Chapter 122
The mountains in the distance were filled with ants. And that’s not all. Winged ants covered the sky pitch black.
So far, the party has only dealt with ants on the ground, but in fact, the ants’ main activity is underground. underground tunnel.
But now, it seemed as if all the ants that had been active deep underground had come up to the surface.
“draft! Let’s bounce first!”
At Allen’s words, Xian nodded and quickly ran backwards.
A procession of jet-black ants filled the ground and sky. It was a phenomenon that was no different from a natural disaster, like a tidal wave in a storm.
It’s too dangerous to fight alone.
“draft! Allen!”
“Hey, master! What is that!”
“I don’t know either!”
After joining Erze and Hector, who were resting a little further back, the four of them ran to Van’s residence.
Van had already noticed the anomaly and was stuffing valuable research materials and journals into his bag.
“Yanmar, what did you touch!”
Ban shouted that, but Xian had no choice but to answer that he didn’t know.
To touch it, they were just hunting normally.
There’s no way this could have happened just by catching and killing a few ants.
The five of them headed for Keldwin first.
It was the only place where people lived in this area, and more than anything, it was necessary to check. There was no guarantee that he would be safe either.
Occasionally looking back to see how far the ants had come, they quickly ran away.
“You really didn’t touch anything?”
“okay. I just caught dozens of normal ants and a few steel ants. It hasn’t been long since you started, right?”
“Okay… … .”
Half squinted his eyes.
If Xian’s party didn’t touch something, there was only one cause.
“Did the warlock start moving?”
That the guy Van was chasing and Allen was aiming for had moved. There is nothing else.
“What did he touch? A queen ant or something?”
“There is a possibility. Or maybe they are controlling the ants.”
“Control?”
“The time the ants started rapidly expanding their territories coincided roughly with the time they were discovered here.”
In other words, Ban said that the ruthless expansion of the Giant Ant’s territory was the work of the warlock.
Although it was nothing more than a guess, not a confirmation.
‘But if that’s true.’
What benefits can they gain from expanding the territory of the ants?
Not much came to mind.
Even if you really assumed you could completely control the ants, would they invade the continent?
Even so, there isn’t much to be gained.
They are monsters that have become powerful after eating scams rising from the graves of giants. If you leave this place, you will be much weaker than now.
No matter how many numbers there are now, it will be difficult to drop even one castle with the weakened ants.
If that’s the case, the reason I can think of is something other than using it as power.
‘… … To find the giants sealed underground.’
Giants that would be useful in the war caused by the Empire.
Maybe it was to find more of that giant.
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Just as Xian and his party came after defeating the flame giant, the giant is not invincible.
Considering the potential of Glacier Baengnyeong and Jakarta, not a few giants must be dying.
The Empire and the Dark Magic Tower would need more giants.
‘It’s more likely that he knows about the King of Giants.’
At this point, you must catch him and kill him.
If you were using ants for exploration, you would have collected a lot of information. Among them, there may be clues to reach the Giant King.
“Damn it!”
Then Hector shouted loudly.
Before I knew it, the ants came right behind me.
“Stop!”
“Kuk!”
Allen and Hector did not stop running and attacked from behind.
Dozens of ants were burned to pitch black with blue flames and purple lightning running wild.
But the ants didn’t shrink at all. Rather, they continued to rush while trampling on the corpses of their comrades.
‘Ravi! ‘Changhae!’
Xian took charge of the ants flying in the air.
The black sword turned into a transparent, water-blue sword in his hand.
Eventually, the blades separated and shot down the flying ants.
―Kieek!
– Keek!
Countless ants were falling, but in the end it was like a bucket of water floating in the sea.
The number of ants attacking like waves did not decrease at all.
“sh*t! If you go into the city like this, aren’t you just dragging them in!?”
Ban shouted harshly as he kept throwing bottles of unknown medicine among the ants.
Xian agreed with that statement. Wouldn’t it be dangerous to return to Keldwyn without completely ridding the ants?
However, I soon found out that it was a useless worry.
“draft!”
At the point where the ants caught up, Erze, who had previously sent out reconnaissance, returned.
Her ability is only in the tens, but it is meaningless when dealing with such a large number of monsters.
So I told them to look at the road first and come.
Ergé with an urgent expression.
The group followed her up the hill and saw Keldwin down there.
“That doesn’t make sense either.”
Keldwin was already being attacked by ants surrounding the basin.
* * *
“Stop! Stop it unconditionally!”
In Keldwyn, the residents were fighting desperately against the endlessly descending ants.
All of them here are people with one number. They come from a variety of origins, such as imperial knights, mage tower wizards, beastmen and half fairies.
Their arrows and magic embroidered the sky, blocking the ants.
