[HP: -50]
[HP: 432/900]
Alvaric's entire body felt numb—he couldn't move. The venom from a level five Ant Bee was potent. Even his regeneration ability struggled to heal his body.
"Damn. Is this where it ends for me?" he muttered.
[HP: -3]
[HP: -3]
[HP: -3]
The poison from the level three Ant Bee inflicted continuous damage, draining his HP by three points each time. It wouldn't stop for the next two hours. Fortunately, the poison didn't stack. If it did, Alvaric would've already died.
He leaped back, stepping on two smaller Ant Bees, stabbing a few of them and devouring their flesh. That restored some of his HP.
He had to keep doing that to offset the damage from the large Ant Bee's relentless attacks.
"This is just a level five monster. How am I supposed to defeat a level forty Giant Sandworm?" Alvaric had no idea how he was supposed to complete the mission.
He took a deep breath and focused. He had to deal with the threat in front of him first.
If he failed here, he'd die. Alvaric steadied his stance and charged forward. The Ant Bee's attack almost hit him, but he narrowly dodged.
He got beneath the massive Ant Bee and slashed at one of its legs. But as he did, his body was flung away, crashing hard against a wall.
[HP: 302/900]
Alvaric coughed up blood. At the same time, the smaller Ant Bees swarmed toward him, attacking again and again. The giant Ant Bee slowly approached, one of its legs lifting to crush him.
"Damn it. Is this really the end for me?" Alvaric shook his head and forced himself to stand.
His body was numb and barely responsive, but he pushed through. He had no other choice. If he stayed still, he'd die. Fighting through the pain was his only option.
Two hours passed. Alvaric's body was covered in wounds. Blood flowed from him freely. His left side had a gaping hole from being stomped by the level five Ant Bee.
His breathing grew labored. His vision blurred even more than before. Glancing at his stats, Alvaric managed a weak smile.
[HP: 56/900]
He was near his limit. His HP continued to drop, though his regeneration slightly slowed the poison's effect. But if he kept taking hits from both large and small Ant Bees, even his regeneration wouldn't keep up.
"I only have one shot left."
Alvaric charged forward, preparing for one last attack. If he failed now, he was finished.
As the Ant Bee attacked, he dodged and jumped onto its body. Another Ant Bee lashed out, but Alvaric managed to avoid it this time.
He dropped down and sprinted toward the Ant Bee's rear. He leapt and drove his weapon into its backside. Liquid gushed from the wound. The creature lost its balance.
"Ah, so this is their weakness. I should've realized sooner."
Taking advantage of the moment, he climbed onto the giant Ant Bee's back. Other Ant Bees attacked, but missed—and their blows struck the one Alvaric was riding.
It shrieked in pain. Alvaric grinned. Holding his knife stone tightly, he stabbed it into the creature's body. The screeches grew louder. Alvaric plunged his hand into the wound and tore off flesh, eating it immediately.
The Ant Bee thrashed, but Alvaric stabbed his weapon deeper to stay anchored, continuing to devour its meat. Once he had eaten enough, he took out the stinger of a level two Ant Bee and plunged it into the wound.
"Jrrrtt!"
The Ant Bee went limp. Alvaric ate more of its flesh, dodging other attacks while staying atop the now-defeated monster.
The attacks he dodged ended up hitting the Ant Bee beneath him repeatedly—eventually killing it too.
[Level up]
Alvaric smiled. He had leveled up, which meant all his wounds had healed. He was back in peak condition. Facing the three remaining level five Ant Bees, he felt a new sense of confidence.
"This time, you're the ones who'll tremble before me."
He took a battle stance and rushed one of them. Alvaric had figured out how to defeat them. He was confident he could win, even if it wouldn't be easy.
Three hours passed. Alvaric had successfully slain all three level five Ant Bees. It had taken a tremendous effort, but he'd won.
Now, he was feasting on their meat. He had plenty of food and drink stocked up. He felt much better now, especially after gaining several levels.
[Level: 31]
[HP: 1,500/1,500]
[MP: 30/30]
[Stamina: 450/450]
[Strength: 50]
[Agility: 16]
[Intelligence: 12]
[Luck: 350]
[Skill: Regeneration (Passive)]
He was stronger than before, but still not ready to face the Giant Sandworm. The level difference was only nine, but Alvaric knew they weren't even close in actual power.
It had taken him nearly six hours to kill just the Ant Bees—and he had nearly died facing four of them, despite being a higher level.
"I'm sure monsters' stats are much higher than mine. I don't know the exact difference since I can only see their level."
If only he could view their full stats—that would be a huge help. But unfortunately, he couldn't. Learning from experience, Alvaric resolved not to make any more reckless choices. Probably.
He looked at the four tunnels ahead. He'd enter one when he was ready, but he had no idea which to choose.
"If I pick the wrong one, will I end up like last time?" He really hoped not—cornered and nearly dead.
He turned toward the exit. A part of him wanted to leave. But if he left and waited again, the Queen Ant Bee would lay more eggs, and he'd have to fight them all over again. That would be troublesome.
He had to finish the side mission now. No more delays. Who knows—maybe the Queen would give birth to an even stronger monster next time due to adaptation.
If that happened, he'd never complete the side quest.
He stood up. "Alright. I'm going in."
[Mission Completed]
[Reward Obtained: Evolution Skill (Passive), +5 Levels, Unique Item]
"Huh? The Queen Ant Bee is dead? Who did it?" Alvaric's eyes widened. A sense of dread crept over him. "What the…"
From inside the tunnel, a massive aura surged forth. Far stronger than a level five Ant Bee—at least five times greater.
Alvaric swallowed hard. "This is insane."