Chapter 134 : Legion Spawning Ground (2)
Chapter 134: Legion Spawning Ground (2)
-In the passage you see on the left, a shellfish murderer and a rabid Chihuahua appear. It’s extremely dangerous if you don’t have a dog chew. I recommend preparing only wild-caught shellfish.
A friendly guide.
Like a tour guide at a travel destination, Yohan added various explanations in a clear, resonant voice.
-Whoops. On the right, gangster Spirit Beasts inhabit the area. They’re a kind of delinquent characterized by their rotten personalities. If you run into them, just consider yourselves unlucky.
Needless to say, from the perspective of the invading Parasites, it was absolute hell.
Unlike what they had previously known. Their feet had been completely tied down by the tremendously complicated structure and countless traps.
“I will find that bastard and tear him apart. I’ll rip out his entrails with these hands and devour them!”
“Kelturon! Endure it! You’re only playing into his hands!”
The high-ranking species bared their teeth and cursed Yohan.
Just imagining the enemy snickering while hiding safely in the rear was enough to make their blood pressure rise.
However, for the sake of a single objective, they coldly suppressed their anger and continued forward.
Just a little.
Just a little farther, and they would reach the room where the owner of this voice was located.
But right at that moment.
Ruuuumble!
A tremendous roar echoed from between the piles of dirt.
“Ppiiiik!”
“Ppiik!”
What emerged was an enormous army of ants.
“Impossible. How did they tame these creatures?”
The ‘Tunnel Ants’, which never joined forces with outside factions, were obeying human commands.
They couldn’t believe it even while seeing it with their own eyes.
However, no matter how much they denied it, they couldn’t ignore the reality unfolding right before them.
“Stop them! The center must not be breached!”
“The Queen! Find the Queen. We have to kill it to bring down the rest!”
Babababang!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Sharp claws crossed, scraping against each other’s exoskeletons.
Bodily fluids sprayed from severed limbs and drenched the interior.
The advantage of numbers could no longer shine in this situation.
The damage was impossible to even begin calculating.
[The Queen of the Tunnel Ants activates Unique Ability ‘Merciless Advance’!]
[The weight and movement speed of all Tunnel Ants increase by 20% each!]
-And now for a surprise trivia quiz! Ants can lift approximately 20 times their own body weight! Kyaa. Our stronghold even provides useful and informative knowledge! Please give us lots and lots of love.
Their composure had long since shattered under the continued mockery.
This wouldn’t do.
If they tried to break through this place, their losses would spiral out of control.
“Leave some of the forces behind. The main force will proceed to the next room.”
Sacrificing the few for the many.
Engaging the Tunnel Ants in a battle of annihilation would only benefit that damned human.
The Parasites immediately split their forces into two groups.
The insects that would remain behind, buy time, and die.
And the insects that would escape this hell.
But wasn’t there a saying that no paradise awaited those who fled?
An even greater hell awaited them in the other passage.
Whoooosh….
The air abruptly changed.
-Dun dun! Dun dun! Dun-dun-dun-dun!
Background music resembling a shark approaching underwater began playing.
Once again, it was a childish provocation.
Right then.
“Hmm. Hm-hmm. Twinkle, twinkle, little star….”
A girl humming to herself could be seen up ahead.
The sight of her sitting there, swinging both legs while drinking tea brewed from maple leaves, was quite impressive.
At first, they felt relieved that only a single person was guarding this entire vast room alone.
But the scene that followed forced them to painfully realize.
Just how grave a misjudgment that had been.
Just how foolish that thought had been.
“Devour them. Greed.”
Vivian smiled with her mouth full of tea.
Then.
[Greed of the Apocalypse protects the Domain of the Maple Tree.]
The air throughout the entire room convulsed.
“Kieee!”
“Keeee!”
Shadows spread across the ground.
The Greeds began devouring the Parasites that entered their territory.
Crunch!
Crack!
The elites that had devastated the Hunters’ Defense Towers and Tanker lines were devoured without putting up even the slightest resistance.
