The crimson chitinous shells gleamed ominously in the light. Even at a glance, their numbers easily exceeded a hundred, maybe more. The only saving grace was that Gulak Village’s entrance was bottlenecked by the northern canyon. If these bastards could pour in from all sides, the village would already be a smoldering ruin.3

The village being perched on a towering peak was a stroke of luck, but just having a single entry point wasn’t enough. To handle a relentless swarm of ants on his own, Do-Jin needed more than just a bottleneck. He had to limit not only the direction of the attack but also the number and speed of the creatures flooding in at any given time.1

That was where the villagers’ hard work came in. They had stacked an enormous pile of flammables at the canyon’s exit, cobbled together from everything they could scavenge.0

“Mr. Mage! Look! Those damn ants are coming up!”0

A villager’s shout rang out, sending the others who were still working outside scrambling back behind the palisade in a full-blown panic.0

Do-Jin kept a sharp eye on the ants through his Night Vision spell as he waited. Just as the swarm began to emerge from the canyon, he set the massive pile of wood ablaze. Fueled by his mana, the flames roared to life, leaping onto the oil-soaked wood and devouring it in seconds. The fire surged outward, creating a blazing barrier.0

As they crawled out of the canyon, the narrowing path created by the flames funneled them into a tight line. Instinctively,...0