Adam barely had time to register that there were three giant ants in front of him before they attacked. They skittered forward mandibles snapping. They were the size of a Labrador Retriever, and covered in prickly hairs. Adam popped off a wind blast killing an ant instantly. He checked their stats, they were the same level as the mantis but weaker. Of course he was a lot stronger now. They had two less strength and one less endurance, which meant they hit softer and had less health. Three more ants scuttled in behind him. They did have the numerical advantage though.

Adam swung his dagger; it moved easier than before, feeling lighter and less bulky. The level up had probably helped. An ant’s head caved in as the dagger impacted it, killing it. They weren’t that much weaker then the mantis but the difference in stats were clear.

The second ant latched onto Adam’s midsection, he barely felt it. Adam checked his health bar, it was at 99%. The whole experience was more gross than painful. The ant shook its head, squeezing its mandibles together again. Adam’s HP dropped to 98%.

Well this wasn’t going to go on. Adam stabbed the ant in the head, the dagger penetrated with little resistance. For a moment the ant spasmed and then slumped to the ground.

Adam was hit from behind several times, his HP dropping to 95%. The other ants were attacking. He whirled and leapt back killing one with a wind blast, his MP was at 89%. That level up had done wonders, these ants didn’t even feel like they were in the same league as the mantis. Adam was still glad that he had leveled up before falling down here though.

He heard more scuttling behind him again. This seemed never ending. He killed another ant and leapt back before another could bite him. He collided with an ant, feeling its mandibles clamp around him. This underground tunnel was not the best area to fight in, it confined his movements and gave him no ability to run away. He stabbed the ant holding him and hit another with a wind blast.

Something wet hit him from behind soaking his back.

[You’ve been hit by Giant Ant’s Acid, your Endurance and Constitution have been reduced by 25%.]

That didn’t seem good. Adam checked the debuff, it had a 30 second timer. A larger ant entered the tunnel behind the reinforcements, it looked to be the size of an average man.

[Soldier Ant - Level 5]

The soldier ant rose up on its hind legs and let out a screech. The other ants screeched in return, their antenna flailing wildly. As one they charged at Adam, knocking into him and biting him. Adam saw that they had received a buff, entering into a frenzied state.

He stabbed an ant and wind blasted another, they still died in one hit. His HP had dropped to 86%. It was still manageable, although they seemed to be doing twice the damage to him now.

The soldier ant charged in, Adam tried to dodge but he was up against the tunnel wall with more ants coming from behind again. It bit Adam on the chest knocking him against the tunnel wall. Adam cried out, the soldier ant’s bite hurt a lot more than the giant ants. His HP was down to 78%. While not as dangerous as the mantis had been, it was the strongest attack Adam had taken from the ants.

He lashed out with his dagger slamming it against the soldier ant’s head. It knocked the creature's head to the side, denting its exoskeleton. Its HP dropped to 51% but it was still alive. Adam thrust his hand into its thorax.

“Wind Blast!”

The ant staggered back a step, its HP dropping to 20%. This ant was resilient. It lunged toward Adam and attacked him again, taking his HP to 70%. A few smaller ants piled in taking Adam down to 66%.

He was pinned against the tunnel wall. The ants pressing up against him, he couldn’t move or dodge. Adam stabbed the soldier ant, finally killing it, and hit another ant with a wind blast. His MP down to 67%, well within manageable levels. Although the rate at which he was losing HP worried him. The ants kept coming, two more soldiers entered the tunnel along with half a dozen giant ants.

Adam dispatched another ant with his dagger. He activated sense and felt dozens upon dozens of living creatures scurrying toward him. It was time to go.

Adam leapt up and stabbed the dagger into the side of the tunnel. He gripped the handle with both hands and pulled himself up, he pulled the dagger free and stabbed it higher. The effort steadily drained his stamina, he’d been saving it in the fight with the mantis in case he needed to run away. Also he wasn’t sure if his dagger skill would work at the time, since he had never hit anything with his dagger before.

Adam pulled himself out of the hole in the ground. The sun shone brightly overhead. He could hear the excited clicking of mandibles lower down, he began running. Ants followed him spilling out of the hole. He was faster though and he soon lost them, most turning back after the threat to the colony had passed.

That was a close one. If his dagger climbing gambit had failed Adam wasn’t sure that he would have made it out of that tunnel alive. He was definitely strong, but he was still only level 3, and all of his proficiencies were level 1 aside from daggers and wind magic. The world was still a dangerous place, he’d have to be more careful.

Adam stopped in a small clearing. He rummaged around in his bag and pulled out a lesser healing and mana potion, drinking them. He was restored even if they did leave an unpleasant taste in the mouth. That was solved with a quick swig of the waterskin. The taste still lingered.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a level 3 with potions before,” said a voice behind Adam. “Pricey.”

Adam spun around and saw a man behind him.

[Levin Drearty - Level 10]

Levin was wearing some sort of leather armor, and had a dagger at his waist like Adam. He eyed Adam up and down, his eyes resting on Adam’s dagger.

“That’s an unusual trinket,” he smirked.

