The ant swarm grew increasingly agitated, and even Rick, the instigator, hadn't expected the situation to spiral like this. Amid the sea of insects, he felt as if plunged into a steel inferno. Breath Concealment Technique had lost all utility here—one wrong move, and a giant Black Tiger Ant would crash into him. Rick knew his body couldn't withstand such a blow.
Like a flea, he leaped through the swarm, seizing opportunities to take down an ant or two and fuel the chaos. Behind him, Shust and Rant had joined the fray. Stench of insect juice drenched the tunnel, the floor sticky, their clothes filthy. They advanced over mounds of ant corpses, which often blocked their path—they had to fight while hauling aside the heavy bodies.
As Rick shoved a corpse away, grim mandibles stabbed through the gap. He ducked, slashing off the ant's forelimb, and Rant charged in, halberd piercing the ant's forehead to save him. Flinging the corpse aside with his halberd, Rant took the lead, while Rick and Shust hacked at bodies to clear the way.
Rick's earlier chaos had indeed helped—nearly a hundred ants had trampled each other to death or been impaled by comrades' mandibles in the crush. Without that, the trouble would be far worse.
Yet Moya clung desperately to his packs, staggering through the muck rather than abandon either. "Dammit, forget your fucking bags and help out!" Rick finally snapped, glaring at Moya.
"No!" Moya yelled defiantly. "This changes our lives—I'll die before letting go."
"Fuck!—"
Before Rick could snatch the bags, the clatter of carapaces echoed from the nursery. "We're screwed..." Rick went pale. Flanked on both sides, they'd all die.
But Rant at the front suddenly shouted excitedly: "Light! We're breaking out!"
"Run!"
Hearing this, Rick grabbed Moya and bolted. Squeezing through a corpse-choked gap, Moya's pack snagged on a protruding horn, tearing a hole. Shiny eggs spilled like beans into the muck.
"Eggs!~~" Moya tried to break free and retrieve them.
"Get a grip!" Rick slapped Moya hard, dragging him by the neck.
At last, they burst from the tunnel ahead of the pursuing ants into a vast, hall-like clearing—no Black Tiger Ants in sight. "We made it." Rick pointed to the corpse-blocked tunnel. "Moya, seal it!"
"I..." Moya hesitated, still eyeing the spilled eggs.
"MOYA!—" Rant's roar jolted Moya from his daze. Overcome by instinctive fear of Rant, he abandoned the eggs, gritting his teeth as he pressed both hands against a Black Tiger Ant corpse blocking the tunnel entrance.
In an instant, the Black Tiger Ant corpses paled. The fluids oozing from their wounds froze under Moya's ice ability, gluing them together like cement to form an impregnable wall, sealing the tunnel completely.
"Good—they won't break through anytime soon." Moya looked sad after finishing, but the heavy pack on his back brought comfort. "Lucky I still have this one," he mumbled.
Watching Moya, Rick shook his head in disappointment. "Let's go—we need to get out. Lav and Anna are waiting outside."
Looking back, Rick realized Shust was gone. "Where's Shust? Where did he go?"
"He isn't—" Rant turned, halting mid-sentence. "He was just here—how'd he vanish?"
Rick pressed his lips together, struck by an ominous premonition. After all their time together, he knew Shust's nature—if Shust left silently, something major was unfolding.
Sure enough, footsteps echoed from a tunnel across the clearing. Then, familiar faces emerged: Kashin and Balzac.
"Figures—perfect timing," Rick scowled. Among the group filing out, he saw Lav and Anna with their hands bound behind their backs.
Rick had overlooked the deadliest threat: humans. Lav and Anna struggled defiantly, but their excitement at seeing Rick was brutally interrupted by Kashin's subordinates. They treated Lav with relative care, but not Anna—one slapped her to the ground.
"Hey! Talk to me!" Rick gritted his teeth, roaring.
"Courageous lad," Balzac gave Rick a thumbs-up.
Kashin shot Balzac a glare, then grinned malevolently at Rick. "You're hard to catch, but this time you can't run. Your women are in my hands—try escaping, and I'll show you their miserable end."
"How dare you!" Lav shouted.
"Princess, I wouldn't dare touch you, but..." Kashin shifted his gaze to Anna. "Her, I make no promises."
Meeting Kashin's cruel eyes, Anna trembled, begging Rick and Rant with her gaze. Rick couldn't abandon comrades—Kashin had cornered him.
After a long pause, Rick relaxed his furrowed brow, gritting out each word through clenched teeth: "Fine. I won't run. Let's settle this here."
"Now we're talking. Hmm, that pack on your buddy's back—hand it over!" Kashin pointed at Moya.
"Moya!"
"Fuck! Why should we give it to them!" Moya yelled, eyes bulging. "I won't! Kill me if you want, but I won't hand it over!"
"Oh really?" Kashin clamped a hand on Anna's shoulder and squeezed. She shrieked in pain.
"Moya, give it to him!" Rick's fists clenched so tightly his knuckles whitened.
"No! We risked our lives for this! Why should they take everything without lifting a finger—"
Moya's protest was cut short as Rick punched him to the ground, snatching the egg-filled pack. Glancing guiltily at the disheveled, heartbroken Moya clutching his face, Rick turned back, gritting his teeth. "Here—let her go. Let's settle this."
"Heh, impulsive as ever." Kashin shoved Anna toward Rick and strode to the center of the clearing. Rick approached, holding the pack.
They stopped ten meters apart. Kashin had transformed into battle form, a sinister carapace mask covering most of his face, feral eyes locked on Rick. Kashin wielded a Royal-class Stag Beetle and had reached the peak Insect General realm. Rick lagged a rank in insect class and was worlds apart in realm—victory seemed impossible.
"Rick..." Anna strained against her bonds, eyes torn.
"Don't worry." Rick smiled at her, then tossed the pack to Kashin.
Kashin caught it, but before he could check its contents, a blur flashed. He leaped back as Rick's scythe grazed his chest armor, sparking. Crack! Kashin whipped out a spear-tipped lash, aiming for Rick's speeding form.
Rick rolled three times to dodge, but the gap in power kept him at bay. Kashin's twin lashes covered a vast area; as a peak Insect General, his senses and abilities mirrored a wild Stag Beetle, repressing Rick completely despite the surprise attack.
The battle raged thrillingly, yet both camps maintained an odd tacit understanding, avoiding overt moves. Balzac had noticed Shust's absence—Shust was his desired opponent. Proud, Balzac wouldn't bother with a "rookie" like Rick; only the shame of defeat at Shust's hands could stir his fighting spirit. Thus, he focused entirely on the shadows where Shust hid.
But no one expected this delicate balance to shatter abruptly.