Chapter 109

Chapter 109

Whoooooosh!

A deafening noise, a sustained, thunderous clamor that appeared to rend the air nearby, resounded.

This unmistakably resembles a helicopter, doesnt it?

Raciel involuntarily swallowed his parched saliva. He crouched further into the underbrush and covertly gazed upward at the sky.

Creatures emitting helicopter-like sounds were present. They were gigantic hornets, comparable in size to rhinoceroses.

what the.

If the sound of the Apfros swarm flying around earlier resembled motorcycles, these newly emerged giant hornets were truly emitting noises akin to attack helicopters, and they were ruthlessly descending in all directions.

Swoooosh! Crash! Thud!

They descended like falling meteors, launching an assault on the Apfros, who fought back in defiance.

However, the Apfros resistance proved tragically ineffective as they were easily ensnared by the colossal jaws of the giant hornets, resulting in a crunch as their necks were severed and their torsos snapped in two.

Screeeech!

Dozens of these hornets were present, dispatching and tearing apart one Apfros at a time with a single bite. The Apfros swarm charged in countless numbers, but it was in vain it was as if a tiger had pounced into a group of defenseless chicks. So, this was not hunting; it was a massacre.

Gulp.

Raciel nervously swallowed his dry saliva.

Where did these creatures come from?

Watching them sent shivers down his spine. The massacre was overwhelmingly one-sided. What if they had initiated their operation a little earlier? What if those hornet swarms had attacked the nest while they were on the move?

We would have been attacked as well.

Was it all down to luck? While he pondered that, the soldier lying next to him spoke with trembling words.

Uh, uh, Officer? What, what do we do now?

What to do? For now, we must conceal ourselves.

But, but, sir.

Do you know something? If you do, please explain calmly.

Well, umthose creatures are similar to hornets. They are called Vesparos.

Vesparos?

Yes, Officer. Those creatures prey on Apfros. A single one can easily dispatch a hundred Apfros. But the issue is, they meticulously clean up the area after their hunts and massacres.

Clean up?

Yes. Ive heard they gather all the scattered Apfros corpses in one location. During this process, they seek out and eliminate any hidden or surviving Apfros.

Wait, are you suggesting

After hunting and massacring, they scour the area and leave no living creature behind. That includes us, of course.

Raciel fell silent at the soldiers words. It didnt sound like an exaggeration or nonsense. The conclusion was clear:

We must escape as far as possible, and we must do it now.

Cold sweat trickled down his face.

He felt like crying.

Alright, I understand. I should run, but what about my queen larva?

He had planned to capture the queen larva. He wanted to acquire plenty of antibiotics to treat the wounded soldiers and extend their lifespans economically.

But all his plans were unraveling. In real-time, the Apfros nest was being obliterated.

Ugh, seriously.

Raciel cast a remorseful glance. At this very moment, countless Apfros were perishing. It was like witnessing a beehive under assault by giant hornets. The outcome seemed inevitable.

That nest is done for.

Everyone would perish.

Neither the queen larva nor anyone else would survive. Thus, their mission here was also doomed.

Taking the queen larva here is completely out of the question. We must leave. But heading to another forest and starting the search anew? Exploring another Apfros nest? Thats impossible.

Time was running out. They had already spent more than a day exploring this forest. If they lingered any longer?

The wounded at the camp wouldnt hold on much longer. Various infections would begin claiming lives. So, this plan was clearly a failure. A profound sense of disappointment overwhelmed him.

Sigh. I wish I could reincarnate as the Hornet Man from Natural Human Episode 57. Dash courageously like him and drive away these hornets

But that was a fantasy, not reality.

Why did such an event happen now, at this moment? It felt too perfectly timed. A fleeting thought crossed his mind. Perhaps this world was intentionally trying to torment and kill him? A sense of victimization briefly washed over him.

Demians sword gleamed fiercely with each strike! The Vesparos responded by opening its jaws. Each time Demians sword flashed menacingly, it left a deep gouge on the Vespaross jaws. Occasionally, a wing got severed.

Finally, when Demians storm-like consecutive attacks concluded.

Screeeech!

One Vesparos remained in that spot, desperately writhing after losing both its mandibles and wings.

Now is the time! Run!

Demian rushed toward him. They sprinted side by side. Behind them, a Vesparos, which had lost its mandibles, was relentlessly chasing them. It resembled an enraged rhinoceros. Raciel didnt want to envision being crushed by that massive charge.

He ran even faster.

However, things did not go as planned.

Kwaaaaaaaaaa-!

A new loud noise, or rather, the sound of wings flapping, filled the air. He instinctively glanced upward. He had to confront an unwelcome reality.

Oh, seriously.

This time, more than twenty Vesparos were circling above, glaring down at them. And they werent the only ones in dire straits.

Ah! Get away! Save me!

Over here! Retreat!

Shields up! Block it!

The guide soldiers were shrieking in terror. The Anbouaz knights were engaged in a fierce battle. Observing this, a sense of despair overwhelmed Raciel.

If we continue like this well all meet our end.

Simultaneously, a realization struck him. He finally comprehended why the swarm of Vesparos had homed in on their group.

The flower powder that covered our bodies during the operation preparation. And the sap from the leaves and stems we rubbed all over ourselves.

It was because of those substances. The measures they had taken to appease the hostility of the Apfros had inadvertently caused the Vesparos to mistake them for Apfros. In other words, they had become the same prey as the Apfros.

So, whats the plan?

Mindlessly fleeing was not the solution. Once identified as prey, the swarm of Vesparos would pursue them relentlessly. Conventional methods wouldnt shake them off.

So, should we fight?

That wasnt a feasible option either.

Demian could barely handle around seven of them at most, even with his full strength. Even if the rest of the knights joined in, they might handle about ten. But there were at least dozens of Vesparos.

Whats the way out?

His fingertips and lips grew cold.

Cold sweat poured from his pores.

The twenty Vesparos hovering above them, poised to swoop down at any moment. One more Vesparos frantically pursuing them from behind. As he dodged them and sprinted, he thought desperately. He racked his brains. He formulated plans. He contemplated for his life. He fought to survive.

And finally.

A spark of inspiration flashed into his mind.

Thats it!

A memory suddenly resurfaced. The owner of a supplier he had dealt with while delivering medicinal herbs to the Oriental medicine clinic. They had a good relationship and had even shared a few drinks. He mentioned that his hobby was beekeeping.

But he also complained about daily wasp attacks. Then, one day, he proudly unveiled a simple yet effective trap.

Maybe that will work.

It had to.

It was the only way to survive.

Backpack!

Raciel urgently rummaged through his backpack. He found what he was searching for and pulled it out. It was a canteen. However, it didnt contain water; it held strong alcohol, which he had brought for emergency disinfection.

He unscrewed the canteen lid.

If you all are also wasps! Youll like alcohol! No, please like it!

With all his hopes, he hurled the canteen. The canteen sailed through the air and struck a tree stump.

Upon hitting the ground, alcohol spilled out, and its scent permeated the air. At that very moment.

Kiiyak?

The charging swarm of Vesparos suddenly halted and raised their antennae.

(To be Continued)

To read ahead

Patreon Subscription Tiers

$5/month8 chap ahead + 5 chap/week$30/month30 chap ahead + 6 chap/week