Chapter 104-105: The War Council

Chapter 104-105: The War Council

It looks like they are expanding their nest underground, moving downward. We believe they are digging toward the Nexus Vein, one of the earth mages reported to the group who was sitting around a table.

Twelve hours had passed since the hive appeared, and they had made some discoveries. The ants were called [Ayn Hivebeasts] and the three types they encountered so far were called Ayn Worker, Ayn Guard, and the green acid shooters were actually called Ayn Vomitors.

After the initial clash they quickly learned that there was an enormous number of beasts inside the large structure, as they kept pouring out as they fought. But the moment they retreated, so did the Ants. But just a few minutes after Zac and the demons stopped their assault the digging was resumed according to the earth mages.

They were currently holding a war council while two regiments led by Ogras four generals were keeping the ants busy. They needed to figure out a strategy for this new horde, as their old one wouldnt work. Most of their preparations were in vain as the new monsters didnt seem interested in attacking the town. The wall stood unassaulted and the arrays couldnt reach the hive due to the distance.

Zac almost felt that the System specifically chose this type of challenge since the last wave almost felt like a gift of experience and money rather than a challenge. Certainly, the last waves were tough, but never to the point of true desperation.

Thats it then? Well head in and destroy it today, Zac said with a frown.

The Nexus Vein was the lifeblood of his island. It created the crystals in the mine and the high concentration of Cosmic Energy in the atmosphere. Anything from cultivation to crafting to even farming would be far more efficient in this area. If he bought an island-wide gathering array in the future it would truly become a paradise. He couldnt risk his citys foundations just for the opportunity to farm some insects.

Wait a bit, Ogras hastily interjected. We also have concluded that during our attacks they are stopping their excavation-work to meet our attacks. We can simply farm them without risking the vein as long as we keep the attacks going, letting you keep your lead against the other humans, he added.

It was a fair point, but Zac had a feeling that it was more about the contribution points for the Fruit of Ascension than letting him gain levels. Besides, he held a commanding lead over the others as it was, and didnt really need to gain levels at the moment. He was fast approaching the first bottleneck at level 75.

Zac mainly needed to improve his Dao-insights at the moment. He already possessed a rare class, and his goal was to upgrade it into an E-Rank Epic class. His only options at the moment were Rare or Epic, as the rarity couldnt downgrade when reaching the next tiers. He already knew that his situation was pretty bad since the multi-verse was full of examples of geniuses whose cultivation journey got cut short since they couldnt upgrade their special classes.

Still, he didnt want to give up his advantages. Upgrading to a rare class wasnt the best option. He tread the path of the elite, spearheading the powerhouses of Earth. Since he was already locked into this path he would go all the way, and keep upgrading the rarity of the class. He knew that Early Stage Seeds were not enough for an Epic class, so it was time to upgrade his Daos. If that was at the expense of his lead in levels, so be it. He wouldnt limit his future achievements just to become the first person to reach E-Rank Class.

Constantly attacking out in the open is different from defending on top of a wall. We will not be able to last as we did during the wolf-hordes. Besides, we do not know whether the insects will grow stronger over time like the wolves did, and it is safe to nip the problem in the bud, Zac said.

To be honest, safety concerns werent the only reason he wanted to end this horde quickly. He just had a taste of freedom and adventure as he explored in search of his hometown. He was loath to spend the next four weeks slaughtering insects. He knew that the gain of nexus coins would be huge, but he would still net good income if he sent people down into the mines instead.

He was also even more anxious to get home after seeing the life of civilians in Fort Roger. Emily would have met a miserable fate unless he was there, and worry over his friends and family was starting to keep him up at night. He even had trouble focusing during meditation, as the intrusive what-ifs kept popping up in his head.

Three weeks. Let us fight and farm for three weeks, and after that we will invade the hive, Ogras entreated.

Its too long. You can have ten days. After that Im heading in, Zac flatly refused. That would leave him three weeks to travel the world before the final wave, twice what he had last time.

Bah, youre throwing away a great opportunity, Ogras muttered in discontent.

Zac only rolled his eyes at the demon. What they gained from the quest was already great, and they shouldnt get greedy. The longer they waited the more weird things could crop up.

Did Calrin find any information about the beasts? Zac asked as he changed the subject.

He did manage to buy a short missive about the [Ayr Hivebeasts]. They are an extremely prolific species led by hive-queens. As long as they have enough cosmic energy the queens can almost indefinitely spawn soldiers. The stronger the queen the mightier warriors it can birth, and more types as well, Adran answered. Since he wasnt part of the fighting force he tried to help the war efforts by gathering information.

There are examples of the beasts' insatiable expansion, completely infesting a planet if left alone. We believe that the threat will be over when we manage to kill the queen. After that no more beasts will spawn, and we can simply slowly exterminate the survivors. Killing the queen will likely mark this horde as completed as well, he continued.

How strong is the queen? Zac asked.

It should be E-Grade Class equivalent. It might also have a few bodyguards close to that in power for protection, Adran answered.

Okay, what does it look like, what are its powers? Zac probed further.

Actually, the large construct we see is not a structure, but the queen herself. The Ayr Hivebeasts live inside their queen's body for the most part, and the queen slowly grows to accommodate a larger population. The digging we hear is the insects making room for her body expanding down into the ground, Adran answered with a grimace.

Everyones eyebrows rose in surprise at this.

How the hell do we kill something that large? Ogras asked with a frown.

