Chapter 22- C ranked monster.

Chapter 22: Chapter 22- C ranked monster. Eva stood in front of the warp gate, Julian and Ethan at her side. She took deep breaths, dreading the nausea that came with this mode of transportation. They stood in front of an empty warp gate. The other ones were filled with people, and she wondered why they didn’t flood this warp gate. "Anything we say in there goes," Julian said in a serious tone, his playful smile nowhere to be seen. She nodded in acceptance, knowing they were far more experienced than her. "Let’s go," Ethan said and took a step through the warp gate. Eva’s grip tightened on her sword, and she walked through as well. As soon as she entered, she felt the familiar sensation of her world spinning. Her stomach churned painfully, bile rising in her throat. When she appeared in front of the dungeon, she held the wall, heaving for breath and trying to suppress her nausea. Two candies entered her mouth at the same time. The sweetness spreading through her mouth gradually brought her back to normal. ’It seems I have motion sickness from using warp gates.’ This was the only explanation Eva could come up with. She turned to them and nodded gratefully; she would have to stock up on candies- she couldn’t keep taking theirs. They continued on their journey. The moist decayed air made Eva’s nose wrinkle a bit. She noticed this dungeon was different from the one she knew- or did the dungeon decor change itself? Feeling unsure, she turned to them. "Is this another dungeon?" She asked with an uncertain tone. "You finally noticed. Didn’t the empty warp gate give you a hint?" Julian’s words made her eyes widen in surprise. ’I thought they were being respectful to Julian and Ethan, letting the lords pass first. What kind of dungeon is this?’ her mind was filled with surprise and questions. "This is a higher-level dungeon. Be on guard." Ethan warned from the side, as he brought out his sword. Eva held back her question, her eyes darting to the vein-like walls. They hummed as if alive. Her scalp tingled at his words, and she became cautious, not liking this place one bit. "Clang, clang!’’ Suddenly, the sound vibrated through the area. Eva gripped her sword, feeling the ground rumble beneath her feet. It was like an earthquake. Something huge was heading for them. Julian and Ethan frowned, exchanging glances before moving in front of Eva. They knew what kind of monster made such a loud ruckus. When Eva saw the monster causing the noise, her mind went blank. Her skin crawled with disgust, goosebumps prickling as she took in the uncountable number of black-armored ants. Eva watched some climb the walls and ceiling; it was a sea of ants. Eva swallowed hard when she noticed their hard, shell-like bodies. "Eva, handle the ones that slip past us," Ethan ordered. He waved his hand toward a group of ants, freezing them instantly before they shattered into pieces. Another group of ants immediately filled the gap where the others had fallen. Eva’s eyes widened in awe at his beautiful but deadly attacks. She was drawn back to Julian, he paused a large group of ants in place. When she blinked, countless severed heads of the paused ants surrounded Julian. He stood in their middle, his sword dripping with black blood. ’W-what just happened?!’ Eva’s mind was deeply shocked by Julian’s attack. It happened instantly like he teleported in a blink of an eye. ’Damn, what kind of monsters are my teammates?’ she thought, watching them slaughter the army of ants like it was nothing. Two ants, their molten black eyes gleaming, aimed for what they perceived as the weaker opponent. They crawled through the ceiling soundlessly and appeared behind the unaware Eva. Eva, caught up in watching the fight, didn’t notice the danger heading her way. She noticed Ethan was hardly using his full strength on the monsters- it was like he was reserving it for something else. Suddenly, an alarm blared in her mind. She barely dodged their spiked legs aimed at her skull. One of the limbs managed to leave a slash on her shoulders. Blood slid down her hands; Eva broke out in a cold sweat and moved backwards immediately. She had nearly had her skull pierced. Watching the ants dash toward her, she quickly wrapped herself in her green dome. "Clang!" The friction between her sword and their bodies created sparks. Eva’s hands grew numb from the vibration, and her heart sank when she found no dent in their armour. Ethan and Julian noticed she was in a tight spot, but they couldn’t save her- she had to defeat this monster herself. This was the lowest-ranked monster in this dungeon. If she couldn’t handle a C-ranked monster, how would she survive what lay further ahead? "Eva! Their weak point is the thin line behind their necks!" Ethan shouted as he froze more ants. Eva’s ears prickled up, and her eyes lit up with focus. She dodged one ant and aimed for the neck of the other, but reality proved it was easier said than done. The ant reacted and dodged at an impossible angle. Its molten black crystal eyes seemed to read her every move. The other ant took the chance to land a hit on her. The force pushed her backwards, slamming her into the wall. Her breath caught in her throat as her hand fell weakly to the side. Her eyes watered from pain. A searing sensation rushed through her as she struggled to stand. Blood dripped from the corner of her lips where she had bitten hard into her tongue. The ants didn’t give her time to recover. They attacked at the same time. One leg aimed for her throat, the other for her stomach. Julian and Ethan’s eyes widened- they were about to move to save her at the last second. Unnoticed by Eva, the tattoo on her finger throbbed. It attacked the ants, absorbing their energy at lightning speed. Eva thought she had activated her powers at the last minute. The timing coincidentally aligned with the tattoo’s attack. She didn’t notice the tattoo’s role and only felt her energy absorption had improved since her upgrade. The ants tried to escape, sensing their energy draining away. Their movements slowed, their gleaming armour dimming to a pale, matte black. Eva seized the opportunity and quickly severed their necks. She heaved a sigh of relief, sliding down the wall in exhaustion and pain. Gritting her teeth, she reset her bones, grimacing as she suppressed a scream. Julian and Ethan’s hearts lightened with relief, but their expressions turned serious as they felt the presence of what they had been waiting for, finally appear.