Ankhegs.
They were insect-type monsters that lived in the South. They were about five feet wide (1.5 meters) and could reach up to thirty feet (10 meters) in length. They had the ability to sense vibrations and could detect slight vibrations within a range of sixty feet. Ankhegs had a pair of giant jaws that could break trees and bite their prey. They could also produce strong acid that could corrode their enemies. They looked like giant insects with six to twelve slender legs with sharp claws.
At the same time, the Ankhegs could also unleash a lethal acid spray attack on the enemy. If the enemy was not immune to the acid, they would die on the spot!
Even if they were lucky enough to survive, they would be severely corroded.
However, that was not the worst part.
What was even more deadly was that the ankhegs were small social creatures. Most ankhegs moved in groups of two to five. They liked to eat fresh meat, but they were also scavengers.
They tended to be neutral and would not attack unless they were hunting.
However, if they thought you were food, you would be in great danger.
There were not many ankhegs in the South.
They were mainly active in the southern region and only lived in a specific geographical environment. Generally, unless something happened, they would rarely leave their area of activity. There were almost no ankhegs in the North because they liked soft and moist soil. The soil in the North was too hard due to the cold, making it unsuitable for ankhegs. (Creature Trait!)
That was why the caravan guards were unable to identify the ankhegs.
"Let's leave this place first."
Søren looked around and said, "These monsters will hide underground. It's hard for us to find them."
"Everyone, stay together!"
"The ankhegs can sense our footsteps. They like to attack lone prey!"
A message appeared in Søren's mind. It was the challenge information of the ankhegs.
"Ankheg [Swarm] (Grade 3)."
"Challenge Rating: Level 8, Monster Level: 10, Strong Acid Spray ability."
"Highest and Lowest Attributes: 20 and 10, Total Attribute Points: 80-90."
"Specialty: Strong Acid Spray, Corrosive Damage, Bite Attack."
"Difficulty: B +."
The challenge rating of the ankhegs was higher than the Snake Demons because they could appear and disappear unpredictably. They could burrow underground and appear in groups.
He used to be a professional assassin for many adventurers!
If it was a small adventurer team, once they were attacked, just the first round of strong acid spray would kill the team members.
Dealing with this kind of bug required a very strong detection and eavesdropping ability.
Otherwise.
You'll need the 'Wilderness Survival' skill to determine their location. Only then can you avoid being ambushed.
Søren retreated cautiously.
The others also seemed to realize the seriousness of the situation. They pulled out their weapons and retreated outside.
"Ankhegs."
"Aren't they rarely seen?"
"Could it be that the Ankhegs have gone berserk?" Soran asked himself as he carefully observed his surroundings and focused his attention on the movements underground.
"Damn it!"
"Although I've killed these insects before, I really didn't notice when they went berserk."
"And who was the one who completed the mission?!"
It happened around the same time.
Many major events happened in this world, including the Skinning Incident, the War of the Children of God, the Ancient Red Dragon, the Giant Migration, and so on. Therefore, Søren did not have the energy to pay attention to something as trivial as the Ankhegs going berserk. If the major events that happened in the past were to be ranked, the Skinning Incident would be ranked B, the War of the Children of God would be ranked A +, and the birth of the Ancient Red Dragon would be ranked A +. As for the Ankhegs going berserk, they were not even ranked E +.
Unless such an event happened to happen around him, it would be convenient for him to investigate and complete the mission.
Otherwise, very few people would pay attention to them.
However.
Ankhegs were a very rare insect species.
While they were dangerous, they were also very valuable!
This was because their shells were extremely sturdy and light. If a skilled blacksmith could be hired, the shells of the ankhegs could be forged into a full-body armor that weighed only a third of a full-body armor. In many places, an ankheg armor like this could be sold for up to 3,000 Kindler coins.
Even if the materials were sold, they could be sold for 600 to 800 Kindler coins!
However.
Only skilled blacksmiths would buy them, and others would not have any use for them.
The shell of an ankheg could only be made with a special enchantment method, and the size of the armor was custom-made. Therefore, if one could not find a skilled blacksmith, the only way was to remove the head of the ankheg. It was a natural + 1 shield with decent defense and strong acid resistance.
If one could kill an ankheg, the reward would be even higher than killing a Naga Demon!
"Hiss!"
Suddenly, a strange sound came from the ground. When Søren and the others retreated, they saw a huge bulge in the grass beside the road. Then, a ferocious-looking gigantic ankheg crawled out from the ground. It opened its mouth and pounced on a horse, biting off its head in an instant. Large amounts of blood gushed out, and the only thing left on the ground was a dead horse with its head separated from its body.
What a powerful bite!
Søren's pupils shrunk, and he quickly hid behind a large tree.
Ankhegs had the ability to spray acid once a day, and it was a killing move for low-level professions. Its power was equivalent to a spell, Acid Arrow!
The other guards also took cover, and at the same time, they took out their crossbows and fired at the ankheg.
