Alex and the five teenage dwarves stood at the entrance of the village, each ready to carry out their respective mission.
Alex raised his hand and said with a smile:
"Be careful. And just in case, the slimes will accompany you."
"Huh? And what are they for? Cannon fodder?" Andris asked mockingly.
No sooner had he finished speaking than two slimes leapt on him, knocking him onto his back. They started hopping on his stomach, triggering uncontrollable laughter.
"Aha! Stop, it tickles! Okay, okay, you will be useful… but not as cannon fodder, rather in another way!" he conceded, laughing.
Amused, Alex rummaged through his bag and pulled out a shining blade coursed with small electric arcs: the Thunderblade.
"Here, Kiran. You deserve it the most, use it wisely."
The young dwarf's eyes welled up.
"Thank you… Thank you for this sword… and for teaching me to wield a sword…"
Alex knelt before him, placed a hand on his shoulder, and smiled.
"Don't cry. This is just the beginning."
Kiran nodded determinedly. Then everyone set off for their mission: the teenagers and slimes for fruit gathering, and Alex for the raid against the giant ants.
A powerful leap was enough for Alex to surpass the treetops. He landed on a branch before immediately taking off again, leaping from branch to branch with lightning speed. Thanks to the map drawn by Andris, he covered in a few minutes a distance that would normally have taken dozens of minutes.
Several kilometers away, he felt an overwhelming power. His instincts tensed.
"No doubt… it's her."
He accelerated even more and, in an instant, arrived in front of a gigantic gaping hole.
"So… this is where you've been hiding since last time…"
Without hesitation, he plunged into the chasm. The tunnel was immense, connected to dozens of other galleries. Alex smiled.
"At least I can see in the dark. That's cool."
He closed his eyes, focused, and followed the emanation of power like a radar.
"I found you."
After a few minutes of underground running, he emerged in front of an even darker pit, a hole where all the galleries seemed to converge. He plunged inside.
The fall lasted several dozen seconds before he landed in a colossal hall. The walls formed an organic vault, the floor was scattered with mounds of earth and empty cocoons. A few luminescent mushrooms emitted a greenish glow.
But the place was silent. No sound, no ants. Nothing.
"Strange… I feel her power, but there are no ants. I thought queens were never alone…"
Guided by the oppressive energy, Alex advanced.
Then, at the far end, he saw her.
The queen of ants.
But she had changed. Bigger than before… and her shell was now a brilliant white. In front of her, ten giant ants stood guard.
"Only ten? Perfect!"
Leaping, Alex forced the ants to react immediately, their red eyes fixed on him. The queen emitted an overwhelming aura that projected onto Alex mid-air.
But his aura was even more powerful. The queen's had no effect.
He clenched his fist, ignited it with fire magic copied from the old black mage, and smiled.
"Burn."
But the light from his own flames blinded him: his eyes were still in night vision mode.
"Aaaargh!"
He covered his eyes and lost his balance, crashing to the ground before rolling into a hard object.
"Damn… what is this thing? It's… super solid…"
Gradually, his vision returned. He turned his head and saw… a statue.
Finally, he made out a statue.
When he finally clearly distinguished its features, his face froze and panic seized him.
"Aaaaah! What is this thing?!"