บท 159: Chapter One-Hundred and Fifty-Four: This map isn’t helping….
Drake and Theodore were still stuck waiting for Drake's legs to slowly heal. Theodore offered to carry him but Drake refused.
"We should be fine for now, since you're concealing us," Drake said in a hushed voice, "It's open and we can tell where the Ants are coming and going, letting us know if we're in danger beforehand. If we went into a tunnel there's no telling if we were going to be ambushed…. I'm not sure how they found us but somehow they tracked us to that tunnel, and my Aura sense can't penetrate the cave walls."
Drake sighed, and rubbed his itchy legs, the healing process was thankfully painless to a degree, but the sensation coming back felt a lot like when your legs went to sleep.
"What is our plan of attack, my Lord? Shalleth we scour the tunnels until we find our esteemed prize?" Theodore asked, his fingers tapping on his cane almost like he was playing on a keyboard.
"Ah,ah,ah," Drake chided, waving his finger, then remembering he and Theo couldn't see each other. "We have a map, remember?" Drake chuckled, pulling out the piece of paper, "And what's with the hands, I can hear them from here? Are you nervous Theo?" Drake asked.
"Certainly not," Theodore said, not ceasing, "Tis but an effect of the skill. This one must control the puppets like a puller of strings. Please pay this one no mind."
"Oh? That's kind of cool…. Ok! So let's see what this map can….Damn it.." Drake cursed, looking at the wall across from them on the other side of the cavern.
"Problem my Lord?"
"Yeah… I don't know if the Ants built on top of where the Goblins put the hoard, moved it, or sunk it, but," Drake pointed to the opposite wall, "That is where the map says the treasure horde should be."
"Then..?" Theodore asked.
"Then, this map is fucking useless!" Drake scoffed, throwing the map back into his inventory.
Crossing his arms and scowling out into the dimly lit cavern, Drake sighed, waiting for his recovery to complete.
"I guess we just have to do this the old fashioned way," Drake hummed.
"What, might this one ask, is the old fashioned way?" Theodore asked.
—------------------
"My Lord…. This is not what this one anticipated when thou stated he was going to take the old fashioned way…" Theodore sighed, obviously disappointed.
"What way did you think I meant Theo?" Drake laughed slightly, his left hand on the tunnel wall.
"This one expected….. Black Magic, divination, or possibly another wondrous means of predicting our journey not…." Theodore trailed off, walking behind Drake.
"Not what? Left hand on the maze's wall?" Drake scoffed, "Hate to break it to ya Theo, I don't have unlimited skills or spells for things."
Drake and Theodore were now walking down a tunnel they found, hugging the left side as they followed the bends and twists of it, doing their best to avoid the coming and going Ants that skittered to and fro throughout it.
"Man… So much experience just passing by… My gamer heart is aching!" Drake mumbled.
"You can kill them all later… Remember if you alert them to where you are, you will be stuck in another skirmish with dear Theo exposed," Natto reminded.
I know, I know… I was just hoping to let loose a bit more. I didn't get to really use everything in that last fight. Maybe once we find the treasure room it will be more secure. And on that thought, how the fuck did the Ants move a whole what im assuming is a vault? Drake thought asking the begging question.
"I would assume they simply moved the earth. There are tens of thousands, if not more of these vermin. Ants on your planet can lift one hundred times their own body weight if I am not mistaken. It would not be surprising that a human sized ant would be able to do the same?"
Then what was with the weak one earlier? I threw him like a paperweight, even if i was using my fire endowment.
"Abnormality?"
Come on, abnormality? Things are considered rare because they are…. The chances of one of three princes being the ones who happen to be extra super weak?
"Then what are you proposing?"
Drake grit his teeth, accidently carving a chunk out of the wall as he gripped his hand too tightly.
Fuck.. He cursed, sighing.
I think he was holding back, like he wanted to look like I overwhelmed him. Drake thought, walking forward as he suddenly needed to take a left turn.
"Impossible. These monsters want to kill you, for what reason would one need to hold back?" Natto asked.
That's what I'd like to know…
"My Lord…" Theodore suddenly whispered, bringing Drake out of his conversation with Natto.
"Yeah?" Drake replied, turning out of habit but seeing nothing.
"We seem to have intruded on some sort of nursery," Theodore whispered.
"A what?" Drake said confused, turning around again, "Oh, would you look at that…."
Drake held back the urge to whistle in amazement. Covering every inch of the walls were eggs, Tyrant Ant Nursers tending to them here and there. In between every few rows of eggs, beasts that were once running about outside piled high.
"That explains the food shortage… But aren't they also exhausting their food by doing this? They're going to run out eventually," Drake thought aloud.
"Indeed. This one cannot fathom how they are replenishing their stores if everything on the outside haseth pushed to be boneth dry," Theodore agreed.
"Another thing to add to the long list of mysteries right now… This sponsor is doing a real shit job of administering this tutorial," Drake scoffed.
"Ah," Theodore said in surprise.
"What?"
"This one just received a quest to stab my Lord. It doth not specify a reward…"
Drake raised a brown and looked to the sky, raising a hand and a single finger.
"You think you're funny, prick? Better hope I don't catch you outside," he grumbled.
Looking back into the room, Drake began to ponder his options. If the nursery was here, that would mean that the Queen should be relatively close as well.
A plan began to form in Drake's head.
"Alright, lets scout this out a bit," Drake said hushed, "So far your concealment has been doing wonders. They can't seem to track us at all like before. How are you doing on mana?" Drake asked.
"As long as this one does not have to cast any subsequent spells? This one dares say that he could keepeth the spell indefinitely," Theodore replied in a chipper tone.
Drake assumed Theodore was also twirling his mustache although he could not see it.
