Red Night Ants

"That powerful?" Kanni looked astonished, his voice rising and falling. Alongside his delight, he seemed to harbor doubts about the claim.

Those doubts vanished after only two seconds, however. He knew Yetos was a practical man, and someone of his standing clearly would not make empty boasts.

At that thought, smiles appeared on the faces of the others and the hundred men standing in the square. Those smiles held a certain strength, born of something worthy of their trust and reliance.

Yetos glanced around and spoke calmly, yet his voice rang out strong and clear in everyone's ears. "All right, disperse. Patrol, stand watch, train. Get back to your duties."

"Yes, sir!" After that resounding chorus, the knights dispersed. Some left, while others remained around the edge of the square and began training.

Ma Linya walked over and circled him like a fly, examining him from every angle. Only after a dozen seconds did she stop. "Not bad at all. You know, Nameless? It's as though you've been given a whole new body. You've transformed from the inside out. Even your breathing is much steadier than before."

Zeng Mu could find nowhere comfortable to put his lowered hand, so he awkwardly held it at chest level and glanced sideways. "Mm, it does seem that way."

"By the way, the rhythm of your aura seems a little irregular. Didn't you sleep last night?" He turned his gaze back to her as he asked.

"Hm?" The corners of Yetos's eyes tightened, surprise stirring within him.

Sensing auras was an ability only Elementalists in the willful realm possessed. Nameless had only just become a manifestation realm Elementalist, so why did his words suggest he could already sense a trace of her aura?

Ma Linya nodded frankly, drawing out her words a little. "Of course not. Mixing these medicines took most of the night. In the end, I was so exhausted that I just dozed off at the table, only to be woken by Uncle White's hammering."

She took two crimson medicine bottles from her basket and handed them over. "This is a top-quality tonic recorded in the medicine book Uncle Bert gave me. It's specifically for people who have just become Elementalists. It strengthens your foundation and nourishes your vitality. The ingredients are mild, and it works quickly. Go on, try it."

Zeng Mu accepted the bottles, pulled the wooden stoppers out with a pop, and downed each in a single gulp. Both were empty within a few blinks.

Beside him, William's and Xibizete's cheeks twitched slightly. Both were thinking, What did she put in that stuff?

After today, apart from familiar, commonly used medicines and potions, the two of them would hardly dare drink anything Ma Linya gave them. Who knew what else ordinary people could never stomach might be lurking in those brightly colored concoctions?

Their worries seemed unnecessary. Zeng Mu wiped his mouth and let out a low, satisfied sound before saying in a clear voice, "Tastes good. A bit like duck blood."

"It's Flat Fern-Wing Duck blood, along with Green Bamboo sap, cypress roots, and a dozen or so other medicinal ingredients," she explained simply.

"Thank you," Zeng Mu suddenly said very softly as he looked at her.

"Hey, that doesn't sound sincere enough. How can you call that a thank-you when you're saying it so quietly?" Kanni came over and gave his shoulder a shove.

With the hint of a smile, Ma Linya took a flask from her basket and handed it over as well.

The flask was warm to the touch, clearly filled with water that had been boiled not long ago.

After enduring that long night, Zeng Mu was already parched. Otherwise, he would never have downed the rather pungent Flat Fern-Wing Duck blood in one go, even with all the other ingredients mixed into it.

Zeng Mu opened the stopper and sniffed. The fragrance was fresh and light, seemingly that of pine needles.

He opened his mouth and was just about to drink when he suddenly noticed ripples in the water, as though something were moving.

Turning his wrist toward the rising sun, Zeng Mu used the golden light spilling down to peer through the narrow opening. With eyesight far sharper than an ordinary person's, he spotted red specks floating inside.

He flipped his wrist, pointing the opening at the ground. Warm water came gurgling out and splashed across the ground as the others stepped back.

Several distinct red specks lay in the pale golden puddle reflecting the blue sky. Anyone who moved closer and lowered their head would have seen them clearly: they were ants.

Their bodies alternated between red and black. Their mandibles were enormous, like those of stag beetles, while their rounded abdomens resembled spiders' silk sacs.

Seeing those ants wriggling on the surface, Yetos exclaimed almost instinctively, "Red Night Ants?"

The others were about to cry out when a buzzing filled their ears. At the same time, the voices escaping their trembling lips grew much quieter. Only when they recovered did they notice the mark appearing on Yetos's forehead. Clearly, he had used Elemental Power.

"Shh. Keep this quiet. It'll be disastrous if word gets out." Yetos glanced at the knights still training in the distance.

"Lingya, how did Red Night Ants get into this flask? Where did you get the water?" Even Aikimu's usually calm voice carried unmistakable gravity.

Red Night Ants were a rare species carrying lethal venom. Their poison was so terrifying that even Yellow Sand Diamondback Snakes could not compare. Only a handful of their nests existed throughout the Three Great Territories. They favored cold, damp places and were usually found in swamps, though there were exceptions to everything. From volcanic regions to tidal waters and rivers, their presence could be discovered anywhere.

