Chapter 105
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 105
Chapter Title: Empire of the Forest (3)
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"Skywing Squadron, take to the skies! We can't let them seize control of the air!"
'There's a lot that's impressive here, huh?'
Even to my eyes, it was clear the elves still had plenty up their sleeves.
Their prized lattice of light might have shattered under the long-range bombardment, but they didn't retreat. Instead, they stood their ground against the ants.
And the ones now soaring into the sky en masse were one such force.
Dozens of elves took flight aboard gliders made of enormous main wings and auxiliary wings that resembled oversized leaves.
Riding currents of wind that seemed to bend to their command, these weren't mere gliders. They looked far more advanced.
With their bodies secured to the frames by struts, the elves had free use of their arms for combat. They collided with our aerial forces in a flash, thanks to their blistering speed and expert piloting.
The hornet ants that had been dive-bombing the ground, and the dragon ants dropping venom sacs and ant bombs for their strikes, now found themselves locked in battle with this Skywing Squadron.
"Now we've got to worry about air superiority too."
I muttered under my breath as I watched them streak in, unleashing arrows that pierced and felled hornet ants encircled in midair.
Even the dragon ants, bulkier than the hornet ants, fared no better.
The Skywing Squadron moved with incredible speed and precision, as if specialized for aerial combat. Our ants, who had never truly faced air battles before, struggled to respond.
Of course, the hornets and dragonflies that formed the base for our hornet ants and dragon ants weren't weak in the air by any means.
The problem was that the elves' Skywing Squadron was on a whole different level from mere insects.
Moreover, through past experiences, our hornet ants and dragon ants had evolved far beyond their initial forms. The hornet ants were now heavily armored ground-assault variants, while the dragon ants specialized in high-speed bombing with precise payload drops.
Which meant we needed a new aerial force—faster and stronger—to handle roles beyond ground strikes and bombings.
If the elves took the skies, everything from reconnaissance onward would become a hassle.
[Asmora ponders the strength of the enemy's aerial forces]
I waited for Asmora's decision, but even it—with its brain and collective consciousness granting computational power far beyond any human—couldn't find an immediate solution.
So, after a long while, I decided to provide new prey to help nudge things along.
The ants had certainly gained more diverse analyses through Asmora and the power to turn the impossible possible via their Demonic Power hearts.
But sometimes, it was faster and easier to just bring in something that already existed rather than creating it from scratch.
Of course, I was only providing options. The ants would make the final call themselves.
I liked that. It was better than me clumsily meddling; trusting in the strength they'd already proven time and again felt right.
Even if Asmora deemed it useless, that was fine. I'd just fetch something new.
"Robber flies are definitely top-tier in combat among flies. And this—this is what you asked for."
I visited the broker I'd kept ties with.
Given the hefty sums I'd paid him, he was all smiles whenever I showed up.
The two items I'd requested were a winged insect called a robber fly and a bat that soared on leathery wings, preying on bugs in the sky.
"You actually got them."
"Bats pop up in cities now and then—they're not that rare. With my connections, I could even snag famous vampire bats if you wanted."
He puffed up his chest, boasting that small ones were no problem at all.
'Big ones are trickier, huh. Guess I'll have to supply body parts for those.'
Only recently, as I'd grown accustomed to my Deity abilities, did I learn why my interference was so abundant compared to other Deities.
It wasn't that I was hoarding it without using it.
In truth, I'd been steadily expending interference without realizing. Dropping food for the ants, providing magic stones.
All those natural acts as their 'Breeder' were interference.
Asmora's predation ability wasn't omnipotent because it only reacted to things I'd provided in that manner.
The reason I hadn't suffered interference shortages was likely that those acts consumed less than expected.
Or perhaps, it was because I'd claimed so much territory and subordinates in that world that I could output that much interference now.
[Asmora understands the will of the Great One]
It had been a while since I'd provided live creatures instead of magic stones as feed.
Asmora had its subordinate ants hunt them down, digest them into nutrient fluid, and consume it—twitching its antennae as if grasping my intent.
Fortunately, it had judged my aid worthwhile.
I provided the robber fly to incorporate even stronger aerial combat prowess.
And the bat? Because Asmora hadn't yet predated any creature with leathery wings.
'I've given you all the options. Now it's your turn to select and combine.'
According to my log of everything I'd ever fed the ants, I'd provided quite a variety.
Sparrows for feathers, insects for wing membranes, bats for leather.
What variant emerged was up to Asmora.
[Asmora produces a new variant]
It didn't take long.
As if it had been waiting for this exact moment, new variants were already pupating rapidly after detaching from the production bodies.
