77 Arrival

Though there were some hiccups along the way, the rest of the journey to the Monster Ant Colony went without any major issues. The only real setback occurred when a monstrous three-legged avian creature attacked the convoy, damaging one of the carriages and killing several Dumbswallows. Its speed was unlike anything Linnaeus had ever experienced but, when it came around a second time, a man with a large halberd was waiting to meet it. He managed to cleave off one of the hypersonic creature's wings in a single strike, bringing it down to the ground for his Party to finish off.

From Yorgen, Linnaeus learned the massive flying creature, covered in black metallic feathers, was known colloquially as the King of the Skies. Though the Akashic system referred to it as an Onyx Bomber, the number of victims created by the creature, with a wingspan extending almost fifteen meters, earned it quite the reputation.

Fortunately, most convoys prepared to an encounter against the infamous solitary hunters so, while six Dumbswallows ended up becoming casualties, they were only set back for the brief interval it took to repair the damaged carriage...

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Much like the Southern Forest Settlement, the Monster Ant Colony also had a place where people gathered together. Unlike the former, however, the settlement near the Monster Ant Colony had the appearance of a massive fortress rather than a homely village.

Rather than a single defensive wall on their outer perimeter, the settlement was surrounded by a total of three, each growing progressively taller as you neared a castle-like fortification at the very center.

In between each wall, various Inns, Hostels, shops, and other facilities could be found. Unlike normal buildings, however, they were made from extremely durable materials and, for reasons that weren't immediately clear, covered in sloping roofs.

While the buildings themselves were rather strange, what really stood out were the large defensive towers that were evenly spaced within the general residential and commerce areas. Each of these structures was around 30m in diameter, covered in smooth metallic sheets, and outfitted with a total of sixteen large ballistae. Around the base, a wide moat lined with metal spikes and filled with a substance similar to boiling tar deterred anyone from getting anywhere near the structures, turning it into a veritable fortress all its own.

Even without gathering information, it was easy to deduce that the rather spacious settlement was subject to monster attacks on a regular basis. Despite this, hundreds-of-thousands gathered in this area, each seeking their fortune against the plentiful Monster Ants located in the distant mountains.

At a glance, these Mountains looked like normal geological formations but, if you observed closely, it quickly became apparent they were anything but 'normal'. Rather, the entire mountain range was an artificial construct, painstakingly built over millennia by the Monster Ants calling it home.

Linnaeus had never encountered a Monster Ant but he knew normal ant colonies could sometimes have millions of individual worker ants. This made the distant colony mildly terrifying as it wasn't all that difficult to imagine an endless swarm of the creatures sweeping across the settlement, wiping it away in a single evening...

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Though there were several small Merchant companies in the outer wall, most convoys had clearance to enter within the second set of walls. Here, the fortifications were even more noticeable than those outside and, as could be expected, so too were the various buildings lining the interior. They were of a much higher quality than their counterparts in the outer region, a testament to the wealth disparity between those living further in and those forced into the periphery.

After passing through a series of security checkpoints, navigating 100m long tunnel, and crossing a large bridge, the convoy finally began staging its carriages outside a large warehouse. Here, a team of workers was already waiting to unload all the equipment and supplies while, near the exit of the staging area, the former convoy leader was waiting with payment for each Party. From there, they could either retrace their steps, moving to the outskirts where prices were significantly reduced, or move further inside the second middle district, taking advantage of the fact they had already been able to pass through checkpoint, something which generally required a heavy fee to be paid.

When it came time to make this decision, Linnaeus was somewhat hesitant as, for the last few days, he had gotten along relatively well with Yorgen's Party. As a result, once they moved over to gather their reward, he asked the stoutly Dwarf, "What are your intentions, Yorgen? Will you head outside or explore the middle district?"

While weighing the cloth purse he had received in his left hand, Yorgen gave Linnaeus a wry grin before saying, "This ain't our firs' time venturin' to these lands, lad. We'll be headin' outside to find more agreeable pricin'. You 'n your lot should explore around for a bit, though. If fate be willin', we'll meet again durin' the upcomin' expedition."

Since it wasn't a simple matter, finding a Party you could mesh well with, Linnaeus was somewhat disappointed by Yorgen's words. He didn't allow this to show on his face, however, as he gave an understanding nod and said, "We'll meet again; I'm certain of it." Then, shaking hands with the kind Dwarf, Linnaeus forced a smile as Yorgen's much larger hand crushed his own...

While Linnaeus was sharing parting words with Yorgen, Krone somewhat awkwardly ruffled the fur of Cyrus' head while Eliza and Emilia had a staredown with Amanda. The only one without someone to talk to was Zezim but, with an aloof smile on his face, he just looked around the area before finding a Dumbswallow staring at him. This caused his smile and wings to twitch slightly as a strong desire to visit a pub or brothel swelled up inside of him...

