Chapter 5
Chapter 5
The eastern iron city of Estoria. On the second floor of the Adventurers’ Guild meeting room, a detailed map of the Ant Nest lay spread across the table.
More than half of it was marked with X symbols. Evidence of seven relentless incursions from the first operation onward. Markers installed by adventurer teams were embedded across key locations.
“After the seventh raid, we’ve already wiped out most of the mid-layer guardians,” Guild Master Osborn of Estoria said, pointing at the map.
“The maze-like tunnels they were so proud of are now in the palm of our hand. After seven entries, we’ve secured all major routes. At this point, we even know exactly how many of those Silver Ents are hiding and trembling.”
Osborn raised his head and scanned the fourteen team leaders.
Their expressions were filled more with confidence than tension.
After seven full sweeps with no meaningful losses, the Ant Nest was no longer a dangerous dungeon to them—it was more like a farm awaiting harvest.
“This is the final operation. We move straight into the deepest layer.”
“Our target is simple. Extraction of the dungeon core.”
At Osborn’s words, Cassian, leader of the S-rank adventurer party Blue Crane, smiled faintly while gripping his greatsword.
“Honestly, you’re all so slow~ If we had been allowed in from the first raid, I would’ve ripped the core out back then.”
Cassian’s remark triggered laughter throughout the room.
It wasn’t mockery—it was agreement. Most of them truly believed she could have done it.
Osborn snorted and shrugged.
“Can’t be helped. Back then, the lord insisted on using that place for other purposes.”
“So~ what about now?”
Cassian’s grin sharpened as she looked at him.
Osborn felt a chill down his spine, but he knew her killing intent wasn’t directed at him.
He steadied himself and maintained a serious expression.
“This time, we ignore terrain stabilization and everything else. Even if the ground collapses or the ley lines break, it doesn’t matter. Once we secure the core, that land is finished anyway.”
Cassian’s smile widened in delight.
To them, the Silver Ent territory was nothing more than disposable land—whether it died or not was irrelevant.
After all, adventurers only cared about completing requests and collecting rewards.
“Alright! Final operation! Let’s finish this quickly and take what we want!”
At Osborn’s shout, the leaders began leaving one by one.
Having already completed seven incursions without significant casualties, there was no fear left in their steps.
To them, this was just the final step of a long, tedious job.
Meanwhile
“That’s how it is!”
“….”
“Please, help us!”
Bark slammed his head into the ground again, kneeling deeply.
The impact was so strong that green Silver Ent blood flowed from his forehead.
I understood his desperation. But I didn’t understand almost anything he said.
Adventurers again…?
At the very least, when I was still human, there had been no such thing as “adventurers.”
Time must have passed far more than I thought. Quite a lot had changed. But why were so many humans attacking a Silver Ent domain?
Silver Ent armor was decent material… but not on the level of dragons.
If they were sending dozens of people, wouldn’t hunting dragons be a more rational choice?
Even ignoring that, one thing made even less sense.
“What exactly are you asking me to do?”
Bark kept his forehead pressed to the ground, refusing to raise it.
But if what he said was true—if waves of humans were coming—then why was he asking me for help?
I’m just a farmer swinging a pickaxe.
Still…
“There must be a reason he’s so desperate.”
So I replayed everything he said in my mind, piece by piece.
“…So basically, you stopped those ‘mo…han-ga?’ things inside your own territory?”
“Yes! That’s correct…!”
His voice trailed off. If they had already stopped internal threats, then what they needed wasn’t simple defense.
It had to be something far more important. Something tied to survival itself.
“Then… you just want me to go and swing a pickaxe?”
At that question, Bark’s antennae straightened sharply.
He still didn’t lift his head, but I could tell.
Food shortage?
That actually made sense.
If Silver Ents were like this, their fields must have been destroyed.
In my human life, whenever bandits invaded, farms and houses were always ruined.
That dungeon must be in the same state.
“Your farms must be destroyed… and you’re starving, aren’t you?”
Bark’s thin limbs looked even more gaunt than before. Even the way he had been desperately slamming his head into the ground… it all started to make sense.
My father would’ve done the same.
Back then, I used to think he was just wasting effort rebuilding ruined land.
But now I understood.
That was what a farmer was supposed to do.
“…A noble bowing to a farmer. First time I’ve seen that.”
Bark was a high-ranking figure in the Ant Nest, a deputy to the queen.
And yet he was bowing to a mere farmer.
How could I not help?
“Lift your head. I understand.”
“…Huh?”
“Let’s go to your Ant Nest. It sounds urgent.”
Bark slowly raised his head. His eyes were brighter than ever.
“R-really?!”
“So where is it?”
He pulled out a worn map from his eye socket.
“May I ask when we will depart? It took me four days to get here…”
He looked at me nervously.
Four days… if it’s that urgent, there’s no time to waste.
“Don’t worry.”
“It won’t take more than five minutes.”
“W-what?”
I brought my hands together, and space itself began to tear open.
“Let’s go in four minutes. I just need a bit of preparation.”
Meanwhile — Ant Nest Depths
Melina, Queen of the Silver Ents, clenched the armrest of her throne.
Seven brutal invasions had already turned her domain into ruins.
The dungeon core behind the throne flickered weakly, like a dying candle.
“There’s no stopping it…”
When the core dies, the territory falls, and her race will be wiped out.
She stood up.
“I will hold them off alone. Everyone, evacuate through the lower tunnels.”
Her final mercy as a queen.
When the chamber emptied, she leaned back into the throne in exhaustion.
Soon, she would hear the voices of human invaders.
Then—
CRACK.
Space tore open like paper.
An intruder attack?!
She raised her mana instantly—
But what emerged was something completely absurd.
A skeleton carrying a pickaxe.
“…It’s too dark. Is this the Ant Nest place or not?”
Her mind froze.
Behind the skeleton, another figure emerged and knelt immediately.
“Yes!! This is the deepest part of our territory!”
“B-Bark!? Why are you behind that thing?!”
“Your Majesty!! You’re safe!!”
Before she could react, the skeleton pointed at the darkness.
“Hey, bring soil. Hurry up. I want to rest faster.”
From the tear in space—
“KYAAAAAA!!”
Massive carts began pouring in.