The swarm of Killer Ants surged like a crimson tide, their clicking mandibles and rhythmic chittering echoing through the clearing. They moved with chilling precision, encircling Alex and Sherry in a tightening C-formation.
With a low, rumbling growl, Gleam charged forward. The towering Crystal Golem glinted in the light, his crystal-forged body radiating calm, unshakable force.
The Killer Ants struck fast. Several leapt with inhuman agility, their jagged mandibles clamping down on Gleam's arms and shoulders.
A purplish venom hissed and bubbled where it touched—lethal to flesh, but it slid harmlessly off his crystal body.
Gleam didn't flinch. His massive fists rose and fell like falling towers.
One ant's skull shattered under a single punch—its body bursting into gore. Another was swept aside, flung like a ragdoll into a tree that cracked from the impact.
But the swarm pressed on.
One ant—leaner, faster—scaled Gleam's back with terrifying ease. Its claws dug into crystal seams as it climbed, mandibles twitching, then slammed down like cleavers on Gleam's neck joint.
The sound of metal-on-stone rang out. Shards chipped off, but no real damage was dealt.
Slowly, Gleam reached back. Then closed his hand around it and crushed the creature in his grip. It exploded like brittle pottery.
Behind the frontlines, Bello hovered midair—his plushy body bobbing cheerfully. But his attacks were anything but innocent.
With a delighted squeal, Bello opened his wide, circular mouth—and unleashed a focused, high-pressure stream of water.
Like a magical fire hose, the torrent sliced through ant after ant, cleaving them apart with surgical precision. Wherever Bello turned, enemies were bisected, tossed back, or pinned to the ground by sheer force.
The stream carved gashes into the forest floor, and no ant that entered its path escaped unscathed.
Even more impressive was his control.
From the rear, Bello disrupted the enemy formation. Every time an ant tried to flank or break the line, a blast of water intercepted it—blunt or lethal depending on distance and angle. It wasn't just destructive. It was strategic.
Alex stood beside Sherry, sword still at his side—for a moment, simply watching.
Genuine surprise flickered in his eyes. 'So this is a Monster Tamer…' he thought.
His gaze shifted to Sherry, catching the subtle tension in her expression—the concentration, the intent.
"They're good." he said aloud, half to himself.
Sherry blinked, startled, then glanced at him. Her cheeks flushed faintly. "T-Thanks"
Alex watched the battle unfold, arms crossed as Gleam bulldozed his way through the frontlines and Bello weaved in aerial arcs, firing continuous torrents of high-pressure water. It was surprisingly effective. For a Monster Tamer—Sherry was holding her own far better than he'd expected.
"Not bad," he muttered, unsheathing his blade with a low hum. "My turn. Keep your summons guarding you." he called, already stepping into the fray
The ground trembled again—dozens of additional Killer Ants erupted from the undergrowth, drawn by the scent of blood and the pheromonal signals released by their dying kin. They moved like a tide of moving obsidian, mandibles clacking in anticipation.
"Tch. Reinforcements." Alex murmured.
The Crystal Golem, sturdy as he was, was now struggling to move freely. A dozen ants had latched onto his limbs and torso, not to deal damage—since they couldn't—but to pin him down. Their combined weight slowed him drastically. Their clawed limbs dug into his joints, locking his movement like shackles made of living armor.
Even Bello's streams were starting to lose ground—spraying ants away only for more to take their place.
"I can't just leave all these kills." Alex said under his breath. 'The system only rewards points for mine.'
The first ant lunged, its serrated mandibles aimed at his throat. He sidestepped cleanly and brought his blade down in a smooth arc. A flash of dark steel—then the ant's head slid free from its shoulders, oozing a thick purplish-black fluid as it hit the ground.
Another rushed in from the side, aiming low.
Alex twisted mid-step, kicked it backward with a brutal stomp, and followed through with a forward thrust—his sword piercing clean through the insect's chitinous chest.
Still more emerged from the underbrush. Fresh waves poured in, their numbers seemingly endless.
Their carapaces were tougher than they looked. Ordinary slashes would have bounced off—but with mana-infused strikes and precise angles, he carved through their armor like sculpting marble.
This time, Alex infused more mana into his blade—sharpening its edge and reinforcing its durability to slice through hardened carapace.
One ant tried to flank him—he spun low, slicing its legs out from under it, then finished it with a downward stab.
Another leapt from behind.
Aurora's voice echoed quietly beside him. "Behind you."
Alex ducked and kicked backward mid-motion, launching the attacker into the air where Bello—sensing the moment—fired a water shot.
He grinned slightly. "Nice timing."
Alex was in the middle of cleaving through yet another Killer Ant when a sudden, icy prickle danced across the back of his neck.
It wasn't just instinct—he knew something was off. And then, almost overlapping that sense—
"Alex!" Aurora's voice rang out in warning, sharp and urgent.