“They’re quite crispy on the outside. They’ll be perfect snacks for my children.”
Vivian formed a bright smile.
Madness surged within her pale violet eyes.
“Wh-what is this girl?”
“Someone this powerful… why is she together with a human like that?”
Groans escaped the high-ranking species.
Strong.
She was on an entirely different level from the enemies they had faced until now.
The dreadful pressure crushing their entire bodies even surpassed that of the Class-1 Combat Species among the Royal Guard.
“Right. So this girl was the Boss.”
Only one Guardian could be designated for a dungeon.
There was no doubt some strange trick had been used to drastically increase her stats.
In other words.
This place was effectively the final gateway.
“Kelturon. Begsia. Magr.”
The largest high-ranking species stepped forward.
The four pincers protruding from its back emitted a faint green glow.
“Go forward and strike down that detestable human, then capture the dungeon. I will handle this place.”
“Hoho. That’s quite an amusing thing to say. I never said I would let even one of you through.”
“I acknowledge that you are strong, but buying time alone is more than enough for me….”
Before it could even finish speaking.
Crack!
The Greeds swept across the high-ranking species’ ankles.
It dodged.
Tap!
By the narrowest possible margin.
The high-ranking species used its pincers to leap into the air and gathered green flames.
“I told you. I am also one of the carefully selected elites. I won’t be caught easily.”
A body specialized in speed.
On top of that, the room’s structure, filled with stalactites and various forms of cover, was also advantageous for evasion.
However.
“It’s impossible.”
Vivian’s lips slowly parted.
“For someone of your level.”
In that instant.
Everything froze cold.
It was an overwhelming difference in rank.
The terror created by the gap in astral rank finally began to take tangible form.
Its agile movements stopped.
Its feet simply refused to leave the ground.
“Th-this much….”
The high-ranking species stammered.
What she had shown at first had merely been the surface.
One step.
The moment it went just a little deeper, an endless abyss awaited within.
The Witch who contemplated everything beneath the Maple Tree.
Right.
It had heard of her.
There was said to be a monster whose potential had terrified even the Ancient Witches enough to exile her.
[Skill ‘Scythe of the Maple Tree’ is activated!]
Slash!
Both legs of the Parasite attempting to escape disappeared.
Before its scream could even reach her.
Crunch!
Crunch! Crunch!
The Greeds slowly and mercilessly tore into the high-ranking species’ body.
It took no more than 3 seconds for them to chew through even its bones.
＊＊＊
One-third of the entire force.
A considerable number of the large species, including the Chimeras that could be called their main force, had fallen beneath the Maple Tree.
Still, there was one fortunate thing.
Due to the characteristics of an underground-type stronghold, once an entity had been stationed somewhere, it was impossible for them to move into another passage.
There was no need to worry about that terrifying Witch catching up from behind.
The Parasites gathered their remaining forces and headed toward the final passage.
-Hey now. No entry. Danger 100%. Radiation, various disease zone! Don’t come. I warned you! Stop stop!
Yohan repeatedly sent warnings.
“Kikik. Judging by how much you’re barking, you must be quite frightened. Just wait quietly. Soon, I’ll make you experience every kind of pain a living being can feel.”
Kelturon wet his lips with his tongue.
His patience had already gone far beyond its limit.
His mind was filled entirely with thoughts of killing the one who had inflicted such suffering upon them.
How long had they walked like that?
-Oh no.
“Oh no.”
There stood the culprit behind everything, who had been using Voice Amplification Magic.
Kang Yohan.
The Dungeon Master and the one who had remained hidden farthest in the rear until now.
“Right. We finally meet.”
“There is nowhere left to run. Human.”
Sinister smiles formed on the Parasites’ lips.
“Kieee!”
“Keeee!”
The lower-ranking species also bared their teeth and formed an encirclement.
Although they had lost a great number, they still had forces numbering in the thousands.
