Nickaido's here, sorry in the previous chapter I didn't explain about the XP gained per Imperial Ant killed. It's 400 XP and 150 XP for normal Soldier Ant. Alex gained 2100 XP after killing three Imperial Ants and six Soldier Ants, as for Gracier she killed three Imperial Ants (1200 XP) and seven Soldier Ants (1050 XP), a total of 2250 XP, added to the previous XP she leveled up three times. I hope this cleared some of your confusion.
Enjoy!
.....
Alex was suddenly assaulted by a dreadful feeling as though something powerful was coming in their way. He braced himself and looked in the sky after a second, the incoming monster was indeed powerful, more powerful than the goblin rare species he faced, in terms of the pressure that is. However, having felt Leena's killing intent back then, even if she quickly concealed it, helped him to bear this pressure.
However, Gracier didn't fare well, she stood there frozen, her body was trembling from the pressure and fear, fear because this feeling of powerless brought some memories, this was how she felt back then, she gritted her teeth till it bleeds, her left eye concealed behind an eye patch shined breaking her out of her trance. Her back was drenched in sweat, she had not had time to take her breath before Alex ordered.
''Gracier prepare five of your fireballs if it's possible.''
''Okay, but currently I can only control Four at the same time,'' Gracier replied before she started chanting.
''Huh! Four it's enough.'' Alex said after contemplating for seconds.
''Time to get serious. The Queen Ant is not coming here alone be ready.'' Alex warned after summoning Silveria.
Gracier created Four fireballs that stayed hovering in front of her, Alex aimed his gun at the sky.
Suddenly, there was numerous buzzing sound followed by a huge cry coming from the surrounding.
''Gigigigigigigigyi!!''
The main sounds were coming from near a big tree 30m ahead of where the two stood.
There was the figure of a giant ant monster bigger than the Soldier Ant and Imperial Ant.
In other words,
Gulp!
''A Queen Ant.''
Gracier gulped audibly after seeing the Queen Ant. Naturally, the Queen Ant was not alone, behind her stood five Imperial Ants.
''Attack'' Alex ordered.
Immediately, two fireballs the size of basketball were fired at the Queen Ant, however being that big doesn't mean she was slow, she nimbly dodged the fireballs, the Imperial Ants behind her were not faster enough to avoid the two fireballs,
Boom!!
Two among the five had their wings burned, they fell from the sky, and naturally falling from a height over 30m they couldn't survive.
Bang! Bang!!!!
Alex followed by shooting five bullets at the Queen Ant, the latter easily avoided once again to have the Imperial Ants behind her suffer the fate of being pierced by Alex's bullets, one was instantly killed because it received a bullet in the head while the other lost one of its wings thus falling from the sky.
In a minute, the Queen Ant lost four of the subordinates she brought, she was furious but before she could retaliate, another fireball was shot a her, being caught off guard (because she felt suppressed all of sudden) she couldn't dodge in time, therefore, she ordered the remaining Imperial Ant not far from her to cover her as she retreated after breaking from the suppression.
Boom!
The Queen Ant retreated when her last subordinate (her meat shield) perished.
Gracier was surprised by the Queen Ant's move, she had thought at least she may be able to injure her even if she couldn't kill her after using her left eye on her. Using her left eye on something more powerful than her was not easy nor without cost, she was feeling uncomfortable at the moment, her head hurts, she just wants to lay down and rest, however considering the current situation it was night impossible.
''Gigigigi!"
Suddenly, the Queen Ant opened her mouth as if to shot something,
''It's dangerous, Gracier jump back.''
Feeling a sense of crisis, Alex shouted to Gracier.
Gracier understood and the gear in her mind quickly turned, her previous unused BP (30 BP) were used in flash, she added 20 BP to her AGI stat and 10 BP to her ATK stat, she immediately jumped back after using her last fireball like a shield.
The next moment, liquid was shot from the mouth of the Queen Ant and collided with the fireball,
Boom!
Not all the liquid disappeared in the collision, a little bit passed through the place Gracier was standing previously in a blink of an eye.
Alex and Gracier saw the surrounding soil melting away while giving off smoke. They felt a chill running down their spines. The real nature of the liquid was acid. Alex judged that it was a kind of formic acid.
''Gigigi!''
Dissatisfied that its attack had missed, it raised a loud screech while coming attacking down with its huge forelegs, she was planning to finish Gracier because she felt threatened by the latter more than Alex, Gracier was giving off a dangerous feeling like a real predator in the process of awakening.
