The Queen's Curse

"My friend, it was good knowing you," Piper said over the com. "I enjoyed our time together, man."

"Shut up, nerd!" Noah fired back, sniggering nervously. "I won't die that easily. Now give me some data on Her Highness!"

He was referring to the giant cyclops-ant before him. She was the Queen of the nest, a Level 75 monster.

[ Species: Cyclops Ant ]

[ Wyrm Queen Cyclops Ant: Level 75 ]

[ HP: 50000/ 50000 ]

[ Status: Normal ]

Entire adventurer parties and leading guilds had failed miserably to defeat the creature. Parties were decimated in seconds in case the members were Level 50 and below.

"Okay, fine!" Piper quipped. "But it's not cool throwing around the N-word, you know. Let's see! Wyrm Queen Cyclops Ant? According to past raiders who encountered her, Err.. stay wary of her serrated appendages. One blow from them will carve you like ice cream cake."

"Jeez. Got it. What else?"

"You've already encountered the renowned cyclops acid. It's produced in their intestines. Wait, another important thing-"

"What is it-"

"Did you know cyclops ants mate for life?"

"Wow. Unnecessary trivia. Tell me how to counter the cyclops acid?"

"Simple. Just don't get hit by it. Healing won't work if you turn to goop."

"Right. I'll take that into advisement. What else?"

"Well, on the brighter side, you are going to get a crazy level up and item drop if you defeat the Queen."

"Sure. It's like they say- what doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

"The same people, they also say- what kills you, kills you."

Noah sighed and explored his HUD. Bantering with Piper was always a futile exercise.

[ Human: Level 63 ]

[ MP: 17899/ 25000 ]

[ HP: 17174/ 20000 ]

He needed some time to equip essential gear for the fight. Considering you could call it a fight in the first place. Noah needed to create a distraction long enough to escape.

The Queen Ant had attacked without giving him any leeway.

He needed to put some distance between him and the monster.

[ Agility Boost x 1.25 ] [Activated ]

Noah's movements instantly became faster.

The Queen Ant was already upon him, swinging its massive limb like the bole of a pine tree.

Whoosh!

He pushed off his soles, jumping over the appendage, and cartwheeled away from the monster's range.

There was only one escape path, and even that had a dead end. But it would give him time to equip his inventory, which in turn would bring him the tools to flee from Queen Ant's vengeance.

"Do the monsters have feelings, Piper?"

"Yea, I've read since they are more sentient than regular animals, their social behavior and patterns are quite complicated."

Once Noah had a wall to his back, he estimated it would take thirty seconds for the Queen Cyclops-ant to come to him.

He went over his battle strategy.

The Queen had fire, water, and metal resistance. Moreover, her reach was wide. Therefore, he needed long-range attack weapons to avoid getting close to the monster. Then-

[[ Choose Weapon ]]

[ Windcutter ]

[ Icicle Gun ]

[ Air Grenade x3 ]

Magical armors were consistently more effective than material armors. Besides, the latter were more useful in PvP and short-range. For a Level 75 monster, one would need legendary weapons and armors to fight up close. Moreover, shield power (SP) would be useful to cushion powerful attacks.

[[ Choose Armor ]]

[ Earth Shield ]

[ Loading… ]

[ Human: Level 63 ]

[ MP: 17899/ 25000 ]

[ HP: 17174/ 20000 ]

[ SP: 7500/7500 ]

"OKAY, QUEENIE!" Noah shouted at the top of his voice. "Come and get it!"

Not that the Ant Queen needed provocation. It had followed him with frightening speed. Its children, the several feet tall cyclops-ants, were in tow.

"Eat this!"

[ Air Grenade ]

He locked the advancing monster on his crosshairs and fired a few yards short of her.

The Queen Cyclops-ant had six appendages, four of them acting as legs to scurry across the ground and the other two working as hairy, serrated arms it used to attack.

Boom!

The air grenade exploded.

