The green landscape was a blur in Aenon's vision as he dashed across the terrain. His enhanced stats showed their worth as he ran faster than most modern cars from back home. Yet, no creature accosted him on his journey. On the contrary, most cretins actively ran for cover when they detected his Aura, which he kept unleashed. The only opponents Aenon actively avoided were the Treants, not wanting to get into another prolonged battle.

His goal was to get out of the forest and head for the unknown dungeon in the river delta. For the sake of efficiency, he had split the pack into three groups. Bane with six of the wolves, Venge with the pups and Jenny, and finally Aenon. It was liberating to be back by his lonesome as the other groups worked on their assigned tasks.

Venge oversaw training Jenny and the pups. After having a few casual spars with Jenny, he had decided to leave her training up to the mother wolf. It also helped that Jenny was around the same level as the pups. Since she was a tank, this would be a great opportunity for her to lead a group, while simultaneously gaining levels. Their focus would be the spider and goblin dungeons. He wasn't particularly afraid of Jenny or the pups' safety, Venge could very easily steer them away from anything that they couldn't handle. And the training would be good for everyone involved. For now, he needed to focus on his own growth. He was running out of time.

He ran full tilt across the forest canopy, blazing past startled creatures who weren't fast enough to get into their hiding spots. He had stopped getting any XP from most of these creatures, with the Umbral Spider Matriarch the only exception. They just weren't challenging enough. He needed to make it to the dungeon in the river delta and figure out if it was a viable option for him to level up. Bane and the other six wolves on the other hand were on their way north towards Silver Falls. He had commanded them to scout along the mountains and try to locate any more alpha variants.

With the matriarch down, he had three more alphas to contend against. Aenon guessed that the Treants would have a leader variant too. But they were not prepared to face that yet. He needed more levels and spells before that. He hoped that the dungeon would be a source for some much-needed XP as well as Spell training.

He pulled up his map on which he had marked the Umbral Spider dungeon's location. It was at the base of the mountains, due northwest of Reality's Edge. He just had to run about 100 kilometers—62 mile—to reach the coastline and then figure out a way to cross it.

Crossing such a large distance on foot would have been a tedious task back on Earth. But with his enhanced stats, it was a breeze. He rapidly closed the distance to the water, only stopping once to eat some food and relieve himself. When he finally reached the spot, he bent down on one knee and felt the water with his fingers. He pondered whether he should just swim across. The wolves were not a big fan of the idea, but if he was by himself then maybe he could.

But before he did so, he wanted to try something. He pulled up his complete spell list.

Spells

Air Manipulation (Minor) | Type: Air | Cost: 300 + 200/min

Manipulate air and wind to trap gases and scents in small pockets. Can deflect small, lightweight projectiles. Can be used to generate projectiles using instant cast. At minor proficiency, either control a volume of 2 cubic meter of air or create a mild air current.

Earth Manipulation (Intermediate) | Type: Earth | Cost: 300 + 200/min

Manipulate dirt and stone to form structures which can be levitated. Mana cost for levitation increases with size. Can be used to generate projectiles using instant cast. At intermediate proficiency, the volume of dirt that can be manipulated is limited to 5 cubic meter (176 cubic feet).

Fire Manipulation (Basic) | Type: Fire | Cost: 300 + 200/min

Control flames to make them grow or shrink in size. Can be used to generate projectiles using instant cast. At basic proficiency, the control area is limited to 1 cubic meter.

Water Manipulation (Minor) | Type: Water | Cost: 300 + 200/min

Manipulate water freely for both attack and defense. The shape will linger for 20 seconds before dissipating. Can be used to generate projectiles using instant cast. At minor proficiency, the volume of water that can be controlled is 2 cubic meter (70 cubic feet)

Light Manipulation (Intermediate) | Type: Light | Mana cost: 200 + 150 /min

Manipulate light to project illusions of your choosing, including invisibility. At intermediate proficiency, can be cast on objects the same size as your body.

Physical Barrier (Minor) | Type: Space | Cost: 400 + 200/min

Manipulate space to create impenetrable barriers. At minor proficiency the barrier is limited to 1 square meter (10 square feet) and can be moved at will.

Magical Barrier (Basic) | Type: none | Cost: 400 + 200/min

Manipulate pure internal mana to create impenetrable barriers that block ethereal objects and foreign mana. At basic proficiency the barrier is limited to 0.25 square meter (2.7 square feet) and cannot be moved.

Feather Foot (Intermediate) | Type: Gravity | Cost: 400 + 500/min

Manipulate gravity to make yourself lighter. At intermediate proficiency, reduces your weight by 40%.

Gravity Well (Basic) | Type: Gravity | Cost: 200 + 400/min

Create miniature gravity orbs which attract nearby objects. At basic proficiency, the field is extremely weak.

