Re:Ant Lord-Chapter 106: The unknown

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They marched a kilometre ahead. Tunnels were shaky and tilting deeper at each split. Kai placed chalk arrows marked and cross checked everything with memory of the mental map. A’zhorath’s chamber had projected into his head at the moment of egg‑bond.

"Left, right, right again, then drop shaft."

At the drop shaft, he halted the column. A widow of breeze kiss wafted upward, dry as parchment. The shaft plunged near straight forty metres. Fenn secured silken rope to a jagged spur. One miner or treasure hunter clicked his mandibles anxiously.

Brask rumbled, "Smell that? Sulphur... and wet stone. Vault air usually tastes metallic."

Kai sniffed, it was indeed different: warmer, more humid. Like the breath of some slumbering forge. "This could be a geothermal pocket near the treasure chamber," he guessed. "Rose‑heat keeps relics pristine."

Mia nodded. "We will descend. Two at a time. Jun you will be last, you will set a seal after the rope retracted."

One by one they rappelled into gloom. Kai went third, his legs skating the wall. Half way down he paused, luminous algae streaking the strata to his left. The pattern was irregular but vaguely runic, "Is it an ancient word?" He memorised it.

At bottom, boots sank in silty clay instead of sand. The ceiling vanished in black heights; only their lantern slits pierced a slender corridor ahead. A sighing wind ebbed and flowed, carrying the scent of salt. Beneath that, Kai sensed something else, not a beast, not mineral. "A Heartbeat?" Slow, enormous.

Miners muttered prayers. Kai raised one fist, "Everyone silence." Now He led the team solely by instinct. Fifty paces ahead and the corridor widened abruptly, giving birth to a sandstone gallery ribbed with quartz struts. Motionless amber statues lined both sides, monstrous composites of beetle, serpent, jackal, all facing inward as if guarding a sacred nave.

Fenn brushed a sculpture; a faint tintinnabulation rang out, as though the stone remembered old chimes. Mia whispered: "Keep hands clear. Some Desert dynasties wove poison or traps into guardian idols."

They advanced into the lung of the mountain. Ahead, the gallery ended at a colossal louvered gate of obsidian plates veined with gold. Each plate bore a sunburst sigil identical to the mark Kai now carried under his ribs. A’zhorath’s crest.

Brask exhaled a low whistle. "Queen’s wings, that’s treasure door if ever saw one."

Jun approached, rune stylus glowing emerald. "Locks?"

Kai placed palm to gate. A pulse, warm as living skin, rippled outward along seams. The three‑pointed sun on his chest burned in answer. With heavy grating, plates pivoted aside, dust shearing off in glittering sheets to reveal a vaulted chamber beyond. A vision of night markets distilled into mineral form.

Lantern beams danced across treasures.

Floor‑to‑ceiling stalagmites of star crystals, clear, white, violet, blazing with caged starlight. Gem‑filled amphorae. Racks of star steel (a type of iron for weapons forging) spears humming faint harmonics. Kegs of powdered aurichalcum. On dais pedestals lay scroll cases wrought of adamant depicting constellations unknown.

Miners went slack‑jawed.

Kai inhaled slowly. Even Mia was shocked to see this. She never saw this many star iron weapons in one place.

But between them and the fortune coiled a massive shadow, half‑curled, half‑asleep. It rose as the gate fully opened, scales clinking like chainmail. Eyes of smelted bronze ignited.

Sand Eclipse Basilisk a six star rank predator, a legendary guardian of ruler hoards.

Its body size was a hundred feet, hidden plated in hexagonal slabs etched by swirling runes. Six horns curved back from a cobra‑like hood. Tail ended in a meteor-like hammer knot.

Fenn murmured to himself, "This is bad. We can’t beat this guy."

The basilisk hissed, breath a desert furnace. Lantern light extinguished, snuffed by oppressive aura. Every ant felt their bones vibrate in fear.

Mia stepped forward, voice calm but ringing. "Dawn Blade, form a cross defense line. Support fire only. You can’t participate in this battle. I will take the lead."

Kai planted himself on her left. "I will anchor the flank."

She shot him a look then used an attack called, trust flowed.

The fight began not with a roar but a pulse. From the basilisk’s hood radiated concentric rings of grey light. Where they passed, stone sweated and crystals dulled, energies siphoned by ancient curse. If any ordinary soldier took full wave, their aura might freeze then shatter.

Kai ordered, "Everyone Dodge!" His team leapt through ring spaces, using minima where the destructive pulse faded.

Mia channelled new‑forged power. A corona flared about her arms, silver lotus petals that rotate opposite directions. She dashed, leaving comet-like tails.

Basilisk lunged. A hooked horn cleaved air, missed Mia by hand‑breadth. She slid beneath, lashing upward with a concentrated aura blade. The attack landed on the predator beast scale but it wasn’t deep enough to make a cut.

Brask hurled javelin; tip burst acid on impact. Basilisk hissed; tail whipped sideways, smashing pillar, shards raining. Fenn vaulted, flicking three charged discs that clung to scales, crackling blue.

Jun wove ward shield. Miners scurried behind.

Kai circled clockwise, searching for seam. Predator Instinct highlighted faint fissure behind left jaw hinge, scale overlap.

He sprinted, switched spear to reverse grip. At full run he activated Essence Overlord, spear darkened, edges vibrating. He stabbed the target seam, metal screeched, scale cracked.

Basilisk reared, bellow shaking cavity. It spat a ribbon of molten sand glass beam. Kai flung himself sideways; beam fused wall behind.

Mia capitalised. She vaulted onto the creature’s raised neck, lotus shaped aura petals tightening into shimmering gauntlets. With twin palms she struck pressure nodes along the spine. Shockwaves rippled, the beast scales flared white, then exploded outward leaving raw golden muscle.

Kai regained his footing, shouted, "Now!"

He jammed spear again; tip found flesh. Hot ichor sprayed. Basilisk roared, tail swinging. Mia leapt clear but tail hammered Brask’s shield, hurling ant against quartz spire. Crack, Brask slumped.

Fenn dashed, dragging Brask behind rune wall. Jun pressed healing glyph patch.

Basilisk cast a new ability called, Mirage Typhoon. Air spun with illusory clones blurred across the floor, each radiating faint heat.