The forest was unnervingly quiet, the only sound the soft crunch of leaves underfoot as Yuki and Lirien moved cautiously through the dense undergrowth. A faint breeze carried the acrid scent of decay, an ominous warning of the unnatural presence lurking ahead. Lirien gripped her bow tightly, her sharp emerald eyes scanning every shadow and rustling leaf, while Yuki followed silently, her glowing violet eyes betraying no emotion but seeming to pierce through the darkness.

  A sudden clicking noise echoed through the trees, sharp and rhythmic, followed by a low, resonant chittering that sent a shiver through the air.

  "They’re close," Lirien murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. She knocked an arrow with practiced ease, her fingers glowing faintly as she channeled magic into her bow. Fmes sprang to life along the shaft of her arrow, flickering like a torch in the gloom and casting dancing shadows on the forest floor.

  From the shadows, the first ant emerged—a grotesque, towering creature with a chitinous bck carapace that gleamed like obsidian. Its massive mandibles ccked menacingly as it advanced. Behind it, five more ants followed. Two had glistening wings that buzzed ominously, while the others moved with purpose, acid dripping from their mandibles and sizzling as it hit the ground. The air grew tense, thick with the promise of violence.

  Lirien acted swiftly. She released her enchanted arrow, the projectile streaking through the air like a fiery comet. It struck the lead ant squarely between its multifaceted eyes, exploding on impact in a burst of searing fmes. The creature let out a guttural shriek, its head engulfed in fire, before colpsing into a twitching heap.

  "Keep moving!" Lirien shouted, her voice steady despite the chaos. She drew and loosed another arrow in one fluid motion. This one struck an acid-spewing ant in its abdomen, igniting its body in a bze of fire. The creature reared back, spraying acid wildly in its death throes, but the fmes consumed it before it could do more harm.

  Yuki stepped forward, her movements unnervingly smooth, her body trembling as if on the verge of breaking. Her porcein skin began to crack like fragile gss, deep fissures spidering across its surface to reveal a bck, viscous liquid beneath. The fluid oozed out, pooling around her feet before erupting into a writhing mass of massive tentacles. Each appendage moved with terrifying precision, shing out at two ants simultaneously. One was crushed instantly, its carapace shattering like brittle wood, while the other was snared and dragged into the abyss beneath Yuki, its shrieks of terror abruptly silenced.

  Above them, one of the winged ants took flight, its translucent wings buzzing furiously as it attempted to fnk them. With a guttural hiss, it unleashed a spray of acid from above. Lirien rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the caustic attack. She quickly activated her [Ignition] skill, imbuing her arrow with an intense burst of fire magic. The arrow soared upward, piercing the flying ant’s thorax. It detonated midair, raining fming fragments as the creature’s burning corpse tumbled to the ground.

  Another winged ant darted through the canopy, its wings slicing through the air with unnatural speed. This one channeled wind magic, generating slicing gusts that shed out at the duo. Lirien activated [Evasion Mastery], her movements becoming a blur as she dodged the attacks. She countered with [Arrow Flurry], releasing a rapid volley of arrows that converged on the creature. Each arrow struck true, riddling its body with fmes until it plummeted to the earth in a charred heap.

  Meanwhile, two of the remaining ants burrowed into the ground with startling speed, their bodies glowing faintly with earth magic. Moments ter, one erupted behind Lirien, its mandibles snapping at her. She spun on her heel, activating [Focus Hawk] to slow her perception of time. With precise aim, she loosed an arrow into its open maw, the explosion of fmes ripping through its body and scattering burning fragments.

  The second burrower emerged near Yuki, lunging at her with mandibles glowing with destructive magic. Yuki moved with an eerie calm, sidestepping the attack with fluid grace. She extended her hand, activating [Void Resonance]. Cracks emerged from her skin before pouring a viscus bck liquid that pulsed that rippled from her body before surrounding her like a serpent, the tentacles responding to her will. They coiled around the ant, constricting it with brutal force until its body was torn apart, spraying bck ichor onto the forest floor.

  The final grounded ant charged at Yuki, releasing a spray of acid in a desperate attempt to wound her. The acid sizzled as it struck her fractured skin but was absorbed by the bck liquid beneath, vanishing harmlessly. Yuki’s tentacles surged forward, snaring the creature and lifting it high into the air. With a cold, detached expression, she activated [Harvest]. Taking the ants stats for herself while also allowing the void to consume it, leaving behind a brittle husk that was nothing more than its exoskeleton to hit the ground.

  The forest fell silent once more, the stench of burnt chitin and acrid acid hanging heavy in the air. Yuki stood amidst the carnage, her body still leaking the bck liquid, though it began to recede as her porcein skin knit itself back together. She turned to Lirien, who was already inspecting her bow for damage, her expression unreadable.

  "You’re a lot messier than I remember," Lirien teased, her voice light but tinged with respect.

  Yuki’s lips curled into a faint smile, her violet eyes glowing softly in the dim light. "You’re still too reliant on that bow."

  Lirien chuckled, slinging the weapon over her shoulder. "I'm a ranger." She deadpanned "Now come let’s move before more show up."

  Together, they disappeared into the forest, leaving behind the shattered remains of their foes, the eerie silence returning to the woods.