Overcharge | Type: none | Cost: 1000/min

Pushes the limits of elemental spells to the extreme, allowing you to jump in proficiency rank for some time. WARNING: Can cause instability of mana and a violent backlash depending on how long you channel the spell.

Hybrid Spells

Blooming Earth (EM Proficiency + 1) | Overcharge + Earth Manipulation | Cost: 1500/min

Creates a dozen earth spikes every second in an area around the caster for as long as spell is channeled.

Ice Manipulation (Lesser of WM and AM) | Air Manipulation + Water Manipulation | Cost: 600 + 400/min

Manipulate water to form shapes before freezing it in place using air currents. Spell proficiency is based on Air and Water Manipulation (lesser of the two)

Gravity Bomb (GW Proficiency +1) | Overcharge + Gravity Well | Cost: 1400/min

Create a sphere of dense gravity wisps that pulls in everything indiscriminately, forming an unstable concoction.

His Water and Air Manipulation were at minor proficiency, which meant their combination—Ice Manipulation— was also at minor. He wanted to use this opportunity to upgrade them since the surrounding area was utterly saturated with water and air wisps. In his fight against the Treant he used it to make ice spears. And he could control about two cubic meter volume of matter. But after observing Jenny's fight, he had a bunch of ideas for improvement.

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He started gathering mana in his palm that was underwater to create a thin layer of water at the surface and started rapidly cooling it down using forced air currents. A small 1-meter (6.5-foot) platform of ice started forming in front of him.

He removed his hand to study his work. Taking a tentative step forward, he stood on the ice. It was slippery as expected but managed to hold his weight. It wobbled if he stood too close to the edge though and was probably not suited to carry multiple people. It had cost him 1000 mana in total to create the raft, and now he needed a way to move it.

He could create paddles for the raft, but since he was planning to practice his Spells, he sat down and dipped his hand in the water. Gathering more mana, he created a water current to push his impromptu vessel. The expense of 200/min was less than half his regen rate of 438/min. If he didn't have to battle some sea creatures along the way he could sustain the current indefinitely. He alternated between using air and water currents to push the raft. Thankfully, his armor insulated him from the cold surface quite well.

He didn't go too fast, just enjoying the breeze against his face. He did sense a couple of strong souls somewhere in the depths of the river, but they either didn't detect him or were content in their deep underwater dwellings. And so Aenon took a casual hour-long boat ride to get to the other side. By which time his proficiencies had ticked up to Intermediate ranks. The only changes in the spell descriptions were the volume of matter he could control, and the strength of the currents.

Spell Upgraded: Air Manipulation | Minor → Intermediate

Spell Upgraded: Water Manipulation | Minor → Intermediate

Air Manipulation (Intermediate) | Type: Air | Cost: 300 + 200/min

Manipulate air and wind to trap gases and scents in small pockets. Can deflect small, lightweight projectiles. Can be used to generate projectiles using instant cast At intermediate proficiency, the volume of air that can be controlled is 5 cubic meter (176 cubic feet) and can be used to create strong air currents.

Water Manipulation (Intermediate) | Type: Water | Cost: 300 + 200/min

Manipulate water freely for both attack and defense. The shape will linger for 20 seconds before dissipating. Can be used to generate projectiles using instant cast. At intermediate proficiency, the volume of water that can be controlled is 5 cubic meter (176 cubic feet) and can be used to create strong underwater currents.

His Fire Manipulation proficiency was lagging, since he was yet to find a place with enough fire wisps. He had considered trading with the fire mage, Velastra, for her staff. But he didn't know its value and didn't know what he could trade it for. He pushed the thought away and continued running towards the dungeon. There was a much narrower river channel ahead which he just jumped across using a series of ice platforms he put down.

When he finally reached the familiar obelisk of the dungeon, the description brought a wide smile on his face. It was the perfect training spot for him, and not just because of the level difficulty. Something told him, the word fire in the inhabitant's names wasn't just for describing how their bites felt like.

Dungeon Interface

Dungeon monster type: Fire Ants

Dungeon state: Overflowing (10 Fire Ants per week) -SEALED

Recommended level: 55-60

Recommended party size: 10

The recommended party size and levels was concerning since he was solo and at half the required level. He deduced it must be because of the nature of ants. They were hive creatures who would swarm together and take down much larger and stronger opponents. If they used similar tactics, things could get ugly real fast. Not to mention, the current state said the dungeon was releasing ten mobs per week. Although he didn't know what "sealed" meant.

The only upside to the situation was the possibility of an ant queen, which could reduce the number of alphas he needed to track down.

Aenon snuck closer to the pillar and found an impressive structure beside it. It was a white ceramic like material that was hill shaped and consisted of multiple openings at different angles and heights—a typical anthill design. The more interesting things were the inhabitants who were milling about their home.

There was a steady stream of large ants—about the size of a dog—that were moving in organized lines between the coastline and the anthill. They were carrying mud and clay in their pincers which they deposited onto the structure. Another group would then sit close and start emitting heat to dry and convert the soft material into a hardened layer.