[ Damage 1575 ]

[ Wyrm Queen Cyclops Ant: Level 75 ]

[ HP: 48425/ 50000 ]

[ Status: Normal ]

Screeeechh!

The monster slowed down but barely took any damage. It let out a piercing noise. Noah looked at his stats immediately.

[ DMG -10286 ]

[ Earth Shield ] [ Deactivated ]

[ Human: Level 63 ]

[ MP: 12414/ 25000 ]

[ HP: 14388/ 20000 ]

"Damn! It caused damage to me with its vocal cords! And the grenade barely brought down its health gauge!"

"Keep attacking!" Piper cried out.

[ Windcutter ]

Zip! Zip! Zip!

Shuriken-like translucent disks shot out through Noah's crosshairs.

[ Icicle Gun ]

Crackle! Crackle! Crackle!

Tapering white icicles barraged towards the Queen Ant.

The attacks rammed into her, causing visible damage.

[ Wyrm Queen Cyclops Ant: Level 75 ]

[ HP: 45274/ 50000 ]

[ Status: Normal ]

Her health gauge went down only marginally.

Screeeechh!

Noah checked his HUD.

[ Agility Boost ] [ Deactivated ]

[ MP: 9573/ 25000 ]

[ HP: 11635/ 20000 ]

[ Status: Queen's Curse ]

"Great! A negative buff! It is depleting both my defense and mana! My speed equation was nullified!"

"Noah! This is getting out of hand!" Piper screamed through the com. "I'm coming in!"

"No, don't! You won't make it in time. Besides, you are below level 50. There is little difference you can make at this point."

"Then-"

"Let me think!"

Noah just needed the time to scale the wall and reach the ledge leading out to the mouth of the mines. For that, he needed a distraction.

A huge distraction.

"Piper, how high up can these air grenades go?"

"Umm... Thirty feet?"

"Okay, I am going to try something. But it's very, very dangerous."

"Everything you do is dangerous, Noah."

Noah had mana left for a single attack, and even that was rapidly depleting.

He aimed towards the top of the steep walls with rocky protuberances.

[ Air Grenade ]

"One more!"

[ Air Grenade ]

The explosives shot out of his crosshairs, and as soon as they reached the ledges, Noah detonated them.

Badaboom!

Large boulders of rock tumbled down the sheer walls of the mine.

"Noah? What was the disturbance I saw on my screen?"

Clash! Clop! Thud!

"Err.. a distraction?"

"Did you just blow up your escape route?!"

"I-"

The Queen Cyclops Ant shrieked in horror, turned around, and headed in the opposite direction. Its children, the cyclops ants, were in danger.

"Yes!" Noah exclaimed. "Okay, now it's time to scale this wall!"

[[ Choose Armor ]]

[ Magnetic Shield ]

[ Loading… ]

[ User: Lovelord ]

[ MP: 9573/ 25000 ]

[ HP: 11635/ 20000 ]

[ SP: 10000/ 10000 ]

[ Status: Queen's Curse ]

[[ Choose Skill ]]

[ Spider Limbs ]

[ Activated ]

Noah clambered up the wall, using both hands and feet.

Chunks of rock fell on him, but the magnetic shield protected his body from severe damage.

"Noah is everything all right-"

"Yeah, I'm coming up-"

"I can't hear-"

Thud! Thudd!

The detonation had caused a rock slide. An avalanche of boulders tumbled down towards him.

The entire chamber of the mine was covered in a haze of dust.

"Noah, come in!"

No response.

"Are you there?"

No reply.

"Noah?"

"Hey man, are you okay? Say something!"

Nothing.

Piper put on his armlet, rushed out of the mobile vehicle, and raced towards the mouth of the mines.

A cloud of dust was hissed out from the gaping hole. It seemed as if the entrance had caved in.

"Noah, I am coming to get you!"

"….."

"Hang on!"

"Pipe down, Piper…"

A figure emerged from the dust cloud, covered in dirt from head to toe.

Noah looked dashing, even in a filthy state. He coughed out a mouthful of soil.

"I think I need a shower," he said, grinning back at his friend.