Ch 39 – Insect Hell

"Oh come on Lancer! We're moving too slow!"

"As I've already said many times before, we have to be careful!"

"There's a limit to how careful one should be... This is just a cave."

Lancer was not exactly respected by most men. Rather, most found him to be a wuss. His overly-cautious manner directly conflicted with that of most other Optiones and even Gahan himself. And that was precisely why he was picked as one of them. Having an attentious pair of eyes had saved them many times in the last war, making Lancer rise from mere cannon-fodder to the main ranks, and eventually into an Option. That, however, did not mean that he was respected or looked-up on by his peers. Most saw him as a lucky bastard with average swordsmanship. And as such, he was quickly left behind by his men.

'Idiots... This is not just a cave... Else Gahan would be back already.'

From the whole group, only 2 men stood with him, behind. Lard and Poert shared his caution despite partially agreeing with the rest.

"Boss... This place is strange." Lard spoke in a low voice, trying to avoid gathering attention.

"Yeah. I'm not entirely sure this is a natural cave."

"Shouldn't we tell them then? Or rather..." Poert cared a lot more about the others' well-being than the average mercenary, and asked Lancer whether to call them up on their bullshit.

"Forget it... They'll just look down on you from it. If something happens, we are more safe. If nothing happens, there's no harm to either your reputation or their health."

While Lancer was a little careful around, he was still not sure something was up. And as such, he decided to let them be. This light handed approach, though, would change very soon.

"Boss! The walls are strange!" Lard was the first one to notice the oddity.

"Strange? How?"

"See... They are less rough... and there are some holes here and there, also on the ceiling see..."

"Couldn't those just be insect paths?"

"In this rock?! What kind of fucking insect can drill through these so cleanly?"

"Maybe those with strong acid." Poert let out a careless remark.

"..."

"..."

"..."

Lancer looked at the walls and ceiling attentively.

"Poert."

"Yes."

"What the fuck did you just say?"

"I said insects"

"Insects with what?"

"Strong... Acid?"

Lancer grabbed the arms of both of them with all his strength.

"Let's go back... slowly..."

"Don't make any fucking noise! You guys copy?"

""Y-Yes""

The three slowly started walking backwards, away from the area with the small holes and things.

They managed to make it almost all the way back before a scream resounded from deeper into the cave

"WHERE THE FUCK DO THE THREE PUSSIES THINK THEY ARE GOING!"

*Clang*

One of the most stuck up mercenaries yelled as he noticed the group slouching backwards. Banging his bastard sword onto the rock wall of the cave with all his might.

"RUN!" Looking up. Lancer realized how grave this was. Promptly turning backwards and running with all his speed, pulling the men along.

He ran, as thousands of insects started falling from the ceiling and emerging from the holes on the walls and ground.

Thousands and thousands of insects. Worse. As the insects were crushed under his feet and hit his armor, he could feel the caustic smell of acid corroding the metal of his boots and helmet.

"Personal Barrier~!"

He used his most cherished skill. A once a day one, that created a small physical barrier around him. luckily encompassing the other two's faces, uncovered by their armor.

Screams of pain and terror resounded from behind them as they ran back towards safety. The dying screams of the remaining 8 mercenaries started becoming drowned by the shower of caustic insects.

*Haah* *Haah*

After leaving the insect area behind, the three collapsed on the floor, catching their breath. The dying screams had almost completely subsided, leaving behind a couple loud moans of pain and the brain-torturing sound of the thousands of insects wriggling and crawling over each other.

After a couple seconds, after the death moans completely vanished, a water sound called the Three back to the cave they just ran from.

It was not water, the insects were running towards them like starved beasts.

Lard put his hand into the small backpack he carried, pulling out a single large crystal.

"Are you insane?! If you use this in here we may die!" Poert was scared upon seeing him pull out a fire crystal. Fire-attuned Magic crystals were expensive, but not because they were rare. Because they were dangerous. If subjected to a strong impact or atriction, they tend to explode in a ball of fire that clings to the environment around it and burns for hours, like Napalm.

"If I don't we'll definitely die!" Lard's rebuttal was undeniably true. None of them were able to use magic.

"Do it! Now!"

As the tide of insects approached, Lancer's order confirmed Lard's intention. He threw the crystal with all his might a couple meters away from them. All three turning behind and protecting their faces with their arms.

*Booom* *Crackle*

As they turned around, a massive fire took a whole ring of the corridor.

Small fires were scattered all around them. Surprisingly, they were unscathed despite the explosion having almost reached them.

The sound of water slowly subsided, but not before a handful of insects clad in flames made their way through the infernal gateway created by the crystal. They quickly died from the flames, allowing the group to rest assured.

"What happened to them?" Lard asked, nervous.

"Let's just hope they died quickly…" Said Lancer, turning around back where they came from, in order to find one of the other groups.

And die they did. But not quickly… Actually… Only a couple did. Most of the mercenaries were still alive, their skin and face completely destroyed by the acid. Passed out from the excruciating pain.

The insects slowly made their way back where they came from. a good portion of them. A lot died from the very corrosive substance they released, and many were squashed by the mercenaries. Goblins showed up, and carried the half-dead mercenaries deeper into the dungeon. Their armor and weapons, almost completely destroyed, were left behind for a second, before vanishing, as did all the dead insects.

< Title Acquired: Entomologist >

< Dungeon Title Acquired: Lowly Dungeon >

< Title Acquired: Insect User >

< Title Acquired: Disgust Bringer >

< Dungeon Title Acquired: Scary Cave >

< Dungeon Title Acquired: Insect Hell >