Drenched in karma 

The Soldier Ant decided to kill Tula since the defenseless Ester was about to head for the frozen ant.

The Soldier Ant glared at Tula. Then immediately ran towards the trembling weak-minded girl.

Tula held a shield, and a set of armor covered her body. However, the protective armor could only take so many hits. Koss, Culo, and Hara got injured even while wearing the armor.

*Bang*

Tula barely managed to stay standing after blocking the ant's lunge with the shield.

Tula took a few steps back from the impact. Her eyes reflexively went over to the sword she dropped. She didn't understand why Ester didn't go for it since it was closer to their location.

The Soldier Ant noticed Tula stare at the sword. It hurried and moved between the sword and the frightened Tula, blocking her view and any attempt to fight back. The ants learned how humans couldn't fight without a long and sharp reflective weapon.

The Soldier Ant lunged at Tula once again. This time, Tula fell on her bottom after her trembling legs couldn't withstand another attack.

"Ouch... big sister, save me. " Tula uttered with a low voice. She was so scared that her mouth barely moved. Her lips shivered, cold sweat trickled from her forehead, and her breathing became more challenging. She was about to faint from utter terror.

The Soldier Ant relished every moment. It decided to attack the fallen Tula as the next assault was pretty much the one to kill the little Tula. The scared woman holding a shield was about to become its meal. With victory in mind, the ant jumped to kill Tula.

*Whoosh...*

The Soldier Ant suddenly changed trajectory. It began feeling an indescribable amount of cold, its vision fading and its body unresponsive.

*Thud*

The Soldier Ant fell on the ground. It couldn't get up. As if it had no body. The ant could feel pain, but the pain slowly went away... the Soldier Ant died a second later without understanding why. Tula's death was sealed, so why did the roles suddenly reverse it thought.

Tula opened her eyes. The ant wasn't in front of her anymore. She soon saw the Soldier Ant lying on the ground with Elsir stuck in the ant's head.

"Are you ok, Tula?" Ester returned after throwing Elsir with all the strength she could muster. Her plan worked brilliantly, and the hiltless sword with icy runes hit its target.

Momentum force, icy blade, or luck, no matter what helped the most, Ester one-shotted two Soldier Ants by herself. The useless Ester was no more after this kill.

She couldn't believe her eyes. The heirloom sword she used to remember her parents has become the source of her strength.

'No wonder Koss made weird surprised faces when Vincent explained.' Ester thought as she extended her hand to help Tula stand up.

Tula gazed upon the pair of reassuring crimson glowing eyes slowly fade. The Frost Sigils hovering at the back of her hands disappeared. It was now safe to touch her hands.

Tula then accepted Ester's help to stand up. A moment later, both stared at the second dead Soldier Ant, and an ordinary-looking sword stuck on its head.

Tula couldn't believe what she saw because Ester mentioned multiple times in their time together how weak she was. It painted a picture of a frail and helpless woman in Tula's mind.

On the other hand, Ester couldn't believe how mighty the sword her mother gave her was. The majestic sight of Elsir flying over to the Soldier Ant while leaving a short trail of icy white light was still engraved in her mind.

Ester twisted the stuck Elsir sideways until it got unstuck. Such action caught the attention of the Soldier Ant furiously attacking Tulip.

Tulip was covered with many cuts since she had no shield. Randomly swinging her sword and getting exhausted in progress only gained a few more time alive. When she couldn't hold the ant from killing her any longer, luck struck her.

The Soldier Ant turned its attention at Ester with the ordinary-looking hiltless sword in her hand. A dead ant dead lay beside her feet. She killed one of its comrades.

The Soldier Ant shrieked in anger. It then switched targets and rushed to attack Ester.

Tulip was now safe. She sighed in relief and took a few steps back. Her intention was clear as a cloudless day. With no more ants behind or around her, she could escape while the others took all the attention.

However, the truth wasn't as it seemed for the traitorous woman. Tulip forgot something vital as she retreated bit by bit.

An Acid Ant was hiding for some reason. But now, the ant's intention became clear; it intended to kill anyone that tried to escape.

Tula noticed the Soldier Ant headed for Ester. She was about to throw her uncle's shield, but Ester shouted, "Don't. I got this."

Ester stared with a cold glare at the Soldier Ant rapidly approaching her. Her radiant crimson eyes shone, sigils appeared, and Elsir emitted cold.

Ester's gaze captured every step the distant ant made. She then raised a smirk full of confidence.

If the mudcrab meat affected her judgment or it was a bluff, Ester had to act soon. She meticulously counted the steps the ant made.

The Soldier Ants all had a similar pattern, to leap or to approach for a bite. A thing her body memorized through her evasive dancing.

