[Ahem... what I mean is to let this problem for future Vincent to handle like always. It might go away on its own when you one day gain the Blood Tempered Body Trait.] -...I guess you might be right. I should save more Soul Power to heal myself in case it doesn't go away.- [Thats the spirit. Sensitive Vincent, pfff... haha.] Vincent donned a frown before storing the supplies he summoned inside the Soul Dimensional Storage. Later the group continued their journey. The more they walked, the more Vincent's heart pounded from an unexplainable excitement. He felt his adrenaline pumping with the wish to strike something. The feeling to resist this aggression became more challenging with every few steps. More than half a day of walking later, Lupa detected something and shouted to stop. Her tail stood alert, her ears tilted from side to side. Her nose twitched as if she caught a strange scent. Lupa then urgently said with a frown, "Vincent! There is a foul smell, like rotten meat... or stinky blood." Everyone quickly stopped with a worried expression. Vincent knew it meant danger as he, Ester, and Lupa experienced a similar scenario. On the other hand, Koss donned an angered expression. "I will scout the area. " Lupa impatiently said before she left to check if any dangerous revelations would appear like what happened in the area of the Demonic Beast. "Don't go far! That description means only one thing..." Koss warned with a solemn expression. Trees surrounded them, giving an attacker the advantage. Not only that, but it was going to get dark in a few hours. Waiting and planning accordingly was their best bet. "Vincent..." Ester worryingly said. "Don't worry. You know Lupa will return. We will protect you." Vincent warmly said in this tense situation. But such words caused Ester to frown. She wanted to protect instead of getting protected. "Daddy, I'm scared." Tula hugged her father with a terrified expression. Her eyes were ready to rain from fright. Koss reassuringly caressed her head while his eyes swayed from left to right like a hawk to notice the finest detail. He soon noticed Lupa approaching uninjured, causing him to relax. Her beastman senses picked the smell before entering into dangerous territory. [Lupa is back. But we should scold her at a later time. What if she got hurt.] -Yes, she needs more lessons, and a few of Ester's ear pulls.- "The smell is all around us. I don't know how to escape from the smell other than go back..." Lupa returned with a frown. She tried her best but couldn't find a path that seemed safe. "The smell must be from the ants, most likely... acid ants. " Koss announced with a grim face. "Soldier Ants are three-foot tall. Acid Ants are of similar size but have a dangerous acid sack. Not all ants are the same because of what the Broodmother Ant Queen eats. "Many stay at the size I mentioned, but a few special ones become larger. Some are even larger than ten feet. They would normally be in charge to guard nests or lead an attack. The Royal Ant Guards." Koss explained the most likely danger they were approaching. He also mentioned how the ants multiply rapidly and create nests everywhere because of the Broodmother Ant Queen. Vincent suddenly felt a killing intent directed at him, similar to what he felt when Koss smacked his back in the morning. He quickly turned his head towards the direction and noticed a silhouette closing in at a rapid pace. [1x Small Earth Demonic Beast Rock (Rare Quality) summoned. x0 remaining.] Vincent quickly summoned the hardest weapon in his possession. He held the rock with a firm grip and threw a strike. The approaching silhouette seemed to have multiple strong legs with enough to leap for a few meters at a surprising speed. An ant suddenly appeared lunging headfirst at Vincent, but he was throwing a strike to welcome it with a surprise. He knew its intention and location because of the current intent sensitivity condition. *Crush* A large ant soon laid before Vincent. Its head crushed from crashing headfirst against a strike holding the Demonic Beast's Rock. Lupa and Koss quickly became alert after noticing the ant was dead for good. Ester flustered while Tula held her father's arm as if her life depended on it. The three recruits trembled while looking at their surroundings. On the other hand, Tulip was about to faint from fright. [Are you alright? Good thinking on using the rock. Overheat wouldn't have helped since it takes a few seconds to form and harden.] "I don't hear anything else. " Lupa did her utmost best to listen to every nearby sound her heightened senses could track. "Vincent, are you ok? An ant's carapace is hard, so you need to cut in between their joints where it isn't protected, so... what is that rock in your hand?" Koss asked with a puzzled expression. "One of the Earth's Demonic Beasts rocks." Vincent casually replied. Vincent's arm trembled as if he punched a wall with all his strength. His body felt pumped to fight more, yet the only apparent enemy died with a lucky critical hit and a slightly sore shoulder. He was a bit stunned by what just happened. "Hmm... in any case. You did well." Koss felt a bit embarrassed and angry with himself for not detecting the surprise attack. He was too worried about what to do