  -----

  The descent down the rocky hill was treacherous, with loose stones shifting beneath their boots. Lirien's sharp emerald eyes scanned the ndscape ahead, while Yuki moved with an unsettling grace, her glowing violet eyes fixed on the path. As they neared the base, Lirien suddenly stopped, her hand darting out to grip Yuki’s arm.

  “Wait,” Lirien whispered, her voice barely audible. Her other hand hovering behind her back for her bow, her eyes narrowing. “Something’s ahead.”

  Yuki immediately crouched, cracks spreading from her face to her arms “What do you sense?” she asked, her tone low and cautious.

  “Multiple life signs,” Lirien murmured, tilting her head slightly as if listening to something beyond the physical world. “Small... but coordinated. Not wild animals. This feels... organized.”

  Yuki's eyes narrowed. “Could be a pack of monsters. Goblins, maybe?”

  The two crept forward, their movements silent as they wove between the dense trees. The forest opened into a clearing, and both of them stopped abruptly, their eyes widening in unison.

  In the center of the clearing was a vilge, alive with activity. Tiny figures moved about—a mix of goblins and kobolds. The creatures weren’t fighting or snarling, as one might expect from such traditionally antagonistic species. Instead, they were bustling about with purpose, bartering goods, tending to small pens of livestock, and repairing crude but functional buildings made of wood.

  Yuki tilted her head in curiosity, her glowing eyes taking in every detail. “Have you ever seen anything like this?” she asked, her voice hushed.

  “Never,” Lirien replied, her gaze fixed on the strange sight. “Goblins and kobolds don’t usually live peacefully together, let alone build... a vilge.” She shook her head, her auburn hair catching the dappled sunlight. “At least to my knowledge.”

  Yuki nodded, her expression unreadable. “They seem peaceful maybe we can talk to them?”

  They exchanged a gnce before stepping out of the tree line. Almost instantly, the lively hum of the vilge came to a halt. Heads turned, and a tense silence fell over the clearing. A group of armed kobolds and goblins emerged from the throng, weapons in hand. Their postures were wary, but not overtly hostile.

  “State your business,” growled a kobold warrior at the front. His red scales gleamed under the dim light of a nearby fire, and his spear was tipped with sharpened bone.

  Yuki raised her hands slowly, her voice calm but firm. “We mean no harm. We’re travelers who stumbled upon your vilge.”

  The kobold’s slitted eyes narrowed, his grip tightening on his spear. Before he could respond, an elderly goblin stepped forward, leaning heavily on a gnarled wooden staff. His grayish-green skin was etched with deep wrinkles, and a string of bone charms rattled softly around his neck.

  “Travelers?” the old goblin rasped, his tone skeptical. His sharp eyes studied them, lingering on Yuki’s glowing features and Lirien’s poised, battle-ready stance. After a moment, he gave a slow nod. “Come. We’ll talk. But leave your weapons outside the hut.”

  Lirien hesitated, her grip on her bow tightening, but Yuki pced a hand on her shoulder. “Let’s hear them out,” Yuki murmured.

  Reluctantly, they followed the elder to a rge central hut, leaving their weapons at the entrance. Inside, a modest fire crackled, casting flickering light on the rough wooden walls. The air smelled of herbs and smoke, and simple cushions were arranged in a circle.

  “I am Graknor, the elder of this vilge,” the goblin introduced himself as they sat. He gestured for them to take the simple cy cups offered by a kobold attendant. “Water and bread. It’s not much, but it’s what we have.”

  Lirien nodded her thanks, though she barely touched the food. “This pce is... unexpected,” she said, her gaze flickering to the elder. “Goblins and kobolds working together? That’s rare.”

  Graknor chuckled, the sound dry and rasping. “Rare, yes. But we’ve found that survival demands cooperation. Alone, we were vulnerable. Together, we’ve built something stronger.” His smile faded, repced by a troubled expression. “But now, our peace is threatened.”

  Yuki leaned forward slightly, her glowing eyes narrowing. “Threatened by what?”

  “An ant nest,” Graknor said grimly. “It’s grown too close to our vilge. Their numbers multiply by the day, and they’ve begun attacking our hunters and farmers. We’ve already lost too many to their raids.”

  “Ants?” Lirien asked, her brow furrowing. “What kind of ants?”

  “Mega Core Ants,” Graknor replied. “Magic monsters as tall as a man, with jaws that can snap through bone, some with the ability to cast either earth or wind magic. Their queen is the worst—rger and more dangerous than the rest. We’ve tried to fight back, but they’re relentless. And We don’t have the strength to deal with them. But we can’t exactly leave anyway. To the south is a shadow bear's den, to the north humans, and to the east an orc vilge.”

  Yuki exchanged a gnce with Lirien, her expression thoughtful. “If we help you deal with this nest,” she said carefully, “could you provide us with information about the surrounding area? A map, perhaps?”

  Graknor’s face brightened slightly. “Yes. We’ll share what we know. And you’ll have our gratitude—and supplies for your journey.”

  Lirien stood, her emerald eyes glinting with resolve. “Then it’s a deal. We’ll take care of your ant problem.”

  They talked for a while longer asking for details on the ants and what has been going on around the vilge and Grankor gdly answered there questions before offering them to stay the night before leaving for the nest in the morning to which Yuki and Lirien agreed.

  Kiera_Yanagi