These ants are about 2 cm long and are known for their aggressive nature. Though fewer in number compared to other ant species due to their size, their venom is more potent, making them formidable opponents.

"Venom?"

I quickly moved aside and pulled a leaf over me.

Sizzle.

The branch I had been on slightly burned.

Damn it.

Seeing the smoke rise from the branch, I realized getting hit directly by that venom wouldn't just hurt—it could be fatal.

Luckily, it seemed the ant couldn’t use that attack consecutively.

While it was regaining its strength, I struck swiftly.

Though the ant was bigger than others, it made no difference before me.

Crushing these ants wasn’t much harder than dealing with aphids.

Crunch!

The one under my foot was dead, and the others were swallowed whole.

An ant is just an ant, after all.

But this was no time to relax.

Ants communicate through pheromones. If this one released any, an entire army would soon be on my tail.

Hoping it hadn’t released any signals yet, I activated my Sprint skill.

The wind enveloped me.

Having reached level 6, my strength had improved far beyond what it used to be.

I raced back and forth along the branch at an unforgiving speed.

It may have looked like simple running, but the effect was massive.

Smash.

The ants I stepped on exploded under my feet.

Soon, I had killed every ant that had locked eyes with me.

If it had ended here, it would’ve been great.

A free XP event, topped off with a crunchy snack before a peaceful sleep.

But this wasn’t over yet.

【Acacia Fire Ant LV3】

【Acacia Fire Ant LV1】

【Acacia Fire Ant LV2】

…….

A black wave.

A flood of ants swarming up the tree branch, their numbers too large to count.

It had already surpassed the dozens, nearing hundreds.

And the scariest part—it wasn’t over yet. More and more ants kept crawling up the tree trunk, joining the swarm.

The numbers were overwhelming.

Even if I killed one ant at a time, I couldn’t possibly handle all of them.

If even one ant sprayed its venom before dying, I’d be covered in poison and dead.

One thought entered my mind:

Run.

The best option was to get out of here.

There was no reason to protect this place. I’d built a nice nest, but I wasn’t attached to it. My life was more important than some random branch.

But escaping wasn’t an option either.

My body was already covered in ant fluids.

Even if I ran, they would follow.

The only solution left?

Kill them all.

But that was impossible.

Not even a Level 6 Gecko could do it.

The black wave was closing in.

I didn’t have much time to think.

"Sprint."

Once again, the wind surrounded me.

I charged at them at full speed.

It was do or die.

Dozens of ants were crushed under my feet.

But the more I ran, the slower I became. Even in their death throes, they latched onto my legs with their mandibles. Shaking them off helped, but it slowed me down.

The ants were entangling themselves to form a natural barricade.

They must’ve figured out that I was trying to escape.

But if they thought they could stop me with something like that, they were wrong.

I tensed my legs, streamlined my body to reduce air resistance, and launched myself forward.

Swoosh.

Flying lizard.

I leaped over their barrier as if I were flying and successfully landed on the other side.

"Goodbye, ants."

I glanced back.

To my surprise, they were now crossing to my side too.

They used their bodies to form a bridge, allowing others to cross without even jumping.

Unbelievable.

They must’ve thought it was the most efficient solution.

And they were right. With this many enemies crossing at once, anyone would try to flee.

But my blood is cold. Instead of panicking, I calculated the most efficient move.

I closely observed the ants forming the bridge with their bodies.

The moment the leading ants reached my branch, I leaped and swung my thick tail.

Crack!

The bridge of ants shattered. Countless ants fell to the ground below. They probably didn’t die, but they wouldn’t be able to rejoin the battle anytime soon.

I continued disrupting their movements.

Each time they rebuilt the bridge, I destroyed it.

But the ants were learning. They made the bridge narrower and increased the number of crossing points. I couldn’t destroy all the bridges by myself.

Without hesitation, I moved on.

My plan was only beginning.

The ants fiercely pursued me.

Their mandibles grazed my skin, and venom seeped through the wounds.

It stung badly. If I stopped, I’d die a horrific death.

I swung my tail to prevent more from latching onto me.

Looking ahead, I focused on the location I’d chosen from the start.

The ants hadn’t noticed yet. I adjusted my speed to lure them in.

"Kiieek!"

The place I lured them to was none other than Nephila Jurassica’s nest.

The spider looked surprised to see me and the ant swarm appear so suddenly.

But that surprise didn’t last long. Realizing that I had stolen its food and now threatened its territory, it prepared for battle, angrily swinging its long legs.

The ants also regrouped. Though momentarily startled, they quickly charged toward the spider after noticing the aphid carcasses littered around.

Of course, some ants still attacked me. But only a few—the majority went straight for the web.

The ants instinctively knew that a single gecko wasn’t as threatening as the massive spider ahead.

"Kiiek!"

I let out a sigh of relief.

I congratulated myself for not challenging Nephila Jurassica directly.

If I had, I would’ve been dead in three seconds.

The spider’s power was overwhelming.

Crunch!

Even a mere graze from its long legs was enough to split an ant in half.

And, with its web as its domain, it had the upper hand.

The ants couldn’t even touch the spider before being crushed under its legs.

I dealt with the few ants attacking me and watched the battle unfold.

If things continued this way, the spider would win easily.

Great. I’ll just pick off the stragglers and level up while I’m at it.

With that mindset, I wandered around the battlefield.

But the situation quickly changed.

The sheer number of ants overwhelmed my expectations.

Like a black tide, more and more ants kept surging forward.

Those caught in the web were quickly devoured, but it didn’t last long.

Once a single ant made it through, another immediately climbed over it, bypassing the sticky web by treading on their fellow ants’ bodies.

"Keiiek!"

The ants, enraged over the dead aphids, showed no intention of retreating.

They rushed forward, disregarding their own lives, just so the next ant could get closer.

Though the spider fought valiantly, it was only a matter of time before it was overwhelmed.

It’s… going to lose?

I should probably run.

With the ants distracted by the spider, I could probably escape.

If I find a pond to dive into, the ant fluids should wash off.

Sorry, spider. But this is the wild.

In this world, there’s no room to help someone else when your own survival is at stake.

……

"Gegegek!"

I let out a fierce cry and charged toward the spider.

I began pulling ants off its legs with my tail, stomping on one that was preparing to spray venom, and roaring as loudly as I could.

"Gekgek!"

Snap out of it, spider.

If you die, I can’t steal your bugs anymore!

The ants seemed startled by my sudden intervention.

Nephila Jurassica was also momentarily taken aback.

But the surprise didn’t last long.

The ants now considered me an enemy and attacked.

"Keeiek!"

Nephila Jurassica blocked their path.

It jumped down from the web and started crushing the ants with its long legs.

A swarm of ants, held off by a spider and a single gecko.

Once again, the tide had turned.

Nephila Jurassica tapped me lightly with one of its legs.

Even though we couldn’t speak, I understood.

‘I haven’t forgiven you yet.’

That’s probably what it was trying to say, in some dramatic, hot-blooded line.

I tapped its leg in response.

There was only one thing I needed to say:

‘Shut up and fight—here they come!’