*Skree!*

The Soldier Ant leaped, simultaneously the fearlessly Ester made a back cartwheel. She used the hiltless handle with this elegant maneuver, shoving Elsir in the ground using her body's weight and soft soil.

The Soldier Ant in mid-air was about to land and...

*Thud!*

The Soldier Ant fell headfirst on the sharp and cold Elsir, impaling itself to death. The momentum of the flight the ant generated allowed for its death to be swift and painless.

Elsir was used as a deadly metal spike, an idea she acquired from Vincent after noticing the Demonic Beast's corpse. She saw a piece of broken stick on the ground and the other half inside the monstrous ape.

Ester finished her cartwheel with a black flip. Her body moved as she wanted. Such quickwitted movement was only possible by facing multiple deadly situations, too much to wish for.

Ester had two key factors helping her. The dancing her mother taught her at a young age. First was the dance or a set of elegant movements only she and her mother could do.

The Gift of Birth Elsir was the second factor. A power only she could activate at will.

The three Soldier Ants attacking Ester, Tula, and Tulip surprisingly died at Ester's hands. The underdog Ester killed one more than Lupa.

Some distance from the two was Tulip glancing at them. She was free from the Soldier Ant, and none were nearby. She was about to escape in the forest when she felt a sting on her leg.

Tulip thought a branch scratched her leg, but the pain increased by the second. She couldn't withstand the pain any longer. She lowered her gaze to see why her leg was hurting this much.

Tulip almost had a heart attack from fear. She saw acid sizzling on her leg, melting the flesh. Her eyes could see a part of her thigh was gone.

The mudcrab meat and the importance of running dampened the pain until it was too much to ignore.

"Ughh..." Tulip grunted while falling on her knee. She wanted to shout for help, but the current location was a dead giveaway of her intentions. That she was about to desert everyone.

The Acid Ant appeared out of hiding. It seemed satisfied that the human became unable to move. The ant then started approaching Tulip while preparing for another acid shot.

Tulip, however, retaliated in fear of her life. She threw the sword at the approaching Acid Ant and luckily hit one of its antennas, cutting it in half.

The Acid Ant panicked as it lost its balance. It quickly shot a ball of acid at Tulip. The aim wasn't accurate, but the acid still hit its intended target. The acid fell on Tuilp's arm soon after.

*Tsss*

Tulip was about to scream from the intense melting pain, but this was just an appetizer. The Acid Ant felt its life was endangered and began the process similar to the fight against Vincent. An acid explosion.

Tulip, "Ahhhh... no, nononoooo...."

*Pop!... Tsss!*

Tulip, "AHHHHH!"

"..." Tulip shortly stopped screaming in utter agony as death swiftly arrived. Tulip died, becoming the second casualty and leaving seven survivors left to fight for their lives.

Tula turned her head, but her vision suddenly became dark. Then she heard, "Don't look, Tula! Tulip passed away... you. You shouldn't look no... no matter what. Believe your big sister, ok?"

Tula gulped. She then nodded and listened to Ester. Such a horrifying scream made her become frightened.

After Tula's vision was covered by a caring hand, but not being able to see increased her fears. Soon fear took control of her body.

Tula then hugged Ester with her trembling body. Ester warmly caressed the fear-stricken Tula's head.

'Good thing I can freely start and stop channeling mana in my spells to start and stop. I can touch little Tula with my hands.' Ester thought.

This was the loud agonizing scream of a high pitch woman's voice that caused everyone to regroup. The fog made it hard to see and tell who the person in front of them was after about a few meters of distance. Only the sheening body of the ants was easy to discern.

As if guided by someone that could see the entire field, the ants tactfully separated the nest invaders. Straying from the starting location made it difficult for the seven humans and one beastman to see the others. So they hurried towards the direction of the sound.

At the start of this battle for survival, Vincent, Lupa, Koss, Culo, and Hara advanced forward to fight. The ants planned to separate them, making individual fights possible and less dangerous. Well... Koss, Vincent, Lupa, and Ester had to fight against many.

Koss rushed as fast as his injured body could allow him to hurry. Culo and Hara hurried after him. Their survival rate was an astounding zero percent without Koss helping them.

Vincent rushed back with an angered frown, hoping the scream wasn't from one of his girls. Kazumi wanted to tell him positive and encouraging words, but as she shared the same worries, it became harder to say anything.

Lupa heard a familiar breath while running back in a hurry. She turned her gaze and noticed a pair of green eyes in the thick fog. Shortly, Vincent appeared. He ran towards her with a deep, angered frown. He seemed angry.

'Did I do a bad thing? Why is my mate angry at me?' Lupa thought as she stopped.