Chapter 182: Melee Mage (2)

"Please guard the entrance to this cavern. Don't let any monsters escape while we handle things inside."

"I understand! Please, be careful! Lord Artemis…" Rethusa refrained from insisting on accompanying them.

The battle at the entrance had already shown her the vast difference in skill between herself and Alfia.

Now was the critical moment to rescue their goddess. They couldn't afford to hold the other party back.

"Wow, this thing really knows how to reproduce. It's made such a mess in just one night."

The moment they entered the cave, they sensed the gravity of the situation. Things were far worse than expected.

In the short span of a single night, countless insect eggs had appeared, clinging to the walls, ceiling, and inner edges of the cave. Most of them were empty shells from recent hatchings, and slime from the eggs was spread everywhere, giving off a pungent odor.

As they took in the sight, several insect eggs burst open from the ceiling. What emerged were scorpion-like monsters, similar to the ones they'd encountered before, though slightly smaller and with softer, yet-to-harden shells.

Alfia had no mercy for these infant monsters. With a frenzied swipe, she dispatched them swiftly, ending their lives before they could even register pain.

"Let's move. We need to find that creature, Antares."

Neither of them wanted to linger, so they quickened their pace.

"We can't keep this up—it's endless."

The cave was proving to be far more challenging than they'd anticipated. The newly hatched monsters kept obstructing them, and the terrain was a maze.

After wandering for a while and slaying countless scorpion hatchlings, they somehow ended up back at their starting point. Sol recognized the spot by the magic stone he'd left on the ground earlier.

"Uh… looks like I led us in the wrong direction…" Sol scratched his head, embarrassed.

Alfia, frustrated, lightly slapped her forehead. "Fine, let me handle it."

She sighed, resigning herself to the quirks of her rather unreliable chosen god. She had gotten used to it by now.

After sensing the faint presence of Antares, she took Sol's hand and began to lead him decisively.

A partnership relies on trust—and in this duo, Alfia was clearly the reliable one.

Under her guidance, they made little to no detours and soon reached the central nest of Antares.

This chamber was much cleaner than the rest of the cave, but Antares itself looked very different from the night before.

Countless tentacles extended from its body, connecting it to the cave walls like roots, channeling pure vitality outward.

This was less of a birthing process and more of a rapid mass production of offspring. No wonder the pace was so astonishing.

Sol could also sense Artemis's divine energy within this life force—Antares was using Artemis like a power source.

As soon as Alfia and Sol entered the chamber, Antares spotted them and charged, seemingly enraged.

"Watch out; this thing has absorbed Artemis's divine power. It's far stronger than it was last night."

Alfia cracked her knuckles with a gleeful grin. "Good! That means I won't get bored too soon."

Since reaching Level 8, she hadn't had the chance to go all out. The empowered Antares in front of her was the perfect challenge.

"Glad you're excited, but don't go overboard and get yourself killed—Artemis is still in there somewhere. Try to take it easy."

"Understood, I'll control my strength." Alfia waved him off, visibly thrilled at the chance for a real fight.

With a powerful stomp, she leaped toward Antares, creating a small hollow in the ground from the impact. Using the recoil, she closed the distance instantly.

Antares barely had time to react, bewildered that anyone would charge at it so boldly. Just as it tried to block her, its tentacles pierced only a fading afterimage.

In a swift move, Alfia had already maneuvered behind Antares.

She reveled in the thrill of ambushing her foe—a true assassin's strike.

With practiced skill, she swung her blade toward its slender neck. Sparks flew as her blade struck its hard shell, and a cross-shaped scar formed where she'd cut.

Yet, within moments, the scar seemed to mend, leaving Alfia frowning in mild frustration.

Though she'd noticed Antares's resilience in their last encounter, she hadn't expected it to recover so quickly. How had it grown this powerful in just one night?

"Interesting…" Alfia muttered, her surprise tinged with excitement. She intensified her attacks, her movements swift and relentless.

But Antares wasn't content to remain a mere punching bag. Its tentacles, seemingly aware, whipped toward Alfia, who deftly sidestepped without losing focus. Her eyes narrowed, her gaze sharpening.