No matter how extraordinary an existence might be, there was no way to survive here.
“Hmm. I did work pretty hard on making this place, but you’re tougher than I expected. I never thought there’d actually be some of you who made it this far.”
“It is only the natural result. You should consider it a miracle that someone like you managed to inflict damage upon us in the first place. Well. Even that ends here.”
Certainly. They had every reason to be confident.
It was common knowledge that Dungeon Masters normally possessed weak combat capabilities.
More importantly, the disparity in numbers was simply overwhelming.
But do you know something?
There was still one trump card remaining.
“Come forth. Black Flame Dragon of the Abyss. The time has come for you to run rampant!”
Yohan cried out toward the darkness.
Needless to say, absolutely nothing happened.
Ahem! How embarrassing.
“The hour of judgment has come! Answer the Dungeon Master’s call and annihilate the enemy!”
He shouted again after deliberately lowering the pitch of his voice, but the result was no different this time.
“Ah, just come out already. Please! Didn’t you agree to listen to me this time!”
Only after he lost his temper did he finally receive a response.
“Haa. Seriously, in all my life, this is the first time something like this has happened. How did someone as noble and feared by all as myself end up being treated like this?”
A red-haired woman appeared.
Her cheeks were puffed out as though she was thoroughly furious.
Arianne continued muttering while tearing at her own hair.
As though the countless Parasites surrounding her weren’t even worth noticing. She stood there utterly defenseless.
The high-ranking species stared intently at Arianne.
An enemy appearing under these circumstances could never be taken lightly.
“What do we do?”
“We can’t afford to delay any longer. Still, considering she was stationed on the outermost flank, she shouldn’t be stronger than the ones before her.”
There was a high probability that the main forces had been stationed in the first or second passage, where large-scale entry from outside was easier.
Even if that weren’t the case, there was no reason to retreat now.
Once their decision was made, the Parasites slowly revealed the mana they had been concealing.
[Grade 2 Combat Species activate Unique Ability ‘Unity of the Legion’!]
An ability that granted additional buffs the more allies of similar astral rank were nearby.
An authority capable of maximizing the power of Parasites that moved as a swarm manifested.
Crack.
Turquoise scales sprouted across their bodies.
Long pincers emerged.
Acid dripped from their split-open mouths.
Right then.
“Babies. Big Sister isn’t in a very good mood right now. So quietly get lost.”
Arianne, who had continued muttering to herself, waved her hand.
“You don’t seem to understand the situation, but you’re the ones who’ve been cornered.”
One of the high-ranking species pulled something out.
An ominous energy slowly seeped from it.
At a glance, the object looked anything but ordinary.
It was undoubtedly even more powerful than the ‘Designation of the Colony’ used in the Hungry Temple.
[Sacred Relic ‘Origin of Species’ is released!]
An authority capable of reproducing a portion of the power once possessed by an Ancient Queen.
With this Sacred Relic, even a Class-1 Combat Species. No. Even something beyond that would be manageable.
“Bwahaha! Who should I kill first? The gray-haired human bastard? Or the red-haired wench? Just say the word!”
Intoxicated by their overflowing power, the high-ranking species burst into wild laughter.
They felt with their entire bodies what it meant to fear nothing in this world.
And at that moment.
“How refreshing. It’s been a very long time since anyone called me something like that.”
Arianne released her mana.
[Crimson Flame Manifestation - ‘Eclipse’ is activated!]
Crackle!
Flames formed into waves.
Pure-white Karma Flame that erased the very laws of the world manifested.
Exceptional regenerative ability?
High fire resistance and sturdy exoskeletons?
A Sacred Relic bestowed directly by the Queen?
None of those things meant anything.
Simply facing the flames was already enough for everything to turn to ash and scatter.
“Aaaaaagh!”
“Kieeeeee!”
The screams didn’t last very long.
The flames that burned away even pain soon granted everyone rest.
And so.
[The first Wave has ended.]
The Parasite army consisting of approximately 10,000 was annihilated.