Chương 60: Who Are You Now?

Maximus kept releasing small, controlled ripples of spirit energy while pulling just enough inward to keep the cost of constant scanning at zero. They continued trudging through the barely lit tunnels for half an hour, dim light crystals piercing through the dirt and pulsing faintly around them, when the system chimed. New skill unlocked: [Spirit Sense (D)] Spirit Sense (D) Level 1 – Toggle the skill to scan the area within a 10-meter radius around you every 5 seconds. The scan reveals only physical objects.

Costs 6% of your Spirit reserved while active. I was wondering when it would recognize it as a skill. Great, now I don't even need to focus on it. Maximus thought as he activated Spirit Sense, letting it passively sweep through the surrounding tunnels. The group moved for hours, fighting smaller clusters of ants and following the path marked by the system. Like that, they found themselves deep underground.

The air was thick and oppressive, laced with acid and humidity, and the constant skittering of legs and snapping of mandibles made it feel as though they were under siege at every moment. Just as they took another step, the scan caught something unusual: A battle! A large, long, brown-haired, muscular man, wearing sleeveless studded chest armor, perhaps in his late twenties, stood at the center with a greatsword in hand, cleaving an ant cleanly in two.

Viscous green blood splattered across his simple chest armor as he planted his boots firmly and flowed into a horizontal swing, cutting another ant apart to his right. Maximus edged closer, and two more figures came into view. One was a female archer clad in a simple black hooded cloak over leather armor. She somersaulted backward, narrowly avoiding a splash of acid, while releasing an arrow that pierced an ant's head before detonating and shattering its upper body.

Beside her, a blonde woman raised a golden, metallic staff crowned with a cross-shaped head and shouted something. A radiant golden circle bloomed beneath them, and as it spread outward, the shallow wounds on the other two closed while a soft aura wrapped around them, reinforcing their strength.

"Boss, what is going on? Why did we stop?" Vesper asked quietly.

"There are other participants ten meters ahead, in that direction. They seem to know what they're doing," Maximus whispered.

"Should we attack?" Vesper asked, already shifting forward.

"We should!" Silex growled eagerly.

"No! Calm down," Maximus sighed.

"We haven't seen humans in weeks. Having help wouldn't be so bad, especially not against something like the Queen. Who knows how many ants she has guarding her?" He tried to reason with the two tense beasts.

"What if they attack us? Or betray us? Wouldn't be the first time," Silex countered.

"If they do… well, we have our ways, right?" Maximus said coldly.

"Damn right," Silex growled.

"Then it's settled. Boss, I'll have the pack ready, just in case," Vesper added. Maximus nodded, and together they cautiously advanced toward the group of humans, who were in the middle of clearing a small swarm of ants.

The large swordsman was mid-swing when the corner of his eye caught a glimpse of Maximus, staff in hand, with two beasts slowly approaching from behind. The man froze mid-motion, his face draining of color. Maximus noticed this immediately and cast Static Vine, binding the ant that was about to bite into the man's abdomen before lightning surged through it, frying the creature and leaving it twitching on the ground.

He reacted instantly, casting another vine to restrain the ant to the man's left, electrocuting it in the same motion.

"You there, stay calm. I won't harm you. Don't daydream in the middle of a battle, you fool; you might lose your life," Maximus warned, causing the other two to turn and freeze as well.

"What are you doing here, Red?" the woman in a flowing white dress and golden robe shouted sharply.

"I'm hunting ants. Probably the same thing you're doing," Maximus replied simply.

"You might want to turn." As he spoke, a group of three ants lunged at her. She screamed, snapping the man out of his dazed state as he roared, "Heaven Splitter!" and swung. His blade cleaved downward, releasing a sharp arc of mana that tore through the ground and bisected the charging ants in a single devastating line.

The archer reacted just as quickly, tossing several silver coins that expanded mid-air into large bear traps, locking down the ants in the area before she picked them off with precise, explosive shots. Woosh. A flying ant suddenly dove from the tunnel ahead, hurtling toward the healer, but Vesper lunged like a streak of blood-red blur, intercepting it mid-air and slamming it into the ground, following up with a savage bite that tore its wings clean from its back.