He didn't hesitate. In a flash of instinct, he cast
The world blinked into silence as his body dissolved into shadow. A heartbeat later, he re-emerged a few meters away beside the elongated silhouette of a Killer Ant—his blade raised defensively, eyes already scanning for the threat.
Just as he solidified, a violent gust of wind blasted the air behind him.
A blur of darkness ripped through the space he'd occupied moments before.
The earth cracked—dirt and fragments of shattered chitin flew like shrapnel from the impact zone.
From above, the attacker spread its wings wide—massive, obsidian feathers glinting like blades of black glass in the afternoon sun.
It was a Skyripper Vulture.
Alex's eyes narrowed. "Fuck! That was close."
The bird of prey hovered in the air, wings slicing through the wind with unnatural precision. Each movement displaced the air in sharp currents, as if even the breeze bowed to it. Its talons, twisted and bladed, dug into the crushed remains of the ant it had intercepted. Its beak—hooked and jagged like a serrated scythe—clacked menacingly.
Aurora appeared beside him, flickering with visible concern. "I barely noticed it until the last second. If I wasn't paying attention above, I would have missed it."
Alex clicked his tongue. "Opportunistic predator. Waiting until I was distracted by the swarm."
The Skyripper Vulture flapped its wings once, generating a burst of slicing wind that carved shallow gashes into the nearby trees. Its glowing amber eyes locked onto Alex—intelligent, calculating, and hungry.
It's name shimmered in white text faintly above its head.
----------------------------------------------------
[Skyripper Vulture]
[Rank: C]
[Affinity: Wind]
[Description: High-altitude aerial predators with obsidian-like feathers sharp as blades. Known for their exceptional speed, cutting wind magic, and opportunistic nature. They circle the skies with razor-sharp vision, scouting for vulnerable or distracted prey. They prefer to strike from above with dive-bombing attacks or ranged wind slashes, avoiding close combat. Often hunt in pairs or small flocks, wearing down targets through relentless airborne pressure.]
[Abilities: Feather Barrage, Wind Cloak, Keen Sight, Aerial Dive]
[Weaknesses: Fragile body beneath feather armor, vulnerable while landing or ascending.]
----------------------------------------------------
Alex's gaze hardened. "Fragile body beneath feather armor... but it can do serious damage if it lands a hit."
Sherry noticed the sudden shift in atmosphere and looked up, startled.
"A-Alex—what's that!?"
"A new problem," he replied, voice calm but alert. "Stay back. This one's a tricky bastard."
As if hearing him, the vulture gave a shrill cry and launched into a dive once more—its entire body cloaked in spiraling wind blades.
A dark barrier snapped into place just before the dive connected. The Skyripper Vulture crashed into it like a missile. The shield rippled and buckled but held. The impact forced Alex back a step, boots digging into the dirt.
He countered immediately.
From the Skyripper Vulture's blindside, a bolt of dark lightning erupted upward—but the vulture twisted midair, wings folding, and narrowly evaded it.
It screeched again, arcing back into the sky in a corkscrew motion.
"Fast bastard." Alex muttered, eyes tracking it.
Aurora floated at his side, sharp-eyed. "You'll have to bring it down. It won't fight you on the ground—it'll snipe until you're dead or distracted."
"Then I'll force it down."
Alex lowered his stance, channeling mana into his left hand.
A pitch-black spear of pulsating dark energy crackled as it tore through the air—vanishing mid-flight and reappearing sky-high near the Skyripper Vulture.
The monster shrieked in surprise, its flight disrupted as it tumbled toward the ground.
Alex dashed forward.
The bird screamed, twisting wildly, trying to rise.
But Alex moved with it—spinning his blade around, then plunging it through its spine with a clean, brutal motion.
The light faded from its eyes.
Its wings twitched once. Then went still.
Silence returned.
Aurora exhaled beside him. "You got it."
Behind him, Sherry let out a breath as she came running.
"...Is it dead?" she asked softly.
He nodded. "Yeah. But we're not done yet."
Most of the Killer Ants were dead, but a few stragglers remained. And Skyripper Vultures hunted in flocks.
More might come. They were still deep in C-rank territory.
"Stay alert. After we clear this area, we keep moving."
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆
The last corpse of the Killer Ant twitched once before falling still, and the shattered remains of the Skyripper Vulture slowly cooled in the midday air. The stench of acid venom and monster blood lingered faintly around them.
Alex exhaled deeply, sliding his sword back into its sheath with a satisfying click. Gleam's crystal shoulders glimmered with specks of purple ichor, while Bello hummed lowly as it hovered behind, releasing a fine mist to wash off residual venom from Gleam.
"That should be all of them." Alex said, glancing around the clearing one last time.
Before taking another step, curiosity tugged at him.
He raised his left wrist and tapped the smooth black surface of his issued watch. A holographic panel blinked into view with faint beeping sounds as the system synced.
[Points: 10,357]
[Team Rank: 643]
"...Huh?" Alex blinked.