SSS Awakening: I Can Class Change at will - Chapter 281 Clearing The Nest [1]

Chapter 281  Clearing The Nest [1]

Eventually, the horse and rider arrived at what was unmistakably the supposed nest of the Black Ants that had been disrupting the progress of the base.

From their vantage point on a nearby ridge, Moon and Mirage could observe the impressive scale of the colony’s operations. The nest itself was a massive earthen mound that rose nearly ten meters high, its surface riddled with dozens of perfectly circular entrances ranging from small scout holes to large transport tunnels. The structure sprawled across several hundred meters, with beautifully made ventilation shafts and drainage channels visible throughout the complex.

Rows of Black Ants moved in organized columns, entering and exiting the various tunnels. In the silent area, the ants low chittering and clicking mandibles was all that could be heard.

Moon’s face contorted as his nostrils took in the smell of acid, and decomposing bodies. It was a powerful, foul smell.

As Moon observed their behavior, and soon it became clear these weren’t mindless insects but rather an intelligent, highly organized community. Smaller worker ants carried food supplies and building materials in formations, while larger ants—clearly captains or overseers—positioned themselves at key intersections to direct traffic flow.

The most fascinating aspect was their communication system. Every few seconds, pairs of ants would pause to touch their antennae together in brief exchanges, transmitting information. These interactions rippled through the colony like a neural network, with instructions and reports spreading rapidly from one group to another.

Moon watched one captain ant receive information from three different workers, its antennae flickering rapidly as it processed the data before dispatching each messenger in a different direction with new orders.

‘Definitely more intelligent than typical A-Rank beasts,’ Moon observed their adversaries. ‘No wonder they’ve established an entire nest that’s proven difficult to deal with by the awakeners in the base nearby. They built a base of their own that they are defending.’

After studying the nest’s defensive layout and identifying what appeared to be primary entrances, secondary escape routes, and the most likely locations of the colony’s central command structure, Moon felt satisfied with the information he had gathered.

He gently rubbed Mirage’s mane, “Let’s dive in, partner.”

Mirage’s powerful legs tensed before he launched into a thunderous charge toward the distant Black Ants. His hooves struck the ground with such force that the pounding sounded like war drums across the landscape.

The sound was instantly detected by the colony’s sentries, who immediately triggered their alarm system. Antennae began flickering rapidly throughout the entrance as emergency signals spread through their communication network, informing each other of the intruders.

Within seconds, the entire outer-nest erupted, forming a defensive line that blocked Moon and Mirage from accessing the deeper nest.

Moon leaped from Mirage’s back as they reached the outer perimeter, choosing to engage primarily through hand-to-hand combat to maximize his proficiency gains with the Golem Class skills.

The first wave of worker ants rushed forward simultaneously, not giving Moon the chance to dispatch them one by one.

Click! Click!

A massive soldier ant lunged at Moon with razor-sharp claws that struck the air like steel. Whoosh!

Moon sidestepped gently before activating [Heaviness] at the last possible second, his higher body weight adding a powerful momentum to his dodge-and-counter maneuver.

CRACK!

The ant’s claws whistled past Moon’s head, striking a boulder behind him and splitting the massive stone completely in half.

Another ant lunged at the same time, but Moon anticipated the strike and dodged with ease. The attack missed its intended target, yet its momentum carried it forward, crushing two unfortunate worker ants that had just been planning to attack. Moon seized the overextended soldier ant with [Stone Clasp], his grip strength allowing him to grasp its armored head between both hands.

CRUNCH!

He drove the creature’s skull into the ground. The impact immediately created a small crater in the packed earth, painting the floor in black fluid.

More ants swarmed toward him from multiple angles, furious at Moon—who had already killed numerous of their people.

Two workers charged towards him, in an attempt to overwhelm him. Moon caught two charging workers simultaneously, one in each hand, then activated [Heaviness] as he brought their heads together with tremendous force.

CRACK! CRACK!

Both exoskeletons shattered on impact, black fluid spraying across the battlefield as their bodies went limp.

[You have killed the level 25 A-Rank Black Ant]

[You have killed the level 25 A-Rank Black Ant]

[You have gained 20 Lives]

[You have gained 20 Lives]

After the message had spread within the nest’s internal system, a captain ant emerged from the main tunnel followed by a screech of anger.

It was easily twice the size of the workers that Moon had been dealing with thus far. Its antennas were longer than the others.

Moon grinned fiercely as he felt both skills climbing in proficiency with each successful use. The real-time practice against these opponents was accelerating his mastery faster than simple training could achieve.

Meanwhile, Mirage was conducting his own set of attacks against a separate formation of ants.

The white horse struck out with his powerful legs, each kick landing with enough force to send two-meter ants flying through the air. His fin-tail lashed out like a sword, slicing through exoskeletons that could deflect most weapons under A-Rank.

WHINNY!

Mirage charged directly into the thickest concentration of enemies, his weight and momentum allowing him to bowl over dozens of ants simultaneously. Those that tried to leap onto his back found themselves thrown off.

Just few meters away from Mirage, an enormous soldier ant managed to rake its claws across Moon’s shoulder, drawing blood but failing to penetrate deeply thanks to his high constitution attribute and multiple defensive skills.

Moon spun with the impact, using [Heaviness] to add rotational force to his counterattack as he drove his elbow into the creature’s thorax.

The Black Ant couldn’t counter attack as it collapsed immediately.

Around them, the battle raged with increasing intensity as more Black Ants poured from the nest’s numerous entrances. But rather than feeling overwhelmed, Moon felt energized by the challenge and the skill proficiency development it provided.