"Good, that's perfect for us. Let's look around a bit more, I want to find out if we are near the Queen's throne, or if this is just one nursery of many. I'm hoping for the former because I'd rather not have more bugs on our hands…."
"Indubitably, my Lord. It shall be done. Wilt thou like to separate or shall we proceed together?"
"Let's keep as a pair, If you somehow get caught by one of those Princes… Sorry but I don't think you could hold your own right now Theo," Drake explained.
"Think nothing of it my Lord. This one understands their position. And to be forthright, this one would prefer to make it back to his beloved by the end."
"Theo…."
"Yes, my Lord?"
"You can't drop a death flag like that man," Drake sighed, "Susmaryosept, now I have to try extra hard to make sure you survive…."
"Apologies."
Drake waved his hand as he chuckled.
"Don't worry about it, I never planned on letting you get hurt again anyway. Let's get going, my Mark on the Prince just faded, and he was just sitting down a ways off from us."
"Sitting down?" Theodore asked.
Drake nodded out of habit then scoffed as he caught himself, "Yeah, I couldn't see what he was sitting on, but he's been stationary for a while now. I can see an outline of whatever I mark to some extent and get a general sense of where they are. The big lug was on the other side of the nest it seems."
"Drake," Natto interrupted.
Hmm? Drake replied.
"You need to find a place to rest," she instructed.
What? I feel fine?
"Not you ape, Theodore!"
He just said he was fine?
"Of course he did, he does not wish to be a burden again! Why do you think he came here again in the first place! Or was that 'I know why you came,' All hot air?"
Oh…. I forget sometimes that other mage classes are not like me. Damn it. Drake cursed.
"Theo," Drake said.
"Yes my Lord? Are we moving now?" Theodore replied.
"No, we're scrapping the plan for now, we need to find a place for us to spend the night."
"But.. my Lord, what of finding the treasure room?"
Drake waved his hand dismissing Theodore, not that he could see it.
"It's fine we have a lot of time. There's no need to rush. I promise we will get to it in time, and safely."
"Now who is raising death flags…." Natto scoffed.
"My Lord's will is my command. Speak it and it shall be so," Theodore answered in a brief hushed tone.
Drake imagined Theodore bowing at the waist in a butler-esque pose, and smirked slightly.
"Then, let's get a move on, need to find a place to hole up tonight," Drake affirmed, and began to walk the wall through the nursery, assuming Theodore was following not long behind.
Drake and Theodore were passing the pile of monster and animal corpses when Drake stopped, THeodore running into him abruptly.
"My Lord?" Theodore asked.
"I just got a great idea…" Drake sneered, holding out a palm as he pulled an item from his inventory, "I guess I really am an asshole," he laughed.
[Man Eating Fruit Tree] [F-Grade]
"Even these Ants do not deserve this…" Natto said, but couldn't hid the slight glib in her voice.
Please… they're monsters. They would kill us without a second thought. Least they can do is help us solve our food problem. And to be honest I just want to fuck with them, that Prince pissed me off…. Drake thought.
"Because he did not take you seriously and held back?" Natto asked snickering.
Yeah. Fuck that guy, or insect. Whatever, screw him is all I'm saying. Drake scoffed, dropping the seeds onto the corpses.
"Alright, Theo. Let's get the hell out of Dodge," Drake urged.
"Sire, we are in the Ant's Hive not Dodge," Theodore replied confused.
"I know what I said, just hurry up!"
—--------------
"We need to do something about it!" Claire screamed.
Bjorn looked out onto the land that was cleared, some of it sunken in thanks to the tunnel below collapsing.
"There's nothing we can do. Without knowing where the tunnels are or where they are, we could just collapse another tunnel on top of them," Bjorn said gritting his teeth.
"You're the strongest in the tutorial! Can't you do something?!" she shouted again gripping at his arm, "I can't lose him! I can't lose him…. Like I lost my brother… I don't want to be all alone again… please…"
Bjorn didn't say anything, unable to give her comfort or a solution. Soon Harley, and Chelsea came to pull her away.
"Why aren't you angry!? Theodore is missing and probably with him too! How can you be so calm!?" Claire said, ripping her arm from Harley, shouting in her face.
Harley shook her head, "That is exactly why I am not worried," she said evenly, although her hand shook subtly, "I know that he is with Mr. Shot, and he will not let anything happen to him. If you believe in him," Harley said looking back at Claire, "You will trust he will come back safely one way or another."
Claire lost her gusto as she collapsed to her knees, Harley and Chelsea helping her back up to her feet after a few moments of comforting her.
With them leaving and going back into the fortress, Bjorn continued to look out, waiting for something, anything he could use to help and find them. His eyes trained on the horizon, and his ocular skill on constantly to find it.
Soon footsteps came from behind him, but he didn't bother to move.
"What ya thinking big guy? I know that idjit ain't ganna die lying down, but this one is a doozie if I ever seen one. Might as well be bear caught in the living room, everythings a mess, and don't know up from down right now," Hudson said, giving a tense sigh.
"We wait… It's all we can do right now. We wait until there's something we can use and go from there. That collapse didn't only trap them inside, but also the Ants sooner or later they will need to come up, whether it's for food, air, or whatever else. And when they do, I'm going in and bringing them back. I should have never let him get close to the damned wall alone in the first place. He's nothing but a reckless bastard…" Bjorn said, sighing.
"That's true," Hudson agreed, then gave Bjorn a pat on the shoulder awkwardly, as he had to step on his toes to reach it, "But, that damned bastard is a stubborn one too."
Hudson, walked back to the fortress with the others, deciding to go to the top of the rampart to get a better view, as he didn't have an ocular ability like the rest.
Bjorn continued to stay vigilant searching for anything.
"Don't worry bro, I'm coming. Just stay alive long enough for me to get there. Can't have you dying before you put a stop me…."
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