"Cover me!"
The guard captain let out a roar and suddenly pulled out the long sword on his back. His figure also grew a little bigger. Blue veins like earthworms appeared on his thick and solid arms, and his skin was flushed red because of excessive blood flow. Following his roar, another guard rolled on the ground and took out a small round shield in front of his chest. At the same time, he loaded a special crossbow bolt into the shield.
"Berserk?!"
Søren's eyes narrowed, and he muttered, "Northern barbarians?!"
Boom!
There was a slight explosion as the bolt hit the ankheg's body.
The ankheg immediately turned its head to face the caravan guard. Ding ding dang dang! Apart from the exploding bolt, the rest of the bolts bounced off the ankheg's carapace. Only a small portion of the bolts managed to land on the ankheg's carapace. As mentioned before, the ankheg's carapace was equivalent to a full-body armor, so its frontal defense was also on the same level as a full-body armor. Normal crossbows had no effect on it at all. Only when the bolts hit its vitals would it be effective.
— "Acid Spray!"
The ankheg spat out a thick, dark green liquid. The guard rolled on the ground to avoid it, but some of it still landed on him. The small round shield in the guard's hand was easily corroded, and the acid that splashed on his arm quickly corroded his leather armor. His flesh also began to smoke.
The guard screamed in pain, gritted his teeth, and pulled out his weapon to cut off a piece of flesh from his shoulder!
— "Heavy Slash!"
The guard captain's eyes gradually turned red, and his bones began to crackle. He held his longsword with both hands and leaped five meters into the air before slashing at the ankheg's head!
Clang!
The sound of metal colliding could be heard.
The ankheg screamed in pain as it shook its head and rammed into the guard captain. The guard captain twisted his body to avoid the fangs and stabbed behind him with his sword.
The guard captain's weak skin was penetrated, and a dark green liquid gushed out from the wound.
"A Tier 3 Warrior, Northern barbarian!"
Søren did not expect the guard captain to be above Lv 10. He spun around with his scimitar, then rolled out from behind the tree and ran past the ankheg from the side. The ankheg had already used its Acid Spray, which greatly reduced the threat to Søren. As long as he avoided its sharp teeth, even if he took one or two hits, it would not be fatal.
How could he not fight for Slaughter EXP?!
"Give me a crossbow!"
Soran let out a low growl, and the nearby guards reacted quickly and threw their crossbows at Soran.
Swoosh!
Søren's fingers were so fast that they left afterimages. He finished reloading the crossbow in an instant and shot an arrow at the ankheg's mouth.
"Attack its jaw."
He threw away the crossbow that he had just fired and swooped down with his scimitar in one hand. When he passed by the ankheg, he bent his knee and slid past it. The scimitar left a two-foot-long wound on the ankheg's front skin.
Clang!
The guard captain attracted the attention of the ankheg from the front and scratched his chest with its sharp claws. Fortunately, he was still wearing his leather armor, so it only left a shallow wound.
"Roar!"
The guard captain's roar reverberated in the air as he swung his sword down and chopped off one of the ankheg's limbs.
After passing by the ankheg, Soran rolled on the ground with one hand and did not stop at all. Instead, he stepped on the ankheg's back and started running. The ankheg was about five meters tall when it stood upright, which was the height of a one-story building. Half of its body was still buried in the ground. Søren exerted strength in his legs and leaped up. He then held his scimitar with both hands and plunged it into the ankheg's skull.
"Die!"
Dark green blood spurted out from the wound, and Søren felt a burning sensation on his arm.
The ankheg's huge body began to tremble and struggle, causing the surrounding soil to splatter everywhere. However, Søren did not flinch at all. Instead, he used his legs to clamp down on the ankheg's skull to ensure his balance and strength. At the same time, he twisted the scimitar's hilt with both hands. His expression was slightly hideous. Blood splattered on his body, and some of his clothes were slightly corroded.
Boom!
The ankheg fell to the ground with a dull thud.
The ankheg struggled violently before it died, and its huge body fell to the ground.
Søren let go of his scimitar and lay on the ground, panting heavily. There were spots of blood on his arm, and some of his flesh was also corroded and burned.
"It's finally dead."
He took a deep breath and stood up. Only then did he realize that his thigh had been cut open by the sharp edge of the ankheg's shell when he was riding on it. Blood was gushing out of the wound.
The battle was short.
A battle of life and death could not be dragged on until one's stamina was depleted.
A merchant guard came over to support Søren, who was swaying a little. He then applied some ointment on his wound and quickly asked, "Are you alright?"
"Take off your clothes first!"
"The liquid is very corrosive. Master will heal you later!"
One was heavily injured, while the other two were lightly injured.
Søren took a deep breath and quickly bandaged his thigh. He then said, "Let's go now!"
"Ankhegs live in groups."
"There should be other ankhegs nearby. Our battle must have alerted them!"
… …
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