to protect his daughter that the little bloodlust the Soldier Ant possessed evaded his radar. "Lupa, can you detect anything nearby? Can we let our guard down?" Vincent asked Lupa. Lupa shook her head and said with her ears lowered down, "No more nearby but... I'm sorry for being a bad girl. It was the first time I heard something like that. The smell also confused me." "It's fine, Lupa. We fail, we live, and we learn." Vincent approached the sad wolf girl and patted her shoulder for encouragement. [Let me go and check our surroundings to be on the safe side. Strong scents are Lupa's nose Achilles heel.] Kazumi used Soul Export and invisibly scouted the area. Only Vincent could see her leave in a green shining wisp body. She went exploring in the few meters of the distance allowed to her before the strain of being too far from her host quickly drains her mana until none remains, meaning death. "Everyone, listen up. " Koss said to attract all the attention on himself. Then he continued when all eyes apart from Kazumi were on him, "An ant's nest might be nearby. The smell is similar to the reports of an acid type nest. The Soldier Ant that attacked us must have alerted the others because the report I read mentioned how the ants move in pairs. One acts, and the other sends a signal." "Does it mean what I think it means?" Vincent quickly asked with a frown. "Yes... we must traverse and most likely get attacked. Worst case scenario... we find the nest and its Royal Guard Ant guarding it." Koss added. "Is... is there no way around this? I stayed with you for protection... not death." Tulip uttered from her trembling lips. Her body shook from fear. She could faint from the slightest scare. "We could try our luck having Vincent's woman follow a path with the least smell, but we might get lost." Koss gave the group two choices. Walk without caring about the nest and improvise on their way. Or try to escape this predicament with the possibility of getting lost. [I'm back.] Kazumi returned, and Vincent explained what Koss said. -I think option two is better. I know I'm weak... - [Don't bash yourself with useless thoughts. I also think option two is the safest. We have enough food and water, so getting lost shouldn't be worse than a horrible death.] "What do you think, Vincent?" Ester asked with a worried expression. She felt scared, yet she tried her best to show a courageous side. However, her trembling hand gave her feelings away. "What will we do, my mate? Will we stay in this bad smell for a long time?" Lupa wiped her irritated nose from time to time. She appeared to be unhappy with the smell. "I don't want to put my girls in danger more than last time I was curious." Vincent then turned his head facing Koss and said, "We will take the safest route out of here with Lupa's help. I still have two women waiting to marry me. I... we can't die yet." [I don't know if it sounded cool, inspiring, or like a flex. Either way, Koss is nodding. I guess he had the same thought since his daughter is with us. He probably wanted to confirm your intention.] "Does everyone agree with us?" Koss turned his head towards the three new recruits and then Tulip. As soon as his gaze went over them, they nodded without hesitation. All of them wanted to choose the safest path possible. "Can I depend on you, my little wolf?" Vincent asked. "I want a reward later." Lupa didn't lose the opportunity for a couple of head pats in this disheartening situation. [I like how this cheeky wolf thinks. She isn't scared and says what she wants. A pure soul, hehe.] -...At least I feel less anxious with her around spouting such unserious wishes. Ester has also smirked a bit from the cheeky comment, and her hand isn't trembling as much.- [So you noticed? You're an excellent harem owner, indeed.] Vincent approached Lupa's ear and whispered, "I'll do whatever you wish when we arrive in the city... you decide." Lupa quickly raised a grin brimming with morale. The danger detector was fully working at maximum potency. Her drive to exit the forest safe and quick made her say, "So, what are we waiting for? Come on! Let's go." [No comment. But nice job, hehe.] "We should arm ourselves first. You three can wear your armor. " Koss said, then he turned his head at Vincent and asked, "Can you give them their weapons back?" [1x Large Bag (Multiple Items) (Common Quality) summoned. x0 remaining.] Vincent summoned the large bag. Then he handed the three new recruits a sword and a shield each. Next, Vincent gave Tula her sword and her uncle's shield. There was a spare sword. He gave it to Tulip since Ester took out her heirloom shortsword Elsir and the shield sized adult mudcrab shell from her Bag Of Holding. "There is a female armor left and four thick padded shirts. The girls can wear them... but my daughter wears armor." Koss said while displaying preference over his daughter's safety. "I'm fine with that. I will protect my women." Vincent responded. However, Tulip didn't like this one bit. She was about to protest, but Koss's determined gaze forced her mouth shut. Tulip became afraid to say that she wanted the armor as well. All she could do was to silently nod a few times until Koss raised a satisfied smile with the armor tightly gripped in his hands.