The immediate defense was not a problem at all.
but.
‘damn!’
The endless sea of ants.
The mayor’s face hardened as he watched the war.
The ridges surrounding the city lost their original blue color and were dyed black.
‘I can’t do it like this.’
This is not the case. Even if it’s okay right now, there will be a limit sooner or later.
Surrounding the city were not walls of solid stone, and the inhabitants of the city were not a banded together and trained army. Food and supplies are also limited.
If you just hold on like this, cracks will happen someday.
Whether the barriers are breached, internal divisions occur, or food runs out, either way.
‘I have to escape before then.’
Before that happens, you have to escape through somewhere. It’s a pity to give up all the bases here, but it can’t be helped.
Shouldn’t we be able to build a village again or do something once we’re alive?
“Mayor!”
“Zach! How!”
“Damn it, it’s clogged up! If you try to break through by force, you will be eaten by ants in less than three days!”
The report of Zach, who had been scouting the surroundings just in time, was also not hopeful.
The number of ants was too many. It was the first time I had seen so many monsters in my long life.
The mayor bit his lip.
“I have to break through somehow… … .”
If you are going to make a decision, you should do it as quickly as possible. When even a little bit of the residents’ stamina, food, and supplies remain.
However, I saw Zach shaking his head.
It meant there was no way to see.
at that time.
When the market is grinding its teeth without being able to do this or that.
―Kwagwagwagwagwang!
“Poetry, Mayor!”
The loud roar startled the mayor and Zach.
The sound was coming from the side of the city.
Hearing the call from the watchtower, the mayor hurriedly went there.
My heart was pounding and beating as if something bad had happened.
But what I saw there.
“They… … ?”
Some time ago, those who entered the territory of ants to find their half.
They were coming this way, sweeping away every ant they encountered.
* * *
Xian’s party and Ban entered the fence, covered in the body fluids of the ants.
It looked very dirty, but no one cared about it.
Their inaction just shown was bringing hope to the whole city.
“you!”
“Mayor.”
The mayor approached Xian at once.
There is no time to shake hands calmly.
Xian looked around quickly and asked.
“Have you completed all the preparations necessary for escape?”
“I’ve packed everything. I have notified all the residents.”
However, there is no sign of escaping.
Xian nodded. It was worth knowing.
‘It looks like they haven’t decided on an escape route yet.’
Xian asked.
“Have you done reconnaissance?”
“Everywhere is blocked. I can’t see the way.”
“I think you have thought of your destination.”
“I’m going to Everwhale.”
Xian’s body stopped for a moment. very briefly
The mayor did not notice Xian’s reaction.
“I’ve been thinking about other places, but Everway is the closest. Also, isn’t there a High Master there? Even if you take ants with you, there won’t be any damage.”
“okay.”
They do not know that Everwhale has been taken over by the general.
The fact that Xi’an and his party had fled there.
but.
‘In the first place, it’s all just our circumstances.’
Anything that has nothing to do with them. The mayor’s decision to use Everwhale as a destination was extremely reasonable.
“Then I’ll have to dig a way there.”
“There are a few paths I know right now, but Zach says they all seem difficult.”
“I’ll have to find the right way for now.”
It’s not like you can’t go in blindly with only the direction.
‘Looks like he still has enough energy.’
Looking at the state of the city, it is not in a situation where it can collapse immediately.
Of course, it’s not something you can be carefree about, but at least you’ll be able to hold on until you come after reconnaissance.
Xian talked to the mayor for a while.
There was no disagreement between them about the need to find a way and try to escape as soon as possible.
The problem is how to get on the road.
“I will come and look around. Only one person who knows the way, please.”
“You?”
Ultimately, the best thing to do is to see it with your own eyes.
After a while, Xian set off to look around the street together with Zach, whom the mayor had attached to him.
* * *
“You are futilely resisting. They will all die anyway.”
In the distance, a man watched Keldwyn’s attack.
The person who caused this current situation.
It was Cedric, a black magician who controlled the ants using the queen ant.
“huh?”
Then, he saw two figures coming out of the city.
It didn’t seem like they were escaping secretly, but it seemed like they were out for reconnaissance.
‘Did I go in after scouting before?’
Cedric stroked his chin as they watched them make their way into the woods, dealing with the ants that attacked them.
Unlike earlier, when they scouted the entire city, the two figures now seemed to have a clear purpose.
He looked in that direction and nodded.
It was probably aimed at Everwhale, the closest human habitation to this place.
“Because I don’t like creating variables for nothing.”
He chinned to one side. Soon after, a kirik sound was heard and an ant left there.
The queen ant swallowed the corpse of the devil.
She headed to the forest where the two figures had entered.