The moment Richard stepped into the plaza, he sensed a faint danger.
The feeling of danger enveloped his body, as if a pair of hidden, ill-intentioned eyes in the surrounding darkness were watching him.
The exposed skin on his body tightened slightly, and his eyes narrowed.
Richard showed no fear. A faint blue glow flashed in his eyes as he activated the see-through function of Gaze of the Eye and surveyed his surroundings.
He saw that the ruins of the surrounding buildings were filled with countless palm-sized creatures. They kept closing in on the small plaza. Once they drew nearer, he deactivated Gaze of the Eye and activated Dark Vision, finally making out that they were insects resembling cockroaches.
Their bodies were black, as if cast from iron, and looked extremely tough. Their heads bore silver patterns, while electric arcs flickered across their antennae. They clearly possessed the ability to cast Lightning Spells.
Richard's expression grew somewhat grave.
Molly slowly spoke beside him. "According to our intelligence, these creatures can use electric currents to paralyze people and have some resistance to energy attacks. It's best to use spells with physical form against them, such as ice cones, Stone Cones, Air Missiles, and the like.
"Compared to the sandworms from before, their defenses are stronger, but their attacks are much weaker. If you can handle them, you can deal with them yourself. But you don't look too well. If you can't handle them, don't force yourself. We can help."
"No." Richard shook his head, his expression still grave. He said slowly, "I can deal with them, but... they aren't the key."
"Hm?" Molly asked doubtfully. "What do you mean?"
"They aren't the key." Richard repeated himself. He fully released his senses and confirmed that the feeling of danger did not come