Lian checked the paths, everywhere was full of roots and ants, there was no direct path, not to mention them, even the ants were trapped here.
They could not stay here and had to leave this place as soon as possible, he could not be sure whether the situation would remain under control or not.
Of course, even now the situation was not that much under control, they had been lucky that the ants and plant monsters were only busy fighting each other and did not have the chance to pay much attention to them.
’But why? Why is the attention of the plant monsters more on the ants? Is there a reason?’ He thought to himself.
"Noooooo ahhhhh" and at that same time Nemi screamed, a white root had come out from under her foot and wrapped around her wrist.
Before he could decide, Nemi screamed, a white root had come out from under her foot and wrapped around her wrist.
Her feet left the ground, her body was dragged on the soil.
Sera reached her and wrapped both her arms around Nemi’s arm.
A second root shot out of the soil, this one wrapped around Nemi’s waist.
The pulling force multiplied, and Sera also fell to the ground.
Both were pulled toward a dark opening that was slowly opening in the soil, small teeth were moving inside the opening.
Lian ran toward them, a Soldier appeared in his path, he activated Glacial Reaper Claw without stopping.
The ice claw passed through the ant’s jaw, Lian jumped over its falling body, reached Nemi, and brought his hand down.
The ice claw cut the first root, a thick yellow liquid burst from the cut tissue, some of it splashed directly onto Lian’s face.
A severe burning sensation spread in his eyes, his vision turned white, and for a moment the world disappeared.
Predator’s Instincts screamed.
Lian lowered his head, a Soldier’s stinger passed over his head, without seeing, he moved his hand toward the sound.
The ice claw sank into the ant’s body, the creature fell beside him, Lian grabbed the second root with his other hand.
Diamond Skin formed on his fingers so the toxic tissue wouldn’t burn his skin.
He pulled the root, and Sera also pulled Nemi back.
The root resisted for a few moments, then Glacial Reaper Claw passed through it.
Both Lacerians fell to the ground, Lian wiped his face with his sleeve, and his vision slowly returned.
First shadows, then colors, then movement, at that same moment, a large Soldier passed by him.
Lian prepared to attack, but the ant didn’t even look at him, it ran straight toward the center of the area.
Another moved behind it.
Then a third.
Lian followed their gaze, dozens of Soldiers had gathered in a part of the battlefield.
Not for attack, but for protection, and among the red and black bodies, something white was moving.
Something large.
The Soldiers were carrying it on their backs and jaws.
Lian looked through the mist, it was a massive and semi-transparent object, like a soft and elongated egg whose surface was covered with dark veins.
Inside it, the shadow of a twisted creature could be seen.
Delicate legs, a swollen abdomen, and part of a head that had not yet fully formed.
"Did you say the colony attacked us for revenge for the rest of its members? Does this colony also include the Queen?" Lian looked at Ravian.
Ravian also saw it, and his face went blank for a moment from fear.
"The Queen..."
"Is that the Queen?" Sera stood up with difficulty.
"Normally, the Queen should be in a safe place, so she shouldn’t be with them, unless it’s a young Queen that hasn’t come out yet, or maybe..." Ravian nodded.
The truth was now clearer.
"If at least this time your information is correct, then I think I understand what’s going on." Lian sighed.
The colony had not followed them just to avenge the death of a few Workers.
Thousands of ants were migrating, the Soldiers had taken the immature Queen out of the nest, and the entire colony was moving around her.
Something had forced them to leave their home, something that even thousands of Crimson Needle Ants avoided facing.
A part of the ants that were moving ahead of the rest of the colony for surveillance had encountered Lian and those three and considered them a threat.
So they attacked them, but Lian killed them all, which made the colony angry and it instinctively chased after them for revenge.
And the result? They chased them all the way here, but when they realized what danger was here and wanted to retreat, it was too late.
The mushrooms had also awakened because of the massive energy inside the egg, and they had blocked all the exits, trapping everyone here.
For the colony, these carnivorous plants, the immature Queen was more than food, she was a condensed source of mana and life.
Dozens of roots moved toward the egg, the Soldiers clamped their jaws on the roots.
Some threw themselves in front of the attacks.
A root thicker than a human’s torso came out of the soil and threw three Soldiers into the air.
The second root wrapped around the egg.
The ants attacked it wildly, the stingers sank into the white tissue.
Yellow liquid sprayed, the third root came from the other side, and then the fourth.
The Queen’s egg was trapped among dozens of roots.
All the surrounding mushrooms opened their caps at the same time, the spores became so thick that the forest light faded.
Now that they were occupied, it was the best time to escape, and Lian checked the surroundings, the exit route was blocked, on the right, there was a wall of living mushrooms.
On the left, thousands of ants were passing, behind them, roots were coming out of the soil.
Ahead, the predator openings were also opening one after another, normal attacks were not enough.
Even if he cut every root with Glacial Reaper Claw, dozens of other roots would come out of the ground.
Thunder Calamity could also kill the ants, but wouldn’t stop the spores and mushrooms.
"All of you stay behind me." Lian looked at Ravian.
"What are you going to do?" Ravian breathed with difficulty.
"I’ll open a path."
Sera lifted Nemi.
"Whatever happens, don’t go outside the area I create." Lian made his tone harder, he also couldn’t predict how things would go.
The three Lacerians gathered behind him, Lian faced the battlefield and placed both his hands on the ground.
All the mana in his body started moving, not like a calm flow, but like a lake whose dam had broken.
Cold spread from the center of his chest, went down from his shoulders, moved along his arms, and entered the soil through his palms.
At first, only a thin layer of dew froze on the moss.
Then the air temperature dropped, Ravian and the two girls’ breaths turned into white vapor, the spores suspended in the air lost their speed.
They turned into small crystals one by one and fell to the ground like snow.
The moss turned white, a root that was coming toward Lian stopped in the middle of its movement.
A layer of ice started from its tip and spread along its entire length, the stem of the nearest mushroom cracked.
[Eternal Frozen Apocalypse]