When the time for their parting came, Linnaeus' Party saw off Yorgen's until the latter crossed the large mechanical bridge and passed through the first checkpoint. Afterward, Linnaeus turned to his cohorts and said, "We'll most likely be able to gather more information here in the middle district than outside. Let's find a place to stay for the evening before splitting up to search the various shops present within. Try to gather information about the upcoming Expedition while preserving as much of your Soul Kindling as possible. Tomorrow morning, we'll head to the outer district to cut on living expenses until we get a better grasp on our income..."

Since it was the best course of action, given their current circumstances, none of Linnaeus' Party members had a problem with his suggestion. As a result, they quickly found a place to stay away from the outskirts of the middle district, avoiding the 'cheap' room and board offered by various Merchant Companies near the checkpoints.

Merchants, even those that operated above-board, were all somewhat shady by virtue of their trade. If they could make some extra profit, they didn't mind falsely advertising their rates as being cheaper than others, even if venturing just a few blocks inward proved this claim to be false.

Linnaeus was a skeptic by nature so, if something seemed too good to be true, his default mentality was to confirm it for himself. As a result, they found a place that was nearly 30% cheaper, despite the accommodations being far superior...

After securing two small rooms for themselves, Linnaeus had Eliza accompany him as they spent a bit of time making small talk with the Proprietor. He had already learned that Inn owners were rather fond of conversing with their guests as they spent most of their time tending to the Inn. This could get rather boring so, whenever they got the chance, they were more than happy to share what they knew in exchange for interesting news or a few Soul Kindling.

Eliza was surprisingly good at getting people to talk so, with his own social skills lacking, Linnaeus had come to rely on her for things like this. All that was required from him was appearing interested during the conversation and grateful for the information provided. This was enough to make a good impression on the various Proprietors they had met, often resulting in extra benefits like cookies or other baked goods during their meals.

From the Proprietor, a middle-aged man with ram-like horns and a massive build, Linnaeus learned that the Expedition was always hosted by the ruling family that presided over the 'Briggs Fortress' at the very center of the territory. There, the Briggs Familia had been ruling over the region since it was first settled more than eight-hundred years prior.

In order to prevent the Monster Ants from building up enough forces to sweep across the entire region, the Briggs Familia sponsored the creation of a Guild specifically for contending against the Monster Ant swarm. They were charged with organizing monthly Expeditions to sweep through the area, dealing as much damage to the ant population as possible while reserve forces and groups specializing in the harvesting of raw materials followed in their wake.

Unfortunately, even with these monthly Expeditions, the Monster Ant Colony would swell in size once or twice each year. This always coincided with a phenomenon known as the Monster Ant Nuptial Flight, a period where some Monster Ants suddenly sprouted wings and tried to settle in other regions. Many of these ants were nascent Queens and virile males so, if they weren't taken care of quickly, new colonies would erupt throughout the surrounding regions, leaving nothing but havoc and devastation in their wake.

To prevent a major outbreak, the Briggs Familia would personally lead an Expedition directly into the heart of the Monster Ant Colony, their goal to kill as many Queens and brood as possible. By dealing a crippling blow to the existing ant infrastructure, the Nuptial Flight could be interrupted as, without a Queen, the existing colony would eventually collapse. As a result, the Monster Ants would fall back into their burrows, shoring up their defenses for several months for fear of being wiped out...

This was all important information as, if they wanted to try and secure a place for themselves among the main Expeditionary Forces, Linnaeus and co had less than two weeks to prove themselves at the nearby Guild. Though they could make a decent profit by serving with the reserve forces, joining the main forces guaranteed a lump payment of 50,000 Soul Kindling just for participation.

Joining the main expedition was a dangerous task but, at the same time, the rewards far exceeded those of the reserve forces. After all, the most coveted materials could only be obtained by entering the brood chambers and fighting against the various Majors and Super Majors. There, they could obtain the coveted Golden Honey and, if they managed to actually kill one of the Majors, harvesting their gem-like eyes guaranteed massive profits.

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Though obtaining a place with the main expedition would be difficult, the benefits far outweighed the potential danger. This was especially true for Linnaeus and his Party as, after the completion of a large expedition, the number of Monster Ants would generally thin out considerably. This meant, if they didn't take advantage of this opportunity, their trip to the Monster Ant Colony itself could turn out to be a waste of time.

Since there was a very real chance they could earn enough Soul Kindling to move on to the next series of challenges, Linnaeus managed to convince Eliza, Emilia, and Krone to take the risk with him. They would register at the Guild's main office before heading to the northern section of the outer district. From there, they would venture into the Monster Ant Colony, gaining experience against the ferocious creatures while completing various Guild Quests.

It wouldn't be easy but, if they were able to distinguish themselves, there was a fair chance their Party would be accepted as part of the main expedition. After all, various Parties would migrate to the fortress city around this time so, while the competition was fierce, the chances of joining, even as a relatively new Party, were quite high.