Ants Dungeon 2

The Worker Ants that emerged were larger than those encountered before, exuding a distinctly powerful aura.

Zeal cast a spell, but the massive Worker Ant endured without falling.

"To withstand my magic while wielding a staff, impressive."

Asher swung his sword at the gigantic Worker Ant attacked by Zeal, causing it to disappear into the mist.

"This seems manageable. Let's continue one after another."

They skillfully dispatched the Worker Ants in perfect coordination.

"Well, we've defeated them, but there's no time to collect the drops."

The giant Worker Ant, despite its size, closed in with incredible speed.

Knowing this would happen, Asher calmly dealt with the Worker Ants.

It took quite some time to defeat all the Worker Ants in the corridor.

"I didn't run out of mana completely, but it took quite a toll."

Asher, who was collecting drops, turned around to consult.

"What's our plan from here?"

"You seem to be doing fine. With healing potions, you should be able to continue, so I want to challenge the rooms as well."

"Understood."

Asher, accustomed to solo play in the gaming era, was surprised at how much easier it became with just one magic user.

It's worth noting that Zeal is the pinnacle of strength in this world, and others might not have performed as well.

As Asher and Zeal entered a room, they found themselves surrounded by a large number of Worker Ants.

Unlike before, a one-hit kill was not an option, and they were gradually being cornered.

"This might be a bit troublesome."

Asher, who was using advanced magic like Blizzard Storm, found himself in this situation.

While Asher, acting as a vanguard, skillfully avoided going toward Zeal, a Worker Ant attacked Zeal from the rear.

Zeal took the hit but immediately turned around, casting consecutive spells.

"Hmph. Don't underestimate me. I won't be taken down by ants."

While Zeal dealt with the rear, Asher had to bear the burden.

Asher had managed to avoid being hit until now. Still, considering his health, he convinced himself that taking some damage would be fine and activated his martial skill, "Rotation Dance of Blades."

He swiftly defeated the Worker Ants, but in return, he left himself vulnerable to the subsequent ones due to the recoil of the technique.

Although he had prepared for an attack, Zeal, who had repositioned himself, came to Asher's aid, ensuring no harm befell him.

Deciding to take the offensive, Zeal and Asher swiftly cleared the enemies using their martial skills, supported by Zeal's magic.

The number of Worker Ants rapidly decreased, and the situation began to improve.

"This is the last one."

When they defeated the final Worker Ant, both of them were thoroughly exhausted but efficiently collected the dropped items.

"We managed to pull through. No need to linger in a place like this."

"Yes, indeed. I don't want to deal with ants any longer."

Both of them used teleportation magic and returned to the entrance of the dungeon.

"Phew. The outside air is refreshing."

They stretched their bodies to the fullest upon emerging.

"We ended up staying longer than expected."

"It's my fault for getting greedy."

"We obtained a large quantity of valuable ores, and, most importantly, I was the one who invited you."

"Then, let's head back."

"They must be worried, so let's go home."

They used teleportation magic to return to the mansion.

"I'm back."

"Master Asher, Master Zeal, welcome back," Servant bowed and said.

Zeal handed over a substantial amount of ingots.

"I'll use what's needed for my research, so the rest is yours, Asher."

"Thank you very much."

Feeling tired and deciding to place orders with the blacksmith tomorrow, Asher took a relaxing bath and soon fell asleep.

While Asher was sleeping, Darke and Eris were having a discussion in the study.

"It seems Ash has returned."

"He seems tired, but I'm relieved he came back safely."

"He's been given a task, but I'm worried about him."

"Let's tie him down for a while under the guise of study. I've managed to prepare some teaching materials."

Asher's eagerness to learn was high, and he had already completed subjects that would be taught in the upper grades. Despite the difficulty of preparing educational materials, Erjs had twisted his brain to ensure Asher's safety and had prepared special items.

"I'm starting to question if sending him to school for academic pursuits is worthwhile."

The school consists of three years of elementary school, from ages 10 to 13.

The three years from ages 13 to 16 are middle school.

The four years from age 16 to age 20 are the high school years.

"The school is not just for academics; building connections is also important. But at this rate, skipping grades is inevitable. There's a possibility he might be sent to a research lab."

"Being too exceptional is also a dilemma."

"Absolutely. Watching Ash so delighted, I couldn't help but tell him all knowledge. But was it really the right decision?"

The family worried and pondered about Asher's future journey.