There are rare ant species that possess an inducing venom with toxic effects, but they are few in number and not a major threat in my world. However, in a magical world where massive ants are already a formidable danger, the addition of a toxic venom would make them an outright nightmare.

  “Tch... my hand’s gone numb,” I muttered in frustration.

  If all the ants in this cave possess the same toxic substance, I must be extra careful to avoid another bite. Fortunately, only one arm is affected, which doesn’t significantly hinder my movement—at least now I’m aware of the hidden threat within their bodies.

  I attempted to move it by opening and closing my falcon-like arms. They responded, but each movement required considerable effort, accompanied by a persistent numbing sensation. It feels as if my muscle tissue has gone limp.

  Spit Spit

  A group of scout ants spat in my direction, jolting me awake. I immediately dodged their incoming spit, now wary that even their saliva might contain a toxic substance. Not that I needed a warning—I'd gdly avoid that disgusting goo regardless.

  In response, I retaliated with my bzing spit, bsting them to pieces.

  So far, I’ve successfully taken down two of the elite guards—one during my encounter in the ant’s passage and the other just moments ago. The tter tried to block my dragon’s breath, but its front legs were shattered in the process. Now, it lies motionless on the ground, its primary support destroyed beyond repair.

  The elite guards and lesser ants relentlessly pursued me as I stood atop a rocky hill, gazing down at the dwindling swarm that once surrounded me.

  Tremble.

  The ground beneath me shook—the two elite guards were attacking the foundation, likely trying to colpse my footing and bring me down.

  “How foolish!” I scoffed at their attempt.

  Even if they succeeded in destroying my ptform, I could simply fly to another suitable spot.

  I gnced toward the pce where the ant queen resided, but to my shock, she was nowhere to be found.

  Shrieeek!

  "Wha—?!?" I excimed in surprise.

  A piercing shriek rang out above me, jolting my gaze upward. There, a massive white ant—distinct from the others—was plummeting straight toward me. At the same moment, the ptform I stood on, already under attack by the elite guards, finally gave way. Their coordinated assault had caught me off guard.

  BOOM!

  The queen’s surprise attack left me momentarily speechless, deying my reaction. Before I could evade, her mandibles cmped down on my side, sinking deep into my scales and flesh.

  “Graahhh!!” I roared in pain as her sharp teeth tore through me.

  The sheer force of her massive body smming into the ground sent a shockwave rippling outward. The impact was so immense that even her own lesser ants were crushed beneath the colpse.

  Trapped within her powerful jaws, I felt the numbing sensation spreading through my body—an unmistakable attempt to paralyze me.

  A surge of adrenaline rushed through me. Without hesitation, I gathered heat in my throat and unleashed my bzing breath directly at her face, scorching her exoskeleton. But despite the searing fmes, her grip remained firm, refusing to relent.

  “Shiiiiiit!!!” I cursed in pain.

  Without hesitation, I unleashed my other ability—Dragon’s Breath—aiming to bst apart the queen’s mandibles and break free from her crushing grip.

  BOOM!

  “SHRIIIIIEEEEEEK!!!”

  The ant queen’s agonized scream echoed through the chamber.

  One of her mandibles was obliterated, sending a gush of green blood spilling from the wound. Part of her face and eyes were also damaged by the explosion, oozing the same sickly fluid.

  THUD!

  The bst sent me hurtling through the air, finally ripping me free from the queen’s grasp. However, her crushing bite had torn into my flesh, leaving deep wounds along my side. Fortunately, the explosion itself had no effect on me—my body was highly resistant to fire, heat, and even explosive forces.

  “Kuh…” I gritted my teeth, enduring the sharp pain coursing through my injured side where the queen had bitten me.

  Feeling movement around me, I pushed myself to rise. The numbing sensation had spread, making it difficult to stand, but I endured, forcing my body to move. With effort, I took to the air, soaring briefly before nding on a rocky hill ptform, where I finally allowed myself to rest.

  SHRIIIIEEEK

  BOOM! BOOM!

  The ant queen's agonized screams echoed through the chamber as it thrashed wildly, crushing the lesser ants unfortunate enough to be nearby. The pain must have been overwhelming, even for a creature of its immense size.

  Gnce

  I watched as the queen filed in a fit of rage, its movements erratic. Half of its face had been destroyed by my earlier attacks—first, my fme breath, which it endured but left its carapace brittle, and then my dragon’s breath, which exploded upon impact, shattering its face.

  I recalled my first encounter with an elite ant. It had managed to withstand my fme breath by shielding itself with its front legs, but as a consequence, those same legs had turned brittle, making them easy to break.

  "Fire really is their weakness, huh?" I mused.

  A simple strategy formed in my mind—I would engulf the ant queen in my fme breath, weakening its carapace until it became as brittle as gss. Then, I’d finish it off with my dragon’s breath.

  "Heh... I don’t even know if this counts as a real pn," I chuckled, aware of how straightforward it was. "And my magic power is running low after using so much."

  Whether this would be enough to kill the queen or not, the outcome would only be revealed once I put my pn into action.

  Despite the numbness coursing through my entire body, I stood tall with majesty. Focusing my remaining magical power, I prepared to unleash my fme breath. However, instead of using it as usual, I gathered more energy to amplify its strength—though I made sure not to exhaust all my magic, as I still needed my dragon’s breath for the finishing blow.

  As I made my preparations, I observed the queen still writhing in agony, while her minions remained motionless, seemingly awaiting a command. Moments ter, the queen finally ceased her thrashing as the pain subsided. Then, with a seething gre, she turned toward me, revealing the grotesque remains of her half-destroyed face.

  SHRIIIIEEEEK!

  She let out an enraged screech, her voice dripping with pure hatred, as if to decre, I will kill you.

  Without hesitation, the queen lunged toward me, her eyes burning with murderous intent. As if awakened by her wrath, the once-motionless ants sprang into action, surging forward in a final desperate charge alongside their queen.

  I stood there, watching their frenzied assault unfold, all while ensuring my preparations were complete. This was it—I was about to pour everything I had into this one decisive attack, hoping it would be enough to end the queen once and for all.

  Yet, as I observed their coordinated movements, a question surfaced in my mind. The minions acted as if they were merely extensions of the queen, like a single organism operating under her will. If that was the case… what would happen to them if the queen died?

  From what I had witnessed, the ants only moved when given direct commands by their queen, their sole purpose dictated by her orders. Once a command was given, they would follow it without hesitation, even to their deaths.

  So, if I killed the queen… would her minions cease to function as well? Would they colpse like a chain of dominos?