Chapter 40
16. Floor 4 Test (8)
[You have defeated a Giant Ant.] ×5
[You have earned 40 points.] ×5
[Your experience has increased.]
SCREEEEEECH!
Screee!
Deep within the lowest level of the fourth-floor test—
[The Constellation <Rising King of Central China> marvels at this sight, claiming it’s a first for him.]
Countless ants were meeting their death.
At the center stood a lone man.
Slash.
Each time he swung his sword, the ants’ armored scales were neatly sliced apart.
SPLAAAASH—!
Spraying green blood, the ants collapsed one by one.
Were they trying to avenge their comrades?
Upon witnessing this, more ants swarmed toward Lee Jinhyuk like waves.
Even a swarm of small ants can be terrifying—imagine human-sized ones charging.
It was truly an overwhelming sight.
And yet, Lee Jinhyuk moved forward like a machine, unfazed by fear.
[Skill <Dragon’s Eye> has been activated.]
“I can see it.”
ZZZZZTTT—!
With the activation of the dragon’s innate power, the surroundings turned golden.
The ants’ heartbeats, the movement of their legs, the orders passed between them, and their fear—
He could see it all.
How the pheromone system operated, and who was at the center of it.
All this information flowed into his mind through his eyes.
“These regular ants are nothing but fodder.”
Whooooosh!
[Skill <Sacred Flame Dragon> has been activated.]
“First, eliminate the ones giving orders.”
Giant Ants—due to their enormous size, they were classified as monsters rather than mere insects.
Still, fundamentally, they were ants.
They operated via a pheromone-based command system.
Pheromones, in essence, are scents.
Normally, Lee Jinhyuk’s underdeveloped sense of smell wouldn’t have detected them.
But he had the eyes of a dragon: <Dragon’s Eye>.
A power that allowed him to see and perceive all forces and materials in existence.
Thanks to it, the flow of pheromones among the ants was clearly visible to him.
[You have defeated a Giant Ant.] ×6
[You have earned 40 points.] ×6
[Your experience has increased.]
Gripping the <Basic Brock Sword> and <Scale Destroyer> in each hand, Lee Jinhyuk leapt forward.
Slash.
Every time he swung, not one, but two or three ants died at once.
His unique combat style focused solely on targeting vital points and weak spots.
[Constellation <Rising King of Central China> watches your swordsmanship with great interest.]
The <Rising King of Central China> was a powerful figure from the vast world of <Zhongyuan>.
He had mastered the ultimate forms of many weapons.
Naturally, he observed Lee Jinhyuk’s swordsmanship closely.
[Constellation <Rising King of Central China> claims what you’re doing can’t be considered “swordsmanship.”]
[However, he admits your sword is extremely effective at killing your enemies.]
“Hah, so he stayed quiet until now just to backseat about my swordplay?”
Lee Jinhyuk smirked.
“From his perspective, I guess I’m just a guy with good combat sense but poor form.”
That assessment wasn’t entirely wrong.
Before regression, the power he wielded as the King of Lamentation depended on very specific conditions.
[Constellation <Rising King of Central China> sponsors you with 1,000 points.]
[He claims you could learn deeper swordsmanship if you became his apostle.]
Indeed, if he accepted, he could learn far more refined techniques, unlike his current “incomplete swordsmanship.”
Perhaps even the <Immortal Imperial Sword Technique> that made this constellation an emperor and master swordsman.
[Constellation <King of Muspel> mocks the lame swordsmanship of that other constellation.]
[He offers to teach you an overwhelmingly superior sword style if you become his apostle.]
“Even Surtr’s stepping in?”
Surtr’s sword style—<Ragna Blade>—was based on overwhelming firepower and brute force.
In terms of sheer destructive capability, no one could match it.
[Constellation <Fire That Killed the Mother God> claims his <Heavenly Flame Sword Technique> has the highest completion among sword styles.]
[King of Muspel snorts.]
[Rising King of Central China considers the others arrogant.]
“Everyone’s getting worked up.”
Perhaps it was because they had confirmed that Lee Jinhyuk possessed the power of a dragon.
Only five constellations remained, yet their recruitment war was intensifying.
Screeeeeeech—!
Regardless of what the constellations said, Lee Jinhyuk dove back into the swarm of ants.
“There it is.”
He spotted the one giving orders to the others—a soldier ant, larger and more heavily armored.
FLAP—!
Upon spotting it, Lee Jinhyuk spread his wings and leapt into the air.
“KIEEEEEEE!”
Unlike the others, the soldier ant shrieked and lunged with its fangs.
But Lee Jinhyuk twisted midair and dodged.
Slash.
Then, he sliced the part connecting its lower jaw to its head.
A clean line split across its head, and it was severed perfectly in half.
[You have defeated a soldier-class Giant Ant.]
[You have earned 1,000 points.]
[Your level has increased!]
[Constellation <Snake That Encompasses the World> marvels at your winged movement!]
[Constellation <Fire That Killed the Mother God> is impressed by your aerial swordsmanship!]
“I’m getting the hang of this.”
As he kept defeating them, his experience and points kept rising.
Not only that—his control of his wings had improved, and he could now use them as a core part of his combat strategy.
“You fight well.”
Stormhawk, flying low, merely observed Jinhyuk.
Tap tap!
