Chapter 126
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 126
Chapter Title: First Warrior (4)
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"The rear unit got hit again? That bastard again?!"
"...Yes."
"Damn it all, then how the hell are we supposed to advance?!"
In truth, the group suffering the greatest losses from Bellona's rampage was a different faction altogether.
It was the Dwarf Federation, which had been trying to reclaim the plains dominated by the Orc Kingdom and the Nomadic Horde.
Commander Krun flew into a rage upon hearing that Bellona had once again pierced their defenses, destroying supplies and personnel while carrying out assassinations.
The Orc Kingdom at least had warriors who could stand against Bellona.
But the Dwarf Federation relied more on equipment and collective firepower than such heroic figures.
"Does that monster not sleep? Does it not eat?!"
Krun was appalled by Bellona's reported range of activity so far.
The more diverse the genes composing that body became and the more efficient the pluripotent cells, the more dramatically its abilities surged.
At the pinnacle stood Queen Bellona, who could absorb and utilize energy even in extreme conditions—by now, she was closer to a machine than a living creature.
Currently, within the Dwarf Federation, there was scarcely anyone who could match Bellona, whose skills had skyrocketed from endless clashes with the Orc Kingdom's warriors.
Even heavily armed dwarf warriors in the latest gear were bisected by a single strike from Bellona's blade.
Unlike the ants, whose entire system was geared for war and who could burrow deep into tunnels for hiding in a pinch, these two forces had no means to endure guerrilla tactics once their supply lines and rear bases were targeted.
"The homeland is asking for more time."
"No. Dragging this out further means we can't advance at all."
Commander Krun had to make a decision for the sake of his dying subordinates. Namely, joining hands with the Orc Kingdom once more for an offensive.
Not just the level of coordination from last time, timing attacks together.
This was a full-fledged proposal for an alliance to fight side by side.
It was a bold choice. The Orc Kingdom and Dwarf Federation were fundamentally rivals who could not coexist.
Not only their homelands but even the deities watching over them would need to reach an agreement.
"At the very least, our command units will unite. If this proves a mistake, the Divine One will warn us immediately."
Scrumm accepted the proposal.
At the same time, he glanced up at the sky, but the deities remained silent.
A sign that an alliance between the two groups was indeed necessary to counter the ants.
"Relay the order to join them at the promised location."
"Good. We'll link up with the orcs and smash their nest in one go."
Scrumm informed the Dwarf Federation of the rendezvous point, and Krun agreed, mobilizing his subordinates accordingly.
Bellona's tireless flights blocking enemy advances and inflicting damage had resulted in a complete alliance between the two forces. Now, it was up to the ants to respond.
"Interception... doesn't sit well with me."
Asmora grumbled at the sight of a force crossing the plains.
New variants of Askalon, hybrids blending human body parts with spiders, scorpions, and the like.
Unlike the initial plan, these creations from Asmora were heading not to the elf frontlines but westward across the plains.
With the two forces—tormented by Bellona into forming an alliance—facing the risk of their nomadic hordes being wiped out, this was emergency support.
'But they're only sending a handful of worker ant units alongside these. Do they think that's enough?'
Jin-hyuk wondered upon seeing this.
If pushed back from the plains, the numerous nests prepared by the grand horde would be in immediate peril.
He would've thought full commitment was necessary, yet Asmora had dispatched all other variants south to check the elves.
"Well, they must have their own calculations. Bellona seems to be preparing something too."
Of course, he muttered softly but chose not to intervene despite his doubts.
Even when other deities issued direct orders with intel in special cases, his default stance was always this.
Let the ants, who handled things so capably on their own, proceed without interference.
The ants had their own standards and reasoning.
Clumsy meddling could derail everything, turning him into one of those incompetent, overzealous commanders scattered through history whose forces collapsed entirely.
This mindset solidified further as the ants' intelligence rose and his control over them grew more effective.
'Do whatever you want.'
Unlike other deities who subjugated awakened, transcended former kin within established civilizations as subordinates, Jin-hyuk's ants had been with him from their humble beginnings as insignificant vermin, evolving as a collective.
That trust ran deep, so he simply watched and believed.
And that was enough for the ants.
"Enemy formation confirmed."
Bellona's eyes flashed as she spotted the approaching foes through the eyes of her scouts—their massively developed visual organs occupying over half their heads, granting 360-degree vision, long-range sight, and darkvision.
The allied army marched in tight formation, refusing to be toyed with by Bellona any longer.
If the Nomadic Horde kept evading direct clashes to whittle them down, that would be one thing. But now, they too opted to concentrate their full might to defend Narqundum, their central nest.
Bellona has discovered her sworn enemy.
Spotting Scrumm marching proudly at the fore, Bellona gnashed her teeth beneath her helm.
