Volus (1/2)

Chapter 31 — Ankhegs

Translator: SaltyTank

Editor: AyaSnow

Ankhegs were insectoid ions Their bodies were about five feet wide, and their body length could reach up to thirty feet These creatures had Trehtest vibration within sixty feet With huge jahich could even tear apart trees, they would attack their prey with bites and crush the acid as an alternate attacking e insects with six to twelve legs, each arantic insects could also perforet right on the spot unless they had a strong acid is was that they roups of two to five and had an appetite for both fresh and rotten ressive creatures which rarely went on the offense, but things were different when they were hunting for food They would not stop attacking until they had secured their prey and filled their bellies

As ankhegs lived in se nu abnormal occured, they rarely left the special environment in which they lived Due to the fact that these insectoids preferred a warions were unsuitable for theuards who hailed fro about them

”Let's leave this place for now!” Soran observed the surroundings and continued, ”These round There’s no way for us to find thes can detect our presence from our footsteps, and they tend to attack lone individuals”

As they were about to retreat, aCluster (Grade 3)

Challenge Rating: Level 8 (Monster Level: 10), has the ability to spray strong acid

Highest and Lowest Attributes: 20 and 10 (Total Attribute Points: 80-90)

Specialty: Acid Spray, Corrosion Dae rating of the ankheg cluster was even higher than the snake de that they caround and appeared in groups

They were once the ne the ability to kill off several members of a small adventurer squad just with their initial acid spray attack

In order to take on these reat Detect and Listen skills If not, the skill Wilderness Survival would be required to discover their location and avoid their pree with caution, the others seean retreating while drawing their weapons

”Nors rarely appear…” Soran continued to observe his surroundings while focusing his senses to detect changes underground

”It can't be that the ankheg rah I did kill these bugs, I never paid attention to when the ra started I don't even remember who issued the quest…”

Within the same time period, various major incidents had occurred around the world These included the skinning incidents, the upheaval of the Sons of God, the iants, and many other incidents, which hy Soran did not pay e

If one had to rate these incidents, the skinning incidents would be B rank while the upheaval of the Sons of God would be A rank The ancient red dragon incident was a special A-rank event, while insignificant things like the ankheg ra such, most players did not even bother with these events unless they happened to be in the region when one took place

Nonetheless, ankhegs were rareshells were light and resilient; ankheg gear forged by highly skilled blacksht of full plate mail but were equivalent in the protection they offered

Inarmor could be sold for over 3000 Gold Derahls, while the rawfroh that only highly skilled blacksmiths would purchase the raw h shells

Ankheg shells could only be forged into arh special enchantment techniques, thus such equipment was mostly tailor-made for customers who ordered it If one could not find a skilled blacks, they would have to settle for the large shell on its head and simply use it as a shi+eld It was a natural shi+eld which did not require processing and had decent defensive power, as well as acid- and corrosion-resistant attributes Killing an ankheg wasa snake deround suddenly shook, and a weird hissing sound could be heard After Soran and the uards retreated to the road, the side of the road bulged upward and revealed a ferocious, gigantic insectoid ed toward one of their horses and snapped off its head with a powerful bite Blood gushed out of the sturound was a dead horse which had its body and head separated

They really do have strong jaws! Soran thought as he swiftly hid behind a tall tree

The acid spray attack which the ankhegs could use once every day was a fatal attack for low-grade professions; its poas equivalent to that of the spell Acid Arrow

The guards instantly went behind cover as hile pulling out their crossbows

”Cover sword on his back His body seean to pop out and wriggle like worestion of blood, his skin reddened as he continued his battlecry At the sa a buckler to defend his torso while the other loaded a special bolt into his crossbow

”Rage?!” Soran squinted at the guard leader and murmured, ”A Northern barbarian?!”

The special bolt struck the ankheg and caused a s iuard who fired the bolt Apart from the explosive bolt, , with only a s the body parts not covered by the shell Aswas akin to full plate mail armor, thus normal crossbow bolts were ineffective unless they hit critical parts of thea green, gooey splash of acid at the exposed guard The guard rolled back out of panic but was still hit by soh the buckler and the layer of leather arrowled in pain, but still ed to cut off the chunk of corroded flesh of his ar his teeth

“—Heavy Hack!”

The guard leader with bloodshot eyes charged in with his sword held high, his bones crackling frole leap through the air and hacked at the ankheg's head

Clang! The sound ofwith the ankheg’s pained screeches

It shook its head as it atteuard, but he turned aside and dodged the incouard counterattacked the ankheg and stabbed its back The thin layer of newly exposed skin was easily torn apart, and a dark green fluid oozed out of the gaping wound

A Grade 3 Northern barbarian; Soran could not believe that the head guard, who did not seem to be very talented, was actually Level 10 in his profession