'Ant flies?'
The ones emerging from the pupae unmistakably resembled robber flies at a glance.
Especially striking were the sharp proboscises jutting from their distinctive variant ant head armor.
But the resemblance ended there. Of their two pairs of wings, the larger ones were fully encased in bat-like leathery membranes.
The smaller pair were insect-like, membrane-covered wings that beat at tremendous speeds, propelling their lightweight, minimally armored bodies skyward in an instant.
'This should do the trick.'
Their swift, precise aerial maneuvers looked more than a match for the elves' Skywing Squadron, at least to my eyes.
"If they lose supremacy in the skies they thought they had just days ago, the shock to them will be immense, I believe."
I spotted Seira staring blankly at the new variant ant flies darting about in test maneuvers.
She, whom Asmora had once viewed as its sole nemesis and hated above all others, knew better than anyone just how formidable the ants' feedback and implementation abilities were.
[The subordinates plan to assault the enemy's coastline with a portion of their forces]
"According to our intel, the coastline is controlled by the former human kingdom of Vanest. It appears to now serve as a production base for the elves after their conquest."
I could see the map Seira was looking at too.
Once an independent human realm, it had been occupied by elves and was now being exploited. That made it our enemy.
"If we can find those there willing to rebel against the elves, we could win with far fewer losses—like when we toppled the Lucadia Empire."
Seira was even scheming something bigger.
In a former human kingdom forcibly annexed by the elves, there had to be plenty opposed to their rule.
Her success striking the enemy's heart with Kallian's aid had taught her a lesson; now she aimed for even more efficient victories.
'Above all, it'll save more lives that way. That's surely her reasoning.'
I knew what thoughts and motives drove Seira.
I didn't think they were wrong, so I watched and supported her enthusiastic aid to the ants more than anyone.
"...If you believe it's good, then it probably is."
That said, I didn't see her convictions as absolute truth.
Did she even realize?
The survivors from the Holy Kingdom she'd kept close and observed longest did indeed follow her—and some even warmed to the ants—as conditions improved.
But those left in the wake of the ants' sweep weren't simply 'saved.'
With lands utterly shattered and new orders rising, they had to forge new lives amid the chaos.
The incidents and emotions that arose weren't always peaceful or happy.
With my eyes that could peer anywhere in ant territory at will, and notifications popping up unbidden, I knew.
'A world everyone wants can never exist anyway.'
I didn't dwell on it.
No matter how I looked, letting them choose their own paths was miracle enough.
[Asmora directs Seira to lead the unit]
Ironically, Seira—striving for her own beliefs—was acknowledged even by the ants, especially Asmora whom she'd once enraged, and steadily fulfilled her role as vanguard commander.
From Asmora's perspective, there was no reason to undervalue Seira's ability to devise solutions for its blind spots or her deep ecological knowledge of enemies.
Mobilizing numerous Leviathans, the ants crossed the sea en masse toward the south.
'The elves are even worse at sea than the Lucadia Empire.'
Lucadia's navy hadn't been impressive compared to their army investments and crumbled quickly, but at least they'd used ships to defend rivers and coastal cities.
The elves lacked even that.
Their civilization stemmed from deep within the great forest; they scarcely seemed to know the sea, let alone maintain a navy to guard it.
'The elven legions can't just be these guys.'
I eyed the elven units fiercely clashing with the ants in southern Lucadia, a question forming.
Even excluding those currently engaged, their forces numbered at least five times more.
Made up of pureblood elves and conscripted from colonies, those massive armies were still growing, they said.
So where were the rest, and what were they doing?
[The subordinates discover the enemy's fleet]
It happened then, as the stealthy Leviathans moved and their scouting escorts flew reconnaissance.
Something entered their view amid the thick sea mist: large galleons approaching the coast, bearing the distinctive shape of Vanest Kingdom ships from the southern isles.
"We need intel to decide whether to ignore or attack them."
Seira dispatched diving ants covertly to approach the vessels.
She planned to eavesdrop and identify the ships before deciding on a response.
I zoomed in my screen and listened too. They didn't look like warships.
'Elves?'
Enlarging further, I saw it: amid the bustling crew, an elf with pointed ears wielded a baton, directing in flashy attire.
"What rotten luck. Why do I have to handle seasick slave transports?"
"Right, right... haha..."
"Damn it. At least it's less nauseating than most, but still... Should've joined His Excellency Belphein's 2nd Legion instead."
Their conversation came through clearly.
These masses of transports crossing the sea?
All carried slaves captured by the elven imperial forces after toppling nearby island nations.