Azimuth: The Elden Throne

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/Around two hours later…/

After an intense war of attrition, thousands of bugs had been butchered down and the Drulla Mountains were now unrecognizable from all the damage of Dale's attacks.

With only a few foes left, he moved swiftly to deal the finishing blow, eager for a rest.

/SLASH!/

/PIERCE!/

/... SPLATTER!.../

Dale swung Caladbolg down one last time, cutting another Soldier 'Ant' in two as it was forcibly stopped in its tracks, the gleam in its eyes dimming with every passing moment.

[DING]

[You have slain…]

[+0.9% XP]

[You have Leveled up]

[Your current Level is 79 (0.2%)]

"Phew… See? I was right." Dale said with a smile as he looked around

After fighting bugs for close to two hours, their numbers finally showed signs of dwindling.

In truth, despite them being akin to ants, due to their size, they can't sustain tens of thousands within a single nest, it wouldn't be possible, not when they were located underneath a desert.

'I'm almost Level 80, with this speed I'll have no problem reaching Level 90 and recovering my previous Level, although these bugs will likely not be enough for me to do so.'

'Given I get barely 0.1% experience for each fodder bug now, even I take down 1000, that would only amount to a single Level.'

'I've already taken thousands down, leveling from 69 to 79, although some of my slashes destroyed not only bugs but everything within those mountains as well… It's not that significant at the grand scale of things.'

'This is just how this System is built, with a Level difference of over 10, it's not efficient to hunt these creatures anymore, still, it can make do with their numbers and Level range.'

'As for Level 100… I'm not quite keen on getting there. I don't know if that process will repeat itself and if it's compulsory. It would be best to take my time before doing so.'

'Nonetheless, I can't be having these bugs retreat so soon.'

Pensive, Dale sat atop the carcass of a large Soldier Ant, resting as he took a potion from his inventory, gulping it down upon removing his helmet.

/Clang!/

He plunged his sword onto the ground beside him, opening and closing his hands as he tried to clear the pain and tiredness within his fingers.

"Somehow… You did it." David voiced out amidst the silence, although he seemed upset

"Now, if you would be so kind… Can you take these guts out of my hair?"

Pulling David from his waist, Dale soon noticed his deplorable state.

Guts, blood, and dirt were now stuck and glued to every inch of his body, he looked pitiful as he stared at Dale with a bothered and tired expression.

Apologetic for what he made the guy go through, Dale washed him by pulling a water bottle from his inventory and dumping everything on him.

/Shuaaa…/

"... You know, I didn't expect any finesse in your methods, but this goes beyond my expectations." He said with a bothersome gaze as he felt the water pour down his face

'I should've known this would be the end result. Nonetheless, this feels much better. Refreshing even.'

"Now I'll ask you again. What now? It seems those Ants have given up on hunting you down, and it doesn't look like they'll be leaving their nest anytime soon."

"Not quite, it seems I've taken out the brunt of their numbers, though I'm unsure why they stopped coming, it's likely the pheromones in the air, they must've deemed me as a threat better left unattended."

"Had I succeeded in exterminating them and if they were ordinary Ants, they would eventually die if there were no juvenile queens in the making."

"And while I have no plans of stopping stragglers from creating another colony, in this case, their Queens are still very much alive so nothing changes. Their numbers will quickly return to normalcy within a few months."

"My plan remains the same, I'll get inside and take out the Queens and any possible substitutes before returning to the surface."

'In any case, I have to enter the Mines to complete my Quest, and once I kill all of the Queens and prospect queens, the other bugs will slowly die out naturally.'

'I once thought about poisoning their food supply but I never figured out what or where that was. It definitely comes from deep underground, deeper than I ever went. But where? I have no idea.'

'There are several large chambers where these Ants grow natural mushrooms and plants, excellent materials for Alchemy and I have plans to grow those efficiently, but those aren't enough to feed them all, not in the slightest.'

'In fact, where do they even get their water? The Rainy season? How can they collect enough water to last them an entire year?'

'One of the books I read in the library mentions that a colony's size is proportional to its water source. So one that can sustain at least three queens and a few dozen egg chambers would need an equally large supply of resources.'

'The question would be finding that out… If I can't quite take them all out.'

Dale didn't need to exterminate all of the Ants completely, he just needed to reduce the dangers within the caverns so the survivors could be employed in the area.

There were thousands of unemployed refugees and they all needed something to do.

Some had found work, the alchemists went to Yumi, the smiths went to Barme, their warriors went to speak with Testros and Misgurd who were familiar with the surroundings, and so on.

But there were still many who had nothing to do, and Dale wouldn't let them waste their years of experience on something they weren't good at.

There were Miners amidst the Refugees, these would be perfect for them, and they weren't weak, they were all capable enough of handling themselves.

There were also fighters, scouts, and their elite group, the Raiders. They could all be employed to slowly uproot the Ants, the stragglers that manage to survive his massacre.

For that to be possible, he would first need to pull out possible dangers for their lives.

They were no children in need of protection, but Dale would not throw them to death when their numbers were already so limited.

Besides, it wasn't a matter of preserving their numbers but Human life.

"Hm…"

David remained silent, agreeing quietly to his words as he looked around.

Silence took hold Dale rested his head on the bug's carapace, closing his eyes as he took deep, slow breaths.

"... I've been thinking, that "Experience" of yours." David suddenly said, breaking the silence

"Yeah?"

"Was it 'that' scary?"

"..."

Dale was momentarily taken by surprise.