Alex blinked and appeared in front of Gracier with two knives held in front of him in a defensive posture.
Kin!!
A loud sound was heard when the Queen Ant huge forelegs clashed against Alex's knives.
"Gah!"
The two were blasted far back, Alex's back crashed against a tree forcing him to grunt in pain, he was momentarily out of breath.
〖Master quickly dodge.〗Silveria warned not giving enough time to rest.
Alex quickly stood up and embraced Gracier who was nearby before rolling on the ground, he rolled in the opposite direction, just after they left their previous location a wind blade passed through there, leaving a long cut on the earth.
Bang! Bang! Bang!!!
Still on the ground with Gracier in his embrace Alex fired five bullets at the Queen Ant.
''Gyi!"
One of the bullets pierced through one of the Queen Ant forelegs.
Maybe it had developed a sense of pain unlike the Soldier Ants and Imperial Ants, the Queen Ant gave a short screech. Alex took this chance to catch his breath fighting against dizziness, Gracier was also doing the same thing. Alex decided to Appraise the Queen Ant.
『 Queen Ant
Level: 25
Magic: Poison, Wind
Magic Power: 400/500
Attack: 300
Defense: 150
Agility: 150
Intelligence: 50
Luck: 40
Skills: Acidic Poison Level 3, Wind blade Level 4』
Alex's face almost turned pale, a Rank 3 monster, the Queen Ant level was high, so was her stats, nevertheless, she could be killed.
Alex whispered something into Gracier's ear, the latter smiled before Alex attacked the Queen Ant with his gun, having suffered because she had underestimated the previous bullets dreadfulness the Queen Ant jumped back.
Meanwhile, Gracier was already chanting her next spell,
『Flames hear my command and gather to become the sword that mows down my enemies: Fireballs』
Five fireballs were created, however this time instead of basketball-sized fireballs it was handball sized fireballs.
''Giggyi!"
The Queen Ant attacked by sending three wind blades in the direction of Gracier, the latter sends all her five fireballs to clash against the incoming wind blades,
KaBoom!
An explosion occurred in the sky, creating a big flame screen obstructing the Queen Ant sight. Using this chance Alex blinked and appeared in the opposite direction, he aimed Silveria at the Queen Ant and fired two bullets,
Bang!!
The Queen Ant screeched before using as shield Wind blade to change the trajectory of bullets from her.
Meanwhile, Gracier who was forgotten by the Queen Ant chanted a spell,
『Flame, you are a snake who obey my command, therefore hear my call and burn my enemy as I desire: Dance Fire Snake』
A snake made of Fire, two meters long, the Fire snake shot at the Queen Ant using the flame in the sky to hide from the Queen Ant sense and when the Queen Ant sensed the Fire snake it was already too late, she used her injured leg to clash against the Fire snake, however, there was no explosion as if it had consciousness on its own the Fire snake went inside the Queen Ant leg through her injury's.
The giant ant in front of them burned from the inside. The Queen Ant screeched in pain as its body was burning from inside.
However, worthy of being called the Queen Ant, a C Rank monster, she was not going to end like this. While screeching, she tore off the leg that the Fire snake was moving inside it.
Alex was surprised but he was not going to let their precious plan go to waste when it was at its end, while firing two normal bullets at the injured Queen Ant Alex said, ''It's now your turn Sil.''
〖Roger Master〗
Silveria answered before a white bullet was shot from the gun and went straight toward the Queen Ant, the latter was furious because she hadn't avoided the previous two bullets, one of them injured her other leg and now another one was coming, extremely mad she screeched before spitting her Acidic poison at the incoming White bullet, however surprisingly this bullet avoided the poison by going in the opposite direction, the Queen Ant eyes widened, she felt a sudden feeling of death, the bullet avoided all her attacks, suddenly the Queen Ant body stopped for a millisecond and it was all it took for the White bullet to penetrate her head and destroy her brain.
Before dying the Queen Ant glared at Gracier who was panting heavily, sweat dripping from her forehead.
Alex and Gracier fell onto the ground exhausted, Alex was feeling drained because of the last bullet, it was the famous Homing Bullet Silveria unlocked after he became Level 15. Gracier on the other hand was feeling exhausted physically and more importantly mentally, casting spell after spell like that was exhausting, she had also used her left eye numerous times on a monster powerful than her, she was having a headache.
Alex observed Gracier before announcing ''Let rest for few minutes.''
Gracier only nodded her head because she couldn't even open her mouth at the moment, she was really tired.