Chapter 66: Sacrificial Eggs
’I’ll have to keep an eye on both attacks at the same time. This will take a lot of stamina.’
Jason frowned as this thought passed through his mind, and he patted the scout that he was riding and told it to head forward to the inner part of the tunnel since the Methane gas had cleared enough to no longer be dangerous. The Rook at the Nothern tunnel entrance sent a message back to Jason and told him that they had gotten through the tunnel, and Jason glanced to one side as he saw a notification pop up on his system.
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The user has killed [43] Adamantine Ant Workers
+1290 Kill Points
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The user has killed [3] Adamantine Ant Soldiers
+450 Kill Points
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Jason nodded in acceptance and then he just told it to kill everything that moved.
That instruction seemed to be sufficient for the Rook as it began to order the other subordinates around, and Jason cut the link he had with that Rook before turning forward as they passed the tunnel. The area that they appeared in was large and tall enough to fit even the larger Pawn Rank III Wolfs easily. It had been carved out from the earth like a cavern, and the entire area was dimly lit by strange crystals that were embedded into the walls of the cave.
Screech!
Screech!
Roar!!
Bang!
The sound of fighting and screeching echoed through the cavern as Jason’s Legion clashed against the many ants that were standing guard at the cavern entrance! Jason looked around with his [Predator’s Gaze] to see what was happening. The entire cave was a whirlwind of battle, and Jason watched as his Legion slowly pushed the enemies backward while advancing through their ranks!
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The user has killed [25] Adamantine Ant Workers
+750 Kill Points
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The Rook was the most effective fighter because now it had a lot more space to move around, which allowed it to attack multiple ants at the same time and take them out quickly! The Rook’s subordinates were also leading the charge since they had stronger bodies and were using their enhanced durability to take most of the impact from the attacks of the regular ants so that the other members of the Legion could focus on just attacking!
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The user has killed [18] Adamantine Ant Soldiers
+2700 Kill Points
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A loud screech echoed from the side as an ant tried to get to Jason through the Legion, but before it could even get close, a large wolf slammed into it with full force and dragged it to the ground before biting down hard on its neck to kill it! Another ant appeared from behind, and Jason glanced back to see that it was trying to attack him while the others were distracted!
Jason stretched his hand out and activated a skill.
[Adamantine Hide] has been activated!
Jason’s hand was coated in the silvery exoskeleton of the Adamantine Ants, and he caught the ant by the mandibles to stop it in its tracks. Jason felt some pain from the attack since the ant was a soldier and his skill was only an A Rank level skill, but the pain passed quickly and the Soldier ant couldn’t even leave a mark on his skin! Jason called on another member of the Legion and watched as the soldier ant was blindsided by three ants that tore it to pieces.
There was so much going on in the cavern all at once, and Jason knew that he had to stay alert to make sure he wasn’t attacked from a blind spot. All of this would end the moment he was killed, so his safety was the ultimate priority.
...
The Legion continued their onslaught through the ant’s cavern as they made their way toward the center of the habitat, and as the battle progressed, it became more and more obvious to all the regular ants that were fighting for their Queen that they were seriously outmatched by the attackers.
Not only were Jason’s army stronger, but they possessed a ferocity that could only be possessed by a creature that did not fear death. The ants were all loyal to their Queen, and they would fight for her till their last breath, but even they were terrified of death, and they would react instinctively with undeniable fear, just like all animals would when they were faced with the likelihood of death.
But the Legion were different! They didn’t just rush forward without fear of death; they rushed forward anticipating death! They moved like creatures that had been crafted for the sole purpose of dying so that their King’s wishes would come to pass! They knew that no matter what happened, their King could easily bring them back to this world. And even if he didn’t bring them back, they didn’t care! Their entire life was dedicated to the progress of the King’s goal, and they would give everything up just for his success! That was their only mission in life!
The Legion were a force of undeniable terror that tore through the colony like a whirlwind of death, and the members of the colony all knew that this was not a fight that they could win.
Even on the other side of the colony, close to the center where the Queen was resting, the ants all heard the sounds of battle happening from the distance. There were less than a hundred ants left in the entire colony, and they had all gathered on a platform close to the Queen’s resting place and waited.
The platform was located right in the center of the colony nest, and there was a large gorge surrounding the platform, ensuring that the only way you could reach it was by flying.
The ten superior ants that were the Queen’s subordinates and mating partners all gathered in front of the remaining ants as they screeched their orders to the ants around them! This was their last stand, so they had to make sure that they killed the intruders here before they could get to the Queen! It didn’t matter if they died! As long as even one ant was still alive, then the Queen could recreate the entire colony! They had to give their lives and protect the Queen!
The ants were moving large football-shaped eggs around quickly as they followed the orders of the Queen’s subordinates. The eggs that they were carrying were what was meant to hatch into the next generation of ants in this colomy. There were more than one hundred eggs that the Queen had laid over the past few months, and they were all near their hatching period. But now that they were under attack, these eggs would never get to hatch, and they would never get to grow into the next generation.
The reason for this was simple. The eggs were the final defense that the ants had against the intruders.
Many eggs that didn’t go through the gestation period properly ended up being discarded and left to rot, or they would be used as food for the Queen. But the eggs that rotted all decomposed quickly into methane, and the ants realized that these eggs would have an explosive reaction if they were cracked open.
And now that the ants had taken the gestating eggs out of their pods, they were no longer able to go through their regular gestation, and they had already begun to decay and transform into methane at a rapid pace. The ants carrying the eggs began to fly off the platform where the Queen was resting and headed for the Gorge that surrounded the Queen’s resting place.
The Gorge was the last line of defense that separated the Queen’s resting place from the rest of the hill. It created an isolated island in the center of the colony and ensured that only those with the ability to fly would be capable of making thier way to the Queen, and this was where they would make their last stand.
Up above the Gorge, the roof of the cave was covered in a deep darkness that swallowed all the light from the numerous glowing stones littering the floor and prevented anyone from seeing through it. The ants flew to the roof of the cave with the eggs held tightly in thier hands, and tucked in their wings to ensure they weren’t spotted. Then, they waited for the enemies.