Fortunately, although Red Night Ants carried deadly poison, they were extremely unaggressive. Moreover, their venom was stored in their abdomens rather than their mandibles. As long as someone did not go courting death, a Red Night Ant was no different from an ordinary ant.

Under the influence of high or low temperatures, however, the venom in their abdomens would turn into gas and seep out through their bodies. Even less than a tenth of a lethal dose of this water-soluble gas could cause unbearable itching throughout the body, aching bones, and weakness. The effects lasted at least ten days, a torment worthy of the gates of hell.

Looking at those tiny red specks after hearing the explanation, Zeng Mu sighed inwardly. Had he still been the person he was two days ago, he certainly would not have noticed anything amiss. Even now, as a genuine Elementalist, he could not have prevented that poisonous gas from entering his body.

Their collective stares seemed to freeze the air. Feeling the unusual tension, Ma Linya behaved differently from before. She raised her head slightly and met Aikimu's questioning eyes, her voice instead firm and strong. "Sir, this was, of course, drawn from a well in the city."

Beneath the seemingly desolate, barren Sand City ran a branch of an underground river, which supplied the moats on all four sides. It also provided the city with two freshwater wells fit for drinking, one in the north and one in the south. The knight corps stationed in Sand City depended on these wells to sustain itself. These were, in effect, the two lifelines supporting the Vanguard War. If anything happened to either of them, the knights would suffer defeat without the enemy even attacking. At worst, they might not even manage to evacuate everyone.

That was precisely why the normally composed Aikimu had asked such a question. Aside from Yetos, he was the commander responsible for supplies, defenses, and related matters. He could not allow something that would doom the entire corps to happen.

"Well water? Are you certain it wasn't water from someone's home or a shop?" His brows furrowed, and his voice grew more urgent.

Ma Linya shook her head and answered with certainty, "No. I went to draw it myself last night. There was no one there at the time."

William clapped his hands together. "Damn it. Yesterday's secret orders included the knights guarding the wells."

"In other words, neither well had anyone guarding it for the entire night." Xibizete spread his fingers and covered half his face as he spoke flatly.

"It seems there's an enemy spy in Sand City. It could be a merchant, or it could be someone in the corps." Kanni lowered his head slightly, his gaze sharp and complicated.

"We don't have time to worry about the spy right now. Our priority is making sure the well water is safe."

Whoosh! Blue-green light rose from the ground like fire and engulfed the puddle. In an instant, steam rose with a hiss, and the Red Night Ants tumbling within vanished without a trace.

"William, Xibizete, come with me to the northern well. Aikimu, take the other three to the southern well," Yetos ordered.

"Yes, sir." Both groups answered and immediately set off at a run toward the wells.

Day had fully broken. The morning light fell gently on their faces, warm and soft, tenderly dispelling the last traces of exhaustion left over from the night.

Everywhere they looked, the knights were full of energy. Though some wounded men were among them, the expressions on their faces suggested their spirits were perfectly sound.

In particular, news of a newly advanced Elementalist's sudden appearance swept rapidly through the corps. It added a surge of exhilaration to the knights' already relaxed mood, as though victory in the Vanguard Battle were beckoning to them.

Word traveled faster than footsteps, but few people could clearly remember Zeng Mu's face. Fortunately, the group encountered no delays because of it and reached the southern well in only a few minutes.

The well was conventional in design. A three-legged wooden frame supported a windlass, with a rope hanging down from its center and a water scoop or wooden bucket attached below. Three watchtowers surrounded the well, each manned by two guards who rotated every eight hours to ensure its safety.

"Knight Commander." The knights standing guard on either side greeted Aikimu respectfully as he approached.

He immediately asked, "When did you get here?"

"Sir, we followed last night's orders and arrived two hours ago, at five in the morning."

"Has anyone come or gone during that time?"

"No unauthorized people. Just a few cooks from logistics. They came shortly after we arrived, around five twenty. They drew a few buckets as usual and carted them away."

Aikimu stopped questioning them and hurried inside. Zeng Mu and the others followed him to the edge of the well.

Everything looked normal here. There were no red specks to be seen.

With a toss, the rope with the water scoop attached plunged like a stone into the silent, chilly darkness of the well. Nearly ten seconds later, a distant splash drifted up to their ears.

Aikimu gripped the wooden handle and rapidly turned the windlass. The rope wound around it with a rasping sound. By the time the sound stopped, the water scoop had appeared before them.

Drip, drip. Clear, cold droplets kept falling from the bottom of the scoop into the well, lucky enough to escape the fate of being drunk and return to its safe, quiet, motherly embrace.

The four craned their necks to look into the scoop. On the crystal-clear surface floated a red cluster shaped like an eye.