Chapter 85 The Antsauroid
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The day after he entered the Valend Cave Kingdom, Ayumu found himself unexpectedly gifted with the chance to wield one of Valend’s mechanical crossbows. He reassured himself it wasn’t because he had quarreled with the dwarves—far from it. Instead, the dwarves had pressed the weapon into his hands, saying, “Lord Yugan, take this with you.”
His curiosity had gotten the better of him. The rare metals used in weapons and war machines intrigued him, and he had asked to see firsthand how the dwarves mined them. The dwarves agreed, but not without a catch. They handed him the crossbow with a gruff laugh: “Lord Yugan, a man must protect his own hide!”
What? They’re not going to protect me? Ayumu thought in dismay. But it was no use arguing. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. So he followed them into the mines—only to immediately regret it, for he soon encountered a monster.
”Whoa—!” he shouted, nearly staggering under the impossible recoil of the mechanical crossbow. He managed to fire a bolt, and when he looked up to see what he had hit, his skin crawled.
It was a bipedal ant.
Disgust welled up in him. Carapaces and insects had always repulsed him on a gut level.
”Ugh… what the hell is that thing?” he muttered.
One of the dwarves answered briskly. “That, sir, is an Antsauroid! Nasty creatures. They dig their own tunnels and barge into ours whenever they please.”
Another added, “Lord Yugan, though they mimic the form of humans and demi-humans, they’re hostile monsters through and through. Do not hesitate to strike them down. Not that hesitation seems your problem…”
Ayumu frowned. “So that’s what they are… Still, this one seems to have some intelligence. Look—it carries something like a spear, carved from bone.”
Indeed, the Antsauroid clutched a crude weapon, its segmented fingers dexterous enough to wield it with unsettling precision.
”Aye,” the dwarf replied. “Savage, yes, but clever enough. No one knows where they come from.”
”Likely the Birene Mine Tunnel,” another grumbled. “That place is rich with ore, but crawling with Antsauroid higher breeds. A cursedly dangerous spot.”
Ayumu’s thoughts darkened. So the Birene Mine Tunnel is that dangerous… Even if untouched veins of ore lie there, I’d rather not go. But a few samples would make fine gifts for Yugan… Perhaps, with the right preparation, I should risk it once.
Resolved, Ayumu continued his tour of the mining site, the weight of the crossbow still heavy in his hands.
Notes:
• Valend Cave Kingdom – Dwarven realm mentioned in the map.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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