Aenon was fascinated by their efficiency and ingenuity. His Mana Sense showed a high concentration of fire wisps, most of which were being emitted from their bodies. He would have continued being impressed with them, if not for the familiar oily feeling he got from their souls. Every ant had traces of Corruption on them.

He observed that the Fire Ants were distinguishable both by looks and the types of tasks they did. The dog sized ones—numbered in the hundreds—were milling about doing the construction, while the pickup truck sized variants were eagerly studying the area. If the pattern held, these must be the worker and soldier variants. There were around two dozen soldiers patrolling the area diligently. His Identify confirmed his findings.

Fire Ant – These insectoid creatures are elemental organisms native to volcanic biomes and enchanted badlands. They have very weak eyesight, but an exceptional sense of smell and can detect heat fluctuations with ease.

Fire Ant Worker – The worker variant's primary duty is the construction and maintenance of their deeply burrowed homes. Their ability to superheat their bodies can flash dry clay to form a hard ceramic surface. Docile by nature, they rarely attack others unless their home is threatened. Although, they can be called to arms by Fire Ant Soldiers.

Fire Ant Soldier – Protectors of their home, these are specially bred for wanton destruction and violence. Have several elemental attacks and vicious pincers which they use to take down much stronger enemies using group tactics.

Unlike the goblins, there were no slackers present. Every individual did their part without rest. Aenon sensed a lot more underground, but none that stood out as a queen version. But since he couldn't feel the entirety of the enormous tunnel system, he predicted the queen was there somewhere.

His reasoning was simple. The dungeon portal where the ants were supposed to come out of was sealed using the same ceramic material. Which meant the only way the ants could have grown in number was through a queen. And he suspected the queen must have been the one to instruct the workers to seal off the dungeon. They were highly territorial creatures after all. At least their levels weren't as high—averaging in the forties.

But the most concerning part to Aenon was what the ants had constructed next to their humble home. A dam had been built to curb the flow of water that had boxed them in from both sides. It allowed them a safe passage across while also diverting the flow away from their dwelling. The water was not completely cut off, and so didn't cause a reservoir from pooling up, but it created a much larger playing field for the ants to expand their construction.

Just how smart are these things, Aenon thought while keeping his distance.

He continued observing the swarm from afar till nightfall when finally, all the Fire Ants retreated into their home. Only a few smaller groups that had splintered off into the distance to scavenge for food had not returned. The ones that did carried with them carcasses much bigger than their body. For all intents and purposes, this colony operated much like the ants from his planet. And if that was the case, their numbers would keep multiplying till the ant queen was taken down.

Aenon decided to follow the tracks of one of the hunting parties that was yet to return. He needed to study them more closely in action, and if possible, fight them himself. The possibility of their numbers growing to unmanageable levels was high, and he needed to start whittling them down ASAP. He managed to catch up with the raiding party about 10 kilometers—6 miles—due northeast of their base. They were still in the river delta and were engaged in a fight with what appeared to be a large crustacean. It looked like a crab, but didn't have eyes and its shell was textured like the sand around them.

<Fire Ant Soldier | Level 45>

<Fire Ant Soldier | Level 38>

<Fire Ant Soldier | Level 41>

<Fire Ant Soldier | Level 36>

<Fire Ant Soldier | Level 39>

<Fire Ant Soldier | Level 40>

<Fire Ant Soldier | Level 43>

<River Murkcrab | Level 58>

River Murkrab – These subspecies of giant crab are known for their impermeable defensive carapace. The hardened shell is a favorite amongst armor crafters, as it provides excellent protection while also providing a cooling effect in hot weather conditions. Their vicious pincers can crush boulders with ease.

The River Murkrab was unable to attack the fast-moving ants, and neither was it able to escape since it was surrounded by seven Fire Ant Soldiers. The ants too were failing at dealing any significant damage through the creature's shell. The impasse continued for a while before the Murkrab managed to grab one of the ants in its massive claws and raised it high above itself before easily bifurcating its enemy into two. But this began the downfall for the creature, since the orange blood that fell onto the crab started sizzling the moment it contacted the previously impervious shell.

The crab shrieked in pain as the viscous liquid slowly corroded through its thick carapace, exposing the soft flesh underneath. The surviving ants didn't miss their chance and pounced onto the Murkrab. Two of them climbed onto the shell, while the others locked down its claws from the sides. The ones that were on top then began spewing the same hot liquid down the hole in the crab's armor.

And just like that, the crab collapsed in exhaustion and soon it was torn apart limb from limb. Aenon observed high concentrations of fire wisps in the liquid the ants were spewing, probably their blood, or some other bodily fluid. He came up empty when thinking about how to deal with this new menace plaguing his land.

Even so, he was not deterred. He would somehow find a chink in their armor and would rout them from his domain, just like any other interloper. He just needed time, something he knew was in short supply these days.

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