Who Needs Magic in a Fantasy World Anyway?

Chapter 97: A Small Bug Problem

"Did you guys run into a pack of boss monsters or something on the way to class?" Richard asked Christina as soon as he walked into the classroom.

"Of course not! Why would you- oh..." As Christina grew silent, both of them started looking at Koko, who was sitting nearby with a bright smile on her face while humming a happy tune and kicking her feet through the air beneath her chair. "Don't worry about her, she's still just happy that she created a new skill."

"Another one? She's gotta be some kind of legend by now, right?" Richard asked before taking his seat next to Koko. "So? What is it?"

"I can shoot dragons out of my hands now!" Koko half yelled in excitement.

"Uh... come again?" Richard asked in confusion.

"Her new skill looks like a dragon's head when she uses it." Christina thankfully explained.

"Oh, that's actually pretty awesome!" Richard agreed.

"Awesomely destructive maybe, seeing as she started murdering trees the moment she got it." Christina sighed.

"Maybe you can show me sometime?" Richard asked hopefully.

"Sure! We can do after do it after classes today!" Koko agreed.

"Alright, shut up and don't sit down yet!" Austin ordered as soon as he walked into the classroom. "Today we're going to be doing what all of you have been waiting for. In other words, we've been tasked with a small monster subjugation."

"Really?! Awesome!" Koko shouted excitedly, but Austin held that a finger towards her to stop any further outbursts.

"We're only going to assist the adventures that are doing the majority of the subjugation in other words were to block the exits and make sure no monsters slip past us." Austin continued.

"But that's so boring!" Koko shouted again.

"Deal with it!" Austin snapped at her in reply. "Now everyone move out and gather at the front of the academy! The adventures are already waiting for us!"

"Koko, please don't do anything crazy this time." Christina asked her in a stern tone

"What, it's not like I'm going to rush into the den of monsters by myself." Koko defended herself before lowering her tone so that the others hopefully couldn't hear her. "Not this time anyway."

"I really worry about you, you know that?" Christina replied. "What's going to happen when we we're separated when we graduate and neither Richard or I are there to watch your back?"

"I'll kill everything before they get to me-" Koko enthused while holding up both of her fists in front of her."-with my new dragons!"

"You're completely crazy, you know that?" Christina asked, though she did so as everyone started filing through the door to follow Austin out of the room

"I'll take that as a compliment." Koko smiled widely at her, and eventually they found themselves on the road outside of the academy and continued following Austin towards Goldgate's front entrance, though rather than reaching the main gates like Koko had nearly thought that they were headed to, they turned right on a small path just before the gates and continue down it until they reached the forest and eventually found a camp of at least ten adventures waiting for them. However, while the adventures and their tents were eye catching, Koko was more focused on the large anthill-like mound of dirt in front of them in which the side had been dug out in order to allow for human passage.

"Okay, I'm not excited anymore." Koko slowed her pace as soon as they grew near. "This isn't bugs, is it?"

"Probably giant ants again." Christina shrugged in reply. "They like to show up around this time of year."

"Okay then, I'm perfectly fine with staying outside this time." Koko stated as she was suddenly glad for her side position.

"Who are you and what have you done with Koko?!" Christina suddenly grabbed her shoulders and demanded to know.

I'm still Koko, it's just... undead, bugs and slimes freak me out is all..." Koko replied bashfully. "After all, with my fighting style, I normally have to hit them with just my fists and it's really gross."

"Well it's a good thing that you learned your new skill then, isn't it?" Richard asked, and suddenly Koko brightened at the thought of testing out her new skill early.

"Yeah, I guess you're right!" Koko regained some of her earlier enthusiasm. "So where are we stationed?"

"There's a large opening about a mile away from here." Austin replied. "That's where they're most likely to run to and that's where you will be. Christina and Richard will be placed at other openings so that they can assist the other students there."

"Aw man... I'm not going to get to see any dragons..." Richard mumbled to himself before he started following a group of students as they walked into the forest.

"Try not to get too carried away, Koko." Christina warned. "And remember to try not to collapse the opening as the adventures might need it later to escape."

"Hai haiii." Koko waved the girl away as she followed the majority of the students towards where she would be stationed. Though as she got there, she wondered just how large the ants were as she found herself in front of a massive hole in the ground that looked like it could fit two-story tall buses inside.

"Alright everyone, let's do this!" Koko shouted towards the students that were joining her. "Leave any of the strong ones to me and try to focus on those that just try to run past us without fighting!"

"We'll be counting on you, Koko!" One of the the girls shouted, making her smile before she pointed a thumb up at the girl.

"Yeah, just leave it to me!" Koko replied, however, everyone shivered slightly as a clicked sound started coming from the opening.

"Umm... have the adventurers started already?" The same girl that had spoken before asked as two antenna started moving around the top of the opening.

<Giant Ant (Level 12)>

"Priests, put barriers at the top and sides so that they can't escape!" Koko ordered, and thankfully her classmates listened to her just in time as an ant the size of a horse attempted to crawl up the over the top of the hole but slid back down as it couldn't find footing on the barrier. Though now that they'd stopped the first one, several more came running out while headed directly for them.

"Knights at the front! Mages, take those that are in the middle between our front lines and the opening!" Koko ordered again, and while they'd never fought together before like this, she was glad that her classmates were listening to her as the ants in the middle were annihilated by a barrage of spells and the ants at the front met their ends at the swords of the knights. "Keep it up everyone! You're doing great!"

While everything had been going fine thus far, for some reason, the ants stopped coming out the opening. However, while the ants had stopped, the clicking sound was still ever present before the entrance of the nest suddenly erupted in a geyser of soil, making her wonder if the queen had retreated or something before her system let her know.

<Forest Destroyer (Level 35, Mini-boss)>

"Well then, I guess I'm up." Koko couldn't help but snicker to herself as she walked past her nervous classmates while cracking her knuckles at the massive centipede. "The rest of you stay back and keep taking care of any ants, this thing is mine!"