120 Chapter 120. Giant Ants

Jack scanned the chicken wing using his monocle.

Honey Garlic Chicken Wing (Apprentice grade)

Recover 100 HP

Increase Damage by 10% and decrease damage received by 5% for the next 5 hours.

"This food has good effect!" Jack exclaimed.

"You bet, we bought the recipe from a shop's special wares. It cost us a gold coin just for a recipe," Bluedaze said as she started munching on the chicken wing.

"It's rather expensive for an apprentice grade recipe," Jack commented while eating the food as well.

"Yes, but it was no ordinary apprentice recipe," Sinreaper said. "Only someone with cooking skill of Advanced Apprentice can manage to cook this recipe."

"You have someone who has become an Advance Apprentice Cook?" Jack was amazed.

"Yes, he is our member who specializes in cooking. He focused on improving his cooking grade since he arrived here."

Jack had forgotten; this was the strength of a guild. They could support members who specialized in a particular field. Success in VR RPG games was not only dependent on leveling. There were many aspects that players could improve and be successful in. Each member becomes strong at one part, and they work together; that's how they became the backbone of a successful guild. He must admit that this was something that he would not be able to achieve as an independent player. After all, no one could become a master of everything.

"I have another thing that could improve our damage further," Jack said after he finished his meal. "But it is only for melee players."

Jack took out his three Whetstones and gave two of them to Silverwing and Honeycomb. Silverwing checked out the Whetstones. "Good stuff, where did you find the recipe?" He asked.

"A monster drop. I just got lucky." Jack said simply.

The three of them applied the Whetstones to their melee weapons, further increasing their damage output.

"Okay, let's enter then," Silverwing said.

"Although it didn't take long for us to eat the Chicken Wings, I can imagine Queen Magenta is pouting already behind this portal," he added with a chuckle before walking right through the portal.

Sinreaper, Bluedaze, and Honeycomb followed. Jack was the last. He touched the portal; the liquid-like surface trembled at his touch. It felt like touching a gel, and it was cold. He then moved forward and passed through the portal.

Jack's feeling when passing the portal was very much like when they moved through dimensions from the Tutorial world into this Main world, but much more brief. Jack found himself in a dark but spacious cave when his vision returned. The other nine people who came before him were at the front, while behind him was a portal that looked exactly like the one he had just come through.

This portal must be the way they'd go if they decided to exit the dungeon, Jack thought.

"You certainly took your sweet time," Queen Magenta said with a hint of annoyance.

"We are all here now," Silverwing said with a chuckle. "Let's move out then. We will go into the formation which we have discussed."

"Just make sure that useless nobody stays out of my way," Warpath uttered without hiding the fact that he was referring to Jack.

Jack pretended not to have heard and got into formation with Silverwing and the others. Warpath and the four Wicked Witches players were around five meters ahead at the front. Honeycomb took the left-wing, and Silverwing took the right. Sinreaper and Bluedaze, both Magicians, were positioned in the middle, while Jack was behind them guarding the rear.

There was one person in each team who held a torch; Queen Magenta held the torch of the vanguard team, while Sinreaper held the torch for the rear team. The torchlight was not too bright, but it covered a sufficient area around them. They had all been given a torch before entering, just in case they got separated.

They all took out their weapons to be ready for action at a moment's notice. Besides Jeanny, who was using a spear, the others with unusual weapons were Warpath and Honeycomb. Warpath was holding two swords, one in each hand. Honeycomb held a shield on her off-hand and a hammer in her main hand.

Looking at them, Jack thought that he would typically be holding his magic staff in his off-hand. But, since he didn't want to expose his dual class, he couldn't take it out at this time. Jack did not have any one-handed weapons other than his sword, Storm Breaker.  He had sacrificed all the ones he had gotten to increase Storm Breaker's level.

But he did have a shield which he had received from Lizardman Blood Guard. He took out that level 12 Guard's Round Shield and equipped it on his free left hand. It would afford him better defense in a melee fight.

They proceeded slowly while paying attention to their surroundings.

"Be careful, see those holes by the walls?" Bluedaze pointed. "The Giant Ants and Giant Ant Warriors could come out of those holes without warning. Everyone: don't lower your guard even if you have not seen any monsters around yet."

Everyone nodded their understanding. Bluedaze and Sinreaper were among the ones that had come into this dungeon before, so everyone heeded their advice.

They walked along the tunnels for a few minutes, still without monsters in sight.

"Is it always this quiet at the start of this dungeon?" Honeycomb could not help but ask. She had been fully focused on their surroundings since the start, but being tense all the time without anything happening could be particularly tiring.

"No, in my last excursion here, we met monsters in the first two or three minutes," Bluedaze replied.

"Our reports from other scouts also indicated the same," Sinreaper added.

"Why is it different this time then?" Honeycomb asked.

"Doesn't matter. Do not let your guard down," Silverwing said.

Jack was the most relaxed among them because he would know if monsters were approaching from his God-Eye's radar. He had seen a few red dots from the direction of the holes, but, strangely, those red dots stayed inside. They did not come out to pounce on the intruders that had so brazenly come into their lair.

After walking deeper into the cave for a few more minutes, they came to a fork. The path on the left was slightly smaller than the path on the right.

"Which way should we go?" Jeanny asked.

"Don't know. The map changes randomly every time we enter," Selena said.

"Let's take the left one," Jack said from the back.

When Warpath heard the suggestion, he immediately spat, "Don't you try to act smart! On what basis should we take the left one? The right cave is larger and obviously provides more space to move. I say take the right one!"

"I agree with Mister Warpath," Queen Magenta said.

Jack realized that he had forgotten about their animosity toward him. He had honestly tried to lead them to take the correct path, as he could see on his radar that the red dots down the right path were much more numerous than down the left one. But even if he told the truth, he doubted that those two would listen to him, so he just stayed silent and left them to their fate.

"Let's go," Queen Magenta said and started down the right cave without even waiting for the others' agreement.

Bluedaze and Sinreaper looked at Silverwing, who sighed, "It's not good for us to separate. Let's follow."

Things seemed to be progressing smoothly as they delved deeper, but Jack knew it was not so. The red dots crawling unseen inside the walls had become more active since they passed through. They seemed to be collecting their masses before converging towards the intruders' position.

"Stay sharp," Jack said to Silverwing and the rest as he readied his weapon.

Warpath scoffed and was about to make a disparaging remark when he heard buzzing sounds and saw some movement in the darkness along the wall.

"Contact!" Selena cried as she cast Energy Bolts.

The bright light from the energy bolts further illuminated the dark spaces where the torchlight did not reach. The bolts automatically tracked the nearby enemies. When the energy bolts reached the wall, the players could see grotesque bodies covered with dark, hard carapaces. They had multiple appendages attached to their middle section. Their heads had two large compound eyes, which glowed red when the light hit their surfaces. At their mouth were two large mandibles that regularly made clacking sounds.

Most of the girls in the group subconsciously retreated from the disgusting sight. The monsters' appearance repulsed even those who had seen the monsters before.

"It's Giant Ants! Prepare to engage!" Queen Magenta shouted.