Everything from the start had been geared toward one goal: toppling Scrumm with her own hands.
"Hive, attack."
Subordinates begin their activities.
At Bellona's command, the countless ants scattered across the field converged in an instant and sprang into action.
The all-out war had finally begun. They'd avoided full clashes so far, dragging things out with skirmishes purely to maximize gains.
But the Nomadic Horde had already recovered most of its strength.
Plus Asmora's reinforcements.
Even with the two forces allied, they could match them head-on.
'Tunnels.'
Jin-hyuk watched as a multitude of ants vanished into the earth simultaneously.
The ants' first move was the tunnels.
Beneath the vast plains before Narqundum—the designated battlefield—a complex network of tunnels sprawled, dug by the ants for troop movements and supply transport across the region.
The allies knew ant tunnels were highly dangerous, so they wandered the land casting spells and rituals to collapse them.
But those collapsed tunnels barely reached ten meters deep from the surface.
The deeper layers remained intact. They posed no issue now, but with a way to dig swiftly, the ants could reopen collapsed sections and ambush from below.
Bellona deploys elite forces to key positions.
Led by burrowing ants specialized in excavation and masses of workers, the Askalons sent by Asmora plunged into the tunnels en masse.
"No way?"
Watching, Jin-hyuk grasped their intent and let out a quiet gasp of admiration.
The ants now possessed a way to dig tunnels faster than the enemy could detect.
Mana-wielding individuals: the Askalons.
"I can see their nest in the distance."
"They're swarming thick. Easily over fifty thousand."
"Just need to get within the dwarves' cannon range. Then we'll have the advantage."
Scrumm tore his gaze from the telescope, which showed only teeming ants, his face grim.
Orcs, fighting centered on warriors, lacked firepower against such masses. Conversely, the Dwarf Federation needed elite guards to protect their firepower from close assaults.
In the end, they complemented each other's weaknesses. Fought right, the synergy was undeniable.
"This should suffice. Hurry and set up the batteries!"
Krun beside Scrumm hurriedly ordered his artillerymen to aim and prepare to fire.
"No issues?"
"None. You're detecting as well, aren't you?"
Krun nodded at Scrumm's words.
Rich in experience against ants, they'd prepared thoroughly.
Vigilant in all directions including the skies, aware that burrowing was an ant specialty, they scouted the ground and subsurface relentlessly.
"Listening to the earth's whispers, all clear."
"Good."
Scrumm nodded at the shaman's report of no subsurface activity. Even if ants dug, anything beyond detection range was too deep to surprise them.
Now, only one thing remained.
Clash head-on with the ants—and block Bellona, who was sure to charge like a madwoman.
"Lately, I've felt the Sword Devil has been deliberately avoiding me."
"Likely. Even as great warriors fell, she skirted the commander's position."
"But now, with her nest on the brink, even that coward has no choice."
Berggren, recently learning swordsmanship directly from Scrumm, nodded in agreement.
Bellona had indeed avoided Scrumm so far. Obvious, since she couldn't win yet.
But the time had come. Scrumm would guard the main force, stepping out personally if she appeared.
"I'll show her then. True mastery comes from the heart. That a mere monster mimicking what it sees can never follow our path."
Scrumm wanted to demonstrate the power of the mind to Berggren and his warriors.
A true warrior's conviction: the edge transcending limits stemmed from that will, that unbreakable resolve—and he aimed to prove it.
"Batteries ready. They're advancing. Skies too!"
"Prepare to fire!"
As the dwarven cannons settled, the ants—as if waiting—lunged first.
The crawling ground masses and winged flyers unfolding in unison filled the air, swarming toward them in dense clusters.
"Don't flinch. One good volley takes out half."
One dwarf gunner eyed his massive cannon eagerly.
Capable of hurling shells bigger than a man's head, no ordinary exoskeleton could withstand it.
They trusted their firepower implicitly.
"Ready, fi—!"
But just before firing, the previously stable ground erupted violently.
'This is.'
Scrumm, with senses far keener than most, clearly heard the massive explosions rumbling from below.
"The ground's collapsing!!"
Before Scrumm could shout, the cracking earth gave way, instantly splitting their positioned lines.
"Ambush... underground!"
Screams and shouts filled the dust-choked chaos as black-shelled monstrosities burst forth. Scrumm cried out in horror.
The ants, approaching stealthily underground, had used magic to excavate massive earth at once, succeeding in their ambush.
With batteries toppled before firing, the ant assault waves they were meant to repel now overran the camp unchecked.
Bellona further raises the calculated odds of victory.
Having landed a solid blow with her new variants, Bellona kicked off the earth and soared toward the enemy lines her soldiers were devastating.
'Vengeance.'
To Bellona now, there was only one target: Scrumm, hastily directing his flustered troops.