"Don't think I haven't noticed, even if these Ants weren't that special, this entire time you fought them while thinking of something else, you're too overly distracted."

'More than you usually are...'

"... Was it that obvious?..."

"Too obvious."

"... Sigh… You're right that it was scary, but you would be wrong to assume I was thinking about it." Dale replied as he rested his hands on his stomach

"Oh? So what were you thinking about?"

"... My family."

"Oh… I see… Forget I asked then."

/Clink!/

"Tsk, from your tone it makes it sound like you're apologizing for their deaths! They're still very much alive mind you it's just…" Dale retorted with a grunt as he tapped his finger on David's head, causing a 'clinking' sound

"I'm afraid for their safety… Regardless of how much I grow, that is only enough for myself. And in a world where I cannot guarantee even my own skin, what to say of others?"

"I've failed once before, and even if I'm working to alter the future, I've been thinking of how I'll manage that…"

"Even if I do change it, I wonder if I'll just end up locking them up somewhere for a solution."

"I don't want to restrain them, but I can't visualize a future where they can be both free and safe… Not with how things are back home… Maybe they never will."

"The world isn't that safe of a place for me to use such terms..."

"Uhum… Like always, you're trying to carry a burden on your own." David said after listening to Dale's worries

"Dale, do remember that you're not alone here. You're always moving around, asking others if they need help and going to the corners of the world to solve it, but you've never asked anyone for help, not for anything that wasn't trivial."

"There isn't much I can do to help you, apart from listening and speaking a mouthful, but I think you should be more open about such things. Share with others your burdens."

"People wish to help you, but you give them no chance."

"What this Village doesn't lack is old people, they've all lived their problems with their own communities, do you think they haven't experienced anything remotely close to your issues?"

"One of them is bound to sympathize and guide you to a solution, at the very least, you'll feel a bit better from sharing your thoughts with someone else."

"It usually helps a ton, otherwise confessions wouldn't be as popular as they were... Besides, girls love it when tough guys like you sit down with them to talk about personal matters, especially when they're into you." He said with a smirk as he raised an eyebrow

"You should give it a try, I can give you some suggestions..."

"... Haa… You make this sound so simple…" Dale replied with a chuckle as he raised his head to stare at the clear sky

"Because it is, men tend to make their problems more complicated than they actually are."

"I always thought that was the contrary." Dale replied with a chuckle

"I'm talking about women's matters, the rest you already know how it is..."

"Since when were we talking about that?!"

"From the start?"

"..."

With a few laughs here and there, the both of them rested for a few more minutes before getting ready for the next phase of their operation:

Getting 'their' hands dirty by digging at the source!

…

/Step…/

"Are you, with your utmost confidence, that this is a good idea? I know the answer but I needed to say these words for my own self-esteem." David asked Dale as he squinted his eyes

"100% certain, worst comes to worse, I can just run away."

'I also have a trump carp just waiting to be used.'

"Then so be it… Do as you will."

In front of them stood a hole of an unknown depth, one of the several entrances to the underground chambers left behind by their ancestors.

Dale could see some old fortifications built around its edges, from the looks of it, this place used to be a vertical mining shaft built within the mountains, albeit most of it was now gone.

A mix of the wear and tear of time, the bug's movements, and Dale's brutal maneuvers.

There were likely several of these scattered around the place, be they natural or not, time would have them dug out, but for their sanity, hopefully, this one would suffice.

/Step.../

Without hesitation, Dale took the plunge.

/Jump…/

…

/THUD!/

After a few short seconds, Dale reached the bottom, crouching lightly as he cushioned the fall.

"It's quite dark, these walls seem to absorb light... Give me a moment I'll give ya some light…"

"No need, I can deal with that from now on." Dale said as he raised his right hand

/Shine…/

Blue light gathered at the tip of his fingertips as he began to wave his hand around in an orderly motion…

With his index finger, he drew a sequence of strange symbols in the air before using his hand to "grab" them, causing a flash of light to ignite within his palm.

With one last twitch, a spark of white light formed between his fingers before floating into the air, like a miniature bulb of light.

Dale's first-ever use of Magic within Azimuth, a very ordinary light Spell!

Minor Orb of Light.

"Oh yeah, I forgot you technically already had classes with that guy." David voiced with some surprise as he looked at the floating ball of light

"What else can you do?"

"What else? Nothing special. The most basic of Spells from the most ordinary Formulas…"

'Magic in Azimuth is not really that different from how it was back in Zenith, but the principles seem a bit odd...'

'To pull back anything from those times and use them here, I'll need more practice and study, master the basics first.'

'Same goes for the rest, although my body's strong enough for me to test some things... Maybe I should give Ermin a call when I have the time...'

"Qrubin told me I have the same amount of Magical knowledge as a 12-year-old…"

"That alone is already praiseworthy, I'm afraid only that Witch had any knowledge of Magic whatsoever before you rescued those people from the forest, besides, two months to get to that stage of proficiency is not bad at all."

"Anyhow, we're here, your call."

"Right, just a minute…"

'I'm waiting for the notification…'

[DING]

[You have discovered a hidden Dungeon, Abandoned Drula Mines]

[Respawn point set]

[For the next week, all drops and XP acquisition are doubled, with the chances of acquiring rare items increasing while the death penalty is decreased for as long as you don't leave the Dungeon]

[The Dungeon is readjusting…]

'Yup, here it is.'

"Let's go." He said as he took a step forward

'I need to figure out where I am before proceeding, these tunnels are dozens of kilometers long.'

'I don't have the time to explore them all so I need to find out where I am.'

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Notes