]!" 

"Eat this!" 

The party leader's skill attack with an axe and the other's regular attack with a sword hit one Killer Ant each. 

Despite the damage inflicted by the wind-elemental area-of-effect magic, the Killer Ants were still standing. 

"Gah!" 

"Damn it!" 

The 2 vanguard adventurers received counterattacks, each suffering damage from the Killer Ants' bites.

"Ouch! [Wind Slash]!" 

"You bastard, go down!" 

The rearguard adventurers, enduring the damage from the stone barrage, retaliated against the Killer Ant Mage. 

Wind blades and arrows struck the Killer Ant Mage, but even after three attacks, it did not disappear. 

"Ahh, damn it!" 

"Here comes the healing magic! Seriously annoying!" 

The Killer Ant Mage used magic to heal its wounds, nullifying a significant portion of the damage inflicted by the adventurers.

The battle between the adventurers and the swarm of Killer Ants continued for a while. 

Despite facing a considerable challenge, the Dawn Warriors were a party of seasoned adventurers. 

Eventually, they managed to repel the monster horde and obtain four magic stones.

The exhausted men sighed heavily and slumped to the ground after the intense battle. 

They retrieved health potions from their item boxes, each taking a sip. 

The wounds caused by the Killer Ant Mage's attack and the regular Killer Ants' bites gradually healed with the light.

"Hah, hah, hah... Damn, it's tough with a Mage... The consumption of potions is no joke."

"If only we had a healing mage. Does that harem guy's party have a healing mage?"

"That guy himself uses Earth magic. Probably has something like [Earth Heal], right?"

"Yeah, probably. Damn that guy, with his women and healing magic, he has everything. Why is the world so unfair?"

Jealous and grumbling seasoned adventurers among the young adventurers.

 In the midst of this, one person spoke with a different perspective.

"But you know, facing Killer Ants with just three people is quite tough, right? Especially with a Mage and a Soldier, it's pretty dangerous."

"That's true. That's why I told them they would 'learn about reality.' They might be dead by now."

"It's possible. But if that happens, it's a waste! Let me have a go at those women before they die."

"Seriously. If only. Well, let's stop talking about it. Let's get going."

"Oh, is the break over? I want to finish the job quickly and go back for a drink."

"I want to have a go with those women too. Even though it's impossible. Let's go."

Grumbling about various things, the adventurers finished their break and resumed their exploration. 

On the other hand, as for the adventurer party mentioned, Daichi's Spear...

***

"Shoot through, Fenrir Arrow!"

Immediately after the start of the battle, a shot from Yuzuki's Fenrir Bow pierced through the Killer Ant Mage. 

The Killer Ant Mage, with an ice pillar blossoming in its chest, disappeared into a black mist. 

Yes, it vanished with just one shot. 

The once troublesome Killer Ant Mage got instantly defeated. 

The firepower of our party's ace, Yuzuki, is indeed impressive.

Encountering three regular Killer Ants and one Killer Ant Mage, only the regular types remain. 

Now, it's just a matter of cleaning them up.

"Wow! Hotaru-chan, that's amazing. If it's not a boss, you can defeat anything in one shot. Heyah!"

Even so, the praises from Kazane-san, who delivered a continuous attack with dual short swords, were overshadowed by Yuzuki's Fenrir Bow and my [Three Strikes].

However, Kazane-san's enhanced firepower due to high-level skills such as [Dagger Attack Up], [Dual Wield], and [Dual Wield Enhancement] is by no means low.

"Exactly, it's quite something. I might not need [Three Strikes]—Oops. Ah, maybe I do."

My regular spear attack pierced deeply into another Killer Ant but didn't eliminate it in one hit. 

Even though they're regular types, it seems [Three Strikes] is still necessary for a quick defeat.

Now that I know that, it's a lesson learned.

It's not a failure. 

By the way, the fangs of the Killer Ant retaliated by biting into my body, but it couldn't penetrate my Gaia Armor, and I received no damage.

"Hehe~ If you praise me too much, I'll get embarrassed, you know. But I can be a reliable rearguard because of onii-chan and onee-chan. Thank you as always♪"

"Hotaru-chan, you're good at saying that. I want to protect my big sister even more now. Hey!"

"This guy has always been good at taking advantage of situations. It's something like that. Now, the finishing blow!"

There is an additional attack from Kazane and me. 

Kazane single-handedly defeated the untouched Killer Ant, and I delivered the finishing blow to the wounded one. 

Four monsters were defeated. Battle over. It seems no one is injured. 

A complete victory.

"Yay!"

Kazane-san, Yuzuki, and I celebrated with high-fives. 

If the opponent is around this level, we can defeat them without much tension, even while chatting.

After the battle, the casual conversation continued.

"On the contrary, senpai, you've always been bad at taking advantage of situations. Senpai is too serious."

"I wonder about that. I think Hotaru-chan is plenty serious too."

"Huh, really? It's surprising to hear that from you, Kazane-san."

"That's right. Otherwise, both of us wouldn't have been deceived by Daichi-kun. I was monopolizing him."

"Huh? What's that about?"

"Oh, didn't we tell you that story?"

While picking up the magic stones from the defeated Killer Ants, we continued our exploration. 

It's not an opponent that would make us tired. 

While Kazane-san and Yumizuki chatted lively, we proceeded through the dungeon presumably dug by the Killer Ants.