Adam looked around, they were alone as far as Adam could tell. He activated Sense, it was just Levin and himself, but Adam didn’t think that Sense extended to the treeline. He could feel a few giant ants scurrying around directly under his feet though, although unless another hole opened up for him to push Levin into. The man seemed to have bad intentions.

“Now if you’d be so kind as to leave your pack and daddy’s coin purse on the ground, along with that interesting looking dagger and head back to town I’d be much obliged,” Levin said with a slight bow.

“Are you robbing me?” Adam asked, cocking his head to one side.

“My dear boy, robbery is such an ugly word. Think of it more as redistribution. A level 3 has no need for such things. I, on the other hand, a level 10 adventurer have a much greater need for such things.”

Adam wasn’t sure what to do. He could just make more items easily. On the other hand, they were HIS items, and leaving a highwayman to pilfer from travelers seemed wrong. Although Adam had also never fought another person before, he supposed it wasn’t much different from fighting monsters.

Adam checked Levin’s stats. He had slightly more strength than Adam, but he had less endurance and agility, and much less intelligence and willpower. That meant that Adam’s Wind Blast should be quite effective against him. Levin’s proficiency in daggers was Rank C, but the level wasn’t shown. Adam was sure that his dagger was also far better than Levin’s. That left the largest variable being skills, what skills did a level 10 have that Adam didn’t? Adam figured that he should have the upper hand if things went bad, but he didn’t like not knowing.

“I’m afraid I don’t know where the town is,” Adam said, fishing for information. “I’m actually quite lost, if I leave my things behind I’ll surely die.”

Levin shot Adam a crooked grin and nodded his head back over his shoulder.

“Belfort is just three miles over yonder, and the main road leading there is about half a mile that way.”

Adam reached into his pack and tossed Levin three silver coins.

“Thanks for the information.”

Adam began walking in the direction of the road. He kept Sense going, feeling Levin’s presence. Suddenly Levin was gone and he appeared directly behind Adam. Adam felt a stabbing pain in his back. His HP dropped to 92%.

Adam spun around drawing his dagger. He was stabbed again, his HP falling to 87%.

“You should have just dropped your items boy,” Levin sneered. “Now you’ll lose them anyway on top of your life!”

Adam swung the dagger in an arc aiming for Levin’s side. Levin was caught by surprise, he tried to intercept it with his own dagger but was too slow. Adam’s dagger impacted Levin, knocking him over and dropping his HP to 61%.

“Wind Blast!”

Levin was sent somersaulting backwards, he rolled to a stop after several full rotations. His HP was down to 19%. He hobbled to his feet clutching his side, his breathing heavy. Shock and confusion fighting for control of his features. Levin composed himself and readied his dagger. He threw something at the ground causing a cloud of smoke to envelop him.

Adam activated Sense and felt that Levin was already behind him. Adam was stabbed again before he could react, his HP at 79%.

Adam lashed out with his dagger as he whirled around but he hit nothing but air. Levin had dodged backwards, but leapt forward slashing with his dagger. Adam managed to parry it. He stepped back and dodged another slash, then parried another.

“You must know this outcome,” Levin weezed.

“Are you fucking dumb,” Adam shouted.

Levin was visibly taken aback. He stopped looking at Adam.

“There, there is no use in begging for your life now,” Levin sputtered. “I know you are dodging in a desperate bid to save your life!”

Adam was flabbergasted for a moment. He was in fear of his life? Could Levin not see Adam’s HP? Maybe not, Adam couldn’t see any health bars until he had equipped the artifact Veil Shaper. Even so Levin was on his last legs and he could definitely see his own HP.

“I’m dodging because if I hit you one more time you will fucking die,” Adam spat back.

Again Levin was confused. He lashed out at Adam who dodged again and then parried another blow.

“You will not fool me, I know you are about to go down, you have to be!”

Adam stopped and Levin slashed him across the chest, and then slashed him again. It hurt but not as much as one would expect. Adam’s HP dropped to 63%. Levin was dumbfounded, he hit Adam again taking him down to 55%.

Adam threw his arms out to the side.

“You see,” he said.

Levin tried to slash him again but Adam dodged it.

“Are you trying to force me to kill you, you stupid bastard!” Adam shouted.

Adam raised his hand and aimed it at Levin.

“Wind!”

Levin threw his hands up in front of his face and shrunk back.

“No, please spare me, I’m sorry,” he cried.

Adam lowered his hand. He had no intention of killing this idiot. Unless he was forced to. He didn’t like the idea of killing someone, but he liked the idea of dying even less.

“Get the fuck out of here,” Adam said with a sigh.

Levin nodded vigorously and turned on his heels. He ran in the direction of the road to town. It seemed he hadn’t been lying about that.

“And if I see you on the road trying to rob people I’ll fucking kill you,” Adam shouted after him for good measure. Levin seemed to run even faster.

Well that was interesting, Adam thought. He hadn’t expected to get into a fight with another person. Monsters sure. It was a big world though, and monsters were only a part of the danger. He’d have to get stronger.

Adam made some more lesser healing potions and drank one. He put the rest in his pack and looked back in the direction of the ant hole. He thought for a moment and then made even more potions.