Apparently it has a core somewhere inside. You need to get inside to its core-room and destroy it, and it will die. The exact details were unclear in the missive we obtained though, Adran said with a sigh.

They quickly realized something was wrong as they walked. The inside of the hive actually seemed larger compared to the outside. The hive was shaped almost like a pyramid, reaching about a hundred meters in height and was a few hundred wide meters at the base. But they had walked over 10 minutes in an almost straight tunnel without reaching an end. They were frequently forced to stop as they walked due to the incoming packs, but they should long have crossed the whole structure.

The hive is likely a spatial being, containing something like a hidden realm, Ogras said with a low volume when no ants were nearby.

Not illusion. Unless extremely strong, Janos added with a nod.

Does this change anything? Zac asked.

Not really, the mission is still the same. But it will be much harder to find the queen, we dont know just how large the inside of the hive is anymore, Ogras answered with a sigh.

As they proceeded further into the hive they ran into fewer and fewer packs of ants. Soon the group found themselves at a crossroads. The path split into three, and it looked like the left descended while right ascended. The middle path stayed the course.

The core room should be in the depths since that place would be safest from external attacks, Ogras said, and the group veered off to the left paths. There was no talk about splitting up since perhaps only Zac and Ogras would be able to survive if they ventured out alone.

As they moved further down the rocky walls started to transform, looking more and more like flesh. It reminded them that they werent actually inside a mountain, but rather inside a huge being.

Trap! the earth mage suddenly exclaimed, and soon after the ground opened up beneath them. They barely had time to jump forward, and as they turned back they looked at a pool of acid seething where the floor once was.

Does it know were here? Zac asked.

Who knows? The information missive never explained how aware the hive queen is. It might just have been an automatic reflex from us stepping on this path. The ants might know which spots to avoid, Ogras answered with a frown.

It did not take long for the group to find the answer to the question, as a group of huge ant-warriors streamed toward them. They were almost as large as the titans but far more nimble. Their name was [Ayn Elite Guard], and their front legs looked very specialized. One of the arms had the same sort of long blade like the mantis-like captains, whereas the other was extremely thick almost like a crabs arm. It almost looked like a shield Zac thought as he watched them approach.

As usual, Janos erected a mirage around them, making it seem they were part of the wall as they pushed against it. The guards looked a bit confused as they slowed down as they looked around. As if in response the green gems in the wall behind Zac and the others started shining more brightly. The guards immediately perked up and resumed their charge.

Seeing that the illusion wasnt effective any more Zac threw a rock toward one of them. The stone hurtled toward the front elite guard who lifted its thick arm in response. A deep clang resounded as the ant was slightly pushed back, but not a mark could be seen on its arm. Clearly, the thicker arm was extremely reinforced.

The ants approached and Zac moved to the front, and with a grunt swung his axe against the shield to test its might. A massive shockwave pushed both his target and a few of the other guards back, but the thick shell even held against his new weapon. There was a small crack though, and a few more swings would probably do the trick.

Zac was surprised at the sturdiness of these things, as there werent many things below E-grade that could survive a swing of his anymore. If they could take the shells of these things they would likely be able to create some pretty damn durable armor. With some treatment and inscriptions engraved onto them, they might even become E-graded gear.

Dont ruin their shields, Zac said with some greed in his eyes. Of course, perhaps only he was actually able to damage them in any case.

In the end it fell to Zac, Ogras, and Rivea to kill the group of guards. Zac was actually forced to use the Seed of Sharpness to kill the ants while Ogras used his black spear to penetrate into the joints of the guards. As soon as the tip of the spear breached their armor spikes made from shadows poured out of the tip and wreaked havoc on their insides. Rivea lobbed a few fireballs that stuck to their heads and quickly boiled their brains.

Herod tried to help with a few earth spears as well, but his power wasnt enough against these warriors. He could only help out by erecting earth walls to protect the non-combatants. It was a strain on him as they werent in an actual cave, but a living being. The earth mages drew power from the ground, which enabled them to do more with less expenditure, but it wasnt possible in here. Alea was simply staying put. Her poison spikes would be able to kill these things, but they consumed a huge amount of cosmic energy, so it was better for her to wait for more formidable targets.

They threw the most well-preserved carapaces in Cosmos Sacks and pushed further down, not bothering as much about stealth anymore. They were clearly spotted somehow, and it would be better to just rush through.

Soon they came to a large circular room, and after brief hesitation they ran toward the door that seemed to be leading downward. But just as they approached it the pathway simply closed up by the walls moving together.

If its only the entrance thats closed I can break it down in less than a minute, but if the whole tunnel is collapsed we need to find another way, Zac muttered as he touched the closed doorway.

No, lets retreat befo- Ogras quickly interjected but was interrupted by the pathway they came from opening as well. Shit, break the door we came from! the demon shouted.

Zac didnt hesitate and used [Loamwalker] to appear next to the door and Furiously slammed into it with a Sharpness-imbued [Chop]. A large crack appeared in the door but before Zac had time to swing again the floor beneath them opened up.

It was as though the ground was a huge maw that opened up, and the group helplessly fell down into the large hole.

Grab on to each other! Ogras shouted, and luckily the demons were quite close to each other.

However, Zac who used his movement skill earlier was over twenty meters away from the others and he had no way to broach the distance while falling. A rope was flung toward him, but the winds in the hole pushed it out of his reach.

Suddenly the seemingly endless hole split up, separating the groups, and Zac was suddenly utterly alone while falling into the abyss.