Silex Surfed in immediately, unwilling to be left out, and launched an Echo Crunch into the ant's lower body, shattering it in half with a brutal snap. You have defeated: [Bronze Scourge Ant Lv. 26] x 2 You have defeated: [Bronze Scourge Flying Ant Lv. 28] Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Battle Tokens earned: 150 Maximus tossed a Cinder Seed into his mouth before reaching down and pulling the core from the flying ant.

"I'll be taking this one. You can hold on to the ones I helped kill," Maximus said indifferently.

"Who are you? You shouldn't be here," the man finally spoke, still pale.

"Cut it out, Lennox. He helped us, didn't he? He could've attacked us from behind, and by the looks of his beasts, he wouldn't have much trouble doing that either," the healer said as she kept her eyes on Silex.

"She looks tasty," Silex growled, but luckily only Maximus understood him. Maximus chuckled.

"Hi, I'm Maximus, and these are Silex and Vesper, and this little guy is Sprout." He pointed at the small plant resting on his shoulder, and Sprout waved happily.

"I'm Lennox, this is Jane, and back there is Tereza," he said, pointing at the archer, who lowered her cowl, revealing a raven-haired woman with gentle blue eyes. She gave a silent nod.

"Now, if I may ask… What are you really doing here?" Lennox pressed.

"This bastard is too nosy," Silex muttered.

"And why is that croc growling? He looks like he has something to say," Jane said suspiciously.

"Damn right I have something to say! Bloody hell!" Silex snapped in his broken accent, making Vesper burst into laughter.

"That wolf looks like he's laughing," Jane pointed out, confused.

"My apologies, they're just chatting amongst themselves," Maximus said with a light chuckle. Damn, Oscar really left an impression on him, he thought, amused, before his smile faded slightly as worry crept back in. Oscar…

"I'm hunting ants, as I said," Maximus added more coldly, irritation creeping into his tone.

"I don't believe I need your permission to do that. Am I wrong?" he asked, leaning casually on his staff.

"Lennox, I don't think he's afraid of your sword," Jane whispered to him. Lennox remained silent for a moment before exhaling.

"You are correct. You can do as you wish. Though… what would you say about joining forces for the time being?" he asked.

"What's with the sudden change of attitude?" Maximus replied calmly, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"I didn't expect anyone to make it this far, especially alone. I assumed we would be the only participants this deep within the Wildlands, currently," Lennox answered. He's hiding something. His mana is moving strangely around his body, and for a melee fighter, his reserves are nothing to scoff at, and he even has a proper core already strengthened far beyond his level. Just who is this man? I haven't heard of anyone like him before. Maximus thought, observing him.

"Alright. We can join forces, but I'm hunting the Queen. Are you certain you wish to accompany me?" Now it was time to set the bait. The man staggered slightly before answering, "You received the quest as well?"

"Which quest?" Maximus played dumb.

"To hunt the Queen. You get a ticket to go home temporarily!" Jane explained before Lennox nudged her sharply.

"Oh. I see. I might have received such a quest, indeed." Maximus rubbed his chin.

"Are you not afraid that I will finish it before you?"

"That's not how quests work, silly!" Jane chuckled lightly. Well, thank you, pretty lady. I've been missing that information.

"Then we can join forces. Might you tell me your classes so that we can figure out a tactic?" Maximus added.

"I'm a Cleric, and Tereza here is a Ranger," Jane explained.

"I'm a Barbarian. And you would be?" Lennox asked, watching him closely.

"I'm nothing that interesting, just a Druid," Maximus replied simply.

"Oh wow, Red, you made it this far as a Druid? You must be one smart cookie," Jane gasped, clearly impressed.

"How did you tame a Bloodlord Lupus?" Lennox suddenly asked.

"I heard he was causing problems around the Bastion of Hope."

"It wasn't his fault that the curse drove him mad. He is a valuable member of my family now," Maximus replied coldly.

"And the ruler of the Maneating Swamp as well?" Lennox added, his gaze shifting to Silex.