“You asking why I’m not helping?” he said to the egg resting on his head.
“No one asked me to.”
Tap.
“Besides, we barely met—can’t say I owe him anything.”
“Stormhawk!” Jinhyuk shouted.
“Come down now! We need to enter the ant nest!”
“Got it.”
With a gust of wind, Stormhawk landed.
WHOOOOSH!
The Giant Ants were blown back instantly.
[Skill <Dragon’s Eye> has been activated.]
[<Dragon’s Eye> merges with buff <Locate the Flag>.]
Using the gap Stormhawk created, Jinhyuk combined his skill and buff once more.
The entrance to the ant nest and its interior structure came into clear view.
“Without this buff, I wouldn’t have been able to navigate this place.”
Even Jinhyuk couldn’t just blindly stumble through such an enormous ant maze.
Without a special skill, it was hopeless.
That’s why he chose the “buff” reward over anything else on the third floor.
“Let’s go.”
Tap tap!
Leading the way was the egg.
BOOM—!
Perhaps it had picked up habits from Jinhyuk, having spent so much time in battle.
It used the <Ancient Flame Dragon Scale> it had absorbed as a shield, crashing into the ants like a battering ram.
Screee?
The ants cried in confusion—the egg, smaller than their own young, was breaking their heads like a bullet.
And Jinhyuk didn’t miss the opening.
[Skill <Sacred Flame Dragon> has been activated.]
WHOOSH—!
The entire nest was soon engulfed in divine flame.
With no room to escape, the ants were trapped in a fiery inferno.
“This fire…”
Stormhawk’s eyes gleamed as the white flames wrapped around him warmly.
“It used to hurt before.”
But now, the flames healed him, restored his strength, and protected him from the ants’ fangs and claws.
How could the same flame have such different effects?
“Does it distinguish between friend and foe? Is that even possible?”
Fire burns all. Wind blows everything away.
Yet this force could selectively shield allies while harming enemies.
Even Stormhawk, who had lived for centuries, had never seen such power.
“I can’t just stand here.”
WHOOOOO—!
He flapped his massive wings.
His gusts fanned the sacred flame, spreading it farther and faster.
The ants caught in it began to burn and die.
“Good.”
And that wasn’t all.
“I know. This way.”
Tap tap!
Jinhyuk rode the wind with the egg, gaining incredible speed thanks to Stormhawk’s power.
“This way!”
“Right. Let’s go.”
Stormhawk created more wind, flames spread farther, and they dashed through the tunnels.
Tap tap!
The egg led the way, smashing any ants in their path.
[Constellation <Snake That Encompasses the World> is amazed by your tactics!]
[It’s dying to know how you acquired the power of a dragon!]
[All five constellations watch you with deep fascination.]
Thanks to them, they tore through the complex maze like a storm.
KIIIIIIIIIEEK—!
Even when soldier ants tried to block the way—
[You consume sacred flame.]
[Item <Scale Destroyer> begins to wail.]
The <Scale Destroyer>, spinning like a chainsaw, cut through all obstacles.
“These guys are tough, but this weapon slices through them so easily?”
“I’ve got my secrets.”
“Is it because the white flames are softening their shells?”
“That’s part of it.”
The ants’ shells were counted as “scales,” so the weapon’s cutting power was being fully unleashed.
SLASH!
Every swing of the dagger was fatal.
Green fluid sprayed as the ants dropped like flies.
FLAP—!
Wings of white flame spread wide.
“Let’s keep pushing forward.”
“Agreed.”
Finding the queen in this vast nest was simple.
The center.
Where the pheromones were most concentrated.
That’s where the queen resided.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the ant nest…
“What’s going on?”
In a chamber too vast to be taken in at once—unlike any other room.
On a throne carved of stone, one figure stood up and roared.
“I asked you what happened!”
BUZZZZZZZ—!
Out of fury, intense mana surged around her.
A blend of pheromones and mana, a force only ants could use: Domination.
No ant nearby could resist its influence.
“T-the thing is…”
“A… trespasser has entered.”
“A trespasser?”
BOOM!
Sliding down from the throne, the queen flew forward and grabbed something midair.
ZZZZZTTTT—
Using bluish mana, she summoned her crown and royal scepter.
She resembled a humanoid—or a demihuman.
Her shell was smooth like armor, and she walked upright.
The other four limbs moved like extra arms.
“How could there be a trespasser here?”
“A Stormhawk… is among them.”
“Stormhawk…!”
The queen clenched her scepter.
“That cursed creature dared to come this far.”
The ants here had no natural predators.
Sometimes, they devoured players eliminated on Floor 4, and used their items to build facilities.
Even harpies, wyverns, or griffons wouldn’t dare descend here.
They’d be torn apart by the ant legions.
With one exception: Stormhawk.
Being the wind itself, he couldn’t be harmed.
Unless the queen herself acted—with magic.
“You’ve got guts. Coming into the Ant Kingdom itself.”
Her eyes glinted.
“Good. He’ll die today.”
“A-and…”
A nearby General Ant hesitantly added:
“There’s also a human… with him.”
“So what?”
ZZZZZZT—!
“That pathetic human is no variable in this war. He won’t matter in the slightest.”
“…Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Just prepare.”
The queen activated multiple magic circles and shouted:
“Make sure that Stormhawk bastard dies once and for all!”
