Caster's party had to squeeze through a small opening the miners had created. After they passed, the opening was sealed, leaving only a small head-sized hole. They were instructed to communicate through this hole and to knock on the wall in a Morse code-like pattern to identify themselves to the miners on the other side.Guards were stationed outside to ensure the miners' safety. The adventurers had a map and were tasked with slowly clearing the tunnels of monsters. Working alongside other adventurer teams, their goal was to eliminate the monster infestation, though the duration of the mission was uncertain. Each team was given simple clocks to track their time inside, ensuring they did not stay longer than five hours.A blue sphere of light illuminated the tunnel. Wide enough for three people to walk side by side, the tunnel featured small railroad tracks on the rocky floor. An empty minecart sat on the tracks, likely used to transport iron ore and minerals."Handy to have a mage

Samuel felt a surge of energy after witnessing the impressive spell-slinging abilities of their new party member. The elf nodded in agreement, while Felix shrugged, eager to rack up more experience points. He could already see his progress increasing rapidly, having leveled up after just this quick battle.“Don’t see a reason not to,” Felix remarked.Caster also nodded. They had mapped out the path behind them, providing a clear route for retreat. The ants didn’t seem to be digging new tunnels frequently, and their current strategy of two warriors at the front and three ranged attackers at the back seemed effective. They still had time within their five-hour limit.Caster noticed a larger cavern on the map, likely an extensive mining area with minecarts and more paths to investigate. Following the railroad tracks, they encountered more worker ants. Caster, ever greedy, aimed for the head with each spell. The rest of the party blocked the ants' path while the backline fighters pelted t

As the team continued moving and going deeper into the winding tunnels. Even though the basic worker ants were easy to handle, the group stayed alert, especially after facing ants that could spit acid.After half an hour, they encountered another group of ants, a mix of regular and advanced types. Michael who was the party's shielf took on him most of the acid attacks, while Caster, the mage, used a protective spell to shield them, saving their precious spell scrolls for later.Caster couldn't just practice his magic skills anymore; they needed to conserve resources. Each scroll could make a big difference in a tough situation.This strategy required more effort from his companions. Michael, who used to rely on fast-acting runic spell scrolls, now had to use slower spells that took time to cast."Duck, Michael!" someone shouted."Got it!" Michael the dwarf replied, quickly jumping to the side."Mana Blast!" another voice yelled. A big ball of magic shot a little inch off Michael's ea

Suddenly, they were swarmed by even more monstrous ants! Caster and his team found themselves in a big cavern after defeating a giant ant soldier. There were all three types they'd seen before, and some especially dangerous soldier ones too. Luckily, their mage had enough firepower to keep the soldiers busy.Giant balls of water splashed onto the ants, followed by others that seemed to crackle with icy energy. One of these icy balls flew at a big soldier ant, who barely dodged out of the way. But part of its giant rear end got hit and it froze instantly. The frost began to climb up its body, literally bringing the creature to a standstill.These ants were as cold blooded as insects, as they also lacked a fixed body temperature. They were also confined to an environment where they could not generate their own heat. Some ant species had special organs to fight this, but not this kind. Once their body temperature dropped too low, they'd get sluggish and eventually fall asleep for the w

Caster grinned, thinking about a certain scroll he'd made. It wasn't great for attacking, but it could be used as a bomb."You came prepared," Felix observed, a mix of relief and frustration in his voice. He was glad to have Caster around, but also bummed about his own lack of usefulness. Maybe after this, he'd take a safer approach to adventuring and prepare more supplies next time.Samuel gave Caster a rough pat on the shoulder, nearly knocking him over. "Heh, not bad for a shrimp," he said with a grin. Caster, despite being the youngest, had become their temporary leader thanks to his powerful magic."I've got some mana back," Caster announced. "We should get going. If Mark's right, no rescue party is coming anytime soon."The trip from Winterfell took about two days. Even if they blew open the entrance now, and factoring in the time to gather adventurers, help wouldn't arrive for at least three days, maybe even a week.Everyone was tired, and Caster was running low on scrolls.