"This bastard seems to know about us. Max, he smells worse than you," Silex growled.

"The gecko is right. I don't trust him," Vesper snarled softly.

"Aren't you an informed young man? And what does this have to do with you? They are with me now," Maximus said calmly, though his blue eyes were as cold as an endless winter.

"Nothing. I just find it interesting that some of the rarest and strongest beasts of the first plane somehow ended up with a simple Druid. Truly remarkable," Lennox replied.

"Uhm, cut it out, Lennox! So, he has his ways with monstrous beasts; is that a crime?" Jane snapped, confused by the tension.

"Oh, no, no. I was just amazed. That's all. I've heard stories about these beasts, so I was surprised to see them here," Lennox said, raising his hands slightly, yet his gaze focused on Maximus.

"Well, I've never heard about them." Jane shrugged.

"Are we going to move, or waste time standing here waiting for more ants?" Maximus asked, his patience thinning.

"Yes, we should proceed. You have the Tracking unlocked as well, right?" Lennox asked.

"Indeed," Maximus nodded.

"I'll lead the way then, since I'm the only one here fighting in close range," Lennox said, stepping forward.

"Fine by me. I'll be watching," Maximus replied evenly. You two, be ready. If he tries anything, take him down. The other two seem honest enough, Maximus ordered through their link.

"You don't need to tell me twice," Silex chuckled darkly.

"Yes, boss," Vesper replied as he shifted closer to the front while they began moving. Tereza, the only one yet to speak, walked up beside Vesper and began gently petting his head. Vesper turned to look at her for a moment before allowing it.

"Hah! The corpse sold himself for some scratches," Silex mocked.

"Boss, she can be trusted," Vesper said simply, and Maximus gave a small nod while continuing to observe. Both of them have extraordinary mana reserves… Not that different from Felix and Oscar, and they had me guiding them. If I look at this whole group, they're something special. It's almost as if someone handpicked the best of the best and placed them together. Maximus's gaze sharpened slightly. Is it a coincidence… or something else moving behind the scenes?

"If I may ask, how long have you been in the First Trial?" Lennox asked suddenly as they moved through the cramped tunnel.

"Close to fifty days. How about you three?" Maximus replied.

"Oh, similar to you, actually," Lennox said before adding, "You seem to handle yourself well despite your relatively short time here."

"Likewise," Maximus smiled faintly.

"What's with all the cryptic talk? You're driving me insane. You know, Red, he was all 'We need to go here,' 'We need to hunt that,' and now he's acting like a headless chicken," Jane mocked, waving her hands dramatically.

"He might have fallen for you at first sight. Aww," she teased, laughing.

"Please ignore her. She's a childhood friend… and crazy," Lennox snapped, clearly annoyed.

"What about your other friend?" Maximus nodded toward Tereza, who walked beside Vesper, gently petting him as his tail wagged lazily.

"We met her here, first day, actually. She can't speak," Jane explained, her tone softening.

"I see. Can't it be healed with regular Holy Magic? Did you try Purify? It could help if the wound is curse-based. And if you gain access to a Soul Mend type of skill, you might be able to resolve any psychological damage as well," Maximus offered calmly. Jane blinked in surprise.

"How do you know so much about my spells?"

"I've read a few books," Maximus replied with a simple smile.

"I tried Heal and Purify, but I haven't unlocked anything like Mend yet. I'll try it once I do. Thanks!" she said, giving him a bright thumbs-up, her eyes sparkling. Lennox cast a sidelong glance at Maximus, his brow tightening slightly as suspicion flickered across his face. Like that, they pushed deeper and deeper, cutting through groups of worker ants and the occasional flying patrol.

The tunnels grew wider, the light crystals more plentiful, the air heavier, and the sound of skittering legs grew louder the further they descended. Two hours later, they stepped into a vast chamber the size of a small field, its ceiling lost in shadow, while crystals shone from the side walls, coloring the chamber in dancing shadows. From above, a swarm of flying ants descended, at least forty in number, each one armed with long, blade-like limbs that sliced through the air as they dove toward the group.