Ash emerged into the sunlight. The green sea expanded out before her. Birds chattered in the spawling jungle below. The vista was such a different view from everything she had seen in the ruin that she spent a long moment just taking in the humid, warm air and the fresh smells of rainforest life.

  The entryway itself had been quite overgrown, the vines creeping up the sides of the ruin and half obscuring it. Ash could see why it hadn’t been discovered before now, even though she could actually make out semi-functional stairs beneath the twisting plant life. With some difficulty, she navigated her way down, using the overgrown stairs as much as possible before she had to circle around a thick patch of brush and hop down off a wall at the end. This let her out on the village side of the ruin. She stopped back at the crawlspace to retrieve the obsidian spear before quickly making her way out of the jungle and over towards the eastern gate, eager to see what the two obsidian weapons would earn her.

  About halfway across the open area, she received a sudden notification.

  Your body has improved from your endurance training. You now have the attribute ‘endurance training(minor)’ granting +1 to Constitution.

  That the hell, now you give that to me? Ash almost yelled out loud, but didn’t want to startle Kara who was waiting next to the gate. Well, now I’m definitely ready to smash some ant butts! 32/33 Hitpoints and stamina to swing for days! Sweet!

  Ash grinned at Kara, calling out to her as she entered the village. “Hey! Have you seen Hestia? I’ve got good news!”

  “Oh, you’ve just missed them. They set out several minutes ago.”

  “What?”

  “You know, the raid on the ant nest? They’ve gone. It’s just me and Jori here to guard the village. They told me to tell you to help with that, actually.”

  “What? No! I’m strong enough to help them now! Which way did they go?”

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  “Oh, really? Well… if that’s true, then you’d have to ask Jori. They left out his way. Plus, he’s been left in charge. He’s been told to evacuate us if they, ah… You know… Don’t come back.”

  “Thanks. And take these. They’ll probably be more useful to you guys than me.”

  Ash handed over the weapons and started running. She rushed straight through town, past the half-finished buildings, past Tyra at the main hall who called out a greeting to her as she hurried by.

  “Sorry, got to catch the others!” She panted, running on.

  Finally, she reached Jori, already dripping with sweat.

  “Ash? What’s the fuss?” The man asked worriedly “Any danger?”

  “No, but I should be out there helping them! Which way did they go?”

  “Whoa, there girl. I heard you’re still quite sick. No sense getting yourself killed out there!”

  “I levelled. I’m stronger now, okay? Just tell me where they went! I can’t let them go in there alone, knowing they might die if I’m not there to help.”

  “But I was told-”

  Jori was interrupted by Tyra, who handed Ash a bowl of cold breakfast. “Ash, dear, at least have this before you set out. You’ll need it if you’re going to fight.” When Ash looked like she was about to protest, she waggled the spoon at her, forcing it too into her hands “Don’t be silly and rush in unprepared. Eat this while Jori tells you where to head. Go ahead then honey, let the girl know what she needs.”

  Jori looked momentarily taken aback, then he sighed and conceded, recounting the description that Vidar had given of the path to the nest entrance. Ash silently listened, while forcing herself to eat as fast as possible under the watchful eye of Tyra.

  Jori held off on opening the gate until she had eaten it all, the recovery buff renewed in her status. Then Ash ran out into the trees, heading to catch up to her friends.

  The directions had been vague at best, but after she gotten past the settlement ruins, she quickly encountered evidence of battle. Smashed and electrocuted ant bodies, a few scarred or knocked down trees. The group had clearly been storming in at full force. The nest was yet further, apparently a slightly raised mound with an opening big enough to walk through. Ash only hoped she could reach them in time.

  She almost ran straight past it, a single broken ant leg indicating the presence of a nearby fight. She traced the rest of the shattered body over to a clearing littered with chitinous corpses.

  There stood the mound, placed on the edge of the clearing, a great hole in the centre sinking into the earth below. Nothing stirred around it, the open tunnel stretched down into eerie darkness. As she approached, Ash thought she could make out faint sounds coming up from the passage.

  Is that… yelling? It sounds like they’re fighting down there!

  Ash cast glow on her club, took a steadying breath, and rushed headlong into the nest of the enemy.